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le why deception, cruelty and betrayal are your friends

To start “The War of the Lions,” you must use bold strokes. Regicides, double-crosses, violations of queens, good options all. Whatever your plan, once begun, a war of this magni-

tude is not to be trifled with. This is a brutal conflict of epic proportions, where each hallowed victory brings you closer to the very heart of darkness. Battle after battle, you will command your fighting party across magical lands protected by hostile forces. You will need the help of the bravest warriors, as well as armor,

weapons, intricate battle plans and magical spells. Be ruthless. Be clever. Or be dead. —

J

{or how to ensure the biggest, baddest, meanest SOBs are on your side}

е» In Final Fantasy Tactics; you are Ramza, a young squad leader and an ally of Princess Ovelia. It's up to you to lead an elite fighting squad of your own choosing into battle. You must train them to be

powerful Black Mages who can cast magic spells, Summoners who can awaken terrible beasts, Wizards,

PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Final Fantasy and SquareSoft are registered trademarks of Square Co.,

Ninjas, Bards, Archers, Thieves and more. There are nineteen fighting classes and four hundred abilities to master, If you go into battle ill-prepared, may the enemy make the blood run cold from your heart. È

lor further discussions from the annals of shoot first, ask questions later}

„ As the ancient history of warfare reveals, you vill survive if your battle strategy is strong, and perish

TY if it is not. You will lead the charge through impressive lands trying to gain the best strategic positions in forests, castle ramparts, swamps and valleys. You can buy and sell equipment, hire new soldiers

and plan glorious battle strategies. May you conquer the enemy or may you die trying, аны nme

PUN SOUARESOFT: |А, | "T PlayStation SEN A sa EL)

Ltd. ©1997/1998 Square Co., Ltd. Final Fantasy Tactics is a trademark of Square Co., Ltd. ©1998 Square Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. www.playstation.com

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Activision is a registered trademark and Vigilante 8 is a trademark of Activision, Inc. © 1998 Activision, Inc. Al rights reserved. Licensed by Sony Computer Entertainment America for use with the PlayStation game console. PlayStation and the Playstation logos are trademarks

ACTIVISION.

ECT

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illy Destructible Arenas

Muscl Ггискѕ and More

Over-the-Top Weapon

Unprecedented 3-D Graphics and Ef

• Two-Player Split-Screen Auto С

Behind-the-Wheel or Behind- E

cf Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Al other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. WWW. ACTIVISION. COM

Although only one U.S. game (Rampage World Tour) has been documented as actually including human nudity (Ghost in the Shell doesn't really count; the main character's actually an android), several games have come pretty close. Here are a few examples, counter-clockwise, from bottom right: Rampage, Dead or Alive, Tomb Raider Il, Ghost in the Shell and the campy Japanese shooter Choaniki.

was reading an interesting letter the other day in response to my last

editorial about censorship. The reader wanted to know why there

haven't been any naked people in a console video game yet. Surely,

he reasoned, that naked people exist in this world and they should be represented. I’m sure many people would agree. The funny thing is that

there actually have been some naked people in a domestically released PlayStation game. The recently released Rampage had monsters who reverted back to human form when they ran out of energy, and these were fully naked guys and gals. OK, so they were really, really, really tiny characters on screen, but there they were. Other games have come close, but hats off to Midway for going the full monty. Getting back to the point raised, would any games truly benefit from having real nudity? There would obviously be a market for titles whose main selling point is nudity, but the question is what would it add to your average game? For exam- ple, would Resident Evil 2 The Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine is the be any more gritty and dra- ТЕЗ aC ЛГ Ж ЕД ДЕУ matic if it had nudity? Did magazine and is published by Ziff-Davis Inc. through it suffer because it didn't? an exclusive arrangement. As such, OPM remains The question here is using independent from SCEA, and is a critical, autonomous naked bodies (partially or voice that helps readers get more out of their full) for effect much in the PlayStation system by delivering the most current, same way bloody zombies comprehensive and candid coverage of are used in RE2 to illicit an emo- ҸЕ ЕЕЕ ЕТСЯ tional response. In my opinion, | don’t think it would add anything substantial to the gaming experience. I’m not saying | wouldn’t mind seeing it, and | certainly think that there can be some inter- esting titles developed around nudity, but | won’t lose any sleep over a lack of naked people in games.

So, will the naked people ever be let loose onto the gaming landscape? You can never say never, and for all | know, there could be a slew of such titles shown at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) which takes place in the latter half of May. Just don’t hold your breast, ег...| mean breath.

Wataru Maruyama Editor in Chief

layStation

Publisher Jonathan Lane Editorial Director J.E. Funk * joe funkGzd.com Editor in Chief

Wataru Maruyama * wataru_maruyama@zd.com

Managing Editor Dindo Perez * dindo_perez@zd.com Assistant Editors Dave Malec • Joe Rybicki Gary Mollohan * opm@zd.com Contribu Editors Phil Theobold * Chris Johnston Creative Director Michael Stassus Senior Art Director Bob Conlon * bob conlonGzd.com Art Director Donna O'Hara Copy Editors Jo-El Damen “ Dan Peluso Jennifer Whitesides

Production Director Marc Camron

Prepress Manager Dave McCracken

Associate Prepress Manager Paul Ojeda Production. Assistant Chris Melody

Advertising Coordinator Mike Darling

Circulation Director Joan Mcinerney

Newsstand Sales Manager Don Galen

Circulation Coordinator Ann-Marie Mrozynski

Corporate Counsel Rob Kabat

Business Manager Cathy Bendot

Special Thanks to: Andrew House ley R. Russell Kerry Hopkins * Michelle Postrado Sue Nopar

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: Ziff-Davis Video Game Group 135 Main Street, 14th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 Telephone: (415) 357-5310 Fax: (415) 357-5288

Associate Publisher, Sales & Marketing Jennie Parker • jennie_parker@zd.com Telephone (415) 357-5200

Account Executive Linda Philapil * linda_philapil@zd.com Telephone (415). 857-5255

Regional Sales Manager, Northwest Jon Yoffie * jon_yoffie@zd.com Telephone (415) 357-5320

District Sales Manager, Southwest Karen Landon * karen_landon@zd.com Telephone (415) 357-5320

District Ad Sales Manager, Midwest & East Coast Anthony George, • anthony | P NITET „сот Telephone (630) 916-7222, ext. 242 Marketin; Manager Lynn Smiley

Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (ISSN #1094 6683) is published monthly by Ziff-Davis Inc., 1920 Highland Ave., 2nd Floor, Lombard, IL 60 Singlé-issue rates: $7.99. Subscription Rates: One Year (12 issues and 12 demo discs) $49.97 U.S., $65.97 all other coun We periodically make lists of our customers available to mailer of goods and services. If you do not wish to receive Such mailings, please write to us and include a copy of your mailing label, Subscription Service Questions and Address Changes Write to: Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, RO, Box 59362, Boulder, CO 0322-5362. (303)665-8930 U.S. or (303)604- 448 all other countries. Рах us: (30316047455 4 5; or (303)604.0540 all other countries Or visit our subscription Web site at http://subscribe.playstationmagazine.com/ service The editors and publishers are not responsible for unsolicited materials. Without limiting the rights under copyrights reserved herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or intro duced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in a form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, pt tocopying recording. or otherwise) without the prior written notice of Ziff-Davis Inc. ЕИ © 1998, Ziff-Davis Inc. All Rights Reserved. TM & © for all other products and the characters contained there- in are owned by the respective trademark and copy- right holders. All materials in this magazine are subject to change and the publisher mes по. responsibility for such changes. Th nadian GST registration number is 14049 6720 RT. Printed in the USA.

BIET 64 or ` DUKE NUKEM TOTAL MELTDOWN

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“never have | experienced a game so unique that it redefines my expectations like this one. A wonderful game..."

GameSource Monthly (on-line) September 1997

“Revives a lost gaming genre and takes it to new heights.”

Game Informer, August 1997

"...опе of the deepest, most involving, and most cleverly designed games ever released on PlayStation."

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“...а rarity in today’s sequel-studded

rocco” loging their heads...

“ Manages to enmesh the player in engaging character and fantastical story.”

GamePro, December 1996

“Пе kind of unique gameplay and killer graphics that will rocket it straight into the PlayStation hall of fame."

GamePro, October 1997

"Best of the bunch 1997" Animation World Magazine ДІНІНІҢ ќе е EN cde

EXS

"Best Director of Animation CD" AWARD I 4

World Animation Celebration Editor's Choice Award Тор 10 Best Games 1997 1997 Best Platiorm Game PlayStation Galleria

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Immersive. Intuitive. Intelligent. Inexplicably Challenging.

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Strategy Guide

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Oddworld Inhabitants Abe's Oddysee TM & © 1997 Oddworld Inhabitants, Inc. Al Rights Reserved. Published and distributed by GT Interactive Software Corp. PlayStation and the PlayStation Logo are trademarks ot Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective companies,

SN ك‎ Ё

Info...24 Hours Day

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SADI T EE

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or Night! All By Phone!

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ZIFF-DAVIS INC. CHAIRMAN AND CEO Eric Hippeau

Chief Financial Officer Timothy O'Brien President, ZD Publishing Claude P. Sheer

President, ZD Market Bob Brown Intelligence

President, 20 Comdex Jason Chudnofsky and Forums

President, ZD Brand and Terri Holbrooke Market Services

President, ZD Internet Dan Rosensweig Productions

President, ZD Education William Rosenthal President, ZD Television Larry W. Wangberg

Senior Vice President, Rayna Brown Human Resources

Senior Vice President, Daryl R. Otte Planning and Development

Vice President, Steve Gladyszewski Information Services

Vice President, General J. Malcolm Morris Counsel and Secretary

Vice President, Controller Mark Moyer

Vice President, Tracy Nadi Human Resources, Operations

Treasurer Thomas L. Wright

CORPORATE SALES Executive Vice President Joe Gillespie

ZD MEDIA NETWORK Executive Director Jeff Bruce

Executive Director Scott Murphy Managing Director Rita Burke ZD BRAND & MARKET SERVICES Vice President, Brooke Correll ZD Brand Marketing

Vice President, Client Michael Perkowski Marketing

Vice President, Elda Vale Corporate Research

Vice President, ZD Brand Herb Stern Management

Vice President, Gregory Jarboe Corporate Relations

ZD Publishing President Claude P. Sheer Executive Vice President Don Byrnes Executive Vice President Chris Dobbrow Executive Vice President Jack Dolce Executive Vice President Al DiGuido Executive Vice President Thomas McGrade Executive Vice President Michael J. Miller Senior Vice President Nancy Newman Vice President Bob Bader Vice President John Dodge Vice President Kathleen Goodwin Vice President Roger Herrmann Vice President Jonathan Lane Vice President Eric Lundquist Vice President Bill Machrone Vice President Jim Manning Vice President Charles Mast Vice President James F. Ramaley Vice President Раш ботегвоп Vice President Mark Van Name Vice President Sam Whitmore Executive Director, Licensing Gertrud Borchardt

Director, Benchmark Bill Catchings Operations

Director, ZD Labs Lauren Black

Ziff-Davis Inc., A SOFTBANK Company

eesssccsosocccccccccsocccccccccs t вее свае ео о ооо.

PlayStation

Tekken 3

fat travelled to

lamco's U.S. offices

id returned with many les of what may turn t to be the greatest hting game ever.

leme, the OPM editors iompiled a list of what =| we consider to be the | 10 best fighting games r the PlayStation.

Gary and Bob hit the opes of Lake Tahoe, lev., to pick up some ioarding tips and info п Psygnosis' big

the revolutionary pdate to their dark tion/RPG.

founding out this

ionth's fighter

уегаве is a Tekken 3

rategy, complete with Strings and combos for all the basic characters.

Tiger Woods teams up with EA Sports to work on a new golf game, and the wacky Bust A Move is confirmed for the U.S.

letters..

We address “wobbling” TV screens, hearing-impaired video gamers and the great Jerry Springer controversy!

previews...

"demo disc

E Gex: Enter the Gecko, Einhánder and Klonoa are all playable.

| U.S. previews

See Tekken 3, Kain 2, The Unholy War and SCEA's NFL Extreme!

t international

The results from our International Games survey are in!

reviews..

We put Blasto, Dead or Alive, SaGa Frontier, Diablo and Einhánder to the ultimate test. See how they fared.

It's a Tekken 3 extravaganza, with the most complex and challenging moves and combos for all the basic characters.

tricks..

This month's Tricks section includes level codes and other assorted cheats for Skullmonkeys, Gex: Enter the Gecko and much more!

веат...

We take a look at a selection of new televisions, as well as Sony's new PlayStation-interfaced, Tomagotchi-sized personal data assistant (PDA).

monthly wrap-up of all the information for your favorite system

Show me the money!

cha-ching!

Catching a Tiger by its Tail

Electronic Arts has announced that they signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Tiger Woods to develop a series of interactive golf titles

for both the PlayStation and the personal computer with the PS

version set for a summer release. "| am thrilled to join the EA Sports team," said Tiger. “I've played video games for many years. The chance to work commentary. The with the top brand in sports PGA Tour franchise gaming and play a key role in has been in decline

oo o бу > S =

the design of an inter- active golf product will be an exciting chal- lenge.” In future ver- sions of the game, Woods will join 14 other golf pros such as Tom Kite, Lee Janzen and Davis Love Ill and play in PGA Tour main- stay locales like Pebble Beach Golf Links and TPC at Sawgrass. As always, the games

will have EA's TV-style presentation and color

in recent years, but this move seems to be the much-needed boost golf fans have been waiting for. Tiger is the latest and biggest athlete to lend his name and supervision to a video game title and hopefully he won't suffer the jinx that has befallen other stars that have come before him (similar to the Sports Illustrated curse). Financial terms of the four-year deal were not disclosed.

As one of the most charismatic and gifted athletes ever to play the game, Tiger's endorse- ment should make EA's next golf offering a roaring success.

^9 100 plus hourrof ШТ ay 8 different, possible endings “> Non-linear storyline. -

? УЗ. D isometric и elds.

4

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amus |

May 1998

Official U.S. ( PlayStation (Magazine (5)

If you were excited by our preview of Bust-a-Move (U.S. ing the title to the U.S. for a release later this year. rhythm and reflex-style game where you It sounds a lot like PaRappa, but the have two people playing

yo name will be different), then you'll be beside yourself now. 2 RIS. Enix has stated that they are currently working on bring- А In case you missed the international preview last issue, the game is a competitive e have to match your button presses/ dance moves to the beat of the music. mechanics are quite different. The biggest plus is that you can against each other at the same time.

PlayStation to receive updated VCS classics?

(A) ccording to a document filed with the SEC, toy giant

Hasbro recently purchased all Atari assets—including the intellectual property and licensing rights for such classics as Asteroids, Missile Command, Centipede and Tempest—from JTS Corporation, a maker of disk drives and other computer peripherals, for the paltry sum of $5 million. Having recently acquired Tiger Electronics for $335 million, Hasbro seems to be on a shopping spree as of late. Their intentions? Considering the success of their recent Frogger update, Hasbro may be planning similar PlayStation and PC updates for classic

To make up for the lack of our Top 20 last month, we present you with this bonus roundup of the top 10-selling PS titles of last year.

1 FINAL FANTASY VII SCEA 2 NFL GAMEDAY 98 SCEA 3 MADDEN NFL 98 EA 4 CRASH BANDICOOT SCEA

Atari arcade and VCS (2600) titles. 3D Yar's 5 МВА LIVE 98 EA Revenge, anyone? 6 TOMB RAIDER II EIDOS 7 CRASH BANDICOOT 2 SCEA 8 NASCAR 98 EA 9 JET MOTO SCEA 10 TWISTED METAL 2 SCEA

Top 10 Sales of 1997 PlayStation Games

Source: NPD TRSTS Video Games, December, 1997. Call then at (516) 625-2345 for questions regarding this list. Note: No games for competing console systems (e.g. N64,

Sega Saturn, etc.) were included. Overall sales figures may

vary. Game descriptions are written by the OPM staff.

Compete for Championship Titles

Win big bucks and use the dough to buy upgrades and repairs

Revolutionary Track Editor

Create and store 30 custom tracks on a single Memory Card with Track Editor

Death-Defying Moves

Jumps, stunts, hairpin turns, and bone-crushing wipe-outs

Furious All-Terrain Racing

Sand, mud, water, gravel, and ice effect handling and speed

Race Against a“Ghost Rider Compete against a ghost rider simulation of your best time

Get a Grip Plug in a Sony Analog Controller for precise handling.

JEREMY MCGRATH

SUPER

Jeremy “Showtime” McGrath 7-Time AMA Motocross Champion

ACCLAIM’

=

PlayStation

PIA

www.acclaimsports.com

o are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment All other trademarks are trademarks of Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. TM @ and © 1998 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved.

NOTHING OUTRUNS THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW.

In the: sentury, a license to kill and heavily armed, turbo-charged patrol vehicles ‘need to keep the peace. Just don't get blown to pieces in the process.

Developed by: 3 6%; e

m em PL

BY GAMERS. FOR GAMERS. wwwW.interplay.com

Emm ime vm

are trademarks of Interplay Productions. PlayStation and the PlayStation logo are

©1997 interplay Productions. Crime Kiler Polygon Engine: ©1996 Pixelogic Ltd. Al rights reserved. Crime Kiler and Interplay, the Interplay logo and “Ву Gamers. For Gami үк and copyrights are properties of their respective owners, Al rights reserved.

trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Al rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows and the Windows logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. АН other

r—— Patrol the streets at a breaknec

Bring in law breakers dead or alive (or

or Wing - you're a crack

Realtime 3D environ

powered non-lethal or lethal weapons like the Vt

Maintain the peace with U 0 Patr

of movement for cle:

Over 20 levels of adrenaline-pumping high-spe

= | criminal pursuit missions — all caught on interi

or exterior cameras

— — Call for back-up with 1 or 2-player split sc ction on the Sony

Playstation, or with 4-players via LAN on

* Sony PlayStation" version only

" THE PU

RSUIT BEGINS SPRING '98

"AT 60 FRAMES PER SECOND,

THE... VIEW ABSOLUTELY. SCREAMS.” Іі - ЏЕТВА GAME PLAYERS

ear OPM, | noticed something in your magazine when | was putting mine away one day. Look at the sides of the December, January, February, March and April magazines. In between Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine and the

May 1998

volume number, there's some sort of creature there when you put the magazines in chronological order. What the "bleep" is that? Ethan Sheppard, Paso Robles, CA

EES

Official U.S. ШЕУМЕ

We looked on all our issues, and couldn't find any- thing. Yours must just be special.

we want your input!

Letters

You write us and here we respond

The Party Line?

Dear OPM,

Issue #5 was yet another winner. Your covers keep getting better; please keep them simple and uncluttered (kudos to your design team for the best use of a plastic bag). But it’s not surprising that you're getting some negative feedback. After all, most “official” magazines tend to be no more than the house organ, praising pretty much everything and not really dissecting poor-quality titles. So far, you've been quite honest, and | hope that people will actually read, understand and hold you guys to your Mission Statement—and also realize that *endorsed by" does not mean "published by."

Greg Wilcox Bronx, NY

Thanks for your support, Greg. There is indeed an amusing misconception floating around certain parts of the industry that our relationship with SCEA somehow requires us to get their approval before publishing each issue. Aside from the fact that such a practice would be a logistical nightmare (our offices are, after all, about 1,800 miles apart), our Mission Statement specifically states that we are an indepen- dent, autonomous publication. Perhaps we should use smaller words?

Demo Deficit

Dear OPM,

| love everything about your magazine: the letters, codes, strategy, tricks, etc. The only thing | don't like is how small your discs seem to be getting. From October to December, the playables were an average of six an issue. From January to March, there were an average of three per issue. See what | mean? Felton Anderson, Jr. Via fax

We do see what you mean, and we wish we could have more on there. The way we see it, there are basically two reasons why the number of demos have dropped. First,

Your chance to speak your piece

| Playstation

the first two quarters of the year are usually an offseason for new games, since most companies want to release thelr games around Christmas to take advantage of the huge surge In retall sales. Since a game has to be close to complete for the company

to release a demo, that means the

majority of games are not demo-ready

until the third or fourth quarter of the year. Secondly, we're still a relatively new maga- zine, and It’s likely that some companies are мапе to see how мете selling (quite well, thank you)—and how our discs affect thelr sales—before putting forth the effort to prepare a demo. But don't worry, you can expect to see more playable demos from this Issue forward.

A PlayStation Widow

| have just received a copy of your March '98 magazine. | just wanted to say | appreci- ate your work on this interesting magazine. But here's my problem: | am a wife of a loyal PlayStation man. First it was Lara Croft. Now it's Final Fantasy Tactics. Will | ever get to see my husband again? Sarah Garrison Jersey City, NJ

Sarah, we're sorry to say It, but he's probably gone for good. Once you step Into the world of the PlayStation, you can NEVER LEAVE! Bwahahaha!

Actually, considering that we all use our PlayStations for elght-plus hours a day, we're hardly In a position to talk about modera- tlon; however, like anything else, too much of a good thing can Indeed be harmful.

So we would like to make а plea to all PlayStation husbands: Guys, put down the controller for a while and talk to your wives. Take 'em out to dinner. Go see a movie—or better yet, a local theater production. Just don't let what happened to Sarah happen to your wife.

Besides, you can always play after she's gone to bed!

How do you like the mag? What about the design? Are we leaving anything out? Let us know!

To get special attention as far as design and content issues go, label your Letters or e-mails with the heading: PlayStation Magazine suggestions c/o the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine at the addresses on the next letters page.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

JOIN US IN THE RACE TO GIVE BLOOD:

RACING + COMBAT = DONATIONS! To finish this vital equation, we need your help. By engaging in combat at extremely high speeds,

you'll send relief to the people who need it most.

“Рт a quart low.” “Hemoglobin please”

ROAD RASH 3D

It's a whole new breed of Road Rash. Four gangs fight you to the finish in a perilous 3-D world. And the thrashin' beat of an Atlantic Records" soundtrack keeps your pulse from stopping. Hopefully.

www.roadrash.com ELECTRONIC ARTS

тм Road Rash and Elec

Arts are trademarks or

ther countries. PlayStation and th

of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

May 1998

Official U.S. ШЕУАЕШИД Magazine (8)

id you buy a ) сору of our magazine that did not contain a demo CD? Simply send the receipt in an envelope marked “OPM Replacement Disc” to the address below with the name and address of the store plus your phone number and address and we'll send you the disc. Make sure you spec- ify which month the corresponding disc belongs to in order to ensure you get the right one. Also, if you have

a malfunctioning or nonworking demo disc, call SCEA at 1-800-345-SONY. They will provide instructions to obtain repair or replacement services. For more information see this month's Demo Disc section.

ways to

reach us

Letters

You write us and here we respond

Bouncy Screen

Your chance to speak your piece

PlayStation

Sign Language

Dear OPM,

When | use my PlayStation on my down- stairs TV it will wobble up and down and up and down. When | use it on my other TVs, like my 32-inch Mitsubishi, it works fine. Is there a reason for this? Is there ANYTHING that can help?

Wilba, your fan Sudbury, MA

It sounds like you have an older Zenith TV. For some reason, a few select models of Zenith televisions have trouble processing the signal from the PlayStation. (Zenith is the only manufacturer we've heard of that has this problem, but others may exist.) If you absolutely need to use the problem tele- vision, call Sony Technical Support at 1-800- 345-SONY and have your PlayStation serial number handy, as well as the make and model number of the TV. They can give you the specific instructions you'll need.

Read the Fine Print!

Dear OPM,

Is it true that there is going to be a dame about Jerry Springer? If so, who's making it, and when is it coming out? Please answer, it's the first time I've written to a game magazine. Travis Butterfield Warren, OH

Yes, but it'll only be available for the Vice Versa. No, seriously, if you look just below the news item in Issue #6 about the Best and Worst Game Ideas (page 15), you'll see that we fess up to fabricating every one— except the Spice Girls Game, which is actu- ally coming out sometime this year, if you can believe it. Today on Jerry Springer: Gullible Gamers! Just kidding, Travis.

snail mail: fax:

PlayStation Magazine 1920 Highland Ave. Lombard, IL 60148

If you need to reach us now 630 916 7227

Dear OPM,

My little brother is deaf—can't hear a friggin’ thing. But he loves video games, and so do |. We play them for hours every day. My question is this: Why don't games that have speech (like the Resident Evil series or Gex: Enter the Gecko) implement a closed- captioning feature for the hearing-impaired? Deaf people play video games, too. If imple- menting their own closed-captioning feature is too hard, then why not make use of televi- Sion and external decoders? It breaks my heart when I see my lil' bro signing to me, "What's going on?” or, "What's happening here?" He loves Final Fantasy VII, because all of the dialogue and narrations are all text, so | don't see why it would be so hard to put a CC feature into games. It couldn't hurt sales, and it would definitely increase the gaming market demographically. It certainly can't be memory-consuming, because it's just text.

Nick Colella Bradford, PA

Nick, we wouldn't be surprised If that oversight on the part of game developers Is Just that, an oversight. It may be that they've simply never considered Including closed captioning In video games. But now that you've brought It to our atten- Чоп, we'll make sure to mention it when talking to companies about games con- taining spoken dialogue. Hopefully, we can help them realize that Ҥ Is, In fact,

a problem that should be addressed.

Could You Be More Specific?

Dear OPM, | want to know, what is the password for the man and the woman? Christian Janregri San Jose, CA

Yes.

e-mail:

Please note our NEW ADDRESS! opm@zd.com

Six great hits now for your PlayS

MIDWAY MADNESS

EVERYONE

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Compilation (1998 Atari Games Corporation. Gauntlet; Marble Madness," Paperboy” and Road Blasters" are trademarks of Atari Games Corporation. Gauntlet (91985, Marble Madness ©1984, Paperboy ©1985, Road Blasters (91987 Atari Games Corporation. Atari? Millipede* and Crystal Castles? are trademarks of Atari Corporation used under license. Millipede (91982, Crystal Castles ©1983 Atari Corporation. Midway" is a trademark of Midway Games Inc. All rights reserved. Converted by Digital Eclipse Software Inc. Distributed by Midway Home Entertainment Inc. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Light Burn, most commonly

brought on by prolonged exposure to arc welding, bright snow, tanning lamps and

intense 2-D game graphics.

To receive playing tips and reduce your chances of light burn , call the Eidos Hint Line (900) 113 - 4361.

Cost of call $0.95/minule. Must be 18 years or have parent's permission. Touch tone phone required.

J PlayStation

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PlayStation

Light burn. It's the silent injury. Severe pain may not occur until up to six hours after initial exposure to Eidos games like Deathtrap Dungeon and Ninja. At

which point, despite all protests, the player must stop playing and be put to rest in a darkened room. Because it's all fun and gameplay until someone loses an eye.

EIDOS You’ve been warned.

www.eidosinteractive.com

PlayStation ~

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PlayStation

Resident Evil 2

PuBLISHER: CAPCOM

GENRE: ADVENTURE

Last MONTH: — RELEASE Date: JAN. 1998

To no one’s surprise, Capcom’s sequel to the enormously successful Resident Evil easily slashed its way to the top of the charts in its first month.

WCW Nitro

T*HQ's newest wrestling "simulation" hit it big with WCW fans, pushing WCW vs. The World out of the Top 20 and underscoring the fact that rasslin' is big business.

Slipping a notch from number two is SCEA's mascot platformer. Nevertheless, Crash is still &oing strong well after the release of his second game.

Tomb Raider Il

PUBLISHER: ElDOS GENRE: ACTION

Last Момтн: 1

RELEASE Date: Nov. 1997 What else could have knocked Lara Croft from the top spot but Resident Evil 2? She still holds a special place in the hearts of adventure fans, however.

Crash Bandicoot

PUBLISHER: SCEA GENRE: PLATFORM

Last Момтн: 5 RELEASE Date: Sept. 1996

Buoyed by its Greatest Hits price and the attention of the sequel, the original Crash is holding steady

at number five more than a year after its release.

. GENRE: RACING