А EXCLUSIVE! E DEMO DVD INSIDE! ЫХ i AN > AO AA | рсн SQUARE HOLDS THE KEY ' | TO THE MAGIC KINGDOM СТА i м uud REVEALED! ^^^ PS2 , EXCLUSIVE SCREENSIDF THE,’ Ta „PLUS? KINGDOM HEARTS AND. | HOTTEST GAME THI iR iS М 6 | BOME BOOM HUCKJAM VIDEOS ` GETTING D “Shiba НАМИ, ONLINE ^ +." _ HOFFMAN MADE ae У 2 i NP. YOUR FAVORI ЛАМ * QUICK AND EASY TIPS РОК: i = Imm I j ; g Cl 5 : | i" з 1148 RATINGS ‹ ө 16 PAGES OF TIps ELL = © INTERVIEW EACH OTHER p “ ; SW А WE MES PLANE THE- ‘ON IBO UNIT a You can’t see them, of course. After all, they’re SEALs, a commando unit legendary for its ability to penetrate enemy E 94 territory undetected. And then strike with surgical precision. Enter the world of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs, where stealth, intelligence and teamwork are the ultimate weapons. Developed in association with the U.S. Navy SEALs, SOCOM is unconventional warfare the way it’s really fought — with hostage rescues, reconnaissance, ambushes and demolitions. Hoo-yah. Whether you lead your 4-man unit into battle in single-player mode or play online with and against up to 16 total players, teamwork is critical. Fortunately, there's the SOCOM headset. It'll help you communicate and strategize with your unit, so everyone returns in one piece. Remember: “No SEAL left behind." SEAL stands for sea, air and land. And you'll find out why as you combat terror in extreme environments like Thailand, Turkmenistan, "a == Л Alaska and the gnat-infested Congo. Should be a walk in the park. Next to Hell Week, that is. E МАА 3 - 2 LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. PLAY IN DURS? PlayStation.2 Blood and Violence с www.playstation.com e LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. PLAY IN OURS: 1 а я > 7ج‎ иче py Hada я, www.playstation.com “PlayStation "PS Computer Ente Punch Productions 1 Mild Violence logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Live In Your World. Play In Outs.” is a trademark of Sony Inc. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus is a 018 iputer Entertainment. Ame 2002 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digit p —À— № One cunning devious thievius raccoonus. Stealing is never condoned, unless you're Sly Cooper. A notorious raccoon thief on a mission to steal back his family's most prized possession. Using a repertoire of sneaky moves, you'll go from one impossible job to the next using cugning skills and maneuvers to infiltrate the most secure places in the world. Spotlights, alarms, infrared lasers and tripwires are no match for this raccoon. Because when you're as good as he is, grabbing priceless jewels and emplying casinos is like taking candy from a baby. nid the TMhievivs Raccoonus SE PlayStation.? WHAT'S HOCKEY WITHOUT HITZ? FIRE AND ICE JUST TOOK ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING. ENTER NHL HITZ 20-03, THE EXCLUSIVE ADRENALINE-STYLE HOCKEY VIDEOGAME THAT COMBINES REAL NHL TEAMS AND PLAYERS MIXED UP IN AN INFERNO OF BLISTERING HOCKEY ACTION. THIS YEAR'S HITZ TURNS IT UP A NOTCH WITH A ТОМ OF NEW FEATURES AND ALL THE GLASS-SHATTERING AGGRESSIVE ACTION YOU'VE COME ТО LOVE. WHO KNEW THE ICE COULD GET SO HOT? * EXCLUSIVE adrenaline-style 3-on-3 hockey action means big hits, * NEW Full in-depth stat tracking. rocket goals and ferocious gameplay. * NEW International & All-Star Teams, plus Fantasy Teams and Stadiums. * NEW Franchise Motle. Deepest hockey experience available. • NEW Hockey School and Mini-Games. * NEW Season Mode. Every team and every game. EVERYONE PlayStation. Violence GAME BOY ADVANCE CONTENT RATED BY ESRB ig * j G READY FOR THE Итог, BACK ONTO THE FIELD 15 NFL BLITZ ORM OF HARD HITS, OUTRAGEOUS МОЙ! YING TACKLES, AND THINGS USU. GIN. TION. BRING SOME COURAGE ANDIVOU. MOUTHPIECE ‘CAUSE THINGS JUST G SIVE 8-on-8 adrenaline-style gameplay means more * NEW Create-a-Player. Name, number, height, weight, pads, іл for bigger players, bigger plays and bigger hits than any abilities — your alter ego never had it so good. jer football videogame! EW Fantasy stadiums in amazing locales and incredible fantasy • NEW Updated rosters, uniforms and stadiums — including players. the Houston Texans. TENDO ECUBE. EVERYONE www.midwaysports.net PlayStation.e e Е дее EN X IGNITE YOUR GAME” i CONTENT RATED 8Y ESRB PLAYERS NFL BUTZ» 20-03 = 2002 M d mes, LLG Ai rights reserved. BLITZ. MIDWAY and the Midway logos are trademarks of Midway Amusement Games, LLC. Used by p Players Inc. The Players Inc logo is a regis ol the NFL layers, www.nfplayers.cam ^ 2002 Players Inc. Used by perm tributed under license by Midway Home Enter Yoox. and the Xbox logos а ее trademarks or trademarks of Micros ion. © 2002 NFLP. Team names and logos are trademarks of the teams indicated. AN! other (NFL-elated marks) are trademarks of the National Football League. Officially Licensed Product of v. TM. ^ and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. "PlayStation® and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Ic. Microsoft. iion in the US, andor other countries and are used under icense from Microsoft ? SCREENSHOTS SHOWN 92 ND P THE | TERMINATOR. IT’S ALWAYS DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN. DAWN OF FATE WWW.TERMINATORGAME.COM X an S PlayStation.e 2 xBO%* The Terminator™: Dawn of Fate © 2002 Infogrames, Inc., a subsidiary of Infogrames Entertainment, S.A. All rights reserved. Developed by Paradigm Entertainment. The Terminator ™ & © 1984 StudioCanal Image S.A., /К/а Canal+ D.A. All Rights Reserved. Terminator™ is a trademark of StudioCanal Image S.A., f/k/a Canal+ О.А. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox™ is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. EVERYONE g Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating Information. H d à X G cD POWERED BY: PlayStation.e L I M m spy E оа Гомеле в, Electronic Arts, Need for Speed, ЕА GAMES and the EA GAMES logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. ín the U.S. anti/or other countries. Ferrari, Ferrari Spider, Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina, all associated logos, and the Ferran F50, Ferrari 360 Spider and Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina distinctive designs are trademarks of Ferrari S.p.A. The trademarks Lamborghini, Diablo 6.0 VT, Murciélago and SE нон ы eri NERS, Italy. General Motors Trademarks are used under license to Electronic Arts Inc. Licensed from by Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG under certain Patents. Carrera GT is a Registered trademark of Dr, Ing, Е Porsche AG. The BMW logo, wordmark and model designations are trademarks of BMW AG and are used under license. PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are 3 рки Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. TM, ® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. ©2001 Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ie CARS LIKE THESE AREN’T EXPORTED. THEY ESCAPE. Ferocious beasts like the Lamborghini Murciélago, Porsche Carrera GT and Ferrari 360 Spider" are born to run. And run fast. Cut one loose on heavily trafficked public roads with unpredictable conditions and waiting police cruisers. Avoid recapture or spend the next 5-to-10 in captivity. Take the reins at needforspeed.com. eagames.com IT'S OK TO LIKE IT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S FULL OF DISNEY CHARACTERS No, really, It's perfectly OK to be excited about Kingdom Hearts. Why? ! Well, aside from being a perfect blend of video-game and modern | pop-culture icons, it's also a damn fine action/RPG. After sifting through our inbox this month, it seems that your opinions are polar- ized as to how comfortable you are with Square's latest game, but please reserve your final opinion until after you see the game. This John Davison Editor in Chief month, we bring you an extensive feature on the game, a full review, as well as a behind-the-scenes look from the Underground team on our DVD, which should whet your appetite. Consider this: When you sit down to play Kingdom Hearts with your partner, family or non-game-playing friends, they Ul instantly react to it. There's no arguing with the draw of the Disney cast in this game, and if nothing else, Kingdom Hearts could be a Trojan Horse because of its familiar characters, settings and story. More so than any other licensed property we've seen, this game manages to pull together two very different worlds and make them accessible to all. | wouldn't be sur- prised if it gives GTA: Vice City a run for its money in the sales charts this holiday season. Speaking of Rockstar's finest...make sure you pick up next month's issue. We have exclusive access to the game so you can salivate over it before it comes out on Oct. 22. ABOUT OUR CONT ZOE FLOWER Zoe plays video games, makes TV shows, and has been known for her stellar renditions of "О Canada” She produces rock videos, designs Web ites, and cooks a mean apple pie. That's what she tells us, anyway. RYAN LOCKHART Move over, Hef. As L.A.'s playboy extraordinaire, Ryan works at 7 Studios when he's not busy win- ning over the ladies. You might remember his pretty visage from his days at EGM. Or maybe he was the guy hitting on your older sister at E3. Video Games Have Ratings, Just Like Movies The Entertainment Software Rating Board provides infor- mation about video game content. ESRB ratings are intended as guidelines only; parents should still monitor minors' purchases WWW.ESRB.ORG EARLY CHILDHOOD [o G CONTENT RATED BY EARLY CHILDHOOD RATING Deemed suitable for children 3 or older. Products carrying this label have absolutely no material that would be considered inappropriate by parents. EVERYONE RIBUTORS KRISTINA GRISH Kristina is a New York- based writer and stylist whose work has appeared in Vibe, Teen Vogue, Marie Claire, Outside, Teen People and Sports Illustrated Women. She spent hours consult- ing the stars this month to devise a gaming Zodiac. JOHN SCALZI Our main man, our g guy, our hunk of burning words, John has written for more publications than you can shake a stick at: the San Diego Tribune, New York City Magazine, the Fresno Bee and the Chicago Sun-Times. Visit for more. ADULTS ONLY g ‘CONTENT RATED BY MM CONTENT RATED BY ESRBBESRB EVERYONE TEEN MATURE ADULTS ONLY RATING RATING RATING RATING The E replaced ^ Contains These games The extreme of the previous ‘suggestive contain more the ratings, K-A rating themes, mild adult themes, suitable last year. or strong ‘such as blood for adults only. Suitable for language and gore, Packs sexual kids ages and animated Stronger themes and 6 and up, violence. language and extreme E-rated games Some parents sexual violence. may contain may want themes. Console minimal to supervise Deemed not manufacturers violence children suitable have yet to or crude playing for those allow an language. T-rated under 17. AO-rated дате. games. а ZIFF DAVIS MEDIA THE MAGAZINE English Person In Chief John Davison Managing Editor Gary Steinman Previews Editor Chris Baker Often Photographed With Hot Women Sam Kennedy Reviews Editor Joe Rybicki Associate Editor Todd Zuniga Seriously Hot Gossip Columnist Clish MacLaver Editorial Contributors Zoe Flower, Kristina Grish, Ravi Hiranand, Ryan Lockhart Nich Maragos, James Mielke, John Scalzi, Doug Trueman Japanese Correspondent Yutaka Ohbuchi European Correspondent Axel Strohm Everyone's Favorite Copy Editor Jennifer Whitesides DESIGN Senior Art Director Bob Conlon Art Directors, Dearly Missed When OPM Relocates To San Francisco Donna O'Hara, Jim Cordano Illustration Penny Arcade, Pixel Pushers PRODUCTION Manufacturing Director Carlos Lugo ‘Senior Production Manager Anne Marie Miguel Assistant Production Manager Teresa Newson Pre-Media Manager Dave McCracken Assistant Pre-Media Manager Mike Vallas TECHNOLOGY Project Leader Mark LeFebvre 10 GAME GROUP Senior Vice President Dale Strang Editorial Director John Davison Creative Director Simon Cox Business Director Cathy Bendoff CIRCULATION Circulation Director Joan Mcinerney Circulation Director Shirley Viel ‘Senior Newsstand Sales Manager Don Galen ‘SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE NUMBER (800) 627-6458 (U.S. and Canada only) http://service.playstationmagazine.com. playstation@neodata.com TO SUBSCRIBE ONLINE http:/ ibe.pl. i Mission Statement The Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine is the only Sony Computer Entertainment America-licensed magazine and is published by Ziff Davis Media Inc. through an exclusive agreement. As such, the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (OPM) remains independent from SCEA, and is a critical, autonomous voice that helps readers get more out of their PlayStation system by delivering the most current, comprehensive and candid coverage of PlayStation software and hardware. ZIFF DAVIS MEDIA INC. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert F. Callahan Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer Bart W. Catalane Senior Executive Vice President (Publishing Operations) Tom McGrade Executive Vice President Peter Longo Executive Vice President Stephen D. Moylan Executive Vice President and Editorial Director (Editor in Chief, PC Magazine) Michael J. 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PlayStation Magazine (ISSN #1094 -6683] is published monthly by Ziff Davis Media Inc., 28 East 28th Street, New York, NY 10016. Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY 10016 and additional mailing offices. Single-issue rate: $8.99. Subscription Rates: One Year [12 issues and 12 demo discs] $49.97 U.S., $65.97 all other countries. We periodically make lists of our customers available to mailers 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, P.O. Box 55362, Boulder, CO 80322-5362, For Subscription Service Inquiries call us at: 800.627.6458 U.S. and Canada, or (303) 604-7445 all other countries. Fax us: 850.683.4094 U.S. and Canada, or 303.604.0518 all other countries. Or visit our subscription Web site at http://service.playstationmagazine.com. 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 introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means lelectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise] without the prior written notice of Ziff Davis Media Inc. Copyright © 2002 Ziff Davis Media. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited, For permission to reuse material in this publication or on www playstationmagazine.com, or to use our logo, contact Ziff Davis Media's Rights and Permissions Manager: Olga Gonopolsky, Ziff Davis Media Inc.. 28 East 28th Street, New York, NY 10016. Tel: 212-503-5438. Fax: 212 503-5420. E-mail: olga_gonopolsky(@zifdavis.com. For reprints, contact Reprint Management Services [RMS] at [800] 290-5460 or [717] 399-1900, or on the Web at www.reprintbuyer.com. ТМ & © for all other products and the characters contained therein are owned by the respective trademark and copyright holders, All materials in this magazine are subject to change and the publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes, The Canadian GST registration number is 14049 6720 RT. Printed in the USA. One Game Stands Above All the Rest “Looks like one of the best | First Person Shooters yet” | - PSM | “...а game of the year title..." - Gaming Horizon “TimeSplitters 2 is going to be awesome.” - IGN.com "The makers of GoldenEye return to bring you the most exciting new shooter this side of Halo." Game of the Year - GameNow 3ER гє» № n Copy No xBox Е = l [> O = VN тен ск ТТЕ Microsott, Xbox, and the Xbox logos. озон Corporation in the U.S, andlor other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. TM, © and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks "А brilliant game” Lj - Nintendo Power "...опе hell of а game" - PSXNation f |^...the best-looking first-person shooter 4 currently in development for PS2" Н - Gamespot.com [Ж \ % “So polished it shines” t. - Xbox Nation r^ Xe ; The Most Acclaimed SEPTEM| Pre-Order You ( Violence * PlayStation.e | CONTENT RATED BY ESRB ciate logos are trademarks of Free Radical Do: active Digtal Software Association, All other iles t toa Ant ово Pubiened by Eidos ntact, In Eidos Eidos Interactiva, and tho Eidos Interactive logo аге ай орі ademar ol Eidos Interactive, Ine. 2002 Eidos Interactive, Ic. “PlayStation marks, characters, and registr property of their respectivo owners. All rights reserved. 11 DEMO DISC Who doesn't love giant fighting robots (besides Gary]? Nobody, that's who! Enjoy the RAD demo WE GOT MAIL! YAAAAAY! WE GOT MAIL, YAAAY! YAAAAAAY! Send us more at opm(üziffdavis.com 30 SPIN PS3, light-gun games for PSone, Tony Hawk vs. Mat Hoffman, charts, media reviews and more! 152 REPLAY From the hot-off-the-shelf SOCOM to the ultra-old-school Arc the Lad Collection, Replay has it all Hey baby... what's your sign? Find out some Zodiacal oddities in this month's foray into silliness. PREVIEWS 94 BattleBots 122 Black & White (PS1) 104 Blade И 104 BloodRayne 92 Butt-Ugly Martians 86 Colin McRae Rally 3 t: Desert Storm 90 Contra: Shattered Soldier 96 Curse: The Eye of Isis 118 Dark Cloud 2 86 Defender 116 Fighter Maker 109 Getaway, The 112 Ghost Recon 82 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 108 Growlanser 1 108 Growlanser 103 Harry Potter/Chamber 122 Harry Potter/Chamber (PS1) You'd be grumpy, too, if you saw this. face in the mirror every morning: 120 Haven: Call of the King 112 James Bond 007: NightFire 106 Jet X20 120 Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure 103 Kengo И 102 Lord of Rings: Fellowship 104 Minority Report 106 Mystical Ninja Goemon 103 NBA 2K3 91 Pride FC 96 Ratchet & Clank 97 Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc 116 Red Faction Il 90 Reign of Fire 91 Rocky 118 RPG Maker 2 112 Sega Soccer Slam 92 Shox 122 Shrek: Treasure Hunt (PS1) 116 Star Ocean: Till the End What, you're too cool to play a Disney game? What if we said it had Sephiroth in it, too? What now, tough guy? 98 Star Wars: Bounty Hunter 91 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 86 Super Bust-A-Move 2 102 Sum of All Fears, The 108 Superman: Apokolips 114 Tomb Raider: Angel 106 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 83 Turok: Evolution 104 Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 94 V-Rally 3 118 Vexx 92 Wild Arms 3 94 X-Men: Next Dimension 30 PlayStation 3? What the Cell is going on here? Looks like Sony, IBM and Toshiba are crafting the next system chip. 31 Battle to the Def EA is busting out the hip-hop heavy- weights for Def Jam Wrestling. 34 Zoe's World Zoe asks: When is a girl gamer not a “girl gamer”? 36 Get Connected A step-by-step illustrated guide to getting online. It's easy! 40 Characters With Character Meet the stars of the games you'll be playing in the coming months. 50 School Spirit Five questions with the makers of the stellar NCAA Football 2003. 56 Birds of a Feather We locked Tony Hawk and Mat Hoffman in a room and forced them to interview each other. 66 Babe in Boyland We sit down for an intimate chat with Slugfest's sultry showgirl. 68 Four Play We tell you what you can do with that Multitap. 69 PSAT 70 CD Reviews 72 DVD Reviews 74 Media Mix 76 Top 10 Charts 154 SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Hidey-holes and sniper spots— camp your way to a successful game with our hands-on help. 156 Madden NFL 2003 It's a virtual football fantasy camp, and you're the star. 158 Onimusha 2 It's Samuriffic! 162 Hot Shots Golf 3 September: The last stand. 166 Arc the Lad Collection 167 Reader Reviews Your opinions do count. REVIEWS PS2 Games 142 Antz Extreme Racing 142 Armored Core 3 142 Dino Stalker 142 Disney Golf 146 Dual Hearts 146 Dynasty Tactics 146 Egg Mania: Eggstreme Madness Ferrari F355 Challenge Gravity Games Bike: Street, Vert, Dirt Gungrave Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer Kingdom Hearts Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Metropolismania 147 147 DISC PROBLEMS? Did you buy а copy of our magazine that did not contain a demo CO? 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 specify which month the corresponding disc belongs to in order to ensure you get the right one. iso i you have a malfunctioning or nonworking demo dis call SCEA at 1800215 SONY They wil provide instructions to obtain repair or replacement services. Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) warrants to the original purchaser of the Official US. PlayStation Magazine that the demo disc included is free from defects in material and workmanstip for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase. SCEA agrees for a period of ninety (90) days to either repair or replace, at its option, ON THE DISC PLAYABLES: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 Summoner 2 Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly Downforce Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates The Mark of Kri RAD: Robot Alchemic Drive Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon VIDEOS: 149 NCAA GameBreaker Treasure Planet 2003 Kelly Slater 148 NFL GameDay 2003 Superman 150 Ninja Assault Kingdom Hearts 150 Riding Spirits 150 Road Trip BEHIND THE SCENES: 144 Tekken 4 Kingdom Hearts, Part 2 150 Twisted Metal: Online Competition Arena at E3 Black Online Tony Hawk's Boom Boom HuckJam Wild Arms 3 PSone Games 151 David Beckham poe MOE Knockout Kings 2002 Soccer Pac-Man World 2 151 Delta Force: Urban Warfare DOWNLOADS: 151 Super Shot Soccer Red Gard 2003 Ecco the Dolphin Britney's Dance Beat THE UNDERGROUND TEAM Demo Disc Producers Gary Barth, Manuel Sousa, Michael Tyau Marketing Team Shelley Ashitomi, Jesse Caid, Sarai Sequeira, Kim Yuen Executive Producer Andrew House Music Composition Nathan Brenholdt, Ashif Hakik Format Q&A Sam Bradley, DeMarlo King ‘Account Coordinator Eric Ippolito PROGRAMMING AND INTERFACE ARTWORK BY LIFELIKE PRODUCTIONS, INC. Lead Programmer William Bohan 3D Artists Jason Robinson, Philip Williamson Producer Jessi Harrison President Katherine Williams Technical Director Tim Edwards CD Animation Introduction by Secret Weapon Principals Wes Harris, Ryan Ramirez 3D Animators Jamie Chu, JonJay Montemayor, Bryan Poon ‘SPECIAL THANKS Тот Gillan, Gerald Martin, Jim Williams, Steve Williams the SCEA product, You must call !800-345-SONY to receive instructions to obtain repairfreplacement services Tris warranty shall not be applicable and shall be void if the defect in the SCEA product has arisen through abuse, unreasonable use, mistreatment, neglect or breakage dur- ing shipment. THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES AND NO OTHER REPRESENTA- TIONS OR CLAIMS OF ANY NATURE SHALL BE BIND: ING ON OR OBLIGATE SCEA. ANY IMPLIED WAR: RANTIES APPLICABLE TO THIS SOFTWARE PROD: UCT, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILL TY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED TO THE NINETY (90) DAY PERIOD DESCRIBED ABOVE. IN NO EVENT WILL SCEA BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAM: AGES RESULTING FROM POSSESSION, USE OR MAL FUNCTION OF THE SCEA SOFTWARE PRODUCT. Some states do not allow limitations as to how long an implied warranty lasts andor exclusions or imitations of consequential damages, so the above limitations and/or exclusions of liability may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific egal rights and you may also have other right which vary from state to stale. OPM Demo Disc is published monthly by Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc, 919 Е Hilsdale Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, AI titles shown herein are trademarks of and copyrights of their respective publishers and/or their licensors See individual screens for details. ©2002 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc Please submit all related demo disc inquiries to: OPM Demo Disc, Inquiries, 919 E. Hilsdale Drive, Foster City, CA 9404 RAD, MAN! Here are some challenges for the playable demos, but don't forget to check out all the great behind-the- scenes info and other stuff. RAD THE DETAILS: This bad-ass new game from Enix is totally unique. You switch con- trol between your chosen character and a giant fighting robot, but view the action from the char- acter's perspective. ROBOT ALCHEMIC DRIVE HAVE YOU TRIED... transforming into a jet? Pick the "Airborne Dominator Laguiole" robot, hold down L1 and R1 in the game, and press Up on the right analog stick. You'll go into hover mode. „holding down Circle while controlling a human? Tap it and you'll jump, but if you hold it down, you can levitate to quite a spectacular height. Just be careful or you'll experience some nasty vertigo. NEED FOR SPEED: HOT PURSUIT 2 THE DETAILS: How does strapping into the cockpit of a Lambor- ghini Diablo sound to you? To us, it sounds like the roar of the crowd at Yankee Stadium com- bined with the voice of Satan himself. SUMMONER 2 THE DETAILS: After the lackluster reviews of the original Summoner, this sequel makes a pretty signifi- cant departure. It’s much more action-oriented and has less of a tradi- tional fantasy setting. THE MARK OF KRI THE DETAILS: Though this brutally vio- lent barbarian-fantasy game suffers from a lot of serious flaws, the intrigu- ing combat engine and gorgeous scenery make it worth a look—just be patient with the controls. HAVE YOU TRIED. .. tapping R2? It'll give you a quick, fiery glimpse of the next half-mile or so. ...tapping L2? You'll get a snazzy, Matrix-y rotoscope around your vehicle. пої getting caught by the cops? It's hard—damn hard—but if you hold out long enough, they'll start bringing out the big guns: choppers (which lob bombs at you) and spike strips. Watch those sparks fly! HAVE YOU TRIED... ...changing into your summoned form? Опсе you earn the ability (maybe 10 minutes into the demo], you'll be able to hit Circle and transform into a hulking, monstrous beast. Don't worry if his hit points get low; when he "dies," you just revert back to your original svelte form. ...SWitching between characters? R2 does it. Give it a try to check out the other characters’ moves. HAVE YOU TRIED... ending your fine feathered friend on a mission? Look at one of the spinning bird icons and hit L2. There's also one spot in the demo where you'll have to send him to flip a switch. ...pulling off combos? Once you've "focused" on an enemy, the other three available buttons become attack modifiers. Tap them in sequence after attacking your enemy for some powerful combos. SPYRO: ENTER THE DRAGONFLY THE DETAILS: This pint-sized wonder makes his PS2 debut later this year, and you get to witness it in all its high-res glory. What else is different? WelL...not much. But he does have three new breath attacks. HAVE YOU TRIED... ‘atching that little, glowing, flying caterpillar thing? Whoops, you almost got it. Nearly there! Keep trying! You'll get it sooner or later. «freeing all five of the Yeti? It'll involve your flame breath, a few turrets, some death-defying running leaps and an excess of patience. melting snow with your fire breath? You can't. ot dying a cheap, horrible death? Good luck. EVERYONE CONTENT RATED BY => SPORTS It's in the game: Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating Information. (© 2002 Electronic Ari Inc. Бейгоп Arts, EA SPORTS, te EA SPORTS logo, John Macken Football and 1з in the Game, Is in the бате are trademarks or registered trademarks ol Electronic Ars Inc. in the US. andor other counties. АЈ rights reserved. © 2002 NFL Properties LLC. Team names and logos are trademarks ofthe teams indicated. Al ther (NFL-related marks) are trademarks of the National Football League. Official licensed product of PLAYERS INC. The PLAYERS INC logo is registered trademark of the NFL players. wwwniiplayerscom © 2002 PLAYERS INC. TM, ©, and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Ic. Microsof, Xbox and the Xbox Logos. are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. EA SPORTS" ап Electronic Arts brand, "nee » PASSEN iK М } PLAYERSS Gotowork. Crush people. Get paid. You gotta love this job. E PlayStation.e pe. isch t pue Х Go to training camp. Earn a six-point merit badge. Show off your moves on the turf. And in the zone. Where the players play. The ultimate judge. 4 madden2003.com Welcome to the е, 500-mile commute _ with only one parking spot. 4 и ter EA Fund akan tn CR MORIR dionyi and ber design mas арт Fabra ol Caterpie he. © 2002 Cai Urs esse dd, al таит una! by Novel йай, os ers end ae ad by perisson, Al igts rere Kat Busan Roush Pace are andr eres we by айту of Rosh Paring, Lonia, МАЙ, The rame, siyeh and eres of Di aad, to Поре Ба registered дата of Daimler Chrysler Corporation. © 2002 JG Motosports, Inc. The гате and Iikeness of Jaf Gordon and the likeness of he #24 DuPont Chevrole is used under inse graned by JG Motorsports, Inc. ©2002 15. Motorsports, Inc. Jef Gordon name, likeness and signature and likeness of the JLG. Motorsporis inc. # 24 DuPont/Pepsi Молі Cafo are used under license by and used under license. Dele Jaret and Robert Yates Racing trademarks are used under license. The ‘DeWALT’ trademarks, Roush Racing and Май Kenseth name and/or likeness used by authority: of Roush Racing, Livonia, ML The yellow and black color scheme is trademark for DeWALT @ Power Tools and Accessoris. "Bobby Labonte ®/, #18@ and “Intrstate® Balleres" licensed under authority of registered trademarks of ALLTEL Corp. BaonMobil marks are registered trademarks of EoronMobil Corp. The name, signare and likeness of Stove Park are licensed under the administration of Dale aman, Inc. Licensed by Steve Park Motorsports, LLC. The siyfzed #1, Пиете ol the #1 race car and the Dale Eamhard, Inc. crest or script logo are under the administration of Dale Eamterd, Inc. Panreoi © is (Michael Waltrip are owned by, and used under license from Michael Waltrip, Inc. and/or Michael Walt. The stylized #15, likeness ofthe #15 гасе car and the Dale Eamhard Inc. crest or script logo are under he administration of Dale Eamhard inc. Ford, Taurus and vehicle model body designs are trademarks o Ford Motor Company and used under license Ю Electronic Arts Inc. Chevrolet, Morte Cario, Pontiac, The Way s Meant to be Played Logo and other NVIDIA Marks ara trademarks of NVIDIA Corporaion. Nintendo GameCube is a trademark of Nintendo, "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Compuler Entertainment Inc; Microsot, Xbox and the Xbox Logos are ether trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsot Corporation in he US. andor in other countries and are used EVERYONE Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating Information. SPORTS NASCAR "Мом on PC _ easports.com · EVERYONE Comic Mischief Violence © 2002 Electronic Arts Inc. Electronic Arts, EA SPORTS, the EA SPORTS logo and “Its in the game." are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All rights reserved. NHL, National Hockey League, the NHL Shield and the Stanley Cup are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and team logos and marks depicted herein аге the property of the NHL and the respective teams and тау not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, LP. © 2002 NHL. All Rights Reserved. Officially Licensed Product of the National Hockey League. National Hockey League Players Association, NHLPA and the NHLPA logo are trademarks of the NHLPA and are used under license by Electronic Arts Inc. © NHLPA. Officially licensed product of the NHLPA. The names and logos of all stadiums are trademarks of their respective owners and are used by permission. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox Logos are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. Nintendo GameCube is a trademark of Nintendo. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of thelr respective owners. EA SPORTS™ is an Electronic Arts™ brand. } Every great magician uses a magic wand. This one makes frozen rubber disappear. x E3 PlayStatione2 Think you have what it takes to write the Letter of the Month? Send us your video-game expositions and you could win а Logitech cordless controller for your PlayStation 2. Neat huh? CONTACT OPM snail mail PlayStation Magazine 50 Beale Street, 12th Floor San Francisco 94105 e-mail opmlüziffdavis.com and check us out on www.playstation magazine.com fax If you need to reach us now 415.547.8777 U.S. NAVY SEALS VS? DVD INSIDE! m H m TONY HAWK'S MM PRO SKATER Af Ф E ТЕККЕН 4 1000 Square and Disney Of all the things that | have experienced in my short lifetime thus far, Disney movies stand alone in that they are something from my childhood that can still entertain me, now, when | am 15 years old. Not only do they entertain me, but they bring back fond memories of when | was a youngster. These days, although | can still have a good time with Disney movies, most things that inter- est me are more mature. Sure, | like dark and scary games like Silent Hill, violent games like GTA3, and laugh-out-loud hilari- ous games like Escape from Monkey Island, most of which would have either bored me or scarred me for life when | was young. However, I'd have to say that the game that entertained me the most was none other than Final Fantasy X. | don't know whether it was the deep plotline, the won- derful characters, or the story that was romantic and sentimental but not to the point of being sappy. Whatever it was, FFX was the single game that will never cease to capture my imagination and enthrall my mind. Then | heard about Kingdom Hearts. Square and Disney take the most entertain- ing moments of my childhood and combine them with my greatest mature pleasure, and there you have it. | was a bit skeptical at first and still am to an extent. Kingdom Hearts has a lot of potential to not be a good game. But no matter what | tell myself, | just can't seem to believe that Square and Disney will create a game that is anything short of amazing. Sam SammyMacDaddy(daol.com We're sure you'll find plenty more to get excited about when you read the extensive coverage on the game that we have this month. We also reviewed the game on page 140, and it fared remarkably well. You should be able to pick it up in stores any day now. Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire In issue 60 a guy who was reading his “aunt's” Woman's World said that it would take three years to beat FFX if you played for 30 minutes a day. | took the liberty to see if this were true and it isn't! It would only take about five months to beat FFX if you Official US. PlayStation Magazine ‚ kupokóótdyahoo.com Letter of the Month I have to confess here and now: Since I first d in your magazine about Disney and Square's joint project, Kingdom Hearts, I was skeptical. It looked so kiddy that it wasn't worthy of Square's time. And let's face up to the music, here: Disney's steadily going down the tube. Disney's games were once majestic and addictive (The -Lion King for Super NES comes to mind), but now they are "bland and lack the innovation they once sported. | can remember when ey would release commendable movies that lived up to their “family” genre, and serious thought was put into quality. They are removing many of their classic rides at their hallmark amusement parks and replacing them with deplorable wannabes. To top off the list, they're abandoning their once-rigid policies against sequels and are milking the franchises for everything they've got. What little faith | still have for the corporation is reserved for its TV shows and Pixar films. Square's starting down the dark path, too. They may have wowed me with FFX, but the Final Fantasy movie bombed, FFXfs online exclusiveness is driving even the most hard- core fans away, and its exhausting release of a new Final Fantasy title every year parallels Disney's own pathetic annual animated films. So naturally, | was turned off by the lea of Disney and Square putting their heads together, even if Square characters do make several cameos and the angel- game,” when you finally realize the potential the new installment has? You remember how Disney had an almost magical quality to it that overwhelmed your toddler senses when you were a kid? Those two surging passions got churned into one as | watched that video, and the two mega- companies tapped into something deep and austere. Suddenly, I'm seeing the heretofore hidden promise Kingdom Hearts had. And now | can't help being excited about the game, despite my initial forthcoming that the game was just another cesspool in the idealist Disney mire. | anx- iously await your coverage and severely dread how much I'm going to miss that extended edition of the LOTR DVD, since I'm : ig to spend my precious-earned dollars on Kíngdom Hearts instead. Thanks for awakening my senses, OPM. Bobby Phillips ‘As you can probably tell from the coverage this month, we're somewhat excited about Kingdom Hearts. Regardless of how you feel about the clash of franchises, it manages to provide an entertaining experience that should be accessible to so many people. It's hard not to see the charm. Gamers are talking about... OPMs monthly roundup of hot topics, gathered from the OPM message board on www.gamers.com. * CASH OR GAMES? “Allow me to stretch the realm of reality a bit here and pose a hypothetical question," StealthMantis states. "First, think to yourself what you're 10 most-wanted upcoming games are. OK, let's say you were offered a choice: the 10 games that you just thought of, for free...or $500 cash (roughly the monetary equivalent of 10 new games]. Now, the catch is, if you take the money, you can NEVER play ANY of the 10 games you would've chosen. So which do you take?" "| would take the games," says genosox, "seeing as how if | took the $500, my wife would make me use it for bills and what not. So | wouldn't be allowed to buy games with it. If | took the games right off the bat, she would have no say in the matter." Scorch2k feels differently, though: "$500. With that, you could probably use it toward something worth it...like...life? Car insur- ance, food, rent, utilities...stuff like that.” "| was on the fence until | saw the ‘catch’,” ohjtbehaaave admits. "Considering 10 games is equal to 500 bucks, and if | take the money, | can't play the games, ya have to take the games. Now if you were more Monty Hall with your "baiting" and made the money side of it 1,000 bucks, it would give us more incentive to really struggle with the two choices. It's a no-brainer for a $500 prize; I'll take the 10 games of equal value | otherwise could never play. Plus, games like MGS2, Kingdom Hearts, GTA3 etc., are so good, we'd probably pay more than $50 when it comes right down to it (shh, don't let any game companies hear that). So 10 games true to our hearts would have WAY more value than equal value of 500 bucks." "The games. Definitely," Stationary Desk states. “If | had the choice between а MILLION dollars and just Kingdom Hearts, | would pick KH. Maybe | should learn the value of money, though.” * HARDCORE AND HATES EVERYTHING. StealthMantis has been a busy poster this month and impressed everyone with his bit- ing comments aimed at whiney "hardcore" gamers. "More so than the one-track fan- boys, the far-fetched rumor spreaders, even the blatant liars ("Hey, just flew the heli- copter іп СТАЗ, it was амезоте!"), the one type of person | encounter in chat rooms and on message boards for whom | hold the most contempt are these people who pro- claim to be wise, seasoned gamers yet pro- ceed to talk about how much they hate everything," he spits. "These are the people who have hated every RPG since the 16-bit era [in other words, since RPGs have become most popular], insist that Dreamcast and Saturn were the two best systems of the last eight years, berate any- thing that involves simple, fast-paced fun and not intense thought and questions about the nature of the universe, and act unimpressed with anything aesthetic or any kind of technological advances." f MM E at" 4. 1 Я F: э; a ttt ы В ultries E Not for contest trophies. Not for a video game deal. For the love. о 5 ARE YOU PSYCHED FOR THE NEW TOMB RAIDER? OPI coma JOHN LEAR'S MOST WANTED 1. SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs to be rated T 2. To get to kick ass with Jango Fett in Bounty Hunter 3. To write the Letter of the Month 4. My parents to let me get GTA4 5. A job at OPM 6. A second Jak and Daxter 7. Broadband 8. Frequency 2 9. Halo on PS2 10. More time to play games E-mail your most wanted list to OPMfaziffdavis.com Mark the subject MOST WANTED. Official Contest and Sweepstakes R only played for 30 minutes a day because it only takes between 70 and 80 hours to com- plete. If his theory were true, it would take well over 300 hours to beat FFX! whyareyouyellingatme@yahoo.com Yeah. Cool. Thanks. Is Our Type Really Too Tiny? Some People Think So We received our very first issue of the Official U.S PlayStation Magazine today. | wish | could tell you that | was delighted with it; the problem is that the print in the magazine is so small, anyone under 40 will be unable to read it without a magnifying glass. It is hard to believe that a company of your immense talent would print any article, let alone a whole magazine, with print the size that only a 14-year-old could see. | am writing to you because your e-mail address is the only one | could find; | even tried all the Web site information, but there is nowhere on the site to write to the editor. This is probably because most people under 14 don't bother to write letters to the editor... except when they want information about how to beat a game. If you have some kind of suggestion box somewhere, please put my letter in it. There are a lot of "older" Americans who would love to read your magazine, if only they could actually read all of the tiny print. | bought the PlayStation 2 for my hus- band's 50th birthday. We play Gran Turismo on our Sony "big screen" 61-inch TV and love it. | was so looking forward to reading your magazine...too bad | can't load the magazine onto the TV, just to read the arti- cles! Susan J. Cobb rpsklein(dsover.net DF THE MONTH Official Contest Rules: ie Necessary. To enter, send a letter or teard containing your name, address, and phone number together with your com- ments to "OPM Letter of the Month”, PO Box 3338, Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338. No purchase or payment cof any money is necessary to enter. One entry per household. All entries must be handwritten. Mechanically reproduced entries will not be accept ed, Entries must be received by the 10th day of the month for the next available issue of OPM. АЦ entries become exclusive property of Ziff Davis Media Inc. and will not be acknowledged or returned. Zilf Davis Media inc. assumes no responsibility for lost, muti lated, late, illegible, incomplete, postage-due or mis directed entries. 2. Prizes: One Grand Prize winner will receive a Logitech cordless controller. Grand Prize has an approximate retail value of at least $40. Winners will be selected by a judging panel whose decisions are final. Winners shall be selected from all valid entries received. All entries will be judged on the following criteria by OPM editors, whose deci sions are final: (50%) originality and [50%] creativity. Entries containing obscene language will be disquali fied. All prize winners will be notified by mail. Prizes) are non-transferable, No substitutions of prizels are allowed, except at the option of Ziff Davis Media Inc. should the featured prizes become unavailable. 3 Odds of Winning: The odds of winning will be deter- mined by number of valid entries received. i Eligibility: Contest open to residents of United States ‘and Canada. Void in Quebec. Non-compliance with the time parameters contained herein or return of any prizefprize notification as undeliverable will result in disqualification, Winners or their legal guardians shall sign an affidavit of eligibiliy/release (20) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine ules TWO-PERSON SINGLE- PLAYER GAME? On the single- player game [of SOCOM], can two people play? southprk666[FFX] from the OPM chat room Um...well. What do you think? FREE TRIAL Our records indicate that opmfaziffdavis.com has not yet taken advantage of the absolutely free trial that is being offered in conjunction with your free Sexxxmail sub- scription. Click here to access Strap-On- Sex absolutely Thank you so much to the per- son who has signed us up for lots of this kind of stuff. YA THINK? Hey, did y'all know that at kentpaul.com there's a picture of a guy та golf cart? There might be golf carts in GTA: Vice City!!! That would be sweet! lawngnomeguru@ houston.rr.com Ya think? Could be. You pick up next month's issue and check. ll have to ASK US ANYTHING AND WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO ANSWER If you've got questions, we've got answers. See something in a game and are curious about it? Send us an e-mail and ask whatever you like. Send your questions to OPM(aziffdavis.com and use the subject line ASK US ANYTHING. CAN I PLAY IN A COLLEGE DORM? 0: With the college quarter rapidly approaching, there's nothing more stressing than....OK, well, it's not school, but it's about the network adapter. | know the PS2 network adapter works with Ethernet, and | read all the stuff about DSL and cable. The question | am getting at is...the network adapter is compatible with the T1 and T3 Ethernet setups of college-dorm campuses, right? Oh, and if you could answer this question before the adapter is released, questions to ask: 1. Do you guys think it's possible for those who use the PS2 Linux kit to create viruses for the PS2? Think about it: They can probably make it delete stuff on the memory card! Although your PS2 won't run it without the Linux Kit, so some people would be OK, right? 2. What is the connection type of the headset for SOCOM? If it is USB, will it work on the computer? 3. Are the names you listed in the September issue all of you guys’ names for SOCOM? | want to make sure | fight all you guys! Also, does Zoe have a name I can search for? the_x-ecutioner@juno.com A: Here are your answers. 1) Technically yes, realistically no. “Check out our quick and easy guide to connecting your PS2 on page 50.” that'd be freaking sweet. | don't want to wait until next month when I'm off to school, and either a) without an adapter, or b) with an adapter | can’t use. Luan Nguyen chainlink13@yahoo.com A: It should work with pretty much any connection as long as there aren't any crazy firewall issues. We connect to our office network, but we have to get our IT guys to assign the ports we use to con- nect with “outside” the firewall so data can easily pass back and forth. Depend- ing on how secure your dorm connection is, chances are you shouldn't have too many problems. WIRELESS NETWORKING Q: | was writing in response to the section in Issue 59 about being able to get your PS2 online with a wireless router. | have a wireless router for the multiple PCs in my house, but there’s one problem: In order to use the wireless receivers, you have to install software. I'm assuming that this isn't going to be possible with the PlayStation (at least not without a hard disk). Now, for the Mac in the house, we installed an Airport card instead of using the receiver. Is the network adapter going to have one of these? Or am | out of luck? Please tell me there is a way. | must play SOCOM when the time comes. Jon Lampe jrobertson@tycom.net A: Check out our quick and easy guide to connecting your PS2 on page 50. Hopefully it will help you out. THREE QUICKIES? Q: Hey guys, | had a real quick three 2) Yes and yes. 3) Sometimes and yes. WHICH STORES? Q: Do you know which stores sell your magazines? BWISC4@aol.com А: Yes. JIN'S TATTOOS Q: First off, I'd like to tell you how | love your magazine and | think you guys are the best out there. OK, my question is: Do you know the tattoo on Jin’s arm on the opening trailer of Tekken 3? Well, where is that tattoo from—is it from the Devil or is it from Ogre? I've been asking all of my friends and even read the page-long biography on Prima's Official Strategy Guide, but | could never get a clear answer. Dino Cazeau dinorc@hotmail.com А: We hunted around for info, but we couldn't find a definitive answer. What we can tell you from our experi- ences with Tekken 4, though, is that when the Devil Gene is active in both Jin and Kazuya, it has a visible effect on their tattoos. SOCOM QUESTIONS 0: 1) Can! use AOL to play SOCOM online? 2] Do | have to pay to play online? malecman89@aol.com А: 1) SOCOM is broadband-only, but you can use AOL as the ISP to connect to the game. 2) No, you just need the game, a connection and the headset. A У SOMEGO TOGREAT LENGTHS TOSTOPEVI _ ОПЕБОЕЗ TOGRERTDERTHSTOSIMKIE __ Employ SS -to-air missiles and short and long-range а Utilize guided sa ultrasonic and acoustic torpedoes for | underwater overkill LJ Witness hyper realistic www.subrebellion.com water-physics and lighting effects RATING PENDING Visit www.esrb.org or р ] a 3 call 1-800-771-3772 | aiit ~ | for Rating Information. 4 i Metro 3D Wee niga foes here, we know But we colt resist Hope you can read tist Yeah. Shame huh? We . dropped this off in the suggestion box, Susan. Thanks. Yu-Gi-Ohmygod! You want to know why Yu-Gi-Oh is selling so well? I'll tell you why. It’s because it’s a car- toon that comes on right after kids get home from school. Kids watch it and are mesmerized. As soon as the cartoon is over, the kids’ parents arrive and they beg the crap out of them for the stupid game. That's why Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on others from their time had some kind of draw to them, as did Pong and Pac-Man before them. But when we get to games like Metal Gear Solid 2 and Stuntman, while still good games, they seem to have begun losing that special something that kept us coming back. Upon completing some of today's games, | feel kind of cheated. It seems like a waste of $50 or $60 to buy a game and find that in the end, it wasn't worth it. Don't get me wrong, there are still some decent games out there, but there are far too few to make many gamers happy. Have developers sacrificed the soul of the game just so that they could give it a flashy new look? Sure, we all like to see games that have amazing graphics, but if that's all they have, then it isn't really worth buying if you'll only play it once. Final Fantasy X had great potential to be one of the greatest games ever made, but instead of focusing on the elements that make a game fun, they bogged you down in excessive cinematics and cut the game "Instead of focusing on the elements that make a game fun, they bogged you down in excessive cinematics and cut the game seemingly short." the NES sold well when | was a kid. Heck, if they had a Darkwing Duck or Muppet Babies game back in the day, | bet | would have bugged my folks about purchasing that piece of junk too. OK, maybe not the Muppet Babies. imaphatpimp@hotmail.com There's no accounting for taste, huh? Awesome e-mail address, by the way. A Skipped Generation? | have been privileged to witness the evolution of video games over the last 12 years that | have been a gamer. My first system being an NES, | moved through the generations of games up to the present, with my PS2. Over this time, | have played through hundreds of games, both good and bad. | am saddened to see that the newer games have totally lost that special something that makes you want to play a game. | can remember sitting for hours playing games like DuckHunt and Zelda: A Link to the Past. These games and WIN THE CONSOLE OF YOUR CHOICE! (WORTH $200) We (meaning the staff of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine and our friend Ling Xiaoyu here) want your opinions on the magazine you're holding in your hands. How can you help us? Log on to www.surveymonkey.com/opmedit and type in the password: OPM1002 to complete a reader survey by Oct. 31, 2002. Only one entry per household please. Duplicates will be deleted. (23) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine seemingly short. It had the look, the story and the potential, but it was shamed by its lack of replay value and poor enjoyability. When you see the ending credits roll by on a game like this, you feel more relieved that the damn thing is over and done with rather than a sense of fulfillment and accomplish- ment. | feel somewhat saddened when | see the younger generations growing up with games that are hollow and cheap rip-offs or clones of each other and of the great classics from years past. In trying to visually impress us, game developers have begun to sacrifice "the game" and the generations of kids that will grow up never knowing what it's like to experience a true classic. Ray Hartmann Guilford, CT You make a lot of valid points here, Ray. We have to take you to task on one comment, though. "[Final Fantasy X] instead of focusing on the elements that make a game fun, they bogged you down in excessive cinematics and cut the game seemingly short." You thought it was cut short? Did you just not bother to enjoy the story? MGS2 Fan Speaks Out It seems like just about everything | hear about MGS2 is people crying about Raiden ог how it sucked because you only play Snake in part of the game. | love the whole thing, and | think it is great to see another side of Snake as a "legend," the way Raiden saw him. | would like to know if I'm the only one who thinks so. Shadow6973670356@aol.com We liked it. Does that count? After all, stuff just has to be fun. FFXII ALREADY? I just want to know when Square is going to release some screenshots of Final Fantasy XII. | don't care much for the FFXI because | don't plan on going online but | need Final Fantasy ХИ NOW! So if you know anything, please tell me when you get some screen- shots of the next masterpiece ‘cause | need those pictures Now! virgilp (@surfsouth.com Dude, we don't have anything NOW. But as oon as we do, we'll give 'em to you THEN. OK? OCT. 22 What is the exact date that Grand Theft Auto is coming out? иатот52 (дгосһеѕіег.гг.сот GONE I was wondering if there has been any talk about making agame like Gone In 60 Seconds, where you have to boost cars, trucks, boats, etc. If not, I think somebody should consider it because it would make a great game. Cody Fletcher basketball_guy_ cody21 {hotmail.com You could always trya little game called Grand Theft Aut That’s close. THE ONLY TELEVISION NETWORK DEVOTED TO VIDEO GAMES. >>>>>> GO TO G4TV.COM OR, CALL YOUR CABLE OR SATELLITE PROVIDER ТО DEMAND IT >>>>>>>>>>>>>> ТУЧ GAMERS: How Convenient GAMES сон OVER 700 STORES NATIONWIDE AOL KEYWORD: EBGAMES EVERYONE к: س The smell of rivalry is in the air. a Feel the stampeding rush of speed on every play. And trample the living snot out of your opponent's pride. HE RIVALRY ON THE! — RA SEGA К segasports.com PlayStation. Mild Lyrics Miid Violence PlayStations [тазаа © 2002 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. and its affiliates. Activision and Pro Surfer are registered trademarks and Activision 02 is a trademark of Ac nc. and its affiliates. АП Rights Reserved. Kelly Slater is a trademark of Kelly Slater. PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube versions developed by Treyarch. Game Boy Advance version developed by HotGen Studios. PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc soft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S.A, and/or other countries, "м, ©, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. 1] | УД سے aN тщ hc] WORLD TITLES, NEVER _ THE SAME WA VE. TW CE. = A TE ШИТ ы! КЫ Re Ш Š | | | | i De [ | Jj WWW 1 | Visit 13 of the popular surf Spots from around the globe. гы Ih ШИЙ 9 modes of play including : Е 2 player PUSH™ mode. SURFING WILL NEVER BE THE SAME ИИ, Drop in with 6-time World Champion Kelly Slater or one of 8 other top pros in the ultimate surf experience, Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer®. Play a total of 30 levels at the most challenging surf breaks from around the globe. Pull off big air and fantasy tricks like Rodeo Flip, Knack Hu Я aves populated = Knack and Hangman that let you take surfing igit other leves = to a whole new level. Surf in a constantly = changing wave environment — you'll never see the same wave twice. iu" Г | | d | $ i i ACTIVISIONO2.COM ONE KNEE ON THE GROUND. ~ AN APPHOPHIATE TIME FOR PRAYER. Experience unprecedented realism in the only racing game that lets you control the rider lean in turns. Sear asphalt on 200 of the world’s fastest motorcycles from Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and more. Earn upgrades to trick out your bikes with top-of-the-line engines, wheels and suspensions. Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating Information. PlayStation. ©2002 Spike Co., Ltd. All manufacturers, motorcycles, helmets, suits, gloves, boots, names, brands and associated imagery featured in © 2002 BAM! Entertainment and associated logos are trademarks of BAM! Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved Licensed for. play on the PlayStation’2 computer о. logo are registered trademarks of Sony Canute Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a rete demi the RIDING: SPIRIS WWW.BAM4FUN.COM Y _30` Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine y now, you've most likely heard of B- the mysterious new multimedia processor being jointly constructed by Sony Computer Entertainment, IBM and Toshiba. You're also no doubt aware that Cell technology will be at the heart of Sony's next PlayStation console. And it was recently announced that design for the inner workings of Cell is all but wrapped up, meaning that Cell is on schedule to go into commercial production by the end of 2004. So what's that mean to you and me? Well, that the PS3 is completely on target to release in the year 2005. And that it's going to be a console which absolutely breaks all the con- ventional rules for processor power—it's going to be a monster. Why? Well, here's a little idea of how the technology works: Cell is dif- ferent from standard micro- processors in that it will essen- tially have multiple personalities. Inside a given chip, there will be multiple “cells,” all capable of processing data on their own. What this basically means is that some of these “cells,” or proces- sor cores, could be dedicated for heavy com- putational tasks, while others could focus on graphics or sound for games. According to a recent CNET article, Cell will be able to deliv- er 1 trillion calculations per second (teraflop) or more of floating-point calculations. Which, when you do the math, means that if it can do more than 1 teraflop, it sets the chip at rough- ly 100 times more powerful than a single Pentium 4 chip running at 2.5GHz. But where things start to get really inter- esting is how these Cell microprocessors— which will be used in everything from PS3s to other household appliances such as TV sets—can communicate with each other, effectively joining together to pool their pro- cessing power. A TV and a video-recording device could, for example, couple their power to render the graphics of an animated movie on the fly. "It's like a beehive—Cell compo- nents can also be ganged together," Richard Doherty, an analyst with Envisioneering It sets the chip at roughly 100 times more powerful than a single Pentium 4 chip Group, told CNET. Since Sony plans on having PS@s linked up over a broadband network to spread the computational tasks, this can have a huge effect on the console. According IBM, Toshiba and Sony partner to produce the power behind the PS3 to Sony, this will allow for a potential thousandfold increase in power over the PS2, a feat that traditional hardware advancements would take decades to achieve. Every time you turn on your PS3, you'll be adding to the "collective" power of the system. "We are working for the third- generation [PlayStation] with this very aggressive and crazy goal,” Shin'ichi Okamoto, chief technical officer for Sony Computer Entertainment, said earlier this year. Moore's Law is too slow for us.” While it sounds like there's still lots of testing to:be done on the Cell technology, not to mention the mas- sive undertaking to make this sort of broadband computation happen, Sony president Ken Kutaragi firmly believes his company will be able to pull it off. "When the processor is ready around 2005, the installation will begin; and | hope that 100 million to 200 million processors will form what we can really call a broadband network by 2010." DEF L АМ EA Big and Def Jam announce а slammin’ alliance phering our forced clues is preparation for a wrestling video game for the rest of us. EA Big has inked a deal with | et the Ruff Ryders roll, let ‘em roll out, let ‘em live it up, let em wrestle! Wait, huh? If you're a hip-hop fan, deci- Def Jam Recordings to create the most star-studded video game to date. Instead of just voices, hip-hop's biggest and brightest will lend their likenesses, their chart-topping hits, and even suggestions on the game's look and feel. We're talking Ludacris, DMX, Method Man and Foxy Brown. Those artists are confirmed, but Def Jam has 24 stars in their stable. We're hoping to rumble with Ja Rule, Ashanti and film and rap star L.L. Cool J before the final game ships early next year. This game sounds gimmicky, it sounds like a marketer's dream, it sounds like they'll push star-power over quali- ty. At least that's what we said when we heard about it. Then we bit our tongues. After having a chance to throw down with the local Def Jam toughs, we know this is going to surprise you the way it surprised us. First off, this isn't some fraudulent WWE soap-opera clone. When you think Def Jam Wrestling, think Fight Club with a dash of Bloodsport, supplemented by Exit Wounds [that crappy DMX/Seagal flick no one should have seen]. Second, Def Jam Wrestling is being developed by Aki Corp., the makers of two Nintendo 64 rasslin' classics— WWF Wrestlemania 2000 and WWF No Mercy. The meat of their prior games lives on—pummel your opponent with a spread of moves until you work your special meter into a raw frenzy. Then, flip the right analog stick, and you'll have around 25 seconds to get ahold of your opponent so you can initiate a devastating signature move (apparently, the moves for the Def Jam artists are going to be hot!). Basically, the controls are kept simple, which makes it perfectly accessible for anyone new to the genre. The only thing we don't like about this game? It's so early that we don't have all of the details. But when you put together the world's No. 1 games publisher, the planet's No. 1 music label and Earth's No. 1 console, it's a good bet that everything will come up aces. TOP 5 DEF JAM ALBUMS YOU'LL FIND IN OPM'S COLLECTION 1b 2} Jay-Z's "Girls, Girls, Girls" will have you humming well after the beat is over. 3» Rhymes like "Never Again" show this is deeper than just "Livin' It Up." "Party Up" is the only must-have DMX song up-in- here, up-in-here. ab From “Roll Out” to "Area Codes,” this is more funked-up than Ludacris’ fro. sp This fox went from Calvin Klein model to rap goddess; this album is why. foxy ом Which of these Def Jam artists are you most interested in playing with in Def Jam Wrestling? Jay-Z 11% Ashanti 15% Ja Rule 14% DMX 33% Ludacris 25% THE DEF JAM POSSE There are currently 24 artists in the Def Jam stable, but only six are confirmed thus far (apparently there will be 12 in all). We list the six we know, five we think will be in the game, and the rest of the stars, so you can root for who the last one will be. We're secretly rooting for Ja Rule. DEFINITELY IN THE RING DMX Foxy Brown Keith Murray Christina Milian WC w Ludacris ON THE SIDELINES FOR NOW N.O.R.E Method Man > Scarfa' Capone Redman w NOT YET IN THE FOLD Jay-Z L.L. Cool J Funk Mas Flex Beanie Sigel Cadillac Tah У Ja Rule Cam'ron Charlie uck” y Keith Murray Memphis Bleek w Ashanti : | | | | | Baltimore CNN DJ Clue ~ Foxy Brown, Redman, Ludacris and Ashanti /wireimage.com; Method Man and JaRule/Corbis Outline Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine GD PlayStation. TURN BASED RPG GAMING OLD-SCHOOL STYLE...ENJOY! -J. FRESH mild violence 1 $ > ire coe y Eros tor Entorainment Ino, Fresh panies. How long after you’ve bought a new game do you wait before you resort to using cheats or codes? Only after I've beaten it 34% ROPES | don't need no stinking codes 34% Only if I'm stuck 27% JUST A GIRL? So lately I've been struggling with my gender. No, I'm not inter- ested in shooting testosterone into my veins or looking into surgery of any sort; I'm talking more about a struggle with the femininity issue that I'm continu- ally forced up against when it comes to games. I've always said Рт a gamer, never a girl gamer. | don't believe in the "think pink" concepts for girl games, and 1 definitely take offense to those who offer general- izations as to what girls like to play. 1 get tired of being asked why more girls don't play games. I get tired of being hit on because I've finished Metal Gear Solid 2. And | get tired of being told that girls hate gore and only play puzzle games. | get tired of having to prove myself to the opposite sex, and | get tired of acting as the ambassador of my gender to the entire games industry! 1 think I’ve felt ungrateful that I can’t be one of millions of men who play games and don’t ever get questioned or proposi- tioned or inundated with skill-testing questions to prove their knowledge of obscure Japanese otaku trivia. I'm torn between the desire to blend smoothly into the gaming culture or to · stand my boldly stilettoed ground as a female who plays games and doesn't fit neatly into a stereotyped category. So lately I've been feeling a little unappreciative. But today 1 received an e-mail that made me realize something very impor- tant. A big part of the reason I’m even given the chance to vent my opinions to the gaming world, and even to write this col- umn (besides my wit with words and undeniable charm), is strictly because I'm a girl. I felt a little upset about this at first. It seems unfair that | have a door opened to me only because 1 have breasts, hips and two full seasons of Sex and The City on DVD. Is my femininity being taken advantage of? Or am I wield- ing my girlishness to take advantage of an opportunity? — I'm not so sure I've come to my own conclusions just yet. The e-mail | received made me realize that other women read this column and relate to what | say (most of the time!) and thousands of male readers are equally supportive, so that’s given me a kick in my tired, whining, ungrateful (yet feminine) ass. If just one thing | say gets another girl to hang on to her Controller for a little bit longer, or makes a man thi twice before assuming that girls don't play games, then the struggle seems worthwhile. 5 H E Zoe Flower is a multimedia superstar. She writes, she makes Weh sites, she illustrates, she does funky things in front of a TV еек и lots ot ШК cy stuff. Check out her personal site, wi ' my OF check out the site for her new TV show, wu (54) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine include both games along with some nifty extras such as an art book and some action figures. As for a U.S. release for these two, don’t hold your breath waiting, Square has told us the games aren't = currently being planned for a release here, and we highly doubt that any amount of begging and pleading will change their 3| mind. But it's not as if we Я won't try! If you'd like to help us urge Square to release these remakes in the States, shoot an e-mail over to and politely ask them to bring the games here, dammit! S we reported last month, Square A: currently working on remakes of Final Fantasy | and FFII for the PSone in Japan, and now we've been given a first look at the games in action Both titles sport enhanced graphics (not exactly enhanced to full PSone standards} and feature brand-new CG beginning and ending cinemas (similar to the previous PSone Final Fantasy remakes). Each will also have special art and monster galleries and a few slightly changed events. Japan gets the games on Oct. 31, where they'll retail for about $30 each. A special Premium Pack will also be available for about $70; it will ICO 2 REVEALED? Although previous rumor had it that the /co team was working on a completely new game, various reports from Japan now state that they're in fact work- ing on /co 2. What makes things even more interesting is a job-recruitment ad that the Sony development team recent- ly ran in Japanese magazines, DATA STREAM WRC Gets Sequel A follow-up to World Rally Championship is already in the works at Sony Europe. It'll hit the U.K. later this year and hopefully the U.S. s Above is a firs: Queuing Dork | In an attempt to set a world record for the longest time ever queued for a video game, Jason Read set up camp out side of a U.K. EB for 50 days in order to be first in line for Turok: Evolution. He the record for biggest dork More EverQuest In addition to EverQue: Online Adventur Online has another EverQu in the works for PS2. What’ hat this one is Sony interesting i being developed by Snowblind Studios, makers of last year’s Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. 4 FRIDAY 8 TUESDAY + Send Rachael Leigh Cook of Josie and the Pussycats a birthday card. 3 THURSDAY * № Doubt's Gwen Stefani adjusts to being "just a girl” who's 1 tuEspay * The Rock says you'll buy these DVDs today: The Scorpion King, Brotherhood of the day with the new Saturday Night Fever DVD, followed by an the Wolf and alsoa She's 23. evening session The Man Who 33-year- at of Ty: The Wasn't There. old Tasmanian woman Tiger. 11 FRIDAY » Funk it up during |* The Rules of Attraction, based on a Bret Easton Ellis novel, opens in 15 tuespay * Too many games! Midnight Club 2, Black & Bruised, Silent Scope 3, Defender and Tribes Aerial Assault all vie for your cash. 25 FRIDAY 18 колу 20 sunoay [22 Tuespay 29 TUESDAY 31 THURSDAY * Buried for years, |* Snoop Dogg (30)| * Calling all * Crappy flicks * You want games? | * Trick or treat? Knockaround and Tom Petty small-time like The Truth How about WWE | Which will you Guys finally hits (49) share a crooks! The wait | About Charlie Shut Your get when you the silver bottle of Cristal for Grand Theft and Formula 51 Mouth, NHL 2K3,| ask your screen, starring to celebrate Auto: Vice City is | muddy up the NBA Live 2003, girlfriend to Vin Diesel, John | their birthdays. over. Which cinema. Evil Twin, Red dress up as Malkovich, Seth means NBA 2K3 Faction 2 and Lara for Green and and About a Boy Jet X20! Halloween? Dennis Hopper. get shunned. Pour a 40-ounce on the sidewalk for Jim and Donna. We're going to miss them. ey ý i * M PlayStation.e Ty | | YOU CASTA SHADOW, YOU'RE DONE. LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD PLAY IN OURS! ZA ar х ў A ғ all STIR UP THE BIRDS, YOU’RE DONE. Mi 4 хуор HE HEARS YOU, YOU’RE DONE-. 4! n iom ay FORGET TO HIDE A BODY, YOU'RE DONE. g | га 7 m JWS HIS HORN, YOU'RE DONE. | | | HE SMELLS YOU, YOU'RE Done rm zt p HE DRAWS HIS SWORD, YOU'RE E ON THE LEAVES, Er d YOU'RE DONE. our first mistake is your last. Syoutotake on qe Violence, Blood and Gore SPIN STRAP IT ON [ GET CONNECTED — Plug in (plus a few other steps) and play online By the time you read this, the PS2 Network Adapter will be available in stores. For many of you, tearing open the box and plugging everything in will be enough to get you rolling. But what about those more advanced broadband @ Unplug your PS2 and turn it around. See that wide door in the back marked “Expansion Bay"? @ Pry it off (gently!) with a flat-head screwdriver. €) Grab your Network Adapter and line it up with the slot in the upper right, press firmly, and tighten down the screws. ALL THE DELICATE BITS THE DIAL-UP Once the Network Adapter is connected, it’s time to get the information flowin’. Dial-up users: Grab a phone cord. Connect one end @ to the PS2 and the other @ to a conve- nient phone jack. Run the setup utility and you're good to go. BROADBAND: SIMPLICITY ITSELF The simplest broadband setup is easy as pie. See that wire running between your cable or DSL modem @ and your PC? The one that looks like a fat phone cord? Unplug it from your PC and @ plug it into your Network Adapter. Simple, right? (©) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine © The only piece that's important to our cur- rent purposes is the bit that connects to the PS2 itself, funnelling power and data into and out of the Network Adapter. But for future reference, Ө and Ө are, respectively, the power supply and data transfer port which will attach to the forthcoming hard-drive add-on. setups? Yes, they will require a few more steps--and please read the friendly manual—but We found even the most complex networking options to be simpler than we thought. Don’t believe us? Check out these easy diagrams, ‘SET IT UP Select your ISP from the list Do MAIN MENU “A васк X Ok VN Ао: Ц AOL RATAT Earthlink fya У (SP. s vara РИКО nor listed?) Prodigy Sympatico OTHER The software setup for the Network Adapter makes things easy by including presets @ for the most prominent dial-up Internet Service Providers. Pick your ISP, enter your registration, info, Ө and you're good to go. If your ISP isn’t included, you'll just need to manually input your access number and login info. ‘the back of Most broadband users will find ~ things similarly simple: Just pick “auto-detect” and get rolling. Some of you, however, may need to get some crucial numbers © from your ISPs. A WIDENING WEB If you want to have your PS2 and PC hooked up to your broadband con- nection at the same time, you're going to need to set up a simple «home network. First, you need a Cable/DSL Router (around $70). Once you've got that, you'll have to unplug the Ethernet cable @ from ur PC and plug it into the router; then run angtfier cable @ back to your PC and yet another to. your PS2 @. If you're just network- ing these two, don't worry about fur- ther tweaking, but if you throw an additional PC into the mix, you'll have to do some setup on the PC itself. You're on your own for that. [ Don’t want wires all over your house? Grab a Wireless Cable/DSL Router (about $130) and Wireless Ethernet Bridge (about $120). (We recommend Linksys products; they worked for us out of the box.) Unplug, your Ethernet cable @ from your PC and plug it into the Router, then run another cable Ө back to your PC. Run a short Ethernet cord © from the Bridge to your PS2, and put your PS2 wherever you want. а E] $ & CLONED SHEEP JEALOUS: WANTS TO BE MORPHED JE x. SPLIZZ-GUNI-. PROFESSOR BURNITALL'S 57 REVEALED! K б SECRET PLAN FOR See How Morphing Happens: 3 2 WORLD DOMINATION! <4 U > Why He Hates Muto-The Inside Scoop Pull-Out Schematic 4 WE = | THE MD IU y “GAMING'S NEWSPAPER "qb AEUEALERAR $ 1.79/canapa 82.15 www.drmuto.midway.com SUMMER 2002 EDITION -GOMER * ABDUCTION! | ч fo — же MIDWAY DR call 1-800-771-3772 ә 2—54 эз es www.midway.com К | for Rating Information. А ёле: САМЕ BOY ADVANCE у You're one of the most highly-trained U.S. warfare experts on the planet. Put your skills to the test as you battle your way through fifteen levels of realistic tactical combat. When the brass wants a target secured, they send in a platoon. When they want a target erased, they send in your squad of four U.S. special forces. This is the part of the war that the media didn’t cover. Welcome to Desert Storm. WWW.GOTHAMGAMES.COM/CONFLICT PlayStation.c Nu deg ES NO DIPLOMATS. NO NEGOTIATION. NO SURRENDER. RATING PENDING .. * v Visit www.esrb.org 8 or call 1-800-771-3772 © Ex mmn | mew ep (ши GAMES CONTENT RATED BY "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Nintendo GameCube and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Gotham Games and the Gotham Games logo are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Conflict: Desert Storm and the Conflict: Desert Storm logo are trademarks of SCi Games Ltd. E&OE © 2002 Take-Two Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. / SPIN CHARACTERS WITH Remember these faces. They'll be invading your home any day now! ho will you be spending the holidays with? In our second Ws "Characters With Character" roundup, we take a - look at the most significant game stars we think you'll be v getting friendly with over the holiday months. Whether it's old friends we've not seen for a while, like the timeless Ms. Croft, or new acquaintances like Sly Cooper or young Ratchet here with his sidekick Clank, there's something here for everyone. RATCHET & CLANK Lord almighty, that might just be the biggest durn gun we ever did see! The gentleman holding that cannon [though it could be a grain elevator with a trigger) is Ratchet. That cute little bucket of parts tied to his back? — That's—how did you guess?—Clank. Ratchet is a grinning idiot who's hell-bent on becoming as cool as his heroic idol, Captain Quark. He's also a Mr. Fix-it who gets the chance to save the world from evil. (Bet you never heard that plot before.] And Clank? He's the star of the show. He can mutate into literally dozens of weapons and gadgets, but more importantly, he car- ries this duo with his personality. Plus, he's super-cute. Come on, admit it! CHARACTER just clear his name and aveng tragic death. After all, he does know all of the seediest spots in London. That's why his gun's loaded and ready to fire. LARA AND KURTIS Even if you've played all five previous Tomb Raiders, seen the movie, and know Lara Croft's measurements by heart (340-24-35, for those of you not fitting this description), Core and Eidos hope to surprise you a bit with the sexy Brit's new image. In The Angel of Darkness, Lara is one pissed-off chick out to clear her name after being framed for murder. Forget all you think you know about her until you play this game. Also, forget about playing as Lara the whole time. Kurtis Trent joins forces with Lara in their quest against a common foe, the Alchemist. Seems this magic man from the past is responsible for the death of Kurt's father, leaving the glaive-wielding hero as the one and only survivor of an order called the Lux Veritatis, and thus its default leader. He's only got limited magical powers, but you can bet they come in handy. DIRK AND DAPHNE Mr. and Ms. Pac might have beaten them to the punch, but Dirk the Daring and Princess Daphne can still claim one of the longest relationships in gaming history. When Encore releases its 3D remake of Dragon's Lair this fall, we'll get an even more in-depth look into what makes these two tick. For those uninitiated with these creations of Don Bluth (The Secret of Nimh, Titan A.E.], Dirk is a knight as heroic as he is bumbling, who only speaks in grunts. Mean- while, Daphne promises to show us that she's more than just an airheaded damsel in distress with a really annoying voice. SLY COOPER Don't let this cartoony artwork fool you. Sure, Sly may look like he's a bit light in the proverbial loafers, but his game is anything but dainty. And besides, you've got to be light on your feet in his profession; as a master thief—from a long line of master thieves, no less—this raccoon is always on the go. And he's got the moves to keep the thieving prof- itable: With the help of his hooked "thief tool," Sly climbs, crawls, swings and creeps his way through dozens of beautifully ani- mated worlds. His aura of mystery prompts a multitude of questions. For example: Are those short pants, or is it fur? Why bother with a mask when, as a raccoon, he's born with one painted on? And what's with that hat? The world may never know. Joe Musashi, the star of previous Shinobi games, has seemingly retired. Taking his place is the flamboyantly dressed gentleman to your left (he's kicking a kind of Storm Shadow/Snake Eyes/Grey Fox vibe]. His name's Hotsuma, and he's the type of stealth master who can carve the buttons off that oxford you're wearing before you even know he's in the room. Stealth aside, the thing that makes us love this guy is that blood-red scarf that floats behind him like a sheen of silk. As part of an ancient Japanese clan, Hotsuma defeated his brother in battle, which earned him the messy honor of wield- ing a magical sword that craves blood. If it's not someone else's blood, the sword won't mind turning on you to get it. That's the excuse this game uses to ensure maximum carnage. As good a device as any, we figure. We'll be honest: Grave barely made the list. The | reason? All during Gungrave, he wears a friggin’ sarcophagus on his back. Besides that lame accessory, though, he's possibly the biggest gaming badass to come along since Dante. An undead assassin, Beyond the Grave lives only to take down The Syndicate, a criminal organization that betrayed him. Worse yet, they | killed the woman he loved. Hell hath no fury like | a man with a coffin on his back scorned! TO SURVIVE, YOU MUST CHANGE INTO A WARRIOR. о ооо USA, UTED BY TOK OK, Ivy is hot. The whip, that's extra-hot. Her "| might fall out of this skimpy getup at any second” is triply hot. But that beauty is skin- deep. This is one messed-up chick on the inside. First off, her name is Isabella Valentine. She always thought she was the daughter of the mad alchemist Earl Valentine. But not so (as discovered in the closing of Soul Calibur). In fact, her father was the evil pirate—is there any other kind?—Cervantes de Leon. So while she's figuring out her true ori- gins, she’s going to smoke you in the ring in Soul Cali 2. And look delicious while doing it. E Now the pivotal figure in the Tekken mythol- ogy, Kazuya is at the very heart of the increasingly complicated interwoven story of the series. Over the course of past games, he's been seemingly killed twice, he's mor- phed into a inge demon thanks to his EUREN. RICARDO DIAZ "Devil Gene," and now, in Tekken 4, he's sworn revenge on his father, Heihachi, who Rockstar's latest scumbag, Ricardo Diaz heads Mishima Zaibatsu, the corporation la.k.a. Mr. Big) keeps a close eye on the behind the Iron Fist (Tekken) tournaments. goings-on in the surging warm-weather Not only that, but Kazuya has funky hair, mm] |! | metropolis of Vice City. Strangers around some seriously cool trousers and really у town think of him as a philanthropist, а civic- gnarly scars. Chicks dig scars. S j minded good guy. But to those who know of his sketchy behavior, he’s a small, sweaty, psychotic snake who believes in filling his pockets with green at any cost. Diaz is the type of venomous tough more interested in a sweeter boat than human life. He's killed for business and he’s killed for fun. The worst part about this latest Grand Theft Auto maniac? He smokes skinny ciga- rettes and sports a tragically thin mustache. armony Gold USA, Ne Yes, folks, wristbands are in, and Rygar shows that his fashion stylings are straight from SoHo (shields on a string, consequent- ly, are not the next big thing). It seems Rygar goes to all the trou- ble to stay hip because he's in love with—get this—a princess. Princess Harmonia, no less. Aravenous group calling itself | the Titans has kidnapped | Harmonia, and it's Rygar's | "duty" to get her back (though | we have our suspicions that he's doing it all for the nookie). If all goes well, he'll | я get the girl and restore order у to his Mediterranean hometown, | j Argus. Or he'll die trying. Jennifer Tate was just your every- day waitress/college student—that is, until the evil minions of the Chaos Lord Abaddon abducted her man and dragged him into their world. In Primal, Jen joins a gar- goyle named Scree as she enters several worlds counter to our own. On her quest, she adopts the power to, morph into specially talented 19 о РАУ that tattoo on her back? n just looking cool, it also Шосе th holds м to shapeshift чы. " is. М TO SAVE HUMANKIND, YOU MUST CHANGE INTO А HERO. SPIN BLIND KENSHI mE c Once during search for lost ancestral knowl- edge, Kenshi happened upon the Well of Souls—which, once he viewed the horrors of the Outworld through it, blinded him and stripped his spirit of innocence. From there, he progressed into the evil place itself and became one of the newest competitors in the arnt: Mortal Kombat tournament. See how he fares in Deadly Alliance. H JANGO FETT Recognize this guy? Yes, we know he died at the end of Episode ll, but that's not the point. Thanks to LucasArts' upcoming action romp Bounty Hunter, you get to enjoy something that we all secretly love to do—be the bad guy. Oddly though, once you play the game for a while, you realize he's not actually an evil dude at all...he’s just a badass in a big hat doing his job, trying to make his way in the universe. Because of the timing of the game's story, you also get a thorough insight into how Jango became the emplate" for the clone army, as well as me of his reasons for having such an attitude problem when it comes to the Jedi. When the Contra series began, it was that guy to the left there, Bill Rizer, who kicked all kinds of alien ass. But later, everything fell apart. Bill was eventually accused of murder- ing his best friend and cohort, Lance Bean. For years, he's been wasting away in max- security prison. Now with the rise of Blood Falcon, humanity's biggest threat, he's finally been released. Sure, he'll save the world, but he plans on setting the record straight, too. The sexy lass with no fashion sense to his right is Lucia. Crafted from the mind of Dr. Geo Mandrake, this sultry cyborg was creat- ed to be the ultimate fighting weapon. It Seems she's the result of classified military experiments using alien DNA. Now that's hot. CHANGE OR DIE. Xbox" video game system screenshots shown. www.robotechgame.com TDK. TEEN : Violence Y € EET евна © 1985-2002, Harmony Gold USA, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ROBOTECH and associated names, logos and all related indicia are Inc, All Rights Reserved. PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED BY TOK MEDIACTIVE, INC. Developed by Vicious Cycle Software, Inc. Some elements © 2002 Vicious Cycle Software, Inc. Licensed by Nintendo. TM, © and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Licensed for play on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems with the NTSC U/C designation only. “PlayStation” and the PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners aes # THE FINISH LINE IS JUST THE BEGINNING. in an involving p e stor / Rip up the asphalt in over Take control of Ryan McKane’s raci 0 authentic 3 race tr. worldwide. / Fight it out in i sing with up to 20 cars оп the course at once.* / Experience intuitive and e and graphics. RATING PENDING CODEMASTERS.COM Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 PC Y К г `@, for Rating Information, Pw PlayStation.e Codemasters рт ESRB ROM GENIUS AT PLAY Screen shots taken from PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system game play. y platform, © 2002 The Codemasters Software Company Limited ("Codemasi Pro Race Driver” and "GENIUS AT PLAY" "* are trademarks of Code rks of oft Corporation in the US Association. All other trademarks а 57 is a registered trademark owned by Cod e. Microsoft, Xbox and reserved. The ratings icon is a reg “Number of cars on course simultane Developed by Codemasters. Publi countries and are used under li are the property of their res rom Microsott, “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Al rig owners THE INSIDER SAVORING THE FRUITS OF OUR LABORS It's a magic moment, full of wonder and awe. A disc is placed into the PS2, the green light is pushed, and a few seconds later a game is on the TV. And not just any game, mind you, but our game. The one we've been working on for the past six months. All the late nights and hundreds of pounds of fast food con- sumed come down to a single moment, watching the TV flicker before an image appears. Now, this certainly isn't a fin- ished product. But we have our new game on a CD; a major milestone has been passed. Of course, there are still many to go. Hell, we haven't even been able to announce it yet, and there's still a solid year of development left. Right now the entirety of this = mysterious game is but a small part of a single stage, with only a illustration Le few characters moving around and very by Greg White REND, little graphical flair. But you can punch, block and pull off combos. Enemies have the rumblings of decent intelligence; basic interaction with background items is in place; and, the most impressive thing, it’s fun to play. Our technology is nowhere near finished, and the gameplay has only started its tweaking phase—but it’s already fun. Hot damn, If there's one thing | love more than anything else about the games industry, it's that you always feel like you're making progress. A week ago, we had a whole bunch of seemingly ran- dom pieces—some characters, background elements, hit sparks and the like—and now they're together in the form of a game. Sure, the progress might not always go the way you want it to—bad decisions can sometimes lead you down the wrong path for a bit—but we're always heading toward a goal. And unlike some jobs, working here is always a challenge. The good kind of challenge. Meetings take up a solid chunk of the day, from team-wide updates to small chit-chats with artists or programmers about new features. Ideas are always heing tossed back and forth, and there's never a stop to the flow of new documents detailing them. And when we're not discussing things, we're trying out the team's latest creations. New things constantly need to be tested, from timing of ani- mations to the way a tree looks when your character walks behind it. Every new object made, every programming update, every-single element that's introduced into the project needs to be painstakingly tested. And it's never perfect the first time, so it has to be tweaked and checked and tweaked and checked again, perhaps dozens of times, until it's good enough for now—because nothing's ever really done until it's off to the manufacturer. Every day we add a handful of new elements to our game, and every day we get closer to finishing it. There's still much work to be done, though. It's almost over- whelming if you step back and look at what's left to do. And, to be completely honest, I'd be a bit worried if it wasn't for the staff here. All that progress I'm talking about...it's all because of the people working on this game—the amount of stuff this staff churns out every day is staggering. They say a game can only be as good as the people working on it, and if that's true, we're going to have something damn keen next year. Of course, that also means we'll have to work our asses off. But just getting a chance to play our game—the one we created—makes all that work worthwhile. Ryan Lockhart (1ockhartesevenstiidios.com spent a good chunk of his day placing pigeons in a level. Yup, pigeons. Try not to be envious. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Ronald Martinez/ALLSPORT SCHOOL SPIRIT FIVE QUESTIONS WITH THE MAKERS OF NCAA FOOTBALL 2003 Is NCAA a better game than Madden? They're both great games. NCAA Football 2003 is the best college football game and Madden NFL 2003 is the best professional football game. Each title offers a unique gaming experience, and they are developed by completely different teams here at EA-Tiburon. With NCAA, we are giving you everything that's special about college football—over 200 fight songs, 50 mas- cots, all the historic rivalries, cool trophies, cheerlead- ers with painted faces, all 28 bowl games, controver- sial ranking systems, off-season recruiting battles, the option attack, one-foot sideline catches—and much more. This is the complete package when it comes to college football. Did you factor in an East Coast bias? 2 Wow, sounds like we have a bitter Oregon fan here! No, we award teams and players based on their on- field performances, not their geographical regions. Bowl system or playoffs? No question: bowl games. I'm a huge college football fan because of the history, the tradition and the fact WWW.PENNY-ARCADE.COM So, did you read that article about = the Playstation 3? Yeah, I tried E It didn't make Well, it's not... It's not hard. Individual Playstation 3 processors combine to form more powerful hardware. That's what I didn't get. Oh, robot cats. So they're using J robot cats. that every game counts. If you go to a playoff system, you're losing out on some of the elements that make college football so special. What was one feature you left out of this year's game that you're itchin' to get in next year? Mascot fighting mode! [laughs] Honestly, I'm very happy with the feature set that we were able to deliver, so | don't feel there was anything that got left out. That being said, l'm very excited for NCAA 2004—it looks very promising! Name a surprise team to look out for this season When you look at all the great games this season, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the top teams are going to knock each other off. | think this will lead to a very close BCS race once again, and we may see a surprise team ending up in the Fiesta Bowl. Maybe someone like Washington State. Or even Marshall, if they can win at Virginia Tech and run the table. [Questions answered by NCAA producer Jeffrey Luhr] Uh, you know how Devastator is strong, right? Well, of course. A id He's the strongest of d And wh: the Decepticons. is that? Well, it's like Voltron. Because he harnesses the combined > power of... ( : > и, 2 AN ИЕ 22.) РаубаНопь@ GAMEBOY ADVANCE a TEEN Blood Violence CONTENT RATED BY ESRB! under licen: ©2002 New Line Productions, Inc. The Lord of The Rings and the characters, names, and places therein, TM The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterpris to New Line Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Electronic Arts, EA GAMES and the EA GAMES logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. TM, ® and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. EA GAMES™ is an Electronic Arts™ brand. RETURN TO AREA 51 Midway taps effects-legend Stan Winston for new game rea 51, the secret military facili- A ty about 90 miles north of Las Vegas that the government denies even exists, has been the source material for countless books, films and TV shows about UFOs and government conspiracies. It was also, for those of you who may remember, the premise ~n for a popular mid- 90s aliens-invading- earth light-gun shooter for the arcades and PSone. Well, Midway has decided that it's time to make a return to the controversial facility for its upcoming PS2 game, tentatively titled, once again, simply Area 51. а " One of the coolest aspects of this new game is that the company has || WANT ТО called upon four-time Academy Award- winning special-effects legend Stan BELI EVE Winston for help. Winston, arguably the most respected effects man in Hollywood, is best known for his work on Jurassic Park, Aliens and, of course, unlike the original, in the PS2's Area 51, the Star Wars series. He and his studio you won't simply be blowing them away will work on creating many of the alien with a light gun. This game is a third- creatures found in the game. person action/adventure that attempts It's apparently quite important that to unlock the extra-terrestrial mystery these aliens be well-done because, of the base through lots of story and DREAM CAST The plot of the original PSone game (shown here) was quite simple. Aliens have invaded, and you and Ў A the other members of STAAR must defeat them—by blasting everything in sight. action. We've been assured that you'll still be able to kick quite a lot of alien behind—it's just that now you'll be doing it with sniper rifles or hand-to- hand combat. Midway currently has Area 51 slated for a 2004 release. or's Ei EA will soon release three collec- tor's-edition game packages for the PSone, each with three sepa- rate games in the box. Racing Pack, Action Pack and Sports Pack will each retail for $39.99. Ever since we started this whole business of casting fantasy movies of our favorite games, two titles have been requested the most: We already did Metal Gear Solid (see issue 53), so the time has finally come to present our picks for the film version of Final Fantasy ИИ. And perhaps more than ever before, your e-mails have helped us select the cast. Keep 'em comin'! Got any ideas for a Dream Cast of your own for another game? Send them to us at opm@ziftdavis.com with the subject DREAM CAST. th Ledger A vT Marla Sokoloff Sephiroth: Orla Bloom With solid performances in Мо matter what you think of | These days, not many We all know Orlando Bloom movies like The Patriot and : Liv, you'll be happy with her | young actresses play inno- asthe do-gooding elf A Knight's Tale, Heath as Aeris. If you love her, cent yet cute and busty Legolas in The Lord of the Ledger has demonstrated she's the tragic heroine. If quite as well as Dude, Rings—which means that | his knack for heroism. Who | you hate her, she dies (and | Where's My Car?s Marla we also know what a true 1 better for the lead role? does not come back!]. Sokoloff. Mee-yow! badass he can be. Perfect! n Barre Vincent: Johnny Depp Yuffie: Lacey Chabert Rugged and foul-mouthed. He pities the fool who casts А cool character played by Perfect look, perfect Penn, indeed. someone else! а cool dude. bubbly personality. PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIREIMAGE INTERACTIVE Own the movie on DVD! MATURE BLOOD and GORE VIOLENCE Aux ly t rust ealfisave уой, - MEE а game like this before. Now, your sinh depends on leadership, firepower, and your ability to сого] fea." A horrific alien virus runs rampant, but do you Know who's ‘infected ^ad who isnt? Youll need the trust of your squad to survive. But if you can't control their fear, they might Kill each other, take their own lives, ог decide to take yours. Be aware. Stay calm. Don't let paranoia КИ you. yi. " ои SS ЙЛ 00 = EVERYONE Violence CONTENT RATED BY ESRB P d © NIN REN GAMECUBE. < B = , PlayStation. www.thq.com Official U, << OE T te a eee ee PHOTOS BY JOE TORENO МО ت‎ авми” МХ a & Hawk a Hoffman square off a recent television commercial te promote their да! ту motorcycle, got a incle was a carpenter, so we built foot quarts № and | knocked ut ТЭК on it t day? [both lal Phl | ae trying to figure out how you use t assess vus And it scares me. | ching people hit their heads. "ve been knocked out, like 12 or you feel faded for a few days. | I'm going to stop doing that. ke a pact, let's not get knocked out me a hard time—parents You're hot wearing hel- id my kids don't hen you fall in jour head and blood to present an award at the TransWorld Skateboarding Awards a couple of weeks ago, and | walked up to the stage and the kids were like, "900!" And | know it's just - heckling, but | mean, come on people. MH: I remember when I'd first done a 900 on a bike. Every contest after that | couldn't. concentrate on my run because that's {һе _ only thing people wanted to see. The care about what else was on my mi terms of the run—they just imagined it. So | used to drop in and to get people to shut up, I'd do a 900 as my first trick [both laugh]. Luckily, | pulled them. Then people would shut up so | could ride and do my demo. TH: That's awful. | couldn't. It takes me so long to work up to it. It's gotta be the right ramp and I’ve gotta feel good. | couldn't just drop in on my first run and even try it. MH: Normally | wouldn't, but it gets annoy- ing enough that it fuels me enough to do it. TH: Гуе learned to block it out. When | hear it, l'm like, whatever. Half the time you do a 540 or a 720 and they're like, "Whee, he did. it!" OK, so you didn't know anyways. MH: Yeah, they don't even know what they're asking for. TH: Right. MH: They don't understand that they're ask: ing you to possibly go to the hospital for their entertainment. [both laugh] TH: Right. MH: 50-50. Whenever | drop in, that's the best odds | can give myself to do that trick. | think when | do it too much and | think Гуе _ got it dialed, I've lost the fear | needed to conjure up the focus to pull it off. TH: Yeah, | don't even bother trying unless I'm totally warmed up, used to the ramp, feeling good. Ready to take a hit. Because | - know it's either going to end up really good. or really tragic. | don't walk away from it like, “Well, I tried. | did my best.” 2 MH: Have you kept track of the number of — 9's you've pulled? TH: No, not really. Somewhere like 10 or But, you know, some of them | don't consi er that good of a make so | don't like to say - | made it. TH: Was it hard to turn down. thestadfés — after popularityghit2ms | МН: 96 married young. 996 pared. when | was 21. TH: So he's not turning them is he's saying. [both laugh] MH: Yeah, | just accepted them early. _ [laughs] | think when you grow up o road, you get that out of your system. TH: Yeah, you lead that life at such an early age. | was touring cross-country at 16. MH: | took my first tour when | was 1! TH: Yeah, so it's like you go through your - crazy college years at an early аде. | MH: And | think what we do is all about commitment, so whenever you find a girl and you decide you want to be committed to her, it's easy. It's a state of mind you under- | ‚+ A nma. = i HALE-UAMPIBE, AND ONLY HALF-DONE WILLING. KEEP THE FORCES OF EVIL AT BAY WITH YOUR 360-DEGREE COMBAT SYSTEM AND UNSTOPPABLE RAGE POWERS. PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Xbox" video game system screenshots shown. Ф Ф DELIVER LAST RITES TO YOUR VILE VAMPIRE VICTIMS WITH GRUESOME, OVER-THE-TOP FINISHING MOVES. USE MARTIAL ARTS, GUNS AND THE SWORD OF THE DAYWALKER IN A DANCE OF DEATH WITH YOUR INHUMAN ENEMIES. A e. Э THE HUNT BEGINS AGAIN... $ 3 тиз" ү”, SLADE) . AVAILABLE ON VHS AND 2-DISC PLATINUM SERIES" DVD EVERYWHERE! www.blade2.com Blood and Gore е Ж Strong Language 4 PlayStation.2 J E NEW UNE Violence A = CTIVISION. Marvel, Blade and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademark(s) of Marvel Characters, Inc., and are used with permission. Copyright © 2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. АП rights reserved: wwiilmarvel.com. Blade 2 motion picture artwork and other motion picture material activision.com © 2002 New Line Productions, Inc. AI rights reserved. Game code © 2002 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates, Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Ic. Activision is a registered павета ери оп Ic. and affites. I rights reserved, Licensed for play on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment systems with the NTSC U/C designation oniy. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc Microsoft, ойра the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks e p] of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a trademargfj the Interactive Digital Software Association. AI other trademarks and trádé agis are the properties of their respective owners, EON Hoffman, Hawk and Bucky Lasek hit the mid-air pause button for a photographer. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine stand, since it's basically what we've tried to develop our whole lives. TH: Yeah, no matter how many times they knock you out [laughs]. MH: [laughs] Exactly. TH: And you still get back up, you still try again, even after getting knocked down. MH: What do you have coming up? TH: Boom Boom HuckJam is pretty much consuming all my time, trying to get that off the ground. It’s a tour of arena propor- tions. It's not a skate-park tour; we don't show up in an existing skate park and ride whatever they have. We're bringing our own park. It's an elaborate setup that fills an arena floor. We did our first one in Vegas, the one you were at, Mat, and it was successful and it was fun. MH: Yeah, | think that tour is gonna rede- fine the way our sports are represented. | can't believe it's grown to that. TH: Yeah, it's been crazy. | got the idea because | went to the X Games last year and | saw that they put it inside an arena, inside the [Philadelphia] 76ers arena. And the place was full and there was a two- hour wait outside to get in. | realized that if we want to do professional exhibitions, that's the kind of scale we have to do it on now. There's still room to do it at skateparks and places like that, but the amount of people that show up can't fit in. Literally the capacity isn’t there, and so we have to do it at arenas. And that was why we did it. But it was a blast. We had a lot of fun in Vegas. Hopefully, it's another avenue—instead of all these competitions the water. And | played an early Shaun Murray build. That was fun. Really fun. | thought it would just be wakeboarding where you're touching this rope. But you could let go of the rope, ride stuff. But | heard your graphics are just ridiculous. MH: Yeah, it's like a video that you can play as a video game. You know what | mean? TH: Yeah, yeah. MH: There's a lot of footage and stuff in it. You know how it is: You think you've got it wired, and they send you a new build of the game and all the control buttons change. That's kind of where I'm at. | was like, "God, I'm ruling this game." Then | got the new build and l'm like, “Aww, | suck." TH: You have to bring the latest build on tour, and I'll bring my PS2 debug. MH: Yeah, OK. TH: We'll have all the sweet Activision 529 games оп our tour! d MH: Your tour works out perfect for all the " projects I’ve got going on right now. The game's being released, if | get the book done tonight, it'll be released... TH: Tonight?! [both laugh] MH: So it'll be released; it'll be a great time to support all of that stuff. every weekend—that we can explore. MH: How did you come up with the design? TH: Umm, | literally wrote it all on a nap- kin. And | handed it off to the moto[cross] experts and said, "Can you do this? Can you make this jump, does this work for you?" And they said, "Yeah, sure, no prob- lem. We can do it." So the moto-jump and the skate-ramp element were two different things built by different people and they were sort of LEGO'd into each other once we got to the arena. That whole tour is mainly sponsored by Activision 02, so who knows, you might see it in a game at some point. [laughs] But I'm not allowed to say things like that because | always get in trouble. So, | don't know if you're going to see it in the game, but, why not? Right? МН: 15 there a downside to being in a game? TH: | don't know. The only downside for me, personally, is that when I’m skating, people expect me to be able to do these ridiculous combinations that they do in the game. “Do an Impossible Frontside Crib 720 Sex Change!” And I'm like, "Umm, no. | can't." But there hasn't been much. | don't TH: So, about your game, it's PS2 now? MH: Yeah, and the other systems. TH: Oh, yeah. | heard about your game. | ü heard about the Tiki war. MH: Yeah. TH: That sounds sweet. But | haven't been playing that one. I've been playing Slater's. MH: Really? TH: Yeah, just because it’s so unique with really think of many downsides. I've had kids think that I’m not a real person before. MH: Really? [laughs] TH: They've only seen me in the game, and they think I’m а video-game character. People will say, "Tony Hawk? That's some video-game guy.” MH: You're only an animation. TH: Yeah. So | guess the downside is that people only know you from that and have no idea you have a history in your sport. MH: It's been such a surprise project in my career. | never knew I'd score something like this [laughs]. There's no real downside to it, you know. Except that | always wear a full-face helmet, and so I've always been behind a mask. | can be on magazine cov- ers and no one would ever recognize me. But now being in a video game, and doing milk ads, those things kind of took the veil away. [both laugh] TH: Behind the Hoffman Veil! MH: Yeah, so you get recognized a lot more. Which is nice, usually. | mean, what- ever. It's cool to hang out with the kids and things like that. So | guess it's not a down- side, but it's something l've noticed since being in a video game instead of being on some competition on TV. TH: | know the downside to it! People always want to take me on. They kaewT play, so they're like cate ele your ass, dudebisetisiplayis-KeAsT sel BUB) ve got a good CRTC MH: Yeah, you beat me ТЕС Paris. They had us play the gamewogethemwhen it was released. You beat пе Воде, and | was like, Whoormph. (Бо Жаш! had to play the game in BearSea "Stadium. | had to play the champion guy who а the game a ton and he wanted to play Wes He took me on in front of 9,000 people 288 all | could think was: This is going to be humiliating. For more information about Tony Hawk's Boom Boom Huck Jam, check out (guess what?) Introducing the Network Adaptor for PlayStation.2. Reach out and smoke someone. Or cross-check, smash, tackle, leg-sweep or ollie over them- even if they're in another time zone. With the Network Adaptor (Ethernet/modem) (for PlayStation.2), just about anything is possible. Like downloading new rosters, stadiums and characters. Trash-talking opponents you've never met. Or, better yet, starting your very own East Coast-West Coast sports rivalry. All against live competition, so no two games are ever alike. The Network Adaptor for PlayStation 2 is here. Get your game online. WHAT YOU GET: * The Network Adaptor, which offers both dial-up and broadband connectivity * Start-Up Disc with playable demos of Madden NFL’ 2003 and Frequency” * Video demos of Tribes" Aerial Assault, ATV Offroad Fury" 2 and Tony Hawk Pro Skater” 4 • Mail-in offer for a FREE copy of Twisted Metal:Black” ONLINE * All this for just $39.99 (SRP) WHAT YOU NEED TO CONNECT: * PlayStation 2 (duh) * Network Adaptor (obviously) * Memory card (8MB for PlayStation 2) with at least 137K of space (that ain’t much) * Dial-up or broadband Internet connection (in English: such as cable modem, DSL, Т1 or just a plain ol’ phone line) * Network Adaptor Start-Up Disc to create ISP settings (don’t worry, it’s easy) OTHER STUFF: * The Network Adaptor works with just about any ISP subscriber, including AOL, AT&T Worldnet, EarthLink, Prodigy/SBC and Sympatico. Check with your ISP for details. These are just a few of the games with online features available this year: ATV Offroad Fury" 2 .5. Navy SEALs Frequency www.playstation.com "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Live In Your World. Play In Ours is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. NFL National Football League. Officially licensed product of PLAYERS INC. The PLAYERS INC. logo is a registered trademark of NFL players. www.nflplayers.com. ©2002 PLAYERS INC. All other games featured herein are trademarked PRODUCTS RANGE FROM RATING PENDING то MATURE CONTENT RATED BY NFL GameDay” 200: ribes” Aerial Assault LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. GameDay 2003 ©2002 NFL Properties LLC. Team names and logos are trademarks of the teams indicated. All other (NFLrelated) marks are trademarks of the ы and copyrighted properties of their respective publishers and/or licensors. PLAY IN DURS. uus xad Rajan ET is imposti put down, چ‎ | „especially multi-player.” -PLAY/magazine 5 / Donc eS 1 TIT. and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks octrademarks ої gs icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Softvlare Association. GET SITE! »"- [^ " #2 ACE ТП ТНЕ и: итти. TO THE КШ. Sam gulriplayer rem Rayman згуеЖасе ЯП ВЕ В асго5$ 15 obstacle filled racecourses and с © lere's а tip: Keep one eye on the BABE IN BOYLAND Summer Posey heats up your PS2 in the 20- 03 editions of MLB SlugFest and NFL Blitz How did you get involved with Midway and SlugFest? Someone from MarkesePhotography.com discovered me off of my Web site, www.SummerPosey.com. He then introduced me to the art director of SlugFest, Sal Divita, and the rest is history! How often do you play games, if ever? If you get around to it, what kinds of games do you play? | am constantly on the road and never really have time to sit down and play video games. But when | do, | don’t mind playing a few dri- ving games and MLB SlugFest 20-03, of course. At what point did you get into modeling? | have only been modeling for two years now. A Who's your favorite baseball team? Your favorite player? The Mets, of course! Mike Piazza. Elvis or the Beatles? And why? Elvis. | love the way that he can move his hips! What's one characteristic you look for in the male species? Personality and social skills. How tall are you? Five-foot eight. How did you get named “Summer”? Family name or just lucky? Lucky, | guess. | come from a crazy family. My three uncles are named Tom, Dick and Harry! “Га like to be like Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. You can't go wrong with that!” friend of the family and the owner of a model- ing school here in Orlando, Lisa Maile, encour- aged me to audition for an upcoming pilot shoot in which | both landed the role and discovered that | love being in front of the camera! What do you think makes a woman sexy? When we interviewed Gabriella Reece, she said, “hot pants.” Just kidding, she said, “con- fidence.” What do you think? Yeah, what she said. | think Gabby hit that right on the nose. Do you get asked out a lot, or do your looks intimidate the gentlemen? | think that | am very approachable. | love it when a guy can make me laugh. What do you want to be when you grow up? A success! Are you prettier than you are smart, or ‘smarter than you are pretty? | ат equally both. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine My mother's name is Burma, and | was given the name Summer, She debated giving me the name Savannah. Either way, you won't forget me! Are you a wine or a beer type o' girl? Wine. It gives me a sweeter buzz. Nice and warm. What do you like to do when you are not modeling? Spend time on the lake, hang out with friends, go to dinner, cuddle...what everyone does! If you were able to have a dream date, where would you go? Greece. Great beaches, historic ruins with great photo ops and a wild adult nightlife! SlugFest has players that catch “on fire” dur- ing gameplay. What heats you up? Attention, If you could be a female character in a video game, what type of game would it be, and what role would you play? I wouldn't mind being the only female player in MLB SlugFest 20-03...and if that didn't work out, I'd like to be Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. You can't go wrong with that! How would you feel about becoming the supermodel of video games? | enjoy seeing the images in the game, and | hope to be a part of the industry more if they'll have me! KEEP ON SHOOTIN’ Keep your Guncon at work with these PSone games With new games like Dino Stalker and Ninja Assault coming out to render your original Guncon obsolete, just what are you to do with your beloved light-gun peripheral? The answer: Play what you missed and replay your favorites THE SURE SHOTS Must-own games for any Guncon owner Die Hard Trilogy: Light-gun shooting only comprises one-third of this game EE Е based on the Bruce Willis action flicks (the Die Hard 2 portion, to be specific), but it alone made it worth the purchase for fans of the genre. Wanna blow up any- thing on the screen? This is the game for you! % 1770711975 Elemental Gearbolt: From а company better known for hardcore RPGs like Lunar and Arc the Lad, Elemental Gearbolt was a departure of sorts for Working Designs. But what a great departure it was! As Mark MacDonald said in our review, "It's just an all-out blast-fest from start to finish." It's as simple as that, making it arguably the best thing to do with your Guncon. Point Blank series: For three games (all very simi- lar—play one, you've pretty much played them all), two safari-garbed characters with egg-shaped heads named Dr. Dan and Dr. Don [doctors of what, we have no idea) helped gel together a huge selection of shooting minigames. Some were funny, Some more serious; some were easy, some quite tough; all were simple fun at its best. Time Crisis: With the inclu- sion of a gameplay feature that required you to seek cover, Time Crisis added some innovation to an oth- erwise straightforward genre. Its graphics were also topnotch for the time, greatly pleasing fans of the arcade version. ON TARGET These aren't perfect, but they're still a fun diversion Area 51: A frenzied pace accompanied unpredictable attackers in this port of Namco's hit arcade shooter from the mid-'90s. Unfortunately, its 2D char- acter sprites and preren- dered backgrounds didn't make it as pretty. Sure, the majority of PSone light-gun games are mediocre at best, but even the worst of them let you do all you really want to anyway: Shoot stuff. Enjoy this rundown of every PSone light-gun game ever made. Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas: We loved the shooting portion in the first Die Hard Trilogy (the one whose title actually made sense), but this sequel loses something. It is the best of the three genres in this game, though. Gunfighter: The Legend of Jesse James: Though it fea- tured graphics straight out of the 1800s—and was just way too hard—Ubi Soft made it generally fun to be one of American history's most infamous mass murderers. Time Crisis: Project Titan: The same gameplay that made the original Time Crisis so special may have been present in this game, but Project Titan just didn't pull things off quite as well. THE MISSES Mostly crap—but hey, you're still shooting stuff Crypt Killer zc dar „йй Maximum Force PUR es Project: Horned Owl Revolution X we're your connection! fy PUBLISHER RELEASE DATE King of the Coliseum bam! entertainment 9/3/02 Blade 2 Activision 9/5/02 Pac Man Fever Namco 9/5/02 The Thing Universal Interactive 9/6/02 Antz Extreme Racing Empire Interactive 9/6/02 Riding Spirits bam! entertainment 9/7/02 Egg Mania Kemco 9/12/02 Armored Core 3 Tommo 9/13/02 Dual Hearts Atlus 9/13/02 Gundam: Federation Bandai America 9/13/02 vs. Zeon Kengo 2 Crave Entertainment 9/17/02 Sly Cooper ond the Sony 9/17/02 Thievius Raccoonus Dynasty Tactics Koei 9/17/02 Grandia Xtreme Enix 9/17/02 Dune DreamCatcher 9/18/02 Interactive Rocket Power: THQ 9/18/02 Beach Bandits Terminator: Down of Fate Infogrames 9/19/02 Hitman 2; Silent Assasin Eidos 9/19/02 Myst Ill: Exile Ubi Soft 9/19/02 Ninja Assault with Guncon Namco 9/19/02 Kingdom Hearts Electronic Arts 9/20/02 Gungrave Sega 9/20/02 Sega Soccer Slam Sega 9/20/02 Summoner 2 THQ 9/20/02 NHL Hitz 20.03 Midway Games, Inc. 9/20/02 Dino Stalker Capcom 9/21/02 Kelly Sloter's Pro Surfer Activision 9/21/02 Disney Golf Electronic Arts 9/21/02 Robotech Battlecry TDK Mediactive 9/25/02 PREORDERPIPELINE.COM | ONLY IN JAPAN Space Fishermen Sony CEI, PS2 Fishing games used to have an awful reputation. Even the hard- core, “must-collect-every-game-ever” type avoided these titles, leaving them to diehard fishing fans, rednecks and your father to buy. But then Sega’s arcade and Dreamcast fishing games intro- duced an innovative new element to proceedings: fun. Now, Sony’s set to take fishing games to a whole new level, removing the realistic graphics, rubber boots and old men. And, er, planet Earth, too. Confused? You should be. Any game called Space Fishermen has at once both a self-explanatory title (you fish in space!) and a title needing explanation (how the hell do you fish in зрасе?). Freed from the restrictions of that nasty little thing called reality, SCEI has gone wild. Space fishermen wield weirdo lightning-tractor-beam fishing rods, and they need them to battle the massive, colorful and cel-shaded “fish” that apparently popu- late the waters of space. The interesting twist here is that the game uses the Dual Shock's analog function to the fullest, allow- ing precise movements and jerks to control your rod and to reel in giant space fish with designs inspired by Ren & Stimpy car- toons. There’s also a complex system of lures (based on what space fish you capture) and a hokey quest to be the best space fisherman ever. But, at the end of the day, it's still fishing. Cel- shaded, futuristic, lightning-rod fishing, sure, but fishing nonethe- less. Credit Sony for making it look vaguely fun, but...it's still fishing. If you like that sort of thing, the game is due out in October in Japan—and probably never in America. GAMES THAT NEED A SPACE THEME ARMY MEN: Space may be generic, but it's 10 times more innovative than any of the other Army Men concepts spat out by 3D0 recently. MADDEN 2014: Just think about what the physics of a game played on the moon could do to the crunching hits of the NFL—hit the quarterback hard enough and he might never come back. GRAN TURISMO CONCEPT: TOKYO-MOON: Аге we the only ones who desperately want to tool around the Lacus Somniorum in a lunar rover? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? TETRIS: Now this is a killer idea! How about we update Tetris by setting it on lots of different planets with absolutely no effect on gameplay whatsoever, and we can call it Tetris Worlds, and...oh, wait a minute. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine TOP TRAX EA changes the way game music is done As pop music started to infiltrate games, you'd often get popular retreads steaming out of your gaming speakers. But EA Trax, the newest label by the EA empire, has something different in mind for its games. Now, instead of reusing old tunes for games, EA Trax will have the hottest artists around create brand-new songs—exclu- sively for EA. Bon Jovi serves as a prime example of what Trax is hoping to accomplish. The New Jersey band will head- line the opening-night NFL festivities at a New York City concert, and its newest track will also appear in Madden NFL 2003—which EA Trax will release a full two months before the album hits. The parameters are certainly changing, and this is proof. We've also heard a sample of a tune by Electra recording star Fabolous, which will appear in NBA Live 2003. Even cooler, Electra is timing Fabolous’ next album release to coincide with Live's launch. Not bad. We also know that rap legend Snoop Dogg [he is a legend after all these years, right?) has put together a track for Live 2003, about the game itself. Apparently Snoop has been dying to get involved with EA, and he wrote a song about the game to seal the deal. Other confirmations include Saliva (Tiger Woods 2003), Queens of the Stone Age (NHL 2003], Uncle Kracker (Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2), Nappy Roots, Р.0.0. and Papa Roach. "EA Trax recognizes that gamers are listening E "Finally, I'm in the game." —Snoop Dogg, pleased by his involvement with NBA Live 2003 and that audio is an important part of the experience," says Steve Schnur, worldwide executive of music for Electronic Arts, who worked at MTV in the '80s. "Music labels now see games as an important channel for pro- motion and distribution. We've allowed our games to become a major promotion and distribution channel for introducing new artists and debuting new music from established acts." games that will keep your тїпїда from sports to violence to racing. Don't have the cash to pull down a network adapter, but you've already got a multitap (poor foresight on your part, if you ask us!]? Well, there's more than a handful of four-player ming community alive! Even if it does mean you all have to live on the same block. Here are nine of our favorite games that allow four or more players, You won't miss a thing (though you'll have to fake your way through the lunchroom conversation about SOCOM)! historical eras. Pick a car, grab some the doors off everyone and full of action. f x Ў EA E ا‎ 2002 FIFA World Cup EA Sports a perfect complement. asses from all manner of Car battle atits PS2 peak. weapons, and literally blow e! NHL Hitz 20-02 Three-on-three hockey the Sega Sports way video-game hockey was intended: fast, smooth The World Cup lew р here in the U.S. when our team did well. This game’s Title The Game The Pros The Cons TimeSplitters You run around putting Why kill nobodies when When you play four-way, your Eidos caps in people's polygonal | you can put slugholes in | piece of the screen is quar- tered. Tough to see on a 19- inch television. three of your neighbors? A great multiplayer game. With missiles screaming and environmental weapons going off, there's a lot you won't see because of the split screen. Car carnage is a brilliant way to get back at your friend for kissing the girl else. | you like. Take him down! With a game this wide open, there aren't really any cons. Unless you have puck-hog- ging teammates, that is. Six can play at this game, so you can play three-on- three to see which trio is buying the pizza! WWF SmackDown! Before they got the “F” out, | Wrestling the CPU is bor- | It's often hard to figure out Just Bring It there was Just Bring It, a ing, but throw in a few who you're about to attack, great rasslin' game with close friends and the tag- | so your partner might take a easy-to-learn controls. team matches get nasty. fist to the mouth at any time. | The pitch is huge, and your teammate will often pass to himself, leaving you out of the scoring equation. Sucky. Playing four on the same team gives you full con- trol—to yell at your non- passing mates. P.S.A.T. (PlayStation Aptitude Test) 1. Who of the following is not a boss character in Kingdom Hearts? a. Captain Hook b. Oogie Boogie c. Scar the Lion d. Kurt Zisa 2. Where can you spot a cactuar in Kingdom Hearts? а. In Traverse Town b. On Destiny Island C. In the deserts of Agrabah d. On the Gummi Ship garage 3. Where did biker Mat Hoffman grow up? a. Oklahoma City, OK b. Edmond, OK c. Sacramento, CA d. San Diego, CA 4. Ty : Tasmanian Tiger :: d. Lambadax 5. Who is the "bad guy" in Dynasty Tactics? a. Liu Bei b. Cao Cao c. Sun Ce d. Sun Quan 6. In the Tekken storyline, Heihachi : Kazuya :: Nina : a. Jin b. Steve c. Eddie d. Julia 7. In which of these ways can you not play Dino Stalker? а. Guncon2 only b. Guncon only c. Dual Shock only d. Guncon? in one hand, Dual Shock in the other 8. X-Men: Next Dimension serves as a sequel to what storyline from the comics? God Loves, Man Kills" The Age of Apocalypse" . "The Dark Phoenix Saga" 9. Which of these games is based on a manga comic- book series of the same name? a. Vexx b. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure c. Haven: Call of the King d. BloodRayne 10. Who is the second playable character in Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness? a. Trent Curtis b. Kurtis Trent c. Curtis Trent d. Trent Kurtis °01 °6 4'8! 'L Clish MacLaver's GOSSIP GOSSIP Gossip, rumor and scandal. Gaming's biggest secrets dug up and served with gravy. There’s way more gossip on upcoming games at the moment than І can possibly squeeze into this space this month. I've tried to give the juicy stuff, but | threw some tidbits and goodies into “Bits and Bobs” for you. For more up-to-date info, check our Web site, , regularly for more goodies. LEGACY OF KAIN: BLOOD SOUL OMEN REAVER, ER, 4? A lengthy lunch with one of my favorite contacts this month revealed some juicy gossip from the Crystal Dynamics camp. After confusing us all with the concurrent (but awe- some] Soul Reaver and Blood Omen storylines, I've now learned that the FIGHTER COMMAND LIVES! For those of you who were no doubt disappointed to hear about Medal of Honor: Fighter Command's cancella- tion two issues ago, here's some cool news. Peter Hirschmann, former DreamWorks founder and producer of the Medal of Honor series (includ- ing Fighter Command), is now work- ing with LucasArts on its upcoming WWII-based flight game for the PS2. What's cool is that he's now teamed with acclaimed designer Lawrence Holland, well-known for his work on the LucasArts PC series’ X-Wing, TIE Fighter and WWII flight game Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe. Sounds like a surefire recipe for success to “ethe game will have two interweav- ing stories that feature the antics of both Raziel and Kain.” next game will consolidate the two, probably returning the whole thing back under the Legacy of Kain ban- ner. How will this work? Apparently, the game will have two interweaving stories that feature the antics of both Raziel and Kain. Don't expect to hear any official news on it for quite a long while, though. My sources indicate it as a game for 2004. BITS AND BOBS For anyone who remembers our story about Outca us. We can't wait to see this one. AMERICA’S ARMY You've probably heard of this PC game, as it's been getting an incredi- ble amount of hype lately. It's the first-person shooter developed by the U.S. Army to train gamers with real-life Army tactics. Well, my civil- ian sources indicate that the Army is coming to the PS2 a while back and those stunning first screens that accompanied it, perhaps you should forget them. According to sources in Europe, Appeal, the game's developer, has gone under. • Like Mark Cerny said last month, if you thought this year had a lot of platformers, just wait until 2003. Not to be outdone by Crystal D's Gex [which I’ve now heard may have been canned), Argonaut's little platform star cis primed to make a comeback of his own. * Namco is working on a new game called Dragon Ch onicle. Could this be a sequel to Dragon Valor? It's likely, as Namco has classified the game as an “action/RPG.” * С ‚ the futuristic WipeOut-style game that we previewed ages ago, is finally getting a U.S. release, thanks to Majesco. E-MAIL ME! Got some good gaming gossip? Or anything you want to say to me? If you hear anything juicy or get your hands on some cool screens or pictures, send me an e-mail at the following address Look out for me on AIM, too—my buddy name 15 keen to enlist even more gamers into its interactive indoctrination, and the PS2 is the next vehicle for them to do so. Look for a version of the game on the Sony platform before the end of next year. It's not clear yet how it will be distributed on the Sony platform, as it’s a totally free game on PC. ГЦ keep you posted on any intel | get on this. NEW CAPCOM FIGHTER Capcom is working on a new install- ment in its Vs. series for the PS2- compatible System 246 arcade board. While it's not yet known who the combatants will be, it seems likely that this title will be entirely in 3D {otherwise Capcom would have more than likely used Sega's Naomi hard- ware again, as it's better at 2D than the Sony board]. Could it be Capcom vs. SNK 3? Marvel vs. Capcom 3? Capcom vs. Marvel vs. SNK? Oh, and for those who are digging this month's Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon, guess what? Capcom is working on a follow-up for Bandai as we speak. MMMORPG Marvel Massively Multiplayer Online RPG. Cool! Sources say that Verant is in negotiations with Marvel to get the rights for the entire Marvel universe so they can give it the full treatment, Star Wars Galaxies style. Oh dear, | think c.bake soiled himself. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine STATION........ This month's offerings come courtesy of Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer (Ben Harper, Pearl Jam, Perry Farrell) and Street Hoops (DMX, Talib Kweli). The first tir rd "Mama's Trippin’,” | figured Ben Harper was try- ng to stand in for Lenn mitdly ironic since Kravitz built his g But 1 was wrong. Оп. Will Harper grooves o с с T rified tolk, with ап occasional spike of real feeling, li t y "Widow of à Roses From My Friends.” I'd be happi- f Harper pick e often, but then Í suppose would Living Мап”, or. the lovingly testy Di Ре , DMX ‹ : surrounded by Pearl Jam's and angry, yet would nev orks, it's friggin’ brilliant, like on derly Woman Behind the nder it Vedder у, Final Score © © e © pretty well'summed up by a comment my wife r You know," she said, bum would b t right; Talib samples, but the ul and vivid e last track on the speaking f depiction of the | 7. and it’s too little, too late Final Score II ng music since Lenny Kra au ll find reviews of great (0) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Bookmarks www.gamers.com It's not just console games. Heck, it’s not even just video games. It’s a carefully crafted meta-site packed full of news, previews, reviews and creamy nougat. Stay for a night or stay forever. www.shawnimals.com Long-time readers of our sister mag EGM will remember former editor Shawn Smith. Want to know what he’s been up to since head- ing back to school? Check out this site full of one-of-a-kind, hug- gable artwork. Just try to resist the Shawnimals. You can’t. You know you can't. www.spamradio.com Commercialism meets art in the most intriguing way. This site takes legitimate E-mail spam, converts it to voice via a text-to- speech program, and sets it to a seductive beat. Give it a listen and you will understand. www.cs-hacks.tk Still think there's a way to revive Aeris? Think Zoe's gonna leave her husband for you? Think you can land on that “ghost island” in GTA3? Then you definitely need to visit this site. www.gamingtarget.com A nicely done gaming site with weekly release updates, previews, reviews and news for all sys- tems—even Dreamcast! www-.sealstrike.com Want more info on the Navy SEALs? Head over to this site and surf to your heart's content. www.purportal.com So you just got a forwarded E-mail from your shut-in Aunt Griselda, who's just discovered the Internet. But before you pass along that all- important info about the new Internet tax or the donation to the United way, you can participate in just for forwarding an E-mail, please, please check this site. Especially if you plan on forward- ing them to us. www.thememoryhole.org If any of this information is true— and we see no reason to believe the site isn’t just what it claims to be: a rescuer of lost documents— then we need to find a quiet cor- ner and whimper for a while. Read it and you'll understand. www.typeorganism.com This very well may be the single coolest Web site ever created. We're not being facetious or iron- ic; there’s just so much rad stuff on this site that we can’t even begin to describe it. Go there, now—and enjoy. www.memepool.com The perfect site if you need to put in some quality surfing time, get your brain jump-started, recoil in disgust, or fill up a Bookmarks section on a slow month. www.celebritysims.com We're pretty sure you won't be able to download new skins for the PS2 version of The Sims, but if you have the PC version, go here to get your new-skin fix. (You'll have to pay for it, though.) 007ea.com ашо A y "eye, Visit www.esrb.org or иле call 1-800-771-3772 Е NIGHTFIRE T the EA GAI for Rating Information. audiovisual СӨ} атай, LLC. JA NIGHTFIRE is a trade The new Bond adventure. Coming November 2002. Unite D Gun and Bhd United Artists Corpor ao} ED WAY / DVD REVIEWS....... AMADEUS DIRECTOR'S CUT (Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham) Most people think this is a film about the elixir of genius poured into a barely service- able bottle—that is to say, the fact that a flat- ulating boob like Mozart (Hulce, playing goofy) made such achingly beautiful music. But it's really about the tragedy of medioc- rity, here portrayed by Antonio Salieri (Abraham, who nabbed an Oscar], a fellow composer who knows just how average he is and can't stand the fact of it; Mozart is just the instrument that is used to point the fact out. But don't worry, this movie is more fun than the subject implies, and this director's cut adds a number of previously deleted scenes to drive home the movie's point. Extras included commentary from director Milos Foreman and writer Peter Shaffer and a "making-of" documentary. Movie Score 6 6 DVD Extras Score 6066 BEST OF THE MUPPET SHOW, VOLUMES 1 AND 2 (Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy) The Muppet Show was the most perfect tele- vision variety show ever, and anyone who doesn't think so is 17 kinds of foolish. Any show that can shoehorn in Alice Cooper or Peter Sellers, Lena Horne or Doug Henning, and make them all work brilliantly—playing opposite ambulatory cloth, no less—is noth- ing less than a friggin' piece of art. Also, the Swedish Chef: Funniest. Skit. Ever. These 24: SEASON 1 Sure, lots of television series have murder, betrayal, exploding planes, kidnapped daugh- ters, severed fingers and presidential politics, but how many of them have them all at once? 24 gained notoriety for being in “real time"—i.e., an hour on TV corresponded to a real hour, so the entire show takes up a single day. This is an idea that could have fallen flat on its tuckus, but there's just so much going on that the series carries forward on its own crazy momentum. And it brought back Kiefer Sutherland from obscurity, so that's not bad, either. This set has every episode of the season, plus an alternate season ending, an DVDs compile three episodes each, and of the two, number two has a slightly better guest lineup (Paul Simon, Raquel Welch and the Star Wars cast), but either is good. Heck, buy both—they're small. No DVD extras, although for once, | don't really care. Movie Score 6 € DVD Extras Score (no stars] COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (Guy Caviezel, Guy Pearce) Feeling like you're not getting enough swashbuckling in your diet? This will do the trick. Somewhat freely adapted from the novel by Dumas pere [the Tom Clancy of the swash-and-buckle set], this movie has swordfights, pirates, treasure maps, secret tunnels—heck, everything you come to a movie like this for. Caviezel is the good guy, Pearce is the bad guy, and don't worry too (72) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine STARRING: (Kiefer Sutherland, Dennis Haysbert) Movie Score DVD Extras Score @ intro by Sutherland, and a teaser for Season 2 much if you don't actually care which is which. It's all about the swords, baby. Interesting DVD extras include a bio of Dumas and a number of fight choreogra- phy features along with the standard director commentary and deleted scenes. Movie Score 666 DVD Extras Score 66 64 DEATH TO SMOOCHY (Robin Williams, Edward Norton) One of those movies that had "cult favorite" (i.e., horrendously unprofitable in every way] stamped on it from the very beginning. Robin Williams plays an evil, nasty clown who is booted from his TV time slot; Ed Norton plays a lovable, kind, Barney-esque clown who replaces him and who Williams therefore wants iced. You play the guy who has to decide if this black, black comedy is actually funny or a spectacular waste of an amazing cast, which also includes Catherine Keener, Jon Stewart and Danny DeVito, who also directed. DVD extras include DeVito's commentary, additional scenes, bloopers and an interactive ice show—which will make sense when you see the film. Movie Score 6 64 DVD Extras Score 666€ GREASE: SE (John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John) Don't tell my wife this, 'cause she absolutely loves this film, but | really can't stand it. Let's start with a fact that there wasn't a single "teenager" in this film who wasn't 10 years out of high school—hell, Stockard Channing, who played Rizzo, was thirty-friggin'-four. And also, the '50s. You think Grease, | think McCarthy hearings. But I'm in the minority here, so | suppose if you like singing, dancing and fake teenagers from the ‘70s reliving the '50s, this is as good as it's ever going to get. Also, it's worth watching to get a shock about how thin John Travolta was, once. This special edition features retrospective interviews with Travolta, Channing, Olivia Newton-John and other cast and crew, getting nostalgic about nostalgia. Movie Score ® 6 DVD Extras Score UPCOMING DVD RELEASES Sept. 3, 2002 Best of the Muppet Show, Vols. 1 and 2 Blade 11 Friends: Season 2 Night Flyer Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 and 3 Sept. 10, 2002 Changing Lanes Count of Monte Cristo Green Dragon The Road to Wellville The Salton Sea Sept. 17, 2002 24: Season 1 40 Days and 40 Nights Death to Smoochy Grease Monsters, Inc. Panic Room (Superbit) Sept. 24, 2002 А Hard Day's Night Amadeus John Carpenter's Vampires: Los Muertos Murder by Numbers One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest KISSING JESSICA STEIN (Jennifer Westfeldt, Heather Juergensen) A woman who is fed up with men decides to hit for the other team for a while to see how she likes it. The result is a very funny romantic comedy about a newly dating couple, both of whom happen to be women, and the complications that fact causes. Any woman who's ever dated will appreciate the "Dates from Hell" bit, which features a man who describes him- self as "self-defecating." Heck, that makes me not want to date men, either. Extras include commentary from Westfeldt and Juergensen [who also wrote the film], director commentary, deleted scenes and outtakes. Movie Score @ DVD Extras Score MURDER BY NUMBERS (Sandra Bullock, Ben Chaplin) Look out, kids—that perky Sandra Bullock gets all gritty and self-destructive in this flick, as a cop assigned to figure out a puzzling murder involving two smart but creepy teenagers. Along for the ride is Ben Chaplin as Bullock's partner, whose character's name, in what I'm sure is а shout-out to OPMers everywhere, just happens to be "Sam Kennedy." This flick is actually well-put-together by the reli- able director Barbet Schroeder, but apparently audiences had a tough time getting behind Bullock as anything other than cheerful. Schroeder provides a com- mentary track, as does the film's editor. Movie Score 6€ DVD Extras Score 6 6 NEAR DARK: SE (Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen) See, now, this is how American vampires should be—a bunch of rednecks who sleep in a van with taped-up cardboard on the windows! Long an underground favorite, Near Dark is one of the most dis- tinctive vampire flicks around, tying together long-established vampire themes with the ideals of loyalty among the low-rent undead and getting in some gnarly action scenes to boot (the bar brawl scene alone is worth the price of admission]. Better and smarter than you'd expect. This two-DVD set comes with director commentary, a documentary with cast and crew interviews, a deleted- Scene commentary, and the screenplay. Movie Score @@@@ DVD Extras Score 60606 THE SALTON SEA (Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio) Basically a walking advertisement to avoid crank in all its forms, since every speed user in this dank, grungy little film is seriously screwed up in one way or another—especially Pooh Bear [а whacked-out Vincent D'Onofrio}, who has a plastic nose from too much cocaine and spends his time re-enacting the Kennedy assassination. Val Kilmer is the putative hero, a junkie who's also a stool pigeon for the cops, and he's pretty good. Bleak, funny, and in the case of Kilmer's charac- ter, just a little bit sad as well. The DVD comes with two documentaries. Movie Score 6 Ф DVD Extras Score @@ E WD SETTING FOOT IN THE WORLD OF MONSTERS, INC. Monsters, Inc. is the mirror image of another Pixar animated film, Toy Story. In Toy Story, the toys are essentially functioning, ordinary adults whose lives revolve around their rela- tionship to children; the same is true of the monsters in Monsters, Inc. The difference is that while the toys love the children as much as the children are supposed to love the toys, the monsters are as frightened of the children as the children are supposed to be frightened of them. For the monsters, even getting touched by a kid's sock is call for instant (and comedically painful) decontamination. This plot shading, luckily, doesn't tilt the story into dark or unseemly territory, not in the least because the main monster in the film, a bright-blue fuzzy ogre named Sully (John Goodman's voice) falls hard for a cute little 2-year-old, amusingly named Boo. But the con- ceit does allow the animators of Monsters, Inc. an excuse to go hog wild and create a world that simultaneously profits from the terror of children (a huge city of monsters that is powered by children's screams) yet does everything to protect the mon- Sters from kids themselves (the decon- tamination teams). It's an amazing imaginary city that gets more interesting the more time you spend in it—and that’s not even to mention the design of the monsters themselves. For those, you can tell the movie makers took every monster idea they ever had and ran with them. Shrek is the computer-animated film that got the most attention last year (and to be fair, had a slightly better story than Monsters), but in the end, | wouldn't be surprised if Monsters is the one anima- tors go back to for reference. There's more "there" there. The excellent DVD extras bring this point home by piling on material to show off the impressive design of the film: There are a bunch of location fly-arounds, some bits on the creation of the monster world and the human's world, and a piece detailing the construction of “Monsteropolis.” That's in addition to the usual pile of DVD goodies Pixar adds to all their releases, including director commentary (Pixar commentary is usually some of the most interesting), several animated short fea- tures, computer-animation documentaries, a tour of Pixar, and so on. Movie Score 6006 DVD Extras Score 60066 Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (3) р В MEDIA MIX: FALL TV FALL PREMIERE SCHEDULE Sick of all the reruns on TV at the moment? Is your TiVo refusing to capture anything new except. Greg the Bunny episodes on Sunday night? Premiere dates for new and returning shows have finally been announced and can be found оп www.zap2it.com, The fall premieres begin in the second half of September and keep coming until early November, when we finally get The Simpsons. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18 8 p.m. Enterprise (UPN) 9 p.m. The Twilight Zone (UPN) THURSDAY, SEPT. 19 8:30 p.m. Do Over (WB) FRIDAY, SEPT. 20 8 p.m. Firefly (FOX) 8:30 p.m. Sabrina, The Teenage Witch (WB, new timeslot) 9 p.m. John Doe (FOX) TUESDAY, SEPT. 24 8 p.m. Buffy (UPN) 9 p.m. Smallville (WB) 9 p.m. Haunted (UPN) 9 p.m. Frasier (NBC) WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25 8 p.m. Ed (NBC) 9 p.m. The West Wing (NBC) THURSDAY, SEPT. 26 8 p.m. Friends (NBC) 8:30 p.m. Scrubs (NBC) 9 p.m. Will & Grace (NBC) 10 p.m. ER (NBC) FRIDAY, SEPT. 27 8 p.m. UPN Movie Friday (UPN) 9 p.m. That Was Then (ABC) SATURDAY, SEPT. 28 8 p.m. Touched by an Angel (CBS) SUNDAY, SEPT. 29 7 p.m. The Wonderful World of Disney (ABC) 8 p.m. Charmed (WB, new timeslot, two hours) 9 p.m. Alias (ABC) SUNDAY, OCT. 6 Mate GROENING DUNE TV SHOW In a short item about the wrap of the Children of Dune miniseries shoot in Prague, Variety reported that the bigwigs at the Sci-Fi Channel and the Dune miniseries produc- tion are considering turn- ing the Frank Herbert classic into a weekly series. This would be consistent with the Sci-Fi Channel's pattern of turning special events (like the Battlestar Galactica miniseries or the Quantum Leap tele- movie) into “back-door” pilots for series. DVD NEWS 300 EPISODES OF THE SIMPSONS AND COUNTING In an interview with showbiz rag Variety, James L. Brooks, one of The Simpsons’ longtime executive produc- ers, revealed many of the guest stars who would be on board for the 14th season of the show. So who can we expect? Marisa Tomei, Blink 182, Batman's Adam West and Burt Ward as (surprise, sur- prise) Batman and Robin, as well as Little Richard, Elliott Gould, the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Brian Setzer, Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Costello and everyone's favorite video-game star and pro skater, Tony Hawk. As himself, of course. What's more, the show will mark its 300th episode this season. 300! Can you believe that? kicks off, so you'll just have to absorb Fox's multiple daily reruns until then. We're sure you'll survive. Brooks was also careful to reiterate that a misquote in a British tabloid from a few months back, which had him hinting that the show would be end- ing soon, was a lot of hot air. "AUI said was that after 13 seasons, we are probably closer to the end of (the show) than to the beginning," series creator Matt Groening said, repeating there are no plans to end the series. The much-rumored movie adapta- tion of The Simpsons has dropped off the radar for the time being. It's cur- rently rumored that Fox will wait until the show does Excited yet? You'll have to indeed end wait until Nov. 10 (the latest of before proceed- the season premieres this ing with a film. year) before the season 9 p.m. Angel (WB, new timeslot) GEEK DAY In case you're not clear on the multi- ple versions of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the “special expanded edition,” which is 30 min- utes longer and features two extra discs, will be in stores on Nov. 12. we're not sure exactly what that Also on this primo geek day we'll get means. Maybe it'll have a selection of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the junk thrown in. Clones. RAIDERS ON DVD NEXT YEAR! The Ain't It Cool News Web site reported a rumor that the long-await- ed DVD of Raiders of the Lost Ark will hit stores by Christmas 2003. FRIENDS SEASON 2 The new Friends box set will be in stores this month. It'll put you $100 out of pocket, but that buys you 11 hours of spousal quiet time! will take the DVDs off sale...so if you want it, you'll have to act reasonably quickly. If you have a calendar handy, you'll notice that 10 weeks from Oct. 22 is pretty much Christmas week. There's a limited-edition “gift set” out the same day, too. Right now WEDNESDAY, OCT. 9 9 p.m. Birds of Prey (WB) ‘SUNDAY, NOV. 10 7 p.m. Futurama (FOX) 8 p.m. The Simpsons (FOX) BLADE 2 ALREADY The second Blade movie should be in Stores as you're reading this. What are you waiting for? ETT. FOR 10 WEEKS ONLY ET. The Extra Terrestrial will be in stores on Oct. 22, but only for a limit- ed time. Ten weeks later, Universal All times ET/PT Official U.S. PlayStation Мада 3 Gamer” TALK SOME TRASH Psych out your opponent with a verbal kick to the groin. Throw some new trash DIG DEEP thelr way and they'll be losin’ In no time, Gaming is a state of mind and body, Breathe. Chant. Light incense If you have to, Just keep It away from the shag, MASTER А PLAN OF ATTACK Throw In a meal and an extra blanket and you can play til’ dawn, Still not enough? Wipe that crust off your eyelids and find yourself a good excuse for callin’ in sick. LOSE CONTROL This means you'll be needing something soft to slam, flip, twist, or fall on, Shag carpeting not only looks good, it feels good. Leaving you free to grab your joystick and game on. GAME YOUR WAY AT BLOCKBUSTER" pLOcKBust Now you can RENT or BUY games and systems, Previously played games are up to 60% off the manufacturer's price. And with tons of copies, hot titles are guaranteed to be there. BLOCKBUSTER is totally committed to games. Are you? 10 CHARTS PS2 Top 10 Lots of good games are showing up on the sales charts this month, and it seems footie fever hasn't died down yet. Superb. But this is the space in the magazine where we push you to buy one of our all-time favorites: /co. Do what we say and you'll love it. Last Title / Month Publisher Rating 3 Medal of Honor: Frontline 968% EA Games shooters are one thing, but Frontline is anoth st-person, but you're not roaming around trying to kill a in World if you . If you've e game, chances are y ent diffi ting. Our qu favor the Š | | 2 Grand Theft Auto III Rockstar Gran Turismo 3 Sony CEA Spider-Man Activision 4 seems like gamers are tiring of the ol’ webhead. He's actually climbing down the charts. Get it? Climbing down the charts! His "web" of popularity is slipping. Get it? Web of popularity! Test Drive Atari = Midnight Club Rockstar Stuntman Atari ATV Offroad Fury Sony CEA d жыл. АРЇЕД 20 EA Sports 10 Twisted Metal: Black Sony CEA Source: NPDFunworld TRSTS Service, June 2002. Call them at 516.625.6190 for questions about this list. № games for competing console systems [e.g., Xbox, GameCube] were included. Overall sales figures may vary. Game descriptions written by the OPM staff. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine тиу Most Wanted PS2 Games. ШТА: Vice City Rockstar 2 | Contra Konami TB Shinobi Sega 4 | Tony Hawk 4 Activision eet Sony CEA 6 | Dark Cloud 2 Sony CEA Өгө: Clone Wars LucasArts 8 | NBA 2k3 Sega Sports I Wild Arms 3 Sony CEA 10! The Sims EA Games Japan's Top 10 PS2 Games WEjiSikoden ıl Konami 2 | My Summer 2 Sony rre Adv. Capcom 4 | Ape Escape 2 Sony BI Ре Baseball 9 Konami 6 | Kamaitachi 2 Chun Soft (llGunGrave Sega 8 | Pachislot Aladdin A Sammy Digi World 3 Yamasa 10! Riding Spirits Spike (Stuntman | 152] Atari EA Games Biter {ps2} Atari 4 | NCAA Football (PS2) ЕА Sports 515 АЕ Ми ESEN Activision 6 | Freekstyle (PS2) EA Big МИ ЕЕ СК (Р52) Infogrames 8 | СТАЗ (PS2) Rockstar 9 Васе Lee (Xbox) Universal 10] NCAA Football [Xbox] EA Sports Top 10-Selling Games, All Systems МАИОНЕЕИОНЕ ие [252] EA Games 2 | GTA3 (PS2) Rockstar BSA PS2 Sony CEA 4 | Dragonball: Goku(GBA] Infogrames ББИМ) Activision 6 | Morrowind (Xbox) Bethesda TESTER Xê (NGC) THO 8 | Test Drive [PS2] Infogrames ӨНӨ Adv. 2 (GBA) Nintendo 10} Halo (Xbox) Microsoft PSone Top 10 Funny how the Grand Theft Auto series has slipped off the charts and has been replaced by Lilo & Stitch. Is the PSone becoming the center of a kinder, gentler gaming community? We sit around every day hoping that's exactly what's happened. Last Title / Month X Publisher 1 1 Yu-Gi-Oh: Forbidden Memories LI Konami Translated, Yu-Gi-Oh means: twisted ankle after being whacked in the forehead with a flyswatter. But that's a loose translation. It also means: putrid acrobat with six toes and a loose Band-Aid falling off of his right ankle. See the correlation? We don't either. Point is, who cares what the title of this stinkpot stands for? It stands for pain if you're forced to play it. It's silly, and it features a character named Yugi [who's short, by the way). Might we suggest Rating the Beastie Boys’ Paul's Boutique CD for the same price? 2 Spider-Man Activision 3 Gran Turismo 2 еоооө Sony СЕА SpongeBob SquarePants THQ Driver 2 Atari Spyro: Year of the Dragon 4 5 6 7 7 Sony CEA 4 The Italian Job 60000 Rockstar A few months back, we deemed The /talian Job the last great PSone game and you've finally responded by gobbling it up. It’s great, it's witty, and it's dirt cheap. Don't miss it. ег Atari Disney's Lilo & Stitch Sony CEA 10 - Source: NPDFunworld TRSTS Service, June 2002. Call them at 516.625.6190 for questions about this list. No games for competing console systems [e.9., Xbox, GameCube] were included. Overall sales figures may vary. Game descriptions written by the OPM staff. ) As E ; • FULL VOICI i і = CHOOSE YOUR SIDE! Play tough af as Г ] either a Federation or a Zeon pilot. — 4 * NEW OUTER SPACE COMBAT! Take full advan of 3D environments with fast and furious Ф Т tage R e Awarded a GOLD AWARD from Japan's "Famitsu Magazine TEEN BAN | DAI www.bandaigames.com ‘CONTENT RATED BY ESRB Sots Agency Cc ғо::- ^ Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating Information.) ~ “4 PlayStation:c - ky DIA Rx. i >) ; "tw et." "WT * $ 24*, E Y "m d a P se ж 7 Surviving an alien assault. Easy. Getting this woman into a hot tub. Not/so easy. har, speeding bullet. You Чедоз. so do Cw NN eee E Ф Urdu RU, 2 РУ! ys Reece ye nee? sk .- v & EN A vd Sotto x Sid qu м ел; >. xw IL AT. WI. ө trademarks and В DOgporics: e M Due d ^ v га e> v M Ne loga SUPERMANand.all.related charaéters rd elements: É ABEL OBOU and p Weiger Bd WA n у ео >” LJ PREVIEWS Previewed Inside BattleBots... Black & Whi Blade IT... BloodRayne....... Butt-Ugly Martians Colin McRae Rall Conflict: Desert Storm Contra: ; phat tered Soldie! ше e Eye of Isis Dark С d Defende! Devil May y Disaster Report Drome Racers Fighter Maker 2 etaway, The Ghost Recon Grand Theft Au Growianser IT Growlanser III. Harry Potter/Chambei Harry Potter; Chamber (P Haven: Call of the Ki Jet X20 ......... Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.. Kengo Lord of Rings: Fellowship ...102 94 Minority Вером Mii a. Ninja Goemon Pride FC... Ratchet & байк. Ra man 3: Hoodlum Havoc.. Faction II Reign of Fire.. sega Soccer Siam Shrek Treasure Hunt ( Star Ocean: Till the End.. ar Wars: Bounty Hunter...98 Star Wars: The Clone Wars..91 Super Bust-A-Move 2 Sum of All Fears, The Superman: Apokolips Tomb Raider: Angel.. Tony! Hawk's Pro Skater 4 EH Turok: Evolution . Vial the шй їде! Rall ly 3 X-Men: Next Dimension: GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY Eat your heart out, Erik Estrada Remember the ‘80s? Or are you trying to forget the feathered hair, the Bugle Boy jeans and the cool red leather jackets with 16 zippers? Fat chance you'll be able to dismiss the past if you love games, since the masterminds at Rockstar shifted into chronological reverse for the sequel/prequel to GTA3. Vice City is everything from two decades ago, from music to movies to television to hairstyles. It's Culture Club meets Simply Red meets L.L. Cool J. It's Scarface meets Carlito's Way meets Top Gun. It's Miami Vice meets CHiPS meets Knight Rider. It's jheri curl meets big bangs meets the mullet. Vice City is reference-packed, it's bigger than GTA3 (with more weapons], and you can scoot around town on a motorcycle if you feel like stealing one. But the best part of the new game? It's still GTA. Same art style, same wit, same brilliance. Why reinvent when a game is near-perfect? On Oct. 22, Rockstar will have you lining up for Vice City the way you did for Thriller. Coming Soon PLAYSTATION 2 September Conflict: Desert Storm ^ Gotham Action Dino Stalker Capcom Light Gun Disney Golf EA Sports Dual Hearts Atlus RPG Dynasty Tactics Koei Strategy Egg Mania Kemco Puzzle Grandia Xtreme Enix RPG Gundam: Fed. vs. Zeon ^ Bandai Action Hitman 2: Silent Assassin Eidos Adv. Kelly Siater’s Pro Surfer Activision X-Sports Kingdom Hearts Square EA RPG Myst Ш: Exile Ubi Soft Adv. NASCAR Thunder 2003 EA Sports Racing NBA ShootOut 2003 Sony CEA Sports Need for Speed: HP2 EAGames Action NHL 2003 EA Sports Sports NHL Hitz 20-03 Midway Sports Ninja Assault Namco Light Gun Pro Race Driver Codemasters Racing Robotech: Battlecry TDK Action Rocket Power THQ Action The Scorpion King Universal Action Sega Bass Fishing Duel Sega Sports Sega Soccer Slam Sega Sports. Shox EABig Racing Sly Cooper & Thievius.. Sony CEA Action Summoner 2 THQ RPG Superman: Apokolips Taz: Wanted Infogrames Action Infogrames Action Tekken 4 Namco Fighting TimeSplitters 2 Eidos FPS VRally 3 Infogrames Racing Wild Arms 3 Sony CEA RPG October hack//INFECTION Bandai RPG Auto Modellista Capcom Racing Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever Bam! FPS Barbie: Treasures in Time Universal Action BloodRayne Majesco Action Burnout 2: Point/Impact Acclaim Racing Colin McRae Rally3 — , Codemasters Racing Dragon's Lair 3D Encore Action Evolution Skateboarding Konami X-Sports Fighter Maker 2 Agetec Fighting Grand Theft Auto; VC Rockstar Action Gungrave Sega Action Hot Wheels: Velocity X THQ Racing Legaia 2: Duel Saga Fresh Games RPG (82) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Legends of Wrestling 2 Acclaim Wrestling Lord/Rings: Fellowship Universal Action The Lost Crave Adv. Moto-X Konami Action NBA ЖЗ Sega Sports NBA Live 2003 EA Sports Sports NHL 2K3 Sega Sports Red Faction IT THQ FPS Reign of Fire Bam! Action RLH: Run Like Hell Interplay Action Rugrats: Royal Ransom THQ Action Silent Scope 3 Konami Shooter Simpsons Skateboarding EA Games X-Sports SuperBustA-Move 2 Ubi Soft — Puzzle Tribes: Aerial Assault Sierra FPS Vexx Acclaim Action WWE SmackDown! SYM THQ Wrestling X-Men: Next Dimension Activision Fighting Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist of Rose Konami Cards November Batman: Dark Tomorrow Kemco Action BattleBots THQ Fighting Contra: Shattered Soldier Konami Action Defender Midway Action DDRMAX: Dance Rev. Konami Rhythm. Freaky Flyers Midway Racing Mace Griffon: BH Crave. Action Minority Report Activision Action Mortal Kombat: DA Midway Fighting NBA Ballers Midway ^ Sports RPG Maker 2 Agetec RPG Rygar: Legendary Adv. Tecmo Action SpongeBob Squarepants THQ Action PS ONE September Mobile Armor Agetec Action NASCAR Thunder 2003EA Sports Racing NBA Live 2003 EA Sports Sports NBA ShootOut 2003 Sony CEA Sports Spec Ops: Airborne Gotham Action October NBA Live 2003 EA Sports Sports Street Racquetball Agetec Sports Future Releases Bratz Ubi Soft Action FIFA 2003 EA Sports Sports Harry Potter: Chamber EA Games Action The Pink Panther DreamCatcher Action T. Hawk's Pro Skater 4 Activision X-Sports Treasure Planet Sony CEA Action Iameless protago! lice ‘City isn’t a younger version о the lead man you played as ii he can be just as; 1 ШҮҮ TUROK: 89 EVOLUTION The wait to hunt dinos is over By the time you read this, Acclaim's long-anticipated first PS2 installment in the Turok series (it's been in the works for exactly three years now) will be upon us. And though we'd normally have а review for you, Acclaim—in typical fashion—is late on getting us review copies, so the best we can do is give you one more look from a near-final version. As you can see from the shots, it defi- nitely impresses on the graphics front, with lush environments and incredible weaponry effects. The first-person-shooter gameplay is solid so far, though a lot of the massive weapons seem more gim- micky than actually useful. The flying amuses us, too. THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING. + OFFICIAL GAMES BASED ON THE LITERARY WORKS Of J.R.R. TOLKIEN. Blood Violence COMING SOON WWW.LORDOFTHERINGS.COM ш X [7] mS xeox The Fellowship of the Ring." and the characters, events, items, and places therein E à 000, Vivendi Universal Games, and the Vivendi Universal Games Logo Si and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. intendo. PREVIEWS Super Bust-A-Move 2 You'd think that after playing virtually the same bubble-busting action over and over, gamers would begin to tire of Taito's Bust-A-Move series. Apparently not. This latest installment from Ubi Soft, due in November, improves on last year’s game with a Level Edit mode and a Chain Reaction mode that re-creates the excitement of Bust-A-Move 4 for the PSone. There are also some flashy firework effects now that, unfortu- nately, often cause some slowdown in our preview version. Colin McRae Rally 3 Fans of this increasingly popular sport will be pleased that the finest driver on the circuit will finally strut his stuff on PS2 this November. Who's Colin McRae? Only the hardest of hardcore drivers the sport has ever seen. This is a man who considered having a sprained finger amputated because it was interfering with his driving. You think you're hardcore? You're not even close. Codemasters’ previous CMR on PSone was an absolute joy to drive, so we have high hopes. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine DEFENDER Sticking to its roots Even though Midway released an unbelievable remake of its ‘80s classic Spy Hunter last year, we still had a few doubts when we heard the company had tapped Seven Studios (Legion: The Legend of Excalibur) to develop a 2002 version of an even older arcade classic. But if the first two levels are any indication, they've suc- ceeded with a fun 3D shooter that does an admirable job (maybe too admirable at times] of sticking to its roots. With several ships to choose from, each equipped either to favor speed or armor (the Defender is the most well-balanced, as you might suspect], your varying mission objectives seem to cling to the two most important elements of the '82 classic's gameplay: blowing the crap out of enemies and rescuing people. But can Defender overthrow Spy Hunter as the best remake ever? We'll know in October. Rescuing people like the dude hanging from this ship's wing \ harkens back to the original Defender's gameplay. WORLD VERT-TITLES. 1JEPIC ROAD, TRIP. Crank out huge airs like 10-time World Vert Champ Mat Hoffman. №. № E zn Sviten Footed, mega Spin ЕУ iran The only BMX game to ВМХ WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. offer flatland tricks. Jump on the bus with Mat Hoffman and ten other top pros for the ultimate BMX blowout through eight U.S. cities. Pull hundreds of tricks and combos using the new Trick Tweaking System or keep it on the ground with the only BMX game that offers flatland moves. Unlock behind-the-scenes video footage from Mat's actual road trip and then snap shots of your best tricks for your own photo scrapbook. One day on this road trip and you'll know why ВМХ will never be the same. SPROCHES GRIND PRODUCTS RANGE FROM Force your opponent off the screen EVERYONE ro TEEN in the 02 exclusive PUSH mode. = O АЙ 2 Š) rainbow A Region aw MERE PlayStation.2 Ж XBOX chvecuee ACTIVISIONO2 COM It's football to the power of 2K3. Now go rattle some cages. ON THESE PLATFORMS | SEGA Sy "m P.E LO GAMI ECUBE. xBox | segasports.com E x PREVIEWS REIGN OF FIRE We hope it's better than the movie! The old adage that good movies yield bad video games is usually true. So, in the case of Reign of Fire, we're hoping for the oppo- site—that a really bad flick makes for a cool game. Having played a little bit of Bam!'s upcoming release, there seems to be hope. The physics might be a bit off at this point, as you fight against the dragons in a souped-up jeep (running into a wall sends you straight back 10 yards, for example), but it's still fun to blast away at the aerial menaces (even some "baby" ground-based ones that didn't make the movie] with different types of weapons. However, the controls of our early version could use some fine-tuning, espe- cially when you play as the dragon, throwing flames down upon humanity [a little imprecise but still amusing). If developer Kuju can perfect things by November, this one could be a sleeper hit. CONTRA: SHATTERED SOLDIER All the right ingredients If someone were to put together a recipe for what makes a good Contra game, Shattered Soldier would follow it to a tee. Everything that we've liked about the previous installments to the series seems apparent in the most recent version of the game. It's got that great adrenaline-packed feeling about it, fueled by lots of firepower and another hardcore, guitar-heavy soundtrack. Then there are the bosses, who range from big to bigger, and each is quite a spectacle in itself. Even the ludicrous scenarios, like shooting down missiles—while hanging from a flying missile—are present here. The game's difficulty especially reminds us of older Contra titles. It's very challenging, but it's Contra challenging—meaning you're going to have to play levels over and over until you learn where to position yourself, plus figure out the intricacies of each enemy and how to take it out. We quite like the challenge, and just hope that Konami doesn't tone it down too much come November. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine One of the cool new aspects of Shattered Soldier is that the game allows you to charge up your gun in a manner similar to Mega Man and deliver a special super attack. Each of your weapons has a special such assault equipped with it. For example, a charged-up machine gun shoots out a small orb that spins around and sprays bullets. Or, a flamethrower blasts out a super shotgun attack of sorts. These super moves definitely come in handy against the game's many large bosses. “BNE p Y SQUARESOFT An amazing new adventure from the creators of FINAL FANTASY. Dk ISNEp T SQUARESOFT Violence PREVIEWS STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS Think of it as “Episode 2.1" И you've been keeping up with the word on Episode Ill, you know that George Lucas is fast-forward- ing things to begin just as the Clone Wars are ending. But fear not, Star Wars fans! LucasArts (and, we're sure, eventually numerous authors for DelRay] fills in the gap for us this November in the appropriately titled The Clone Wars. The action picks up on Geonosis as you personally partake in Episode II's climactic final battle. The rest of the 16 total missions progress to worlds never before seen on screen in any way, including the ice planet Rhen Var, a moon of Kashyyyk (Chewbacca’s home planet], Raxus Prime, and Thule and its asteroid moon. At different points in the game, you'll order around Republic troops as Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu or Obi-Wan Kenobi. But you'll have the most fun battling it out in five different vehicles {a Republic gunship, a fighter tank, an AT-XT assault walker, a speederbike and a STAP], admiring the battle around you all the while. “Rocky - "Rocky V" 6 1976-2002 0 Rocky After some gloves-on time with Ubi Soft's Rocky, we're pleased to - report that it's turning out to be a very solid boxer, with the potential to please both hardcore pugilists and casual brawlers. The action is quick and accessible, and the graphics are pretty sharp. Best yet, this November fist-fest is packed with all your favorite Rocky char- acters, including Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang, Ivan Drago and Tommy Gunn. It reminds us of Victorious Boxers, but with a cool license. B NOGUETRA ANDS А 3 Pride FC ЕШЕИ The philosophy of Pride, known as ValeTudo, is the acceptance of any technique of any “school of combat.” After a few hands-on bouts, we realized the sissy school of eye-poking and booger-flicking combat doesn't fit under the ValeTudo umbrella. So we can't relate, which is the real problem with these hardcore fighting championship games: Who can relate? We'd like to be excited about THQ’s November release, but there’s no drama during a 30-second match. Pandemic Studios knows that vehicle-combat games like Clone Wars may be plenty fun in single-player mode, but two-player action is what keeps you coming back for more. The Clone Wars includes such an option, along with four games in which to join a buddy. Team up in Conquest and Academy, or find out who is the master and who is the apprentice with Deathmatch and King of the Hill. Еско Function. < ШТ Mike Metzger x PREVIEWS Butt-Ugly Martians: Zoom or Doom! No, this isn't a collection of minigames about some of the OPM staff's ex-girlfriends. Rather, it's a futuristic action/combat racer based on the Nickelodeon TV series. For anyone 12 or older, we'll explain the premise of Knowledge Adventure's September release: Emperor Bog is sick of the wacky antics from those Butt-Ugly Martians, so the only way the Butt-Uglies can continue their assign- ment on Earth is to win the Martian Conqueror's Cup. Right. a Sega Soccer Slam Bummed that you couldn't play Soccer Slam because you didn't have a GameCube? Save your cryin'. In September, Sega's way- over-the-top soccer game slide-tackles the PS2. Is it competition to Midway's RedCard? No way. Instead of 11-on-11, Slam features three-on-three (plus a goalie). The players aren't real, but they are active. It's a silly game with lots of action, lots of goofy characters and the kind of footie Americans should salivate over. (92) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine This Western RPG sticks to its guns Take a quick look through this issue. What do you see? If you're a fan of role-players, you'll probably notice all the "slash" RPGs that are dominating the genre of late, like the action/RPG stylings of Kingdom Hearts and Dual Hearts, or the action/adventure/ Georama RPG setup of Dark Cloud 2. So where can a devotee of traditional gameplay turn to find those time-tested turn-based RPG battles (and plenty of them, thank you very much]? Wild Arms 3, natch. Sony CEA's third chapter in this storied franchise, due out this October, sticks to its guns by keeping true to its roots, with an abundance of old-school combat, plenty of menus to wade through, lots of exploration, and tons of extras. But it's not all old stuff. The graphics, obviously, have gotten quite the facelift, thanks to the wonders of cel-shading. The battle system, which already had a sleek interface, has gotten even slicker and quicker. And the battles themselves, though similar in format to the past games, have a more dynamic visual appeal, with party members and enemies swirling around each other, rather than stiffly standing still when not attacking [though this doesn't affect the actual combat at all; it's purely aesthetic]. Meanwhile, the dungeons once again come packed with puz- zles, and the boss battles are every bit as strategic as any lover of traditional RPGs could hope for. | | Gallows ЕР 184/197 | HP 275/ 275 | НР 244/299 TP 27 EES |Г? UE | Cee пов verd тб, Virginia HP 1027 182 Though this series has always been Western-themed, Wild Arms 3 uses the Old West atmosphere even more than the past games. From the old- timey graphical touches, to the abundance of firearms, to the steam-powered railroads, to the subtle Native American influences sprinkled into the story, Wild Arms 3 really feels like a Western RPG. Yes, magic wasn't widely practiced in the Wild West, and monsters didn't freely roam the plains—but that's just being picky. E years, countless adventurers have delved deep into the spellbinding realms of MYST. Embark on a desperate hunt through the Ages for an embittered villain — whose vengeance threatens to eradicate an entire civilization. ` y | PAS | ГНЕ PERFECT PLACE TO PLAN REVENGE EVERYONE Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 » US for more info. PlayStation.e Xeox CONTENT RATED BY ESRB нох the Ubi Soft k regere подепоћо or rodemorks of Mish Cor ye registered nodematks of Ub Sof, Inc. The Presto Studios logo s o registered повета in the US and/or in other countries and ore used fom Microsoft, Mad PREVIEWS V i y - There's just something about cruising from point A to point B through beautiful PS2 landscapes. It's irresistible, even if you're not a big driving fan. With the splurge of recent rally games, the driving gurus at Infogrames don’t seem fazed. Even stacked against serious competition, V-Rallys got all kinds of style. The landscapes from Africa to France are breathtaking, and the cars handle superbly well. This title could just be the one to rally around late this summer. For four seasons now, Comedy Central viewers have clamored for a video-game version of the original dueling-robots show. Thanks to THQ and developer Warthog, their wish comes true this fall when BattleBots debuts on PS2. In addition to the 40 Bots available throughout the four weight classes (including well-known metallic menaces like Minion and Nightmare, plus a few unique to the game], you can create your own and fight your way through the ranks. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Though in full 3D for the first time this October, the next Activision X-Men fighting game features the same chaotic gameplay as the PSone titles: huge combos, aerial raves, off-the-ground bounces, multiple throws and devastating supers. Like the originals, players can transfer energy between their meters as they choose, but tapping X to activate the super is no longer required (thankfully!). Developer Paradox has taken great pains to ensure that each fighter holds true to his or her four-color counterpart. The nimble Wolverine regenerates health, Nightcrawler teleports at will, and Havok, ever suffering under his brother's shadow, shouts lines like "Let's see Cyclops do this!" Meanwhile, heightened environmental interaction means that Beast can swing around poles, while Phoenix can telekinetically drop objects on the heads of her opponents. The 24 mutants get knocked through walls and signs with the greatest of ease in eight multitiered arenas. WV vor Juggernaut offers Wolveri e the tasty delicacy that is the Danger Room floor. An Actual Plot! Readers of the X-Men comics since 1996 should well remem- ber the “Operation: Zero Tolerance” storyline, in which a techno-organic being known as Bastion posed as an actual human with the agenda of elimi- nating all mutantkind. By the time it was all said and done, he was just a living head floating in a protected, glorified jar (above). X-Men: Next Dimension contin- ues this story, as the Prime Sentinels free Bastion. Fighting action breaks loose, all narrated brilliantly by Patrick Stewart. AVE Unlimited Ammo. Because Reloading Takes Too Long. Exact your deadly revenge with precision and grace. Unlockable secret movies and action figures. Dramatic movie-quality cut-scenes. Super-powered special weapons. Destructible environments. Nightmarish boss battles. Disposable enemies. 2 N A ©ЎС\ = => MATURE Curse: The Eye of Isis What's the logical next step for a developer after it's created PSone games like Teletubbies, Powerpuff Girls and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch? Survival horror! In Curse, Asylum Entertainment takes us back to the late 1800s, where our male and female protagonists fight for their lives against the forces of evil brought on by the title’s eponymous artifact. Only returning the Eye of Isis to its Egyptian pyramid of origin can lift the curse when DreamCatcher releases the game in 2003. Drome Racers Sporting a futuristic setting and track design, Drome Racers strays from the brick-based formula of past Lego racers, using the ultracool Technic kits instead. The game lets you customize the 18 playable cars [all based on the Lego Racers toyline, natch] so they can better adapt to the varied terrains and racing conditions. You can also earn upgraded engines, tires and other goodies. Get ready to race for the Drome Championship when EA releases this game in the fall. (96) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine RATCHET & CLANK Ninety-nine ways to kill One of the cooler moves Sony made at this year’s E3 was to hand out demo discs of its top two upcoming platformers, ensuring that even if you couldn't wait in line for a kiosk, you would get to experience what the games had to offer. We loved even that version of Ratchet & Clank, but the fuller one we've received since then improves on that so much, it takes your breath away. Ratchet's wide arsenal of weapons is pretty impressive, but the demo made it seem as if nothing more than the simple wrench attack would be fully capable of mowing down most enemies. That's true, but only up to a point: Later levels up the difficulty level so that if you haven't been practicing with your toys, you'll get smoked pretty quickly. Though Ratchet does get tough, it's also pretty forgiving. The game maintains one of our favorite aspects of Jak and Daxter, which is an unlimited amount of lives. Going back to other platformers after extended sessions with this game makes the artificial nature of the "game over" screen all the more apparent. In addition to trying to overcome the next obstacle, one of the things that will keep you going through the game is the surprisingly non-linear storyline. Right after the very first world, you're able to take off to two other planets, each with its own contributions to the overall tale. Beating those opens up new worlds and so on. Eventually, you'll have to do everything, but for most of the game, the order you choose to do it in is entirely up to you. No matter which branch you take, chances are you'll laugh. The characters in Ratchet are ani- mated so well that they have their own body language and sense of timing. When combined with the prickly relationship between the pair, this makes for some extremely amusing cutscenes. With so many ways to do in your enemies, super-colorful graphics, and a unique mood, it's all rather promising so far. We can't wait to play the final version when it comes out this November. The Mystery of Ratchet Clank's a robot, and the aliens are aliens, but just what is Ratchet? His features might make you think of anything from a fox to a dog to a cat, but in actuality, Ratchet is a Lombax. "Now, you've probably never heard of a Lombax," Insomniac president and CEO Ted Price told GZ's Pulse news show, "and neither had we until we started this project. We basically just made it up!" Preorder Watch ‘STORE PREORDER PRICE SHIP DATE Amazoncom N NA МА Buy.com Y $4799 1/15/02 DVD.com. N NA NA EBgamescom Ү $3999 1115/02 CameStopcom X $3999 11/12/02 all data as of 8/5/02 RAYMAN 3: HOODLUM HAVOC 2 Rayman has never looked better Having spent some time with an early version of Ubi Soft's flagship platform series, due this winter, Rayman 3's visuals have com- pletely entranced us. No matter how good Rayman 2: Revolution looked, it can't hold a candle to this one. Environments are much more detailed, and the overall look isn't quite as bright and cheery as before. Gameplay is also quite solid so far, with more of an emphasis being placed on action and power-ups this time around. PREVIEWS ў rad Disaster Report Remember that Japanese earthquake survival-horror game Desper- ate Situation Zone that we told you about a few issues back? Well, Agetec has picked it up for a planned U.S. release this November. The game definitely puts a cool new spin on the survival-horror genre, setting you in a city being torn apart by earthquakes (which you can feel on the Dual Shock 2). It's a thrill ride. Watch as sections of highway break right before your eyes—or under your feet! Devil May Cry 2 Capcom remains relatively quiet on its sequel to one of the coolest games ever made, but Dante's return to demon-slaying (probably early next year—we still don't know yet) already looks like it has the goods to equal the greatness of the original. We particularly like the fact that, as you see here, much of it takes place outside on building tops. The female playable character should make things a bit more interesting, too (even if she's not Trish]. (98) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTER "Your clones are very impressive. You must be very proud." A recent preview event hosted by our friends at LucasArts revealed a considerably flashier-looking Star Wars: Bounty Hunter than what we exclusively revealed in our June cover story. The game is still track- ing for a November release, and it's shaping up to be an interesting combination of 3D action/adventure and all-out Max Payne-style blaster. Star Wars-ophiles and Boba Fettishists are obviously the core audience for the game, but with the immense success of Episode Il (regardless of whether you thought it was any good or not), that group is considerably well-populated. Through 18 satisfyingly varied levels, you'll learn the story of how Jango was chosen to be the template for the clone army, while also being exposed to the dark underbelly of the SW universe. Unlike the recent airy-fairy, wholesome, square-jawed stories of recent SW games, Bounty Hunter allows you to be a badass. And a badass with a jet pack, at that. In an interview in Starlog issue 300, George Lucas said the following about Boba Fett's role in the sixth (and final) Star Wars movie: “Boba will be in Episode Ill, but his role definitely won't be larger. He's in a transition period of becoming a bounty hunter. The next film takes place two or three years later, so Boba would only be 13 and still wouldn't fit in the suit." Turbo Shock 2 Controller Features Turbo Function For AutoFire Capability Cyber Shock 2 Controller G аи Allows Up To 12 pineal f Multi To BeP Int ame Screen ultiple oyen pe qu. nto Full Color Game Screen Allows You To Play Games, Home Videos & DVD's Anywhere! ә j & Horizontal Stand Wireless Control, 4 Player Multitap, AV Selector and Organize PS'2 Games and DVD's with Style! Stereo Speakers Add A Blast [То Your Gaming : DVD Remote, Multitap Game Sound System wert Game, Audio & Video Selector Remote Control Connect Up To 5 Components! Easily Switch To Game Console, TV, VCR, DVD, Tuner: and More! PlayStation.? Get ready to come to blows with over 130 types у of enemies hell-bent on making mincemeat A Ў out of you and your party. Traverse 8 wild elemental lands while discovering the depths of the newly tuned Grandia combat and magic systems and m tackling the most brutal Grandia yet. a It’s not called xtreme for nothing. Mild Violence Mild Language WWW.ENIX.COM PlayStation.2 Arts Co. Ltd. Characters designed by Kamui Fujiwara. Digital Software Association. All Rights Reserved. ©1997. 199 LN 2000 GAME ARTS. ©2002 GAME ARTS/ENIX. ENIX is a re PS" Family logo are reg r You win Sum, you lose Sum Though this Ubi Soft first-person shooter is earning high marks around the office for the realism and diversity of its environments, the gameplay and the controls need a great deal of tuning. The idea is intriguing: You control a group of three special-ops soldiers, and you must maneuver through nicely detailed environments, working in tandem with other groups. The problem is that at this early stage, the game seems sort of like SOCOM after a lobotomy: Goals are quite simple, and the radar/map—by showing your exact route in addition to enemy location—makes the game a follow-the- dot affair. Hopefully, Sum improves before its fall release. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine LOTR: THE FELLOW- SHIP OF THE RING More spot-on than the movie? J.R.R. Tolkien fans know that while Peter Jackson’s movie adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring is perhaps the closest Hollywood could possibly come to representing the first book of The Lord of the Rings on the big screen, there were a few things he couldn't cram even into three-plus hours. But since Universal's Fellowship game takes its basis from the book [the film is EA's gig), developer Surreal is making sure to represent everything Tolkien featured, including such characters notably absent in the movie as Tom Bombadil and the Barrow-wights. Tolkien's writing has been meticu- lously scrutinized so as to create the most accurate representation of Middle-earth and its inhabi- tants. At the same time, the story will cling to Tolkien's words as tightly as possible for a video game, with you controlling Gandalf, Aragorn and Frodo in fights against Wargs, spiders, orcs and even the Balrog. Play it this October, just before you see The Two Towers two months later. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS The Boy Who Lived on PS2 for the first time The world-famous wizard wonderkid makes his (somewhat tardy] PS2 debut in this game based on the second Harry Potter book/film, and the magicians at EA Games and Eurocom have collaborated to create an adventure worthy of its source material. Thanks to the close involvement of series author J.K. Rowling, the game accurately re-creates the gripping plot of the novel. It's a much darker, spooki- er tale than the first book, as Harry and friends must uncover the mysterious force turning their fellow schoolmates into stone. So, if you think Harry's just for your little brother, you might be surprised. EA plans to ship Harry's adventure on Nov. 15, the same day that Warner Bros.’ blockbuster movie opens. Thanks to EA U.K.'s close proximity to the film's shooting locations, the game offers eerily lifelike environments modeled directly from the movie's sets. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has never looked better, and you can fly around the entire castle grounds on your broom without a hint of slowdown. Warner also helped cast a team of skilled sound-alike actors to bring Harry and co. to life. Of course, it's the gameplay that makes or breaks a game. In this arena, the developers have decid- ed to borrow from the best: Chamber of Secrets plays, on a basic level, like the N64 Zelda games, but with extra emphasis on magic and exploration. In addition to the spellcasting and dungeon-spelunking, you can play a full season of Quidditch and engage in the Magic Dueling Club. Kengo IT "Mi For the latest installment in the Kengo/Bushido Blade series, Ubi Soft and Lightweight have decided to go for a new level of realism. This time you fight with actual Japanese historical figures like Jubei Yagyu (different-looking than in Onimusha 2, of course) and Musashi Miyamoto. Though the game's heroes may mean little to you, a new mode allows you to battle against multiple opponents all at once. Will Kengo Il top the original Bushido Blade? Find out in October. Sure, NBA 2K3 hits stores a few days previous to the NBA's Oct. 29 tipoff date, but we want it now! It looks hot, it’s smoother than last year (can you believe it?), with 50 new dunks and some new flashy dribble moves that'll drop your jaw. Sega and Visual Concepts have worked hard to make this the most authentic hoops experience ever, even down to the tiniest details like elbow pads and cornrows. The only thing this game's missing is Iverson in prison getup. Ty the Tasmanian Tiger Now that seemingly every quirky, cute creature alive has appeared in a platform game, EA Games has turned to the extinct Tasmanian tiger for its new mascot character. As the last on Earth of his species, Ty comes equipped with a killer bite and a pair of brutal boomerangs in a quest to find other living Tasmanian tigers who now live in anoth- er dimension. We're amused by what we've played of this November release so far, though the camera does seem a bit iffy at times. Minority Report Everybody runs, and when you play Minority Report by Activision, you'll find out that everybody tries to beat you up, too. In this action/adventure due this fall, follow the events of the blockbuster film as closely as Spider-Man developer Treyarch can put them in your control. As Cruise's character, John Anderton, you're on the run from the law. A variety of cool weapons [including the sick stick] keeps you alive and keeps this game on our "cool radar. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine BLADE II Ey A new kind of Blade game Confused about Blade Ifs relation to the movie? Well, now that we've played an early version of the September release, we know this: It is based on continuity established by the film series—but it's not based on the movie Blade // itself. Basically, you're the Daywalker in a story taking place soon after last spring's hit flick. Blade's objective: to wipe out the Karkov clan's plan to extend the Reaper strain of vampire virus into something even more deadly. Forget everything you remember about the gameplay of Activision's original Blade game on PSone. Blade // plays nothing like it. Instead, expect a fairly unique control setup that, instead of your typical X button, uses the right analog stick for primary assaults. In many instances, enemies swarm around Blade from every direction. Simply move the right analog stick in the desired attack direction and Blade follows suit (whether he punches or kicks is out of your immediate control, unfortunately]. In addition to unarmed combat, Blade comes equipped with all the trademark weapons, including a machine gun, a shotgun and his glaive. Since the sword is so destructive, though, developer Mucky Foot has decided to reserve it: When the red meter on the Screen reaches a certain point, Blade goes nuts and can destroy almost anything in his path with cool, Mark of Kri-like death anima- tions. Those not wanting to see knives to the head need not apply. The first level of Blade Il occurs in a nightclub full of suckheads who like to wiggle it just a little bit (check out the couple above!). This, of course, is an obvious nod to the opening scene of the first Blade movie. Mild Violence Suggestive Themes Comic Mischief © 2002 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. Fox Interactive, The Simpsons and their associated logos are trademarks of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER 4 California dreamin’, again Check out the screenshots bordering this text. That area Tony Hawk has his foot planted on is San Francisco's tourist haven, Fisherman's Wharf. See the skitchin’ at the bottom left? That paved roadway is SF's legendary Embarcadero, an iconic skate spot for serious skaters. The shadows of your video-game memory will convince you that you've seen these spots before. You have—in the first Tony Hawk. Of course, that same level looks like a jarbled PSone mess now, but back then it shined. Hawk 4 revises that San Fran skate experience so that it bustles with energy. There are handfuls of annoying tourists, a swirl of barking seals and a bevy of skate-worthy wharves. Whether it's distracting the aforementioned batch of flesh-hungry seals or clearing the bird dung from the rails with a Darkslide, there’s something for every good-hearted skater. Instead of the five measly PSone goals, you can fill an afternoon with 21 goals per level in Activision's latest can't-miss title. Just when you think you've seen it all, Rodney Mullen will step up and challenge you to a manual contest. Brilliant. Instead of preassigned goals, like in Hawk's past, now you'll have to yammer with the locals for the latest and greatest in skateboarding tasks. Most are timed. Maybe you'll have two minutes to spell Neversoft's old standby, S-K-A-T-E, or you might fall into a skater race that lasts under 30 seconds. It all balances out since the rest of the game is played in what was formerly Free Skate. Now you don't have to bother with that lame-brained mode; you can just cruise around happily until you feel like chat- ting up a person with a green arrow over his head. Our only concern so far concerns the game's lack of difficulty. Hawk 3 was excusably easier, hoping to hook PS2 newcomers, but we need a bigger challenge for the skating experts this fall. When we first saw Sony CEA's new watercraft game at E3, we were praying it was the spiritual successor to Jet Moto. It's not. That's not to say it's not interesting, though: The SeaDoo-style watercraft handle with surprising realism, for one thing. They also seem to exert a real- istic effect on the water itself, meaning that your opponents’ wakes can sometimes play havoc with your own handling. Thirty huge tracks will test your reflexes when Jet X20 hits in October. He might have been around since the 8-bit days. And he might be a ninja with mystical powers. But ask Vic Ireland, president of Working Designs, what he thinks of Goemon, and he'll tell you that this blue- haired dude just doesn't get enough respect. "With Mystical Ninja Goemon, we hope to change that," he says. That's why Vic grabbed the rights to Konami's whimsical action/adventure game. No release date has been set, but you can expect it to be delayed anyway. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine A РІауѕгайоп.о 1111 pie | \ А У, у. я ч “aif P "a ired, a gutsy WWII fighter pilot. It's 1943."Your plane is shot down over the Atlantic. у А. i i a hailstorm of bullets, an explosion of light carries you.to a futuristic hyperspace world where new ^ dangers. Ju A new enemy waits. Prepare to battle sadistic dinosaurs through impenetrable jungle terrainand futuristic cisci ідеа. #7 | E PlayStation. سے‎ CAPCOM ENTERTAINMENT; INC. 475 Oakmead Parkway, Sunnyvale, СА. 94085 ail © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2002.@,GAPEOM U.S.A.. INC. 2002. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM а LOGO are trademarks of CAPCOM CO.. LTD. DINO STALKER is a trademark of CAPCOM CO., LI only by a bizarre military timepiece, a beautiful girl, and plenty, ofjraw, [firepower you must make Sense i. the senseless—before time rung out. کے‎ Ver a amni ' + MATURE “The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association, "PlayStation" and the "PS? Ж Violence Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. и CONTENT RATED ву GUNCON "2 & © 2000 NAMCO LTD., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Sey, ESRB per 054, 077 099 097 O28! 16. 057- 069. 228. While the original PSone Growlanser was only released in Th Working Designs says that the manual included in part // will chroni- cle all the action we missed. So what can we expect from this first of the two planned Growlanser games from WD? Well, great-looking 2D character sprites and backgrounds, for one. Battles mix real-time and turn-based action, and the story branches out in many different ways. Wondering when it's due out? So are we! AES MS, ЗЛОТО UEC DTH С, Though it poris the same graphics engine as part II, Growlanser /// takes place 1,000 years before the original game and has less of a con- nection with its two predecessors. You play as a character with no rec- ollection of his identity in a world that is slowly dying as the sun is extinguished. Gameplay remains virtually the same as part //, and similar to Japan (which got /// six months after //], we expect the game to be released shortly after Growlanser Il hits here. Or not. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine PERMAN: SHAI APOKOLIPS It's all about the heroics The more we play Shadow of Apokolips, the more one thing becomes apparent: Beyond the game's aesthetic beauty (the cel-shaded graphics make you feel like you're actually in Superman: The Animated Series, as do the actual voices heard in the show}, and beyond your ability to use almost any superpower at the touch of a button (flight, heat vision, superstrength, X-ray vision, telescopic sight, superspeed, superhearing—they're all here], never before have we seen a Superman game that focus- es so much on what really makes the Man of Steel so super—his all-out heroism. Acts like lifting a bus dangling over a bridge to safety, rescuing individuals at a terrorized dam, or just saving the citizens of Metropolis from Lex Luthor and Darkseid's evil plot (with a little Livewire, Parasite and Metallo thrown in] show that Infogrames understands that this is one man in tights who believes in truth, justice and the American way. Look for the game in late September, and we'll give our final verdict next month. OW Apoko-what? Sure, everyone knows Superman well enough...but we're betting a few of you see this game's subtitle and immediately think it's a typo. Nope. Apokolips is actually the homeworld of the despotic badass Darkseid (left). We assure you, the homophones involved (apocalypse and dark side, respectively] —plus the fact that Apokolipsians speak English—are only remarkable coincidences. THE GETAWAY Most definitely not a GTA3 clone You're going to be hearing a lot about how Sony CEA's The Getaway is a knockoff of Grand Theft Auto III. We're here to say it's not true. Sure, there are plenty of similarities: You're working for organized crime; you can hijack cars; you have a large city in which to roam freely. But really, the similarities end there. The Getaway has a much more robust out-of-car mode, for one thing. Your character has a range of moves that would make GTA players green with envy: He can duck, roll, dive, hide behind objects, and leap out from behind cover to take on his enemies—not to mention the fact that he can double-fist pistols to go all- out, Woo-style. Another big difference is the staggering accuracy of the environment: The remarkable rendition of London is mind-boggling in its depth, showing both familiar landmarks and tiny corner pubs with an equally intricate level of detail. And then there's the story: What we've heard of the writing is on par with films like Snatch (in fact, if you want to call The Getaway a knockoff of anything, you'd be a lot more justified in calling it a Guy Ritchie knockoff], and the story itself seems to have a surprising amount of depth. Our main concerns at this point center around the controls: Driving is extremely touchy, and the walking segments aren't much better. But there's plenty of time to fix that before the November release. In order to achieve the most accurate, lifelike cinemas possible (left), The Getaways developers constructed elaborate sets and directed their actors to perform the scenes together while they motion-captured the entire ensemble. Furthermore, they conducted full-face scans of all of the actors, even going so far as to put one actor in full makeup prior to the scan to make him look older. As an example of one of gaming's more disturbing new trends, The Getaway allows the taking of hostages as human shields (left); you shoot them in the head instead of letting go. Ugh. You already know The Getaway models a section of London in exquisite detail; you can see such locations like Piccadilly Circus (upper left) and the Royal Courts of Justice (lower left). But the game also includes familiar chain stores and restaurants such as Burger King (upper right) and Electronics Boutique (lower right). We asked one of the developers about the legalities involved, and he told us that since the locations were not central to the story, no licensing was required. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | | | PREVIEWS BLOODRAYNE Hot but deadly Most men would probably welcome a sexy bad girl wanting to wrap her legs and arms around them, followed by a beautiful mouth headed toward their necks. But if you're an enemy soldier like the unfortunate fellow in the top screen below, and that hottie just hap- pens to be Agent BloodRayne, odds are you'd most likely pass on the offer. As a half-vampire in the service of the Brimstone Society, her pouncing on such men serves the double purpose of rejuvenat- ing her life force and eliminating one more member of the opposi- tion—and it's just one of the cool things to look forward to doing yourself in BloodRayne this October. In addition to a killer set of canines, BloodRayne sports some massive firepower ideal for blasting her way through four worldwide 1930s locales. Could Majesco finally have a legitimate franchise on its hands? CONFLICT: DESERT STORM Yeah, but it's a dry heat The first title branded under Take 2's new Gotham Games moniker, Conflict might scare those of you who succumbed to the tempting budget pricing of the Spec Ops series. Never fear: Though the games may look somewhat similar at first glance, they differ completely. Before you heave a sigh of relief, though, a word of caution: From what we've seen so far, Conflict is no SOCOM either. That's not to say there aren't some intriguing elements to the game; for one thing, the ability to drive vehicles should make things pretty interesting. Also adding some depth is the ability to manage each of your four squadmates individually and even switch your perspective between them. The main thing we're con- cerned about at this point is the auto-targeting; the game seems to force your character to lock onto any enemy and then switches between available targets with apparent randomness. With Conflict releasing in the fall, there's not a whole lot of time to make major changes...but we can always hope. Н. PADS- EVIE Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 5 5 В Having trouble dealing with | those pesky tanks? Just use your laser targeting and call in an air strike. That'll teach ‘ет. | ALOSTPARIYIOF $1: A SEARCH PARTY OF ONE. é d level progression. © Eight creative-and uniquely animated leyels populated with pedestrians, traffic, animals and themed enemies. ө 7 unique characters and 10 scooters сап be unlocked, customized, and used by the player. € Dozens of tracks from 4 genres: hip-hop, rock, punk, and techno spread throughout the game. [ 4 BLUNTSLIDESROCKET RATING PENDING Vi it b isit WWW.esrD.0r! n e. CRAVE, or call 1-800-771-3772 | Nd PEN TERT ALN MENT f info. H à (€ PlayS tation.e DUREE www.cravegames.com JAMES BOND 007: NIGHTFIRE Returning to die another day With EA Games’ upcoming NightFire nearing completion—we'll see it this fall around the time Die Another Day hits a theater near you—we're happy to say that what we've played so far already looks to surpass last year's solid Agent Under Fire in terms of action and excitement. Better-designed, almost Deus Ex-like levels allow for multiple ways to get through them—use stealth tactics or simply blast your way through if you're feeling bold. Cooler gadgets include such gear as night-vision goggles and а Кеу- chain capable of firing bolts of electricity at enemies. Vehicle-based levels return with a vengeance, as well. Race through Paris in Bond's V-12 to take out и Ї Healthy И an enemy vehicle іп a sequence designed by ЕАѕ Need for Speed team. Then, submerge the V-12 and d t | улл] X E pilot your way through an entire mission under water. Or better yet, protect a driving car by sniping ene- 2 mies while perched in a flying helicopter...and then jump into the car and drive off. Yes, you really do that. ОНТ Ghost Recon Due this October, Ubi Soft's Ghost Recon ports the popular PC game to PS2 and could aptly be described as an outdoor Rainbow Six— which wouldn't be too far from the truth, as it hails from the same developer. This first-person shooter places you in the role of an elite special force known as "the Ghosts," named for their stealth. Gameplay resembles Rainbow Sixs squad-based combat, but with more expansive environments in which to deploy your troops. For the first time in a Bond game, Pierce Brosnan's like- ness has been licensed for use in NightFire. This means that cutscenes will actually feature a virtual Brosnan acting them out. Unfortunately, the former Remington Steele didn't actu- ally record voices for the game (his likeness alone cost EA a pretty penny), but the sound- alike that was hired for the part is pretty darn spot-on. To the left: See? Even virtual Pierce gets all the ladies. If there's one thing EA Big is known for, it's characters. SSX started the trend, NBA Street continued it, and Shox...well, Shox is a car game. A Big game, but a Big car game. A car game where the drivers never get out of the car to talk smack or shake their rump. So it's a departure. We'll accept that since it's packed with 24 licensed cars from BMW, Mitsubishi and Ford (to name a few), plus it has seven winding courses and you can make bets to win new cars. Get Shoxed this fall. @2 Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Two Worlds т Peril... «9 Immerse yourself іп a luscious 3D dream world with jaw-dropping boss battles! B. your wits and skills in 40. stages of excitin sword-swingli galas and puzzle solving gameplay! — Rumble and Tumble’s innovative team-up system offers a unique VN gameplay experience! ^ ... One Unforgettable PE > their full potential. Wield two at Долг HEARTS [/ усаа € - E me ©2002 Sony Computer Ente: regis % Upgrade your weapons to unlock ark of Sony Compute! and the PS" Far nteractive Digital by ATLUS USA. DUAL HEARTS is t Inc. The ratings icon is,a trad TOMB RAIDER: THE e Tori ar ANGEL OF DARKNESS @ Darker than ever before The first Tomb Raider was cool. The second one rocked. The third held our interest. By the time we had our fourth Lara game in four years, though—then a fifth in five years soon after—things just felt stale. By this November, a full two years will have passed since Chronicles, and Core has used the extra time to reinvent the franchise for the PS2. Yeah, it still stars Lara. But, as Eidos claims, this is “a new Lara Croft for a new generation." You've probably noticed by now that she's ditched the trademark teal top in favor of a black one—but that's not the only thing darker about this game. Angel of Darkness story involves a series of grisly murders—and Ms. Croft herself is the prime suspect. Help clear her name in a quest that spans the timestream and even spend some time as Kurtis Trent. A glaive-wielding sorcerer with occult powers like telekinesis, Kurt's action-packed stages should contrast nicely with Lara's slower-paced adventuring. FeO Мов азза. ae à == n. m 2 In Tune WithLara - When it came time for the London Symphony Orchestra to record the soundtrack to The Angel of Darkness a! legendary Abbey Road studios, the 82-piece ensemble got a visit from none other than Lara Croft herself—or at least the current beauty portraying her, model Jill de Jong. How's that for inspiration? Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Star Ocean: Even though the game's not due out until late summer 2003, we couldn't resist showing you a few more screens just to get you hot and bothered about Enix's forthcoming RPG. Set 400 years after Star Ocean: The Second Story, Till the End of Time stars the aptly named Fate Linegod, who gets caught up in an alien invasion and later embarks on a quest to find his missing parents. Not much is known about the gameplay, but one thing's for sure: It sure looks sweet! ТЕ ий am Bi am th ib a Fighter Maker 2 Not quite happy with Virtua Fighter 4 or the Tekken games? Well, here's your chance to realize your ultimate fighter—by creating it your- self. Agetec's upcoming November release vastly expands on its PSone original with plenty more customization: In addition to 600 sample moves, you can create virtually any move by adjusting any of the characters’ 260 separate parts. Most everything else—from the character designs to even the sound effects—is also customizable. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine RED FACTION II Lights, camera, Faction! The original Red Faction was certainly no slouch when it came to story. An interesting plot was carried along with a satisfying amount of dialogue, complete with a few unexpected twists and turns. But even so, it looks like THQ's sequel is set to surpass the original in this regard—and every other. From the moment we fired up the playable version, we were bombarded with input: Teammates talk to you and each other; enemies leer and yell; civilians cower and plead for their lives. Scripted events explode with even greater frequency, with enemies blasting through walls or ceilings to get at your team. Graphical effects fill the screen, from smoke and flames to rain (and raining debris); and everything looks noticeably sharper and cleaner than in the original. And behind it all lurks the improved “Geo-Mod” engine, which allows for fully destructible environments. This technology is exploited more seriously than in the original, giving players plenty of options to find alternate paths. One area in this version, for example, features an office of cubi- cles with a deadly automatic machine gun at the far end of the corridor. You probably could survive charg- ing straight at the turret, but it's much safer to use your sticky mines to blast through the cubicles and come up behind it. But you know, it's your call. Look for lots more similar choices this winter. Chatterbox One thing we didn't really expect from Red Faction Il was the funny dialogue. You get plenty of voiceover from your teammates, but talking to civil- ians is even better; they often react negatively to your pres- ence, chattering on nervously while you go about your busi- ness. But our favorite was the brave reporter above, who kept up a running commentary for his viewers about the goings-on, even telling them we had a gun pointed at his head when we took this screenshot. You know, уощіоок a little pale. Some sunny, open, outdoor environments would do you a world of good. Sega Bass Fishing Duel will knock you overboard with heated two-player competition. And when you finally run out of friends to beat, you can tackle the CPU opponents, each with their own personalities, strengths and weaknesses. This attitude may not make you popular around the watering hole, but it’s lonely at the top, buddy. Who says fishing’s not an extreme sport? ЕМЕВУОМЕ gJ CONTENT RATED BY ESRB Patent and Tre on is а tradem ga Bass Fishing are ware Association. "Рау Ruthless CPU » anglers to battle. 21 Т EFE - Dih Bis - j| [пт Ш Bo ps | « The only PlayStation®2 computer entertain- lb. D loz 21b. 110z. ment system fishing game with split-screen 3 » а v two-player or vs. computer competition. PlayStation.e /'ORPORATION. © WOW ENTERTAINMENT INC. IER CORPORATION 2001, 2002. narks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Ай rights ther re HU EY OATH RPG Maker 2 Though fans of this groundbreaking do-it-yourself franchise may have to wait a bit longer for its release (Agetec tells us it's now due out in February), it looks like it'll be well worth the wait. Check out the vital stats: more than 100 characters, 120 monsters, 127 magic items, dozens of backgrounds, weather effects, beginner mode and key- board support. Best of all, the game includes a mini-RPG made by the creators of Dragon Warrior solely with the RPG Maker 2 engine! Along with Turok: Evolution, Vexx represents an important part of Acclaim's new image as a more adult-oriented company. Sure, your little brother can enjoy the platforming adventures without any worries this September, but Vexx is more than just a furry blue cute guy—he's a furry blue cute guy with claws that were welded to his hands in a very painful way. And he's one pissed-off furry blue cute guy targeted at older gamers who need a more mature Mario-type challenge. 8) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine DARK CLOUD 2 If you build it, they will come Sure, it sounds a bit too much like a junior-high science project, but that doesn't mean fiddling with Dark Clouds "georama" fea- ture wasn't tons of fun. Still, the game left plenty of room for improvement, which is something that Sony CEA's Dark Cloud 2 promises to do in time for its holiday release. This time around, Dark Cloud 2 features even more depth to its world-building ele- ment, with options to customize your rebuilt towns down to the most minute details, including the paint on your buildings or the direction of individual fence posts. The graphics have also been overhauled yes, it's cel-shaded—but it looks fabulous, so there!). Plus, the dungeons are even bigger and bolder than before. Yeah, maybe it's merely more of the same with a bunch of improvements thrown in for good measure—but even if that were all that Dark Cloud 2 offered, we'd still be lining up to play this one. Dark Cloud 2 features more objectives within each area, so you're not "just" running around rebuilding villages according to the townies' needs. Pictured above is a camera so you can snap photos for your pals. E er T Better reload often! Swarms of demons and powerful bosses. à \\ \ Three intense modes of play to keep those guns blazing. ММ m Insanely fast Guncon”2 blasting action. You're part of the action with the fast and accurate Guncon™2 Demon scum this fast require something with y a little more pop. So ditch \ the sword. Dump the stars. And grab hold of the Guncon™2 — official \ Demon-Slayer of bad ass Ninjas everywhere. 4 NJA ASSAU Blood Violence PlayStation.? D guncon?* 2.& >, 2000 Nam „АЦ. RIGHTS RESERVED. "PlaySt: punent Ine. The гаьл. icon is а j 1 ted trademark of the Interactive Digi f OF THE KING Jump around, jump up to get down If you thought the 3D-platform genre was already choking the throat of the PS2 this holiday season, think again. Scheduled to hit shelves this November, Haven: Call of the King is the newest platformer from industry veterans Traveller's Tales. The first part of an expan- sive trilogy, Haven (the name of the game's hero) is, according to Traveller's, the culmination of everything they've learned while mak- ing games like A Bug's Life, Sonic R [Saturn], Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex and Mickey Mania (SNES/Genesis/Sega CD). Beyond the basic platform elements of jump attacks and butt- bouncing, Haven also engages in activities like vehicular combat (thank the former members of the Rollcage team for that), turret- based shooting games, hang-gliding and space exploration. The space exploration is particularly cool, because not only does it play like a high-speed Colony Wars, but you can leave a planet's atmos- phere at will and re-enter any time you see fit. Graphically, the game equals the likes of a Jak and Daxter or Ratchet & Clank, with a smooth framerate, hi-res graphics and gorgeous special effects. The only question now is if Midway and Traveller's can pull all of the game's disparate elements together into one cohesive pie. j Sca E oo NO ud d е (20 Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE It's in the way that you use it Based on a long-running Japanese manga series, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure picks up slightly beyond where the old PSone fighting game = of the same name left off. Whereas the 2D fighter was centered around the series’ third generation of characters, JoJo for the PS2 introduces the current cast, which is actually the fifth generation. In what must be a localization nightmare for Capcom, the new cast of characters is all Italian, with names like Giorno Giovana (the game's namesake— "GioGio"—get it?), Bruno Buccellati and Guido Mista. The gimmick upon which JoJo’s thrives is that each character has a magical partner called a "Stand." These allies have supernatural abili- ties (Giorno's stand, Gold Experience, has super strength, speed and bizarre botanical powers] and can absorb damage for their hosts. The game is practically a sequential series of boss fights, requiring you to decipher the bosses’ patterns and attacks. For example, one boss, Beach Boy (named for the band), casts a fishing rod Stand at Bruno. If the line catches Bruno, it's an automatic three hits and a kick against him. But if Bruno dodges it, he gets three hits on Beach Boy and an additional Stand attack. JoJo's is, as you can tell, an extremely unique game that bears watching as we near the game's fall release date. x The Manga Debuting in 1987, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is the brainchild of Araki Hirohiko, better known to U.S. audiences as the creator of Baoh. JoJo's, which runs as a weekly comic strip, has been collected in 60-plus volumes. COMING 10.22.02 PlayStation. WWW.ROCKSTARGAMES.COW/ VICECITY Iaa / DB BH RATING PENDING 7 Visit www.esrb.org R ] у = or call 1-800-771-3772 27 J for more info. ж | [5 = A Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets The Boy Who Lived lives on with this November PSone release, due out along with the second Harry Potter movie—and it's not just a lower-res port of the PS2 version. In fact, it’s its own game, featuring all of the action of Chamber of Secrets, plus a great deal of character interaction. The improved Quidditch mode includes a more aggressive opposing Seeker, as well as a turbo boost and barrel-roll maneuver. - if # m & $ Ў m bU Shrek: Treasure Hunt PSone. After starring in a few games on other systems that stunk more than his home (whose idea was Swamp Kart Speedway?!], Shrek makes his PSone debut this fall in Shrek: Treasure Hunt. Aimed squarely at the li'Logres out there, Hunt features you as the not-so-jolly green giant on a search for missing picnic pieces so that you and Fiona can enjoy à hearty meal. TDK and The Code Monkeys offer up 10 minigames like fishing and tug-of-war, all set in and around Shrek's swampy home. 3 Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine BLACK & WHITE Play god on your PSone If you keep even the slightest tabs on the PC gaming scene, you're no doubt at least familiar with Black & White's unique premise: As a deity represented by an animal dwarfing all below, you reign supreme as the god of a tribe willing to serve your every want and need. Its people live only to serve you. One of the most common accolades B&W received on PC was its allowing you total freedom to become whatever type of deity you please. On one hand, the game permits you to rule as a kind and gentle god, your worshippers serving you because they truly love the way you treat them. On the other hand, however (and the way we're certainly looking forward to playing!), you can choose to rule in such a malevolent manner that your followers only do so out of fear for their lives. Say it with us: HA HA HA!!! As the game begins, you must choose to reign supreme over one of eight civilizations, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. From there, much of the gameplay takes the form of minigames that test your ability to rule. Discipline thieves in the most appropriate manner, heal sick villagers, help out stranded fishermen with a gust of wind, and more. Or just kill everyone. It's fair to say that Bethesda has our interest piqued with this one, and PSone owners should eagerly await its fall release. See that big orangutan to the left? That's you in Black & White—well, sort of. You see, as an all-powerful deity reigning over a civilization, you can only manifest yourself to the little people in the form of a giant ani- mal. S not really you they see—just a really freakin’ tall avatar that should scare the hell out of anyone who sees it. В&И/ allows you to choose your earth- ly manifestation from any ani- mal seen in the game. And you thought humanity was the domi- nant species! Ferrari IF ORB challangs, Race the cat you can't afford to own. PlayStation.e Spinouts, bumper grinds, smohing tires - and that's just the first turn. Capture the definitive experience and white-knuckle excitement of real Ferrari racing. “ Ferrari 38 ‘SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. SEGA and Ferrari F355 Challenge are registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION or its affiliates. Original Game © SEGA CORPORATION CSEGA/AM2, 2000, 2002. All Rights Reserved. www.sega.com “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. АН Rights Reserved. SEGA CONTENT RATED BY ESRB Your pulse pounds in your temples Your crewmembers lie dead or dying around you. All you know for sure about the alien invaders is that you're neut on their hit list. Time is running out. So is your life. "s y JJ i | \ \ и Ys \ а $ , а ‘5 | j oe А Fight an alien takeover as an exiled "Ni и military hero in an intense sci-fi. d d j action-horror adventure Struggle to outthink. outrun and outgun intelligent foes who learn from your behavior and adapt to it. EI LIKE HELL Get the feeling of living a movie—from the edge-of-your-seat tension to the voice talent of top actors НТ ORS BIE: UNTIED (29) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine WITH KINGDOM HEARTS, DISNEY AND SQUARE UNLOCK THE MAGICAL FORMULA FOR A SPELLBINDING GAME By Gary Steinman It all began on an elevator ride. "Square is right above our Japan offices in the same building,” explains Dan Winters, vice president of product development for Disney Interactive. “So as some people from Disney Interactive were taking the elevator up to their offices and some folks from Square were taking the elevator up to their offices, they got to talking and saying, ‘We should be working together.’ That's how the whole dis- cussion got started.” Though Winters clearly claims the Disney and Square staffers were heading upward during that fateful ride, it wasn't so apparent in those early days where this dream- team collaboration would end up. Would it reach the heights of other historic pairings, hopping ever skyward toward gaming heaven—much like that suspender-clad plumber once did when Square and Nintendo teamed up for the 1995 Super NES classic Super Mario RPG? Or would it drop to the dark depths, stopping at every floor along the way, yielding a bottom-dweller of biblical proportions, a terrible twosome that would give Cain and Abel a run for their money? Flash forward to today, and Kingdom Hearts is already a smash hit in Japan, earning praise from the pundits and plaudits from the public. Due to hit U.S. store shelves any day now, this Disney/Square RPG seems poised to perpetu- ate its overseas opulence. But is it any good? Does it truly live up to its promise? Does it capture that unique magic | offered Бу both Square and Disney? The short answer: absolutely. Kingdom Hearts is every- thing you'd expect from Disney and Square—and more. From the spellbinding story to the captivating characters to the gripping gameplay and gorgeous graphics, Kingdom Hearts is an exhilarating experience. So tag along as we hitch a ride on that elevator to find out how this game was put together, what it's all about, and what makes it so darn special. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (27) With their different styles of attacks, Tidus (short-range), Selphie (mid-range) and Wakka (long-range blitzball tosses) train you for all kinds of possible encoun- ters. Don’t even bother to finish your sec- ond day on Destiny Island until you're able to defeat all three at once. ‚М produce a game. It's a whole other a. thing to actually pull it off—especial- ly when you're dealing with two of the biggest names in the business. On one side, you've got Square, the powerhouse behind the vaunted Final Fantasy fran- chise, not to mention numerous other titles that helped define and redefine console gaming. On the other, you've got Disney, the master storytellers, fable- weavers of inordinate skill, spinners of yarns with timeless appeal and ageless charm. Two titans, both at the top of their game, and somehow they'll have to tango together. . Inevitably, you'd think, egos would get ‘involved, rules would be made and bro- concepts would be generated and rejected—and the game would descend into development hell. It's just too...odd, quirky, weird, difficult, whatever—it sim- ply won't work, It's bound to fall apart, to end up in the trash heap along with so much other licensed rubbish. Or so you might think. Not so, says Disney's Dan Winters. In fact, he's quick to point out how smooth the development process was. It wasn't about back-and-forth bickering, he claims. Or logistical logjams. Or even something as benign as “compromises.” "I would call it collaboration instead,” Winters says, lavishing only the highest praise on the Square team. And he’s not alone in that sentiment, as every Square staffer we spoke with echoed that sentiment. Т: опе thing to say you'll team up їо. A GUIDED TOUR THROUGH THE WORLDS OF KINGDOM HEARTS destiny island After an initial dream sequence, you'll find yourself on Destiny Island, Sora's homeworld. Bright and cheerful, this island is primarily a place to introduce the stoi am. hy Of course, it wasn't entirely smooth sailing. In the very beginning, the two sides had a tough time simply figuring out what kind of game this would be. "We talked about different types of titles. | think there was some discussion about a Mickey product,” Winters says. "And the folks at Square actually had an idea that we couldn't get our hands around." Enter Tetsuya Nomura, a rising star at Square, the character designer for Final Fantasy VII, FFVIII and FFX, the man. behind Cloud, Squall and Tidus, along with other Square favorites like Parasite Eve's Aya Brea. Fresh off his work on FFVIII and just starting on his designs for FFX, Nomura was looking around for the right project to call his own. When he heard about the Square/Disney partner- ship, he jumped at the chance. “The big break was when Nomura-san got involved in the discussion,” Winters says. “Tetsuya came in there and said, "You know, | got an idea. I'd like to pre- sent it.’ And he did, and it was spectacu- lar. That really moved the discussions along a lot quicker because we really grabbed on to that. Square loved it. We loved it.” 4 But even with Nomura aboard, | Kingdom Hearts still ran into some rough and the gameplay. It's here you learn about Sora, Riku and Kairi's desire to get away and explore other worlds. It's also here that the Heartless first appear, sweeping away all that you know and love. sends you on a series of basic fetch-quests, where you'll gather up items for your com- ing journey. The tasks are pretty simple, but they'll get you up to speed with the game's control scheme. You'll also run into three familiar Final Fantasy faces, who help train you for battle. When you're in the "Secret Place," be sure to use the first-person view to check out all the drawings on the cave wall. See if you can spot the chocobo! Ka Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine T waters, in part because Nomura's "cre- ative ideas were so out there,” Winters notes. Among the concerns on Disney's part: Nomura was initially too aggressive. in the way he wanted to mix up all the different Disney characters throughout the game—a big no-no for the folks at Disney. “We had to massage Nomura’s ideas a little bit to get them to where they fit for what's right for Disney brands," Winters says. “And then,” he adds, “the work started.” Worlds Apart For Nomura, who became Kingdom Hearts’ character designer and director, necessity was the mother of invention. “Į actually had a battle system in mind for a future game. It was my own battle system,” Nomura says. “I knew that | would eventually have a game that would utilize my ideas for this system.” The ESSENTIAL Disney DVD Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs It's got nothing to do with Destiny Island, but it introduces you to one of the main baddies you'll meet later in the game. Г Le tle | He 2 played it, we can tell you е this battle sy 1 also tell you that Nomura promised something completely d Disney/Square project seemed like a per- Kingdom Heart: erges the fect fit to debut his combat system combat with the c ightest when he action of real-time able in a menu-driven t (which, Nomura concedes, "was still based RPG. Here's ho raw”). "So it wasn't the concept and story charac Sora, while Do the D-pad or ri analog stick to use items from you existing, then creating a battle system,” Ма A.I rol. Whene inventor Is (including summ: pull of m though, that you're playing with thes: Nomura explains. The next bit of necessity grew out of ps. And, an item or trigger a spe lements to fiddle ion / one of Disney's key guidelines: a crucial ence, you'll learn new skills that let yc separation between its many licenses. As Winters explains, each Disney “world” and special move е trove of e are button for guarding or dodc ttle. You can (and should, needs to be thought of as a real place amping. ates’ A.I. You'll need to pick and choose that goes beyond the movies, the TV at's not all. In the lower left-hand corne want to attach to each character. You can shows or the attractions at the amuse- screen, you'll notice a menu, which you can negotiate with les and other weapons. And you can set up ment parks. Take Aladdin, for example. few key" commands (using L1 h f the bu You need to believe that this love-struck | tons) t iently call forth your favorite spells. "Battle sys Street rat actually lives in Agrabah, along tems are t ly recognized for their act lement, but with the Genie, Jafar and Jasmine. equipment, abilities and forming Naturally, you couldn't just have Belle other dimension of our system," expl. from Beauty and the Beast traipsing through the deserts of Agrabah. Likewise, you couldn't have Peter Pan swimming alongside Ariel or Tigger tagging along with Tarzan. "That would completely wipe out everything we've built up in the prop- Winters says. With that in mind, are combined can How ager a /le of battle because it is implement па balance adjustment. 1 sugges Yuuichi Kanem ely differen sper nb is packed to the 's becaus Dumbo, Tinkerbell and Bambi are just three of the many summon spells you'll gain. As you'd expect from Square, | each summon is accompanied by an exquisite intro sequence. You can also directly control several of your sum- moned helpers. Nothing beats riding Dumbo and splashing those Heartless with his mighty trunk! ee ^29 7 wh Б = in ESSENTIAL Disney DVD Fantasia Atrue classic and а visual masterpiece. Watch it and you'll understand why Disney has always been on the cutting edge of animation. This “hub world” might seem small at first, but it expands as the game goes on, with new areas opening up all the time. You'll be returning here quite often—and when you do, be sure to explore everywhere. It's in Traverse Town where you'll run into Aerith, Leon, Cid and Yuffie, along with a few Moogles, all of whom play a considerable role in the story. A few tips on Traverse Town: Don't forget to return to the Dalmatian's mansion, as Pongo and Perdita will give you new items to thank you for finding their missing puppies. Be sure to visit the Fairy Godmother, who can turn certain gems into Summon spells. And look everywhere: hidden treasure chests abound here, on rooftops, in corners, in shadows and on ledges. And don't forget to mail out those postcards you find.... Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine WHO'S THAT GIRL? She's been called the Britney Spears of Japan—which is a bit unfair, since she looks and sounds nothing like her. But what Hikaru Utada does have in common with Britney is her superstar status—she's the best-selling Japanese recording artist ever. Unlike Britney, though, this bilingual singer actually writes her own tunes, something that's also fairly unique among most J-pop stars. Hikki, as she's known, sings Kingdom Hearts theme song, which she rerecorded in English for the U.S. version of the game. She's currently working on her first U.S. album with Island Def Jam. Until it's out, check out her Web site, , for news, sound clips and pics. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Nomura built the framework of a story around the concept of world-hopping—of traveling through space to different plan- ets, each with a different Disney theme. Nomura’s final challenge was to create characters who could believably blend in with any and all of these different worlds. “I wanted to be sure that when Sora and Kairi are lined up next to Disney charac- ters, they wouldn't be out of place or look like they just popped into the Disney world,” he says. Goofy and Donald were chosen as Sora’s cohorts because, accord- ing to Winters, they can transcend any sin- gle world. “Donald and Goofy actually play roles as actors, much like they did in other Disney films,” Winters explains, citing The Prince and the Pauper and Mickey and the Beanstalk as two examples. "They're still who they are, but they have costume changes and they're playing a role, Donald being the court magician and Goofy being the court guard.” Finally, Nomura suggest- ed that Sora, Goofy and Donald change forms to adapt to certain Disney settings, morphing into spooky monsters in Halloween Town and sea creatures while underwater. "| knew that Disney wouldn't have allowed Donald and Goofy to exist in Little Mermaid’s world in their regular cos- tumes,” Nomura explains. With a raw battle system and rough sto- ryline in place, Square was ready to begin the business of actually making the game. Realizing the potential of this potent crossover, Square gave Nomura free reign to tap into the company’s vast development resources. As Nomura explains, he needed the very best of the best in order to capture “Donald and Goofy play roles, much like they did in other films.” The first of the Disney worlds, Wonderland is a bit claustrophobic. You'll probably have a tough time with some of the battles because your characters aren't all that powered up yet. While the animation is fantastic and the characters are memorable, the level itself is the least fun of the lot. Don't let it sour the rest of your tour through Kingdom Hearts, though, as it's a fairly brief visit and things only get better from here on. Quick tip: If you can't get to a chest that's in plain sight...well, you can't get to it. Take the Tea Party Room, for example. You'll see some chests above you—and if you're like us, you'll be tempted to jump around for a good while trying to reach them. Guess what? You'll only be able to nab them later on when you have other abilities, so don't waste your time. Come back later. that special Disney magic. "For Kingdom Hearts, in order to maintain that consis- tency and high quality of the Disney char- acters, | was given the ability to pick and choose the lead members of the team working on the game,” Nomura says. “And, not to sound big-headed, but | had the power to pull my people together.” Once assembled, the team had to immerse themselves in all things Disney. To do so, they entered into a grueling six-month period of pure preparation. “Within a game-development cycle, six months might not sound like that long,” Nomura says, “but for a good six months, the animators and others actually did the research and re-created animations over and over, some of which never even got used.” E AT Pe NS Kingdom Hearts is packed with minigames and extra quests. Among the many, you'll swing from vines, bust up barrels, run an obstacle course, and track down 99 dalmatian puppies. ESSENTIAL Disney DVD Alice in Wonderland Get past the hokey music and you'll be treated to one of the most surreal movies ever. A killer acid trip? Or the ultimate anti-drug pic? IN THE DARKEST HOUR: К а MO Is REBORN. e THE JOURNEY BEGINS THIS NOVEMBER. Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for more info ТЕСТО | 100% GAMES PMB #5553 21213-B Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503 р (310) 944-5005 /(310) 944-3344 Rygar: The Legendary Adventure™. оТесто, LTD 2002. Tecmow and the Тесто logo are registered Of Tecmo LTD. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association."PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. n GG GG O LG jas evel mc g within the ‹ d Attack У) Magic Items deep jungle Ahh, this is where things start getting really good. With fun enemies, a few minigames, lots of E ` ESSENTIAL Disney DVD extras and cool characters, Deep Jungle is a blast. This is also where you get to swap in your En Tarzan first new party member. Here's what we recommend: Replace Donald with Tarzan. Why? With action scenes Because Donald is annoyingly weak and virtually useless in the beginning of the game. 7 that rival the best Meanwhile, Tarzan is souped up and raring to go. What's more, Donald will gain the same «4 summer block- amount of experience while on the sidelines, so it's the best of both worlds: You get to fight with " R busters, along with a super-cool, super-powerful ally, while Donald continues to get stronger. ‚ adark, brutal final After you beat this level, you get your first new Keyblade. Be sure to equip it right away, as it | showdown, Tarzan gives you a nice boost. Plus, it just looks rad. ^ | is one badass flick. (53 Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine the Final Fantasy cameos sprinkled throughout the game. Finally, Kando had to strike the right balance between the two distinctly dif- ferent styles of animation that are popu- {аг here and in Japan. Anyone who's even vaguely familiar with Dragonball (ог any other Japanese import on the Cartoon Network) can tell you there's an enormous gulf between a Disney film and the typical anime program. “In gen- eral, | believe the characteristic of Japanese animation is to take away poses in between to make it feel ‘speedi- er.’ In contrast, American animation is less frenetic, with more fluid move- ments," Kando explains. “However, look- ing at recent theatrical releases, it's apparent that both sides have taken in each other's:styles and qualities and háve become closer in look. The same goes for Kingdom Hearts. Battle scenes are-action-oriented and there were many instances where we had to create the By now t Final Fantasy fans are well а animation to give it a more powerful and neos sprinkled throughout Kingdom Hear energetic feel. In such cases, | went by still puzzli new look for some old So what's up? the Japanese animation’ way. And in Did Cloud suddenly develop a keen new sartor ense? Are wings &vent-scenes that require more detailed now all the rage in Midgar? Or is something else g on hei displays of movement and perfor- ith his Final mances, | followed the American’ way. altered thanks to Overall, we tried to implement the The an: strength of both styles depending on the t situation and used each technique to dis- play the best.” 2 gt ges so the Fi You'd think a level that’s based around a single coliseum would get a bit stale. Not so. Olympus Coliseum may be just a setup for a series of tournaments—several of which are optional—but Hercules fight through them, and you'll get tons of experience and some incredible items. You'll also have A v Come for the heart- lots of fun. Best of all, it's here that you'll run into Final Fantasy VII's Cloud—and that's just for T pe Ча warming, humorous starters. Let's just say that if you take the time to return here again and again, you'll get to А tale of Hercules’ “square” off against some, er, “fantasy” fighters. The first time here, though, you might have = 4 quest for glory. Stay some difficulty getting past Cerberus. If you can't defeat him after a few tries, then just give up. +4 for James Woods’ Really. Come back later when you've built up your characters, and you'll be able take him on. Don't brilliant turn as the worry—he'll be exactly where you left him, waiting to chomp on your sorry butt. M > E4 slimy Hades. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine КЕ) Kingdom Hearts r All that effort thinking about and then A DOG S LIFE actually animating the game certainly was It's a problem that's been dogging Disney fans for decades. time well-spent. Kingdom Hearts is easily OK, Pluto's a dog. And Goofy's a dog. So they're both dogs. But one stands one of the best-animated games to grace upright and talks, while the other walks on all fours and barks. One is any system. All the characters look and Mickey's pal, while the other is his pet. What the heck is going on here?! move exactly like you'd want them to— Б We're not the only ones bothered by this. A quick search of which is no small feat considering the the Web reveals a trove of troubled essayists. On his site swarm of Disney stars who overwhelm ( ), Shawn Sutherland writes this game. From Hercules' foul-tempered about the apparent S&M relationship between Goofy Phil to Aladdin's gregarious Genie, from and Pluto: "Although long the subject of debate, Goofy the tree-swinging Tarzan to tiny Tinker- is a bonafied [sic] dog. So what of the domineering bell, each Disney creation is lovingly and Attack relationship between him and his fellow canine, Pluto? painstakingly brought to life. It's so good, Pluto, obviously renamed after ‘Uranus’ was lacking in fact, that Kando can’t help but be Items subtlety, is forced to wear a collar, a leash, and nothing pleased with the outcome. ] else. He trots about on all fours and receives daily “I'm very proud of our accomplish- € abuse from Goofy, his ‘owner.’ Yet Goofy lives in a normal, ment. I'm proud of the reproduction and suburban house, is fully clothed, and occasionally gulps and the quality of Disney animation through- laughs in what is obviously a homoerotic tone that most likely out the entire game,” he gushes. “The Heart of Darkness excites him. And Goofy is constantly causing acts of bodily harm amount of it is quite substantial in itself. But pleasing Disney fans is less than half ‘accidentally’ upon himself. Goofy and Pluto are both sick bastards.” I'm still a bit surprised that we were able the battle. This is still a game, after all— Even beyond the wild world of the Web, citizens are concerned. Just check to pull it off. | believe that even а hardcore and a Square game, too, which carries its out this response from Jun Akiyama, Kingdom Hearts’ event director, when we Disney fan would be very happy with what own set of high expectations. And we can't asked him his thoughts on the Goofy/Pluto conundrum. "Before | worked on we produced." forget that plenty of gamers continue to this project, | was troubled by this," he says. "However, when the Disney staff carry the misguided belief that anything explained that Goofy and Donald are humans, and they don't act like а dog or a Disney just wouldn't be fun for them—a duck, that somewhat convinced me." E. b o notion that Nomura both understood and Wait...hold on there! Say what?! sA wanted to quickly disprove. It's actually pretty simple, claims Dan Winters, vice president of product de- | d “I knew from the beginning that there velopment for Disney Interactive. “Honestly, there was a reason why Goofy be- | would be misperceptions about the came a human-like character and Pluto did not,” he says. “Pluto was around | game—that not everyone would get it right before Goofy was. And the characters were designed and created to either com- 4 ee А away—because of the image that the plement or to balance out characters that Disney already had by Walt. In 1934, ENS a 4 Disney worlds have,” Nomura says. “But they decided they wanted Mickey to have a complementary character, so they cre- there wasn't а single targeted audience ated Donald Duck. Donald was a little more sassy and had a wider range of fex that | had from the beginning. | wanted emotion, and that allowed Mickey to become more of a leader-type char- Д M y s more to just expand on what's already acter. Then they decided to create a Goofy character for a humor base." € ш been done in the Disney worlds and try to Basically—if you buy Disney's reasoning—Goofy is “human,” just like Donald add originality to that. | didn’t want to nar- and Mickey are. But Pluto, who was created a few years before Goofy stumbled tow down the audience, but actually widen onto the scene, was and remains a standard-issue mutt. the audience and try to overcome those So that explains that. Or, uh, maybe not. Doggone it—we're still confused! / misunderstandings and misperceptions by creating some original stuff that would blow people away. The most obvious—and arguably most important—original element in Kingdom Hearts is Nomura’s battle system. With its foundation in real-time оп along with its reliance on menu-driven magic and. commands, Nomura's system certainly is unique, combining elements found in both action and traditional RPGs. "When you take the controller into your hands, | think there is a distinct feel—almost like a [ thrilling experience,” boasts Yuuichi Goofy and Pluto snooze away, oblivious to the great conundrum of their existence. Kanemori, Kingdom Hearts’ battle Yep, it's just another dog-day afternoon for Disney's two superpooches. ESSENTIAL DISNEY VIDEO Aladdin What's not to love about a film with the ultra-annoying duo The first time you see the Genie in motion, you'll understand exactly what we're talking about when we gush about Kingdom Hearts' stunning animation. But it's not the graphics that make Agrabah Such a delight. The town is a well-constructed maze that'll have you hopping around the rooftops while you fight through swarms of Heartless. Try not to get too annoyed at the jumping bits, though, which can get a bit slippy at times. Once you get to the Cave of Wonders, you'll need to have Aladdin in your party in order to activate the Monkey Statues. After finishing the level, be sure of Robin Williams to head back to Traverse Town and use the Green Trinity to open up the Moogle's synthesis shop. and Gilbert Gottfried? Agrabah also stands out because it's the world where we really came to grips with the battle sys- Maybe the fact that tem. From this point forward, combat only gets better—but it also gets tougher, so watch your back! it's still not on DVD? Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine anments bring a brutal ne wa Nie Liew Yes, iia WIRE O exon, PO ror тоте тоате You? Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine director. “You will not understand the true - excitement of this game without taking — the controller in your hands." (For more on the game's combat, be sure to check out "Heart Attacks” оп page 129.) And then there's the story—the other key component to any good role-player. Here, too, Kingdom Hearts doesn't disap- point. On the most basic level, Kingdom Hearts is two tales in one: the story of _ Sora, a boy from the isolated Destiny Island wh yearns for adventure and dreams of escaping to other lands— and Kairi, who are swept away one dark and stormy Шу and the saga ‹ of Donald fy, 15519 И Mickey to find ihe аде master in order to stop all the ent Disney worlds from disappearing into darkness. Of course, the three end up working together—reluctantly, at first—on a quest full of twists, turns and surprises. “| had a hard time establishing this world as a level in an action game,” confesses event director Jun Akiyama, "because the story doesn't directly relate to action or battles.” So what did he do? He set Pooh's world in a storybook with missing pages that you find on your quest. Each one opens up a new area, often revealing a new minigame to play... EssENTIAL Disney DVD: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh К surface. p от | rth telling, there's ; saga goes RAM ge basic uest, offering a story of Bad fom апа _ ferent Disney wo _ up. Nomura сг шоо Hart Rd acter may р сше and bright, obviously on a quest that has a mystery and the Seven ЕЯ ily таѕќе piece of horror. Or for a more recent . example, take Tarzan, murder and mayhem, includii Whomever you ‹ edginess, Si a has its own sub е beginning and enc r "way through these worlds, re about what's really - What ar Comegon, let's you doing? go back. Who knew that the belly of a whale is so psyche- delic? At least that’s the impression we got when we were swallowed by Monstro and began explor- ing this small but trippy level starring Pinocchio and Geppetto. Don't be fooled by the bright colors, though—this area is packed with a horde of heavy-hitting Heartless. You'll discover a lot more about the story here, too, so pay attention. ESSENTIAL Disney DVD: Pinocchio WI 1 | Ne X IC er Mag possibilitie Items Hearts, ranging from # movies to attractions at it ment parks. So “Unless you have the darkness, how sy Dan Win ice eset do you really appreciate the light?” on with y y pp g ® on with TV г guys, and w engulf everything in darkness, how they've the Cheshire Cat is full of riddles, Hades is about bringing manipulated a Legion of Doom-like assem- as scummy as ever, King Triton rules with Remember, blage of Disney villains into doing their bid- imperious resolve, Sally slinks about in the ding, and how they're intimately connected shadows, and so on. "Since one of the main While produce to Sora’s missing friends Riku and Kairi, overall concepts of this game was to experi- stands that Aside from Disney's one major require- ence an adventure through familiar Disney troubled by that prospect—thou ment—no crossing over between worlds— worlds,” Akiyama explains, "1 did not try to of a Square was given plenty of leeway to play change those to any great extent.” with the licenses, according to Akiyama. The result is a story that should appeal where, but not That freedom helped him build the story as to Disney and Square fans alike—as well as expect to see ai he pleased, but Akiyama is quick to add that the casual gamer who might not have a he's booked up he never felt constrained by using such strong affinity for either company. Akiyama realistic possible m for a seq well-established characters. “No matter also hopes Kingdom Hearts has the added ment.) Don't worr what kind of characters you work with, | benefit of opening up Disney's worlds to when it comes look at it as if they all have their own set of people who might otherwise overlook Disney knows better than to pull thi limitations,” he says. “I didn't feel like it them. “There are many Disney worlds and his control was something special just because they Hi were Disney characters.” busy to work oi Yet Disney fans will be pleased to see While fans how well the Square team maintained the encounter 50! essence of each Disney world. Sure, there's А c a bigger story to be told, but within each area, the characters behave just like you'd expect them to: arts love on Just when you thought you mastered the controls for Kingdom Hearts, the game throws you for а loop by submerging you in Atlantica, where you have full freedom of 3D movement as you swim through the waters. It's a bit awkward until you get used to it—especially when battling baddies—but it also adds a different dynamic to the gameplay. Remember how we suggested you swap Donald out of your party early on? Well, from now on it's Goofy's turn to sit on the sidelines. Donald makes the perfect complement to Sora and Ariel for two reasons: He's much stronger now, and he's a magic-user, which is better for long-range attacks under water. But no matter whom you pick, you're gonna run into rough waters when you face the most sadistic boss battle in the game: Ursula. One hint: Focus on her cauldron. nat r shy about ext next for the franc! vould have lit 49 T Wn wt It's pretty early, but ve. "There's a lot tion right now as sely wi out graphic novel working cl our publishing Kingdon and char et creations might scon be out of his har ovie, hoping for son uel, Nomura tells my mind in any spec nything 't on othe shape or form yet." But d 4 at the € is Nomura says en. ("I'm drawing to a sequel, thoug nura pror video game h also means th any oth n any ci will just have to wait to find out where they'll next system, si sole ports. iri on their many advent can act out his own world-hoppi Mirage/N2 Toys’ line of Kingdom action figures. Set to hit stores shortly the game, these 10} ne in ling ESSENTIAL Disney DVD The Little Mermaid Before we had crushes on video- game characters, we had a thing for Ariel. Creepy, yes. But this whole film is just so adorable! Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine ED) (53) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine oulintendyto leave your finiend behind? Any lingering doubts about the coolness of this game will immediately be washed away the moment you enter Halloween Town and experience a Disney world like no other. Everyone— from Jack Skellington to his ghostly pet Zero to the two-faced Mayor to Lock, Shock and Barrel—is here, parading through an impressive re-creation of the movie's nightmarish world. You even get a chance to hitch a ride in that lumbering bathtub! Oh, and that inevitable show- down with Oogie Boogie? Magnificent. But there's some bad with the good: The camera is at its absolute worst here. Don't even think about locking on to the Heartless, because you'll get whipsawed around as you try to fol- low your foe. Still, if you can forgive the camera's tricks, you'll be in for a real treat. ESSENTIAL Disney DVD The Nightmare Before Christmas Even people who “hate” Disney love this deviously endearing movie. Undeniably cool, with stunning visuals. ASK THE KINGDOM HEARTS TEAM! Your questions, straight from the OPM message board, answered by the fine folks at Square Any personal favorite characters that the team particularly enjoys? —izmatt18 Jun Akiyama, event director, Square: My favorite world is Halloween Town from Nightmare Before Christmas. | was already a fan of the original story, and | was extremely excited when | realized | was able to walk around that world! But the most difficult char- acter was Genie from Aladdin. He's a very chatty and fast-talk- ing character, so | wanted to pro- vide tons of dialogue. However, when we actually had to create the events, | already saw myself having a hard time because of it. That was quite a dilemma. Tatsuya Kando, animation director, Square: Goofy was fun to work with.... Maybe that's because the character's per- sonality is much like mine. Tarzan and the Beast were difficult—with Tarzan, it was matching up his hair movement with that " of his body, and with Beast, it was the 7 movement of his cape. | assigned one ani- mator just to be in charge of the Beast's cape and its movement. Yuuichi Kanemori, battle director, Square: In terms of boss battle, | tend to like force- ful bosses such as Cerberus. Cloud and Sephiroth, both from Final Fantasy VII, are making cameo appearances, so | have very special feelings for them as well. Tetsuya Nomura, director and character designer, Square: In this game and in the films, it's different. Outside of Kingdom Hearts, my favorite is Simba from The Lion King and The Nightmare Before Christmas world and characters. In this game specifically, it's Donald and the Beast. The gameplay looks Zelda-inspired. What keeps it fresh and prevents it from turn- ing into a hack-'n'-slash? —shrina1020 Kanemori: The biggest feature is that the battle system merges the real-time game progression of an action game with the command/select style that's representative of RPGs. | think that this system success- fully combines both aspects—a well-paced game progression in real time and a multi- tude of action elements from the command selection. This takes on a very important part of the game structure, not just for the battles but also for the entire game. Why Haley Joel Osment? —oralb808 Nomura: Finding the right Japanese voic- es was a very extensive process, especially for Sora, Riku and Kairi, the main three characters. We had many, many auditions to find the perfect people to fit those three characters’ images. Even with some of the other characters, we looked for the perfect matches, and we would call back actors several times to read the lines again. For the U.S. version, even before the Japanese Sora was cast, | already had Haley Joel Osment in mind. | hoped he would play the role, and I’m very happy he has done it. For the other characters, it was more of matching up their voices to the Japanese voices—to be as similar and to be as close as they can in English to the Japanese voices. When foreign movies, especially Hollywood films, are shown in Japan, Japanese people can't really judge the skills of actors and actresses neverland OW. » Look, Ma—! can fly! And guess what? It makes battles even more fun! Neverland is a short level, but it's got some great melees in it. Still, like Monstro, this area is more about moving the story along than providing a deep gameplay experience. Be sure to use your newfound floating ability when you revisit past levels; you'll now be able to reach areas that were once beyond your grasp. ESSENTIAL Disney DVD: Peter Pan from the U.S. But his [Haley Joel Osment's] skills are very apparent; it's very clear that he's a very good actor. I'm a big fan of his work. What part wound up on the cutting-room floor that you most wanted to see make the game (character, level, gameplay idea, еїс.]? —ChronoSquall14 Nomura: A lot! In the very beginning, we were thinking about 30 worlds. In my min it's natural that you have a larger piece to work with, then go through the eliminatioi process. So 30 might sound like a lot, but you think about it, in the end, you really have to cut out a lot of things. If there was a small number from the very beginning, you never know how many worlds you'd end up with. One world we cut was Atlantis. It would have been a great opportunity to actually promote Atlantis itself. But the movie has a lot of vehicles, and we just have the Gummi Ship. So it wasn't really a good fit in this game, because it would only be to place those vehicles or robots and fight with them. There was no good con- nection to the other worlds, and the story just didn't fit that well. What was the thought behind bringing back Aeris? —childrenofbodom Nomura: Yes, she died in Final Fantasy VII, but there's no real relation to where she was at or what role she played in FFVII. There's no relationship from FFVI/ to the Kingdom Hearts sto- ries. | consider them sepa- rate stories. But if you play Kingdom Hearts, toward the end, some of the questions about the relationship between Cloud and Aeris in FFVII might be answered. It's sort of like a side story, and this was an extra bonus that | wanted to give to players. Were there any Final Fantasy characters that were going to be in the game but were scratched off? —tTthegrEenLeaF Nomura: The Final Fantasy characters weren't in place from the very beginning stages of the game's development. Rather, d, ме had open roles and we picked n whoever fits that if role in that par- ticular environ- ment. Even toward the end of development, certain characters were replaced because we didn’t think they fit the roles. Specifically, Wakka replaced Irvine and Yuffie replaced Rikku. Were there any ideas from Disney or Square that the other group didn’t agree with? —Dazz23 Akiyama: We had quite a bit of free- dom crafting the storyline by com- bining various worlds through a theme, but one rule we had to go by was that characters from indepen- dent stories do not cross over with each other—meaning Aladdin would not meet Tarzan. Within the game, each world is depicted like a planet floating in space and Aladdin would not travel with Tarzan (Goofy and Donald were the exceptions). However, there were a few ideas in the early scripts that got reject- ed—they all had to do with the “bathroom.” | don't think there were any other strict guidelines other than that. Nomura: | wanted to include Walt Disney in the game, but that got rejected! hollow bastion . ~ Like Destiny Island and Traverse Town, Hollow Bastion isn't based on any particular Disney world. In fact, it reminds us of some of those final dungeons in our favorite Final Fantasy games lis there a reason for that? Нгт...). Through sheer force of will, Beast shows up here on his hunt to find Belle. He's one tough, er, beast, so you'll be glad to team up with him here. ESSENTIAL Disney DVD: Beauty and the Beast Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (59 \\ REVIEWS GAMES REVIEWED PS2 Games PSone Games Antz Extreme Racing . 142 Armored Core 3 142 Dino Stalker . 142 Disney Golf 142 Dual Hearts . 146 Dynasty Tactics . Super Shot Soccer Egg Mania: Eggstreme Madness Ferrari F355 Challenge ... Gravity Games Bike: Street, Vert, Dirt .. Gungrave . Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer .. Kingdom Hearts Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Metropolismania Mobile Suit Gunda Federation vs. Zeon NCAA GameBreaker 2003 . NFL GameDay 2003 Ninja Assault Riding Spirits Road Trip . Tekken 4 .. Twisted Metal: Black Online ... THE FINAL SCORE We rate games on a five-point scale. So, .5 is terrible, 2.5 15 mediocre and 5 is superb. Get it? David Beckham Soccer ...151 Delta Force: Urban Warfare .151 JOHN DAVISON A month of upheaval for OPM this month as it relocates to SF. Two of our finest are sadly staying behind. They'll be missed enormously. CHRIS BAKER C-Bake enjoyed Dino Stalker this month as the mindless shooter it is—but that's probably only because this veloci- raptor ate his brain! GARY STEINMAN With all the decent roles already taken, Gary had to sneak a cameo appearance in Kingdom Hearts as a lowly Heartless Shadow critter. TODD ZUNIGA California dreamin’ is now a California reality for OPM's best-dressed editor {it's all in the wrist- band]. Now if he can only get the girl! Y JOE RYBICKI As most of the OPM staff relocates to San Fran, Joe's gonna miss Jim and Donna a lot. But he'll miss you most of all, Scarecrow. SAM KENNEDY Now that Todd's moved over to OPM's SF office, Sam's done what any sane person would do: grabbed himself the far win- dow cube. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine b- E DLL Fire Blizzard S ey k , омат KINGDOM HEARTS _ Dj наад The wonderful world of Disney and Square Publisher Square EA Developer Square Web Site www.kingdomhearts.com et's assume for a second 1“ you're not a Disney fan. That you can’t stomach Disney. Heck, you despise Disney! Or let's say you couldn't care less about Square. Final Fantasy don't mean jack to you. And as for RPGs in general? Blech! Fine. But guess what? Which- ever camp you fall into, you're still gonna fall in love with this game. | know | did. Now, granted, I’m a big FF fan. “This is the closest I've ever seen. when | finally finished the game some 40 hours later, all | could remember is how much fun | had. From its very first moments, Kingdom Hearts will grab you— and it won't let go until well after you've beaten it. The game is а remarkable achievement in pac- ing, especially when it comes to the story. Sure, І could often guess what was lurking around the next corner; after all, the game is rooted in familiar Disney worlds. | knew, for example, that Clayton was a vicious predator driven by horrible intentions. | a 3D game come to mirroring the majesty of 2D animation.” And | love RPGs. But until recent- ly, | was as indifferent to Disney as | am to tuna on rye (а decent sandwich, sure, but nothing I'd go out of my way to munch оп). Then along came Kingdom Hearts, and everything changed. I've gone from snubbing most Disney releases to owning a „ dozen Disney DVDs—and that's just the start of my growing col- lection. I've seen the light—l'm now a dedicated Disney devotee. Kingdom Hearts is also so good that | had to rifle through my notes to remember the problems | encountered. Yes, it's far from perfect. For one thing, it's got an utterly evil camera, one that sometimes swings wildly out of control, wreaking havoc and obscuring my vision at the worst possible times. The combat also suffers from its share of woes. Yet despite these shortcomings, knew that Ursula was after King Triton’s power and that she'd use sweet Ariel as a pawn in her per- fidious plans. | even knew I'd end up facing both of them at the end AE: Magic Items pected turn, but because it took of their respective levels, in heat- ed boss battles that had me grip- ' ping the controller as | bashed _ away, barely making it out of there alive. Yet | was still sur- prised every step of the way—ni because the story took an unex- that familiar turn:so darn well. It proves the old adage that it's not the story itself, but how you геі that matters. I'd sometimes mar- vel at the fact that Square got nine Disney worlds, more than 100 Disney characters, and a heaping helping of Final Fantasy cameos to work together in telling a larger tale. The whole МАЦ connenn Attack Magic Items thing sticks together tighter than a Pooh bear to a pot of honey. Some of this can be attributed to the choice of characters: Each Disney world is either so classic as to be deeply ingrained in our collective pop-culture psyche, or new enough that even if you didn't see the film, you're already famil- iar with these characters through all the commercials, the Happy Meals, the toys, the TV spinoffs and countless other tie-ins. The graphics also help keep things tight. From the deserts of Agrabah to the burial grounds of Halloween Town, all the back- drops are picture-perfect. More impressive, though, is the way that everything moves. Once you see Sora, Donald, Goofy—and all the other Disney and Square stars—strut their stuff, you can't help but believe they all belong exactly where they are, despite the vast differences between all the settings. Simply said, this is the closest I've ever seen a 3D game come to mirroring the majesty of 2D animation. Rounding out the presentation is the voice-acting. Haley Joel Osment shines as Sora by bring- ing something that’s in short sup- ply in video games: naturalness. He sounds like a real boy really living through these situations. The same can be said for the parts played by the other stars, includ- ing a handful of big names who reprise some of their movie roles (my favorite being James Woods as Hercules Hades). And then, of course, there’s the Final Fantasy connection. While Ta ENT = $ 7 $ Kingdom Hearts features less than a dozen FF cameos, they're wonderfully placed in the story and the action. The first time you enter Traverse Town, you're likely to be overcome with giddiness as you stumble into a Moogle, bump into Yuffie or espy Aerith. Square threw in tons of details that FF fans will appreciate—but it’s done in a way that won't be off- putting to anyone who hasn't played a Final Fantasy. One of my favorite examples: Leon (a.k.a. Squall) is just as moody and bel- ligerent as ever, but he’s also got Fè; 2^. | 229 “$ 5 NA ы м, sai Now, go! ® The Heartless are coming! utterly unique action/combat sys- tem. Everything is rooted in real time, but there's a catch: "Every- thing" includes the menu-driven commands as well. So while you're jamming on the X button to attack, tapping the O button to leap out of the way, or smacking the Square button to dodge, you also have to pull up menus with- out pausing the action to cast spells, call forth summons, use items, or unleash special attacks. Sounds confusing, but it works like a charm, adding lots of depth to what would otherwise be a “Think this is just kid's stuff? Well, think again, because you will get your ass handed to you.” a soft spot, which manifests itself in a touching moment when Yuffie asks Sora to track down the miss- ing 99 dalmatian puppies scat- tered throughout the worlds. “Squall can't stop worrying about them,” she says as he stands by silently moping. Awww. How sweet. But lest you think Squall’s gone completely soft, wait ‘til you face him in battle. And did | men- tion you also get to fight Cloud? And Yuffie? And even Sephiroth?! Speaking of battles, let's get something straight here: You will die. You will die a lot. Think this is just kid's stuff? Well, think again, because you will get your ass handed to you. But you'll also have a grand time, even in defeat, thanks to the basic hack-'n'-slash setup. Sure, it's frustrating to get whacked while you're trying to pull a Potion out of your stock, and battles do get repetitive at times, but this system gives you so many differ- ent ways to defeat your foes that you might find yourself picking fights just to try things out. Best yet, Kingdom Hearts features more thrilling boss battles per square inch than any action/RPG in recent history. The battle system does have its share of flaws, though. My biggest gripe early on was the A.I. for Donald and Goofy. My two companions never seemed to be in the right place at the right times. They also had an annoying tendency to use up any items in their possession, depleting my precious stock of Ethers and Potions far too often. What's more, you can only fiddle with their А.І. when you're not in com- bat, so if you wander into a brawl without your settings optimized, you can't do а thing about it. | often wished | could pause the action and, like an officer com- LOCK Ons manding his troops, tell my two pals to try a different tack. But notice | said, “early on,” as midway through the game | finally found the perfect settings for Donald and Goofy. Even cooler, they actually seemed to learn how to fight better as time went on! The other big problem is the camera, which sometimes drove me up the wall during combat. (It also acts up at other points, but it didn’t bug me all that much.) Yet there's a serviceable solution here: Don't lock on. Since the Heartless tend to jump about, when you lock on to one of them, the camera whipsaws around as it tries to follow your foe. But if you just let yourself naturally target the nearest baddie, you'll be fine most of the time. Granted, there were still some areas where I'd have to blindly bash away at a swarm of Heartless, but during those moments I'd often focus on my health meter and just go at it like a madman. Sure, it's not the best prescription for fun, but it's still enjoyable in moderate doses. Now, though these flaws are all very real, keep in mind that I had to consult my notes to remember them. After | beat the game, all | felt was an immense satisfaction. АЦ | could think about was how much fun | had exploring the different Disney worlds, how captivated | was by the story, how lost | got in the endless array of extra options and delightful diversions. And most of all, how much | loved the game's “final chapter” —which was риге Final Fantasy, thanks to its maze- like dungeons and marathon of mind-blowing boss battles. One thing's for sure: Kingdom Hearts is incredible enough to convince a doubter like me to eagerly enter Disney's Magical Kingdom and never look back. And once there, | experienced the best revelation yet: It's a Square world after all. Final Score X X X 4 Gary Steinman EN Players: 1 1 Memory Card: 128 KB TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL? It's inevitable. No matter what we say, some of you will still think Kingdom Hearts isn't "hardcore enough." So for all you tough-guy types, here's a few challenges. Let's see if you're man enough to pull off any of these... 1. Beat the game with every- thing completed—all tournaments at Olympus Coliseum, all Trinities unlocked, all Dalmatians found, all Keyblades acquired—in under 25 hours. 2. Play through the game on Expert mode without dying once. 3. Beat Sephiroth on your first try. 4. And the toughest one: Play the game without ever enjoying it. Antz Racing Antz Extreme Racing Publisher Empire Interactive Developer LSP Web Site us.empireinteractive.com Believe it or not, | actually consider myself an Antz fan. Sure, it easily gets lost in the shuffle of the Shreks and Pixar movies out there, but | still think it's a great flick. Is it worth resurrecting three years later as a kart-style racing game, though? Nope. Antz Extreme Racing isn't a "true" kart racer in that only about half of the action takes place in vehicles. Other times you're riding the backs of bugs (both on land and in the air), flat-out running, or being “extreme” on the back of a leafboard. Through it all, you can pick up power-ups that help you speed up or take out opponents. Yes, you've seen it all before— but there's something considerably less exciting about this particular title. For one thing, for such an "extreme" game as this, no real attitude is portrayed; Z and pals just kind of race along without get- ting angry or showing any type of emotion. They don't even talk. It would have been nice to at least hear soundalikes of Woody Allen, Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone, but | guess Empire is just too cheap to even go that far [per- haps they're counting on this game not selling and don't wish any fur- ther expenses than necessary]. And what's with that music? It belongs on that Pure Moods CD advertised on TV a few years back, not in a racing game. It only man- ages to enhance the yawns. Final Score @ € Chris Baker Player: 4 Memory Card: 81 KB Armored Core 3 Publisher Agetec Developer From Software Web Site www.agetec.com One of my biggest complaints with the Armored Core series has always been its lack of innovation. Let's face it, very little has changed here since the early installments. And while From Software seems to have a formula that works (the hardcore fans just eat these games up], | was really hoping to see something new with part 3. Alas, this is not the case, but | will say this: Armored Core 315 the best Armored Core yet. Missions are easily some of my favorite in the series, the Arena mode is great (with over 70 com- batants), the Mail mode is back, and the weapon/parts system is totally balanced now. It also looks and sounds better than ever. The CG intro movie is astounding and the in-game graphics even improve upon AC2s. Sound is also kicked up a notch with the use of Dolby Pro Logic Il throughout the game. Armored Core 3 did have a cou- ple of pleasant surprises, too, my favorite being new optional com- puter-controlled wingmen for cer- tain areas. The game also allows you to play both missions and all- out Versus battles with four play- ers, provided you have two PS2s, two TVs and an iLink cable. And with some solid difficulty, loads of missions and hundreds of parts to acquire, AC3 can keep you busy for weeks. If you've been at all curious about the series in the past, now's the time to check it out. Final Score @ e © 4 Sam Kennedy Players: Memory Card: 89 KB Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine AES as... Dino Stalker Dino Stalker Dino Stalker Publisher Capcom Developer Capcom Web Site www.capcom.com Just thinking about Dino Stalker makes my right thumb hurt. | wouldn't normally say that's a good thing, but when you consider the reasons behind the pain in my opposable appendage, I'll make an exception. Stalker is the most innovative light-gun game in years, for better—and for worse. Granted, only four other games exist right now for your GunCon2 shooting pleasure [Time Crisis Il, Vampire Night, Ninja Assault and Endgame), but none has come close to utilizing the full capabili- ties of Namco's blindingly orange shooting peripheral as well as Stalker. In many ways, in fact, the game takes the first-person- shooter genre and makes a light- gun game out of it, as you move about freely with the D-pad on the back of the GunConz2. Hit the side buttons individually to strafe or at the same time for Sniper mode (quite useless, honestly], use the bottom button to change weapons, and shoot off screen to reload. It takes a little getting used to, but it does work rather well. Until it inflicts physical pain, that is. In order to move around as you hold the gun in a manner ready to blast away raptors, ptera- nodons and other prehistoric car- nivores, you have no choice but to hold your thumb in an unnatural 90-degree bend for prolonged lengths of time. This doesn't feel good after a while, and it might even affect your control. You know what, though? I enjoyed the fast pace and semi- intriguing side story to Dino Crisis 2 so much [a light-gun game with a plot and decent voice acting?! No way!) that it didn't take too long to forget about not only my ailing thumb, but also my slowly fatigu- ing arm. | did manage to play through Stalker's seven stages in about two hours, but | only stayed with the game for such a continu- ous single stint because | loved its variety. FPS-like levels transition to the likes of a speedy raft ride and a frenetic jeep level. You're never sure what to expect next. If you're GunCon2-less, though, forget about it. A con- troller only makes this a subpar FPS, and an original GunCon isn't even compatible. Rent Time Crisis Il with this, however, and you're definitely in for a treat. Final Score @ e 64 Chris Baker Players: 1 Memory Card: 142 KB Disney Golf Publisher EA Games Developer T&E Soft Web Site www.ea.com What a pleasant surprise. Here | was, expecting a throwaway, licensed, kiddie rehash of the mediocre Swing Away Golf, and Disney Golf turned out to be an astonishingly solid golf title for all ages. This game's got enough depth to satisfy all but the most sim-happy golf gamer, and yet a shallow enough learning curve that а 5-year-old can pick it up easily. The key to Disney Golfs acces- sibility is the inclusion of “Kids” characters. These special golfers can be chosen before a match to allow less-experienced players a fighting chance against Hot Shots veterans. When using these char- acters, players have only to tap the button once for power—instead of once for power and once for "impact"—so it makes for a much simpler game for that player. What's more surprising, given the kiddie theme, is the amount of strategy. Before each match, you choose up to five different "effects": power-ups for your own character or penalties to inflict on other golfers. Deciding when and where to use these items adds a whole other layer to the game; if you thought heckling your oppo- nents was fun in Hot Shots, try randomizing their club selections or messing with their shot meters. While the game could use some tweaks in its drawn-out presenta- tion, the fundamentals are all sur- prisingly solid. It's worth a look. Final Score Joe Rybicki Players: + VIDEO GAMIE F AS-BEETIS $ — = ВЕ 1 ANEW BAD BOY. GIVING THE FINGER: TO LAME « IT'S û FIGHE rOR FREEDOM. AND 1 1 POR RE noe! 3 FEATURING t EVIL PORNS AS THE LIGHT OF DAY WANES! vexxtHEGamE.com TEEN Ж 7. Violence 2X PlayStati 2 © AKI = ы xa0x | ayotation AMEE SS AAGiaim ESRB Vexx™ and Acclaim ® & © 2002 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Acclaim Studios Austin. All Rights Reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsott, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. TM, © and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. Screens shown were taken from the Xbox version of the video game. TEKKEN 4 No longer the king of fighters. What happened? Publisher Namco Developer Namco Web Site www.namco.com he Tekken series is pretty T» responsible for getting me into fighting games. Although I'd dabbled in various forms of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat on various systems, it wasn't until the first Tekken that 1 really got hooked. Maybe I'm a sucker for the whole 3D thing, but I've really enjoyed every Tekken so far. Even the PS2 launch game, Tekken Tag Tournament, which was seemingly universally ridiculed, seemed like a reason- ably OK experience to me. Does that mean I'm not hardcore? Do | look like | care? Of course, a few short months ago, everything changed. The sworn enemy of Tekken, Virtua Fighter, emerged on the PS2 and turned everything upside down. Sega had produced something that was, without any question, the best fighting game ever made. With the gauntlet well and truly laid down, the team at Namco has had their work cut out for them. So have they managed to parry the challenge from Suzuki and Co. at Sega? In a word: no. 1 was of two minds as to selection of characters and a vari- ety of challenges to keep you busy. While VF4 pushed gameplay boundaries with the “dress me up Barbie" features and A.l. clever- ness, Tekken 4 doesn't really push things all that far beyond its pre- decessor on PSone. Obviously, the graphics are stunning. The character models “So have they managed to parry the challenge from Suzuki and Co. at Sega? In a word: no.” whether it was appropriate to spend a lot of this review compar- ing T4 and VFZ, but given that they really are direct competitors, it would seem foolish not to. Both have a lot in common, and not just the “4” in their names. Both fea- ture gorgeous graphics, a strong mS PL HL mM i 3 di are wonderful; and the environ- ments, which are enclosed and full of obstructions for the first time, are spectacular. If the series is making any steps in a new direc- tion, I'd have to say that things seem to be evolving in a dis- turbingly Dead or Alive kind of way. The enclosed environments, the short, sharp fights, the steep difficulty curve as you work through a tournament—all that's missing are the bouncing boobies, The team behind Tekken has always been very big on establish- ing the back story to the whole “Iron Fist Tournament” and in 74, it's more apparent than ever. A FOUR COMPLETELY RANDOM THINGS ABOUT TEKKEN 4 TEKKEN FORCE: A GAME WITHIN A GAME OR A WASTE OF TIME? Much as it's weird to see myself write | this, it's a bit like Core's Fighting ај Force on PSone, only done properly. The word “chicken” sounds just like “Tekken” when growled. Compared to other games with their roots deep in Final Fight terri- tory, Tekken Force has a much more complete fighting engine and features “real” fights when you reach the boss at the end of each stage. You need a fairly high boredom threshold. Although it starts off . Kazuya is a badass with some huge scars. Chicks dig scars. . As with VF4, there's a big difference between playing the game with a joypad and playing with a fighting stick. We recommend the InterAct Shadowblade. . Despite a lot of the zanier stuff from previous Tekkens (like wooden Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine robots) being removed, there's still some weird stuff. Kuma the bear seems more out of place than ever. . The Tekken chicks are arguably much hotter than the VF girls...especially J.Lo look- alike Christie and geek-chic Julia (right). well, after a while you realize it's basically an extremely repetitive experience. web of deceit, deception, nepo- tism, soap opera-like shenanigans and tomfoolery attempts to explain why the disparate band of individu- als are hell-bent on beating the crap out of each other, but ulti- mately it is actually quite irrele- vant. The fact that it’s so spectac- ularly complicated now only serves to make you tune out and hit the “skip” button when the styl- ized, hand-drawn images pop up to tell their grisly tale. As with Tekken 3, the usual set of predictable gameplay modes are supplemented with a com- pletely separate Final Fight-style (for want of a better description) game called Tekken Force that has you running along and beating up armies of bad guys. The mode very ably replicates the moves from the arena-based gameplay but places the action іп а more action-style environment. It adds some length to the amount of time you can spend with Т4, but it's hardly the greatest thing ever. Much was made of the mode when the game was being previewed, but now that I've spent some time with it, | have to say it's not exactly La Aul 4 7 N fabulous. It's also exceptionally tough. As you can probably tell from the veritable outpouring of ambivalence in this review, I'm not exactly declaring this as Namco's finest hour. l'm certainly whelmed by 74, but neither under nor over, which is a pretty sad state of affairs given that the fran- chise was once the toast of all things PlayStation. Maybe VF4 spoiled things for us all, but there's no arguing that the bar was raised back in March, and Tekken 4 has failed to jump over it. Let's hope Soul Calibur 2 does the trick. Final Score II II John Davison he Players: 1-2 a Memory Card: 69 KB ШЕРИАТ ДИНЕ ЕЕ MMM je MƏ awe SOWA WINN FHL IMPS. VVINVY Dual Hearts Dual Hearts Publisher Atlus Developer Matrix Software Web Site www.atlus.com If y und this month's other "heart" game to be far too pre- cious for your tastes, then you're gonna recoil with horror from the cringe-worthy cuteness of Atlus’ latest action/RPG. Now, for me, the look and style of Dual Hearts is just peachy. See, I'm confident enough in my man- hood to enjoy something as whim- sical as this. In fact, | really dig the style of this game, which is as dif- ferent from Kingdom Hearts as it comes. Sure, both are as adorable as a basket of puppies snuggling with a litter of kittens. But Dual Hearts, with its roots in anime, 15 profoundly Japanese while Disney is uniquely American. Which gives all you hardcore types some lee- way in being "allowed" to like aaa Ug Dual Hearts something this cute. Just don't expect the graphics to be all that astounding. Despite a well-realized style and well-drawn | characters, the graphics are bare- | ly passable for the PS2. Every- ng looks like a high-res ver- | sion of what the PSone used to put out. Granted, most people don't play RPGs for the graphics alone, but it's a bit disappointing. Don't expect much of a revolu- tion in terms of gameplay, either. Dual Hearts is as old-school as it gets. The puzzles are of the variety that we've long been accustomed to: Move this block, push that | lever, trigger this switch, and so on. Same goes for the combat, | with the standard array of ene- mies that pop on screen along with a boss to cap off every level. Yet Dual Hearts offers more than the sum of its seemingly | meager parts. First off, it's just plain wacky. The whole premise— you enter others' dreams to find important items—extends all the way to exploring a dog's mind, where you hunt for meat while the pooch tries to sleep. And then there's your sidekick, a klutzy pig- like creature who provides plenty | of comic relief; he also adds a host | of extra skills and abi ies to the gameplay, since the two of you | have to team up to complete the | levels. Dual Hearts also has tons of customizable elements, though | the menu system is kinda clunky. It's not the most memorable experience—but if you're a fan of these kinds of games, you're in for | a lighthearted, enjoyable romp. Final Score @ e € | Gary Steinman Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine p Е Eggmania | Egg Mania: Eggstreme Madness Publisher Kemco Developer HotGen Web Site www.kemco-games.com I've said it before, and it looks like ГЦ have to say it again: The more complex a puzzle game is, the less | addictive it is. And when it comes to puzzle games, "addictive" equals "good." That's not to say that Egg Mania is bad.... It's really just a solidly mediocre game that's got too much going on for its own good. You control an egg-shaped character that must work its way up to a balloon by fitting blocks into a tower, Tetris-style. But you have to be careful to maintain a solid structure, or else it will col- lapse upon itself. And the pieces don't just fall into place—you actu- ally have to jump up and manually | place them where you want them. | Meanwhile, you're bombarded with | bombs and hammers from your opponent and various environmen- | tal hazards [like missiles, dragons or devils, depending on the theme of the level]. Occasionally, you're rewarded with trowels (which fill miscellaneous empty spaces] and | high-jump boots. Sound like there's a lot going | on? There is—and it's too mu you ask me. As far as l'm con- cerned, if your puzzle game requires the use of more than two buttons, there's a problem. (| sup- pose all the clutter could explain the oddly long load times, but that's no excuse on either score.) It's a rental, and not much more. Final Score @@@ Joe Rybicki Players: 1-2 = Memory Card: 64 КВ DYNASTY | TACTICS 4 The best Three Kingdoms game ever += Publisher Koei Developer Koei Web Site www.koeigames.com hese are the words of a very Ti: man. Lack of sleep tends to have that effect, and one particular thing has been keeping me up hours past my bedtime of late—a little tactical strategy game called Dynasty Tactics. Of the 100-plus titles I've reviewed as an OPM critic, none has ever turned me into such an addict—and I've got the blood- shot eyes to prove it. DT takes all the core elements that made classics like Final Fantasy Tactics and Ogre Battle 50 great, and adds enough sub- tleties and downright great ideas to make a serious bid for that “classic” dubbing itself. For one thing, turn-based strategy has never been treated in such a way as in DT. In other games, the sequential movement of each unit remains exactly the same from the beginning of a battle to its end. Each turn in DT differs in order, however, as the units move depending on their morale. As the battle goes on, of course, success or defeat in bat- tle can drastically alter such sequence of progression. Keeping the order of move- ments in mind proves imperative for DTs most impressive innova- tion: Tactical Combos. Each unit on the field holds a certain num- ber of Tactics like Revive [increase morale) or Charge (а powerful attack), which you might compare to magic in similar, more fantasy-based examples of the genre. When positioned prop- erly, you can arrange to have the Tactic of one ally ignite the Tactic of another...which might in turn start up another ally's Tactic. The higher an offensive combo goes, the more damage it does, which can lead to some total devasta- tion. When Joe played me ina two-player game (yes, you can go head-to-head in this tactics — title!), his three-combo Fire Attack obliterated a large chunk of my force and was the key to his upset victory. And my six-combo, 31,000-troop-defeating Pincer attack in one battle will long go down in my personal annals of most gratifying gaming moments. But it's not all on-field heroics. that make DT so great. | found myself just as rapt in the action on the map screen, deciding what my next move should be. Your decisions actually affect the 3 path of the story, which expands in many different ways. And remember, you've got three king- doms to play as, so if you want to open up every scenario, you'll have to play for several hundred hours. No joke. (Luckily, it only takes 25 hours to play through once as а single kingdom.) At the same time, it's fun to send out envoys to recruit new generals, negotiate treaties, and spy on the enemy. | only wish the map weren't so constricting: For the most part, you can move about just fine, but sometimes an army's desired path is blocked just because the game doesn’t want you to go that way. Obviously, as the first real PS2 tactical strategy game (Ring of yore Red doesn't count), DT does a great job of showing what the genre is capable of on a next- tions betw ting an action ani with K like to h seeing it performed motion-video ‹ the one to begin t ле rest all assume the 5 picture llowed depending on battle—but do afte le. By DT soundtrack v tomized” to include Ве Kweller, Bruce Springsteen and Local H. Perhaps the biggest flaw most ethnocentric American gamers will find with DTis the absolute onslaught of Chinese hrows at you. Having od bit of Dyn. but it tirr 5 actually inform point that "Xun Yu h one named Xun Yo ctually quite interesting ll decide a different history maybe someday Koei зигсе material. Perhaps ething in utionary or Civil War? Oh lving the can dream, righ (Well, may involves thing I don't plan on getting much of anytime soon.) Final Score @ LII Chris Baker or | Players: 1-2 Memory Card: 188 KB oon E" Ferrari F355 Challenge Ferrari F355 Challenge Publisher Sega Developer Am2 Web Site www.sega.com First it was a so-so arcade machine, then it was a so-so Dreamcast game. Guess what? Now it's a so-so PS2 game too. Unless you salivate uncontrollably at the merest mention of what is arguably the prettiest Ferrari ever made, | can see very few redeem- ing qualities to F355. Ultimately, it's just boring...but before reaching that particular conclusion, you are subjected to a broad range of emo- tions in a very short space of time, which I will outline here. First: eager anticipation. It's a Suzuki game, and VF4 was his baby, so I’m excited as to what he can do with my favorite genre of gaming. Second: mild surprise. As the flanged power chords and over- processed widdly-diddly guitar solos blast from my speakers, l'm as surprised as ever that our Japanese friends completely failed to notice that music continued to evolve beyond 1986. Third: envy. The F355 really is a nice car. If | were very rich, I'd like one very much. Fourth: surprise again. The F355 is a pretty car, but it looks stupid when they stick a dirty- great-big fin on the back and slap stickers all over it. Why can't | just drive a clean one? It looks much nicer. Fifth: intrigue. Every car on the track is exactly the same, only they're different colors. Sixth: elation. | finished my first lap ahead of the pack. The car sounds fabulous, especially when you ease off the gas and hear it pop and crackle as it cools down from redline. Seventh: mounting frustration. That first lap was a fluke, I'm now struggling with the controls a bit, and | keep dropping two gears instead of one on the paddle shift. Does the real car do that? Eighth: full-on frustration. | keep messing things up, and it doesn't feel like it's my fault. Ninth: frustration morphing into boredom. | have no inclination to continue with what is, essential- ly, NASCAR [the most boring motor sport in the world] with Ferraris. Tenth: full unadulterated bore- dom. | love cars, | love racing games, but this relationship isn't working. The game's “quick-fix” arcade roots are too obvious. Final Score ee John Davison Gravity Games Bike: Street, Vert, Dirt Publisher Midway Developer Midway Web Site www.midway.com I just threw up. Rather, | just played Street, Vert, Dirt (couldn't they have added "flatus" as the fourth bit of the title?) and it made me throw up. In the ongoing com- petition for the PS2's worst title, this game undershines them all! | shouldn't be so harsh. This apparently is the first PS2 title designed and developed with no consideration for enjoyment. I'll commend the folks behind it for their ability to think outside of the box. "Screw boundaries," seems to be the order of the day. An order that allows you to ride your bike right through a wall or find a gap- ing hole in the ground that you Gravity Games can't actually see! Now that's thinking outside the box. What else does the game accomplish? Very little! Though it does feature a camera that makes it look and feel like you're being dragged on a leash 15 feet behind your bike. Which is to say, the camera work is even more outside of the box than the levels filled with insubstantial objects. The folks who made this seemed to think your kitchen table was wobbly and needed a slim disc to fix the problem. They're that outside the box. Sometimes, games can be so bad they're funny. Spending 50 bones on this game is not, though. Rent it for a laugh. Final Score € Todd Zuniga Card: 43 KB Gungrave Publisher Sega Developer Red Company/Sega Web Site www.sega.com | live for games like this. Gungrave is all about shooting action— there's no thought involved what- soever. No puzzles, no platform jumping, just simple, mindless shooting. And | love that. It's also dripping with style. From the incredible digitally animated cine- mas to the almost-cel-shaded visuals, Gungrave is a feast for the eyes. It also screams cool: the main character Beyond the Grave is the biggest badass since Dante. It's just such a shame that, after a little while of play, all that flashi- ness starts to wear off and the realization starts to set in that this game is painfully slow, not to men- tion repetitive as all hell. Gungrave There's very little here to mix up the action—no other weapons to use, not much variety to ene- mies, no innocent bystanders to be aware of, and no gameplay twists at all. It's also quite short—most gamers should be able to make it through the entire thing in about an hour or two [partially due to the fact there are unlimited continues, but also because it's rather easy]. Well, there's actually a little more depth than I've let on so far, it's just that it's more of a volun- tary depth—and something | fear most people will overlook. For example, there’s a combo system in place that rewards skillful shooting of enemies and objects, but it’s nothing necessary to the game's completion. In addition, there's a shade of strategy in suc- cessfully managing your shield meter, but given the straightfor- ward nature of the game, it's unlikely most will even notice this. Fact is, most people will dis- miss Gungrave as shallow and not worth their time. Not me, though. | love this game despite its short- comings in the gameplay depart- ment. | love its style. | love the way your bullets shred just about everything in the game to bits. | love the super attacks and the fancy effects. | love the tiny details, such as the little trails of mist that rise off the massive pillars in the last level. I just love the game. But do | love it enough to rec- ommend plunking down 50 bucks for it? Not unless you're a hard- core shooting fan. A rental is prob- ably in order for most here. Final Score © Ө @@ Sam Kennedy Players: 1 Memory 9 КВ Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine oh Semmens | a, “Ж Kelly Slater Kelly Slater Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer Publisher Activision Developer Treyarch Web Site www.activision.com If there's one thing that really sets Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer apart from Sunny Garcia or Transworld Surf, it's that it takes extra-special care to really represent the cul- ture and Lifestyle of surfing. And as someone who's never surfed in real life (but would love to], this couldn't be more welcome. While the other surfing titles may show flashy clips of guys catching major waves, Kelly Slater's audio and video segments really give you insight into the intricacies of the sport. It's all well-done and really gets you excited to play. I also must commend Activision for its choices for musical accom- paniment. | totally expected an: er extreme-sports title filled with grating punk tunes, but here we get some chill background music that totally fits the bill. It's just that unfortunately, Kelly Slater falls into the same trap as Garcia and Transworld in that it's a very well-done surfing game...but 's only that: a surfing game. Since all of the action is confined to waves, there's just not as much excitement here as your typical Tony Hawk or Dave Mirra. Still, of the bunch, Kelly Slater's got the most fun gameplay, as it has the most tricks and they're the easiest to pull off here [sometimes the game is almost too forgiving). Transworld may edge it out in terms of graphics, but Kelly Slater is the overall PS2 surfing champ. Final Score Ө © @@ Sam Kennedy Memory Card: 205 KB Marvel vs. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Publisher Capcom Developer Capcom Web Site www.capcom.com Why Capcom waited this long to port this over to the PS2 is beyond me [it hit arcades and the Dreamcast two years адо!), but I'm glad they have. Why? Because this is hands-down one of the coolest fighters from the company. You're able to pit all sorts of Marvel char- acters, from Spider-Man to the Hulk, against well-known Capcom characters, ranging from Resident Evil's Jill Valentine to even the classic Strider Hiryu. The charac- ter offering is simply too cool (56 in all) and this keeps the game fresh even today. It's also still surprising to see how much else Capcom was able to cram into this game. Matches feature three-on-three fighting, and you're able to swap between characters on-the-fly. The fact that there's no loading whatsoever between character swaps is impressive, but especially so when you factor in all of the insane spe- cial moves and tag-team combos these characters can pull off. The amount of animation that will fill your screen in a single match alone will no doubt have you gap- ing in disbelief. Unfortunately, some of the basic character animations seem to have been trimmed back a tad (compared to other Street Fighter games] to make room for all of the flashy stuff, but it's still impressive overall. If only Capcom were able to bring its character sprites up to a 640 x 480 resolution—as in Capcom vs. SNK 2, a lot of the characters look extremely pixellat- ed when set against the stunning 3D backdrops. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Capcom 2 As for the gameplay, think Street Fighter but absolutely off the hook. Battles are simply insane, with super moves that lit- erally fill the screen with effects. It's over-the-top for sure, but surprisingly playable, and even possible to effectively master. If there's any downside to the game, aside from the pixelly char- acters, it's the completely fruity music. | really don’t know what Capcom was on when they let a lot of this stuff slide. It’s not all awful, just incredibly odd for a fighter. If you're a fighting-game fan and you haven't already played the Dreamcast version, check this out. With all of its great characters, you'll be entertained for ages. Final Score @@@@ Sam Kennedy Players: 1-2 Memory Card: 57 KB Marvel vs. Capcom 2 On the comeback trail Publisher Sony CEA Developer 989 Sports Web Site www.989sports.com or two years, GameDay has Fe the PS2 sports door- mat—heck, it's been the PS2 game doormat. In two years, the franchise has taken baby steps to go from despicable to almost barely but not-quite playable. These last two GameDay years have been a great source for folly and laugh- ter, much like the dismal Detroit Lions. But there's nothing funny about being this bad three years in a row. Which is why 989 did everything they could to make not only a playable version of their game, but a game worth playing. Anyone who knows the NFL knows that everything can turn around in one season, regardless of what horrors lay in a fran- chise’s grizzled past. Look at the Chicago Bears of 2001. It seems like the brains at GameDay used the Bears’ blueprint for inspira- tion. OK, so it’s better. A lot better. Infinitely better, in fact. But realistically, it’s not a Madden- beater. It’s not even a runner-up (NFL 2КЗ carries that distinc- tion). But the turnaround is worth giving into, even if it's just for a rental. It gingerly places GameDay back on the football video-game map. The ultimate key to GameDay, which gives it hope, is that there has obviously been a great effort to alleviate the silliness (also known as sloppiness). It’s gone. There's no more watching the ball shoot out of the back of the QB's hand. Nor are there ridicu- lous moments when players slide 15 yards after a dive. Also, the football itself no longer looks like it fell from a rabbit's back- side. The whole game is cleaner and neater. But while being cleaner and neater, it’s still a football game. Football is complex, and when you've dropped this far behind the Madden-set curve, there's going to be a period where you're strictly playing catch-up (ask the ambitious minds of NFL 2K3 who started on the Dreamcast). The game's biggest flaw is а facet | anticipated would be its great gift: defense. The players slide when you're strafing left and right without lifting their feet, but the real problem is that they feel like they're sliding when you're trying to get into position to lay the wood to some runaway-train halfback. I feel completely out of control—to the point where І feel like there is no defense. There's rarely an interception and the cornerbacks don't bother batting down passes {a bat-down button, like in ў Madden. would be a huge help). While the tackles look bitchin’, | don't really feel like I’m in control. | don't feel like I'm laying the smack on some receiver with his head down. It feels like the game is doing it for me. An oddity within all this? There are too few big plays. Even though you can earn first down after first down, it never seems like you're breaking off consistent 40-yard plays. So it’s a bend-not-break style of defense you'll have to contend with. Offense, on the other hand, is a riot. The run game is a hoot if you like terrorizing d-lines. But | feel like that's a product of the CPU having a tough time playing defense, too. As for the big pluses, the Franchise mode is sweet and the stat-tracking is well beyond any- thing that the other games are doing. The online, too, is a big plus. Very smooth, very fast, and lots of stats for the mathemati- cian types. But I'd love to see more creative playbooks and tighter A.l. This game has a long road ahead, but its come a long way. There’s now a sense of pride and direction with this title. But when it's all said and done, it comes down to this: GameDay Ваз earned my respect, but Madden has earned my $50. Final Score 4 Todd Zuniga Players: 1-8 Memory Card: 270 MB Metropolismania Metropolismania Publisher Natsume Developer Media Factory Web Site www.natsume.com Ever wondered what you'd get if you crossed SimCity with Dark Cloud? Well, wonder no more— Metropolismania is here. It's a pretty interesting concept, marrying the city-building and management elements of SimCity with the personal interaction and attention to detail of the "geora- ma" segments of Dark Cloud. Your job is to construct the loose frame- work of a city, and then find people to live there. You start off with a small collection of prospective ten- ants [not to mention a pimptastic yellow suit]; in order to build up your city, you'll need to earn the friendship of the newcomers so that they can introduce you to other prospective tenants. It goes beyond that, of course: You also need to make sure per- sonal demands are met (things like the need for playgrounds, schools, family-friendly restaurants and the like), or you start to lose tenants. Like | said, it's an interesting concept, especially for those look- ing for a new twist on the “god- game" concept. The trouble is pri- marily the interface: It's extremely awkward, and once you get beyond a couple blocks' worth of homes, you're going to start having issues trying to keep things rolling smoothly—not to mention trying to keep everyone's name straight in your head. For fans of the genre, it's a required rental—though for 20 bucks, you might as well buy it. Final Score ® © e Joe Rybicki “wt за Mobile Suit Gundam Mobil Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon Publisher Bandai Developer Capcom Web Site www.bandai.com Gundam fans, get ready to be shocked: Here's a Gundam game that actually lives up to the fran- chise. Similar to how 3D0 got the developer Pandemic involved to finally come up with a quality Army Men game, Bandai tapped the fighting gods at Capcom to handle this one. And hey, if that’s what you've gotta do to make a game the fans are going to love, so be it! Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon is a pretty straightforward fighting game that allows you to choose your side, either the Earth Federation or the Principality of Zeon, at its start. You're also able to select weaponry, ranging from machine guns to spiked ball-and- chains. Then it's off into battle, where you and an A.l.-controlled wingman will face off against vari- ous numbers of opposition forces (unfortunately, your wingman isn't always that dependable, causing some unwanted deaths; a second player can remedy this, though]. What really sets this Gundam apart from the rest is that it actu- ally controls pretty well. Actions are all reasonably quick, and it's easy to cycle back and forth between opponents. It's just an overall much faster and playable game than previous installments. Environments are also far cooler here—especially the space battles. Gundam fans, don't hesitate: This is the one you've been waiting for. Final Score @ ‹ Sam Kennedy e | Players: 1-2 Memory Card: 148 KB CAA GameBreaker 2003 NCAA GameBreaker 2003 Publisher Sony CEA Developer RedZone/989 Sports Web Site www.989sports.com I've always thought of myself as a positive person, so before | get to the faults of NCAA GameBreaker 2003, l'd like to take a moment to list the things it has in its favor. Its graphics are pretty good. OK, now that that’s out of the way.... From presentation to gameplay, GameBreaker 2003 fumbles on every play, failing miserably in its attempt to wrest the championship from NCAA Football 2003. For starters, when | score a touchdown as my beloved Tennessee Vols, | wanna hear “Rocky Top,” not the same generic "college-sounding" tune played for every team. Keith Jackson's commentary doesn't make things any more exciting, as his remarks remain largely unchanged from several GBs ago. Meanwhile, new partner Tim Brandt telling me that it's "4th and goal” when I'm facing a 4th and 24 at my 4-yard line just makes me wanna laugh. Even worse, you hear players referred to by their num- bers way too often (as if this is supposed to sound natural!), which only accentuates the lack of player names—and unlike the other two college games, you don't even have the option to change а "ОВ #7” to a "Clausen." Inexcusable! If the gameplay made up for the shoddy presentation, GB 2003 might still be worth a look. But it doesn't. About all each game has going for it is that the scores usu- ally end closely and realistically. Or maybe that's just because the aura of apathy around this game— there just isn't any spirit—is so high that | tend to choose the same Shotgun play repeatedly, like a braindead automaton. It's all | need to do to compete [even if one of my five receivers isn't allowed to catch the ball since no icon hov- ers over his head). Meanwhile, bodies fly everywhere in an unre- alistic manner, making success at running plays totally random. And defense? Hope for the best. Between games, things feel even more stale. And hasn't 989 figured out that some people like to involve more than one playable team during a season? Further, what's with having to manually delete your save with no simple overwrite option? Just pick up NCAA 2003 and forget this one even exists. Final Score @ © Chris Baker Players: Memory Card: 400 KB Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Ninja Assault Ninja Assault | Publisher Namco | Developer Namco | Web Site www.namco.com | If there's one thing Namco knows how to do, it's create light-gun games that offer intense action at a lightning pace. Ninja Assault succeeds at this—but little else. It's a run-of-the-mill gun game that's fun for playing in spurts just to shoot stuff. But that's about it. In an attempt to add value to the game's Story mode, Assault includes four different plotlines to follow, adding three to the direct port of the 2000 arcade version. The only thing is, each 30-minute game basically throws the same levels your way (give or take a cou- ple], with very little variety. Sure, the cutscenes differ, but some- thing tells me you're not playing a light-gun game for heart-wrench- | ing drama [especially not one where the voice acting isn't just laughable—it's sad]. And | know it. | doesn't really have to make sense, but the very premise behind Assault is just plain dumb. Ninjas with guns?! This game makes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episodes look like documentaries on the ninja way of life. | Fortunately, the extra mini- | games help to enhance things (if only by a little], and it's always fun to shoot stuff simultaneously with a friend (never mind the fact that | that's impossible if you haven't | already purchased Time Crisis Il or | Vampire Night, since this game is | Guncon2-compatible only]. Still, it's as average as light-gun games get. Final Score @@@ Chris Baker e | Players: 1 | d Memory Card: 47 KB | Riding Spirits Riding Spirits Riding Spirits Publisher Bam! Entertainment Developer Spike Web Site www.bam4fun.com | don't care how significant the name "Riding Spirits" actually is to the sport of street-bike racing, | just can't help thinking that it sounds more like the name of a horse-racing game. It just sounds far too whimsical. Essentially, RS is trying awfully hard to be "Gran Turismo for motorcycles" and actually man- ages to almost be just that. The setup is remarkably similar to GT, | and there are 150 bikes that plumb the depths of motorcycle history as far back as the '70s. If you're a beard-wearing, chaps-clad "biker," you're not going to appreciate the entirely Japanese selection (com- plete with zany alphanumeric nomenclature], but otherwise this is crotch-rocket heaven. As I've mentioned in previous bike-sim reviews, | often have problems adjusting my brain to the way a bike controls compared to that of a car racer. RS is particu- larly sensitive, and | found that for the first few hours of play, | was constantly losing races and falling on my head every time there was even the slightest hint of a corner. With practice though, it’s possible to tune into the rhythms of both the bike and the course, and it | actually proves to be a very compe- tent game. | prefer both the look and feel of Moto GP2, but what RS lacks in these areas, it more than makes up for in scope. If they do a sequel, I’m sure it'll be awesome. Final Score @ 4 John Davison ee Players: 1-2 Memory Card: 299 KB (50) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | Road Trip | Publisher Conspiracy | Developer Takara Web Site conspiracygames.com | It would be easy to dismiss Road | Trip as budget-priced shovelware, poured onto the shelves at 20 bucks a pop to lure the unwary buyer to an impulse purchase. Nothing could be further from the truth; Road Trip is charming, deep and astonishingly addictive. | This sequel takes all the potential of the generally overlooked Gadget | Racers and runs with it, and the result is a refreshingly unassuming game that's, well, adorable. 1 know—l don't like using that word any more than you like read- ing it, but it's true. When you cre- ate what amounts to a car-based RPG (dare | say "car-PG"? Why, I believe | just did!) centered around superdeformed little roadsters that look like something drawn from the drug dreams of Lee lacocca, "adorable" is really the only word that fits. But | don't mean to imply that that there's nothing under- neath that charming exterior. The truth is, the hundreds of different items available in Road Trip could easily give birth to a Pokémonesque collect-'em-all obsession. The whimsical col- lectibles keep you cruising those wide-open miles from town to town and back again lyes, it does feel like a road trip at times)—and while the actual physics could use a little work, this game's less | about the gold and more about the | goods anyway. At $20, this is a no- | brainer for any racing fan. | Final Score @@@@ | Joe Rybicki | fel Players: 1-2 ga Memory Сага: 60 KB Моа Nix) И) Twisted М | Twisted Metal: | Black Online | Publisher SCEA | Developer Sony Santa Monica | Web Site www.scea.com | OK, considering that this game is | completely free [you get a mail-in certificate for a free copy when you pick up the Network Adapter], it's a little strange to be giving this one a | rating, but because it could be the | deciding factor in picking up one of | those adapters їп the first place, | rU fill you in on exactly how well | Twisted Metal plays online. | | First off, being an ardent fan of | the original TMB, the promise of playing the game online seemed | too cool. And indeed it is. What you | have here is basically the entire | multiplayer mode of the original | (all of the areas, vehicles and | weapons are here], but now playable against other people online. Sony's even added in a few | modes such as "Capture the Flag" and "Collector" [where you race to collect crystals], which help add some variety to the otherwise | basic blast-a-thon (sadly, there are | no team play modes though). In | addition, there are now Relics to be | picked up, which help make the | matches a little more interesting. | | These give your vehicle special abilities, such as a heal function or | better attack capabilities. | Twisted Metal Black Online So how does it play? Great! Being able to go up against real humans instead of the computer is infinitely more satisfying. Using a dial-up modem is a little weak though—only two people can go at it at once [though you can fill in the gaps with A.I. bots). Broadband is really the only way to go, as this will allow you to play with up to eight gamers at once. | did run into | a little network lag here and there (the screen would slow down and jump from time to time], but it never ruined the experience. Unfortunately, despite the fact | that the Twisted Metal formula makes for great online multiplayer mayhem, there isn't as much excitement as I'd ultimately hoped for. For example, the game really could have used a taunt feature, | whether it be voice through the SOCOM headset, keyboard chat support or even just some con- troller hotkeys. An announcer | voice would've helped too. Still, who am | to complain? The game is free and it's a load of fun. Besides, | bet all of that stuff | | mentioned will be available in the next “real” Twisted Metal anyway. Final Score © © e © | Sam Kennedy Players: 1-8 Memory Card: 107 KB Twisted Metal David Beckham Soccer Publisher Majesco Developer Rage Web Site www.majescogames.com David Beckham is to England in the 2000s what Michael Jackson was to America in the ‘80s. The guy's а freakin’ icon, big-time. If you saw England play in the World Cup, you might have seen his goal celebra- tion where he ran to the sidelines, faced the English supporters, and kissed the England logo on his jer- sey. It was my favorite moment of the entire tournament. Beckham's also one of the great players in the world. Top five, easi- ly. And his World Cup haircut has inspired me to trim my locks a scoche so |, too, can have “The Fish,” which | call “The Beckham.” He's that cool. So it seems like a good plan to put him on а game cover. Sadly, the game is on the PSone, which makes his presence feel a bit wast- ed (but please don't tell Posh Spice | | said that!). Even though the game is PSone, | | is that if Delta Force had been it’s a pleasant enough surprise. The goalie play is superb, the Training with Beckham mode makes for a solid hour of fun, and if you're a Beckhamophile, you'll love "The Beckham Story," which is a mini-bíography along with an interview with the world's most popular athlete. Should you buy this game? Well, it's cheap, which is nice. If you have FIFA, don't bother—but if you need a little more Beckham in your life—and really, who doesn't?— then why not? FinalScoreee e Todd Zuniga Memory Card: 4 blocks | | n Delta Force P ou Delta Force Delta Force: Urban Warfare Publisher Novalogic Developer Rebellion Web Site www.novalogic.com Playing Delta Force: Urban Warfare after spending a month with SOCOM is sort of like hanging out at the local parking-lot carnival | after spending a month in Disney World: You can kinda see the draw, but it just doesn't have the same magic, and you sort of feel sorry for anyone who's never gotten a chance to experience the real deal. If you took this game back in a time machine to the days before PS2, everyone would oooh and | aaahat the pretty graphics. We wouldn't worry too much about the stuttering framerate, jittery ani- mation or serious graphical glitches. We'd all think the dia- logue was pretty solid, and that the story was semi-interesting, and that the gameplay was varied enough to keep us playing. But that was then, and this is now. The fact of the matter, though, slightly more polished—if the ridiculous difficulty imbalance were straightened out, for example, or all the graphical idiosyncrasies | smoothed over—it could have turned into a pretty great game. But as it is, there's a double hand- ful of mild-to-serious flaws that clobber this one in the kneecaps. It's still an above-average PSone title, but only marginally so. You'll think it's neat for maybe an hour or so, then you'll get frustrat- ed and go look for something else. Final Score ® © © Joe Rybicki Players: 1 Super Shot Soccer Publisher Tecmo Developer Tecmo Web Site www.tecmo.com Remember Tecmo Bowl? It's often considered the greatest football game of its time (ог any time, if it weren't for this year’s NCAA Football 2003 by EA Sports]. It seems the guy who directed Tecmo Bowlis the same guy who designed Super Shot. It's a pedi- gree worth getting excited over. That's the good news. The bet- ter news? Super Shot, despite a trim features set and super-lame presentation, plays superbly. The graphics are great considering it's PSone, and the players move like they're playing real soccer. Of course, the game isn't all about real soccer. It's about pulling off wacky special moves. United States’ Space Rocket shot allows you to blast the ball accurately and powerfully from anywhere on the offensive half of the field, Saudi Arabia's Oil Slip dribble makes sur- rounding defenders slip and fall, and England's Big Ben defense electrocutes the ball carrier. Each team has at least two moves that will help them defend, pass and score, and it's worth playing with every team just to see what skills their special moves allow them. The key is that the actual game- play is clean enough that the spe- Cial moves don't seem like they're trying to make up for anything. That's why it's impressive. | would say rent it, but for $10, don't be such a cheapo. Go halfsies with a friend if you don't own FIFA. Final Score € e e« Todd Zuniga 1 block © 2002 Full Sail, Inc. All rights re Vazhar by Full Sail Graduate - Brian Germain 7 Real World Education School of: • Game Design апа Development Computer Animation Digital Media Film Audio Show Production 800.226.7625 www.fullsail.com • Financial aid available to those who qualify. • Job placement assistance. * Accredited college, ACCSCT. 3300 U ity Boulevard * Winter Park, FL 32792 еа. The terms Full Sail," "Full Sail Real World Education," and the Full Sail logo are either registered service marks or service marks of Full Sail, Inc. PS2 Tricks and Review Archive Game names in indicate a Greatest Hits title. Ratings in red indicate a five-disc score. REPLAY I N T H IS E D ITI N A number @ indicates it’s rank in the top 10 selling games for each system. You don’t have your net- Game T Publisher Score Issue бате Publisher Score Issue work adapter yet? Does = that mean you don’t want 18 Wheeler Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore Tecmo to square off against the American Pro Trucker Acclaim 52 Deus Ex: The Conspiracy Eidos OPM freedom fighters їп 4х4 EVO GOD Games 44 Devil May Cry Capcom SOCOM? It must. Or maybe 9 2002 FIFA World Cup Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers Ubi Soft you're waiting to find out ‘The World Cup may be over, but USA's performance will have many Downforce Titus about the great hiding soccer enthusiasts counting down the days until the next bi r- Dragon Rage 300 ' spots in Replay. ney in 2006, Until then, all we can do to support your newfound Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates Sony CEA Understandable. footie fetish is codes. р Driven Bam! For the Broadbandless, no worries. We've got plenty for All-Americas team d s Driving Emotion Type-S Square EA you, no matter what your gaming preference. For the X Win the World Cup with an American team (such as Team USA) to Dropship Bam! gamer, we've got Mat Hoffman's BMX 2 and Freekstyle. For unlock the All-Americas team in Friendly Match mode. _ Dynasty Warriors 2 Koei the sports nut, we bring tips on Madden's Mini-Camp and All-European team : Dynasty Warriors 3 Koei for the war-torn WWII types, we help you through another Win the World Cup with an European team to unlock the All- | Ecco the Dolphin: tough trial in Frontline. We're also pandering to the Shogun European team in Friendly Match mode. ; Defender of the Future Acclaim types (who wouldn't?) with Onimusha 2. Like we said, All-Asian team ў Endgame Empire something for everyone. Win the World Cup with an Asian team to unlock the All- таша Ephemeral Fantasia Konami Plus, Greatest Hits tips and Blitz 20-03 codes. Enjoy. in Friendly Match mode. е Escape From Monkey Island LucasArts Ali-African team ? ESPN International Track & Field. Konami Win the World Cup with an African team to unlock и ESPN International Winter ‘team in Friendly Match mode. : Sports 2002 Konami SECRETS REVEALED All-World team i | ESPN MLS ExtraTime Konami Unlock the All-Americas, All-European, All-Asian and All-African ESPN National Hockey Night Konami teams to unlock the All-World team in Friendly Match mode. | ESPN МВА 2Night Konami PS2 Games \ ‘Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies Namco "51 ESPNNBA2Night 2002 Konami The Adventures of ESPN Winter X Games Freekstyle Cookie & Cream Agetec Snowboarding Konami 1 Aggressive Inline Acclaim ESPN Winter X Games Hot Shots Golf 3 Airblade Namco Snowboarding 2002 Konami з All-Star Baseball 2002 Acclaim ESPN X Games Skateboarding Konami All-Star Baseball 2003 Acclaim Eternal Ring Agetec ‘Aqua Aqua 300 Eve of Extinction Eidos Medal of Honor: Frontline ... Š у Arctic Thunder Midway Evergrace Agetec Armored Core 2 Agetec Evil Twin Ubi Soft MLB SlugFest 20-03 z Armored Core 2: Another Аде Адеіес Extermination Sony CEA Army Men Air Attack 300 Extreme G III Acclaim Onimusha 2 Army Men: Green Rogue 300 F1 2001 EA Sports Army Men RTS 300 F1 2002 EA Sports SOCOM: Navy SEALs Army Men: Sarge's Heroes2 300 F1 Championship Ubi Soft Ы 8 ATV Offroad Fury Ѕопу СЕА F1 Championship Season 2000 ЕА Sports PSone Games E There's a sequel coming for АТИ so buckle up your chin strap and ^ — Fantavision Sony CEA | get prepped with this nice-priced precursor. Fatal Frame Tecmo Get All the ATVs FIFA 2001 Major /Go into Pro-Career mode and name yourself "CHACHING" if you League Soccer EA Sports want all ATVs. It will then kick you back to the main screen, butnow FIFA 2002 EA Sports you'll have ай the ATVs! Final Fantasy X Square EA Kick Open All Levels Fireblade Midway SPECIAL FEATURE: о хз =. PS 2 G R EAT EST H ITS Baldur's Gate: Dark ‘Alliance Interplay = Freekstyle EA Sports Big Barbarian Titus Frequency Sony CEA Bass Strike Virtual Frogger: The Great Quest Konami When games are only 20 bucks, they fly off the shelves. Fishing Tournament THQ Fur Fighters: Viggo’s Revenge Acclaim Particularly when they're this good. Batman: Vengeance Ubi Soft Gadget Racers Conspiracy Blood Omen 2 Eidos Gallop Racer Tecmo Bloody Roar 3 Activision Gauntlet: Dark Legacy Midway Britney's Dance Beat THQ Giants: Citizen Kabuto Interplay The Bouncer ‘Square EA Gitaroo-Man Koei Burnout Acclaim Godai: Elemental Force 300 Capcom уз. SNK 2 Capcom Gradius IIl and IV CART Fury Midway Casper: Spirit Dimensions TDK Mediactive City Crisis Take 2 GRAN TURISMO 3 Cool Boarders 2001 Sony CEA 's only one of the eas This game can be a lot of Crash Bandicoot: ames to pick up and work. But why bother The Wrath of Cortex Universal 51 play, but that do t when all you really need Crazy Taxi Acclaim 46 make winning the ra is a rubber band and a Dark Angel: Vampire Apocalypse Metro3D 49 any easier. We offe elp. recliner? Dark Cloud Sony CEA 46 Dark Summit THQ 52 Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 Acclaim 50 Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Lor seconc 2 Grand Theft Auto Grandia И GTC Africa Guilty Gear X Gungriffon Blaze Half-Life Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland Headhunter Herdy Gerdy Heroes of Might and Magic Hidden Invasion High Heat MLB 2002 High Heat MLB 2003 Hot Shots Golf 3 Ico Jade Cocoon 2 Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy James Bond: Agent Under Fire Jeremy McGrath ‘Supercross World Jonny Moseley Mad Trix Kengo: Master of Bushido Kessen Kessen И Kinetica King's Field: The Ancient City Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil Knockout Kings 2001 Knockout Kings 2002 Le Mans 24 Hours The Legend of Alon D'ar Publisher Ubi Soft Majesco Мајеѕсо/Ѕатту Working Designs Sierra Natsume Acclaim Eidos 300 Conspiracy 300 300 Sony CEA ‘Sony CEA Ubi Soft Sony CEA EA Games Acclaim 300 Crave EA Games Koei Sony CEA Agetec EA Games EA Sports EA Sports Infogrames Ubi Soft — Score 9888882858992 Issue. FORUM. FATAL FRAME: KILLING KIRIE I'm stuck on the last stage of “Fatal Frame” called Kirie. How do you defeat Kirie? 1 shot her with my camera and used the highest film, and her energy still wouldn't go down. Can you please give теа strategy on how to defeat her? Orlando Saffold tough one. As long as you're packin’ at least some 74 mm heat, though, you should be able to handle her. We're guessing your problem is that you were hitting her before your targeting circle turned orange, which is essen- tial. Once you've got the timing nailed, remember that she teleports all over the place, so keep your eyes open. Don't try to use any special abilities, howev- er—they won't work. Just keep your cool through it all, and you're оп your way to beating the game! MOTO GP 2; LEGENDS MODE The Replay sec- tion is my favourite part of the whole maga- zine. In the next issue, can you throw in some cheats for Moto GP 2? Brad Hale skater4life98@hot mail.com Even though we suspect you're from Canada (favourite”?), we'll hook you up with this Moto GP 2 nugget. Hope it comes in handy. Legends Mode In the Challenge mode, unlock FRONTLINE: UNDER THE RADAR The last missions in Medal of Honor: Frontline aren't forgiving. War is certainly hell here. That's why we decided to walk you through Under the Radar (we're guessing you pulled through on the mine shaft level, right?). Follow these tips to make your life easier. Under the Radar Find the demo charges e Disable both radar stations * Radio Allies your position * Find Entrance to the HO-IX Hanger Grab the two ammo pickups in front of you when the level starts. Take out the machine gun crew covering the road as well as the officer and grab the demo charges on the south side of the building Stei? Grenate VAS Tip: If you are careful, you can catch the MG crew before they even know you're around. Stay near the building and pick them off with your sniper rifle or toss a grenade their way. If one of them makes it to the gun, you can use the build- ing for cover. Head south to the radar tower. Kill the enemy inside and plant a Steil grenade [pictured above], then plant the demo charge (you can find them around the corner from the first building]. The explosion will destroy the grate in the floor, exposing a ladder to the runway. Then get to the southeast ladder leading up the side of the cliff. Tip: The runway is infested with enemies. Make sure you use your rifle to take out snipers and panzer troops before running across. Hide near the fence [pictured below] to take out the machine-gun nest ө 9 | 38 Take the ladder and follow the path until it forks. Head right, but be careful! It's a shooting gallery! Pull out your bazooka and peek around the corner. A well-placed shot will take all four out. Or just snipe. Tip: A safer way to deal with this is to take the path that leads left. When you get to the fence, lob a grenade over. Try to get them before they split up and turn your sneak attack into a full-blown firefight Pick up any ammo and health you need around the station at the shooting range, then take the path to the south. The path will lead you to a trench maze that is being watched over by an MG nest. Make your way to the southwestern corner of the trenches. Tip: A quick path out (from the entrance] is to head south, east, west, southwest, west and north Tip: The building near the end of the maze not only has an enemy, it also has a field sur- geon pack and an ammo pickup. Head down the path until you come upon a ruined building (shown below]. Look out, though. In addition to enemies in the trench and around the debris, there is an MG nest overlook- ing this area Take out a few enemies, then head up the steps and across the plank to the other side of the ruins. When you drop down, turn left and \ "9 | 68 head back toward the MG nest. Immediately to your right is a path leading northeast toward the tower—take it until you find another ladder to climb up. Tip: As you make your way to your ladder, there will be two bunkers off to your left. Not only will you find a medical kit in both, you will get a chance to take out the two MG crews that were harassing you earlier! But don't overdo it Head up the ladder (but be careful—there's а sniper there who's madly accurate!—shown below] and take the catwalk around until you see the doorway off to your right. Plant an explosive and the second objective is done. Take the ladder down through what used to be the floor and take the path to the east Tip: As you move along the path, keep your rifle handy and pointed to the sky so you can take out the snipers up in the towers. At the end of the path you will come to two buildings overlooking a second runway. On the runway is your ultimate goal—the HO-IX! Enter the first building and use the radio to report your position to Allied command. Once that’s done, head north into the second building and take the ladder down to the next level. © i iv 58 Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 153 л and title the e-mail SOCOM tips, davis You got SOCOM tips, tough guy? Well let's hear ‘em! Write us at com“ REPLAY SOCOM: ABANDONED Hidey-holes and sniper spots—camp your way to a successful game Ж M4A1 SD 30/30 2 NAGS Starting this month, we'll be high- lighting specific multiplayer maps for SOCOM. We'll show you the best sniper spots, some great ambush points, and a few rarely used paths to help you get the drop on the opposition. Since the teams start on opposite sides of the map, we'll be designating the locations as “SEAL side” ог “Terrorist side.” Now get out there and shoot something. SEAL SIDE: THE HIGH ROAD From the SEAL start point, swing far left and you'll see a bordered, paved path that runs along the cliff face. However, what you may not notice is the thin ledge above that path. You can climb up to it at the start of the path and follow it around to the tunnel entrance, where you'll find a nice secluded platform perfect for sniping: This offers a great view of the main temple and the broken bridge, two oft-traveled areas for both teams. You'll also be able to get the jump on any Terrorists coming out of the tunnel. Won't they be surprised! SEAL SIDE: RIVER.HIDEOUT Many players don't notice that under the broken bridge is a small 154) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine $ Ум: КЕЛ : Here's the River Hideout from the outside alcove carved into the cliff. The vegetation hanging down in front of the hole makes it tough to spot a player hidden within: From this spot you can see anyone moving through the river tunnel; it also puts you in a great position to take advantage of anyone falling off the broken bridge (which hap- pens quite a bit—it's a tough jump) or coming out of the burial rooms. SEAL SIDE: RAMP-ANT MAYHEM You know that tunnel on the left that we mentioned? You know that ramp at the end of it? Well, have you noticed the generous space underneath that ramp? It’s a great position to catch people coming up to the tunnel; simply swing around behind them and let loose. It's even better if someone's coming out of the tunnel, because then you'll hear their footsteps on the 05:02 2а Start of the High Road nm Vus Start of Up the Mountain rock inside the tunnel. They'll never know what hit 'em. SEAL SIDE: LOOK OUT BELOW! You may not have noticed that there's a path above the river tun- nel. Use it to avoid having to trudge through the river (since the splashing can give away your posi- tion and your slower movement. makes you a sitting duck] or to drop down on anyone coming through the tunnel. TERRORIST SIDE: DOWN AND DIRTY Beneath the main temple is a war- ren of tunnels that can seem con- fusing at first. Here’s one good spot: Take the ramp down from the temple and make the first right. This leads to a long tunnel, and at the end is a window looking out over the river: Малі SD 20/30 2MAGS This gives a nice, wide view of much of the SEAL side of the map. Just keep your eyes open for grenades; some enterprising play- ers will sneak under the window and toss ‘em right in. TERRORIST SIDE: HIGH AND DRY If you keep going straight past that right turn we just told you about, you'll enter a sharply sloping tun- nel that leads to another great snipe point, seen here: Because of the wooden beams criss-crossing the opening here, you won't have quite as good a field of view...but it'll also be hard- er for enemies to spot you. This is a good place to spy out enemy activity and call 'em out to your teammates. TERRORIST SIDE: UP THE MOUNTAIN If you head straight out from the Terrorists’ start position and swing left around the main temple, you'll see а ridge running over the river tunnel. What you may not realize is that you can run up that ridge quite a good distance, giving your- self a spectacular vantage point for spotting or sniping. You can even go prone and get a nice angle directly down into the main arena. Many players won't catch this, so it'll be a surprise the first time. TERRORIST SIDE: BIRD’S-EYE VIEW If you go to the left of that ridge we just mentioned instead of running straight up it, you'll be in a good position to guard the whole water- fall area. And if you run straight to this point, chances are pretty good ’ you can beat the SEALs there. Pick а character with brownish cloth- ing, drop to all fours, and you'll be even harder to spot. You can either snipe guys coming around the bend or lob grenades into the three tunnels that lead out of this area. Of course, once the SEALs catch onto your scheme, they'll be waiting for you—so drop back and toss grenades at that location instead. It’s like playing catch! Except one of you ends up dead. ووچ ی چوپ Game . Score issue бате Publisher Legends of Wrestling Acclaim Journey to Jaburo Bandai | 2 GREAT ES | НІ T S Legion: The Legend of Excalibur Midway Mobile Suit Gundam: Lego Racers 2 Lego Media Zeonic Front Bandai Lethal Skies Sammy Monster Rancher 3 Tecmo Mad Maestro! Eidos/Fresh Monsters, Inc. Sony CEA Madden NFL 2001 EA Sports Moto GP Namco ATV OFFROAD FURY Madden NFL 2002 EA Sports Moto GP2 Namco Madden NFL 2003 EA Sports Motor Mayhem Infogrames DRUBBING SALEM'S BACKLOT The Mark of Kri Sony CEA MTV Music Generator 2 Codemasters Salem's Backlot has as much mystery and darkness as the Stephen King Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 Activision The Mummy Returns Universal novel with a similar name. The best description for this track is “tricky.” Max Payne Rockstar MX 2002 Featuring You'll encounter the chance for huge air, but if you take it every time, Maximo: Ghosts To Glory Capcom Ricky Carmichael THO ۰ you're going to be launched into oblivion. Self-control and memorizing the MDK2 Armageddon MX Rider Infogrames hot spots will earn you a nice finish. Medal of Honor: Frontline EA Games MX Superfly Featuring sting a Gold i Hom Ricky Carmichael тна BIKE TWEAKS Namco Museum Namco You want to tear up the dark, devilish Salem's Backlot. Concentrate on NASCAR 2001 EA Sports powersliding, so lower your Tire Friction. Tighten your Shocks so you'll NASCAR Heat Infogrames have little bounce on the tricky terrain. As far as Top Speed and NASCAR Thunder 2002 EA Sports Acceleration go, balance is the best for this level. МВА 2K2 ‘Sega Sports NBA Hoopz Midway МВА Live 2001 EA Sports NBA Live 2002 EA Sports ath NBA ShootOut 2001 Sony CEA nagi NBA Street EA Sports Big NCAA College Football 2K3 Sega Sports NCAA Final Four 2001 Sony CEA NCAA Final Four 2002 989 Sports 52 NCAA Football 2002 EA Sports 48 A NCAA Football 2003 EA Sports 60 NCAA GameBreaker 2001 Sony CEA 4 SEIT NCAA March Madness 2002 EA Sports 53 m 1 | s firs afte sta maz Seon Sporte е НА NFL 2K3 Sega Sports 60 speed is too high. Make sure NFL Blitz 20-02 Midway 55 you slow down. One strategy is viaa: маму M noo NFL GameDay 2001 Sony CEA 40 risky maneuver. | NFL GameDay 2002 Sony CEA 53 NFL Quarterback Club 2001 Acclaim 50 NHL 2001 EA Sports 38 ўа NHL 2002 EA Sports 50 zi NHL FaceOff 2001 Sony CEA 43 NHL Hitz 2002 Midway 51 и i No One Lives Forever Sierra 56 1 8 Okage: Shadow King Sony CEA 51 BL Oni Rockstar 43 — Onimusha: Warlords Capcom 43 t the al VEO ME Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny Capcom 60 j r Men in Black Il: Alien Escape Orphen: Scion of Sorcery Activision 39 £z Metal Gear Solid 2 Pac-Man Fever Namco 60 > PacMan World 2 пак м ES Much of this track is made or PaRappa the Rapper 2 ‘Sony CEA 53 L lost in the first three turns. Кыскан ран К, A Mc mb 5 > r i m Prae To Legend o iac Kat EA Games о Nu EU NU IE Um en Portal Poner 300 на speed over the hill and you'll Project Eden Eidos 52 get murdered. Slow down and Pryzm Chapter One: go to the inside. The Dark Unicorn TOK Mediactive 60 Q-Ball Billiards Master Take 2 40 Quake II! Revolution EA Games 44 CPU SHADE Rayman 2 Revolution Ubi Soft 41 When the heat is on and you've got two more turns to make, there's Rayman Arena Ubi Soft 57 nothing more frustrating than feeling a tire tread atop your helmet, RC Revenge Pro Acclaim 41 wiping you out and landing you т fifth place. Know that the CPU domi- Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Round 2 Midway 40 nates all one-on-one situations. If you're going side by side with the Real Pool Infogrames 40 CPU and you try to use a little muscle, you'll discover you don’t have Red Card Soccer 20-03 Midway 57 any. The best thing to do is stay out of the CPU's way when on the Red Faction THO 46 ground (if you're airborne, try landing on top of the CPU riders to take Resident Evil-Code: Veronica X Capcom 48 them out]. If you're desperate, brush а CPU rider when turning a corner Rez Sega 53 so it smacks into a box or an obstacle. Ridge Racer V Namco 38 Ring of Red Konami 43 UNLOCKABLES Romance of the You work your butt off in this game to take home the grand prize. You Three Kingdoms VII Koei Rugby EA Sports Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing Codemasters Rumble Racing EA Games Mister Mosquito Eidos/Fresh Rune: Viking Warlord Take 2 MLB Slugfest 20-03 Midway Salt Lake 2002 Eidos Mobile Suit Gundam: Savage Skies Bam! struggle through bone-breaking crashes, neck-twisting spills and enough bumps to leave your thumb in shambles. The shame of it is that you only get two things for beating both the MAXXIS Nationals and the Stadium Supercross. The first thing is a totally revved-up bike that is chock-full of the four stat categories (Traction, Top Speed, Acceleration and Stability), and the second is an ugly new outfit. Whoopee. 9$858588588 Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 155 MADDEN 2003: MINI-CAMP SWAT BALL The machine shooting out footballs will never, ever throw to the same target twice. So react accordingly. Then press L1 to swat the ball when it goes to the deepest “receiver.” Otherwise, get in posi- tion to make the pick. Getting the Gold: The key to success with this mini- game is intercepting the passes. It's nice to bat the ball down [which you'll have to do on occasion), but catching is king. If you do it con- secutively, your score will really start to rise. We've found that run- ning toward the ball while pressing Triangle helps you intercept it. Dominating the game situation: * Calling the right defense will make or break you in this in-game exercise. * Hold R2 before the ball is snapped so you can figure out what your assignment is. A blown assignment means the opposing quarterback will ruin you. * Go for the pick (by pressing Triangle) only when you have great positioning; otherwise, press L1 to ‘swat at the ball. TRENCH FIGHT You've got Rip moves [L1 and R1), Spins (L2 and R2) and the all- important Bull Rush (hold Circle) and no time to spare. If you're going to succeed, you'll need to use all five moves effectively. Getting the Gold: * Remember that you can get to the flag while you're being held, so just because you're engaged does- n't mean you can't have success. * Press L2 right before you get to a What's your favorite Mini-Camp challenge, and what's your secret to success? Tell us at 1.113: cor and file the e-mail Madden tips. 156 Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine defender. It'll do a sort of club move mixed with your Bull Charge, and you'll force your way through more times than not. Dominating the game situation: Good luck. While the line play in Madden is improved, you'll still feel helpless lots of times. Try a series of blitz packages that bring your linebackers into the fray. Otherwise, you'll have a tough time getting to the QB. PRECISION PASSING You'll get clued in on when to pass in this drill, but the real key is to move your quarterback around (this isn't Pocket Presence, you know]. When a player cuts, that's when you throw. Sometimes loft it, sometimes drill it, but always make the ball catchable. Getting the Gold: * Roll out with your QB for those long fly patterns. Otherwise, you have to be very precise. * Press X once you've released the ball so you can take control of your wide receiver. It's a slight bonus, but it'll add up over the course of three rounds. Dominating the game situation: * Control the clock, and don't throw interceptions. * Keep in mind what kind of kicker you've got. If he's got a lead foot (like Janikowski], it means you can. boot it 60 yards. * Know the opposing cornerbacks. Quentin Jammer will mess you up, because he's a star. But the bums won't make the big play. POCKET PRESENCE Avoiding the balls takes getting used to, especially in the tougher rounds. Our strategy: Avoid the balls then look for your target. Getting the Gold: * Don't get sacked. Not even once. * Don't stray out of the pocket. Hang in there and whip the ball at the targets to score high. Dominating the game situation: Pace yourself. You'll get the score you need if you're patient. Throw lots of fade patterns to your biggest receivers, too. GROUND ATTACK That fullback is your lifeline. You'll need to get to the endzone to win. Rely on your footwork, not just your special moves. Cutbacks rule. Getting the Gold: * Stiff-arms rule and jukes fool. If you're going to win, use your shoulder buttons. The stiff-arm will keep tacklers at bay, and the jukes will trip them up big-time. The spin move can make you look like the second coming of Walter Payton. It'll fool tacklers and you'll score more. • Hold off on your speed burst. Sometimes you can change direc- tion and confuse the slow-footed CPU tacklers. Dominating the game situation: • Remember to hold off on the speed burst to get your first downs. You don’t always need it. e Kneel on the ball if it's second and short. Then hammer forward for the first down. It'll burn clock or an opponent's timeout. CHASE AND TACKLE * Square up to the ball carrier by holding R1 or you can forget about You want to score high in Mini-Camp, but you can't do it? Work harder with these tips taking him down. » If you make the tackle yourself, you'll get a little bonus. * If you're in need of some big points fast, use L2 to strip the ball: Causing fumbles will give you lots of bonus points. Getting the Gold: * Get the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage or right at it. Lead him toward his “blockers” and it'll lock him up, making the tackle easier to execute. * Watch for the spin move. If you've got the ball carrier lined up and you're ready to dive, expect a spin. If you dive and miss, get your d-back to come in and tag the run- ner. Otherwise, you'll give up a TD and you'll have to start over. Dominating the game situation: Two words: Goal-line defense. Stopping the run will win you this game, as will calling timeouts as ` soon as the ball carrier goes down. Press Triangle and Down to bring your safeties in to stop the run, as well. On third down, go to a 3-4 or a 4-3 Rush Zone. You'll be set. CLUTCH KICKING You'll need to score and score fast, and hitting that red bar in the mid- dle of the goal posts means you'll score faster. The key is to be accu- rate with the kicking meter, even if you aren't accurate with where the ball goes afterward. You'll learn the angles with practice. Getting the Gold: It takes a lot less time for a ball to go through the goal posts if you're kicking a line drive and not a big lofty floater. There are no defensive f players, so angle the arrow as low as possible and hammer the ball. It'll blast through the goal posts with haste, instead of hanging up in the air while time ticks away. Plus, the wind and your own hook or slice will affect it less, which makes for a straighter kick. Dominating the game situation: Kickers don't count as humans, unless their kick is going to win a football game. Try to dump a pass over the middle to get a touch closer, but otherwise, watch the wind, the distance and kick the ball low for the game-winner. COFFIN CORNER You'll need to score points by kick- ing the ball inside the 15-yard line. The cool part is that you can punt it out of bounds and you ll still get credit [you should, of course}, Just figure out an angle and kick con- sistently to that spot. Also, there's; no need to overkick, and that will make your meter go lots faster. Relax and aim, baby. Getting the Gold: * Punt line drives without a lot of steam on them. Seems silly, but there's no concern where the ball goes after it bounces. Only when it hits. So just try to softly plop it into the bull's-eye range. * If you get close to the gold stan- dard score, don’t let up. Still go for the bull's eye. Otherwise, you'll miss altogether and that sucks. Dominating the game situation: Try booting a line drive toward the sideline, away from the kick returner. It's easy enough to restart if you miss. But don't miss. You can do this on one try. Game _ _ Publisher Score Issue Game Publisher Score Issue Scooby-Doo: Night of 100 Frights THQ 58 Game menu to unlock all cars in stunt constructor and training Sega Sports Tennis Sega Sports 60 modes. Shadow Hearts Midway 52 | All toys Shadow of Destiny Konami 43 Enter MeFf, a case-sensitive driver's name, at the New Game menu Shadowman: 2econd Coming Acclaim 57 to unlock all toys in Stunt Constructor mode. Shaun Palmer's All trailers Pro Snowboarder Activision ect 52 Enter FellA, a case-sensitive driver's name, at the New Game menu Shifters 300 . 58 to unlock all trailers. Silent Hill 2 Konami 50 Quick start. Silent Scope Konami 39 During the pre-race countdown, hold R1. Silent Scope 2 Konami 49 Summoner THQ 39 Silpheed: The Lost Planet Working Designs 40 Sunny Garcia Surfing Ubi Soft 51 The Simpsons Road Rage EA Games 52 Super Bust-A-Move Acclaim 41 ‘Sky Gunner Atlus 58 Supercar Street Challenge Activision 52 Sky Odyssey Activision 40 Surfing H30 Rockstar 40 Sled Storm EA Big 55 Swing Away Golf EA Games 38 Smash Court Tennis Tarzan Untamed Ubi Soft 52 Pro Tournament Namco 56 Таг: Wanted Infogrames 60 Smuggler's Run Rockstar 39 Tekken Tag Tournament Namco 39 Smuggler's Run 2: 5 Test Infogrames 58 Hostile Territory Rockstar 0000 52 This game will light your hair on fire, it's so fast. Which is a hazard of Soccer America: International Cup Hot-B eo Soccer Mania EA/Lego е ‘SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Sony CEA e Soldier of Fortune Majesco e. Soul Reaver 2 Eidos °‹ $расе Васе Infogrames ен 4 Spider-Man Activision econ It figures that we'll be covering this game for а while, It's fun, the movie is still making money, and we love Spidey. So unlock this stuff by using these extremely handy codes: Play as Shocker: HERMANSCHULTZ Play as Scientist: SERUM - Play as Thug: KNUCKLES Play as Spike: STICKYRICE Play as Shocker Thug: THUGSRUS. Play as Helicopter Cop: CAPTAINSTACEY Play as Old Super Soldier: FREAKOUT. Play as Cop: REALHERO 7 Play as Mary Jane: GIRLNEXTDOOR Unlimited Webbing: ORGANICWEBBING All Combos Available: KOALA All Levels Available: IMIARMAS Bullet Time Mode: DODGETHIS. Big Head Thugs: JOELSPEANUTS ‘Micro Spidey: SPIDERBYTE Big Head and Feet: GOESTOYOURHEAD First-Person Mode: UNDERTHEMASK Unlock Everything: ARACHNID Splashdown Infogrames Spy Hunter Midway SSX EA Sports BIG SSX Tricky EA Sports BIG Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force Majesco Star Wars: Episode I— Super Bombad Racing LucasArts Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter LucasArts Star Wars Racer Revenge LucasArts Star Wars: Starfighter LucasArts State of Emergency Rockstar Stitch: Experiment 626 Sony CEA Street Fighter EX 3 Capcom Street Hoops Activision Stretch Panic Conspiracy 7 Stuntman Infogrames/Atari Our initial advice is to avoid this game, but really, some part of our gaming ego demands that we keep playing until we beat it. With that in mind, we deliver codes to ease your Stuntman headache. Cheat mode Enter MUSSON, а case-sensitive driver's name, at the New Game ‘menu to unlock all cars, toys and trailers. All driving games, cars and toys Enter Bindl, a case-sensitive driver's name, to unlock all driving games, cars and toys. А! cars Enter spiDER or ChUmP, a case-sensitive driver's name, at the New. the game, for sure. 48 АН cars and tracks 59 ‘At the main menu, press Right, Right, Left, Square, Up, L2, L2, R1. 60 This'll unlock every single car and track. 52 Bonus cars 52 Unlock all of the cars in the game (use the code above, nitz). Select 59 the San Francisco Drag Race and use the Dodge Concept Viper to. 57 ‘set a new time record. Then, enter SOUNDMAX as a name at the High Score screen, The Jaguar XK-R SoundMAX SPX, Jaguar XK-R Analog Devices and the Aston Martin 087 SoundMAX SPX will be unlocked in all modes except for Story mode. Not bad, huh? Alternate replay views During a replay, press Select to change the camera effects, Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open Infogrames е 48 Tetris Worlds THQ 57 Theme Park Roller Coaster EA Games ^" Thunderstrike: Operation Phoenix Eidos e 52 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2001 EA Sports 44 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002 EA Sports 55 Time Crisis 2 Namco 49 TimeSplitters Eidos 39 Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero Crave 45 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Activision 51 Top Angler Xicat 57 Top Gear Dare Devil Kemco 41 Top Gun: Combat Zones Titus 50 Transworld Surf Infogrames 57 Triple Play 2002 EA Sports 55 52 Triple Play Baseball EA Sports mI 45 80 Tsuganai: Atonement Atlus 53 38 CUES CEG CREE SCEA 47 52 We've got strategy in a sidebar, but if you're up for codes, this is 53 where to look. Invincibility 45 During the game, press and hold all four shoulder buttons (R1, R2, L1, 56 12), then quickly press Right, Left, Down and Up. Tah-dah—no more 55 ‘controller tossing. 43 God Mode 55 Or, become the ultimate badass with this. 59 little secret. It gives you unlimited health, 39 weapons and more, During the game, hold 60 down all four shoulder buttons, then 47 quickly press Up, X, Left and then Circle. 59 UFC Throwdown Infogrames ۰ Unison Tecmo o Unreal Tournament Infogrames ө; Vampire Night Empire ө Victorious Boxers Empire С Virtua Fighter 4 Sega LI War Jetz 300 e Warriors of Might & Magic 300 е Wave Rally Eidos e Way of the Samurai Bam! ө Wild Wild Racing Interplay ы Winback Koei ۰ PS2 GREATEST HITS GRAN TURISMO 3: A-SPEC Elasticity Making some extra cash just got a whole lot easier. Enter the 150-mile Super Speedway endurance race with a high-powered 4WD car (we sug- gest the Suzuki Escudo). Once that's done, go to the Options screen and set your throttle to left on the right analog stick (see screenshot). Finally, take a rubber band and wrap it around the two analog sticks like we've done in the picture. If you did this right (and who couldn't), your car should turn toward t outside wall and ride it around every lap. Now go clean your apartment, watch dirty videos or whatever else you do to kill time. Check back in about an hour and you'll have won the race. One rubber band does it Set the controls up right Professional Mode Arcade mode not giving you a challenge? Wish you were racing the other drivers instead of the track? No problem. Next time you start Arcade mode and choose your difficulty, hold down L1 and R1. "Hard" should change to "Professional." Now you'll have to run 10 laps on whatever track you choose, with tire wear on and a much more aggressive set of computer opponents. Good luck. RESIDENT EVIL CODE: VERONICA X There's plenty to do in Veronica X, but not all of it needs loads of explanation. Cut out this tip sheet and tape it to your left eyeball. It'll come in real handy-like. QUICK TIPS * Give the Hemostatic Medicine to Rodrigo when you find it. * Use the second Blue Shield Crest near the guillotine. * Use the Army, Navy and Air Force Proofs to activate the lift to the plane. * Tyrants don't like being hit with crates. • Don’t waste too much ammo on the giant moths. They're hard to shoot and respawn. * Use the Bar Code Sticker оп a conveyer- belt box. Just before you pick up Alfred’s sniper rifle, leave some good weapons and medicine for Chris, or he’s screwed. Make every sniper shot count against Nosferatu (aim for the heart); then finish him off 1 with your knife or handgun. > * Kill the worm with Chris if you want — "We Claire's Lighter back. It's mighty Ы useful! * Don't fight the axe-wielding Green Mutant. Just run and use two extra- potent health items. [You'll know when to!) * Whether or not the power is on helps you attain the Red and Blue Tiger Eyes. Use the best guns versus the final boss, and finish it off with the Linear Launcher. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 157) ONIMUSHA 2: THE BASICS Tips on getting through Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny the way you want to ALTER YOUR DESTINY One of the big draws of Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny is its branch- ing story, which totally depends on the way you {as Jubei) deal with your four potential allies during the first half of the game. Not only do good relations with others mean they'll stand beside you in a fight from time to time, it also might open up a miniquest for a charac- ter who especially likes you. The Give System: The Give system sets the stage for whether everyone loves you or hates you, as you trade gifts with Ekei, Oyu, Kotaro and Magoichi. Talk to each and pick up hints as to what kinds of things each person may be after (Kotaro, for example, wonders if the world is actually round—give him the Globe). Keep in mind that (excluding a subquest by Oyu found every time) you will only play as two secondary charac- ters throughout any given game. So if you'd rather play as Kotaro and Magoichi than Ekei and Oyu (well, a second subquest for her, anyway], you know whom to be nice to and whom to treat like crap. In general, you can keep these ideas in mind for impressing characters. * Ekei likes to eat and to drink— and when we say drink, we don’t mean wimpy stuff like the Tea; we're talking Vodka, Wine and pretty much any kind of liquor. The man also likes his porn. • Magoichi is the scholar of the group, who likes to educate him- self, usually through books. He's also been known to smoke the occasional Pipe. * Kotaro also is the curious sort, Do you know the пате of Gary Steinmar's precious feline? If you know the answer, write us at ji1 f74 = ah H you're right, you'l score VIP status on ose (58) Official US. PlayStation Magazine but only really when it comes to exotic items. He also values any- thing rare (look for words like “rare” and “unique” in item descriptions), and he can be a bit... well, less than manly at times (he likes books of nursery rhymes, for example]. In many ways, his likes resemble an amalgam of those of Magoichi and Oyu. * Since Oyu is a girl, you can usu- ally count on her liking "girly" things—you'll know them when you see them. Of the four charac- ters, she and Ekei seem the easi- est to please. * You'll win points with everyone if you give them weapons or armor bought (or, in some cases, received from others} only for them. For example, Ekei loves any- thing described as "Ekei Only." Get Rich: It's a good idea to buy everything possible from the shop, and the only way to do that is to have lots and lots of money. Once you gain access to the gold mine, you'll want to partake in many a skir- mish there. Notice that you get gold not only by defeating enemies there, but also just by finding it lying around—slice open barrels to discover even more. The most prosperity awaits you at the time you're told the prosti- tute who's been flirting with you all this time wants to talk to you, after you've already fought your first boss. Don't talk to her right away! Rather, return to the mine to fight harder monsters who yield even more gold. Take note of how much gold you need to wipe the shop clean and fight on until you have it. Be Friendly: By chatting it up with the natives, you'll often receive rare items that at least one of your future allies is sure to appreciate. Make sure you talk to everyone at least three times so that you know for sure whether or not they have anything. FIGHT STRONG Your survival in Onimusha 2 depends largely on your raw fight- ing abilities. Follow tips like these to maybe avoid death altogether! Choose Your Weapon: By the time you're four to six hours into the game, you'll likely have collected the four primary magic weapons (a fifth awaits you at the end], and you might have a tough time figuring out which is the best overall. The answer is simple—use whichever feels the best to you. A. few cool things about each: * The power of lightning within it, the Buraitou sword could be the most versatile all-around weapon. Though relatively weak, its speed and devastating magic attack make up for it. * The Hyoujin spear is a bit more powerful than the Buraitou, but it's slower with less-precise magic. When the ice attack works, though, expect enemies to freeze solid so that you can kill them in one stroke. Cool! * The weakness of the Senpumaru double-bladed weapon might deter you from it, but its wind magic comes in handy often—especially near the end! It's also the quickest weapon in the game. * You won't find a more powerful weapon than the Dokoutsui ham- ie 4 mer. We don't recommend it for casual use, but in a pinch you won't find anything stronger than an earthquake-causing Lv3 magic attack—well, at least until you find the game's final weapon, which we ll keep a secret for now. Hit ‘Em When They're Down: Like in Onimusha: Warlords, you. can kill an enemy much more quickly if you first manage to get him on his back, then proceed to press X to finish him off. Make sure you're in the clear when you do this, however, as surrounding ene- mies can easily attack you during this process. Use В1 Effectively: You don't actually need to use R1 when you fight, but it does help quite a bit, especially when com- bined with directions. Use it with Up and X, for example, to throw an enemy in the air and make him land on his back. Or, try kicking foes by pressing R1 with Down and X—depending on the enemy and the power of your foot armor you might knock them down right away. And once an enemy is on his back, you know what to do! Look for Attack Patterns: You might more easily dispose of certain enemies if you look for attack patterns. Knowing when one of those big red bull things will attack with its ax, for instance, could save your life! Here's an easy one to keep in mind, too: Lizard men almost always hiss before lunging your way with a blade. Eat Some Souls: It's absolutely imperative that you swallow up every soul you possibly can. By doing this, of course, you аи can power up your weapons and armor—something that grows in importance as you progress. It goes without saying, though, that you'll occasionally need to sacri- fice inhaling a few souls in the interest of staving off attackers. Save Your Oni Power for When You Really Need It: There's nothing worse than gaining your temporary power of the Oni just after you've wiped out an entire room of baddies. You wind up just running around frantically, looking for something to kill. Save. yourself the anguish by actually paying attention to your Oni meter and sucking up that last big Oni soul when you feel you need it. {boss battles are the best). Know Where You Are: An adventure-game veteran like you knows how essential a map can be, and Onimusha 2 makes it easier to access. your current area's map than you might think. Instead of pressing Start and cycling through menus, just hit R3! TIGHT SPOTS Every now and then you'll run into a spot in Onimusha 2 that requires you to think a bit differently. Here are a couple. The Big Bad Blade: At one point, you'll have to jump over a gap full of blades. Notice how Jubei hangs on. It comes in handy when you let a huge blade loose soon after! Escape the Hangar: When the time comes to open the hangar door, keep in mind that the game actually does realize you have analog sticks! Game Wipeout Fusion Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land Woody Woodpecker: Escape from Buzz Buzzard Park World Destruction League: Thunder Tanks World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars World Tour Soccer 2002 WRC: World Rally Championship WTA Tour Tennis WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It X Squad Yanya Caballista: City Skater 2.0.Е: Zone of the Enders E TRICKS AND 3Xtreme 40 Winks 102 Dalmatians: Puppies to the Rescue 2002 FIFA World Cup A Bug's Life Ace Combat 2 Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere Action Bass Action Man: Operation Extreme Akuji the Heartless Aladdin in Nasira’s Revenge Alexi Lalas International Soccer Alien Resurrection All-Star Slammin’ D-ball Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare Alundra Alundra 2 Animaniacs Ten Pin Alley Animorphs: Shattered Reality Apocalypse Arc the Lad Collection Arcade Party Pak Arcade's Greatest Hits: Atari Collection 2 Arcade's Greatest Hits: Midway Collection 2 Armored Core Armored Core: Master of Arena Armorines: Project S.W.A.R.M. my Men 3D Army Men Air Attack Army Men Air Attack 2 Army Men: Team Assault Army Men: Green Rogue Army Men: Sarge's Heroes Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2 Army Men: World War Army Men World War: Final Front Army Men World War: Land, Sea, Air Arthur! Ready to Race Assault Ast Atari Anniversary Edition Redux Atlantis: The Lost Empire ATV: Quad Power Racing Auto Destruct Azure Dreams Backstreet Billiards Ball Breakers Ballistic Baseball 2000 Bass Landing Publisher — — Score Bam! Atlus өөө Dreamcatcher өөө 300 Infogrames Sony CEA Bam! Konami . THQ С ЕА батез С * • Koei Konami Issue 57 REVIEW ARCHIVE EA Games өөө 989 Studios . GT Interactive eeee Eidos EA Sports Sony CEA Namco Namco Take 2 Hasbro Crystal Dynamics Sony CEA Rockstar . Fox Interactive Agetec Infogrames e Working Designs e: Activision ASC Infogrames Sony CEA Activision өөө Working Designs e Midway m Midway eet Midway Sony CEA Agetec on Acclaim « 300 300 300 300 п/а 300 °‹ 300 өө 300 oot 300 °‹ 300 o 300 The Learning Co. Midway Activision Infogrames eo SCEA Acclaim . Electronic Arts Konami Ascii Take 2 Infogrames Interplay Agetec 41 Game Publisher Bass Rise Bandai Batman & Robin Acclaim Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Ubi Soft Batman: Gotham City Racer Ubi Soft Battle Hunter Agetec Battletanx: Global Assault 300 Beast Wars Hasbro Big Air Accolade Big Bass Fishing Take 2 Big ОР Bass 2 Konami Billiards Agetec Bio FR.E.A.K.S. Midway Black Bass with Blue Marlin Hot-B Blade Activision Blast Lacrosse Acclaim Blast Radius Psygnosis Blaster Master: Blasting Again Crave Blasto Sony CEA Bloody Roar Sony CEA Bloody Roar 2 Sony CEA Blues Big Musical тна Board Game: Top Shop Agetec Bomberman Fantasy Race Atlus Bomberman Party Edition Vatical Bomberman World Atlus The Bombing Islands Kemco Boombots SouthPeak Bottom of the Sth '97 Konami Bowling Agetec Boxing Agetec Brave Fencer Musashi Square EA Bravo Air Race THQ Breakout Hasbro Breath of Fire Ill Capcom Breath of Fire IV Capcom Brigandine Atlus Broken Sword THO Broken Sword Il Crave Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling THQ Brunsi Circuit Pro Bowling 2 THQ Bug Riders GT Interactive Bugs Bunny & Taz: Time Busters Infogrames Bugs Bunny Lost In Time Infogrames Builder's Block Jaleco Burstrick Wake Boarding! Natsume Bushido Blade 2 Square EA Bust A Groove 989 Studios Bust A Groove 2 Enix Bust-A-Move 4 Natsume Bust-A-Move 99 Acclaim Buzz Lightyear of Star Command Activision C: The Contra Adventure Konami с-12; Final Resistance Sony CEA Caesar's Palace 2000 Interplay Caesar's Palace И Interplay Capcom vs. SNK Pro Capcom Card Games Agetec Cardinal SYN Sony CEA CART World Series Sony CEA Casper: Friends Around the World Sound Source Castlevania Chronicles Konami Castlevania: mphony of the Night Konami Castrol Honda Superbike Electronic Arts Centipede Hasbro Championship Bass EA Sports Championship Motocross 2001 Featuring Ricky Carmichael THQ Championship Motocross Featuring Ricky Carmichael THQ Championship Surfer Mattel Chessmaster И Mindscape Chicken Run Eidos Chocobo Racing Square EA Score Issue PS2 GREATEST HITS TWISTED METAL: BLACK If you want to be a Twisted Metal badass against your friends, you're going to need to know where to find the Environment Weapons. These will ruin your opponents. Also of note: * Watch what weapons your opponent is toting. They might be saving an Environment Weapon of their own. * It's a good practice to pick up all decent power-ups. Whenever a Health power-up spawns, grab it so you can deprive your opponent. ZORKO BROS. SCRAP & SALVAGE Call In the Fire Support The Bomber in the level will fire its gun at any car that drives within its range. This attack will fire 18 poten- tial shots, and these can whittle down almost any car with ease. When you trigger this Environment Weapon, make sure that you are not the closest car to the Bomber, or you will get pegged. MIDTOWN SUBURBS Lightning Storm If anyone is camping in the factory district, a quick jolt of lightning from the Environment Weapon of this stage will make them rethink their plans. Note: The computer-controlled cars will never trigger this attack, so Ё players hiding on the rooftops аге still much safer than the ones on the ground. DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT Death from Above Calypso's helicopters fly above every stage; however, in this level the ones flying over the center divide can be triggered to attack the cars closest to the bridge. This attack is exactly the same as the Bomber from the Junkyard, except that the positions of the helicopters can change. MINION'S STADIUM Zeppelin Zappin’ The Zeppelins circling the battleground aren't just for show. If you trigger the Environment Weapon, they will zap any cars underneath with arcs of lightning! Shoot It Down You can shoot the Zeppelins down to cause a massive explosion that rivals that of the Hindenburg. BLACK ROCK RIDGE Strange Clouds Brewing Half of this level is under a strange ominous cloud. This cloud will zap any cars underneath it when you trigger the Environment Weapon. For the best effect, collect and save as many Environment Weapons as you can, then you can just fry the section of the level with the cloud. You can get lots of kills this way. m у Alaska-like conditions Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 159 and mark your subject line DVO EGGS Easter Eggs, email us at DVD EGGS The Royal Tenenbaums: Criterion Collection DVD Spin jam * Click on Scrapbook See the picture at the bottom of the screen with a small man holding a knife? k over until it's highlighted with a black square on the border of the picture. * Press X to watch the former Mr. Littlejeans do his thing with plates. e starter * Click on Scrapbook • Scroll over to the picture of flames in the upper left-hand corner until its border is hig lighted in black. * Click on it to see a flaming moment. Mice like Mom used to make * Click on, that’s right, the Scrapbook * Scroll to Storyboards and press Down. * There will be an arrow pointing to the mou at the bottom of the screen. Press X on it and watch Bill Murray shine. Shallow Hal DVD Tail of the tape * Go to the Language Selection and scroll down to the Captions and Subtitles. * Press Left to highlight part of Jason Alexander's Shadow. * Press X to see a small F/X clip. Pearl Harbor: Vista Series DVD Party like it’s 1941 * Squeeze the second disc into your PS2. * Go to the Special Features and highlight the Faith Hill music video. * Press right until a Star appears. • Press enter to view a blooper video. Widescreen propaganda * Go to the Set Up on the first disc. * Highlight audio commentaries. e Press Left until a star appears. * Press X to watch a featurette about widescreen film watching. Monster’s Ball DVD Rapping it up * Go to the Special Features page. * Click on the American Cinematheque logo to hear from director Marc Forster. Trailer trash * Keep pressing Up until you highlight the Lion's Gate logo. e Press X to see a trailer reel from Lion's Gate of future or current releases. Terminator: Special-Edition DVD Behind the scenes * Stay on the film side of the disc and go to the features menu. *.Go down to Resume Film and press Down to find a behind-the-scenes clip. Behind the scenes, again * Go to the Languages section * Highlight Francais and press Right to find another behind-the-scenes clip. Behind the scenes, again, again * Go to the Scene Selection menu. * Highlight chapters 25-28 and press Down twice to see James Cameron talking 16) Official US. PlayStation Magazine Game — Publisher Score Issue Game Publisher Score issue Chocobo's Dungeon 2 Square EA ot 2 GEO: ‘Square EA 36 Circuit Breakers Mindscape 12 Civilization И Activision 18 Clock Tower Ascii 2 Clock Tower Il: The Struggle Within Agetec eec 28 Colin McRae 2.0 Codemasters. 40 Colin McRae Rally Sony CEA 30 Colony Wars Psygnosis 4 Colony Wars: Red Sun Psygnosis 31 Colony Wars: Vengeance Psygnosis 14 Command & Conquer: Red Alert Virgin 4 Contender Sony CEA 7 Contender 2 Bam! е ^ Sony CEA 3 989 Studios 14 989 Studios 27 Coo! Boarders 2001 Sony CEA е 39 Countdown Vampires Bandai 32 Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn Activision 34 Sony CEA 3 Sony CEA Crash Bash SCEA/Universal 39 Crime Killer Interplay 12 Critical Depth GT Interactive 3 Fox Interactive 1 Croc 2 Fox Interactive 22 Crossroad Crisis Magetec 50 Crusaders of Might & Magic 300 30 Sony CEA 26 CyberTiger EA Sports 27 Dance Dance Revolution Konami 42 Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix Konami 49 Dance Dance Revolution: Konamix Konami 57 Danger Girl THQ 39 Dark Omen Electronic Arts өө 9 DarkStalkers 3 Capcom 16 Darkstone Take 2 43 Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX Acclaim 38 Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX: Maximum Remix Acclaim 47 Dead in the Water ASC 7 Dead or Alive Tecmo 8 Deathtrap Dungeon Eidos 9 Deception III: Dark Delusion Tecmo 31 Demolition Racer Infogrames 26 Destrega Koei 16 Destruction Derby Raw Midway 39 Devil Dice THQ 13 Dexter's Laboratory: Mandark's Lab? Bam! Diablo Electronic Arts Die Hard Trilogy: Viva Las Vegas Fox Interactive Digimon Digital Card Battle Bandai Digimon Rumble Arena Bandai Digimon World Bandai Digimon World 2 Bandai Looking for the secret car in Havana? No problemo, señor. Drive to the tunnel on the city's west side. Before you go into the tunnel, take New partner Digimon There are eight partner Digimon you can get. They are Agumon, Patamon, Veemon, Guilmon, Renamon, Kumamon, Kotemon and Monmon. After the first three you get, you will need to find the Ultimate level Digimon for the rookie that you want. DRI people are in various locations and they will tell you which Ultimate Digimon they want DNA from. Defeat the Ultimate level Digimon to get the DNA. Take it back to the DRI person that wants it and you will get that rookie. For example, talk to the DRI person in Tyranno Valley. He wants DNA from MetalGreymon. Go to Bulk Swamp to find MetalGreymon. Fight and defeat him to get the DNA. Take it back to the DRI person and he will put Agumon in your team. Go to Digimon Lab or see Piximon to switch to Agumon. Permanent Digimon Use the following trick to get permanent Digimon such as Paildramon or Omnimon, For example, to get Paildramon permanently, you must have a Digimon that can digivolve to Exveemon and Stingmon at level 5. To get Omnimon as well, you must have a Digimon that can digivolve to Metalgarurumon and Wargreymon at level 40. Experience for all Tag in all your weaker partners first, then tag in your strongest last. Do not forget to heal them to get the experience. Then, finish with the strongest Digimon. All the digimon will get the same amount of experience. Dino Crisis Capcom ۰ 25 Dino Crisis 2 Capcom е 38 Disney's Dinosaur Ubi Soft e 36 Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers Ubi Soft e 39 Downhill Mountain Bike Racing Activision e 27 Dracula: The Last Sanctuary DreamCatcher e 56 Dracula: The Resurrection DreamCatcher e 48 Dragon Ball GT Bandai * 4 Dragon Tales: Dragon Seek NewKidCo ۰ 45 Dragon Valor Namco • 38 Dragon Warrior VII Enix е 51 Dragonseeds Jaleco ۰ 15 cive weee 24| Invincibility Quickly press L2, L2, R2, R2, L2, R2, L2, L1, R2, R1, L2, L1, L1. No police Quickly press L1, L2, R1, R1, R1, R1, L2, L2, R1, R1, L1, L1, R2. Rear-wheel steering Quickly press R1, R1, R1, R2, L2, R1, R2, L2, L1, R2, R1, L2, L1. Long suspension Quickly press R2, L2, R1, R2, L2, L1, R2, R2, L2, L2, L1, R2, R1. Mini cars Quickly press R1, R2, ВТ, R2, L1, L2, R1, R2, L1, R1, L2, L2, L2. The collision detection will still behave as if the cars were normal size. Upside-down screen Quickly press R2, R2, R1, L2, L1, R2, L2, L1, R2, R2, L2, R2, L1. омега Infogrames eee 40 Viva Las Vegas Secret Area (The Construction Site doesn't lead you to the secret car like the. areas did in both Chicago and Havana. Instead, it's more of a weird plot of land to just drive around and smash into stuff. Follow these ‘steps and you'll be there in no time!) This area can be found rather easily. Bust through the fence, then proceed straight and jump the ramp that leads over the con- Grete barrier. Once you're over it, you've entered the secret area. Secret Car First, flick the switch near the fence (see location on map) and it will open up a gate as you return to the street. Second, hang a right on your way back from hitting the switch and you'll see the opened gate. Pass through and you'll find your new pickup truck. “Look, mawr, | gots me а newr pigguh truh!” Invincibility Cheat (The Invincibility cheat renders you. immune to all forms of damage. The cops will still chase you and ‘smash into you, but your damage meter will remain unaffected.) To gain access to the Invincibility Cheat in your main menu, all you need to do is find the hidden switch located across the street from the MGM Grand Casino. Then, once you're there, hop out of your car and look for the sign that says "Bingo." Go to the left of the sign and flip the switch between the two black doors—just make sure to save your game to gain access to the cheat! Ducati World Championship Racing Acclaim е 4 Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes Infogrames 40 GT Interactive 14 Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown GT Interactive 5 SouthPeak °‹ 29 Dukes of Hazzard Il: Daisy Dukes it Out SouthPeak 41 Dune 2000 Electronic Arts 27 EA Sports Supercross EA Sports 41 Eagle One: Harrier Attack Infogrames 32 Echo Night Agetec 23 Game = Publisher — Score Issue _ Publish Score | ECW Anarchy Rulz Acclaim б з © rismo 200. EHS ECW Hardcore Revolution Acclaim time, every time. Except in the case of Cast Away. Ehrgeiz Square EA Mark Martin's NASCAR #6 Ford Taurus Einhãnder Sony CEA To obtain this car, you must first purchase a Ford Taurus and then Elemental Gearbolt Working Designs perform the Racing modification. Eliminator Psygnosis Мо’ Sports Land Track The Emperor's New Groove СЕД Obtain all of the licenses, including the Super License, and the oU were sucked шо Buying В ESPN MLS GameNight Konami Motor Sports Land track will become available in Time Trial mode on НЕ VOUS ЕТ, the Extra-Terrestrial: the arcade disc. lucky enough to pave rented ч Either BST . А way, you'll want codes. That's what Interplanetary Mission NewKidCo Grand Theft Auto Take2 10 Blitz is all about. Try entering these Eternal Eyes crate Grand Thoit Ашо Rockstar а names as your own and see what you Evil Dead: Hail to the King THO Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 Rockstar 22 come up with. Some are shown to Evil Zone. Titus Grand Tour Racing ‘98 Activision 1 the right Expendable Infogrames Grandia Sony CEA 26 F1 2000 EA Sports Granstream Saga THO 10 A F1 Championship Season EA Sports The Grinch Konami/Universal 39 F1 Racing Championship Ubi Soft Grind Session Sony CEA 34 NFL Blitz 20-03 Special Characters V Family Feud Hasbro Grudge Warriors. Take2 34 Description Name h Family Game Pack 300 Guardian's Crusade Activision 19 уз Fantastic Four Acclaim Gundam Battle Assault Bandai 40 Beerdrinker ZEMAN Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition ‘SNK Gunfighter: Deerhunter DEER Fear Effect Eidos The Legend of Jesse James Ubi Soft 52 Cowboy COWBOY Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix Eidos HardBall '99 Accolade 15 Robot ег ROBOTS. Felony 11-79 Ascii Harry Potter and the Robot Red ROBOTR FIFA 98 EA Sports Sorcerer's Stone EA Games 53 Clown CLOWN FIFA 99 EA Sports Harvest Moon: Back to Nature Natsume 40 Dolphin DOLPHIN FIFA 2000 EA Sports HBO Boxing Acclaim 41 Dough Boy RBL-DBN FIFA 2001 Major League Soccer EA Sports Heart of Darkness Interplay 13 VIKING The Fifth Element Activision Hello Kitty's Cube Frenzy NewKidCo 20 BEAR Fighter Maker Agetec Herc's Adventures LucasArts 2 EAGLE Fighting Force Eidos High Heat Baseball 2000 300 22 HORSE Fighting Force 2 Eidos High Heat Major LION Final Fantasy Anthology Square EA League Baseball 2002 300 43 PINTO Final Fantasy Chronicles Sony CEA Hogs of War Infogrames 38 PIRATE Final Fantasy IX Square EA Hooters Road Trip Ubi Soft 55 RAM Final Fantasy Tactics Sony CEA өөөө 5 Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth Atlus 53 TIGER Final Fantasy VII Sony CEA 1 Hot Shots Golf Sony CEA 7 MADISON Final Fa Square EA Hot Shots Golf 2 Sony CEA 30 Sa DL Fisherman's Bait Konami Hot Wheels Turbo Racing Electronic Arts 25 м PA с. Fisherman's Bait 2: Big Ol’ Bass Konami Hydro Thunder Midway 31 Flintstones Bedrock Bowling SouthPeak 1НВА Drag Racing Bethesda ‹ 53 Ford Racing Empire In Cold Blood DreamCatcher e 49 Formula 1 198 Psygnosis Incredible Crisis Titus зв [М L B S L U G F E ST Formula One '99 Psygnosis Inspector Gadget: Forsaken Acclaim Gadget's Crazy Maze Ubi Soft Fox Sports Golf '99 Fox Interactive. Intelligent Qube Sony CEA Fox Sports Soccer '99 Fox Interactive. Intellivision Classic Games Activision Enter these during the ve раде Freestyle Boardin' 99 Capcom Int'l. Superstar Soccer 98 Копаті Here's bowitt works: The first number is Freestyle Motocross: Int'l. Track & Field 2000 Konami Hr Оа Шо рр ss EUEY р L1. The second number is how many McGrath уз. Pastrana Acclaim Invasion From Beyond GT Interactive times 1 press X or Triangle. The third Frogger Hasbro Iron Soldier 3 Vatical number is how many times you pre Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge Hasbro Irritating Stick Jaleco Circle ог R1. After that, press the direc Front Mission 3 Square EA ISS Pro Evolution Konami tion to activate that specific code. It r Future Cop LAPD. Electronic Arts The Italian Job sound convoluted, but trust us on this G.Pollos Fayos КЫЕК ӨГ СОП one. If you only try one cheat code this = $ Ў 2 A year, make the Whiffle Bat your code of G-Police 2 Psygnosis While in the main menus, input the following codes. If entered cor- choice, Or the Log Bat G.Darius THO rectly, you'll here a swarm of cheering and applause. Galaga: Destination Earth Hasbro Unlock All Missions in Italian Job Mode 1,1, 1, DOWN Tournament Mode Galerians Crave Circle, Circle, Triangle, Square, Square. 4, 4,4, DOWN Unlimited Turbo Gallop Racer Tecmo Unlock All Checkpoints 2, 4, 2, DOWN 16 Softball Gauntlet Legends Midway Circle, Square, Triangle, Square, Triangle, Square, Triangle, Square, 0, 0, 4, RIGHT Whiffle Bat Gekido Interplay Circle. 2,0, 0, RIGHT Big Head Gex: Deep Cover Gecko Eidos Unlock All Destructors 0,0, 4, UP. Log Bat Gex: Enter the Gecko Midway Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle, Circle, 3,3,3, UP Coliseum Ghost in the Shell THQ Circle. 3,2,1, UP Rocket Park Glover Hasbro Unlock All Free Rides 1, 2, 3, UP Extra Time Gold and Glory: ‘Square, Triangle, Square, Circle, Circle, Circle, Triangle, Circle. 2,4,2, UP Rubber Ball The Road to Е! Dorado Sony CEA өө 42 Unlock All Challenges 0,0, 4, LEFT Mace Bat Gran Turismo Sony CEA 9 Square, Square, Triangle, Circle, Circle, Square, Triangle, Circle. 2, 0, 0, LEFT Tiny Head EA Jackie Chan Stuntmaster Midway 30 2, 1, 0, RIGHT Pinto Team One of the top games on the PSone deserves a few codes, right? Jade Cocoon Crave 23 2, 1, 1, RIGHT Horse Team Arcade Tracking Jarrett & LaBonte 2, 1, 2, RIGHT Eagle Team ‘Obtain all licenses in Simulation mode on disc two, including the Stock Car Racing Codemasters 38 2, 2, 0, RIGHT Lion Team ‘Super License to get more Arcade mode tracks. Jeopardy! Hasbro 7 3, 0, 0, LEFT Max Batting FedEx Car Jeopardy! 2 Hasbro 29 0, 3, 0, LEFT Max Power Enter the Gran Turismo League race events until reaching the Pacific Jeremy McGrath 0, 0, 3, LEFT Max Speed League races, Then, enter the Midfield Raceway event to be award- Supercross 2000 Acclaim e 38 2, 2, 2, RIGHT Team Todd McFarlane ed with an R*Nissan 3007Х GTS FedEx race car. Gets you there on Jersey Devil Sony CEA eo 10 3, 3, 3, RIGHT Team Terry Fitzgerald Official PlayStation Magazine (161 i j m T з È b | a i HOT SHOTS 3: SEPT. TOURNEY Tips for the Last Chance Showdown tournament as found on hotshotsgolf3.scea.com FRONT NINE Finally, you get the pick of the ` golfers for the final tournament We took Mitch, because we like his beard and his consistency. 50. these tips are for someone who. сап hit longer than the chumps on the pleasant front nine. Expect lots of wind, lots of cata- strophe and lots of restarts (in fact, if you press all the shoulder but- tons plus Select and Start, you'll be carried out to the game's main menu, A good trick on this course), HOLE #1 Par 4, Wind 6m. Aim right at the sandiraps on the right side of the fairway and smoke the ball, It should roll past the tree in the center of the fairway without drama, From there, itll take a wood to get you in putting range on the simple green. HOLE #2 Par 5, Wind 6m Push your tee shot to the right and then follow up with a super-spin ` shot [press X, hold Right, press X, hold Left and hit it right on the line). From there, hammer your 1W and try to make the green. The hole's set on a hill, so make sure your putt is true, HOLE #3 Par 4, Wind 5m ` Power-up and bang your shot to the left edge of the lake (be careful , not to have-a run-in with the trees on your second shot), From there, ‘blast off with your 4 Iron and you'll be sitting pretty. Even mis-hits on this hole won't turn out too badly, А 102. Official U.S, PlayStation Magazine HOLE #4 Par 3, Wind 4m Consider dumping your 21 and hit- ting а light 4W on this shot, The wind isn't a huge factor, but it'll do. ita best Fo spill your shot into the sand, The green is fast, so don't hit your wood shot with too much courage. HOLE #5 Par 4, Wind 8m The wind is more fierce than a Tiger Woods stare, so prep for it, Hit your tee shot way left. We're talking aim-at-the-rough teft, That should get you in good position for your second shot, If there's a tree eye-balling you, just spin around it by pressing X, Right, X on your fol- low-up shot HOLE #6 Par 3, Wind 5m. You're way above the cup on this long Par 3, so be aware of that, But go at jt with a 1W, Blast away and you'll get past the front of the green, which has a tricky lip that might keep you away. HOLE #7 Par 4, Wind 1m See that hump in the fairway? If you get the ball over it, you'll get à pleasing roll that will situate you closer to the pin, It'll або set you up for a nice bird's-eye view for your second shot, HOLE #8 Par 5, Wind 7m Getting on in two isn't going to be easy with the ball-stopping wind messing with everything. Blast off with two consecutive 1W shots and if you hit them perfectly, maybe you'll get close, If so, pull out your ШЕ punch the ball into the hole The green is fat, but it's tricky. Nothing easy about this one. HOLE #9 Par 4, Wind 6m Smack the ball straightaway and you'll likely be pleased with the results, The hill is deeply sloped, 50 à bath in the sand might ruin your day. If the sand doesn't inter- fere, you're an easy 01 to the pin and the birdie will be yours. BACK NINE The back nine is the easier half of the course, by far, But there are still a mess of challenges, Watch out for 16 and you'll do just fine, HOLE #10 Par 4, Wind 7m Your biggest enemy are those sandtraps stationed to the right of the fairway, Ugly critters, Aim al the faux Redwood plopped in the center of the course and the wind will help you around it For your second shot, load up on one of your irons, but hold Down on the D-pad while you shoot, That'll lift the ball, letting the wind do most of the work to get it to the green, HOLE #11 Par 4, Wind 5m Another rolling fairway, another chance to hit the ball hard and watch it roll, A straightaway shot should do the trick, since the wind will push you left From there, really bang your next shot, You'll think it’s going to clear the water, but it might not, Consider a 4W if you get nervous, HOLE #12 Par 3, Wind 6m The game sets you up with a 4W off the tee of this Par 3, but we can't think of a worse idea, The 21 will soar too far (you're 16y above the hole and the wind is beastly), So bone-up on your 31 and sky it right into the hole, If you want to put super backspin on the ball, press Up, X, Down and X. It might get the ball to drop in the cup. HOLE #13 Par 4, Wind 6m See the white flags that show the out-of-bounds area? Push your tee shot at those, then tease it back to the fairway by just a little, The wind will hook you onto the fair- way, since you don't want to mess with that hulking lake, From there, it's a clean look at a messy green that makes putting à chore, HOLE #14 Par 4, Wind 8m The wind here is stiff, But don't let it trick you. You'll want to hit straightaway, because otherwise you'll be too near the trees on the left side of the fairway, Your second shot is going to feel like a crap shoot because of the wind, and in many ways it is. Just let the wind do lots of the work, and if you're going to use an iron, it'll doubly affect the shot, while. the wood won't be too bothered. HOLE #15 Par 5, Wind 2m If you don't eagle this hole, you slink, No offense, but it's the easi- est hole on the course and it’s a gimme, Especially since you're so far above the cup every time you bang the ball, On your second shot you're. going to have to use your 1W, and you're going to have to power-up, It may look like it'll go Long [con- sidering your 12y above the hole], but you won't, Trust us, HOLE #16 Par 3, Wind 2m This is the second toughest hole on the course, No foolin’, Bust out your 21 whoopin' stick here, because the 4W will roll into the drink, Aim for the fat of the green, too, A hole-in-one would be nice, but it's not worth the risk. HOLE #17 Par 4, Wind 6m Not much drama on this romp, but keep in mind that you'll want to use a wood for your second shot, We suggest the 3W, since the wind will beat down an Iron shot in an. ugly way. That should get you on and close for the easy bird, HOLE #18 Par 5, Wind 3m Power-up and aim farther left than. you feel comfy with, Then load up your second shot with the 1W and. really layeth the-golfeth down, Chances are you won't nail the green in two, but you can get close enough to chip in, But the green's. à mess, so good luck, Game Publisher Score Issue Game Publisher Score Issue Jet Moto 2 Sony CEA 3 The Series: Crashdown Infogrames Jet Moto 3 389 Studios 26 Metal Gear Solid Konami Jimmy Johnson VR Football Interplay 2 Metal Gear Solid VR Missions Konami Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Capcom 31 Metal Slug X Agetec Juggernaut Jaleco 26 Micro Machines Midway K-1 Grand Prix Jaleco 28 Micro Maniacs Codemasters K-1 Revenge Jaleco 18 Mike Tyson Boxing Codemasters Kagero: Deception И Tecmo 14 The Misadventures Kartia Atlus 12 of Tron Bonne Capcom 31 Kensei Sacred Fist Konami 7 Miss Spider's Tea Party Simon & Schuster ^" Kickboxing Agetec 58 Missile Command Hasbro 28 Killer Loop Crave 27 Mission: Impossible Infogrames 28 King of Fighters ‘99 Agetec 41 MK Mythologies Midway 3 KISS Pinball Take 2 46 MLB 98 Sony GEA 1 Klonoa Namco 6 MLB 99 Sony CEA 9 Knockout Kings EA Sports 16 MLB 2000 989 Studios 2 Knockout Kings 2000 EA Sports 27 МІВ2001 989 Studios 33 Knockout Kings 2001 EA Sports 39 MLB 2002 ‘Sony CEA 46 Konami Arcade Classics Konami 23 MBL 2003 Sony CEA 60 Koudelka Infogrames 35 MLBPA Bottom of the 9th ‘99 Копаті 12 Kurt Warner's Arena Mobil 1: Rally Championship ^ Electronic Arts 32 Football Unleashed Midway 34 Monaco Grand Prix Ubi Soft 21 The Land Before Time: Monkey Hero Take 2 18 Great Valley Racing Adventure TDK Mediactive 46 Monkey Magic Sunsoft 29 The Land Before Time: Monopoly Hasbro. 5 Return to the Great Valley Sound Source eee 39 Monster Rancher 2 Tecmo 26 Largo Winch .// Commando Sar Ubi Soft ‹ 57 Monster Rancher Battle Card: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Eidos 25 Episode И Тесто The Legend of Dragoon Sony CEA 34 Monster Rancher Hop-A-Bout Tecmo Legend of Legaia Sony CEA 19 Monster Seed Sunsoft Legend of Mana ‘Square EA eet 35 Monsters, Inc. Sony CEA Lego Island 2: Mort the Chicken Crave The Brickster's Revenge Lego Media eee 46 Mortal Kombat: Special Forces Midway Lego Rock Raiders Lego Media e 37 Mortal Kombat 4 Midway Lilo & Stitch Sony CEA өөө‹ 59 Moto Racer Electronic Arts de: X Moto Racer 2 Electronic Arts Moto Racer World Tour Infogrames Motocross Mania Take2 орт Motorhead Fox Interactive The Lion King: Mr. Domino Acclaim Simba's Mighty Adventure Activision 42 Mr. Driller Namco The Little Mermaid И THO 39 Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness Namco Lode Runner Natsume 4 MTV Music Generator Codemasters Looney Tunes Racing Infogrames 39 MTV Sports: Pure Ride THO Looney Tunes: Sheep Raider Infogrames eee 51 MTV Sports: Skateboarding The Lost World: featuring Andy MacDonald THO . 39 Jurassic Park Electronic Arts e 2 MTV Sports: Snowboarding THO 27 Lunar: Silver Star MTV Sports: Story Complete Working Designs TJ. Lavin's Ultimate BMX THO 45 Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete Working Designs The Mummy Konami й Madden NFL 98 EA Sports Muppet Monster Adventure Midway 39 Madden NFL 99 EA Sports Muppet Race Mania Midway 39 Madden NFL 2000 EA Sports N.GEN Racing Infogrames өө‹ 35 Madden NFL 2001 EA Sports N20 Fox Interactive 11 Madden NFL 2002 EA Sports Nagano Winter Olympics ‘98 Konami 6 Martian Gothic: Unification Take 2 NASCAR 98 EA Sports 3 Marvel Super Heroes Capcom oo 2 NASCAR 99 Electronic Arts 14 Marvel Super Heroes vs. NASCAR 2000 EA Sports 26 Street Fighter Capcom 18 NASCAR 2001 EA Sports 38 Marvel vs. Capcom EX Capcom 30 NASCAR Heat Hasbro 40 Mary-Kate and Ashley: NASCAR Rumble Electronic Arts 31 Magical Mystery Mall Acclaim eoo 40 NASCAR Thunder 2002 EA Sports 52 Mary-Kate and Ashley: NBA Fastbreak ‘98 Midway 4 Winners Circle Acclaim 45 МВА Hoopz Midway 43 Mass Destruction ASC 3 NBA In the Zone ‘98 Konami 7 Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX Activision 45 NBA In the Zone ‘99 Konami 19 Maximum Force Midway 2 NBA In the Zone 2000 Konami 28 MDK Playmates 3 NBA Live 98 EA Sports 3 Medal 0f Honor Electronic Arts 27 NBA Live 99 EA Sports 16 Medal Of Honor Underground Electronic Arts 39 NBA Live 2000 EA Sports 28 MediEvil Sony CEA 14 NBA Live 2001 EA Sports 39 MediEvil И Sony CEA 32 NBA Live 2002 EA Sports 53 Mega Man Legends Capcom 8 NBA ShootOut 98 Sony CEA 8 Mega Man Legends 2 Capcom 39 NBA ShootOut 2000 989 Studios 30 Mega Man X4 Capcom 4 NBA ShootOut 2001 989 Studios 39 Mega Man X5 Capcom 41 МВА ShootOut 2002 Sony CEA 50 Mega Man X6 Capcom 53 МВА Showtime: МВА on NBC Midway 28 Men In Black- NBA Tonight ESPN Digital 14 Challenge No, 62- 66 so you can get to Legends mode. The Legends mode is like Arcade mode, but you only race against the five "legends." АЦ five will almost always ride as a pack. They are tough but not impossible to beat. Challenges No. 68-No. 71, which have no winning criteria shown until No. 67 is unlocked, are beating the legends. TONY HAWK 3: NUDE WOMEN? Go to Create-A- Skater and select Create New. Change the sex to female and put on a sheer shirt. Exit and go to tutori- als. Once there, select the wall- ride and com- plete. Enjoy! Johnny Hampton HarvestMoonKing (awebtv.net TIMESPLITTERS: CODE HUNT Are there any codes for TimeSplitters such as invincibil- ity, unlimited ammo, etc.? Alan Martin Alan1498famsn.c om No on the invinci- bility, but yes on ammo. Here's how: Time Attack rewards: Win the level under the indicat- ed difficulty set- ting and time to unlock the corre- sponding reward. 1985 Chemical Plant Easy: Om30s Male and female SWAT playable in Arcade modes. Normal: 1110$ Infinite Ammo. Hard: 2m35s Malehood in Arcade mode. Game Publisher — Score Issue NCAA Final Four '99 989 Studios 18 NCAA Final Four 2000 389 Studios NCAA Final Four 2001 ‘Sony CEA NCAA Football 98 EA Sports NCAA Football 99 EA Sports NCAA Football 2000 EA Sports NCAA Football 2001 EA Sports NCAA GameBreaker 98 Sony CEA NCAA GameBreaker 99 989 Studios NCAA GameBreaker 2000 989 Studios NCAA GameBreaker 2001 Sony CEA NCAA March Madness 98 EA Sports NCAA March Madness 99 EA Sports NCAA March Madness 2000 EA Sports. NCAA March Madness 2001 EA Sports Nectaris: Military Madness Jaleco Need for Speed 111 Electronic Arts Need for Speed: High Stakes Electronic Arts Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed Electronic Arts Need for Speed: V-Rally Electronic Arts Need for Speed: V-Rally 2 Electronic Arts Newman/Haas Racing Psygnosis The Next Tetris Hasbro NFL Blitz Midway NFL Blitz 2000 Midway NFL Blitz 2001 Midway NFL GameDay 98 Sony CEA NFL GameDay 99 989 Studios NFL GameDay 2000 EA Sports NFL GameDay 2001 389 Studios NFL GameDay 2002 Sony CEA 49 NFL Xtreme 389 Studios " NFL Xtreme 2 989 Studios 24 NHL 98 EA Sports 2 NHL 99 EA Sports 15 NHL 2000 EA Sports. 26 NHL 2001 EA Sports 38 NHL Blades of Steel 2000 ' Konami 28 NHL Breakaway 98 Acclaim 2 NHL Championship 2000 Fox Interactive 27 NHL FaceOff 98 Sony CEA 2 NHL FaceOff 99 989 Studios 14 NHL FaceOff 2000 989 Studios 26 МНЕ FaceOff 2001 Sony CEA 38 МНЕ Rock the Rink Electronic Arts 32 Nick Toons Racing Infogrames 48 Nightmare Creatures Activision 3 Nightmare Creatures Il Konami 33 Ninja: Shadow of Darkness Eidos 15 Nuclear Strike Electronic Arts 3 орт. Psygnosis 15 Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus GT Interactive 15 Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee GT Interactive 1 Omega Boost Sony CEA 25 One ASC 4 One Piece Mansion Capcom 50 Pac-Man World Namco 25 Pandemonium! 2 Midway 3 Panzer Front Agetec 51 PaRappa the Rapper Sony CEA 2 Parasite Eve Square EA 12 Parasite Eve Il Square EA 37 Persona 2: Eternal Punishment Atlus 41 Peter Jacobsen's Golden Tee Golf Infogrames PGA Tour 98 EA Sports Pipe Dreams 3D Empire Int. Pitfall 3D Activision Play With The Teletubbies Pocket Fighter Point Blank Point Blank 2 Point Blank 3 Polaris SnoCross Pong Pool Hustler Activision Populous: The Beginning Electronic Arts e« 21 Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine REPLAY FREEKSTYLE At long last we've gotten our hands on a map of the first course in F tyle, Monumental Motople: cuts. We've got a few more of these on tap, so if you want tc us know at opm(dziffdavis.com. e for something else. We dirty with th Otherwise, well, w Take the shallower ramps if you're lag- ging behind, but if you have a lot of boost, go left around the jumps If your Freekout meter is full, these jumps are a good place to unleash the beast—hang on! ing on the sec- ond ramp will fly you into a bonus zone. Official U. Il use the sp cks le You can jump this entire corner or dive down into the gully for a tough shortcut through a mine shaft a ledge on the de of this turn and a ramp at the end of the ledge. It's a great trick area Here's your best opportunity for big air and multiple tricks. If you mix it up, you can ombo. jayStation Magazine o we can show you all the nifty short- get down and e flexible. If you take the short cut, boost hard as you exit and you might be able to clear another hairpin turn If you've got enough boost, take either of the outer paths here and punch it hard to make it up the ramp. Take a soft right when the track goes hard right and you'll bust through the bo: and cut two turns Porsche Challenge Power Play Sports Trivia Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue Power Shovel Power Soccer 2 Power Spike Pro Beach Volleyball The Powerpuff Girls: Chemical X-Traction Poy Poy Pro 18 World Tour Golf Pro Pinball: Big Race USA Pro Pinball: Fantastic Journey Pro Pinball: Timeshock! Psybadek Punky Skunk Putter Golf Puzzle Star Sweep Q*bert Quake Il R-Type Delta R-Types R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 Racing Railroad Tycoon II Rainbow Six Rally Cross 2 Rampage Rampage 2: Universal Tour Rampage Through Time Ray Tracers RayCrisis Rayman 2: The Great Escape Rayman Brain Games Rayman Rush Razor Freestyle Scooter RC de GO! RC Revenge RC Stunt Copter Re-Volt Ready 2 Rumble Round 2 Red Asphalt Reel Fishing II ident Evil Resident Evil 2 Dual Sh Resident Evil 3 Nemesis Resident Evil Survivor Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure Rising Zan Risk Rival Schools Riven: The Sequel to Myst Road Rash: Jail Break Rock "Em Sock "Ет Robots Rocket Power Team Rocket Rescue Rogue Trip Roll Away Rollcage Rollcage Stage И Romance of the Three Kingdoms VI Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths & Legends RPG Maker Rugrats: Totally Angelica Rugrats in Paris: The Movie Runabout 2 Running Wild Rushdown Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: A Twitch in Time! SaGa Frontier Publisher _ Score Issue бате Publisher Score Issue Sony CEA 1 SaGa Frontier 2 Square EA 29 Ubi Soft 58 Saiyuki: Journey West Koei 47 Saltwater Sportfishing Agetec 52 THO e 40 Sammy Sosa Acclaim 49 High Heat Baseball 2001 300 өө 32 Psygnosis 5 Sammy Sosa Softball Slam 300 33 Samurai Shodown: Infogrames on 41 Warrior's Rage SNK o 36 Scooby-Doo and the Bam! е 51 Cyber Chase THO Konami 3 Scrabble Hasbro Psygnosis ee 19 Sentinel Returns Psygnosis Empire 37 Sesame Street Sports NewKidCo Empire 37 Shadow Madness Crave Take 2 е 10 Shadow Man Acclaim Psygnosis ee 15 Shadow Master Psygnosis Jaleco m 6 Shadow Tower Agetec Agetec ‹ 53 Shanghai: True Valor Sunsoft Agetec 43 Sheep Empire Hasbro 28 Shipwreckers Psygnosis Activision 27 Shooter: Space Shot Agetec Agetec 23 Shooter: Starfighter Sanvein Agetec Ascii 7 Silent Bomber Bandai Namco 20 Konami Agetec 43 Silhouette Mirage Working Designs Take 2 30 Sim Theme Park Electronic Arts Red Storm 27 The Simpsons Wrestling Taito 989 Studios 15 Skullmonkeys Electronic Arts Midway 4 Skydiving Extreme Banpresto Midway е 21 d Ш Electronic Arts Midway o 36 Small Soldiers Electronic Arts THO е 5 ‘Smurfs Infogrames Working Designs e. 38 Smurf Racer Infogrames Ubi Soft 35 Sno-Cross Ubi Soft 50 Championship Racing Crave Ubi Soft Snowboarding Agetec Crave Soul of the Samurai Konami Acclaim South Park Acclaim Acclaim South Park: Chef's Luv Shack Acclaim Titus South Park Rally Acclaim Acclaim Space Invaders Activision Midway Spawn: The Eternal Sony CEA Midway Spec Ops: Covert Assault Take 2 Interplay Spec Ops: Ranger Elite Take 2 Natsume Spec Ops: Stealth Patrol Take 2 Natsume Speed Punks Sony CEA Capcom Speed Racer Jaleco Capcom Speedball 2100 Empire Capcom 13 ОТТЕ] Activision Capcom 27 Try these codes on for size, They're web-tastic! Capcom 38 Join the Marines, the sub-marines Atlus 35 The Sub-Mariner is the last guy in the character viewer. То get him Agetec 24 in there, do this: Hasbro 11 * Enter “What If? Mode" code (GBHSRSPM). Capcom 14 Reach “Spidey vs. Camage!" level. Acclaim 6 * You'll be able to see The Sub-Mariner peeking in through one of Electronic Arts 1 the windows, outside of the boss area. Electronic Arts 30 * Be sure to see him in full view to add him to the character viewer. Mattel 4 Alternate Daily Bugle Scene Here's something you might not expect from the team at Neversoft: THQ 1 5 * Enter the password RULUR at the Cheats screen to unlock GT Interactive. 4 Neversoft president Joel Jewett. Psygnosis 13 * Start a new game. When you're prepped to fight Scorpion, J. Psygnosis 19 Jonah Jameson will be replaced by Jewett who'll be clad in a styl- Psygnosis 31 — ish T-shirt and shorts. Spider-Man 2 Enter: Electro Activision 50 Koei ee 30 Spin Jam Take 2 38 5 SpongeBob THO 51 Red Storm e. 48 We've been begging for codes for this game for ages, and while Agetec 35 many have submitted, the inimitable Patrick Wilson can be thanked THQ 48 (Otaku@cinci.rr.com). THO ^ Level Passwords: Hot-B e 36 1 BGNR 989 Studios өө 4 2CLMB Electronic Arts ee 19 3 KVNF 4 WKGA Knowledge Adv. € 45 5 DFVS Sony CEA e 8 6 NGPS Game Е Publisher Score Issue Game Publisher Accolade Accolade 8 ХМАО Test Drive 6 Infogrames 9 HPJQ Test Drive Le Mans Infogrames 10 QHDG Test Drive: Off Road 3 Infogrames 11 МЕХМ Thousand Arms Atlus 12 MNTL Thrasher: Skate & Destroy Rockstar 13 QGAV Threads of Fate Square EA 14 LXHK Thunder Force V Working Designs 15 HGCD Tiger Woods 99 PGA Tour Golf ЕА Sports 16 CNXK Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2001 EA Sports 17 LKKV Tigger's Honey Hunt NewKidCo 18 PVHS Time Crisis: Project Titan Namco 19 JAST Tiny Tank Sony CEA End WMBT Tiny Toon Adventures: Sports Car GT Electronic Arts 21 Plucky's Big Adventure Conspiracy Spyro: Year of the Dragon _ Sony CEA Tiny Toons: We'll be the first to admit that these cheats aren't necessarily the The Great Beanstalk NewKidCo cream of the proverbial dragon scale. But they'll do. TOCA2 Activision 2D Spyro Tom & Jerry in House Trap Eidos To turn Spyro into a second-dimensional dragon, enter the following. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: code while at the Pause menu: Rogue Spear Red Storm Left, Right, Left, Right, L1, R1, L1, R1, Square, Circle. E t Eidos To turn him back to normal, re-enter the code. Eidos 99 Lives Tomb Raider: Chronicles Eidos Enter the following code at the Pause menu to gain 99 lives: Tomb Raider: R2, L2, R2, L2, Up, Up, Up, Up, Circle. The Last Revelation Eidos Big-headed Spyro Tomba! Sony CEA At the pause menu, enter the following code to inflate Spyro's head: Tomba! 2: Up, Rt, Up, R1, Up, R1, Circle, Circle, Circle, Circle. Re-enter the The Evil Swine Return Sony CEA code to shrink it back to normal. v Electronic Arts Sony CEA 27 Топка Space Station Hasbro Sony CEA 13 “Къ Pro $ Activision Star Ocean: The 2nd Story Sony CEA 22 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Activision Star Trek: Invasion Activision 37 Toonenstein: Dare to Scare Vatical Star Wars: Episode I— Torneko: The Last Hope Enix Jedi Power Battles LucasArts eet 33 Toy Story 2 Activision Toy Story Racer Activision LucasArts Transformers: Star Wars: Masters of Terás Kasi LucasArts Beast Wars Transmetals Bam! Star Wars Demolition LucasArts Trap Gunner Atlus Steel Reign Sony CEA Treasures of the Deep Namco Streak GT Interactive Trick'n Snowboarder Capcom Street Fighter Alpha 3 Capcom Triple Play 99 EA Sports ‘Street Fighter Collection Capcom Triple Play 2000 EA Sports Street Fighter Collection 2 Capcom Triple Play 2001 EA Sports Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha Capcom Triple Play Baseball EA Sports Street Fighter EX2 Plus Capcom Turbo Prop Racing Sony CEA Street Sk8er Electronic Arts n 989 Studios Street Sk8er 2 Electronic Arts 989 Studios Strider 2 Capcom Twisted Metal: Small Brawl Sony CEA Striker Pro 2000 Infogrames Tyco RC: Assault With a Battery Mattel Strikers 1945 Agetec Ultimate 8-Ball THQ ‘Stuart Little 2 Sony CEA Ultimate Fighting Championship Crave ‘Suikoden II Konami Um Jammer Lammy Sony CEA ‘Superbike 2000 EA Sports The Unholy War Eidos SuperCross 2000 EA Sports Uprising X 300 SuperCross Circuit 989 Studios Urban Chaos Eidos Surf Riders Ubi Soft Vagrant Story Square EA Sydney 2000 Eidos Valkyrie Profile Enix 989 Studios Vampire Hunter D Jaleco Syphon Filter 2 989 Studios Vanark Jaleco Syphon Filter 3 Sony CEA Vandal Hearts II Konami T'ai Fu Activision Vanguard Bandits Working Designs T.R.A.G. Sunsoft Vanishing Point Acclaim Tactics Ogre Atlus Vegas Games 2000 300 Tail Concerto Atlus VIP, Ubi Soft Tales of Destiny Namco Activision Tales of Destiny И Namco Vigilante 8: Second Offense Activision Sony CEA Virtual Kasparov Titus Team Buddies Midway VR Baseball 99 Interplay Team LOSI RC Racing Fox Interactive VR Sports Powerboat Racing ^ Interplay Tekken 3 Namco Vs. THQ Activision Walt Disney World Quest Tenchu 2: Birth of the Magical Racing Tour Eidos Stealth Assassins Activision 7 Walt Disney's Jungle Book Tennis Agetec 53 Rhythm n' Groove Ubi Soft Tennis Arena Ubi Soft 4 War Jetz 300 _ Sco Mat Hoffman 2 Building up your Adrenaline Meter in Hoffman 2 takes one thing: consis- tency. You need to consistently not fall, consistently do different tricks and consistently land them. Once уо ve mastered keeping on your wheels, you'll grow your meter. That's when you want to tear it up with these special tricks. They're worth more points, and more importantly, they look fre EL. ADRENALINE TRICKS Mat Hoffman LEFT, UP + Circle RIGHT, LEFT + Circle LEFT, RIGHT + Square Joe Kowalski UP, RIGHT + Circle LEFT, RIGHT + Circle RIGHT, LEFT + Square Rick Thorne DOWN, RIGHT + Circle RIGHT, LEFT + Circle LEFT, RIGHT + Square Mike Escamilla LEFT, RIGHT + Circle RIGHT, UP + Square RIGHT, LEFT + Square Simon Tabron LEFT, RIGHT + Circle LEFT, DOWN + Square RIGHT, LEFT + Square Cory Nastazio RIGHT, LEFT + Circle UP, LEFT + Square LEFT, RIGHT + Square Kevin Robinson DOWN, RIGHT + Square LEFT, RIGHT + Square RIGHT, LEFT + Circle Reuben Alcantara DOWN, LEFT + Circle LEFT, RIGHT + Circle RIGHT, LEFT + Square Nate Wessel RIGHT, LEFT + Circle LEFT, RIGHT + Square DOWN, LEFT + Square Seth Kimbrough RIGHT, LEFT + Circle LEFT, RIGHT + Square RIGHT, DOWN + Square м. h Trick Peacock Barhop Backflip Tailwhip Half Barspin Tailwhip Superman One Hander No FooteDown Candybar Right One Hander Body Flip One HandeDown Swing Leg Half Barspin Tailwhip Backflip No Footer Body Varial Decade Swing Leg 900 Double Front Peg Grab Backflip Tailwhip Backflip Tabletop X-Down Half Barspin Tailwhip No HandeRight Backflip Pendulum Rocket One FooteRight Candybar Double Tailwhip Decade Superman One Hander Backflip No Footer Pendulum Superman Double Seat Grab Swing Leg Barhop Superman Seat grab Truckdriver Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 165 ARC THE LAD COLLECTION More tips and strategies straight from Working Designs—this time for Arc the Lad TI LET'S BLOW THIS POPSICLE STAND Return now to the Houfion Bar, where Shu and Tosh are going over their plans for infiltrating Romalia, Rather than taking control of the train, they decide to destroy it instead. The plan is now for Tosh to act as a decoy and draw the Romalian Patrol Corps away from the tunnel in order to give Shu enough time to set the explosives. To help Tosh on his end of things, Shu gives him а Cast-Off Ball and tells him to use it when he feels he can't hold off the guards any longer. For this mission, bringing along a few extra Recover Fruits, as well as equipping Shu with a Sub. Machine Gun, may be wise. Head out of Houfion and return to the Romalia Tunnel. Shortly after Shu leaves to begin work on placing the bombs, Tosh realizes he may have bitten off more than he can chew. Though it puts you directly in harm's way, Shu needs time to do his part of the plan. You have no choice but to jump right in апа get things started. While stalling for time, if you feel outnumbered, you can prolong the battle NAVIGATING THE FOREST Strengthen Fruit (No. 2 оп Мар 11) and a wizard who claims to several turns by running to the tracks to the east, To successfully navigate the Lost Forest, take the opening path be the guardian of the Lost Forest. Speaking with him results in After a minimum of six battle turns (assuming as far east as you can, then head north whenever possible. Be your being asked the question: What do you want to do? Choose you're going to have Shu complete one task per sure to grab the Crush Boots [No. 1 on Map 5) along the way. "Find the Forest Exit" and he'll tell you the way out. Do NOT battle turn when the action shifts to him:..see Toward the northern edge of the forest there's a dead-end path, choose “Go to the White House" or he'll teleport your party back below for details], go into Tosh's inventory and where you'll find two things: a treasure chest containing a to the beginning of the Lost Forest. He is a bad, bad wizard. use the Cast-Off Ball. If you want to earn more experience or give Shu more time, you can con- tinue to fight with Tosh, but after 20 battle turns, he will start to not-so-subtly remind you to Use the Cast-Off Ball. Meanwhile, farther down the tracks..,Shu is shown setting the explosives. After he's armed the first, а squad from the Romalia Patrol Corps discovers him. You'lLinow have to finish arming the bombs while you dis- pose of the guards. To do this properly, inspect a bomb once during each battle turn to first Open the Cover, then Set the timer and finally Turn оп the switch to arm the device [looking at more than.one bomb, or a bomb more than once will prompt Shu to remind himself not to rush]. Do not look at any of the bombs while an enemy is switch your lead character to Sania via the in range for an attack, or you'll instead commit L2 or R2 button, so that the man with the your turn to the attacker rather than the bomb vacuum can see her. When he does, he A 2 Hey, kids—want even more Speaking of attacking, don't forget to do so each breaks down from joy and relief. The man’s > 4 Arc strategy goodness? Then turn after you've advanced the bombs, or you name is Roan, and Sania knows him well. A д r be sure to pick up Working may be defeated before completing this portion further nugget of knowledge that Roan has 3 7 Designs’ official strategy of the mission. Along with arming the remaining dug up proves to be most valuable: An off- : Y s guide. Weighing in at a hefty two bombs, all three enemies must be taken out shore oil platform, in the ocean east of д 7 570 pages, it may be the within the time made available by Tosh to suc- Millmana, is Yagun’s latest project. biggest guide ever published! cessfully complete the mission PRINCESS? WHAT PRINCESS? After touching down behind enemy lines in the country of Millmana, enter the city of Ajarl to the southeast. Over in the Ajarl Bar, the man with the vacuum apparatus tells you that everything went to pot when the King of Millmana was killed by a monster on a rampage. He then goes on to say that Princess Sania's body was never found. Hopefully she managed to escape, but if she did, no one knows where she is. Hmmm...you know a Sania. At this point, 166) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine WarGames: DefCon 1 Warpath: Jurassic Park Warriors of Might and Magic Warzone 2100 WCW Backstage Assault WCW Mayhem WCW/nWo Thunder The Weakest Link Wheel of Fortune 2 Publisher MGM Interactive Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: 2nd Edition Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: 3rd Edition Wild 9 Wild Arms 2 The Wild Thornberrys: Animal Adventure WipeOut 3 Woody Woodpecker Racing World Cup 98 World Destruction League: Thunder Tanks. The World Is Not Enough World's Scariest Police Chases Worms Armageddon Worms World Party Wu-Tang Shaolin Style WWF Attitude WWF SmackDown! 2 X-Bladez: Inline Skater Crave REPLAY FORUM СТАЗ: KILL SAL- VATORE SOFTLY I think there's an easier solution to killing Salvatore than you listed in the last Replay section. If you go around the block and enter the alley containing the black stair- case, you can go up to the roof. You can find a much better van- tage point. Go up, make a left, and go up the ramp. You'll find your- self across the street from Salvatore's club. Wait there until Salvatore leaves his club. You have a perfect shot at any part of his body and absolutely no chance of being spotted by the We want your reviews of your PlayStation games. So write a review and send it to ziffdavis.com. Get on with it! We can’t publish everyone, so keep it short, be witty, and remember that not every game deserves a 5-disc rating because you like it! Stuntman What you said: “Let's get one thing straight: Stuntman is not as hard as you've been told So what are the big problems with this game? As far as the difficulty is concerned, you don't have the slightest idea as to what is going to happen in а stunt. You don't get a map, you don't get a rundown, you don't get a flyover. Nada. Nothing. The other problem? Load times. Whenever you fail a stunt, you get to look at a load screen. Every time The game feels like Reflections started to polish the game, but never got around to fin- ishing the dea Your Score e Sean Pivek sonyps2fan(dhotmail.com Spider-Man What you said: “This is the kind of game | wish was never made. Aside from the shame- less promotion of a movie that was at best a really long Cingular commercial, | get the feeling that Treyarch will never measure up to the greatness of Neversoft. The first Spider- Man game was fun. The Treyarch movie game has insufferable load times and questionable graphics. And did | mention the camera? | know the idiots at Treyarch are happy with themselves for adding aerial combat, but the camera was designed by a crack monkey with Hitler's brain. Consider it an instrument of torture. George Bush should use it to extract information from Al Queda operatives. They'll be sure to crack after enduring hours of tor- ture fighting the controller and the camera.” Your Score € Jason Smith Jason.Smithi@Altour.com What we said: “Spider-Man on PS2 features enough little annoyances to make it rank “Consider it an instrument of torture. George Bush should use it to extract X-Files Fox Interactive X Games Pro Boarder ESPN Digital X-Men: Children of the Atom Acclaim X-Men: Mutant Academy Activision X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 Activision Mafia. info from Al Queda operatives.” Daniel Broskett NeoKoga(aaoteage slightly below Neversoft's game.” Our Score eeeed What else you said: “Atari owes me a new controller. | broke mine when | threw it against GTA3: DON'T MISS YOUR FLIGHT Xena: Warrior Princess Xenogears You Don't Know Jack! You Don't Know Jack! Mock 2 Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories Konami ۰ Boy, oh, boy! Nerd codes! Blue Eyes White Dragon Man-eating Treasure Chest Magical Ghost Sorcerer Of The Doomed Dark Magician, 89631139 13723605 46474915 49218300 46986414 66788016 41218256 50930991 68672569 36304921 83764718 13429800 70781052 _ 40374923 17814387. 04206964 91595718 93221206 32452818 87557188. 47060154 86325596 04031928 16972957 I'm having trouble getting in the air- port. A friend said you could get in there. Could you tell me how? Curtis Williams american- badass9_11 You can get into the airport. Your friend wasn’t fib- bing. As we reported in issue 58 lyou do read every issue, don’t you Curtis?): Here are four easy steps: 1. Grab your favorite flying vehicle. 2. Take off {I've found that the airport runway is the easiest place to take off from). 3. Fly straight into the top of the front building at the airport {the building that all the cars drive in front of). 4. Make sure you don't crash your car, since the only way out is through the top. the wall while playing Stuntman. What made me so mad as to unleash my fury? | had just failed the “scene” in which | had to run under two fast-falling smokestacks for the 50th time. This has got to be the most unforgiving and difficult game ever. If you hit a little bump in a three-ton monster truck, you'll flop around like a fish for a whole minute! Plus, during a chase “scene,” the lead car and the chase car have absolutely no contact. | hate this game more than anything in the world.” Your Score e Paul Jamofski sparesomechangelamsn.com What we said: “If you're prone to veins pop- ping your forehead when you get mad, you'd best stay away from this game.” Our Score @ Medal of Honor: Frontline What you said: “I'm disappointed with Frontline. The graphics are better than the first two games, but not by much! The A.l. is as predictable as ever, and the levels and mis- sion objectives are starting to be recycled... | felt like | was playing MOH: Underground all over again. And where are the secret levels?” Is there any reason this game could not have been realized on the PSone? | guess | just expected more.” Your Score eet Thomas Fournier BBIRONO513(@ROGERS.COM What we said: “Like MGS2 or FFX before it, it’s one of the reasons you bought a PS2.” Our Score еееее NASCAR Thunder 2002 What you said: “| am a true NASCAR fan and I'm а hardcore gamer. | bought both NASCAR titles. Heat was a good simulation, but it was lacking. Thunder, though, has all the tracks, almost all the drivers [it even has guys from the Busch series], licensing from all the man- ufacturers, extra paint schemes, a somewhat realistic Career mode, great graphics, out- standing А.І. and my favorite: 43 cars in a field (way better than GT3's six cars and Heat's 26). This is the best racing game for PS2 and the most fun to play!” Your Score еееее Kris Wysong holyh2o(abellsouth.net What we said: "EA Sports has seen fit to treat NASCAR like the rest of their franchises." Our Score eeeed Test Drive What you said: “Speeding through traffic at 200 mph on the Golden Gate bridge can be a rush, but the rubberband A.l. in this game is ridiculous. No matter how well or how poorly you perform, the race comes down to who crashes in the last 10 seconds because the A.l. is programmed to stick with you. The hot cars and interesting story mode make it a worthwhile experience, but only hardcore street racing fans will want to take this game for anything more than a test drive.” Your Score @ John Boreyko E-mail withheld What we said: “Looking for a racer light on realism? You've come to the right place.” Our Score eeet Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 167 HEY, BABY, WHAT'S YOUR SIGN? THE GAMES YOU SHOULD BE PLAYING ARE WRITTEN IN THE STARS chics, or dial astrological hotlines in search of fated truths. And though believers often connect zodiac signs to success in love, money or health—they seldom relate birth charts to gaming achievements. The fools. So we got to thinking: Do Scorpios excel at Mister Mosquito because they're antagonistic pests? Are visual Libras drawn to Final Fantasy X because they're escapists? Hey, maybe there's a reason you can't finish Stuntman without busting a drawer full of controllers! It's cosmologically predetermined! So in the name of evolving your gaming conscious, we consulted the help of All Around The Zodiac, by Bil Tierney (Llewellyn Publications, 2002), and tied each sign and its traits to your favorite games and characters. Just call us Madame OPM. À lot of very sane people read horoscopes, consult psy- ARIES: Put down the Freekstyle, already. The ram loves a good rush, but too much solo adrenaline leaves you lone- ly. Instead, exert influ- ence and fiery will with a bargain game like _ an easy, quick romp. Clingy characters like Boomer in SOCOM crowd your space. And since things don't always come easily to an Aries who likes to call the shots, ` we have this for you: Escape from Monkey Island. TAURUS: Calling all methodical, deliberate and patient bulls! Use your skills — to shoot hoops in NBA Street— and don't worry, you're not really playing on a “team.” If you can fully neglect that self-sufficient streak and play with four others, enjoy a few controlled rounds of Hot Shots Golf 3. Just don't get stuck in a gaming rut. A Taurus enjoys routine and stability almost as much as NASCAR fans love NASCAR Heat 20025 Alan Bestwick. Is that a good thing? GEMINI: Like to travel? Norune is a great fantasy escape that you'll find in Dark Cloud, where the weather's lovely year- round. The Simpsons Road Rage appeals to your easily dis- tracted, incredibly mobile and insatiably curious nature. D'oh! CANCER: Channel your nurturing energy toward James in Silent Hill 2; he could use some TLC. Use that active imagina- tion to save Yorda from her evil mum in /co. Feeling anxious and aggressive? Pick up a rifle and go take down some terror- ists in SOCOM. You were always meant to be a SEAL. LEO: Admit it: You can't get enough of the bold and smug per- sonalities in GTA3. Meanwhile, your egocentric self leans toward a strategic gameplan for Madden NFL 2003, especially Since you play as your favorite athletes. Lions who admire FFXs Tidus might question whether it's his adventurous spirit or adoring Blitzball fans that make him so darn enviable. 659) Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine by Kristina Grish VIRGO: Meticulously lining up a putt in Hot Shots Golf 3— against tricky conditions, terrains and elevations—hits your detailed sweet spot. Or is Medal of Honor: Frontline more impressive because it feels like footage from Saving Private Ryan? Stop debating and play a few racing games. Just don't go into Type-A overdrive: Gran Turismo 3 can cause The Analyzer to crash. Burnout will put a smile on your face. LIBRA: Always pursuing justice and beauty, Libras play Virtua Fighter 4 to defend themselves all while checking out Pai Chan's gorgeous little outfit. In fact, aesthetic-driven Libras have been known to play through /co just to get a look at that castle (though Yorda's a beaut, too). This charming sign also likes PaRappa the Карра 2 for the pup's sweet nature but will " relate to the principled attorney in State of Emergency. Big surprise here: Her name is Libra. SCORPIO: Scorpios often feel misun- That said, all signs point to an attraction to Raven's leather-clad looks in Twisted Kain's sexy six-pack іп Blood Omen 2. Scary, huh? ‘SAGITTARIUS: “Save the world! Help the communi- ty! Inflexible codes F be damned! With по wonder you rock at Dark Cloud, Final CAPRICORN: Ambitious and assertive, goats don't Meee time on wishful thinking—not when games like Rez exercise calculation and control. You've been known to start non-emotional attacks and swing at high-profile rivals, which makes Cap a champ at Knockout Kings 2002. Reminder: Artifacts nabbed along the bus tour in Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2are not real, you materialistic freaks. AQUARIUS: You're too busy pursuing progress and innovative ideas to be restricted by Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 environ- ments. Never one to empathize, you even laugh when he bleeds. Because the Water Bearer is always mingling with fascinating people—and prefers to entertain itself with ran- dom, oddball, brainiac activities— Crazy Taxi and Jak and Daxter are more your style. PISCES: As a spiritual and artistic sign that hates defined limitations, the fish will remix, scratch and echo in Frequency until its fins callus. When you're feeling sensitive, stay away from Max Payne; Pisces are very impressionable, and we'd hate to see your identity mold into that of a painkiller-popping martyr. And stop pitying The Green Goblin in Spider-Man— he's the bad guy! Illustration by Pixel Pushers Ad Index Acclaim Entertainment ..................... 143 www.acclaim.com ACTIVISION) i. inus cris aie etr sa 26-27,59,87 www.activision.com ATLUS SOFTWARE ..... аена 113 www.atlus.com Bam Entertainment . www.bamáfun.com Bandai America Inc. www.bandai.com Blockbuster; e: „2. асаана coeds 75 www.blockbuster.com CAPCOM U.S.A., ІМС. ................... 107, 172 www.capcom.com Codemasters, Іпс......................... 48-49 codemastersusa.com Comp Usa. gamefixx.compusa.com CRAVE ENTERTAINMENT.................... 111 www.cravegames.com DOC SHOES; INC е дууа а акканы Ае 19 www.dcshoes.com Eastpak p onic oaa Ote 115 www.eastpak.com Ecko Unlimited aeration 91 www.ecko.com Eidos Interactive, Іпс. ............... 10a-c, 32-33 www.eidos.com ELECTRONIC ARTS . 8-9, 12-13, 14-15, 16-17, 50a-d, ЛК ГТ КОО ee 71, 78-79, 105 www.ea.com Electronics Boutique/Ebworld................. 23 www.ebgames.com ENIX AMERICA . www.enix.com Full Sail Real Могій........................ 151 www.fullsail.com Infogrames, Inc. .............. жш. 6-7, 80-81 www.infogrames.net Н ЛЫ ЫЫ 99 www.inteclink.com Metropolis Digital - Metro 3D ................. 21 www.metro3d.com MIDWAY HOME ENTERTAINMENT .......... 4-5,37 www.midway.com NAMCO HOMETEK .... .. 119, 135 www.namco.com Sega Of America ........ 24-25, 88-89, 95, 117, 123 sega.com SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT 2a,b,c, 2d-3, 35, .. 61, 62-63 www.scea.com eer ee ee ESSE af 30a-c www.kingdomhearts.com ТАКЕ 2 - Gotham батеѕ.............. 38-39, 121 www.take2games.com TDK Мебїасіуе....................... 43, 45, 47 www.robotechgame.com ТЕС ИЕ. iv eser o eara наб 131 www.tecmoinc.com THQ. www.thq.com Ubi Soft Entertainment................. 64-65, 93 www.ubisoft.com Vivendi Universal - PPG ............. 52-53, 84-85 www.interplay.com Vivendi Universal - Universal............. 124-125 www.universalinteractive.com \ SN \NEXT-MONTH\\ Play SS - = | Vice City Fast cars, hot women, designer drugs and... espadrilles? Sound like an episode of Miami Vice? Maybe—but we're talking about Rockstar's sequel to Grand Theft Auto Ill, and we've got the hands-on story. GTA: On sale Oct. 8 Station MAGAZINE On sale now ЕТПЕ СТЕ ОМТСЕ Ce aM Eu Play Online Are you itching to get online with your PS2, but all that techno mumbo-jumbo is giving you cold feet? EGM has a comprehensive guide to all things online: every- thing from reviews of the PS2 online launch games to an easy Step-by-step tutorial on getting you set up for action. Plus, EGM takes a closer look at Xbox's online plans. On sale now Mario Sunshine Strategy abounds, with GameNows in-depth treatments on two of the summer's hottest titles. First, you get all the tough- est challenges and biggest secrets of Mario Sunshine. Next, you'll find all the tactical tips you need to be the baddest SEAL on the planet in SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs. And as always, a ton of news and previews! On sale now COMPUTER GAMING WORLD Sims-sational! The top-selling PC game of all time is going massively multi- player this fall, and it's either the best idea ever or the worst thing to happen to your social life. CGW goes behind the scenes to chat with the developers about bring- ing your favorite guilty pleasure online. Also, a look at Op. Flash: Resistance, the biggest add-on yet for last year’s mega-hit. *Editorial content subject to change* PlayStation. EEN T Mature Sexual Themes Language 2 PlayStation. =| Mature Sexüal Themes Mild Language pnd Violence ELI Taking over the world has never been this contagious www.dothack.com 4 PlayStation.e TEEN Mature Sexual Themes Mild Language poe THE MYSTERIOUS. THE М азшяхезраг » i m. TE MASTERRA Ў : бе ай rge ‘demon E. » Д аг“ epic диез one} which) Уу їй hb reveal his ultimate destiny. 4 A Violence £ \ АРСОМ \ [ү Blood and Gore PlayStationee | capcom.com $ ! p. ©САРСОМ CO.. LTD. 2002 CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2002 "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. САР and the САРСОМ logo are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. ONIMUSHA is a trademark of CAPCOM CO., LTD. Character Yagyu Jul byt Yusaku Mats uda Office Saku. Characters: GCROWD/OCAPCOM CO. LTD. 2002; “PlayStation” and the “Pg ут it c UE 2 Made with love by