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With more than 30 arcade-style tricks in Amazon:waterfalls and 7

Jet X20 is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Designed and developed by Killer Game. ©2002 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
 EVERYONE

Comic Mischief
Suggestive Themes
CONTENT RATED BY

LIVE IN YOUR W*RLD.

PLAY IN OURS? www.playstation.com
 E PlayStation.

TURN BASED RPG GAMING

Baki Master OLD-SCHOOL STYLE...ENJOY!
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ПАЛАН Tu
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Take on the cut-throat Yakuza mafia as a top--level

cop or spy in 40 INSANE MISSIONS

bee ais Г ‫اھ‬‎

Blast away enemies with new CAR-MOUNTED
ROCKET LAUNCHERS and blast away friends in
MULTIPLAYER showdowns.

Foreeven more2 DezЛЕН n,DON'T BRAKE

FOR PEDESTRIANS. Now if they get in your way,
they're gonna pay. | ALL-NEW FOR THE PLAYSTATION®2

- COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT ~~
SYSTEM AND |
NINTENDO GAMECUBE™ 4,
р
‫اس‬ - Enter to win cool prizes at №.‫‏‬
rd temi СЕ
Drive
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down the mob in high-speed its,‫‏‬
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EXCLUSIVE FREEROAM MODE.

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wAin4 ii praystaiote.|
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2gameengine © 2002 Traveller's Tales.Published anddistributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark, and
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әніме A rightsreserved. Licensed for play on thePlayStation 2 computerentertainment systems wit the NTSC U/C designation oni. "PlayStation and tne “PS” Family од are reqsis
of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. АН rights reserved, ТМ, ®and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. ©2001 Nintendo. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos areeither registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Cor
US and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a registered trademarkofthe Interactive Digital Software Association, Al other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
TEEN
g
Violence
“...зтазй into pretty much anything you see...get that
CONTENT RATED.
= 5н euphoric feeling that comes rarely in life.”
 Happy Holidays everyb—
Holy стар, is that Yuna?!
B sually I've got a really good feel for remember from FFX. (We've got ideas about
| what's coming down the line, but why she changed, but we'll only share them
| Final Fantasy X-2 took me com- with you if you meet us over on page 66.)
pletely by surprise. This is the first Okay, my shock face officially returned to
time that Square has ever brought normal, let's get back to the Holidays. Ah, the
back characters and settings from a previous Holidays—what a joyous time of year. Tons of Editor-In-Chief
Listen... 1 realize now that
Adventure games, plat-
FF which is pretty darn historic if you think new games are released, and you don’t have setting your beard on fire
formers and everything else wasn't funny, but ۱ was only
about it. And what's with Yuna? She looks to pay for any of them with your own money. Comics, hoops, J-Pop, five! Can't I start getting
movies, anime, DVDs, drawing
cool, but she doesn't seem anything at all like Be safe, stay warm, and be sure to enjoy your presents again? Just one...?
the proper, soft-spoken summoner that we all PlayStation 2 to the max! CHRIS SLATE

MEET |
STEPHEN FROST RANDY NELSON ERIC BRATCHER
SENIOR EDITOR REVIEWS EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR
LIKES: Lamborghinis LIKES: Shooters, Racers LIKES: RPGs, Weird Imports
the HOBBIES: 80's Rock Ballads; HOBBIES: Building PCs HOBBIES: Mistletoe (heh)

TEAM |
Dear Santa, * Dear Santa, Dear Santa,
Make my Lancer cel-shaded What happened to Oingo I would love if you could
like in Auto Modellista. How; | Boingo? Could you please stop by with some world
about cel-shading the ride make them the bestest, peace, tolerance for all,
home while you're at it? ii) most popular band EVER? and an 80 ft. tall robot.

BILL DONOHUE DAN FITZPATRICK | GARYLIEW

MANAGING EDITOR ART DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR
LIKES: polish-pope.com LIKES: December weather LIKES: Egg Nog
HOBBIES: Selling CDs! HOBBIES: Fixing the lawn HOBBIES: Nog hunting
Dear Santa, Dear Santa, Dear Santa,
Ever wonder what a crack team No, I haven't been very 1 want Santa to соте mow | Since I am being very well,
of videogame journalists looks good lately. So what? my lawn for the rest of the 1 ат now asking for the
like? ...Aw, c’mon folks, just Listen, you'd better deliver year. And fertilize and self-basting turkey. The last
work with us a little, here... the goods... or else... aerate while you're at it. one just ate the butter...

quare shocked the world by announcing a direct sequel to its mega-hit Final Fantasy
5 Х--апа then it took things even further by giving “nice girl” Yuna a sexy new “bad
girl” image! Flip over to page 66 NOW for the unbelievable true story!

I only
do two things:
cast spells and
bust caps in suckas'
asses--and I'm all
out of magic
ports...

/ PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 www.psmonline.com

 IT BEGINS AS A DREAM.
THEN 1T GETS REALL. HAVENS CALL OF THE KING
DELIVERS AN EPIC EXPERIENCE
OF MULTIPLE GAMEPLAY STYLES
SEAMLESSLY BLENDED TOGETHER
IN A MASSIVE UNIVERSE»

YOU MUST FIGHT TO SAVE YOUR

PEOPLE FROM AN ANCIENT EVIL.
DRAW UPON EVERYTHING YOU'VE
EVER LEARNED TO FIND THE
HERO WITHIN AND ANSWER THE
CALL OF THE KING TO FREE YOUR
PEOPLE FROM THE TYRANNY
HAVEN! CALL OF THE KING'S FREEFORMER” GAMEPLAY MOVES SEAMLESSLY BETWEEN RACING, SHOOTING, OF ENSLAVEMENT:
FLYING, GLIDING, &ORTING AND DOG-FIGHTING GAMEPLAY IN A SEEMINGLY BOUNDLESS UNIVERSE!

Fall 2002 _ Coming 2003

Mild
ие
Viol E LE
| -
PlayStation.e (€; X
? — MAYEN.
‫ا‬ ажыг. XBOX‫‏‬ +HvgN.miDuiRy.-COm
 ed x

SAVE YOUR THUMBS FOR SOMETHING WORTHWHILE. `

Keep your thumbs happy. Play video games. Get them at EBgames.com.
 GAMES:con
AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY OUR GAMES
 XZY MAIN MENU:
FEATURED
PREVIEWS

Can you handle йернр: 0 равеѕ

of non-stop Dante action? Well, can you?

ZEINALFANTASY X-2
| 2 ELIEVE ІТ! Yuna and the others are
back for another PS2 adventure, but
<< SLAP YOURSELF FOR
LOOKING AT YUNA'S LEGS CAPCOM FIGHTING ALL STARS =
not as you remember them! LIKE THAT >> Any game that lets us play as Strider is gold

HOLIDAY
BUYERS GUIDE RATCHET
& CLANK
5 Т RATE GY DEF (AMVENDETTA
ae 29 i it's from the makers of N64's No Mercy?!
REVEALED: The can't-miss а ‫ہ‬‎ |
games and gear that should revealed!
be on everybody’s wish list! Ў

қ = =| — BREATH OF FIRE V
2۸ Capcomss latest RPG has a freaky new look
— = and looks to take on Final Fantasy. Can it?

12 / PSM: I00% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 www.psmonline.com

CONTENTS
<< Го ALL ABOUT POP-
PING A WHEELIE THROUGH
A ROADBLOCK >> ,‫ھ‬‎

Holiday Buyer’s Guide

What to tell Fat Man you want under your tree! p

Final Fantasy X-2

SHOCKER! The sequel you never thought you'd see,

Your inside look at this month’s Your first look at the hottest
hot topics, gear and games new PlayStation 2 games

6 BREATH OF FIRE V 82
The biggest stories of 2002, САРСОМ ALL STARS 75
and what they meant for PS2 DEF JAM VENDETTA 78
DEVIL MAY CRY 2 70
22 HSX 74
Find out which new games аге KING OF ROUTE 66 81
coming up next for PS2 NBA STREET 2 80
PRIDE FC 74
ROBIN HOOD: DOTC 76

The world's most accurate, DW.eS ‫جہ‬‎ Capcom Fighting

Ge 5
“Branky says she likes Sir
in-depth game reviews = All-Stars pits Borus, It would be nice if

2
Branky could speak with һіт.... 7"
legends against
brand-new 4 CONTRA; SHATTERED a SUIKODEN lil Does the PS2
challengers! SOLDIER So good it hurts! have anew RPG king?
28
Yeah, it rocks—but how hard?

007: NIGHTFIRE 38
CONTRA: SHATTERED 5. 30
DEAD TO RIGHTS 46
DR. MUTO 50
FIFA 2003 54
ЈЕТ Х20 54
LOTR: FELLOWSHIP OTR 50 Tips, guides and cheats that
LOTR, THE TWO TOWERS 32 will make you a winner
MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 50 a TONY HAWK 4 Could this be А MORTAL KOMBAT: DEADLY
MORTAL KOMBAT: DA 51 84 Tony’s best run ever?! ALLIANCE Return to glory?
NASCAR: DIRT/DAYTONA 54
NHL 2K3 44 Full maps for every level!
NHL FACEOFF 2003 44
RAD 46 HITMAN 2 88 is the magazine for the gaming elite—the hardcore gamers that support and drive
REIGN OF FIRE 54 NFS: HOT PURSUIT 2 90
ROCKY 54 this industry. This is not a “mass-market” magazine. We don’t focus on “fun for the whole
RYGAR: TLA 38 RED FACTION 2 89 family” or waste space interviewing movie stars that have nothing to do with games.
SUIKODEN Ill 37 REIGN OF FIRE 89 That's just not what we're into.
ТОМҮ HAWK 4 42 ROCKY 90 is also proudly independent. We have no official corporate sponsor, so you can trust
TIGER WOODS PGA 2003 44 ROBOTECH: BATTLECRY 90 that our reviews and opinions will always be 100% our own. Our readers always come
WRECKLESS 46 first, and we would never, ever betray your trust. This is our promise to you, the hardcore
WWE SMACKDOWN: SYM 32 SUPER BUST-A-MOVE 90
PlayStation 2 gamer, who deserves nothing less. Now let's get this issue going!
X-MEN: NEXT DIMENSION 54 WRECKLESS 90
Ii) w.psmonline.com / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE 13
 HUNT FOR THE THRILL

Strong Sexual Content , =.

Epp Violence ۷ ЕЗ Ж
62002 IO Interactive. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is a trademark of Eidos Interactive. Eidos, Eidos Interactive, and the Eidos Interactive logo are registered trademarks of Eidos Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. IO Interactive and the
IO Interactive logo are trademarks of IO Interactive. "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 United States and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.
"Тпе Hitman is а Bonafide Bad-ass"
4.575 Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

9/10 Gold Award

Electronic Gaming Monthly

8.9/10
Official XBOX Magazine

9/10
Gamers.com

PAID FOR THE KILL

HITMAN2.COM
OO u ű L
Interactive | : SILENT ASSASSIN EIDOS
 «i Translucent PS2s in a variety of colors were one
thing we didn't see from Sony this year. What was the
most significant omission? The hard disk drive.

2002's Top
until a few weeks before E3 in May of 2002.
The next price drop is a current hot topic, but
there was no word from Sony at press time.

Ten Stories TEES.

Announced in February, graced by a red
border, and available starting on April Ist at
$24.99, the first four Greatest Hits titles were
Sony's ATV Offroad Fury, Dark Cloud, Gran
Turismo 3: A-Spec, and Twisted Metal: Black.
They were followed this year (alphabetically),
by Ace Combat 04, Crash Bandicoot: The
Wrath of Cortex, Crazy Taxi, Dave Mirra
ВМХ 2, Devil May Cry, Jak and Daxter,

1:10:55:
What might have been some of the
#9:
In particular, two game genres made
18:55,
Since PS2 launched in October
year's biggest topics were conspicuous comebacks in 2002. Spurred on by 2000, an uncontested Sony
by their absence. Sony confirmed that the quality of Jak and Daxter, Sony would not need to drop PS2's
PS2's 40 GB Hard Drive is still “оп spawned platformers Ratchet and price before Xbox and Game-
the horizon" at its Gamers Day this Clank, Sly Cooper, and Treasure Planet, Cube launched in November
August, but no timetable and concrete while characters like Crash, Spyro, Ty, 2001. But based on one of
strategy for its release were offered. Dr. Muto, Taz, Donald Duck, Pac Man, the greatest Holiday lineups
What happened to the Netscape web and Zapper all saw action. Meanwhile, in history, PS2 would not
browser Sony was working on with though Soul Calibur2and War of need to be less expensive to
AOL, and where are PS2's chat and the Monsters will take backseat until compete. In fact, it outsold
both Xbox and GameCube
combined during holiday 2001.
Several PS2 price drops in
Japan and Europe fueled more
speculation that the States
were due, but the price drop,
from $300 to $200,
didn't come

» Will GTA: Vice City

be 2002’s top seller?
eadly Alliance is but one of the fighters gracing PS2 Most signs point to
years’ hiatus, Ed Boon's creation debuts on Sony's system with new characters and in full 3D. yes. Launching last
October, GTA3 topped
e-mail applications? Limited edition 2003, the appearance of fighters like the sales charts for
colored PS2s never materialized Virtua Fighter 4 and Mortal Kombat: the first half of 2002.
stateside, even as Sony teased us with Deadly Alliance, in addition to stan-
the translucent white model at Fall dards iterations of series like Tekken,
TGS. Finally, late in 2001, Ken Kuturagi X-Men, Gundam, Guilty Gear, Bloody
hinted that Sony was eyeing the hand- Roar, and Marvel Vs. Capcom, made
held market, but there hasn’t been a 2002 a banner year
peep about it all year. for the brawler.

WHAT DO Devil May Cry’s Lucia

(3%)
vo U TH IN К? Yuna’s ane Shorts
This month we asked visitors
to www.psmonline.com which
image from 2002 was the most
shocking. Looks like the topless
babes from Acclaim’s ВМХ ХХХ
left the poll's other choices with
their mouths hanging open.

16 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / mM

 Ace Combat 04 and Z.O.E. Of course,

#3:
Concerning the "console wars; SCEA
2002 boasts improved iterations for
series like Grand Theft Auto, THPS3,
and Onimusha, but somehow their im-
President Kaz Hirai tactfully likened pact was less than with 2001 versions,
the gap between PS2 and its compet- which marked series' debuts on PS2.
itors to the Grand Canyon at E3 2002.
Announced at the Tokyo Game Show,
Sony shipped more than 40 million
PS2s worldwide (17 million in the # Т: dapt
U.S., 12 million in Europe, 11 million In truth, PS2 went online stateside
in Japan) at a rate roughly 2.3 times with Толу Hawk's Pro Skater З in
faster than the original PlayStation. October 2001, made possible by
various third-party modems and
GameSpy.com. However, the target

» Sony and Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo рес proved to be the top seller in the
12:555
This year, second generation software
date for the launch of the Network
Adaptor ($39.95) was November
2001. At E3 2001, games like THPS3,
Greatest Hits collection for most of the year since its April launch. Several dozen titles made great technical leaps and PS2 Tribes, Twisted Metal: Black, and
from the collection will be on sale for $24.99 during the holidays and beyond. went online, but 20025 library didn't SOCOM were already running on a
Score as highly and notch as many LAN network. After a series of delays
Hot Shots Golf 3, Midnight Club Street
Racing, NBA Street, NBA 2K2, NFL
2K2, Onimusha Warlords, Red Fac-
#5:
With 7 million copies of GTA3 sold
Must-Buys as 2001's. Part of this is
due to big name titles—Devil May
Cry 2, Z.O.E. The 2nd Runner, War of
and months without any updates

tion, Resident Evil Code: Veronica X, worldwide—the best of any game on the Monsters, Auto Modellista, Final
idge Racer V, Simpsons Road Rage, any platform lately—Grand Theft Auto Fantasy XI, Silent Hill 3, Tenchu 3:
Jler's Run, Spy Hunter, SSX, SSX is one of gaming's crown jewels. Sony Wrath of Heaven—missing a 2002
tar Wars Starfighter, Tekken proudly announced at E3 that future launch. However, to their credit,
fnament, Tony Hawk's Pro installments of the GTA series would be 2002 games like GTA: Vice City,
and WWF SmackDown 3: exclusive to PS2 until October 2004, Maximo, Virtua Fighter 4, Medal
- To make the list, a game ruining the release of an Xbox version of Honor: Frontline, Ratchet and
jout 400,000 copies and set to release in the latter half of 2002. Clank, TimeSplitters 2, Kingdom
et for more than nine Hearts, Tekken 4, Need For Speed: Hot from Sony, the offic
those criteria, games

#4
Pursuit 2, online titles like Tony Hawk's Adaptor launched on August 27,
lent Hill 2, Grand Theft Pro Skater 4 and SOCOM and Madden 2002. Apparently, a lineup of fairly
852, Final Fantasy X, Virtua NFL 2003, and the debut of the first hitch-free games was not ready until
‚ Мах Payne, 007: Agent: Throughout 2002, Sony left a trail of PS2 Tomb Raider, all created fanfare. late this summer. Sony hopes to have
Clues to technologies they're likely But in total, they don't hold a match sold 400,000 by year's end. Still, the
to incorporate in PS3. Launching as to 2001 standouts: MGS2, GTAS, reality is that PS2 doesn't currently
early as 2004 and using a modi- Devil May Cry, Gran Turismo 3, THPS3, feature must-have online title like
fied “СЕП” processor (up to 1000 Madden NFL 2002, Final Fantasy X, RE Resident Evil Online, Gran Turismo
times the power PS2’s Emotion Code: Veronica X, Twisted Metal: Black, Network, Final Fantasy XI or Star Wars
Engine), PS3 is meant to mesh with NBA Street, Jak and Daxter, SSX Tricky, Galaxies, all expected in 2003.
a broadband network supporting
massively parallel computing. There's
a good chance Sony will use its up
affair with updated versions of nearly and coming dual-sided, HDTV-ready
forgotten classics. Among this year's Blu-Ray DVD format, co-developed
blasts from thepast were Maximo, with Toshiba, which is capable of
Defender, Contra, Rygar and Shinobi. storing 5-6 times the data of a
Encore's Dragon's Lair 3D was narrowly normal 9GB DVD and re-writing
pushed to next year. Unfortunately, that data, therefore acting as a
Тесто Ninja Gaiden is exclusive to possible game-specific “hard drive”
Xbox, but other returning fran- Sony even toyed with the idea of
2 chises аге likely to making PS3 disc-less and streaming
hit PS2 soon, gameplay and entertainment media
hopefully Sega's to the console. Incredibly, Sony sug-
Streets of gests PS3 might not be a console at
Rage and all, but rather the operating system
Сарсот5 Bionic (OS) software that runs on various
Commando. inter-connected devices!

9 Sega's Shinobi was опе of the many remakes of classic series on

PS2. If 2002 was any indication, many more are on the way. A next-
ar generation remake of Metal Gear Solid wouldn't hurt either.
 RUMORS WHAT YOU
SHOULD BE PLAYING
RECORD TV ON PS2
Sony is making a version its black box with built-in
DVR, or digital video recording, by coupling PS2's 1. Grand Theft Auto: Vice
40GB HDD with a television tuner kit. Spokesman Not an evolution of the series, but it makes
Kenichi Fukunaga offered that such an upgrade would some nice tweaks and is a hell of a lot of fun.
be first introduced in Japan. Apparently, though the
technology is nearly complete, there is some debate
2. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4
Neversoft retains supremacy with great level
as to whether the tuner would be integrated into the design, animation and network play.
hardware, adding considerable price to the system.
Interestingly, Microsoft is reportedly considering a 3. Contra: Shattered Soldier
version of Xbox with built-in Ultimate TV technology, Among the year's most difficult games, Contra
selling it for roughly $400. woul features no-nonsense action and platforming.

4. Mortal Kombat:
Deadly Alliance
One of the better fighters this year, with
tremendous amounts of stuff to unlock.

5. Rygar: Legendary Adventure

The NES classic remake offers enchanting
environs, and diskarmor doesn't disappoint.

CAPCOM COURTED
BY MICROSOFT
Microsoft sent a shockwave through gamingdom

CROSSED OFF
recently by absorbing Nintendo's former studio, Rare,
for an estimated $375 million... in cash. Bling bling.
That means no PS2 games from the makers of
Perfect Dark and Goldeneye. Drat. According to
reports from Japan, Microsoft was trolling around for
a Capcom buyout, as it tried to do with Sega late last
year. Xbox, struggling in Japan, would be well served
by adding Capcom's games to its library.

2002 МОТ UP ТО TASK

One of our fundamental hopes as NINTENDO ON
gamers is that the games we play
get better with each software THE ROPES?
generation. But while 2002 got A report by Strategy Analytics suggests the holidays
its share of great titles and tech- may be more crucial for Nintendo than anyone.
nological advances (PS2 is Nintendo's games-only strategy has made money
online), this year's title library hand over fist for years, but it cut console shipments
somehow just didn't measure up by 15-2096, and may have sold its stake in Rare (5185
to 20015. million) to Microsoft to reach earnings estimates. A cclaim’s BMX XXX has ruffled the feathers of
GameCube may not be able to reach the critical mass retailers, who refuse to stock it for its November
BIZARRE MARKETING needed to help fund future system launches. This has 19th release. Under the banner “We're all going to
Game-makers will do just about led to widespread speculation that gaming's most hell for this, and you're coming with us; the game was
anything to attract attention to historic console maker may be exiting the hardware denied by Wal-Mart, Toys ‘R Us and KB Toys. At press time
their titles. Case in point, Acclaim business for a software-only strategy, as Sega did. there was the possibility that Sony might mandate changes
recently offered to refund any to the PS2 version (particularly the altering or removal of
English drivers who incurred nude scenes). One retailer, Best Buy, said it would agree to
speeding fines on October 11 to sell a censored PS2 version. Acclaim CEO Greg Fischbach
help promote the launch of
said the publisher would comply with changes mandated by
Burnout 2: Point of Impact. N
Sony, but that the mid-November release date would
too happy were British authori-
remain unaffected. In a press release responding to retailers’
ties, who argued that the
comments, Fischbach stated, “We believe that there is a
promotion encouraged reckless
behavior. More palatable was general, unfair characterization of the interactive entertain-
Majesco's contest to win a guided ment industry, and as a result, our product is being held to
tour of the Playboy mansion with an entirely different standard than other entertainment
a playmate as sassified almost as media with comparable content, including movies, television
sassified as BloodRayne herself. and radio” Game retailers EBgames.com and Gamestop.com
announced no intention of pulling the game from shelves.

PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE #66 HOLIDAY 2002 www.psmonline.com

 MONITOR“
FIRST SHOTS!

NETWORK RESIDENT EVIL ET

Delails about online play emerge
apcom gave the very lucky Al controls the remaining four.
C folks at Japan's Famitsu weekly Reportedly, Capcom is striving to make
games magazine a look at it difficult to tell which characters are
some upcoming titles, which made for Al-driven. As Capcom hopes to make
three weeks of exclusive coverage. this somewhat different from other
This resulted in the first scoop on squad- or group-based titles, teams
Network Resident Evil, the online-only will be required to split up at points to
chapter in Capcom's survival-horror accomplish certain tasks, and players
mega-series. This chapter takes place will sometimes have to choose
during the events of RE 7 and 2, whether to go on without the group if
parallel to the exploits of S.T.A.R.S. and when other members don't show
According to Famitsu, players will have up as planned. Apparently, there will
their choice between eight avatars, all be some scripted story elements that
citizens of Racoon City. They are: loosely guide the direction of the
Kevin, a policeman; a mysterious girl gameplay. Currently, Capcom is still
named Yoko; George, a surgeon; Mark, fine-tuning the online experience for
a Vietnam vet and an employee of a Auto Modellista in the states, experi-
Security company; Cindy, a waitress; ence that should help pave the way for
David the plumber; Alyssa, a journalist Network Resident Evil. There is no set
for the newspaper; and finally, Jim, release date, but we're hoping this
who works on the Raccoon City must-have PS2 online title will be
subway. Characters will have their own ready by the holiday's next year.
distinct personality and skill set, which
Should both compliment and compli- < The incorporation of online gameplay into a
cate matters throughout the game. survival-horror game presents some exciting
possibilities. No matter how variable AI can
Four players choose to be four of be, having characters with human intelligence
the different avatars, while computer watch your back adds a new level or realism.

= don't try this try this instead.

‚at home... Each volume
contains more than
40 outrageous
stunts from
the hit
MTV show

<
PARENTAL
ADVISORY ШІМ jackass vol.2 & мо!. 3"
available now for the first time ever on dvd and vhs!
*Due to some random haggard circumstances, Volume 1 of the Jackass series
isn't coming out anytime soon, but in the meantime, here are Volumes 2 and 3.

buy it on dvd december 10th This video features stunts performed

either by professionals or under the
supervision of professionals, accordingly
MTV and the producers must insist that
no one attempt to recreate ог reenact any
www.paramount.com/homevideo stunt or activity performed on this show.
МТУ insists that our viewers do not send
Date, availability, art and DVD special features subject to change without notice. © 2002 MTV Networks. All Rights Reserved. MTV: in any home footage of themselves or
Music Television, Jackass and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom others being jackasses. We will not open
or view any submissions, so don't
International пс. ТМ & Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. waste your time.
 OF THE WORLD'S MOST
OWERFUL
UNIVERSES!

Rule the arena of the world's two most powerful

fighting Universes. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is bar-none,
the most insane tag-team fighting game on the planet!
An unprecedented 56 playable characters raises the bar
on arcade fighting with 3 on 3 tag-team battles, unbeliev-
able control and hyper-fast animation. Pick a fight with your.
favorite legendary Capcom characters and Super Heroes from
the Marvel Universe and watch the super combos fly.

Animated Violence
Animated Blood
Suggestive Themes
 e° MONITOR

CHECKPOINT
This is your one-stop spot to get a handle on the best stuff headed our way.
Please keep in mind that release dates are always subject to change.

De | Future Outlook
New Releases _ JANUARY
TITLE GENRE
‚Armada 2: Star Command ‚Action Metro3D
Battle Engine Aquila Action Vivendi Universal
GENRE PUBLISHER Black and Bruised Sports Majesco
А a 7 7 БЕНЯ Daredevil Action Encore Software
Batman: Dark Tomorrow Action mco Dark Cloud 2 RPG $опу
Coaster Works Il — Sim es Devil May Cry 2 Action Capcom
Evolution‚Snowboarding Sports и Ever Blue 2 Adventure Capcom
Fisherman's Bait 2003 t mi Ghostmaster Adventure Vivendi
Guilty Gear X2 š E The Lost Adventure Сгауе
Му Street ү с. Malice Action Vivendi Universal
Mystic Heroes | Micro Machines Racing
NCAA College Basketball 2K3 Midnight Club Racing 2 Racing
Star Wars: Clone Wars 1 5 Pride Fighting Championship Fighting
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Primal Action
U.S. Open Tennis e: Robocop Action
Silent Hill 3 Action
The Sims Simulation
Vexx Action
War of the Monsters Action

| TITLE GENRE PUBLISHER

„hack ‚Action Bandai
Dungeons and Dragons Heroes Action Infogrames
Elder Scrolls Adventures RPG Bethesda Softworks
EverQuest Online Adventures RPG
Fear Effect Inferno Action
Final Fantasy XI RPG
The Getaway Action
Gladius Action
Jackie Chan Adventures Action Encore Software
3 К Mission Impossible—0p. Surma Action Infogrames
та " — n Return to Castle Wolfenstein Action Activision.
А Though based on both land and іп the air, Clone Wars might get | RPG Maker 2 RPG Agetec
some stiff competition from MIdway's airborne Defender. 2 Star Ocean 3: Till the End RPG Enix
R š; Xenosaga RPG Namco
Yu-Gi-0h! Duelist of Roses Strategy Konami

TITLE Ў GENRE PUBLISHER

Air Force Delta 3 Air Combat
‚Auto Modellista i
Bomberman Kart
Chessmaster

Dynasty Warriors IV
Falcone: Into the Maelstrom Action
Freedom: Battle for Liberty Action
Indiana Jones Emperor’s Tomb Action
Kengo 2: Legacy of the Blade Fighting
Mafia Misc.
Moto-X Racing
Rainbow Six: Raven Shield Action
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc Action
Red Dead Revolver Action
RTX Red Rock Action
Shaun Murray's Pro Wakeboarder Sports
Tankers Action
Tenchu 3: Wrath of Heaven ‚Action
‚Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Action
XIII Action
7.0.2. 2: The 2nd Runner Action

22 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 THE MOST
ACCLAIMED

° 9/10 Editor's Choice Award

- Official XBOX Magazine

ө 4. 75/5 - Nintendo Power

e 9/10 Game of. the Month

- PSM
ы° 9. 2/10 Editor Choice Award à

Ward - Editor's Choice

-Electronic Gaming Monthly

|„Бе ; Р
Я

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 `

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 I2S/Vl КЕМЕМ:
THE WORLD'S MOST ACCURATE, IN-DEPTH GAME REVIEWS < HOLIDAY 2002

LUCA PUB ROCKSTAR | DEV ROCKSTAR NORTH | TYPE ACTION |MAX PLAYERS ONE |ESRB RATING MATURE
CONTENTS ae L

ЕГ) 007: NightFire n ۹

ED) Contra
СЭ Dead To Rights
БО Dr. Muto
EI FIFA 2003
ЕП Jet x20
EX) LOTR: Fellowship
EB LOTR, The Two Towers
EJ Marvel Vs. Capcom
БИ Mortal Kombat: DA
EK] NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona
ЁТ) NHL 2K3
С мн. FaceOff 2003
EB RAD
EZ) Reign Of Fire
E Rocky
ЕГ) Rygar: TLA
Suikoden Ш
EB Tony Hawk 4
ЕС) Tiger Woods PGA 2003
е you can access the complete map after only the first few mis-
ED Wreckless sions, so there are more options available to you right from the start.

GRAND THEFT AUTO:

ЕЕ WWE Smackdown: SYM
E X-men: dimension

eu
SCORING
A
VICE CITY The sequel of the year is
cocked, loaded, and ready
ІШ Acuassıc
rare gem; Our highest
recommendalion
lo blow your ass away
ЕВ One
OUTSTANDING
of the better games this year
| 8 МЕЗА] views. The game is set in the 1980s, which is
You can'l t go wrong
reflected in everything—the clothes, cars,
6000 гапа Theft Auto Ill, a relatively music, buildings, slang, and even the topics
А solid game
DKAY unknown title, blasted its way past on talk radio. The setting gives the game
Kind of fun, but no big deal Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, and every a lighter, laid-back mood, which is a
| 5 ЕП other game to become last year’s nice change of pace from the dark,
You've got to love the subject matter
|4 а biggest hit. Over seven million copies gritty, oppressive feel of GTA III.
NG
Big flaws really hurt this game of GTA Ill have been sold worldwide, making Vice 1 do have a few complaints about
BAD City the most anticipated game of the year. Can it the city, though. For one thing, it's
Not fun at all
deliver on such high expectations? very flat (I miss racing up Liberty City's
|2 ЛЕГЕ hilly areas). There are spots that seem perfect
This game is ап insult
EB wuv? Welcome to Vice City for finding some hidden goodie, but are disap-
Why would anyone do this to us? The first thing you're likely to notice about Vice pointingly empty. Also, the ramp selection falls
e take our reviews very serious- City is, well, Vice City. The Miami-inspired location short of GTA III's car-jumping insanity.
W: We spend hours upon hours is as different from GTA III's Liberty City as can The game plays just like GTA III.
be, with bright, neon colors and scenic ocean
UP
playtesting each title so that we It's a little disappointing that the
can give you the absolute best informa- HOW IT STACKS
tion to help you buy.
Games that score an 8, 9 or 10 earn GTA: Vice City

PSM OUTSTANDING
a Bronze, Silver ог Gold PSM Must-Buy Grand Theft Auto Ш
‚Award. We don't hand these beauties A very worthy sequel to one of the biggest and best Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
out easily, so if you see one on a review, games ever created. If Vice City showed more true
Smugglers Run 2
а game box or advertising, you'll want to
be sure to check that game out. FINAL SCORE innovation, and wasn't quite as rough around the
edges, we'd have no problem giving it a 10. State Of Emergency
Finally, when looking up past scores,
keep in mind that older games usually
wouldn't fare as well if they were
reviewed today. 28 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com
 «« THE ONLY WAY YOU WON'T
LOVE THIS GAME IS IF YOU'RE
ALLERGIC TO FUN >>

Steal il,
Drive it ‫وووو‬
If it's got wheels, rotors or a pro-
peller, you can take it for a spin.
The racing bike is our favorite—
the speedboat and copter are way
cool, but sluggish to control.

‘a The copter can land on any далағаwhile thespeedboat opens up the waterways.

sequel to such a groundbreaking title You’re Gonna Love It

A Some of the missions take on a kindof mini-game
is mostly “more of the same”, but Overall, GTA: Vice City isn't that much feel. This mission works more like a light gun game.
hey, it's still fun as hell. There's a better than GTA III, but that's plenty
whole new city to learn, and the mis- good enough. The game is a bit
sions are now much more complex. glitchy—there are occasional camera
problems, some control issues, and
The New Stuff you'll sometimes get shot through
First off, motorcycles absolutely rock walls—but these problems never get
the house. Screw the cars, man, it's too bad. And it must be said that this
all about popping a wheelie through game is funny as hell (a tip of the hat
a roadblock at 100 mph! The cum- to whoever wrote the pee-inducing
bersome speedboats and helicopters “Exploder” radio ad). The only way
aren't as fun to handle, but an air- that you won't love this game is if
A In addition to Ammunation, you can now A The story is better than GTA III, with hilar-
borne duel with a police chopper is yourre easily offended, or are simply stop by the hardware store for hammers, ious cinemas and top-notch voice talent (like
still as cool as it sounds. Plus, you allergic to fun. CHRIS SLATE screwdrivers, chainsaws and more. Burt Reynolds as a real estate tycoon).

PSM BREAKDOW
can't beat being able to land on any
rooftop in the game. Oh, and taxis
An up-close look at
have а really useful new feature: if
the game in action
you fail a mission, a cab will be wait-
ing to take you directly back to the
guy who gave you the mission, so 2 Iye locations are
you can try it again right away. plentiful in Vice City.
Other new additions include the You can shop, rob places,
or just go nuts їп a mall.
ability to purchase property (this is
how you gain new hideouts), several
different outfits (switching clothes
will decrease your wanted rating),
and there are plenty of buildings that
you can go inside of this time. Most
interior locations, however, are very
simple and really don't offer much. m [| < Tommy changes outfits
Cars can be smashed up bit by bit 1 a lot, sometimes as part of
is
1 а mission and sometimes
with much greater detail (shooting Î just for kicks. Here he
out tires gives you a big advantage in | sports fashions from The
a chase), and the targeting system Gap—I mean, “The Gash.”

has been fine-tuned so that you'll

always have an over the shoulder
view when you shoot. Hand-to-hand 4 Your radar A Uzis, assault rifles, grenades,
sniper rifles, shotguns, samurai
fighting is still clunky, though—it can map still works
the same, plus
swords, chainsaws, even tools—
be hard to line up with your target in you can now old-school and new-school ways
to maim and cause mayhem.
a pinch, and Tommy’s animations are pause to view a
herky-jerky enough to cause you to = full city map!

wiff a punch here and there.

www.psmonline.com / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / Р5М:100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / 29

 PUB/DEV KONAMI/KONAMI ۲۷۵ | MAX PLAYERS ۲۷۸۵ | ESRB RATING TEEN
10-00 Hit Rate |
' From armor-wearing attack
dogs to transforming mech bosses,
this latest Contra definitely has
something for everyone.

A Endless numbers of oncoming enemies

will truly challenge your gaming skills,
trigger finger and reflexes.

CONTRA
Konami cooks up Ihe very best of Ihe old and new
e SHATTERED
e SOLDIER

he original Contra games series' old power-up system—the staying true to the look of the series.
set the standard for side- three weapons you start with are all Regardless of technical details, Contra
scrolling run-and-gun in you get. In doing so, it presents a dif- definitely impresses with the imagina-
their time. What's inter- ferent sort of mission design, com- tion of its bosses and stages, blending
esting about this long- pletely focused on learning the ene- revivals from the old games with
awaited revival of the series is that it's mies' patterns and which weapons designs by comic book artist Ashley
not a slavish adherent to that stan- are needed for a given situation. The Wood. There's even a touch of Crash-
dard. Sure, it's packed full of 2D game is unmercifully difficult until you style forward-scrolling action, mixed A This game is the most fun when you're
playing with a friend, just like back in the
blasting goodness, but it borrows a discover the key to each encounter, at with plenty of dynamic camera move- day of the old Contras.
few cues from shooters and platform- which point everything fits together ment. It adds up to the perfect
ers that have come down the pike like a fine watch... providing you have revival, one which deserves all the
since the last true Contra took its the reflexes to put ammo on target. appreciation it can get from fans old
bows on the Genesis. The result is a It's more like Radiant Silvergun than and new. DAVID SMITH
challenge for shooter fans from any the old games' free-ranging style of
era, although followers of the classics action, but no less compelling.
will enjoy it that much more. Brilliant enemies are piled on top of HOW IT STACKS UP
Shattered Soldier abandons the each other, as Konami's designers Contra: Shaltered Soldier 9
manage to continually one- Sub Rebellion 6
up themselves all the way to Dino Stalker 5
the end.
Men In Black Il 4 A The classic platform jumping segments
Some of the animation
Gungrave ۹ have returned along with some very
may seem stiff, or the char- challenging levels.
acter models low on detail,
but from an old-schooler's

PSM OUTSTANDING
perspective, Konami's just
Fine shooting action served straight, no chas-
4 Don't get to mesmerized by er. And if you want the best eni ling, three
the beauty of these explosions.
Get too close and you'll take FINAL SCORE continues is all you get. The tradition contin-
ues in fine style...
some serious damage.

ЗО / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 PUB EA | DEV STORMFRONT STUDIOS | MAX PLAYERS ONE |ESRB RATING TEEN

A This adventure will take you A This battle takes place almost А Boss battles require thinking
through countless terrains and exactly like in the movie. Even the more than a quick attack. You need
endless dangers. саме troll makes an appearance. to figure our their weaknesses.

LORD OF THE RINGS: Come to Middle-

THE TWO TOWERS Earth... sort Of... A While you'll play through several levels featured in the
first movie, most of the game focuses on The Two Towers.

nlike a lot of the as quickly as you can. In a lot of doesn't feel totally balanced. Some of action, allowing off-screen enemies to
straight-laced action cases, though, this endless onslaught the harder levels lack checkpoints, occasionally get in free hits.
titles out there, The Two of enemies gets rather annoying. 1 forcing you go through them entirely Despite these downfalls, this still
Towers at least tries to would have preferred fewer enemies again even if you die at the very end. remains the best of the two LOTR
include a bit of strategy but more involved fights. What's the Yet, despite starting over, you still games coming out this Christmas. The
and depth. It’s no fighting game by point of having all these cool combos can't skip past the cinemas, which is a overall package is compelling enough
any means, but at least it doesn’t when you don't ever really have bit annoying. Also, the camera angles that Tolkien fans of all ages should
always feel like a button-masher. enough time to use them, right? aren't always the best during the find a lot here to like. STEPHEN FROST
There are numerous times where In general, The Two Towers is both
patience and timing, and not quick exciting and engaging. The action is

PSM GOOD
fingers, are crucial to progressing on. non-stop and the numerous theatrical
However, for every one of those situa- and in-game cinemas do a wonderful While certainly visually impressive, EA’s
tions, there are plenty more that job of transferring you into the world Tolkien tribute suffers a bit from unbalanced

FINAL SCORE
levels, an occasionally problematic camera
swarm you with enemies, giving you of Middle-Earth. It's just unfortunate, and unskippable cinemas.
no alternative but to dole out attacks then, that the game, as a whole,

А The character models look amaz- А Now thaty you can draft Super- A А5 ith any wrestling game,
ing, especially the faces up close. stars, you can pick the hotties. there's some out-of-date stuff here.

y
i$
fe
WWE SMACKDOWN! Aw, you already
SHUT YOUR MOUTH know what іс
А The Story mode is better than
ever, with a polished interface. expect

nother year, another stunning and new matches like Elimination Tag, wrestlers go to Raw or Smackdown,
Smackdown. It's tough to the entrances are Captain Fall Tornado Six-Man Tag, which is pretty cool.
review this game the best yet, although they and Slobber Knocker Anywhere. Do any of the new additions
because it's debatable as do drag on a bit too long. Actually, There are also new double- and make this game dramatically better
to whether or not a new you spend a lot of time waiting to get 23 triple-team moves, although than last year's title? No, but if you're
WWE title every year is warranted. to the action, waiting for screens to your CPU partner can be а diehard WWE fan, the new bits are
The rosters don't change much com- load up just so you can press X frustratingly dumb when probably worth it to you and your
pared to, say, football, and 1 would to wait for another screen. An trying to set them up. buds. As a stand-alone game, Shut
bash a standard action sequel that action title like this needs to Finally, there's a deeper Your Mouth is very good and I've
was this similar to the previous game. be snappier. Story mode that now rated it as such—but this series could
The years spent fine-tuning this As for the new stuff, includes the WWE draft. use some significant changes next
series are paying off, though, as some here we go: there are 55 \ You can choose to pick which year to keep it fresh. CHRIS SLATE
long-time wrinkles are finally getting WWE Superstars, 15 back-
ironed out. Most notably, Finishers stage areas, and more
now do a decent job of putting an than 14 pay-per-view are- VERY GOOD
opponent down for the count, and nas including Backlash, Shut Your Mouth has been polished into being
the Season mode is more polished, Unforgiven and Vengeance. the best of the series, but if you've played

FINAL SCORE
Smackdown one through three to death
too, and easier to navigate. The like- There are more animations, new already, this one may get old fast.
nesses of the wrestlers are absolutely Create-A-Wrestler features, and

ЗО / PSM:100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / psmonline.com ЕШ

 Enter the sci-fi world af Disney's PK-
the superhero alter ego of Donald Duck!

... Е s
its shadow, ЕК blasts into
š ‚е,
|. eyber-action!

EVERYONE
: ©, Di
ГА Violence ЕЗ
ation. 2 Ubi Soft
|Eg Ті> р
=>
кту
apari I; PlayStation

© Disney © 2002 Ubi Soft Entertainment. Ubi Soft and the Ubi Soft Entertainment logo are registered trademarks of Ubi Soft Entertainment Inc.All rights reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered
trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment (пс. TM,© and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.
 КЕНЕ
BANDICOOT

Violence PlayStation.

©2002 Krome:Studios Pty-Ltd: Al rights reserved. TY the Tasmanian Tiger and the Krome Studios logo are trademarks of Krome Studios Pty Lid. Electronic Arts, EA GAMES, the EA GAMES logo and Challenge Everything 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. 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: TM, @ and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. ©2001 Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. EA GAMES” is an Electronic Arts™ brand,
 | HEDGEHOG -

Cri-key! Үои'ге ТҮ the Tasmanian Tiger: The last of a rare breed out to explore
the untamed and uncharted Australian wilderness in search of your lost family. Along
the way you'll encounter some fearsome foes sent out by the evil Boss Cass
to spoil your adventure. But no worries, you've got a heap of hi-tech boomerangs,
plenty of mates and a set of chompers to help you tame the dodgy Outback.
Good luck, it should be a ripper good time! www.TY.ea.com
 REVIEWS %
You can't see them, of course. After all, they're
SEALs, a commando unit legendary for its ability
«ОЗУ PuB/oev KONAMI |түре RPG |MAX PLAYERS 1| ESRB RATING TEEN
to penetrate enemy territory undetected. And +
Fubar then strike with surgical precision. Enter the ۷4 ,
of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs, where stealth, intel-
Percivat ligence and teamwork are the ultimate weapons.
Маос}зууога] Вены o
^

ЕБ
=.
S
5 Developed in association with the U.S. Navy
SEALs, SOCOM is unconventional warfare the
way it’s really fought. That means hostage
rescues, reconnaissance, ambushes and
demolitions. Hoo-yah.

Whether you're in single-player mode or playing

< АП the different types of combat from previ- online with and against up to 16 total players,
ous games in the series are back, including the your SOCOM headset is critical. It'll help you
grid-based army skirı
communicate and strategize with your unit,

SUIKODEN Ill
so everyone returns in one piece. Remember:
“No SEAL left behind.”
BUEN метри

The Stars of Destiny shine brightly

geeЖ r was
hen Konami first initial introduction, Suikoden III in one command
unveiled footage has them in spades. for every two — í ` Es
of Suikoden III's The biggest shift, beyond the fighters during Combat terror in extreme environments like
"new" 3D visuals 3D visual upgrade, is your ability random battles, Turkmenistan, Alaska, Thailand and the gnat-
and gameplay, 1 to progress through the main sto- which diminishes infested Congo. Should be a walk in the park.
was skeptical. As a huge fan of ryline as different characters. All some of the versa- Next to Hell Week, that is.
the series and its trademark 2D characters are faced with the tility, but encour-
look and appeal, | wasn't sure if a same impending crisis, but they ages "group
3D game could accurately recap- all arrive at the same destination combo attacks?
ture the feel of the previous under different circumstances, The overall amazing experi-
games. Once | popped in the motivated by different causes. It’s ence of playing through Suikoden
game, with its seemingly overly an interesting and compelling III's lengthy epic adventure is def-
simplistic combat system and type of storytelling. initely a required and absolutely
confusing amount of criss-cross- Like its predecessors, Suikoden recommended undertaking for
ing storylines, my suspicions III has 108 Stars of Destiny. And any and all RPG fans.
weren't necessarily abated. But once you get far enough into the FRANCESCA REYES
like any really good RPG, there's game, you'll find that finding and
always that one moment... that recruiting all of them is just as
really striking "hook" that sucks addictive as ever. HOW IT STACKS UP
you into the storyline in one fell If there's anything that really Suikoden III
swoop. And once you get past the holds the game back from being Wild Arms 3 LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD.
truly stellar, it would boil down to
‚hack PLAY IN DURS
У Branky may love Borus, but we so its mediocre combat system.
love Branky. Legaia 2: Duel Saga
Characters are “paired up” in
fights, so that you can only enter Grandia Xtreme
PlayStation.e

BSM OUTSTANDING
Phenomenal storyline smoothes over
some of the rougher combat-related

FINAL SCORE 1
and technical flaws to create a won- MATURE
derful experience for RPG fans. Blood
Violence

www.psmonline.com / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / 37

 e° REVIEWS
PUB EA | DEV EURDLOMM/EA SEATTLE | MAX PLAYERS FOUR |ESRB RATING TEEN

А Open areas are the scariest A The enemies’ intelligence is bet-

because there are snipers around. ter, but they still act a bit dumb.

JAMES BOND 007: NIGHTFIRES

МӘШЕЙЕК е lille lo shake up Ihe genre А The castle is one of the best looking levels in the game.
A lot of the others aren't up to the same level of quality.

he problem with the Bond levels seems a bit erratic. tures. What's here is fun and some- but there are more of them and the
games, since their debut Environments, like the underwater what varied, but it just doesn't feel multiplayer mode has been improved.
on the PSone, is that the areas and castle, sport high quality special. It's missing that spark. The revamped reward system will also
underlying story lines textures, lighting and a nice level of On the plus side, this is definitely a have you playing levels over and over
haven't every really been design, while others look rather bland better Bond experience than Agent again in order to unlock everything.
that compelling, even the ones that and uninspired. It's like only a handful Under Fire. There's a larger variety of It's just unfortunate that NightFire
were based on actual movies. of the levels got the full TLC treat- missions and gameplay. The vehicle- is still a few martinis short of the
NightFire definitely takes a step in the ment from the dev team. based challenges aren't as elaborate, competition. STEPHEN FROST
right direction, but everything is still A lot of these problems would
So predictable. have been forgiven last year, but with

PBSM GOOD
Along with that, NightFire has Time Splitters 2, Red Faction И and
some problems with collision detec- ЕА5 own Medal of Honor currently It's better, overall, than Agent Under Fire, but
tion and enemy Al, but fortunately, available, the bar has definitely been it still comes up lacking when compared to
those don't surface too much. Also,
the visual quality and layout of the
raised. NightFire doesn't showcase FINAL SCORE today’s top FPS, like Medal of Honor Frontline
or TimeSplitters 2.
any real innovations or exciting fea-

bo
inematsu suggests the A Cinematic presentation in Rygar
lands in the sky оп a zip-line, beautiful environments are some- often heightens the sense of action
Diskarmor. times designed to “soothe” by setting fore-grounded charac-

YGAR
ters against beautiful backdrops.

The epic quest is

А Rygar is loaded with bosses
based on ancient Greek legends.
alive and well

гот the outset of Tecmo's Resident Evil-style angles and Devil unlockable moves, Based on a convoluted
remake of the NES classic, May Cry’s “drifting” vantage points, and user-friendly retelling of Greco-Roman leg-
it's evident that the devel- the camera often goes askew and combinations. end and using familiar level
opers see this game as an strays too far from the action, making Rygar also uses his design and progression, the
interactive work of art. pinpoint control of Rygar's aim and diskarmor (which is part- game is classically heavy on
Some of the The Legendary trajectory difficult. grappling hook) to cross chasms, platforming, puzzle-solving and dis-
Adventure's environments are among Rygar's only weapon is the unique climb vertically, swing between float- patching enemies. There are tons of
the most imaginative and enchanting diskarmor, but its uses are many and ing orbs and glide along zip-lines. destructible elements in the environ-
yet seen on the system. The presenta- varied. There are actually three ver- Mimicking Final Fantasy, Rygar can ments filled with documents to read,
tion and camera work favor cinematic sions of the weapon (Hades, Heavenly also use summons, and a grid of mys- power-ups, and items that unlock
techniques, the best of which are long and Sea), each with different attack tic stones imbues his diskarmor with DVD extras like picture galleries.
graceful sweeps and pans of fantasy styles, ranges, upgradeable levels, various effects. Although Rygar is a bit light on
landscapes with great draw distances, enemy types, there are numerous
often achieving an ambience similar boss battles. Unfortunately, for all the

PSM VERY GOOD

to the original's parallax scrolling set epic story elements and cinematic
against somber red-orange sunsets. Aside from having to wrestle with the cam- presentation, the orchestral score is a
However, the camerawork is also at era, Rygar has wonderful environments, lots
bit subdued—without dramatic swells
fault for the games occasional lapse FINAL SCORE of bosses, a unique weapon, and a classic
quest, making for a truly epic adventure. and crescendos—and the voice acting
in control. Using a mix of isometric, is a bit overwrought. TOMMY LAYTON

38 / Р5М:100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 , www.psmonline.com

 P š . s 27%
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 (02002 BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA,
TOEIANIMATION. Licensed by FUNimation Productions,
TEEN Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Dragon Ball Z and all logos, character names and distinctive
g
Animated likenesses thereof are trademarks of TOEI ANIMATION. “PlayStation” and the “PS”
Blood and Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings
icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.©2002 Infogrames
Violence
* FUNimation
۲۷2
Inc. All Rights Reserved. Manufactured and marketed by Infogrames, Inc., New York,
Productions, Ltd. INFOGRAMES Jil ® NY. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
 PRE-ORDER TODAY

FIGHTING, FIGHTING, AND MORE FIGHTING.

BECAUSE DIPLOMACY IS SO OVERRATED.
Only on PlayStation*2

ы rivalry? Or just practice? Whichever, you'll need to master your fighting skills not only to survive, but to advance.
And with 23 characters, 29 levels, 60 bone-crushing moves, and 9 arenas, there are a lot of fighting skills to master,
 se REVIEWS

| ЭЕПВЕ: 1737

A With so many skating lines, you can pull

of some serious combos. You remember
when 100,000 points was a great score?

— A With even more customization options

than before, you can truly make a unique
character to call your own.

А Neversoft continues to amaze us with their solid and

well-designed levels. There is so much stuff to do tricks оп.

TONY HAWK’S
PRO SKATER 4 4 With the new
mission-based
gameplay, a timer
only appears when
Activision manages to deliver a you're actually
trying to complete

worthy sequel... but can il ləasp Z ы a challenge.

ow long can this series new things to do, and tasks that use Hawk 4 uses an original graphics customizable trash-talk. The total
continue? Its namesake the level themes in creative ways— engine and, while it's not too flashy, it package is a much bigger leap for-
has led the skating world not just collecting S-K-A-T-E letters. draws massive environments at a per- ward than Hawk 3 in almost every
for more than 15 years No time limit applies unless a task is fect framerate. Neversoft's animation way, and certainly enough to last
with no signs of letting underway, which saves the tedium of library continues to grow, with the until next year. DAVID SMITH
up, and its creators seem willing and exploring a stage in two-minute inter- addition of truly bizarre special tricks.
able to deliver fresh levels and game- vals. Progressing from level to level is Steve Caballero whips out a guitar
play concepts on an annual basis. А equally loose, so it's easy to unlock and cranks out the lead from "Skate
year off couldn't hurt, perhaps, but everything and and Destroy" during one
for now, Tony Hawk 4 is a worthy heir then choose grind, while Geoff
to the throne. what to go back to. Rowley chases a ferret
Volume four discards the small, It almost goes through his shirt.
tightly focused levels of the last game without saying that Speaking of The Faction,
in favor of expansive areas and an the level designs that's just one of 35
open goal structure. Each stage has are superb. eclectic tunes that make
16 tasks, ranging in scope from sim- Neversoft continues to up Activision's best
ple score challenges to entire compe- define the state of the art in lines, 990 Ха
licensed soundtrack yet. Skitehin
titions. There are more things to do, combinations, and original architec- Network play tops it all off,
ture. Hawk 4% expansive style offers A Now, that's impressive. Skitchin behind a
enabling an online skatepark for motorcycle without being noticed. That
HOW IT STACKS UP more than enough elbow room to groups of players and options like takes some guts.
explore and design combos, while the
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 visual designs possess a new level of Бос
итии een
Agressive Inline realism. Some levels are built up as
Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 much as they are built out, too. The
OUTSTANDING
Neversoft continues to expand its series in
Street Hoops hills in Alcatraz, combined with stage- new directions, while its fundamentals still
Evolution Skalebaarding spanning warp portals, present an
entirely new kind of combo potential.
FINAL SCORE remain among the best. Never mind the Iron
Maiden on the soundtrack.

42 / PSM:100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 AFFIX OWN JETPACK
BEFORE ASSISTING OTHERS

2 OUT ОЕ АММО

f
lemarks
tradi

š
areÈ
Tribes
the
s,and
logo (nov @ean @ вмро (2) kiss ass
GOODBYE

PlayStation.c i ) IF YOU САММОТ PERFORM THESE

i FUNCTIONS, PROCEED DIRECTLY TO TRIBES.SIERRA.COM FOR
A TRIBES VIDEO FEATURING TRUSTcompany’s “DOWNFALL”
DON'T FLY ALONE. PLAY WITH UP TO 16 PEOPLE OVER MODEM OR
BROADBAND USING SONY'S NETWORK ADAPTER. SHARE THE PAIN.
JETPACKS LET YOU TAKE THE CARNAGE AIRBORNE. THE FORECAST
CALLS FOR RAIN—OF BLOOD.
CAN'T GET IT UP WITH YOUR JETPACK? JUMP IN A FIGHTER,
BOMBER, ARMED TRANSPORT OR GRAVBIKE.

0۷2 | р.
|525.
SIERRA
 se REVIEWS
У TRAVELLERS | MAX PLAYERS TWO |RATED TEEN

-#T
`

А Once you master RAD's control scheme, your giant А Bullets, blood, and endless waves of bad guys... what A Wreckless is all about stomping on the gas and sending
robot can turn all comers into scrap metal. more could you need? anyone and anything in your way flying.

RAD:ROBOT DEAD ТО WRECKLESS:

ALCHEMIC RIGHTS THE YAKUZA
DRIVE t's not hard to MISSIONS
his giant robot battle
PS
M U ST- и ј
| understand what
makes Dead To
Rights so appealing—you can turn bad his bombastic, mission-based driving
Ez is complete- [BRONZE guys into human shields, you have a wicked LS resembles a cross between
ly one of a kind, but assortment of gruesome (and deadly) disarms, Midway's recent Spy Hunter remake
it's good enough to have us wishing there were and there's an endless steam of bullets and Sega's Crazy Taxi series. It's not the graphi-
more games like it. RAD opens with scenes of a whizzing across the screen at all times. cal tour de force that the original Xbox version
gigantic robot stomping a defenseless city flat, As Jack Slate, framed cop out for revenge, was, but it's a much bigger, more complete
then hands you the keys to your own, equally: your job is to blast, punch, and kick your way game now.
gigantic robotic titan, called a Meganite. Watch through fifteen levels of bad guys. Yeah, I There are two major campaigns in
out, evil robot—it's on. know, we've all played plenty of games that Wreckless: one starring a Dirty Pair-style team
РАР most unique feature is its control give you a dozen different ways to kill mindless of lady cops, and another featuring a comically
scheme. In battle, your Meganite's legs are con- Al opponents, and while Dead To Rights fulfills inept pair of anti-Yakuza undercover agents.
trolled with the shoulder buttons, and each arm all those standard requirements, it goes a few The missions are designed with vehicular car-
is guided using the corresponding analog stick. steps further. Slate can turn an enemy into a nage in mind—while there's plenty of variety,
This system feels natural fairly quickly, and gives. human shield with the touch of a button or, they almost always involve some form of
you quick access to moves ranging from laser with no weapons in hand, he can relieve a bad- smashing into something until it explodes. The
blasts and uppercuts to special attacks like the die of his gun with a slow-motion disarm, end- game's physics engine is fairly robust (though
classic rocket fist. The system can get a bit con- ing in a brutal execution. The result is a visceral slightly less realistic than the Xbox version's),
fusing from certain camera angles, but it's experience often tried for in videogames, but and specifically designed to add to the may-
much more intuitive than you might guess. rarely executed to such perfection. hem. It's fun.
There's a lot of game here. 50 levels, three To break up the action, Namco tossed in a Now for the bad news. Wreckless is not
playable mechs (or is that four? You'll have to few varied mini-games, which are all added pretty. In fact, it's homely, with super-bland
see for yourself), and characters whose conver- seamlessly to the overall structure. These are textures and colors, low-poly models, and
sations and relationships with you change few enough that they don't interrupt the over- sparse special effects. The newly 60 fps fram-
depending upon your performance. There are a all gameplay and offer just a nice little break erate is awesome, but the camera careens
few weak spots: non-robot graphics are plain, from making people bleed. around so much that you may get motion sick-
there's too little variety in enemy type and Al, Dead To Rights is one of the rare action ness. Finally, hardcore racing fans may find the
the voice acting is painfully bad, and the plot games that requires you to mix on-the-fly controls too simplistic and imprecise and the
unfolds very slowly. Also, the way your human strategy with skillful gunplay. And it's fun, too! action too arcade-shallow for their tastes.
character acts as the game's camera will frus- Diving backwards in slow motion while pump- The good news is, this game is over twice
trate some players (we liked it, but it takes ing a few shotguns blasts into a crowd of mili- the size of its Xbox forerunner. The original 20
some getting used to). On the other hand, once tant clowns is a thrill. Capping a hostage no missions have been shuffled and supplemented
you've become comfortable with the controls, longer useful makes me eerily giddy. And beat- by 20 unlockable bonus missions, and the
the combat becomes relatively easy. ing the game means something, because it number of vehicles has swollen from 14 to 30.
But all of these flaws become inconsequen- ain't easy. Gameplay itself has also been tweaked: your
tial in the face of RAD's greatest strength: more Though the camera can get annoying at car now fires missiles and has a speed boost
than any other game, it succeeds in making you times, Dead To Rights has a sizable chunk of that makes everything else move in slow
feel like you're commanding a ridiculously huge, action, strong bosses, and enough challenge to motion. There are even seven new two-player
incredibly powerful robot in battle. When these satisfy even the most hardcore of gamers. It all modes, (including the awesome bomb tag) that
guys take a step, the ground shakes. Sure, it's goes by a little too quickly, but you'll have fun were completely absent before. If you like driv-
campy— but the fun factor is undeniable. Try it while it lasts. ing fast and bashing into things, get behind the
out. ERIC BRATCHER HILARY GOLDSTEIN wheel of Wreckless. ERIC BRATCHER

VERY GOOD RAD is a

PSM niche title, but it’s a really
good one. Giant robots have
BSMI VERY GOOD Any fan of
double-fisted pistols owes it
to themselves to dive into a
PSM GOOD Wreckless is a good
time; just remember it was
made to be a wild, arcade-
FINAL SCORE never felt so huge and real. FINAL SCORE crowd of angry clowns. FINAL SCORE style game, not a sim.

46 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 $ AIAN

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Blood ©2002 New Line Productions, Inc. The Lord of The Rings and the characters, names, and е therein, TM The Saul
Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc. ‫لا‬۸‎ Rights Reserved. Electronic
Violence Arts, EA GAMES, the EA GAMES logo and Challenge Everything 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 BoyAdvance are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks аге
the property of their respective owners. EA GAMES™ is an Electronic Arts™ brand. www.lordoftherings.net
 |

СЗТ. A s é ST
Qj ioni your epic journey, enjoy exelusive actor
interview. cenes from Ше movie The Two Towers,
and the original score from The Fellowship of the Ring.

PlayStationsd GAMEBOY ADVANCE In STORES Now

JOIN THE ADVENTURE AT lordoftherings.ca.com Challenge Everything’
 se REVIEWS
PUB MIDWAY | DEV ГАУ |PLAYERS ONE |RATED ТЕ! PUB CAPCOM |DEV CAPCOM | PLAYERS TWO | RATED TEEN UB BLACK LABEL | DEV SURREAL |PLAYERS ONE |RATED TEEN

om

“ = N
А Using stolen DNA, the doctor сап A The character selection is certainly varied but we A You'll come across a decent variety of enemies during
morph into various animal forms. could have done without some of the weird characters. your travels, including these giant spiders.

DR. мито ©. MARVEL VS. TLOTR: THE

^w CAPCOM 2 FELLOWSHIP
OF THE RING
imply put, this is the year
‚of the platformer. 3
Virtually every major company, | t's been another year and yet
from Sony to Electronic Arts, is planning another Сарсот fighting game is
to release its own contribution to the about to be released. In this case, nlike Electronic Arts’ The Lord of The
genre over the next few months. Not one Ла» y though, PS2 owners aren't really getting a new U game, which is based on the
to be left out, Midway has just put the experience, but rather a slightly updated ver- movies, the one released by Black
finishing touches on its own unique title Sion of one of the last Dreamcast titles, Marvel Label Games focuses solely on the events in
that actually ended up surprising us. Vs. Capcom 2. In most cases, both console ver- the first book. Due to that, it can go into more
In Dr. Muto, players jump into the labcoat of sions of the game are quite identical. That detail and introduce a large number of charac-
a rather wacky, yet lovable, scientist who has includes the huge cast of characters (more ters that moviegoers will have never seen. In
just accidentally caused the destruction of this 50), the four button control scheme, and the that regard, true Tolkien fans will probably
own planet. Running out of energy and ideas, unique store mode that allows you to unlock appreciate this title more. However, there are
the good doctor has to gather materials for new costumes and characters. There are, how- Several major problems that any player will
other worlds in order to recreate his own... not ever, a few little differences and annoyances have to get past in order to enjoy being part of
a bad premise.
that we feel should be mentioned. The Fellowship.
While a bigger focus has been put on the
For starters, we're still boggled by the fact Developed by the same people who creat-
action side, Dr. Muto still has plenty of jumping
that Capcom continues to use low-res sprites ed Drakan, The Fellowship of The Ring shares
challenges to be considered a platformer.
for its characters. This is especially noticeable several main similarities with that title. The
However, the puzzle elements range from basic
on the PS2 when you see them in front of the. general look of the world, the character anima-
to average, so don't expect too much challenge
sharp, beautifully-rendered 3D backgrounds. If tions—even the objective-based gameplay
in that department. There are countless
Sammy can have high-res character sprites in brings about a haunting sense of deja-vu. It's
mission objectives, though, so you won't have
its Guilty Gear titles, why can't Capcom—the strange, then, that the overall experience of
much time to admire the cleverly designed
king of 2D fighters—manage to use them? It's this game comes up a bit lacking. Level
levels, many of which you'll have to return to
just so annoying. Also, this version of the game designs, in general, are bland and visually unin-
Several times.
suffers from a strange sort of shimmering effect spired; the combat system is very basic, yet
It seems the staple of any current plat-
on the different power bars and lacks the sometimes frustrating; and the missions don't
former title is the large emphasis on collecting
online mode that was popular in Japan. ever really challenge you with anything more
things. However, in some cases, like Dr. Muto,
Still, this is Capcom's deepest and most than fighting something, collecting items or
the collecting gets to be so much that it actual-
complex fighting game yet. It features almost finding someone. May 1 ask why collecting
ly detracts from the experience, rather than
every major gameplay addition that's appeared water lilies is even necessary when the fate of \
add to it. There is simply so much to keep track
in past Street Fighters, while also introducing the entire Middle-Earth rests on your shoul-
of in this game. Even though the developers try
several new characters and a unique Шгее-оп- ders? I'd like to believe that more important
to make it all easier by including various
three fighting system. The level of animation is issues are at hand. ;
progress screens, it still ends up being a bit too
also impressive. The only problem is that the It's a shame that a game based on such а
overwhelming. Often, you're not sure if you've
game seems to have left behind the more tra- rich and compelling book ended up as зоте-
missed something or if that particular item is on
ditional feel that classic Street Fighter fans have thing that's so average. There's just so much
an entirely different level. You really have to
grown to love. Instead of the strategic, finesse that could have done. Visually, the game could
explore everywhere and not miss anything,
game, it’s all about super combos and linking be more detailed, the combat system should
which may turn some people off.
Jong special attacks together. If you prefer that be deeper and the missions need to feel more
Taking that into consideration, Dr. Muto still
type of gameplay, then this is definitely the title important. Just because you can include every `
ends up a very solid and fun title. It's not quite
for you. Old school fans, however, will probably little detail from the book doesn't mean you
up to the caliber of Sony's or EAS titles, but it
feel that MvC2 is a bit too hectic and find have to. The focus should have been on mak-
definitely has a charm and uniqueness all its
themselves hoping for an online PS2 version of ing the experience as exciting as possible, not
own. STEPHEN FROST
Street Fighter Ill instead. STEPHEN FROST just accurate. STEPHEN FROST
SEE
‫کے‬‎ ‫چت‬

PSM GOOD surprisingly fun,

but the collection aspect of
this game tends to take away
BSM GOOD The bars and sprites
take away
appeal.
from the visual
Also, the gameplay
BSM OKAY The Fellowship is
weakened by bland environ-
ments, a weak fighting sys-
FINAL SCORE from the overall experience. FINAL SCORE сап get a bit frantic. FINAL SCORE tem and generic missions.

50 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 CI PUB/DEV MIDWAY |TYPE FIGHTING |MAX PLAYERS TWO |ESRB RATING

i ]
A Kano looks like he's trying to get fresh with
the new girl, Li Mei. She won't have any of that.

A You'll have to purchase new backgrounds in

order see some of the cooler ones, like this
boat. It's like the boat from the first Mortal
Kombat movie.
A Despite all the new characters, Scorpion still remains
our all-time favorite. His spear still kicks ass.

MORTAL КОМВАТ: Rising from Ihe

grave, MK delivers

DEADLY ALLIANCE a bloody good lime

ight off the bat, Mortal attack system, each character has grounds and hundreds of other
Kombat: Deadly Alliance access to three unique fighting styles, things. In all, there are well over
hits you with a major one of which is weapon-based. By 600 things that you can buy, which
shocker and follows up hitting the L1 button, players can gives this game an extremely high ДІСІ
with several major switch between the styles and create replay value.
events that have occurred since the combos that flow from one form Unfortunately, when compared to
last Mortal Kombat. Fans are going to \ to another. At the start, this the likes of VF4 and Tekken 4, Deadly
be severely surprised by what has ‚ free-form method of combat Alliance isn't quite as deep or bal-
happened to some of their favorite / can be a bit confusing and anced. However, it definitely delivers
Characters. More so than that, daunting, but a few hours of far more overall gameplay for your
though, they're going to be dedicated practice will have you money. Some characters, like Hsu
impressed by how singing its praises. Hao, are a bit generic, but there are —-HAPKIDO
good this game Speaking of practice, plenty here that we really loved.
really is. A By completing the ti ‫ اچ‬sessions іп‫‏‬
that’s another area where The levels are also well-designed the Konquest mode, you in earn koins to‫‏‬
Deadly Alliance Á Deadly Alliance breaks the with a good variety to them. If we had purchase new stuff.
manages to innovate mold. Each character our way, though, we would have
in several areas, but actually has their own improved the responsiveness of the
the majority of these dedicated training session controls just a bit, made jump attacks HOW IT STACKS UP
improvements appear in that does a wonderful job of play a more important role, and had Virtua Fighter 4 9
the actual fighting teaching you the basic gameplay more creative fatalaties. These minor Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance 8
engine. Utilizing a fundamentals. You aren't forced to faults aside, this is a game that should Tekken 4 8
unique branching Т hit the ground running, unlike in a please MK fans and hopefully be Barbarian 7
lot of the other fighting games out remembered as one of the better
X-Men: Next Dimension 6
there. Building upon that is the titles in the genre. STEPHEN FROST
Kurrency feature. As you train and
fight other characters, you earn

PBSM VERY GOOD

money that can be used to purchase
new costumes, characters, back- Gameplay innovations, a unique combo
system and a well-designed training mode
< Here's a fight that could have been found
FINAL SCORE
propel Deadly Alliance to one of the top
in past Mortal Kombats. This time, though, positions in this genre.
PRAYING-MANTIS— Sub-Zero fights on the side of good.

www.psmonline.com / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / Р5М:100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / 51

 "IШЇЇ
ША!

EVERYONE

Mild Violence
 There goes the neighborhood.
Spyro: Enter The Dragonfly.
With all new breath weapons:
fire, ice, electricity and bubbles,

someone better slap a warning

label on that dragon.

www.spyrothedragon.com
"Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly” interactive game © 2002 Universal Interactive, Inc. Spyro the Dragon and related characters
areTM and© Universal Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved.
TM, ® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
 ге REVIEWS

PUB EA SPORTS |DEV EA |MAX PLAYERS EIGHT |RATED EVERYONE PUB INFOGRAMES | DEV MONSTER | MAX PLAYERS FOUR |RATED EVERYONE PUB ВАМ! |DEV KUJU | MAX PLAYERS ONE |RATED MATURE

FIFA 2003 aM NASCAR: .

DIRT ТО DAYTONA
REIGN OF FIRE
Те hard to please soccer sim fans eign of Fire combines ing and shoot-
will be impressed with the strides FIFA A's NASCAR Thunder probably delivers В“ in four vehicles from mankind's per-
2003 made this year. The famed soccer the best presentation of the Winston spective, and flying and fire-breathing
franchise has turned back from the low road of Cup on offer, but as serious fans will tell from that of five different dragons. The setting is a
arcade gameplay and has begun making impres- you, that's only the flashy tip of the stock-car ice- desolate, gritty landscape with a mood reminiscent
Sive steps in a return to authenticity. berg. Beneath it lie many smaller-scale circuits, of Twisted Metal: Black. Against this backdrop the
The most noticeable of these steps is this which Dirt To Daytona presents in detail. player executes long missions (some lasting more
game's revamped dribbling engine. You'll feel as if The driving model here is tuned in a conserva- than 10 minutes) with multiple objectives.
you're playing > tive direction, to Ifnotfor | T
with a real soc- match the slow loose, sluggish ©.
cer ball. The pace of the control and a
defense has career mode. long learning
been improved, More casual curve, the in-
too. Gone are fans may be your-face action
the days of 300 turned off by could have lived
Slide tackles per AT ER the early going, up to the film.
game. A Right here is where the slowdown which requires A Infogrames' offering delivers a.
‫یا‬ ‫ای‬ begins to take effect. Bummer...‫‏‬ gradual meaty career mode. ‎‫ ھی راد رک دی‬gib snogard syawla mees ot dnif .uoy
quality sound and improved visual presentation,‫‏‬ advancement through the local racing ranks, but grated with or independent of steering, both feel
and you've got a soccer game that deserves a‫‏‬ NASCAR diehards should enjoy the realistic pres- slippery, leading to fishtailing and the impossibility
near perfect score, except for the fact that FIFA‫‏‬ entation of sponsorship and team development. of pinpoint navigation. In the air, the dragons seem
2003 still suffers from slowdown. This typically‫‏‬ Dirt To Daytona has a solid engine that draws a to float and drift, offsetting targeting. In all, some
happens near the goals, but that's the one area‫‏‬ full-sized field. That's enough to support the real nice gameplay variety and depth, modest extras,
where slowdown cannot happen. It affects the‫‏‬ substance of the game—its complex and detailed and fair fire effects from the weaponry, are offset
gameplay significantly. Oh, well... -DE‫‏‬ road to the championship. -DS by marginal control. -TL

PSM VERY GOOD FIFA 2003

took a step in the right direc-
tion, but the framerate trou-
BSM VERY GOOD substance
over style is the pl ilosophy
behind this game—it's for
BSM OKAY The action in this
game is somewhat undercut
by loose control. Depth and
FINAL SCORE bles are disappointing. FINAL SCORE like-minded racing fans. FINAL SCORE gameplay variety remain.

PUB ACTIVISION |DEV PARADOX | MAX PLAYERS TWO |RATING TEEN PUB SONY CEA |DEV KILLER |MAX PLAYERS TWO | RATED EVERYONE PUB INFOGRAMES |DEV RAGE |МАХ PLAYERS TWO | RATED EVERYONE

X-MEN: next pimension JET X20 ROCKY

| t's clear that Next Dimension improves fter the snowboarding world was hose of us who are fans of the Rocky
upon the experience of Paradox's X-Men: BA with EA BIG's SSX in 2000, franchise aren’t exactly known for our
Mutant Academy PSone series. There are icompanies such as Activision and taste, but we know a fun game when we
an impressive 24 fighters to unlock and a story Nintendo have had to rethink their extreme sports. see one. Rocky, for instance, could have been a
mode with an original 20 minutes of passable CG designs more than just a little. Sony Computer lazy cash-in on a movie license, but thankfully, this
animation. In arcade, versus, and practice modes, Entertainment America, however, appears entirely. game balances near perfect use of a movie
each of the TENE < happy going license with a Sa" Seay =
eight or so envi- with the status playable game.
ronments fea- quo, as is evi- As far as the
tures several dent with Jet license is con- Д
interactive ele- X20, a bland, cerned, Rocky
ments and is arcade-style, hits its mark. i
multi-tiered, trick-based, You can fight
enabling you to watercraft racer ЫЕ against Apollo
knock your A A sultry selection of female X-Men Killer A Nail tricks for points inthis super- Creed, Clubber A Rocky is very faithful to its fran-
‚characters makes the rounds. chise... yo, Adrian!
opponent down ‎‫اک‬ И average derived
SSX jetski game. Lang, and many
to other levels. There are new projectile and acro- isn't so bad a game as it is unwaveringly derivative. other fighters, each detailed down to the most
batic attacks, eight-way movement, and special It's a decent looking game, with dynamic water subtle movements, such as Clubber Lang’s floppy
moves governed by the level of your special meter. paths and intermeshing waves that create a slight- head after a jab. The characters are rendered so
On the down side, poor collision detection ly different ride each time. faithfully that there are even 5 Rockys, each with
mars the simple fighting system. Performing the There are eight different racers, eight differe his own movie-specific hairstyle and physique.
few throws per character and combo-breakers is “wild; shortcut laden, jump-heavy courses, 30 The gameplay and occasionally iffy control
inconsistent at best. Also, lackluster sound effects, tricks, etc. The characters are designed to attempt won't steal fighting fans away from Tekken or Virtua
poor voice acting, and long load times compound: coolness; instead they just say unfunny one-liners Fighter, but for a licensed game, Rocky is surpris-
more serious shortcomings. -TL to each other—that's inexcusable. -DP ingly playable and fun. -DE
;

OKAY Poor collision

detection keeps this title a
step below Tekken and
BSM OKAY Stupendously aver-
age extreme sports wave
racing. It's more of a rental
sania соор The control and
gameplay aren't great, but
they're good enough for fans
FINAL SCORE Virtua Fighter. FINAL SCORE than an actual purchase. е zu of the license.

54 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 Real time party-based combat where y P!
| you control a variety of characters, cast a meteor storm Or
> from spellcasters to assassins 7
Zomplex, character-based story sei Transform yourself into |
unique world that combines 12 powerful summons, from the |
Mac pd ‫وس‬‎ Blood Juggernaut to the Blade of Same

WWW.SUMMONER2.COM

TEEN
volition

SONTENT ATEDBY
Violence 02 ۲ 2 22-2
3 www.thq.com
© 2002 THO lnc. Summoner, Volition, THQ and their respective logos are trade f THQ Inc. Allr. Station" and the "PS" Family lo trademarks of Sony C ntertairiment Inc.
WWW.NAMCO.COM

<
њаTÓ
tick

Violence
PlayStationse
 tick

, ‘boom.
ШЕП Y good guy
too tar, eventually he?5 gonna
make some bad things happen. Ex-cop
Jack Slate
is no exception. But when he explodes, things are (=

going to be worse than you can ever тате а

gs-
your backs, thu
sure to watch
running out.
Your time’s

"most brilliant violence ever realized in а

video game." KA KA К FHM
"Every so often a game comes along
touches and tickles our dark side." IGN.COM

"It's a John Woo movie you can p 0

 MCCOLLUN/ARTPLAYB
MARTIN/HEATHER
ASON

JEPENDENT PLAYSTATI( ББ HOLIDAY 2002 / www

 HDLIDAY BUYER'S GUIDE

2002 Holiday

Your Holiday WISH LIST of the coolest

J) GAMES, hottest GEAR, and tons more!

٥01181 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

FOR THE GAMER WHO... enjoys non-linear gameplay
Contra: Shattered Soldier
FOR THE GAMER WHO... craves old-school action from

Games
and hardcore action, and isn't easily offended the days when games were simpler, faster, and harder.
ASK LIKE THIS “This game is perhaps the most social- ASK LIKE THIS “It will help develop manual dexterity
ly relevant piece of entertainment of our time. | need and hand-eye coordination, which will come in handy
a copy so l can stay informed and join in on deep, when I'm typing up reports and papers while attend-
These games are hot, thoughtful water cooler discussions” ing law/medical/whatever school”
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT It's the sequel to the biggest- WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT it's a near-perfect fusion of the
new, and just in time selling PS2 game ever—what more do you need to best of the past and the future. The gameplay itself
know? Not many games let you steal cars, whack is classic, arcade-style Contra, with endless waves of
for the Holidays. wiseguys, fly a chopper and pop wheelies on your enemies and constant explosions, but the lush, cut-
There are plenty more motorcycle. In fact, ting-edge graphics
we can think of * could only exist on ‫وان‬‎ ІТ От
great titles, but if you only one— a system as power-
can only get a few this one. Get it. ful as the PS2.
YOU SHOULD YOU SHOULD
games, these are the ALSO LIKE Hitman А1$0 LIKE Rygar:
ones that you abso- 2: Silent Assassin
and of course GTA
The Legendary
Adventure, Metal
lutely can’t miss. Ш (it's still great!) Slug X (Psone)

www.psmonline.com #66 HOLIDAY 2002 PSM: I00% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION а MAGAZINE / 59

 DLIDAY BUYER'S GUIDE

handys ‫اف‬
Marten NFL 2008 Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
Holiday Tips е
Decorating the tree can be a tough
e puzzle. Here's the key: go backwards,
first hanging the tree-topper and orna-
ments, then stringing tinsel from the bot-
tom to the top, and finally following with
lights. That'll open the portal to the Palace
of Infinite Presents.

You can keep that tubby, red-clad freak

e out of your chimney by employing a
4-3 defense and having your secondary play
man-to-man, then bringing your weak side
linebacker in to blitz.

3 If you find yourself unable to survive

e Santa Claus’ “Hail of Holly” special
attack, summon the Easter Bunny and
counter with “Basket of Bombardment”
and “Eggsplosion?”

Tommy Vercetti
e understands the
value of a frame-up,
so you should, too.
Use some of that
chocalate laxative when
making delicious cookies
for Santa. Then, offer stingy old St. Nick
the use of your bathroom in exchange for a
little something extra under the tree.

When you're loaded down with

e presents, try grinding red and green
holiday candy into powder and mixing the
two. The resulting blue powder will cure
poison and heal you, and will free up valu-
able inventory slots.

Try to kill the head elf first. If you

e don't, he'll just keep spawning small-
er elves indefinitely, which could eventually
overwhelm you.

If you pummel all nine reindeer into

unconsciousness without continu-
ing, you'll unlock the secret reindeer boss,
Let's face it: Aunt Mabel doesn't always know the difference
“Reimbo” Beat him and the elf who fol-
between a good game and an ugly drink coaster. These games
lows the sleigh with a pooper scooper will
appear and give you a golden shovel.

For a memorable sidequest, head up

е to the North Pole on Christmas Eve
and drop in on Mrs. Claus. Think about
it: her hubby’s old and fat, he smells like
reindeer, and he’s gone all night—then you
show up with chocolates and roses, wanting
to share a cup of rum-spiked cocoa by the GUNGRAVE MEN IN BLACK Il MIKE TYSON DRAGON RAGE BLADE II
fire and keep her company. Get the picture, Style looks great, True, the movie BOXING Being a dragon With all the biting
mistletoe boy? but you can't live wasn't quite a If Muhammad Ali should make you and bloodletting,
without substance. gut-buster, but at could "float like a feel like a devas- vampires can be
Elves are cheap to produce, but Gungrave had least it wasn't the butterfly, sting like tating, incredibly fun. However,
e they're weak fighters, and their little incredible potential gut punch that this а bee; this game powerful force of hordes of vampires
legs give them horrible ground speed.
and a truly unique game turned out to floats like a doo- nature. Not like a who live in dev-
Balance your forces by including a few
swift-running reindeer and the sluggish (but
art style, but the be. Horrid controls, doo pie and stinks sloppily controlled, astatingly boring
hard-hitting) boss man himself. final game was boring, tedious-yet- like a... well, like a overgrown bat who levels, which must
laughably, woefully hard gameplay, and doo-doo pie. The lives in the land of be tediously plowed
1 When examining presents under incomplete. There's a complete absence graphics are bad, low-poly models through despite
е the tree, watch for those that shine just not enough of Will Smith or the career mode and blurry textures. horrible controls,
and flicker. Make sure you get them, even if here to amuse any- Tommy Lee Jones shallow. Who still But it did leave are not fun. In fact,
you have to swap name tags—the best stuff body for more than make this a sloppy idolizes the lunatic us with a curious they suck. And not
always shines and flickers. about an hour. mess of a game. Tyson anyway? burning sensation. in the good way.

БО / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

Stocking Stuffers
The games themselves аге where most of the
action is, but with the right equipment your
entire gaming experience can get a big boost!

PS2 Network Adaptor Cards for $40 (at Р525 InterAct PS2
How can something so small launch each card was $35). Mobile Monitor
bring so much happiness? Sony also dropped the price Turn your PS2 into a portable
Take your PS2 online with of single 8MB cards to $25. game machine with InterAct’s
some of this fall's hottest 5.6-inch backlit, high-res
games like SOCOM, Madden Sony PED color LCD, which connects
2003 and Tony Hawk 4. It If you get this in your stocking to the back of your PS2. It
Eo des onyof we will personally come to sports stereo speakers and
Б 8 your house and beat you. The dual headphone jacks.
and online game demos.
end-all be-all of personal flat-
screen monitors, the HDTV- Monster Cables
Sony PS2 ready 17-inch Sony Personal To get the best from your
Keyboard and Mouse Р525 DVD playback and
They plug right into the USB Dolby Digital and DTS capa-
slots on the front of your bilities, Monster Cables are
PS2, enabling you to type the best on the market for all
your finest trash-talk or get types of higher-end video
exquisite control for FPS and audio solutions.
games like Red Faction 2.
They're cheap and will be SharkPort
indispensable when PS2 If an 8MB Memory Card
gets a web browser. just won't do the trick,
transfer your game saves
Clear DualShocks from your PS2 to a PC hard
A translucent twist on per- Entertainment Display has drive, download GameShark
haps the greatest controller great sound and picture and codes, and even e-mail game
ever designed. They are the works with anything from a saves to friends with the
same price as your standard PS2 or PC to a digital camera. SharkPort.
black DualShock 2, and they
come in blue, slate gray and Videovisions Vice City Soundtracks
emerald green for PS2 and Direct from Conspiracy Get individual CDs based on
PSone (also in red for PSone). Entertainment (www.cons seven different 80's radio
piracygames.com), videovi- stations for $14, or get the
Sony Memory sions is a DVD that offers box set for $50. Each CD
Card Two-Pack mood-enhancing audio-visual gives you access codes to
Memory Card shortages are displays like fireworks, virtual vicecityradio.com, where
a thing of the past, and Sony sunsets, tropical fish tanks you can download exclusive
is offering a honey of a deal and trippy kaleidoscopes, cheats and lots of other Vice
on two colored 8MB Memory with 3D glasses to boot! City content.

Top DVD Picks

When your PlayStation 2 isn't busy running hot new
games, why not take in a movie or two? There are plenty
of great flicks out there; here's out top picks:
Spider-Man: The Movie Star Wars Episode И: Austin Powers in
Collector's Set = Attack of the Goldmember
This set, for the Clones Special Mike Meyers' third in the
greatest comic Edition series has featurettes on
book movie The two-disc set of the hilarious world of Austin
of all time, the much-improved Powers, scene breakdowns
packs a reprint second film in the and visual effects, and exten-
of Amazing J series has tons of Sive creator commentary.
Fantasies #15 “ commentary, docu-
(Spidey’s debut), Stan Lee’s mentaries, galleries, Easter Resident Evil
Mutants, Monsters 8 Marvels eggs, special effects, and best The movie may have been hit
DVD, screen tests, making-of of all, deleted scenes. or miss for all but the most
documentaries, and more. die-hard of RE fans, but the
Minority Report DVD provides an insider's look
The Lord of the Rings: Summer's sci-fi blockbuster at the score, costumes, set
The Fellowship of the Ring features a two-disc set with design and screen tests.
Extended Edition extras like galleries, inter-
This four-disc set has some views with Tom Cruise and Men in Black Il
great behind-the-scenes Steven Spielberg, and fea- A bonus disc features an inti-
footage, and the extended turettes on the making of the mate look at the characters,
UNIVERSAL
version has a running time of film, its futuristic world, the bloopers, scene breakdowns, Z
about three-and-a-half hours. stunts and digital effects. and an alternate ending. INTERACTIVE
2
HOLIDAY BUYER'S GUIDE

Н Н Hot Shots Golf 3 Simpsons Road Rage

B0 4| | BN |0 БЕЕАТЕ5Т HITS Jak and Daxter: Smuggler’s Run
Ace Combat 04: The Precursor Legacy Spy Hunter
d Shattered Skies Midnight Club Street Racing SSX
he holiday ізгі АТУ 0ffroad Ғигу МВА Street SSX Tricky
season isn't Crash Bandicoot: NBA 2K2 Star Wars Starfighter
just the The Wrath of Cortex NFL 2K2 Tekken Tag Tournament
time when half of Crazy Taxi Onimusha Warlords Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
the year's games Dark Cloud Red Faction Twisted Metal: Black
release, it's also Dave Mirra BMX 2 Resident Evil Code: WWF SmackDown 3:
your best oppor- Devil M Cry Veronica X Just Bring It
tunity to get the

biggest deals on
1% Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec Ridge Racer V

games that you ally go for between ۶20 and ۶40. Further,
A If you're a huge fan of Red Faction И, ONLINE BARGAINS
might have missed you can really land some great deals on
why not pick up the still-amazing original
the first time Red Faction for a fraction of the price? pre-owned/used games at specialty retailers As always, you can find Gamestop.com
like Electronics Boutique/EBX. Many of these some of the greatest GameStop has a huge used
around. Whether game section. Look under
gaming bargains online.
you're shopping online or at a store, great sell at $25 or below (the same price as Greatest Here are a few examples: Preowned Video Games
PlayStation 2 and PSone games are priced to sell. Hits). For instance, we saw the excellent but under- (which also includes DVDs).
One of the best ways to get your hands on appreciated МОК 2: Armageddon for under 510. Amazon.com
In Toys & Games, click. Buy.com
great games from the past is with PS2’s Greatest This holiday season you can give it and many other
Video Games and then Buy.com has a limited bar-
Hits collection, priced at $25 and sometimes less. games the run-through they deserve. Another on the PlayStation or gain bin. Look on the left
By the holidays, the list should look something like great option is trading in games at shops like EBs. PlayStation 2 logo on the column of the games page).
the one shown to the upper-right. Depending on the title, you can really cash in on browse menu. In the Outlet
section you'll find a large Wal-Mart.com
There are many games that are not Greatest games that are just laying around anyway. Newer, Wal-Mart has listings for
selection of games that
Hits, but they are priced low because they are a bit hotter games have trade-in values of around $20. are $5-30 off the list price Games under $20 and
dated. Retailers have open pricing on these titles, Trade a few of those that you've worn out and (usually $50). Games Under $30.
so it's best to shop around. Older, unused titles usu- you've got the new holiday game of your choice.

0% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / 66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 HOLIDAY BUYER’S GUIDE

spending SOCOM: US Navy Seals Suikoden о

Christmas
Cash
Lots of games are releasing
in the weeks leading up to
Christmas, but thankfully
you'll have plenty of titles to
choose from early next year,
once you've played through
all of your holiday favorites.

JANUARY
Dark Cloud 2
Devil May Cry 2
Midnight Club И
The Sims
War of the Monsters

FEBRUARY "7
EverQuest Online Adventures
Tomb Raider: AOD
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Z.O.E. The 2nd Runner

MARCH
Auto Modellista
Silent Hill 3
Tenchu 3
Xenosaga

SPRING
Metal Gear
Solid 2: Substance

Also, look for many of the

following titles to join the
PS2 Greatest Hits collection
sometime early next year:
007: Agent Under Fire
Final FantasyX H |
Grand Theft Auto Ш Н
Мах Раупе
Medal of Honor: Frontline We hope that this guide has been of some use to you, and that you end up getting super-cool stuff that
Metal Gear Solid 2: you really enjoy. And don't forget that giving gifts can also be fun! ... Yeah, that sounded lame to us, too.
» d hdLiberty However you choose to cel-
еде Ги ebrate the Holidays, we hope that
Spider-Man: The Movie ^ А p
Virtua Fighter 4 you're surrounded by loving family
and friends, that you find that
special someone under the mistle-
HOT GEAR toe, and that, y'know, all sorts of
The Logitech Netplay cool stuff happens to you. ...So,
Controller, which should hit you gonna kick us a present or
stores in January, is a com-
bination keyboard and PS2
two? Huh? Well, we had to try.
controller. This peripheral is Seriously, have fun, enjoy the у
ideal for playing massively time off from work and don't АЯ ACAD
multiplayer online RPGs, wrestle with the family pets 6 ys 4
like 01 20035 Final Fantasy near the fireplace. We'll see you
XI and EverQuest Online back here in 2003 for a brand
‫ھ‬٦‎ spankin” new year's-worth of
PlayStation 2 goodness!

Б HOLIDAY 2002 5‫م‬‎ DEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE

 ing game you've ever played, NASCAR" Dirtto DAYTONA”isa white-knuckle
thrill ride that rips through four intensely different NASCAR° Series. 50 strap on your
helmet for the ultimate racing experience and remember to take a victory lap. Or four.

J| EVERYONE |

‫دس‬
 FINAL FANTASY X-2

irst off, pick your jaw up off the floor and slap
yourself for looking at Yuna's legs like that.
This is one of those stories that just sounds
too good to be true—until now, Square
had never made a direct sequel to any
of its Final Fantasy games. Over the past couple
of months, rumors had begun to circulate about
two possible Final FantasyX "side story" projects,
but now Square has confirmed that there will-only-be
опе title: а true, full-on sequel aptly titled Final
Fantasy X-2. Yuna will take over the lead role wi
a vengeance; she’s got a new attitude to go with
her two new guns, and she ain't gonna take any
crap. We can hear her shy, stuttering voice now:
“Don't... make me... open a can... of whoop-ass!”

66 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE #66 HOLIDAY 2Г

 FINAL FANTASY Х-о :

Square unveiled FFX-2 in Japan back on October 21st and showed the very first
trailer for the game (the game is set to release in Japan this March; no U.S. release
vij info was given, but we speculate a fall or winter 2003 date).
ffs BUTI The trailer starts with a shot of Yuna aboard a ship on the ocean, thinking back
to scenes from FFX as the theme from that game plays. Suddenly, the scene shifts
to a shot of Yuna aiming two guns at the viewer and the music starts to rock (I
know, we were like "what the hell?", too). Next is Yuna running through a village
that looks an awful lot like Кика, despite its having been destroyed in FFX. We
then see two characters riding a new water vehicle, then a shot of a hover bike.
The trailer wraps up with scenes of Yuna on a floating city, then Yuna does a back-
flip and points those guns again (has she been hanging out with Dante and Lara?).

If Yuna going on her own adventure in a sexy new outfit seems a little jarring, per-
haps it's because you haven't seen the true ending to FFX. See, after the game was
released in the U.S. with a few new additions over the original Japanese version,
our version was then re-released in Japan as Final FantasyX International with
even more new stuff—including a longer ending movie. Below is a summary of that
movie, which clearly seems to have been a set-up for ҒҒХ-2. р
Two years have passed, and Yuna, Wakka and Lulu live оп Besaid island. Yuna's 4
been practicing holding her breath (she's up to 2 minutes, 41 sec.). Wakka (now у arn U T YTRE

sporting a pudgy belly) got together with Lulu and they're going to have a baby.
Yuna describes this new era of peace as "The Eternal Calm"
Since the defeat of Sin and the downfall of the Yevon religion, new factions
have sprung up to compete all across Spira, groups like "New Yevon" and the
"Young Persons' Alliance" Each is trying to get Yuna's endorsement, since she is
revered by the people. However, Yuna is careful to not be "used" by anyone, so she
repeatedly refuses to meet with these groups. She spends most of her time meet-
ing common folk who come to the area in droves to get a glimpse of her.
One day, Kimahri (who now teaches Ronso children up on Mt. Gagazet) finds a
sphere in the mountains. Upon seeing the vision inside of it, he gives it to Rikku to

www.psmonline.com / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE ,

 CDVER STORY: FINAL FANTASY X-2
RUN & JUMP take to Yuna. With the collapse of Yevon, machina use is becoming widespread all
across Spira, and Rikku spends her time teaching people how to use machines. << FFX’S BATTLE
Rikku arrives at Besaid and shows (һе ѕрһеге to Yuna: it contains an image of
Tidus, trapped in a cage, clamoring to get out. The image is fuzzy; it has an under- SYSTEM IS BE-
water look. He's yelling, asking why he was arrested, saying that he had to use the ING THROWN OUT
machina to save the Summoner. He's demanding to be let out, and to see Yuna.
Yuna is stunned. Wakka thinks that they should “look into it", without rushing FOR SOMETHING
off. Yuna's time is booked for three months, and people will be disappointed if she
skips town. Rikku is furious with Wakka, saying that "Yunie" should finally put her TOTALLY NEW >>
own happiness first. Remembering words that Tidus once said to her, Yuna decides
to go. Since Yuna is so easily recognized, Rikku gives her some new clothes so that
she can “go undercover", and they set off, Cue Final Fantasy X-2!

According to the FFX-2 development team, the investigation into Tidus’ mysterious
reappearance isn't Yuna's only mission. A new and serious threat will emerge, but
Square is keeping all details about the "big bad" to itself. Yuna has changed more
than just her outfit—she also has a new attitude as a result of having to bear such
à heavy burden in FFX. Also, she can no longer summon creatures, since all of the
Aeons went away at the end of FFX (which explains why she's carrying pistols).
As for other characters, Lulu and Wakka are set to return in some capacity, and
Kimahri is almost a shoe-in for a cameo, at least. Yuna will travel with two other
characters throughout the game,
Rikku and a new female character.

This will definitely feel like the sequel

to FFX, but a lot of stuff is being
changed, too. Yuna will return to
some spots from FFX (which will have
changed in the last two years), and
explore brand-new areas. A main
theme in this post-Sin Spria is the
increasing use of А! Bhed technology.
Yevon-temples-have-even-been-trans-
formed into vehicles you can ride in.
There is now a mysterious “hover” А
command while оп the field, апа you вл 2 : т n
can dash, jump and climb on things. ' T
There are new vehicles—such as a 7 ui.
ship and a hover bike—for you to zip - ۱
around оп. There will also be plenty Ч ٦ 0 ۷
of new mini-games (hopefully not as 1 № к к 3
infuriating as Blitzball), and a totally Wo, ЗА D
new level-up system that doesn't use à
the Sphere board in any way. к. т,

ЕЕХ% battle system is being completely redone—there will Бе по Overdrives ог

Overkills, and the battle director from FFX won't even be involved. Also, the game
won't be as linear as FFX; you'll have access to many locations right from the start.
We're also pretty sure that Yuna will get to try her hand at underwater battles at
some point in the game (she's been practicing holding her breath, after all). |

ТНЕ URE ОЕ FINAL FANTASY

Square will include a Final Fantasy X-2 preview in Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix (a
— 2, ЖЕ Japanese re-release including the extra bosses added to the U.S. version), which EST,
4 f Ç hits in Japan on Dec. 26. Square has stated that it has left the ending of ҒҒХ-2 |
- | open for а possible-FFX-3, and we've heard-a rumor that another Final Fantasy title
a) AF h = could get a sequel or “side story”—we've по idea which one, though.
Meanwhile, the U.S. release date for FFXI, the first online Fantasy, is simply |
listed as “sometime т 2003” A key problem is that the PS2 hard drive, which is
E 2 2" ПЕ ms Е ЗА ДИ SED Во АЛЫМ essential to the game, still doesn't have a firm U.S. release set. Bummer.
734)v72y7427—X2 Moving on, the single-player Final Fantasy XII won't make it out until sometime
after March in Japan. Unfortunately, this means that we Americans can't realistically |
hope to get our hands on an English version of the game before fall/winter 2003.
Finally, the PSone remakes of Final Fantasy and FFil released in Japan back on
4. Here's the official logo for Final Fantasy X-2, as always, illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. 7 i i
The logo reveals the game's three main characters: Yuna (on the bottom), Rikku (we're October ЗЫ, compiere Е Ty Easy Mpe tor beginners. Оке een тош ш
guessing the girl on the left), and a new character on the right that hasn't been announced firm word has been given regarding U.S. plans other than “sometime in 2003” [>
yet. She looks kind of like Lulu with Tidus' sword, but we're told that's not the case.

68 PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE #66 HOLIDAY 2002 www.psmonline.com

 Coming Soon!

PlayStation.e
 BSM YOUR FIRST LOOK AT THE HOTTEST NEW GAMES » HOLIDAY 2002
‎‫دب‬
EE
ШЫЙ” PUBLISHER CAPCOM |DEVELOPER CAPCOM |RELEASE DATE SPRING |TYPE ACTION| MAX PLAYERS ONE |ESRB RATING MATURE

From our first impressions of the demo, it seems that HEE if ٦ b.

<
: mission-based structure. That might change in the final game, though,

ЕИ King Of Route 66

172.
ЕС) NBA Street 2
Pride FC

Don't waste a second;

turn on over to these
big games NOW!

е first opened the we've had a chance to sit down and really
Pandora's
andora 5 Box х оп
onDevil
Devil take
а the 8game for a spin.
pin. Granted, , all we > me half
demon hero
Мау Cry 2 way back in had access to was a two level demo returns for his
our June issue, but ithas- shown at the recent Tokyo Game Show. Месе aain
n’t been until now that However, even that was enough to pro- more Monsters
м and puzzles to
У It's much easier to fight multiple enemies Я i challenge
because Dante automatically targets them. m your skills.

ШІ
МВА Street 2 pg. 80 А These winged creatures аге а pain because
they сап attack you from way ир high.

70 / Р5М:100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 << THE SEQUEL SEEMS MDRE
STRAIGHTFORWARD, WITH А LARGER
FOCUS ON PURE ACTION >>

The only boss we

encountered in the We haven't really seen any
two level demo was true puzzles yet but we have
this iron ball-wielding ‎‫مو‬ T noticed that you'll still need to
E тт ! find Keys to unlock doors.
monstrosity. А Not only is this guy big, he can also easily smash you against the wall with his big iron balls.

vide some new and concrete infor- Unlike most of the levels in the
mation about this eagerly anticipat- first game, Devil May Cry 2 seems to
ed sequel. With that in mind, let's have more of a open design to its
just jump into the thick of things. environments. And because of this,
Most of you may recall that exploration plays a slightly more
Dante has been redesigned a little important role than before. With
bit for his second outing. It's nothing countless alleyways and rooftops to
too severe, but you can tell that his navigate though, the ideal path is not
coat is different and he's no longer always so obvious. Utilizing Dante's
wearing his black undershirt. His improved jumping abilities seem to A You'll get your fair share of unique cam-
face has also been slightly refined be a must, as many of the harder to era angles in this action-based sequel.
with an older, more serious look to reach areas bear the most rewards.
it. As far as his moves go, fans will Dante's demon form also returns,
be happy to know that his classic but in a slightly different way and
gun and sword attacks are intact, with all new moves. Now, you can
but with a whole new level of cool actually switch back and forth
to them. With the ability to flip between his two forms anytime you
Matrix-style, and run up walls, Dante want to, as long as the meter below
has become even more of a bad- Dante's power bar isn't completely
ass. empty. Along with the ability to fire қ à Capcom limits where you сап go by
more quickly, the demon form also 1 locking the doors that lead to the newer
has a special diving sword attack and Жы ehe idet of они enemies: Dart areas. Finding the keys is challenging.

can actually fly around for short > pulls off some seriously crazy poses.

PSM BREAKDOWN 7‫ت‬‎ the game in action

Yup, the red orbs are

back, along with the various
ЕСІ хыз other colored ones. It
A So far, the game seems very brown. appears that you'll be able
„| to purchase stuff with them,
“| but we haven't seen any
shopping opportunities yet.

The meter below

Dante's health
meter determines
how long you can
Stay in the devil
form. When it runs
out, you'll turn right
back into Dante.
A There may be some changes to Dante's
appearance but he's still a major badass.

We've only seen

one actual boss, so
far, but we've
noticed that there
appear to be a good
number of mini-
bosses. In this case,
you'll have to go up
against two winged,
goathead creatures.

A When fighting demons and the undead,

shooting in the back is perfectly fine.

ww.psmonline.com / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / Р5М: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / 71

 e° PREVIEWS

You've probably seen some glimpses of the new Devil May Cry heroine,
Lucia, but there's a still a lot about her that's unknown. We do know,
though, that you'll be able to select her right from the beginning.

A The game likes to swarm you with ene- A Attacking from the air is as easy as doing
mies and see if you survive the onslaught. a double-jump and firing with your guns.

А Here's a closeup of the lovely Lucia.

A In a Matrix-style fashion, Dante can run A These zombie creatures are the main ene-
along walls, but only for a short time. mies in the demo that we got to play.

à She's faster than Dante, but not as strong. А Her twin blades make short work of foes.

> periods of time. opers would have taken,

Additional but what's here does still
abilities 3 show considerable poten-
may become = Ne As always, we'll be
available later sure to let you know
on in the game, but that more as new details
hasn't been confirmed yet. are unveiled. Until
Compared to the mission- then, feel free to
based gameplay.that Devil May Cry |, admire these brand
favored, the sequel seems more new screenshots.
straightforward, with a larger focus on STEPHEN FROST
pure action. It appears that the only
real objective for each level is to get
to the end. There are the obvious keys
to collect, but there currently doesn't
seem to be anything else more
It's developed by a different team but there's
challenging than that. Obviously, no denying that DMC2 is eagerly anticipated.
this could all change in the
final version of the game,
so we're hopeful.
All in all, it appears that the
change in development teams
has altered the flavor of the
series quite a bit. None of
the current team members
worked on the past game, but they

ZZ
certainly stay in touch with those that
did. It would have been interesting to
see what direction the original devel- A The creature designs are, well, different. A Dante: The newest GQ centerfold.
A The sword still comes in quite handy.

MISSION CLEAR 3.442

Cs Bip кусык 4

ORES
—— [a

Dante's devil form is L| STIS, AVERAGE. —

way more powerful in > Bêmar:

DMC2 and even has >
several new moves а
апа attacks. A. From flying to rapid firing, the new devil form can do pretty much anything you want him to do.
A See your rank at the end of each level.

72 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 se PREVIEWS
UUJUIUOU/./ NI
KcaveneoATEN
PUB |DEV ANCHOR |RELEASE JANUARY |TYPE FIGHTING |MAX PLAYERS TWO |ESRB TEEN

PRIDE FC
^^ 4 All knuckled up and
no place lo до?

he word from its develop-

ers in Japan is that PRIDE
is next to complete, but
THQ has decided to push
its release back, to
Coincide with the fighting promotion's
planned expansion in the United
States. It looks like it will be worth
the wait, though—this is the most

‫سے‬ ‫ی‬>>‫ھ‬
‫ہے‬
complete martial-arts sim ever made. A Much like Wipeout Fusion, HSX delivers an impressive sense of speed and several very
cool jumps, as well as speeding through some very impressive scenery.
The extra development time is
А Matches сап be won by knockout or
allowing Anchor to expand the game's
submission. Submission is our favorite Ûcawenro a MAJESCO |DEV BLADE INT. |RELEASE WINTER | TYPE RACING | MAX PLAYERS TWO |ESRB EVERYONE
animation library, meaning more because pain is involved.

HSX:
different maneuvers to give each
fighter his own personality. The
lineup of competitors may wind up a m
little dated, thanks to the release It seems the toughest part of this game is
delay, but it's still a "Who's Who" of waiting for it to be released...

HYPERSONIC
the fighting world, including Japan's
biggest stars and representatives from there are plenty of PRIDE fans ready
the legendary Brazilian Gracie clan.

EXTREME
to snap it up as soon as possible.
We can understand the need to THQ, we're ready when you are.
give the game that extra push, but DAVID SMITH

Blade’s future racer resurfaces

P The delay in the
release of this game at last
should allow Anchor to
improve the character
animations even more.

his game's ambitions have ‚ 000085 km

У As with the UFC Lap 3/3
leveled off since when it
games, grappling is a
major part of the was called G-Surfers, but
fighting system. Master it Б Blade Interactive's debut
ог you'll lose. still has a few qualities
going for it as it makes the trip across
the Atlantic. Chief among the
Wipeout-styled racer's virtues is a
versatile course editor, allowing
players to design tracks that match
or exceed the ambition of the A Course designs will test your ability to
stock creations. remember which way is actually up.
The visual hook is still the outsized
racing venues set in real-life cities.
Anti-grav craft sail at phenomenal
speeds past major landmarks—Big
Ben, the Golden Gate Bridge, and
other recognizable features. From a
certain viewpoint, it's just window-
dressing, but the scale of the environ-
ments shows plenty of imagination on
A The ability to build your own tracks is a
the part of their designers.
novel one and should help to separate this
While HSX met a lukewarm game from other racing titles.
reception when it first landed in
Europe, the American market may
prove kinder. If nothing else, the track
editor is a unique feature on PS2, and
Can a Track Editor make or break a game
worth at least a first look. DAVID SMITH here in the U.S.? Time will tell...

74 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 G OFF!
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|aa
a
 PREVIEWS ге

У Classic Ryu isour favorite, 3

but we can't wait to try out . Oil =
some ofthe new characters. У ‫مج‬‎
<

У We're not sure what's happening here, but

Haggar certainly looks a bit bugged out.

u _

FIGHT ING
A While not as beloved asGuile, Charlie
(Nash) isstill con-
sidered as a good character. Strider still rules, though!

САРСОМ
ALL STARS
Сарсот“ latest brings a sense of nostalgia

hile developed as an arcade Street Fighter fans will enjoy.

game, Capcom's newest 3D As far as the control scheme goes, expect the While a few of the characters will be easily recog-
fighter is looking to head to familiar four-button attack scheme (two punches nized, many of them are less known or brand new.
homes sometime early next and two kicks) with one additional button used They all bring new moves and attacks that will have
year. Capcom Fighting All Stars, for evading. The aggressive-style blocking from to be mastered.
as it's called, is being developed in-house as a SFIII has been included, which lets you to block
sort of “look back" at Capcom's colorful past. attacks without taking any damage. The power
Currently, the game's cast has been limited to meters are similar to those in Capcom vs SNK 2,
15 characters lifted from various titles in allowing for three levels of special attacks that
Capcom's vast library. You've got the obvious can be chained together However, there is one
Choices, such as Ryu and Chun-Li, but some of part of this game that hasn't every really been in
the other selections are a bit puzzling and unex- a Capcom game before: finishing moves.
pected; for example, Poison and Haggar, from They aren't fatalities, but the "Dramatic Finish
the Final Fight series. Some of the new, original Moves" will give you an opportunity to finish off
characters are rather unique, too and don't nec- your opponent with one major special attack.
essarily grab you right away. We're confident, Our initial impressions of the early version of
though, that all of them will have aspects that All Stars, so far, is a bit lukewarm, as the game
reminds us far too much of the EX series.
The dodging system, however, is very well
designed and should do a lot of add depth
to the gameplay. We just hope that the
response times and the collision detection
of the characters gets improved by the
time the game ships to the arcades. If it
does, then this game could end up as a
serious competitor in a quickly growing
genre. We'll just have to see if Capcom can
deliver the goods. STEPHEN FROST

It's a Capcom fighter with a cast of classic charac-

A The environments are completely 3D, but you'll still be ters. Fans of the company will love it.
confined to a specific area.

www.psmonline.com / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / Р5М:100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / 75

 e° PREVIEWS
ЕЕ PUB/DEV CINEMAWARE | TYPE STRATEGY |MAX PLAYERS ONE |ESRB RATING TEEN

Use
Strategy
Defender of the Crown also
features a good deal of
strategy-based gameplay.
You'll have to be good at both
Strategy and tactics in order
to reclaim the land.

A Y After selecting the best castle to

attack, you'll have to weaken it by
using catapults. Sometimes, you'll.
have to rely on allies to help you out.

A In your attempt to take over a castle, you'll have to fight

your way through numerous soldiers, using only your sword.

ROBIN
DEFENDER OF THE CROWN
2
e classic gels a
sequel оп PS2
f you're an old school gamer follow-up on that title's legacy with a must earn gold, build fortresses, and Similar in many respects to the
who played games like Loom brand new version of the legendary partake in epic battles to eventually Koei series Kessen, Robin Hood:
and Stellar 7 on your Amiga and action-thinker. Super imposing the overthrow the evil of Prince John and Defender of the Crown is almost a sure
PC, there's a good chance that personality of the prince of thieves the Sheriff of Nottingham. Catapults, thing for strategy and simulation fans.
you remember Defender of the and his merry men for flavor, Robin arrow showers, and five distinct levels If the developers can deliver the same
Crown. A stellar strategy title that Hood: Defender of the Crown is primed of fortresses are sure to excite and kind of product that the original was,
allowed you to siege castles, joust in to make a splash on the PlayStation 2. perplex throughout the game's vast those fans are in for a real treat.
one-on-one duels, and swordfight for Though sword battles, jousts, and European area. STEPHEN FROST/JEREMY DUNHAM
the sake of your king, Defender of the other such violent activities are still a
Crown was one of the most solid part of Defender's make-up, the game Y Sword fighting can occur on a large number
of surfaces, including this big dining table.
medieval offerings of the 1980s. is at its core a strategy title. Allowing
Eventually ported to the NES and then players to take over territories that are
forgotten with the sands of time, it further divided into countries, you
was a game that took its place for
those who remembered it as one of
the classics of the bubblegum era.
This was a favorite back in the day. Let's see if
Years later, the original developers the sequel can recapture the magic.
at Cinemaware have decided to

A Being a rogue in Sherwood Forest and all, A Nothing throws you into a jousting tour-
you'll still need to steal from the rich in nament more than a first-person perspective
order to finance your adventures. of the bone-breaking action.

76 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

INTRODUCING THE
BEST WHEELS EVER MADE
"а
‎‫ا‬

PRO ۴
DON'T MISS YOUR TURN BY
PLAYING WITH AN ORDINARY PAD.
GET PAD PRECISION AND
PERFORMANCE IN A HAND-HELD
WHEEL. DUH. FOR XBOX”, GAME
CUBE™ AND PSe.

PRO RACER...THE UNFAIR ADVANTAGE. DTE —

WWW.GAMESTERUSA.COM
 e° PREVIEWS
PUB EA |DEV AKI |RELEASE DATE FEBRUARY/MARCH |TYPE WRESTLING |MAX PLAYERS TWO |ESRB RATING PENDING
У Each of the game's characters will have two unique

IFs All About

Altitude
All of the wrestlers will have
unique personalities with their
own style of fighting. Gamers
will love the variety.

‫بت‬‫لت‬

From physical taunts to verbal

assaults, these wrestlers have no
problem putting you in your place.

EA returns fo Ihe wrestling

ring in a hip hop way

hile our November role of a former champion who's the artists have their own level,
issue may have returned to competition in order to many of which were inspired by real
provided a first look track down a friend who's gone life locations.
at EA's unique new mysteriously missing. Wrestling fans who enjoyed THQ's
Def Jam grappler, it Currently, there are over 45 offerings on the Nintendo 64 will be
hasn't been until now that we could characters in Vendetta, including 12 happy to know that the developer
give you readers the full inside scoop. different Def Jam artists: DMX, behind those titles, Aki, is working on
Now titled DefJam Vendetta, the Ludacris, Method Man, NORE, this game. In fact, just one look at Def
game focuses on an underground Redman, WC, Capone, Keith Murray, Jam and you can tell that the polygonal. That includes the crowds and
wrestling league that encompasses Ghostface Killah, Scarface, Christina grappling system and reversals are even the bottles at the bar.
the hip hop life-style. You play the Milian and Funkmaster Flex. Each of going to work beautifully. Even the
general problems of long load times giving them a unique appearance.
and clipping have been virtually elimi- With a quality game engine behind
nated. Also, the character animations it and an army of hip hop artists at
are some of the smoothest we've the forefront, it seems EA could give
seen yet in the genre, while the actual THQ a serious challenge in the ring.
level of detail in the environments are That's especially true when you
quite impressive. We finally get fully consider the declining popularity of
polygonal crowds! the WWE. Still, wrestling fans are a
Unfortunately, as of right now, it dedicated bunch and it's going to take
appears that the game won't have a more than a unique license to win
create-a-wrestler feature, but them over. This spring, we'll see if EA
hopefully that will change. Fans of the can come home with the champi-
genre know that there's nothing onship belt. STEPHEN FROST
cooler than designing your own char-
acters and then taking them to the
top to win the gold. Fortunately, it
seems that Vendetta will at least have
a system for earning new "bling bling" With a quality game engine and a whole
Y The collision detection has been refined so
that the characters don't go through each other. bunch of hip hop stars, this game gets jiggy!
items to personalize your wrestler,

78 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 THE MANIA IS BACK

game exploding onto

Xbox &
Nintendo

>- ми D4, 5
мекегеги

по поте CHUTE гето по колоти

Body cna
enin. ® All-new storyline careerфолии * DVD bonus pede.
Legendsofwrestling2.com

GAME
BOY ADVANCE
X P. PlayStation.2 © ZAKlaim
Xeox É GAMECUBE. acclaim.com
Blood
Legends of Wrestling™ 2 and Acclaim ® & © 2002 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Acclaim Studios Salt Lake City. All Rights Reserved.
Violence “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 in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. TM, ® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks
of Nintendo. Game Boy and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Screens shown were taken from the Xbox version of the video game
 Se PREVIEWS
GAME INFO В EA |DEV EA CANADA |RELEASE DATE SPRING |ТУРЕ SPORTS |MAX PLAYERS 2 |ESRB RATING EVERYONE

‫ا‬
N
‫ا‬
ШІ‫‏‬

А The Birdman makes a major comeback іп the МВА Street sequel. Along with him
and Wilt, you can expect several more old school ballers to represent.

The developers have gone all

out to include brand new
dunk animations that will
blow you away. Prepare for
some serious b-ball action.
EA's going for that second slam dunk и

he first NBA Street came developers are hoping to innovate a

out of practically nowhere lot more and even bring in some of
and managed to surprise a the more classic players, such as Wilt
lot of basketball fans. Chamberlain and Larry Bird.
definitely felt inspired by Unfortunately, exact details haven't
the likes of МВА Јат, but still been revealed yet. However, we did 4 чт
managed to introduce new gameplay manage to get our hands on the first j m еа From in-your-face specials to
features and some well-detailed envi- ^ screens from the eagerly anticipated Í jams is high-flying slams, this game is going
ronments. For the sequel, thougl game. Enjoy! STEPHEN FROST 2% what this to have them all and so much more.
1 Е вате is
really about.

The first game set abenchmark that only this

game looks to surpass. It's hoop time, baby.

4 Wilt “the Stilt” shows his fans how bas-

ketball was played in his day. Boo-yeah!
> Some of the new animations are a bit
over the top. Fans are going to love them.

ВО / Р5М:100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 PREVIEWS %
by Full Sail Graduate
Brian Germain
CCAD? PUB SEGA | DEV SEGA (AM2) |RELEASE DATE MARCH | TYPE DRIVNG
MAX PLAYERS TWO |ESRB RATING PENDING

8120000

‫ ھ‬Apparently, there’s nothing greater than‫‏‬

hitting the freeways with 18 wheels under you.

THE KING OF ROUTE 66

Sega lakes PS2 owners
Iruckin' across America

п а recent announcement, derby-style road trip across the U.S.

which totally caught us by in an 18-wheeler to win the hearts
surprise, Sega revealed that of eight beautiful women, but if |
it was working on spiritual had, I bet it would be just like The
successor to the arcade hit,
18-Wheeler Pro American Trucker.
King of Route 66” After that, | don’t
think we need to say more.
Real World Education
Titled The King of Route 66, the STEPHEN FROST
game will appear exclusively on the
PlayStation 2, courtesy of Sega's
fabled AM2 studio. That alone Game Design and
should perk your interest.
While details are sketchy right
The only thing this game is missing is a big
cup of truck stop coffee... Development
now, it appears that players will be
challenged with the same style of У Hit something at top speed and it will Computer Animation
mission-based gameplay, except generally explode into a fiery mess.
with more objectives. Currently,
over 40 characters are planned to
Digital Media
be included along with several
dozen mini-games. That's right
Film
Audio
folks, it's not just going to be racing
from point to point all the time.
Frankly, though, we feel that a
Sega representative did the best job
of describing this game: “I've never
Show Production
taken a caffeine-fueled, demolition > This cowboy is
one of 40
unique
У You can even activate the wind- charac-
shield wipers when it starts to rain.
ters in
The King Of www.fullsail.com
Route 66!

« Financial aid available to those who qualify.

° Job placement assistance.
* Accredited college, ACCSCT.

www.psmonline.com / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / Р5М:100% INDEPENDENT Р52 МА!

 e° PREVIEWS
ЛЕГЕ” PUBLISHER CAPCOM | DEVELOPER CAPCOM |TYPE RPG | MAX PLAYERS ONE |ESRB RATING EVERYONE

Dynamic
With "survival" as a big focus, it's not always
the best thing to stand and fight. Sometimes,
running is your best bet. ? Py

Camera
а оа БЯ

System 96

The camera system now intel-

ligently reacts to what's
happening on-screen. It does
its best to capture the perfect
viewing angles.

wiPs мы,

9 i
CuM€w !

АУ As the fight starts, the camera is р

pulled back. However, when you're ` 4
attempting an attack, її zooms in to 4
give a clearer view of what you're
doing and who you're fighting.

8 Жир

DRAGOMIBUARTER Capcom pulsa litle

survival into ifs new RPG

riginally introduced to the > One of the things that our information is quite limited. One legendary pieces as Final Fantasy
American audience via et ce БОРЕте thing we do know however (and a Tactics, Chrono Cross, and Xenogears,
Squaresoft’s publishing character is always named tidbit that's sure to please RPG music the pair has quite the resume. Expect
skills, the Capcom- Ryu. In this case, his fans), is that world champion more information on Breath of Fire V
developed Breath of Fire "а" is Ryu=1/8192. composers Yasunori Mitsuda and (especially concerning gameplay) to
series has gathered a dedicated sect Hitoshi Sakamoto have been attached trickle down the pipeline soon.
of fans over the last decade or so. interest in him. The usual RPG to the project. Responsible for such JEREMY DUNHAM
Known for its DNA-swapping dragon craziness is expected to kick in
transformations and a chosen hero from there.
named Ryu, the fifth installment will Unfortunately, there isn’t much
follow the formula once again, but for ^ else to say yet. Until а stateside
the first time ever, on the PS2. release is more formally approached,
Headed for the system sometime
in 2003, there is little known about
the approaching series except for the
background info on a few of the lead While not as popular as the FFgames, the
characters. The main antagonist, Breath of Fire series has always been great.
Ryu= 1/8192 is а Third Class Ranger
who helps defend his hometown's
lower district. Sworn to protect it from
the bio-engineered monsters that
have overtaken the land (as well as a
mystery terrorist group known as
"Trinity"), Ryu has as much courage as
he does questions surrounding his
numerical-based moniker. His destiny
takes a fateful turn the day he 4
encounters а one-winged telepath ‫ھ‬‎ Enemies come in all forms, from one-eyed A The colored red lines represent the area
named Nina who has an unusual giants to no-eyed parasitic worms. of damage that thebombs will cover.

82 / Р5М:100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

 Be all that you сап be.

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NextVision™ М5 ап owesome visuol

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you're using all your senses — multi- desktop addition for dorm rooms,
tasking at the highest level. Shouldn't edrooms, studies, anywhere space E Setupwith
your computer monitor do the same? ViewSonic, the Visual is too tight for a separate computer n: in/out,
Technologies” leader, has revolutionized the way you see display and television. And setting SVideo input,
gaming and TV. The new NextVision М5 Video Processor up NextVision М5 is as easy as a TV. Video‫و‬‎
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© 2002 ViewSonic Corporation. Ай rights resvd, |10641-0ТЕ 08/02] ee the difference:
 пеп
GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR GAMES > HOLIDAY 2002

^|
=
Hitman 2 к
ЕШ Ratchet & Clank ‫تا‬‎

ЕЕ) Reign Of Fire

CODES
ED NFS: Hot Pursuit 2 5
ED) Rocky
EI) Robotech: Battletry “ж
EW Super Bust-A-Move |p gia are ranspat
ED) Wreckless

Take ‘Em Oul!

Hitman 2, p. 88
‫سے‬
‫ہے‬

4 Many of the
characters you
meet can help
IPs Fryin' Time!
DIR шет ере
Reign Of Fire, р. 89 $ e cially if you |
ü Q help them
first. |

rying to track down an elusive

golden bolt or gadget? No
problem—just consult these
secret maps that we got
straight from developer Insomniac (What?
You didn’t think we could actually draw
this well, did you?). They've even dropped |
us a few hints on how to really crack the
game open and get to the meaty
goodness inside. Tobruk Crater, Planet Novalis

: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 www.psmonline.com

 << CRACK THE GAME ОРЕМ
AND GET ТО THE MEATY
GOODNESS INSIDE >>

‫می‬ uL‫‏‬
un, ‫‏‬,%

| Kogor Refinery, Planet Orxon

< Clank isn't always a nearly

ие ‫سا‬‎ š helpless little shrimp. Check out
< Ве sure to “ұз 1 Ë: қ this Schwarzenegger-sized bod!
track down
Ratchet's golden
weapons as soon as you can.

АТ PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / 85
 | Gemlik Base, Olantis Orbit

Gadgetron Headquarters, Planet Calibo III

chickens is that other on't forget to go

enemies will attack back to previous
them. And when the worlds once you have
chickens are killed, they better equipment to
explode and take their search for gold bolts
attackers out at the and caches of regular
same time! bolts. For instance, if you
have the Hydro-Pack
Де way to make and the 02 Mask, you
money is to enter can swim upstream
the hoverboard race in against the current of
Blackwater City on the river in Tobruk
Planet Rilgar after Crater on Planet Novalis.
you've already won the You'll find a cave with a
race once and picked up bunch of Amoeboids
the Zoomerator. Every and lots of goodies.
additional victory will Having the Мар-о-Майс
net you 1,000 bolts. makes areas like these a
Drek’s Fleet, Veldin Orbit | Kyzil Plateau, Planet Veldin lot easier to find.
гу using the
hen fighting the get a skill point (used to Saucers on Planet Orxon. few decoys into a crowd of Thruster-Pack's f you beat the game
Alien Queen in the unlock items in the When а saucer launches a enemies and then using hover and strafe and then play again,
Blarg Station, you don't Goodies menu). For the volley of missiles, just hide the Могр-о-гау to turn maneuver in combina- there will be a room in
necessarily have to use less macho, try hitting her behind an obstacle, fire a them into chickens. It’s fun tion with the Blaster or Novalis where you can
weapons. Try using your with the Glove of Doom, Visibomb missile, and AND easy! Pyrocitor to take out buy all five golden
wrench's Hyper-Strike (its then switching over to the guide it to the saucer. groups of enemies. weapons, plus five new
ап overhead attack). Just Ругосіќог when her little 05 of the best Double-tap @ to go ones—if you have the
stay to one side of the ones show ир. particularly effective weapons in the game into hover mode and bolts. You'll also unlock
Queen and time your iand humorous is the Gold Morph-o-Ray, then hold down GB or Goodies menu full of
strikes well. If you succeed he Visibomb is weapon combination is which turns enemies into m while using the artwork, cheats, and
in killing her with your extremely useful when the Decoy Glove and the giant chickens. But what's analog stick to strafe other bonus items.
wrench only, you'll also taking out the Blarg Morp-o-ray. Try throwing a great about these from side to side.

PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonl

 "Groundbreaking and brilliant..."
"Neversoft has another masterpiece on its hands."
-Official PlayStation Magazine (#60)

rome ULTIMATE
DROP IN

SKATEBOARDING CHALLENGE!
ты ——————
ЧОР ЕЦ

YOUR CAREER IS
WHAT YOU) MAKE oF IT...
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater™4 is the ultimate challenge. Pros challenge you to
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Featuring songs by N.W.A.

Offspring, and System oi
‫ہس سے‬ a Down.
ТОПУ НАШК A‫‏‬
PROSKATE! Official Strategy Guide 1165 avo. Y‫‏‬
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All new tricks - skitch behind 14 of the world's top pros New multiplayer and online modes
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with Playstation@ 2 computer entertainment system.

Blood ‘© 1999-2002 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark andActivision 02, Pro Skater and Sports
Comic Mischief Revolution are trademarks of Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. AI rights reserved. Топу Hawk is atrademark of Топу Hawk. PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube versions
developed by Neversot Entertainment, inc. “PlayStation and Game Boy Avance versions developed by Vicarious Visions Inc. "PlayStation" and фо "PS,Fami logo are
Mild Lyrics registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarksofMicrosoftCorporation іп the U.S.A. and/or
other countries and are licensed under Microsoft. """, ©, Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a registered
‎‫ ”ہیا‬Suggestive Themes тасса оге пиегасіче RN ‫ا‬‎ ‫سیل و‬ пате аге (пе NETT тевресиме омпет.
ESRB PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system screenshots shown. ; ACTIVISION „сом
 ге НО\\/ТО
ТАКЕ ТНЕ
PSM
CHALLENGE!
RULES You can’t send an entry for
each challenge. If you cheat or use
codes, you'll be disqualified. The final
letter for the contest will be accepted
on January Ist. If there are multiple
winners, the final winner will be
decided by the best paragraph that
explains why you're the winner. Send a
picture or a videotape (non-return-
able) and a short paragraph explaining
why you're the winner. Sorry, no e-
mail entries! Due to legal constraints,
this contest is open only to readers
living in the United States, age 18
years or older.

SEND YOUR ENTRIES TO:

PSM Holiday Challenge # (the
challenge you're entering)
c/o Imagine Media, 150 North
Hill Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005.

THE CHALLENGES
Challenge #1: Wreckless:
The Yakuza Missions
HITMAN 2
Finish all 20 of the game's
regular missions on hard diffi- Kill like a professional HIDDEN VALLEY: Simply гип to the end wait on a rooftop. When the convoy
culty with a gold medal. of the level, avoiding the snipers. comes into town, shoot the engine of the
Photograph or videotape the So, you want to be a hitman, but you first jeep to stop the convoy, then snipe
mission select screen showing can't even throw momma from the train, AT THE GATES: Same as Hidden Valley, only the Kahn.
the medals. eh? Use this advice straight from the but you'll have to shut down three
Challenge #2: Grand developer to become a killing machine. generators to open the exit. They're on TUNNEL RAT: Kill everyone, especially Lt.
Theft Auto: Vice City your map. Hussein; he'll be on the map. Or, kill just
Perform a stoppie (front- ANATHEMA: Hide your guns in the one guard outside, dress up as him, and
wheel wheelie), and hold it for grocery boy’s groceries. Then, “become” SHOGUN SHOWDOWN: Kill everyone, find the target.
at least five seconds. (i.e.: eliminate and disguise yourself as) making sure you get Hayamoto, and pick
Photograph or videotape the the flower delivery guy or the guard up the Guidance System that's located in TEMPLE CITY AMBUSH: Talk to the two
screen that shows your time. relieving himself. Enter the house, and the basement. contacts. Kill the two assassins (one is
retrieve your guns from the freshly wearing a New York Yankees hat, the
Challenge #3: Tiger delivered grocery bags. BASEMENT KILLING: Plan A: Put a other is a sniper with a yellow "Gilligan's
Woods PGA Tour 2003
Shoot ten under par or better smoke bomb in the laundry room and Island" looking hat) and take a picture of:
at each of the following ST. PETERSBURG STAKEOUT: Snipe the pose as a fireman. Plan B: Drop your each of them. Return the camera to the
courses: The Highlands, general from the building across the guns down the laundry chute. Then dress second contact and find the exit.
Spyglass Hill, and The street (check the map for location). Or as the pizza boy, find your own pizza
Predator. Photograph or kill the two guards out front, dress up as (you can't take his), and go for it. THE DEATH OF HANNELORE: Don't kill
videotape the screens one, walk into the meeting and shoot the anyone. Find the patient's costume with
showing your final scores. general (if you already know which one THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT: Sneak through the fuzzy slippers. One of the nurses will
to kill). the whole level. You'll have to get an take you to Dr. Von Kamprad. Shoot her
access card to get into the room or poison her water, making sure to
KIROV PARK MEETING: Snipe from the where you place the Transmitter on hide her body—consult the map to find
radio tower or church tower, or use a car the computer. out where.
THIS MONTH’S bomb from beneath the sewers.
PRIZE PACKAGE THE JACUZZI JOB: Destroy the fuse, kill TERMINAL HOSPITALITY: Either kill
Sly Cooper shirt TUBEWAY TORPEDO: Kill only the everyone (especially Boom Boom everyone, or just kill a guard or cult
Logitech Wireless controller officer in the communications room (he Charlie), and get both the money from leader and take their clothes. Enter the
WWE Smackdown: Shut Your looks different than the other guards). the safe behind the painting and the hospital and take the elevator to the
Mouth! Game
His costume will let you get down to statue from the room with the piano. It's basement. Find the cult leader on one of
Tribes 2 game
the prisoner. easier if you can find a lone guard to the tables and "operate".
Remember everyone—we "donate" his uniform. Then head to
need those paragraphs as INVITATION TO A PARTY: Become the the elevator. ST. PETERSBURG REVISITED: Don't
well as your pictures or waiter, then poison the champagne. To take the rifle in the locker—it shoots fake
tapes, or your entry isn't get the suitcase from the safe, either kill MURDER AT THE BAZAAR: Sneak into bullets. Go to the Pushkin building, kill
eligible to win. the Ambassador and search his body for Lt. Zahir's room and kill him while he Agent 17, and walk up to his body to
the combination, or wait for the Sleeps. Wear his clothes and snipe the acknowledge the kill. Then just run back
Spetznaz agent to force him to open Col. Amin through the ceiling of the to the subway and kill any pursuers.
SEPTEMBER the safe. Bazaar. Lt. Zahir can also be sniped
WINNERS through the window of his shack if REDEMPTION AT GONTRANNO: Kill
Stuntman (3 winners) TRACKING HAYAMOTO: Become the he's awake. everyone. In order to kill Sergei, shoot
Darrell Winfree, McMinnville, TN guard in the garage, then poison the through the heart that is in the
Luis Ramos, San Antonio, TX sushi. Or just kill everyone. THE MOTORCADE INTERCEPTION: Kill confession booth.
Jeff Eastburn, Merritt Island, FL everyone. Get the Barret sniper rifle and
No Barbarian or Skygunner
winners.
88 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT Р! ^YSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com
 during fight to automatically win—
Movie Mode only) | ‫جہج‬‎ ‫و ےہ ے‬
Accelerated boxer damage (cuts &
bruises, etc) Wt се

ROBOTECH:
BATTLECRY
Here’ s an awesome invincibility cheat
submitted by PSM reader Kevin
Kiyohara. Enter fighter training, and
destroy the first two targets during
weapons training. Then, exit Training
. Mode and enter Story Mode. You'll Бе
*invulnerable to damage! Thanks, Kevin.

WRECKLESS: THE
YAKUZA
MISSIONS
Cheats are unlocked by completing
certain missions. Here are the quickest
ways to unlock the best cheats:

HITMAN 2 Unlock Super Speed

Complete the following Scenario A
Watch out! These cheats rock, but they
missions in order
may have side effects, like making it
Mission 1— Easy
impossible for you to complete the
Mission 2 - Easy
level. Make sure your game is saved
Mission 3 — Easy
before trying them.
Mission 4 — Hard
Mission 4 — Bonus and complete the
On Level Menu
Unlock AllLevels sub-mission to GOLD standard
Get this one first to make unlocking
000014 13‫ل‬‎ ‫ےے‬
everything else easier!
In Game
Hitmanali то^ ۸+ Unlock Unlimited Rockets
Ulock God Mode Complete the following Scenario В
missions in order
ЛЕТ 0 0
Unlock All Weapons
Mission 1 — Easy
Mission 2 — Easy
BER ۷69 Mission 3 — Hard
Complete Level
Mission 3 - Bonus and complete the
‎‫“تدص‬
۱‫د‬۵‫ص‬۵‫ہ‬
‫و‬6 sub-mission to GOLD standard
MegaForce PETOLE
Nailgun tm 7L 9۸3054
Gravity то^ {13а Unlock Unlimited Adrenaline Boosts
LethalCharge pm + 13е Complete the following Scenario В
Give Hitman Full Life missions in order
Mission 1- Easy
Mot бо Mission 2 — Easy
Bomb BELOL TO
Slow Motion Bwetl@3tea Mission 3 - Easy
Mission 4 - Hard
On Main Menu Title Mission 4 — Bonus and complete the
Unlock Level Menu sub-mission to GOLD standard
‎‫ود‬۸ ۵۱306969
SUPER BUST-A-
ROCKY MOVE 2
Hold down ев while entering any of
the codes below on the Main Menu. Codes are entered at title screen

` Unlock all boxers and arenas Unlock "Another Mode" for 1P Puzzle
۸ ‎‫ہے کے بل بل‬ and CPU Battle. (New puzzles appear
Double punch damage > ‫لب‬‎ c f ‫ےہ‬‎ in these modes after entering this
Double speed boxing Ley? 3m code.) (ОВО)
Max Stats (Exhibition and Tournament
Mode) ‫ےہ‬‎ 9‫د٭‬ Unlock two hidden characters for 1P
Max Stats (Movie Mode) >44 ‫ہم‬‎‫ےس‬ Puzzle and CPU Battle: OMNO
Activate win fight (press L2 and R2

line.com
Beat the bosses!

Stay in the right rear corner of the г

enter. Dispatch mutants and watch f
that drop into the room from adjace
Use your grenade launcher to clear .
the upper front walls of the room sc
Quill's balcony. She will start pelting
damage is nominal. Health is in your
near statues lining the outside walls
front altar. From your corner, use ус’
for headshots, and throw in some г
good measure.

ROUGHING UP REPTA
Start climbing the stairs and you'll
eventually reach the very top
floor. Get Repta to the foot of the
stairs below you, because his
weapon fires in an arc and
spreads. He will back off when
you fire upon him, making 2 š
е stairs and stay out of his weapon's Ben
rockets, grenades and the rail reach, if you want to survive. attack:

During missions in
other vehicles to kı

the formation, so yc
simply spinning in г
contribute to the o
ablaze.

HAVE A COLD ON
‫ ھ‬Hey! That stupid, scaly, giant If your vehicle catch‫‏‬
buzzard justtorched my ride! К powerups will only‫‏‬
 ~ AMD Athlon ХР Processor 2000+ with QuantiSpeed AMD Athlon XP Processor 2100+
Architecture outpertorms compelitive 2.0GHz processors
AMD Athlon XP Processor 2200+
~ «BLACK- Aluminum i-TEC SOHO Server Tower Case
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+ Sound Activated Neon Light
AMD Athlon XP Processor 2400+
- VIA KT400 Chip DDR400 8x AGP Main Board AMD Athlon XP Processor 2600+
w/ USB 2.0 Ports
~512MB DDR400 PC-3200 Memory AMD Athlon XP Processor 2700+
1 ~ 8008 7200RPM Ultra ATA-133 Hard Drive Microsoft
1 ~ «BLACK» 16x DVD-ROM Drive Windows’?
1 ~ Newlll «BLACK» 48x12x48 CD-RW Drive Professional
| ~<BLACK> 1.44MB Floppy Drive
1- ВХ AGP NVIDIA GoForce-4 MX-440 64MB DDR Video
! ~ Sound Blaster Live 5.1 Sound Card
1— Creative Labs Inspire 5.1 5200 Surround Sound Speakers
1= 56K V.90 Fax/Modem w/Voice
|~ NEW! USB 2.0 Port x2 + USB 1.1 Pon x2
1~ <BLACK> 19" ViewSonic Perfect ۴۱۱۲۳۰9۵۴۶5
«21H mm Monitor
і
1 ~ Microsoft” Optical IntelliMouse Explorer
1 ~ <BLACK> Enhanced Multi-Media Keyboard
1
1 — Microsoft” Windows” XP Professional Edition
1 — FREE Norton AntiVirus 2003 CD
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1 ~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Edition AMD Athlon XP Processor 2100+ $ 1509
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Sales Hour: Mon~Fri 7:30AM-6:00PM, Sat 10AM-3PM PST

Price, Specification and terms are subject to change without notice. Picture may differ from actual products. We аге not responsible for errors In typography and/or 602 Monterey Pass Rd., Monterey Park CA 91754
photography. 30-day money back guarantee does not include opened software, parts, or special order merchandise. Tel: (626) 281-8262 Fax: (626) 281-0767
Original shipping and handling fee along with return shipping charge are non-refundable, Products returned after 30 days or in a non-refundable condition are subject to
arestocking fee. * 3 year limited warranty Includes 3 years labor and 1 year parts only. All Prices effective on Dec. 15, 2002
 PSM Letters 150 North Hill Drive E-mail:
c/o Future Network USA Brisbane, CA, 94005 USA psm@futurenetworkusa.com.

I really thought
things were working
ог...
you get it?
Final Fantasy
characters and
Disney characters
can't ever be
together.

Because

td |
Jenn Lee said
so in her fetter
down below,
dammit!
А The whole PSM crew loves Sing-Along Time!
Everybody sing! And a one and a two and a...

| am beginning to wonder why every time a new

Tomb Raider title comes out, it’s always such a
make or break event for the videogaming
industry? What's wrong with more of the same
А Hey, even if the idea of getting these two brands together came from some marketing exec, we still dig this game.
when it comes to a franchise as intense as Tomb
Raider? | am also beginning to wonder if all this
contempt for the series is perhaps a result of
Most people not being able to handle Tomb
RANDY’S TIP
OF THE MONTH: Raider 3. | know it was tough, but it seems the
moment that title came out was when most of
Take it from me, the backlash started.
analog control is defi- Dennis Wakil,
nitely the way to go. decadence@worldnet.att.net
You won't believe what
a difference the full Jenn Lee; Address Withheld Dennis, did Mistress Lara have a
360 degrees of
leather whip around your neck when you
movement makes over ERIC wrote that? | mean, why would anyone
the old eight directions
prefer to play through a sequel that only
of digital. |made the
switch, and now they offers the same exact experience as before?
can't call me the You can always go back and play the
“diagonal doofus” previous Tomb Raiders, so it’s not like the
when I'm walking gameplay that you loved is going anywhere.
around town! Good sequels should be built on what we
loved about the first game, but with enough
new stuff to make it a unique and com-
pelling experience all its own.

СТА: Vice City will definitely be the game | think that the game of 2002 will be The game | think will be the game of the
of the year for 2002. From what ۱have Kingdom Hearts, because of its great year is not one, but many. Mortal Kombat,
seen and heard about the game, it will be storyline, music, and graphics. | mean GTA: Vice City, Shinobi, Kingdom Hearts,
EACH NTH we post a new question the best game for years to come. GTA: sometimes, | will just start a new game to Tekken 4, and etc. have been great games
on our website at psmonline.com, and
print the best answers here in our Letters Vice City has given gamers more locations see the beginning and to hear the music. this year. Their game play, graphics, and
section. Give PSM a piece of your mind! and more things to interact with. You The story line is awesome. | have never story lines have made these games strong
would have to be an idiot to miss out on been into a game this way. SQUARESOFT attractions for the consumer. Each game
This Month’s Question Was:
“What do you think will be the game of the this game. and DISNEY have really done it! has managed to keep that spark that fills
year for 2002, and wh: Damion Springston, Lodi OH Michael Stanley, Toccoa GA us with joy and excitement. It would be

92 PSM: I00% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE #66 HOLIDAY 2002 www.psmonline.com

 DOWNTIME
Hey, only 99% of our time is spent on
that), but is the gaming industry aiming for that?
playing games! We do other stuff, too!
What is your take on the subject? | was also
I have a question about the network adapter. ГИ wondering what the age of the average gamer
be moving soon and the only way that | can get today is?
broadband is though a satellite (PCDirect, I Chris, Jidderbug@vcn.com
think). Will |be able to play "broadband only"
games this way, since it's not cable or standard E Personally, 1 love the fact that
make a hilarious dsl service? games are getting more mature. Over all,
funny suit out of
whatever's lying sebastian maselli, the industry still skews its games at the
around your
p. l'oom/ I space_invaderx@yahoo.com teenage level, but that hasn't stopped
companies like Acclaim and Rockstar from
Currently, ۱ don't believe that breaking the mode. Over the next few
A This month's Downtime is hosted by Bill
Donohue, and he's guaranteed us big laughs! satellite compatibility is currently supported years, you're going to see a large number of
by the broadband adapter. That’s probably more mature-rated games appearing and 1
because so few people use satellite-based think that can only be good for the industry.
Internet and that the upstream speed is That is, as long as those games actually
quite slow. In the near future, that might deliver good and enjoyable experiences and
change. However, for the current time, only aren't just a medium to show off excessive
DSL and cable modems are really being violence and nudity.
Great job,
Gary--you supported. Still, you might want to try your
don't monkey satellite connection anyway. You've got
around like
those other nothing to lose, right? | was recently watching America's Most Wanted
loafers!
and a certain story horrified me. An amateur
A Oh, come on, Bill—that's too easy! Where are wrestler was just minding his own business GAMES WE
the ingenious new puns you promised? The GTA: Vice Сйу site lets you tune in to a playing a nice game of ОТАЗ and two men came WANT TO SEE
variety of in-game radio stations. The Fever 105 in and at first he thought the two men were just
Deadline Y station plays a song that was also used for Vice friends of his roommate and thought nothing of
WWE SMACKDOWN:
pressure isn't GO TO YOUR ROOM!
City's first teaser trailer. While watching that it. The two men took out garden shears and cut
video, me and some friends heard that song and off his thumb. They ended up getting away but All of the Rock's catch-
phrases have already
tried our best to remember its name. We've all with his thumb. That man will never play
been used up with the
heard it before, but we don't know where. We videogames again. This made me think what if
Smackdown games Know
asked the parents, but they're stumped, too. that had been me? | now spend every day with Your Role, Just Bring It
Does anyone over there have a clue as to what my thumbs as if it were the last because you and Shut Your Mouth, so
my dreams song that is and where else it's been used? never know when you could suddenly have here’s our suggestion for
tonight.
Jared D., Dajelnaserid@hotmail.com stumps for thumbs and your gaming career the next one: Go To Your
A This just keeps getting sadder. Prop humor? could be stopped for good. Room! Some jabroni
Somebody get the hook; this guy stinks! could be cutting a promo
The song is “Summer Madness” by Tim P, BillyBobJoe824@aol.com
Kool & the Gang, but I couldn't guess where on the Rock, and then
Rock could interrupt
you've heard it before. It actually came out Trust me, Tim, it could have been
with “бо to your room,
way back in 1974, so there have been plenty worse... a LOT worse... Now if you'll excuse
jabroni!” The fans would
of chances for some product or movie to me, | have to go buy a cup...
love it! They could make
license it. “Go to your room” t-
shirts, foam fingers, and
Bravo Team, come back Bravo Team. What is the the little Rock action
Іме been a die hard gamer since | can major malfunction in SOCOM US Navy Seals? | figure could squeak out
remember. | am now 21 years old and still play have been frustrated through countless missions “go to your room!” when
every chance I get. Lately | have noticed that a because Bravo Team walked into a tree or a wall you press his arm.
lot of games today are meant for a more adult and even each other and got stuck! | have back
.--Gameplay ideas? What
gameplay ideas?
audience (not that | find anything wrong with tracked through half the jungle trying to find

unfair to choose a game to be the best; next day and try again... and again... until it made a major impact on the entire had very detailed mini-movies throughout
almost all of them are special to someone was finished. gaming world. the game, which showed me that
with their own perspective. Dale Wilson, Dover DE Courtney-Allen Oliver, Florence SC Capcom may be one of the greatest
Kevin Alvarez, Los Angeles CA game developers ever.
| personally think that the GOTY is going The Game of the Year for the PlayStation Andrew Wood, Cheektowaga NY
Jak & Daxter made me want to throw my to be Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. It had to 2 game console should be Onimusha 2.
controller, and did make me turn it off be this or Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. This game has some of the greatest Why not recognize the few games that
and walk away soooo many times, but | GTA:VC is the next game in the GTA detailed environments backed up with launched the introduction of the PS2 to
just couldn't wait to turn it on again the series, which, since the first game, has what lthink is a good story line. It also online? It might be a rocky start, but

www.psmonline.com / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / ӨЗ

 Р АР АР g ASK THE
НАВОСОВЕ сјејеји-и
Short Changed?
1 am a huge fan of the RPG genre, but
сјеј
“|| m №,
recently | понсед that RPGs have been H i! |just moved to the U.S. and | brought my PS2 problems and you make fun of them! | have been made
losing their touch. Most RPG games are from England. Is there апу way 1 сап use it here, or fun of lots of times and it really brings my self esteem
very short and only interest me because of do | have to send it home to my waiting friends? down! Take some advice from my mother: don't serve up а
the graphics or story. Take FF9, for example. Dan, DanHel44@aol.com stew to someone else when you wouldn't eat it.
You can beat the four disc RPG in under Reid Bridgeman, etniesnike@hotmail.com
twelve hours!!! | think that the whole point BILL Wow, Dan, I bet your new American friends are
of making an RPG is to spend time playing, simply amazed by your English PS2! For our BILL Listen up, Reid, this may save your life... Self
it, getting involved with the story, and taking American readers who don't understand, all English esteem has to be earned by accomplishing things.
time to relate the game with the world. | Р525 are steam powered! That’s right, folks, you first You can't be given it, no matter what the govern-
think that Squaresoft has been relying on have to build a little fire in the firebox, pour water in ment schools say. Second, the world is a big, hard,
graphics and storyline alone since the the boiler and then wait for pressure to build up scary place, and if you're not tough, it'll crush you
release of FF8. If RPG gamers really want a before you can start gaming. And who said England like a bug! I'm just trying to toughen you up a bit...
challenge, then | think that they should start isn't a world power? Hail, Britannia!
playing the old classics, like the Shining Have а question that requires а thoughtful, adult answer?
Force series. | hope that I'm not the only | think you are being a big mean person to all the people Send an e-mail to bdonohue@futurenetworkusa.com,
one who thinks that the challenge of a that write to you! These poor people tell you their personal with “800-LB. Gorilla" in the Subject Line.
game is just as important.
Jesse Ortega,
Japanime33@Msn.com these fools. How about Boomer, the man who is are either insanely awful, or skewed to a much
supposed to have my back? He does the same. younger age, or both. So then | thought that if WHERE ARE
The only way to finish FFIX in Even hostages & РОМ/5 do this stupid maneuver. companies still want to make profits from the THEY NOW?
twelve hours is to skip all FMVs, skip all Is there any feedback from any other gamers or PSOne, instead of making new games, why not
‚Active Time Events, refuse almost all the game designers about these bugs? | know just bring over older PSOne games that were
side quests and card games, set all text each game has its flaws, but this happens on never released in America? Games such as
speeds to maximum, and master an every mission and at times it hinders the com- Samurai Shodown RPG, Last Blade, and Persona
obscure walking technique that specifi- pletion of a mission, forcing you to abort. Does 2:Innocent Sin already have a fan base here, and
cally avoids random battles. Simply someone feel my pain?! wouldn't it be cheaper than creating new games,
put, it’s not easy, and if you truly Pete, LOSTSOULS@sbcglobal.net since all that's required is localization?
ERMAC
believe that the point of an RPG is to ben nikkaido,
Not every Kombatant
spend time getting involved with it, you I’ve had problems with the intelli- phoenix senshiGhotmail.com has turned bloodshed
certainly aren't following your own gence of my team, as well as rescued into a successful career.
rules. To wring everything out of the hostages, but nothing to the point of having You're right, Ben. With the exception We caught up with
game, you'll need a good 40 hours, if to restart a mission. If that happens, then of some long-awaited RPGs, 95% of all new Ermac to find out what
not more. that's a serious problem with the game. 1 PSOne games are below-par, low-budget, life is like post-Kombat.
As far as the FF series getting easier, tend to think that there might be a problem kiddie titles. And 1, for one, would love to “Yeah, it sucked that 1
you're arguably right. However, you with your version of SOCOM, as | don't see some of those games that have fallen wasn't called back for
through the cracks finally arrive on our the new game, butI
have to face the fact that most players really recall any of the problems you
don't kid myself—I’m
are willing to sacrifice a high level of mentioned. You should take it back and get shores (Tobal 2, anyone?). Unfortunately,
just a red Scorpion?"
challenge in favor of an enjoyable a new copy. localization (especially for RPGs) still isn't
Asked if he planned to
storyline and graphics (which you've cheap, and the PSOne market is drying up play Deadly Alliance,
stated Square is focusing upon). If the fast, so any full-priced release is a risky Ermac sighs. "That's
game's too ugly or the plot too weak, After reading the 'Letter of the Month' by Harvey proposition. Finally, the overwhelming ancient history, man. My
few gamers are going to even care how Bushey in Issue 63, in my opinion | would have majority of mod chip owners are not import only free night is
challenging it is anyway. Incidentally, to disagree with the statement that most of the gamers, but software pirates, so having Tuesday, and that's
have you tried Hoshigami? It's pretty games coming out for PSOne are awesome. these games available would probably do pottery night with
tough, if not quite perfect. Other than the Arc the Lad Collection, the games little to slow the sales of mod chips. Smoke and Noob Saibot.

АР АР АУ А
these games аге still the pioneers of Both are great sequels to great games. As it stands right now, nothing really Tekken 4, uh, because it's the fourth
something that has the potential to be Matt Ruggiero, Elmira NY stands out. Kingdom Hearts was inventive Tekken, MAN! I'm a big Sega fan, but |
outstanding. | place my vote on SOCOM: and pushed the action rpg genre to the know when to admit defeat and finally
US. Navy Seals. Online accessibility! How I think that the game of the year will be next level. Shinobi looks like it will give realize Tekken kicks VF’s ass.
innovative can you get? that one that people bought a lot of and Devil May Cry a run for its money. Jeremy Gibson, Indianapolis IN
Kyle Raum, Cincinnati OH play it a lot and the one that you guys Although the previous games mentioned
rate a "10" and the one who makes the are notable, the winner will probably be | believe that Final FantasyX will be game
I think the biggest game of 2002 will be most money. Do | get a cookie? GTA Vice City. What more can | say? of the year because as well as | can
either be Timesplitters 2 or Onimusha 2. Dixie Dumas, Huntsville ID Zac Mizer, Chandler AZ remember, so far it's the only game with a

94 / Р5М: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / www.psmonline.com

e° LETTERS

Every month we take a look at the coolest PlayStation 2 fan

art from the hottest new talents. If you'd like to see your
illustration printed here, send us a copy! (We'll take
originals too, but we can't return them.) Address it to

Ог, even better, e-mail a hi-res version

of the piece to us at . Be sure
to label the subject heading “Fan Art” Now get busy! :-)

We always enjoy Chrono Cross art,

like this piece form TYLER THORPE.

Raziel has never looked scarier than

in this great piece from ERIC TAN.

We found the game to be a bit of a letdown, but Shinobi's Hotsuma is

still one of the coolest-looking videogame characters around. Fan artists
take note, we need more cool Shinobi illustrations! А big thanks goes out
to DAVID PIELICH for this awesome rendition of ninja coolness in action.
It makes us want to get up and go play the game again right now! Thanks to IAN KIM for this great shot
of Capcom's most underused character.

10 out of 10. It also makes you relate to Shattered Soldier. I'm reading excellent The game of 2002 will be ‘envelope Unreal Tournament 2003 will be the
the characters. | wanted to know, “What's criticism about this game. And the difficul- please’ Grand Theft Auto: Vice City No game of the year, because of the current
going to happen to Yuna” once, at a ty setting is just right for true hardcore other title will cause as much controversy popularity of the franchise, and the game
scene at the Al Bhed home. You should gamers, so that it doesn't limit the capa- in my book. VC will eat away all your free looks the best I've ever seen а game look.
know which one | am talking about. bilities to improve on the skills. Also, time... which is a good thing! СТАЗ was , Mansfield MO
,Delanson NY bringing back a cult classic is just what already a stellar package to begin with,
SONY needed to do to surpass its com- but VC will be twice as nice. This game Contra: Shattered Soldier... what can be
| know what software platform for the petitive rivals Nintendo and Microsoft. has the power to convert X-Box fanboys. better than old school blasting mayhem?
year will be, and it's decided, Contra: , Miami FL „ Blairsville СА , Savannah GA

om / #66 HOLIDAY 2002 / PSM: 100% INDEPENDENT PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE / 95

 Holiday 2002 e Vol 6, No. 13 ® Issue 66
ISSN 1095-4163

NEXT MONTH (4
EDITORIAL STAFF
Chris Slate E In-Chief
Bill Donohue Mar

omas Layton, Davic

PS2 PREVIEW 2003 PRODUCTION STAFF

Richard Lesovoy Pro
It's just about time for our big annual event, where we go Larry Briseno Pro:

straight to the game designers and company presidents to find

out what's going to be hot in the year ahead. Don't miss it!

VICE CITY: DIRTY TRICKS & CRAZY CHALLENGES

Think you’re a tough guy, huh? Got the mean streets of Vice
City all figured out? Think again, wiseguy! We’re going to blow futurenetwork
Stacy Bremmer 5
your mind with crazy stuff you've never dreamed of, and test 506
Nate Hunt
your manhood with outrageous double-dares that you've nhunt@fut
gotta be nuts to take on. Don’t you wimp out on us, now!

WRITE THIS CAPTION! PSM Customer Care

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