IE UK'S BESTSELLING PIAYSTATION.2 MAGAZINE issue018/march2002/£4.99withdisc[

layStation^E' O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E - U I

D R L D E X C L U S I k ^ E I

)u herd it here first! Rea<clusive review of the PS2'slost original game yet!

Sni+PHGES OF THE3IU BEST REUIEliJB; r d y g e r d y / m a x i m o / m a x p a y n eSIDENT EVIL SURVIVOR 2/KESSEN II1AD0W MAN 2/ICO + LOADS MORE!

lET UR FREEK ON!3hind the scenes with thelakers of SSX and their(treme racer Freekstyle!

OOPS!... I DID IT: A GAME!^ Like a virgin? Then_you'll iove thesaucy moves of Britney's Dance Beat!

B U Kpreview 0. ^ fi n a l

fantasy XSEE PAGE 12

PLUSVirtua Fighter 4 previewed

Metal Gear 2; new infoMeet new platformer Vexx

Star Wars: Jedi StarfighterThe coin-ops coming to PS2!

Max Payne tippedAnd all the ver

latest PS2 new

l U D R L D E X C L U S I V E

M A R C H 2 0 0 2

ted/a wfthpasskm 9 7 1 4 7 2 ' 3 1 2 0 0 7

£ 4 . 9 9

0 3S Q 0 S F F R L U D R L D C L I FONLY THREE MONTHS TO GO! SEE THE FIRST SHOTS FRO

THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THIS SUMMER'S FOOTBALL FEAJ

Are you truly horrifying? You could be what Monsters, Inc. are looking for.No experience necessary. Full training given. Opportunities for advancement. Hideousness an advantage.

Also available on PSone. Special PS2 edition available with exclusive movie artwork postcards*. uk.playstation.com PlayStation. THE THi'-iD PLF

PlayStation®^' O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E - U K

PlayStation' fl R C M l U M U t

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O N T H E C O V E RThe almost indescribablepastoral platforming puzzithat'll have intrigued face;flocking around the TV.

I S S U E 0 1 8 / M A R C H 2 0 0 2

G n m E R E N E U U E8. HERDY GERDY

World exclusive review of Eidos's pastoral symphony.

88 ICOFiendish puzzles and mystery await in a castle far away.

9 2 M A X I M OSword and sorcery shenanigans with old-skool arcade style.

9 6 M A X M Y N E9 9 K E S S E N I I1 0 0 S F V \ C E C H A N N E L 5 V I1 0 3 R E S I D E N T E V I L S U R V I V O R 2

C O D E ; V E R O N I C A1 0 5 E S P N I N T E R N AT I O N A L W I N T E R G A M E S1 0 7 J O N N Y M O S E L E Y M A D T R D C1 0 8 S H A D O W M A N : 2 E C 0 N D C O M I N G111 T H E S H A D O W O F Z O R R O1 1 2 G 0 D A I : E L E M E N 1 A L F O R C E11 2 I R O N A C E S : B I R D S O F P R E Y11 3 D R A K A N : T H E A N C I E h T T S ' G AT E S114 ESPN X GAMES SNOWBOARDING 2002

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AVA I L A B L E F O R M AT S

^ PlayStation.TM © 1997 SLOC. Copyright O 2002 International OlympicCommittee (IOC). All rights reserved. Published under licenceby Eidos Interactive LTD. and "PlayStation" are registeredtrademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

w w w . e i d o t s . c o m

i s s u e 0 1 8 / m a r c h 2 0 0 2

SIX SUPREMELY PLAYABLE DEMOS AND THECUSTOMARY SLEW OF GORGEOUS VIDEOS.

PLAYABLE DEMO ONE/H E R D T G E i a i YYouVe read the exclusive review. Now/ get the 'horn' andstart herding doops yourself with our gorgeous demo.

PLAYABLE DEMO TWO/H A 1 F 4 J F EWho Is Gordon Freeman? You are, and you've got somenasty company. Experience the greatest FPS around.

PLAYABLE DEMO THREE/D Y N A S I Y WA R R I O R S 3Get medieval on everyone'sass with this great demo.

PLAYABLE DEMO FIVE/D R A K A N : - m EA N Q E N T S ' C S AT E SFull-on dragon action.

PLAYABLE DEMO FOUR/M A X I M OSupreme arcade action foryou and your trollies

PLAYABLE DEMO SIX/G O D A I :ELEMEN1AL FORCESBeat-'em-up bonanza.

PLUS/VIDEO PREVIEWS OF:Deus Ex, Stuntman, Ace Combat,LMA Manager 2002, Virtua Fighter 4,Space Channel 5 vl and more.» FUU DFIAILS; PAGE 008

F E R T U R E 5

058 THE PS2 INTERVIEW:W A R R E N S P E C T D R

Ion Storm President and manbehind the phenomenallysuccessful Deus £x talks aboutbringing the cinematic FPS to PS2.

0 6 2 G E N E R A T I O N V E X XWe head to Acclaim StudiosAustin to meet the PS2's nextplatform hero Vexx and find adark concoction brewing.Sweetness and light? Hardly

066 DRIVING AMBmONSMTV Music Generator developerJester Interactive Is going to startpublishing games as well asmaking them. We check out theirfirst project, Super Trucks, and seewhat else Is in store..

072 NOTORIOUS BIG0PS2 enters the larger than lifeworld of EA Sports BIG inVancouver and discovers that justabout any sport is fair game forthe BIG extreme treatment.

E R m EP R E N I E L

012 FINAL FANTASY XSpunky heroes, gorgeous graphicsand chocobos. They can onlymean one thing FFon PS2.

0 1 6 V I R T U A H G H T E R 4

Is it time to crown a new daddyof the dojo? Sega's stunningbeat-'em-up Is on its way

019 ISS 2002/SS is back but is It going to be aPro Evolution Soccer beater?

020 BLOOD OMEN 2

022 STAR TREK VOYAGER:E U T E F O R C E

024 SHADOW HEARTS

0 2 5 M I K E T Y S O NH E A V Y W E I G H T B O X I N G

0 2 6 C O N F U C T Z O N E

028 SOLDIER OF FORTUNE: GOLD

0 3 0 D A R K S U M M I T

0 3 1 J A D E C O C O O N 2

R E E U L R R 5

006 Editor 's Letter035 Spy

News on Star Wars: JediStarfighter, Mortal Kombat:Deadly Alliance and BritneySpears' Dance Beat.

060 Next Month080 Reviews

Fifteen new games rated!115 PSone Reviews

Mega Man X6, FFVI plusnews on Pro Eva Soccer.

116 MediaMoulin Rouge on DVD andalbums from Cornelius and A

122 HardcoreA full Heod/iunterwalkthrougplus part one of our MaxPayne guide.

132 Subscr ibeSave 10% and have 0PS2delivered to your door.

134 PostalFrom you to us with words.

145 CompetitionsWin a widescreen TV!

146 What If...Violence In PlayStation 2videogames was banned?

E □ R T 5WHAT THE DEVELOPER OF SSX TRICKY HAS IN STORE FOR EXTREME SPORTS ACTION FANS PAGE 072

PlayStation®^' O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E - U K

ition®EOFFICIAL MAGAZINE-UK

c a n n o w w a l kinto a shop and

buy a quality PS2game from any

genre you choose''

E D I T O R ' SC H O I C EBored of me now? Sink your teethinto these hearty reads...

1 . H E R D Y G E R D Y R E V I E WIt looks great, it sounds intriguing,b u t w h a t ' s i t a l l a b o u t ? 0 8 2

2 . N O T O R I O U S B I GIf you liked SSX find out what thec r e a t o r s a r e u p t o n e x t 0 7 23 . S T A R W A R S N E W SRead about two exciting newgames linked with Episode II .0354 . V I R R J A R G K T E R 4 P R E V I E Wit's shaping up to the best beat-'em-up for a iong time 0165 . I C O R E V I E WRead more about the game that'sm a k i n g u s g a s p 0 8 8

EDITOR'S LETTERHey everybody. You'll notice there's a new face at the top of thispage. Gone Is the sullen fizzog of Mr Mike Goldsmith (onceaffectionately referred to as the 'fat Morrlssey"! and In Its place,the smiling, carefree countenance of myself, Mr Sam Richards.

Don't worry, I'm usually Just as sullen, but the camera caught me on a badday I'm also waiting for the moment someone makes an equallydisparaging remark about my own appearance. I'm there to be shot at...

The PlayStation 2 hasn't had much competition up until now, but youmay have heard about the Imminent release of two new consoles: the Xboxand the Gamecube. You may also have heard many people getting excitedabout these new machines. Most games Industry pundits considercompetition for PS2 to be a good thing. Including ourselves - we reckon Itcan only lead to an Improvement In the quality of games across the board.However, new console launches Inevitably come accompanied by their owntornadoes of hype. Before any games are actually available to the public,debate tends to centre around statistics - the processing power of aparticular console, how many polygons it can push around the screen, thecapacity of VRAM - statistics that are generally so Incomprehensible to thenon-technical mind, they can be made to look very Impressive withoutactually really meaning anything. Some spectators have therefore drawnthe conc lus ion tha t Xbox and Gamecube w i l l somehow render the ' o ld -

fash ioned ' PS2 obso le te .I'm here to reassure you. PS2 will be around for years to come, with the

potential to outlast the new kids on the console block The reason? Games.Sony has always made software a priority, and that's why you can now

walk Into a shop and buy a quality PS2 game from any genre you choo.se.Want racing, there's GT3 and WRC. Want futuristic, there's WIpEout Fusion.Want adventure, there's MGS2 and Devil May Cry. Want football, there's ProEvoiution. Want a life of crime, there's GTA3. Want cute, there's Jak AndDaxter. Yearning for more truly original videogame experiences? Thencheck out the reviews of Herdy Gerdy and the amazing ico In this Issue.Oh, and did I mention that all these games are exclusive to PS2?

Now think of the type of games you'd like to be playing for the rest of2002, turn to our release schedule on page 51, and peruse the delightsthat await. The day the line-up for any other games console surpasses this,we'll be packing our bags. And we've got no plans to go anywhere.

SAM RICHARDSActing Editor

SUBSCRIBE

With an Official PS2 subscriptionyou get six issues at just £4.50 each

Call 0870 444 8656 now, quotingorder code EDP18, or turn to page 132for more details. Offer ends 21/03/02

Overseas readers ca l l +44 870 444 8656Lines open 24 hours, seven days a week

Top strategy tip:r e n t t h e m fi r s t .

Released 8th February R e l e a s e d 8 t h M a r c h

Blockbuster has a huge range of PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games.Renting them first lets you discover which ones you like before you pay full price

It's a tactic that'll work whichever game you're playing.

Bringing Entertainment Homewww.b lockbus te r. co .uk

lavStation>g

rORLD EXCLUStygjC S

^ PlayStation®^^ ' O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E - U K

5 ^ i »DN THE DMDplayable demo!Other magazines let you watch, 0PS2 lets you play...

Welcome to another DVD packed withexclusives. When you think ofvideogames, what images does itconjure up in your mind? Driving fastcars? Frantic martiai arts bouts?

Gunning down endless waves ofenemies with ridiculously powerfulweaponry? What probably doesn'tspring Immediately to mind is, well,herding But put any preconceptionsaside - Eidos plans to change ail thiswith the release of Core Design'sbizarre and beautiful adventure HerdyGerdy, and if you're a regular viewer ofthis fine DVD, you can't fall to havenoticed it already In video form. Thismonth, however you can experience Itfor yourselves, as we pnssent theexclusive playable demo.

After you've shepherded smallfurry creatures to your heart's content,there's some more traditional gamingaction In the form of classic FPS Half-Life and Capcom's ghostly piatformerMaximo. We also Indulge in a iittiedragon riding with SCEE's Drokan,some fuii-on carnage with DynastyWarriors 3 and following up the rear is3D0's samurai action t i t le GoDai:

E lementa l ForceOur video coverage is headlined

by Reflections' much anticipatedStuntman and Sega's VIrtua Fighter 4but there are plenty of other qualitytitles on the roster this Issue. Read onfor everything you need to know. Seeyou next month....

Adrian Lavrton

Deputy PlayStation Producer

PS To use this DVD, load it up on yourPS2. Then scroll between games androlling demos with the yl* and keys.To choose within a section use <-and Press ® to start up yourchoice. Please note, you may have toreset your PS2 after some demos.

» P L R U H B L E D E m D O N E

HERDY GERDYPublisher: Eidos/Game type: Herding game/Out: February/Players: 1

T H E G A M E'Unique' is the only word to describe Core Design's 'herd-'em-up' adventure. As theyoung Gerdy you must use herding skills to complete a series of challenging animalcapturing puzzles to save your village and ultimately the world. The striking cartoonvisuals combined with a whole eco-system of creatures and deviouslogic problems, make this one of the most interesting and unusualtitles of the year so far

T H E D E M OOnce the demo's loaded, press S;, then 0 at the nextscreen to begin. Complete the short tutorial by herding thenearby Doops Into the pen. Next, head for the red arrow andthrough to the next area, where you'll have your firstencounter with a Gromp. Get this grumpy beast tochase you into the special trap, ensuring that thehapless Doops are well out of the way of hishungry mouth. Then herd the little fellas into thepen. Our demo times out after ten minutes ofplay but you should have time to carry onthrough the gate and get In a bitmore shepherding

008 PlayStation,?

» P L R y R B L E D E m a T U J D

H A L F - U F EPublisher: Vivendi Universal/Game type: FPS/Out: Now/Piayers: 1 iFuil game 1-4)

T H E c o r r m o L SL - s t I c k - M o v eR-stick - Look(g) Use@ Toggle HUD targeting@ Reload® Flashlightm Primary attackm J u m pCD Secondary attackI B D u c kR 3 C e n t r e v i e w

♦-/-» Cycle weaponst/1. Cycle itemsS P a u s e

T H E G A M EiDvtf level scientist Gordon Freeman is about to have aVERY bad day in his new job at the secretive Black l esaresearch facility. After taking part In a routine experiment,he unwittingly sets in motion a chain of events thatunleash an apocalyptic disaster on the unfortunatescientific community,

T H E D E M OOnce loaded, press ®, then t/vp and ® to choose yourdifficulty setting Once the game begins, you must v^orkyour viiay down to the test chamber and follow thescientists' instructions to carry out the experiment Afterdisaster strikes, our massive demo takes you through threedistinct areas of the Black Mesa facility as Gordon fights hisway to the surface. Along the way, you should be able tofind a shotgun, some grenades and a machine gun toassist you in your escape.

» P L R a H B L E O E m O T H R E E

V

PlayStation.^ 00

DYNASTY WARRIORS 3Publisher: THQ/Game type: Action/Out: March/Players: 1-2 (Full game 1-2)

T H E C O N T R O L SL-stick - Move® Attack/Jump/

M o u n t h o r s e

@ Power up/Use magic® Attack@ Spin attackCD Switch to bow modeI D C e n t r e c a m e r a

b e h i n d c h a r a c t e rCD Toggle map modecs View/hide enemy

health barsg; Pause/map

T H E G A M EAncient China takes centre stage in KOEI's button-bashingsequel to its action-packed PS2 launch title. Set during theturbulent Three Kingdoms period of the country's histoidiWSputs you in the shoes of numerous military commandedroaming battlefields and dispatching amassed enemy forces.

T H E D E M OThis demo lets up to two players take part in DW3. Onceloaded, press ® to select Free mode, then ® again andwe're off to 225 AD China. Use to select from the threeavailable characters, then at the next screen use t/vl- and ®to select your equipment. Go to 'start' and press ® to begin.You've got ten minutes to destroy as many of the opposingforces as possible. Tliey're represented by red dots on yourmap, so head for the most populated areas.

PlavSta t ion .g

S., ?iSS

l i r m a» D N T H E D Nm o R E □E m o E

playable demosOther magazines let you watch, 0PS2 lets you play.

» P L B y H B L E D E m D F Q U R

M A X I M OPublisher: Capcom/Game type: Platformer/Out: April/Players: 1

Hirn to page 92 for thefu l l Max imo rev iew.

T H E C O N T K O L SL-stick - Move (360' attack:

Press ® whilerotating L/RJ

(g) Jump@ Throw shield@ Sword

s l a s h / A c t i o n

® Overhead sword slashIdownward sword strike:(g),®,®l

C D H e a d c a m e r am P a n c a m e r a b e h i n d

playerC D B i o c k w i t h s h i e l dI B K n e e l

S Manage abilitiesD-pad - Menu controls

T H E G A M EThe game Ghosts'N Goblins veterans have been prayingfor all these years has finally arrived In the form ofCapcom's supernatural 3D platfcrmer An evilsorcerer is using his necromantic magicalpowers to bring the dead back to life and it'sup to Maximo to save the day via a series ofplatform-hopping, pow/er-up-grabbing nightmarishcartoon levels,

T H E D E M OPress 0 to begin the demo, v^hich features the first level ofthe game. You've got five minutes to get as far as you can, sohead off, grabbing the coins as you go. Keys can be obtained bybusting open chests with ® and the downward sword strikewill mark your progress at the checkpoints. Watch outfor the lava pits that open up in the ground andgrab the flaming sword for more powerful attacks.

For the lowdown on Rynnand her dragon, turn topage 113.

» P L R y H B L E □E m O F I V E

DRAKAN: THEANCIEISTTS' GATESPublisher: SCEE/Game type: Adventure/Out March/Players: 1

T H E C O r ^ O L SL-stick - Move characterR-stick - Pitch (Arokh)/

M o v e c a m e r a(Rynn)

® Ry dow/n/dismount(Arokh)Roll - in combinationw/ith L-stick (Rynn)

® Breath fire (Arokh)Block (Rynn)

@ Fireball/Meleeattack (Rynn)

® Fly up (Arokh)Block (Rynn)Cycle hotslot (Rynn)Call Arokh (Rynn)

CD Target (Arokh)!£: Pause■ Open inventory

m

T H E G A M EThe idyllic land of Drakan, watched over for aeons by peace-loving Dragons (known as the Ancients) has been throvm intochaos by the dastardly army of the Dark Union, As Ryrn, abuxom leather-clad warrior you must take to the skies astrideyour dragon, Arokh, and attempt to single-handedly rid Drakanof the darkness that's overrun it

T H E D E M OPress 0 to start and the demo begins with t^nn airborneastride AtDkh, Follow the on-screen instructions for a tutorial oncontrolling him. You must then find and destroy the Wartok chief,Snotmaw, On the way to his stronghold you'll have to deal withseveral unfriendly dragons. Once you've found the entrance,dismount and enter the underground complex on foot To useyour magic, enter the inventory screen and summon it with

)10 PlayStation.^

» P L R a B B L E □e m a s i x

GODAI :ELEMENTAL FORCEPublisher: 3D0/Game type: Adventure/Out: Now/Players: 1 (Full game 1-2)

- m E C O r i T R O L SL-stick - Move® Melee/cycle(§) Dash-strike@ Dash® Glide

Projectile/cycleCycleMagic/cycleB l o c kP a u s e

E D

m

E D

G O

T H E G A M EThis is a taie of Hiro, a young prince, battling against agroup of ciarl< ninjas for control of the worid. Spread over15 ieveis, he must undertake the triais of Earth, Water, Windand Fire then master each elemental power before a finalshowdown in the realm of the fifth element - the Void...

T H E D E M OAfter loading the demo puts you straight into the actionwhen several dark ninjas attack Fight your way past themand a door will open to your right. Hit the switch and gothrough the grille that opens Into an outside area. Workyour way to the right, taking out the enemies and dodgingthe steam and lava areas as you go. If you find yourselfbeing overwhelmed by multiple enemies, activate yourelemental power by pressing CH. You've got eight minutesto get as far as you can before the demo times out.

Find out what we saidabout GoDoi on page 112.

T a l K t o u s i» Comments and queries about this DVD should go tome, Adrian, at PS2@futurenet.co.uk. Sorry, I can'tanswer your questions over the phone.» If you have problems v/ith your DVD, pop It in anenvelope and send It to the following address. We'lltest it and, if faulty, send you a new DVD, We're atOfficial PlayStation 2 Magazine, Disc Returns,Customer Services, Future Publishing, Gary Court,Bancombe Road Industrial Estate, Somerton,S o m e r s e t TA l l 6 T B .

» V I D E n O N ED E U S E XPublisher: EidosWarnen Specter's conspiracy theory-riddenfirst-person shooter is hailed as a classic by PCgamers worldwide and soon we'll be findingout what all the fuss Is about. Watcri this for ataster of what to expect when Deus Ex landson PlayStation 2.

» VIDEO TUJDI C OPublisher; SCEESCEE's tranquil and unusual adventure will befeatured as a playable demo In our very nextissue. In the meantime, see for yourselves whywe love Its mellow mood so much with thisall-new trailer

• " f j

» V I D E O T H R E ES T U N T M A NPublisher: InfogramesFast cars, crazy stunts, and Hollywood glitz -ail from the comfort of your favourite armchairOur coverage of Reflections' fall guy simulatorStuntman begins this issue with this movie-style trailer Watch out for the exclusiveplayable demo in a future Issue of 0PS2.

» U I D E a F O U RLMA MANAGER 2002Publisher: Codemasters

Hugely popular on PSone, Codemasters LMAseries Is now heading our way and 2002 is astat-freak's wet dream, with 28 countries, 722clubs and 17,000 players to tinker with.

u

» V I D E O F I V EA C E C O M B A T:D I S T A N TT H U N D E RPiibllsher; SCEEIf you're still wavering onwhether to buy AC4 or not,this trailer should help youpart with your money

» V I D E O S I X

CHSMNEL 5 VIPublisher: SCEEUlala shakes her stuff tosave the Galaxy fromMorovian invasion. Followthe moves to thwart themIn this stylish Sega game.

» V I D E O S E V E NV I R T U AH G H T E R 4Publisher: SCEEThe fourth Instalment ofthe VF series is PS2-boundsoon. While we wait for itsApril UK release, enjoy thisb r a n d - n e w t r a i l e r .

v i d e a B x t i - s sA n d t h e r e ' s m o r e . . .

» E X T R R O N E

Publisher: SCEE

Square's gone all nostalgicwith this new video detailingFinal Fdntasys history fromnumber six onwards. Soon tobe released on PSone. FFVIcomes with a playable demoof the stunning FFX. Nice.

PlayStatlon.S 01

M

L U D R D B ; D R N O r D c i C R R T H y

Square returns with the latest chapter in itsmulti-million selling series, setting new

standards tor technical artistry.

P u b l i s h e r S C E EDeveloper Square

Players: 1Release; July

ou've heard the story before; Sony releases anew console, redefining the theoreticalpossibiiities of the videogame form; Squarebrings out the iatest chapter in Its FinalFantasy series, and It wrings every iast drop ojuice out of the new hardware, setting

unprecedented standards of technical excellence. FinalFantasy VII launched a few years after the PSone to hugeacciaim and sold millions of units. Thanks to the console's 3D

processing power and the greater storage capacity offered byCD-ROM, the epic sweep of traditional Japanese RPGs wasbrought to iife with gorgeous cut-scenes and lavishprerendered backdrops. It was a game that simpiy couid nothave existed were it not for PlayStation.

In years to come, people will no doubt be saying similarthings about Final Fantasy X. The extraordinary technicalartistry made possible by PlayStation 2 Is evident from theoutset. Once again, the boundaries have been pushed back,and once again, the existing Final fdntosy formula has beenInvigorated by Square's unmatched ability to squeeze everyiast bit of performance out of Sony's hardware.

Appropriately enough, dSjJi vu is a bit of a recurring motifin the Final Fantasy series. This time around it's the mainprotagonist, Tidus, who's the man with the mysterious past.Thrust Into the thick of things when a malevolent entity calledSin destroys his homeland, the action quickly moves to amysterious realm, where he's beset by beastles before linkingup with the game's other characters. Chief of these character;Is Yuna, and although Final Fantasy is essentially TIdus's story,it's Yuna's destiny to become a Summoner that lends a questlike structure on which to hang the game's epic narrativesweep, it's her duty to travel to temples all over the worldof Spira, acquiring new magic as she goes, in the ultimate butself-sacrificing hope of defeating Sin. She's accompanied byher various guardians: Wakka, who like Tidus is an

The action ranges across continents and time periods to convey an impressively epic scaie.

Play5tation.E 03

R E N

j m i T BLike the Limit Breal< moves that featured inprevious chapters in the series, FFX uses a systemof special moves to add variety to combat.

b u t t o n a t t h e r i g h t t i m e !

.^ku wp t 1 13 MP , o5W a k k a " " 1 3 5 8 w p i i n

T i d u s t o s s M P

r idus 's Swordski l lRequires Bemani-style button pressing.

S t o p t h e r e e l s w i t h t h e b u t t o n !

R i k k u x " s a z M P I P SW a k k o t 1 S 3 M P t 1 o

Ti dus t " " 1328 MP t04

IVakka's Slots Move"his is very much lil(e playing a fruit machine.

H4 PlayStation,2

R N A L F A N m S Y X

El accomplished player of a sport called Blitzball (mone on thissubject later]; the reticent but ioyal Kimahri; and Lulu, whosespeciality Is biack magic. It has always been the interplaybetween a disparate assortment of weil-rounded charactersthat eievates the Final Fantasy experience, and in this respectthe quest stmctutB allows plenty of scope for new charactei^to be Introduced.

it does have a drawback though, which is that the first halfof the game is a much more linear affair than usual. And givenits enormous iength, some gamers may find that It takes toolong for them to get into the game. That's unlikely though - thesumptuously crafted, fully 3D environments, pretty reasonablevoice acting and a whole host of mini-game activities shouidsee to that.

FFX is simpiy stunning to behold. The 3D environments arejust as iuxuriousiy detailed as the prerendered backdrops ofprevious Final Fbntosy tities. It's a fairly clear indication of howfar gaming technology has come since the introduction ofPlayStation 2, and adds immeasurably to the overall experience.Breathtaking cut-scenes are simply indistinguishable fnom thegame's real-time sequences, and transitions from exploration tocombat encounters are seamless. A similar attention to detalihas been devoted to the game's atmospheric sound, from thehaunting musical themes to the pretty impressive voice acting- an area which is the downfall of many games.

Eye candy and aural ambience are aii weli and good, butwould only offer a limited appeal If they werent backed up bysolid game mechanics. Thankfully, the combat that forms thesubstantive part of the gamepiay in Final Fantasy X Iswonderfully weil-baianced. The distinct abilities of the variouscharacters In your party add layers of tactical depth to a turn-based combat system. Yuna, for example, can summon thesupernatural assistance of monumental spirits called Aeons,while RIkku, a tinker and thief, uses a wide array of items toaugment the party.

Though only three characters can engage in combat at atime, you can change the line-up during encounters to matchcharacters to foes that they are sttDngest against. Switchingbetween characters thus becomes a cnjcial part of yourtactical repertoire, which is further extended by various specialattacks. As weli as being able to summon Aeons or make useof special items, there's aiso a magic system based on fouropposing elements, and during key battles Trigger events allowyou to take a course of action unique to that battle - attackinga locK for example, to effect a quick getaway, it's even possibleto customise weapons and armour in order to grant yourcharacters special abilities, or to augment their existing ones.

HAVING A BILTZBALLIt's this level of detail that has stoked the trainspotter ardour oflegions of FFfans, who simply won't be disappointed with thelevel of customisation that the game allows. What's more, likeprevious games in the series, the overarching action issupplemented by a host of mini-games that are hugelycompelling in their own right. Once again, it's possible to rideChocobos - big flightless birds, that bear an uncannyresemblance to Sesame Streets Big Bird, But as well as theChocobo races, players can also participate in Blitzballcompetitions, it's a bit like water polo, with six players per team,who can be recruited over the course of your travels. Duringtwo five-minute halves, the object is to scone more goals thanyour opponent, it takes a while to get a winning team together;and it's not quite as engaging as the collectible card gamefeatured in Final Fiintasy IX, but it is diverting and recruitingcharacters does add depth to the main quest.

Aside from the two main mini-games, there are a host ofnice, gamey, touches. The overdrive abilities, for example, eachrequire a different type of technique, from rhythmic buttonpressing to activate the ability of Tidus to experimenting withdifferent combinations of equipment to get the most out of

As ever, there's a suitably evil villain on hand to add a bit ofdramatic tension, and of course, booming evil laughter

Rikku's ability. There are even elements of a dating simulationthrown In, As with Final Fantasy VII, and no doubt owing to themassive Japanese success of love games like Sakura Talsen, It'spossible to orchestrate ail sorts of flirting between themembers of your team; depending on who you make Tidus flirtwith, certain cut-scenes are altered. It's not a hugely importantgame mechanic, and it doesn't have an amazing effect on theoutcome of the game, but it does Increase your empathy forthe characters, and heightens the sense of involvement.

That's really what the Final Fantasy series has always beenabout, it's an Involving and rewarding experience in spite ofhuge swathes of non-interactive dialogue and a fairly linearstructure. Like Final Fantasy VII - rumoured to be one of themost returned games in recent history - it might not be toeveryone's taste. Certainly given the game's massive duration.Final Fantasy X Is going to require a significant investment oftime and efl'ort. But also like Final Fantasy VII, it's going toset new benchmarks for what's technically achievable withPS2. If you are a fan of the series, it's unlikely that you'll bedisappointed by yet another perfectly updated distillation ofthe Final Fantasy mixture when It's released later this year □

//Final Ftintasy X is goingto set new l)encl iniarksfor wliat is teclinicallyachievable wi th PS2/ /

X□N T R R E E T PF I N R L F R N T R S yThe sprawling plot and hefty duration won't suit all. But those who doindulge will be rewarded with opulent environments and mini-games.

N A R R A T I V EAs ever, plot andc h a r a c t e r s a r e

lavishly developed.

U N E A R T F YS u f f e r s d u e t o t h e

focus on charactersa n d n a r r a t i v e .

M I N I - G A M E S

Blitzball, Chocobos,overdrive attacks anda dating game.

N E L U B H L L 5 P L E R 5 ELevelling-up and developing your characters has always been a large part of the appeal of the Rnafftintasy series, but a new addition, called the Sphere Grid, makes the process more absorbing.

^ max MP hy 10 points. j Hcttvatcs tigiiity, «iccuracy. lar tvaaion n»ae. j, 1 l e « r n e d a B i l i t y N u l i i ^ o e k ^

f-I L

.^1 S('««nir^|S6n'</ S p h e r e

6 : D i s p l a y S t a t u s | - \ ' | A t D i s p t a y S t a t u s | _ _Instead of acquiring new abilities as they increase in level, you can now tailor your character's progress. Defeating enemies awards you withpoints that you can use to move your characters across the grid, while special spheres can be picked up from fallen enemies and used tolearn abilities that can be found at each node of the grid.

4B w a h a h a h a h a l

I Yuna's quest to destroy Sin throws up all sorts ofI unexpected difficulties and surprising plot twists.

PlayStation,E C

P R E NV I R T U A R G H T E R 4

N I R 'L U D R D B ; K E I T H 5 T U R R T

The legendary Sega fighter wanders outof the wilderness and into the face of

beat-'em-up pretenders.

P u b l i s h e r S C E E

Developer Sega AM2Out April

Players: 1-2

uccessive generations of Street Fighter andTekken have left many gamers immune tothe charms of the latest additions. Beating

]the iiving daylights out of people was startingto lose Its appeal. Now, however it could wellbe time to take a ftesh looi< at the genre on

PlayStation 2. When It was released a year ago, the VirtueFighter 4 coin-op left arcade dwellers breathless - not Justbecause of the scintillating graphics, but also due to thesmooth character animation and varied, adaptable gameplay.When Sega's home console plans collapsed and the companywent multi-format, VF4 was always going to be a showcase title.And Judging by the Japanese code we have clenched in ourwizened, battle-scarred fsts, the show is well and truly on.

For those who have never so much as touched a VirtuaFighter game, let's reveal the basics. The controls are pareddown to a simple three-button Interface: punch, kick and blockFrom this namow base flows an enormous, Incredibly adaptablerange of attacks, blocks, parries, throws and combos. Eachcharacter has hundreds of moves initially available to them, butas you get better the game expands with you, revealing newtechniques all the time and allowing you to create your owncombos. Even the block move is open to adaptation - It canprotect you of course, but it can also be used In conjunctionwith the other buttons to perform throws. And throws in VirtuaFighter are pretty much your super special moves, as you won'tfind any fireballs a la Street Fighter or Tekken-styie unblockablekillers. Yu Suzuki, the creative genius behind the Virtua Fighterseries - as well as OutRun, Shenmue, too many others to listhere - wanted these games to get as close as possible to realfighting styles (see Yes, But Is It Ivlartlai Art?].

Within the game, Virtua Fighter 4 retains the ring-outsystem that lets you win by kicking punching or throwing youropponent from the fighting area. Gone, then, are the endlesslandscapes of Tekken |ln Virtua Fighter you can never run far].

dE5 . BUT 15 IT mnRTRL RRTPtreet Fighter moves may look cool, but are they realistic? No. Wrtuo Fighter, however, is based oniai martial arts. And here are three examples.

hun Di; Drunken style boxinglis form of kung fu emulates theJbblng, stumbling movement of an old■unk in order to disorientate thejponent and lull them into a falseinse of security. Although the fighteroks sozzled, this style requites extreme>eed and dexterity Check out Jackielan's Drunken Master for a demo.

Lion Rafale; Mantis styleWith the mantis style, the fighter'sstance and lunging attacks are based onthe way in wfhich the preying mantisstalks and then kills Its hapless Insectprey Rafale's techniques are based onthe 'seven stars' preying mantis-styleinvented by kung fu master Wang Longin the Ming dynasty era.

Sarah Bryant Jeet Kune DoSarah, one of the fastest fighters In thegame, uses a modified version of JeetKune Do, the martial art famouslyperfected and taught by Bruce Lee.Check out any of his movies - especiallythe Game Of Death DVD which Includesmany minutes of fighting footage cutfrom the film.

ell, he won't kick sand in Kage's face again.

16 PlayStation,?

VF4 also contains walled arenas which, as in D0A2, you canhurl your foe at, with the potential for some devastating wall-related combos This all creates an intense kind of combat, butalso a considered one where each move has to be carefullytimed and perfectly executed. Virtua Fighter 4 is the chess offighting games - every bout has an opening middle and endgame, and each attack has an equal and opposite counterBlocking and parrying so often neglected by casual beat-'emup thugs, are artforms here and different types of defence canbe employed at different stages in an opponent's move. Button-bashing with this game is the equivalent of setting up achessboard and then hitting it with a mallet.

FIGHT NIGHTVF4 also contains a huge selection of game modes andcustomising options - making it something of a kung fu GranTurismo. Along with Arcade and Vs, you get Ai which effectivelylets you create your own fighter and combos, then test themagainst other computer-controlled pugilists AI will hopefullyalso contain an option that will allow computer-controlledfighters to leam from your moves and then use them againstyou la feature previously seen In the Sega Saturn version ofVirtua Fighter 2). Then there's the Kumite mode which workslike a standard Survival mode (you face fighter after fighter untilyou drop, with the addition of some surprise collectable extras),Rnaily, you'll And a pretty exhaustive Training mode. This Is splitinto three sections that take in both free training and specificcommand training (ie, following on-screen direction In order toleam specific moves) giving players unprecedented control ofthe learning process - which is a vital part of such a complexgame, it's also possible to save your unlocked extras ontoMemory Card so that your customised fighters can be takenround to compete at a friend's house.

All of this content has, of course, been mere flirting Whatwill draw the majority of gamers to Wrtuo Fighter 4 are the

A n a c k a n i m a t i o n i sultra smooth, forgiver and receiver.

i H i l l t I H h l M

Wolf taltes exception to Altira's "gypsy boy" taunt.

P R E ^VIRTUA RGKTER 4

0 astonishing visuais, VFwatciiens - the l ind of peopie who traveito Japan to piay the latest instaiment - have been excitabiyscrawling the words 'arcade perfect' on the various dedicatedVF Web sites. That wouid be quite an achievement consideringthe coin-op maizes use of Sega's ultra sophisticated, ultra hi-end Naomi 2 hardware.

Each stage is a decadent visual oiigy. Checi< out the serenevillage scene with its perfectly constructed pagodas, flocks ofbinds circling above and sunlight streaming into the arenacausing lens flare so bright it almost blinds you. Then there'sthe aquarium level with tropical fish swimming by as youpummel, or the Great Wall of China, or the night-time flght onthe roof of a siq'scraper lit by a hovering helicopter Each is richwith incidental animated detail. Leaves swiriing to the ground,banners waving snow falling stone paving that cracks orexplodes when a character crashes down... it's difficult to keepyour eyes on the action.

BODY BEAUTIFULThe characters also look to have been well realised, withIntricately detailed clothing and facial features. Eleven oldfavourites are back including: Jacky (the Ryu of Virtua Fighter]complete with red body armour and combat trousers; his sisterSarah in her electric blue bodysuit; the mysterious Kage in hisassortment of traditional far eastem fighting garb; and Jeffty, theunfortunately-named wrestler The two newcomers are VanessaLewis, a thuggish grappler resembling Storm from The X-Men;and shaolln monk Ljei-Fel, who's suitably contemplative fightingstyle Is so effortlessly cool he is, in effect, the Steve McQueen ofkung fu. All the combatants have animated clothes, anTiour andhair, and they also have alternative costumes and accessories(sunglasses, etcl which can be unlocked throughout the game.But whatever they're wearing movement is graceful andcomplex, with the feel, rtiythm and timing of each martial artperfectly illustrated.

In case you're wondering what they're all scrapping for theVirtua Fighter games are based around the World FightingTournament, a bloody no-holds barred combat event overseenby a shadow/y corporation. As with Tekken each character has abackstory that explains their motivations, which usually Involvepersonal grudges against other competitors or against theshow organisers themselves. There are also some great pre-and post-bout character movies to get across their disparatepersonalities. It's comic book fiuff that you can take or leave.

It is incredible really that A|v|2, a developer with no previousexperience of the complex PS2 hardware, should achieveresults like this on its first attempt. There were doubts thatSony's machine could handle real-time lighting and spot effectsheaped on the arcade original, but everything is present anocorrect iviysteries still surround the Intricacies of the Ai andKumite mode and the extras that may be uncovered therein;when we have the translated version it will be fun uncoveringthem. We do, however; get the feeling that this will take timeAM2 never scrimps on the collateral detail, the stuff that keepscropping up after months of play If Virtua Fighter 4 can't leadplayers back into a life of violence, nothing can. □

□N T R R G E T PN I R T U R F I G H T E R <A fighting game with braun and brains, brought to you by the team thatinvented the 3D beat-'em-up.

n s THundreds of newmoves and combosto ieam and master

K I C K

Amazing effectsand beautifullyr e a l i s e d a r e n a s .

P A R R Y

I t ' s s t i l l a bea t - ' en - -

up, but there's readepth here.

"Hi, my name's Akira and I'm going to smack you one in theface." Actually, the pre-fight taunts arent quite this good.

18 PlayStation E

P R E NI S S 2

U J D R D 5 : D E R N E \ J R N 5

5 5 PAnother version of the world's

best football game already?Not quite...

Publisher KonamiDeveloper KCEO

nother football game? Do we reo//yneed one? Konami's Pro EvolutionSoccer currently makes every othergame look like a Sunday leaguekickabout. It Is, at least for now, theGod of PS2 football, the Real Madrid

to FiFA's Stockport County. Strange then that Konamishould challenge its own dominance of the footymarket with ISS 2, a sequel to the game that washurried onto the shelves for the PlayStation 2's launch.Developed by the Osaka wing of Konami ComputerEntertainment IKCEOl ISS 2 promises the same basicgameplay as PES, but with a very different feel.

From the preview version of the game. It quickiybecomes apparent that what PES does well, ISS 2doesn't and vice versa. ISS 2 has the same basicoptions (Friendly Match, League, Cup, Training,..! plus thesame control system and moves (thnaughballs, auto-crossing, sprinting and so on). But the gameplay itself isslower more laboured and lacks the fast-paced fluidityof PES. The pitches have grass so thick it's like playingon sand, while KCEO has added a goif-styie swing-o-meter bar for corner kicks. If you're used to PES, ISS 2requires a slight adjustment in the way you play

So what does ISS 2 have that PES doesn't? Forstarters, it boasts some decent commentary. The voice-overs are by far the worst element of PES, typified bythe overused soundbite 'The sun is shining and the

gets announced during a rain-soaked match. ISS 2features commentary from Jon Champion and MarkLawrenson. Not only is it more detailed (the matchanalysis Is more than a throwaway sentence) but it

ISS 2 adds to the big-match atmosphere with extraanimated sequences (a pre-match coin-toss, illustratedsubstitutions, close-up views of the players when theyscore or miss chances of goal). Unlike PES, there's alsoan animated referee running about on the pitch whilehis linesmen work the touchiine. In fact ISS 2 is similarin style and content to the old N64 version of ISS (alsoa KCEO production), it may miss the club sides, theMaster Ijeague and move a little slower than PES, but itstill seems a far better football game than FIFA 2002and UEFA Champions League.

Slickly-presented throughout KCEO obviously stillhas some fine-tuning to do before the game's release.Thanks to a FIFPro licence, the England captain lookslike David Beckham (right down to the earring] andChelsea stadium announcer Carl Chapman bellows thename of every goalscorer Right now though, ISS 2doesn't feel like an Improvement on PES, simply adifferent approach to the same Idea. But consideringthe heights reached by PES, Its joyous one-touchpassing the subtle swerve of a hopeful 25-yarder andthe oh-so-smart Ai, bettering It is a tall order indeed, □

□N T R R E E T P 1 5 5 2l»lost game developers hope to rrake one good football game. Konconfidently riopes to make two.

S O U N DAt last, an ISS gamewitti some decentcommentary.

p i A Y A B i u n rT h e s a m e b a s i c

controls and mobut slightly slowi

ISS 2 feels very different to Pro Evolution Soccer even though most of the game mechanics are the sam

PlayStation.E

BLOOD OMEN 2

O C R O B : K E I T H 5 T U R R T

N 2Don the thick black mascara, slap on the white

foundation and dust off that old Ssters Of Mercyalbum. It's gothic vampire fantasy time.

Publisher EidosDeveloper Crystal Dynamics

pikers: 1Release: April

me of the most interesting concepts inload Omen 2 is the Glyph energyiscovered by the Sarafan l<nights. They uselis stuff to power their weird steampunlitachinery and you can channel it to openoors. Here's an example

ythology is a complicated business ifyou've ever tried to read The Iliad you'llknow vifhat we mean, in fact, the warsthat plagued ancient Greece wereprobably started as pub arguments overwhat the second labour of Hercules was

or which of Aphrodite's daughters Cadmus married. And if'complicated' is the word on the mythological street, CrystalDynamics is on the right track with Stood Omen 2. The gamebegins 400 years after Blood Omen 1 and 1,000 years beforeSoul Reaver. Soul Reaver 2, incidentally skips between timezones just to confuse us a little more.

You take on the role of Kain, a vampire king who once ruledthe mystical world of Nosgoth, but was dethroned anddestroyed by a human force (known as the Sarafan knights) atthe close of Blood Omen. Now Kain is back and looking todefeat the Sarafan as well as claim back the Soul Reaver - themost powerful magical sword in the universe. The gamepiay ismission-based with each objective leading Kain ever closer tohis dark ambition. The action Involves both combat and stealth,and you often get to choose which of these will serve you best.At the start Kain is pretty weak, but you can collect 'Dark Gifts'- special weapons that give him the ability to make long Jumps,

go into a damage-intensive Fury mode during combat andpossess other characters. The basic attack is executed with theuse of Kain's Krugetesque nails, but he can also pick upswortis, daggers and staffs thtiDughout the game.

Standard third-person action adventure fare you might sayBut what Crystal Dynamics is seeking to do is build a believableworld around combat-based gamepiay Much of the actiontakes place in the grimy, decadent city of Meridian wheretownsfolk of varying classes go about their own business. Asyou're running through these dank environments, you caneither slash people to pieces as they discuss local politics, orleave them be in the hope that theyil offer snippets of

Doors will flash white if they'r®unlocked, so you can justpress ® and go through.Unfortunately this one islocked tight.

Nearby though, you'll find adial that alters the flow ofGlyph energy so that it goesto the door

Forgotten your keys? Simply possess someone inside thehouse and use them to open the door!

Kain's finishing moves are typically gory. This is theeffective throw them across the room' manoeuvre.

Now as you run back to thedoor, you can see the glowinggreen energy flowing alongthe rusty pipe.

No Kain isnt chuckingup a gallon of cheap redlplonk. He's suckingb lood f r om tha t cadave r

And 'Open Sesame!', you cannow get through, Latervariations on this are a littlemore complicated, of course.

20 PlayStation,?

information. There's a kind of earthy medieval feei to aii this -you have to scour the iocai pubs iool<ing for shady charactersto help your cause as flies buzz around the weak gaslights andfog shifts across the gothic skyline. At the moment the streetsstill look a little barren, and we dont like the way all the doorsare boarded up - it's a cheap trick to limit the expiorability ofeach location. Hopefully though, the designers will have thismetropolis buzzing with life before the April release date.

To be honest, we're also a bit concerned about the centralcombat system. The developers have promised a complexsetup, but in our early demo version It's still the same'repeatedly hit ®' scenario that we've come to know and dreadfrom this genre. Yes, you can block, and there are a couple ofspecial moves, but It's about time someone did somethingradical with adventure game combat systems - this doesn'tappear to be It. Hopefully, the final build will prove us wrong

Boasting epic gothic locations and the sort of large-scalepuzzles we've come to expect from the Kain/Soul Reaverseries. Blood Omen certainly looks set to impress fans of theprevious games Those who have played Capcom's simiiarly-themed Devil May Cry may now be a little harder to please. It'llbe Interesting to see if Crystal Dynamics can keep up. □

□N T R R E E T P B L D m D m E N 2We've seen quite a few third-person action adventures over the years,but can the fangs of 6/ood Omen 2 inject new venom into the genre?

L O O K SVaried iocations, butthey may lack thedetail of Devil May Cry.

F E E LThe puzzles iook fun.Let's hope thec o m b a t f o l i o w s s u i t .

S T O R Y

Vampires, knights,magical swords,c o m m o n f o l k .

T H E C R y 5 T I = L I T E T H CThe night stalkers at Ciystal Dynamics reveal the sources oftheir disturbing ideas for Blood Omen 2.

R E A L R O O M S0PS2: Where did you get your inspirationfrom for the gothic locations in Omen 2?Did any particular buildings or locationscatch your eye?Steve Ross, Lead Artist: "Mostly, the locationscame from the needs of the design team. Asfar as inspiration goes, we first looked at thestyles represented by the original Blood Omenand the newer looks from Soul Reaver. Wewanted medieval architecture, and tointroduce the idea of newer technologyintermingled with old, we looked at variousmovies: Bram Stoker's Dracula, the Batmonmovies and City Of Lost Children.'

G R O W I N G U POPSZ Which sources influenced the storyof Blood Omen 27Bret Robbins, Senior Deslgner/Stoty Writer:"Primarily, It was an evolution from BloodOmen 1 and Soul Reaver We had to create astoiv set between these tv«o timelines. Therewere obvious questions we had to answenWhat happened in the intervening years?How did Kain get from being a lone vampire tothe ruler of a wasteland? How did the worldchange over those centuries? The tempo wewanted to set was that of an action movie.Kain is seeking revenge and will cut throughanything in his path."

T H E E N E M Y W I T H I N

0PS2: When you play an adventunthese days you're invariably contnone of the good guys, yet Kain is acharacter. Do you think there is stiin the massmarket for anti-heroeslBret Robbins: "Absolutely. Who are thememorable characters In any film orThe bad guys. They are the ones whohave all the fun, whiie the hero has tcthe rules. Gaming is an escapist medithe player wants to live vicariously thidifferent characters and enter differerKain is driven by power, hatred and rsHe is flawed, yet his motives are very

(Left) Even vampires need ladders. (Right) The world's campest bo

PlayStation.E 0

P R E N I E L USIAR TREK: VOYAGER - EUTE FORCE

L i J D R D S . m fl R K I U F H _ B R N K

5 <J_ □

Seeking out new life, new civilisations andboldly going where quite a few have

been before. Make it so.

n U N R D N 53 E I N G B D R Gnsign Munro can employ some nifty tactics toirevent assimiiation by the Borg.

f It'^ ° ' ""tmm i m

k

1. It Is possible tosneak up on the Borgwhile they are busyfiddling with theirDistribution Nodes.

2. The DistributionNodes are a bit of anAchilles whole-bodyfor the Borg. Destroyone of them and allenemies in the vicinitypower-down.

3. The Borg thenbecome limp anduseless. Not aparticularly cleverdefence for themost powerful raceIn the universe

, v i i - ' - ' -

P u b l i s h e r C o d e m a s t e r sDeveloper Pipedream Interactive

Players: 1-4Release: April

et's face it, hardcore Star Trek fans are willing toforgive anything associated with GeneRoddenberrys vision: the histrionic acting ofDwight Schultz (al<a Howling Mad Murdock of TheA-Team fame), the lengthy moralising thatunderpinned every episode of The Next

Generation, even the Munchi^in overtones of Captain KathrynJaneway. For every good Star Trek episode you can guaranteethere will be five dodgy ones. And so the same goes for thevideogame interpretations. Unfortunately current code indicatesthat Star Trek: Voyager Elite Force is in danger of falling into thelatter category. Ul e William Shatner it's flabby slow and likely togive you a horrible sinking feeling

This is a first-person shooter and, to be fair; it's a genre thathas been done to death over the last decade. It's embarrassingthat some developers still seem to be struggling to implementsmooth movement and controls. And though final tweaks needto be made, it seems unlikely that these key areas will beoverhauled in time for release. Movement through the corridorsis not only stodgy, with low frame rates, but Is slightly Jerky, too.There is even a walk command, though why you would want toslow down the already pedestrian pace Is unfathomable. This, ofcourse, makes the combat equally frustrating and aiming is ahaphazard affair due to the poor control mapping to theanalogue sticks. There has been an attempt to implement anauto aim but it is en-atic at the best of times.

It's a pity because the polished PC version - of which thisis a port: - displayed a great deal of imagination and effectivelyconveyed the atmosphere generated in the TV series. Take forexample the opening segment of the game that sees the heno,Ensign Munro, attempting to rescue his crewmates from thedreaded Borg ship. As you fight through several levels of thefranchise's most celebrated alien race, you come across acontrol panel that if triggered properly, will free your colleagues.The game proceeds into a cut-scene showing Munro destroying

As in the TV series, Voyager is teieported to tiie middle of another galaxy. This conveniently provides many opportunities to meet alien

i2 PlayStation.E -

the panel to reveal grey walls, lined with fluorescent strips. Yes,In a perfectly executed twist, the designers have you fighting onthe holodeck of the ship as part of your Introductory training.

The first few levels of the game have more novel touches.After an attacl< by a renegade ship. Voyager is flung into themidst of a space graveyard that provides many opportunities fordangerous missions. Other crew members will often join you onthese mini quests and the Al of your supporting crew works well.There are other Ideas, too. The Borg, for Instance, adapt to yourweapons making it necessaty to change arms for maximumeffect. Control panels can also be destroyed to power-downoncoming assailants. And while lift triggers, recharge units andhealth panels dont bring anything new to the genre, they areintroduced In a way that adds balance to the exploration.

The bad control Issues and impoverished visuals are a bigbone of contention. Also, the textures are repetitive and give thegame a decidedly PSone appearance. Sure, Trekkers will forgivemuch, but even the most loyal Cornish Pasty-head will struggleto love Elite Force - unless Codemasters can work some of itsmagic during the PAL conversion process. □

□N T R R G E T PB T R R T R E K N O y R B E RE L I T E F O R C EIt might be a next-generation platform, but will this be a genuine next-generation title? May the Force be with it. Oh, sorry wrong flim.

/In a perfectly executedtwist, the designers liaveyou fighting on the holodecl(as part of your training//

o

C O N T R O L S i V I S U A L S A U E N SStodgy and lacking i Some good ! Excellent variety,refinement, a lot of ' atmospheric touches, < sure to delight thetweaking is required. ! but dated graphics. ! Star Trek faithful.

\ J D E E O FR E R E D NIn an interesting move tlie deveioper gotmembers of tiie original cast to supply thevoice-overs for most of the game's cuts-scenes. It certainly adds a level of authenticitymissing from most of the Star Tlvk games.

ttliti III H» r«mir»{r, I in't lliik 'vrietfiri' wmii imi Mttintiiri wasi t iiY war I hiK im Mssikir pistitl titnl

Here, Tuvock (Tim Russj and CommanderChakotay IRobert BeitranI berate you foryour efforts in the training mission.

I H j u M s r t : H t t m t l

niltM, vkal taak rat ta iiai? lUt la «»t t war* sart araacairatfenf Vaa aaaf ta »t ia tltra aal saat it «aM! Tktrt art

Anonymous B-list crew members providecannon fodder for the Borgs (serves her rightfor scrimping on the Oil Of Oiay applications!.

S H A D O W H E A R T S

L U D R D S : D E R N E N R N 5

(1

Evil walks the Earth, powerfulbeyond our comprehension.

Surprisingly, It wears a top hat.

Publisher MidwayDeveloper Sacnoth

Players: 1Release: April

i R R N E y n R D 5 H I F Tch enemy killed In Shadow Hearts builds up the level ofallce. At certain polnte, the hero must enter a psychologicalaveyard to battle the spirits of the monsters he has killed.Is reduces the Malice. Still with us? Good...

Yo u w i i / i t o ( j u i e t t h e • = ■ , 1* N o , n o t e s p e c i 6 l l y t' yet., yoMfU^ 0 prohlcH tiiih tluit

he year is 1913, and in a far-flung partof Asia, a steam train thunders acrossvast and empty piains. In one of itscarriages, rifie-wieiding Japanesesoldiers stand guard over a youngJapanese giri - only a small army

could snatch her from them. But it doesnt tal^e an

army ittai^es Just one man. Dressed in a top hat andtails, the unl<nown intruder simply v<all<s in, protected bya demon viihich bats away the bullets f red at it by thesoldiers. Within minutes the guards have been brutallyshredded, and the girl is gone...

So begins Shadow Hearts, a Final Rintasy-styie RPGset in the early 20th Century There's much that'sfamiliar here. The spii -haired Japanese hero (orphaned,mysterious past, wears a long coat..|. A plot that's onlyvaguely explained. The supernatural sub-culture. And afamiliar turn-based combat system, allowing you tounleash physical or elaborate magical attacks againsthordes of l^iiier spiders and demonlsed things you cantquite describe. There are magic points and hit points,attack-repeiiing jeweilety and health-restoring flora. Butthere promises to be more to Shadow Hearts than justanother Square-inspired cash-in.

This isn't the sort of game you expect from I»1ldwayBut Shadow Hearts (from the team who broughtKoudelka to the PSoneJ gives the standard RPGmechanics a couple of fresh twists. Rather than a trulyfantastical setting Shadow Hearts is tinged with horrorIn fact, it's much like the paper RPG Call Of Cthulhu Inthis respect Alongside the basic set of character stats.Magic points and Hit points, each character also has aSanity rating This score detennines Just how mentallystable the character is when facing one of the game'shellish fight-freaks

The combat system Is second-hand Final Fantasywith a lick of paint. During an encounter, you canchoose to 'Attack', unleash a character's 'SpecialAbilities', use an 'item' (ie, to heal damage, protectagainst firel or 'Defend' against an opposing strike.However, it's not Just a case of selecting an option andwatching the consequences. Shadow Hearts features aJudgement Ring, a disc-shaped gauge with threehighlighted segments. To successfully perform anattack or action, you must press 0 when the rotatingbar passes through these segments. The closer youstop the bar to the edge of a segment, the moredamage you can Inflict,

Is there Just time to mention the fact that the herois a Harmonlxei; with the abliify to fuse his essence withsupernatural monsters? That he needs to fight evilspirits in a graveyard to retain his sanity? Or that thereare elemental powers, a secret conspiracy, a gayacupuncturist and a novel-sized wedge of truly trulyterrible dialogue? There Isnt? Well It doesn't matter asthe review is coming soon... □

□N T R R E E T PE H R D D L U H E R R T 5Looks like Final Fontosy, plays a lot like Final Fantasy, but has anunsettling, creepy darkness that sets It apart.

e

G R A P H I C SBig, bold, traditionallyJapanese. Oh, andvery blood-spattered.

S O U N DA n e e r i e o r c h e s t r a lscore adds to thegloomy atmosphere.

G E O G R A P H YFrom Asia to Europe;- so many places togo, monsters to kill

Fighting the spirits in the Graveyard allows the hero to gain extra Fusion powers.

defeating evil souls in the graveyard, the hero can absorb theirlities. The Death Empenor, for example, transforms him into aged gargoyle with the ability to belch purple smoke.

4 PlayStation E

P R E N I EM I K E T Y S O N H E AV Y W B G h T B O X I N G

\ j y

L J J D R D 5 ; D L N E R H U R L E y

y S D NG H

\ lB D X L d

Could this cheelw little number fromCodemasters be the last time we see

IMike Tyson in a boxing ring?

P u b l i s h e r C o d e m a s t e r sDeveloper Codemasters

Players: 1-2Release: April

nee crowned the 'baddest man on

the planet', Mike Tyson Is nowperhaps best known for being aferocious ear nibbler who's rather

partial to the odd leg of Lewis lamb.Yet the bulldog-faced boxer must

retain a degree of infamy because he can still gethimself signed up to a game based on the 'nobie art'.

MTHB doesnt take the arcade-style route of theReady 2 Rumble series, but neither does It go for theSim option. Instead, it piays much like a 3D beat-'em-up- aibeit one in which you can't kick or throw fireballsThere are many ways to make your opponent eat canvas,although getting them there is not easy Any game thatutilises every single button on the pad Is never going towin the Pongamrd for simplicity, but you'll soon beforced to master the variety of Jabs, hooks and feints inorder to keep up with the frantic pace of the game.

The damage system doesn't follow your averagebeat-'em-up configuration either Each fighter has twoenergy bars which allows the game to take account ofrecovery times (the amount of Injury your blows causedepends on how much energy you've got). Each time youthrow a punch, you'll deplete some of your own reservesSo, If your opponent Is adept at blocking and dodgingIt's possible to lose a fight by punching yourself out.

With a name like Mike Tyson in the title you'd expectthe Queensbury rules to be flouted, and you wont bedisappointed here. Both low blows and illegal elbows tothe face are Included In your moves list. More orthodoxis the selection of special moves and combos - four foreach fighter - which are unlocked as you progressthrough the game. Winding up for big finishing punchesIs simply a case of holding down the relevant button for

unleash your fists, your gloves glow and inform youropponent that a bit of dodging might be In order

Sitting alongside the usual menu screen-botherersare Speed Boxing (Time Trial with fisticuffsl, the Survivalmode-Inspired Undisputed Champ and the ominous-sounding Mike Tyson Challenge, in which you must KOeach opponent In the first round. As well as Tyson, thereare a further 15 current heavyweights to fight, althoughonly dedicated fight fans will recognise any more than ahandful of them. Suffice to say, no-one's going to bebuying this because It's got Daneil Nicholson in It. Exceptfor Danell Nicholson's mum, perhaps The bouts takeplace In 20 arenas, based around a variety of locations,from Las Vegas to Tokyo, and they're notable for housingthe most believable-looking fight crowds yet (rememberthe 2D abominations In SmackDown! 'Just Bring /t?'I.

With a variety of modes that would put many abeat-'em-up to shame, Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxingpromises rewarding and engaging gamepiay Indeed,you'd never have thought there were quite so manydifferent ways to hit someone In the face. □

□N T H R E E T P m i K E T y S D NH E R N y U J E E H T B O X I N GIs Codies* fist-fest a fine example of the noble art or will it just leavyou feeling concussed?

R O S T E R

Tyson himself is theonly huge-namefighter in the game.

M O D E SFeatures a pleasinglyimaginative array ofpugilistic options.

G O R EI n c l u d e s f a c i a l

damage but nobiting of ears or h

Severe button bashing is needed to peei yourseif off the mat. Quick, bite his ear! Or even his foot!

Play5tation.E (

Sparring is actualiy pretty tough with lyson as an opponent.

R E NC O N F U C T Z O N E

U J D R D 5 : 5 T E C U R R R N

N FZ D N

Shh! Careless Talk Costs Lives!While media gulibility will turn your

beliefs inside-out.

P u b l i s h e r U b i S o f tDeveloper MASA

Players: 1R e l e a s e ; M a r c h

D m S T H E B U I L D E R(not all shoot, shoot, shoot, /know, ff you're going to outwiti enemy, you'll have to have a smartly constructeo base.

onfllct Zone is a bright and cheerfulplatform game, based on the popularTV series Changing Rooms. "Really"you say, ready to turn the page. Butthis is merely a demonstration of thepower of the press The purpose of all

media - TV, radio, newspaper this - is to educate andentertain. But allowing yourself to consume it blind isdangerous Unquestioningly accepting lies makes you aliar too, and if you dont check the facts then you'reallowing another person to play with your mind. NothingIs completely unbiased. So It's probably best to lockyourself in your room, hide under the duvet and trustno-one Especially hacks who'd have you believe thatUbi Soft's multi-tier real-time strategy game is a gaudyJump'n'redeslgn-'em-'up stan-ing Carol Smiile

Conflict Zone, however, is a game of thoughtfuldestruction, set in a 21st Century world and around aUN-like collective called the International Corps forPeace la fighting force dedicated to the cause of not-fighting). Realising a not-fghting war game wouldn't sell- Interestingly, the working title for the French codeshopMASA's work was 'Peacemaker , hardly the most Invitingof titles - the developer included a rival organisation,the handily acronymic GHOST (devoted to Intercontinental ballistic mischief]. Cant we ali just get along?

Weil, evidently not it wont come as any surprise tothe hardened RTS expert to learn that during the courseof Conflict Zone's 32 missions the player can expect tofight for both GHOST and the ICR maintaining thedestructive balance of power that lines the pockets ofarms manufacturers everywhere. So It's the usualbalance of PC-instigated, freeform military boardgamefun - like digital Risk If it ail gets too much, the ability topass on conflict Instructions to Al-controiled

commanders leaves the player free to concentrate ontrickier areas on the frontline, and also on the game'sInnovative spin on resource management

Its not all UN Eurovlslon boom-a-bang-bang Thething that really sets Conflict Zone apart from a host ofother Command And Conquer clones, is the mediamanagement section. Influencing the media - lettingthem hear about the fights you win, and neatly skippingover the battles you dont do so well In - makes thecountries that support the ICP happier That, in turn,means they'll give you more cash to buy more weaponry.

The stress Is on realism over cartoon violence, andthe game has a point: Vietnam didnt just turn into a USnightmare In the jungle, but also In the US newspapers.While the Gulf War was a playground flght with addeddisplay of boys' toys patriotism for the press. Thismillennium's first Westernised conflict, the terroristchase In Afghanistan, Is somewhat awkward, hence thealmost complete media blackout. Words are asimportant as builets; own the media, and you own thewar Time to start up that propaganda machine... □

□N T R R E E T P□□N F L I C T Z O N E

There's no use in fighting a war if you're not going to shoot straight.Unless, of course, you persuade the media to tell evetvone you did..

O

A l

Initially good, but fallsvictim to the 'StupidActing Smart' bug.

«P

G R A P H I C S

Lovely 3D-mappedbattlefields. Still, afi e l d ' s a fi e l d .

M E D I A C O N T T R O LAn inspired add-on,but will it really work?T i m e w i l l t e l l . . .

Once you've built yourTimand centre, it'sle to providel e r a t o r s . L o t s o f t h e m .

2. A grid system makes placing yourbuildings easy, and enforces a certaintidiness for your camp, however manygenerators you decide to put down.

But power alone won'tI you the wan you'reng to need someks, So build 3 factory.

B Story progresses through text-based commentary. Suitably overblown briefing screens caption each mission. Ah, a civilian house. Hope I've made it in time for Eastenders.

R E \ JSOLDIER OF FORTUNE: GO

U U O R D 5 : D E H N E ^ R N S

Cold-blooded mercenary killer meets hot-blooded PS2 game. There's nothing subtle,

secret or stealthy about this game.

P u b l i s h e r C o d e m a s t e r sDeveloper Raven Software

Players: 1-4Release: April

ased on the gung-ho glossy magazine of thesame name, Soldier Of Fortune: Gold isntsubtle. It's a game of blood and guts, of arcingsplatter and merry massacre. In short, it's anunashamed throwbacl< to those FPS daysbefore the scripted soldiering of Half-Life and

the quietly-does-lt sneaklness of Metal Gear Solid. In itsAmerican Incarnation, publisher Activision claimed that It was:'the most realistic, covert-operative themed shooter evercreated." If it is, the secret worid of the mercenary piayssuspiciously like a game of Quake.

Like most FPS titles, SOFis a taie of a ione gunman fightingagainst improbable odds. You become John Mulllns, a fearless,gun-toting soidier of fortune charged with recovering four stolennukes from a gang of fanatical terrorists. Ten missions leachwith multiple sub-ieveis) take your search from Kosovo toSiberia and from iraq to the Sudan. There are tunnels to rundown and complexes to cleat; barrels to explode and switchesto flick There's running and Jumping crawling and strafing. Youcould say that playing Soldier Of Fortune: Gold is like starring Inyour own straight-to-video action movie.

Built around id Software's Quake II engine, what SOF lacksIn originality, it more than makes up for with sheer intensity ofgameplay. Developer Raven Software knows its FPS stuff, havinglooked beyond the 'bloke with a gun' ciichfe to do a 'bloke witha wand' iHexenl and a 'pointy-eared bloke with a phaset' IstorTrek Voyager: Elite Force}. Admittedly, SOFis another take on the'bloke with a gun' basics. What you cant knife, you can shootwith a pistol, shotgun or sniper rifle. Later levels boost theavailable firepower even more, with sub-machine guns, rocket-launchers and satlsfyingly powerful flamethrowers.

But what sets Soldier Of Fortune: Gold apart? It's not thelevel design - which, while varied, is mostly linear Neither is Itthe Al - the cannon fodder terrorists have obviously attendedthe Stormtrooper school of accuracy it's actually the 3D

l U LT I P L R y E R m U L L I N Bdier Of Fortune: Go(d is not just about one man fighting against improbabie odds,an be about 1-4 men figliting against improbable odds...

i-player: Play deathmatch games,turn the flag, or work cooperativelyInst Al-controiled bots.

Four-player: Plug In a MultlTap and fourof you can defend yourselves. The gamedoes move slowly In this mode, though.

No sucii tilinga s a o n e - m a n

army? Thinkagain soldier...

h a w k : G e t h i m :

s cut-scenes in SOF use tiie in-game grapiiics, neatiynding tiie ongoing narrative into the fast FPS action.

8 Play5tation„E

SSPspHtiObvstemdefines 26 body parts(such as legs) for realisticcombat damage.

Night vision gogglesallow you to ventureconfidently into event i i e d a r k e s t c o r r i d o r

An FPS wouldn't be an FPS without thepopular sniper rifle and telescopic sight.

graphics. Raven Software has enhanced the Quoke-basedvisuals with Its own GHOUL rendering system. Consequently, 26body areas can be targeted and shot at. Shoot a terrorist In thethigh and he'll collapse clutching his leg howling in agony Firea shotgun at point-blank range and you're likely to blow thearm of an enemy soldier clean off. With decapitation andincineration a regular occurrence, Soldier Of Fortune: Gold willbe slapped with 18 certificates

SOF often encourages you to approach missions stealthilyA Personal Audio Detect ion Device measures how much noise

you make - the louder you are, the more enemies you alert.But you dont need to hide anywhere or sneak up quietly toknife enemy guards. You can accomplish your obi'ectives withconstant strafing and a hall of bullets - the sub-machine gun Isby far the most enjoyable weapon on offer With generouslyscattered ammo and a constant stream of enemies. Soldier OfFortune: Gold Is a mindless shooter and proud of it.

With a lengthy Single-player mode and a split-screenmultiplayer option that can support up to four players, SoldierOf Fortune: Gold may be crude. But its breathless, concentratedgunplay promises to make it an extremely addictive game. □

□N T R R E E T P 5 D L D I E R O FF O R T U N E : E D L DIt's not original, it's not cutting edge, but Soldier Of Fortune: Gold has ared-raw playabllity that might just keep you hooked.

O

R E A U S MThink of it as Quakemeets classic coin-opG r e e n B e r e t

O

P I A Y A B I U T Y

Easy to control, bigenough to provide adecent challenge.

G R A P H I C SDated, but has a funGo/denEye-styletargeting system.

//With generous amm<and a constant stream o

enemies, SOF is a mindiesshooter... and proud of it/

P H R R N a i nDeveloped from the PC original, Soldier Of fortune: Gold was inspired by the US magazine of the ■same name. It's pro-military, pro-strong US defence, pro-police and pro-veteran...

Soldier Of Fortune proudly and stronglysupports the right of the Individual to storeand bear arms.

By opposing tyranny of all kinds (with guns),the magazine supports the basic freedomof mankind (to shoot gunsj.

I

The February 2002 Issue of Soldier OfFortune features an article on the dos anddon'ts of tunnel warfare...

* *■

...and a very good piece on a .automatic battle rifle now avateWeln a'sporting' model to law-abiding eltlzHB.

Terror is ts have sto len four nuclear warheads f rom Russia and i t 's

up to you to get them back. Everyone else was busy apparently.

Run, jump, shoot, shoot, shoot. Hit switch.Shoot, crouch, shoot, shoot, run, shoot..

Running along the top of a speeding train, at night, with a faction shotgun. This game is action-packed right from the \

PlayStation.? o:

R E N ED A R K S U M M F T

L U D R D S ; P R U L F I T Z P R T R I C K

<T

What do you get when you cross anaction adventure with a

snowboarding game?

Publisher "mQDeveloper Radical Entertainment

Players: 1-2R e l e a s e : 1 4 M a r c h

et's try something. Don't think about ascariet cow on rol lerblades.

You did, didn't you? The power ofsuggestion is a nemarkabie thing andnothing makes you con]ure an image inyour head faster than being told not to.

With this in mind, may we introduce you to thesnowboarding excesses of Dark Summit a new additionto tiie growing club of Vaiue added extreme sports'games. Just dont compare it to SSX Tricky, okay? No,reaiiy They're very different kettles of stalefish. Iviostiy.

Dark Summit takes snowboarding's trick-pullingshenanigans In a new direction. It's an objective-basedaction adventure, complete with plot and a 'stick it tothe man' boarders vs authority spin. Your job is toplough, oilie and flying squin^l' through 45 challengesand missions on the slopes of the fictional MountGarrick The missions range from the predictable'perform six grab tricks within a time limit', to the free-range bizarre - It wont be long before you'redemolishing outhouses, decapitating snowmen andJumping vats of toxic goo like they're regular events onSki Sunday. Complete objectives, rack up reputationpoints and you'll not only unlock higher slopes, newcharacters and new challenges but you'll also get toupgrade equipment and your Goretex-boho wardrobe.There's also a split-screen Multiplayer mode with speed,trick and demolition-based showdowns to get stuckInto; It's arguably more fun than the Mission mode.

Dark Summit is an ambitious game and has adistinctive arcade look that suits the anarchic gameplaydown to its Yeti boots. However, there's another keyrespect In which It differs from SSX Tricky and,worryingly, it's not an encouraging contrast. The controlsystem is disappointingly sluggish, with button presses

sometimes ambling towards on-screen execution - veryfrustrating In a genre where quick reactions demandresponsive and instantaneous feedback

Moreover, that genre-essential sense of velocity isoften missing This problem is laiigely the by-product ofthe objective-led gameplay. Since you're constantlylooking for items, people and so on, the racing elementof the sport is marginalised. Trying to knock Chiefdreary's chicken dinner off its picnic table is all verywell, but it doesnt have the same visceral grip asbombing down a frictionless hill on a waxed plank withfour trick-pulling maniacs gaining on you. There's alsothe potential problem of repetition. Fail to get enoughpoints to open the next slope and you're forced to godown the same run over and over True, there are shortcuts and multiple routes, but forcing players to cut theirteeth on a solitary stretch of powder is a risky strategy.

if the control system can be tightened, there Is a lotto like about Dark Summit not least the attempt to givesnowboarding a grungy, plot-fuelled purpose beyondpure trick-pulling It's not SSX Tricky, but that's a badgeIt wears with pride. Will it wear as well with gamers? □

□N T R R E E T P D R R K B U m m iAn ambitious spin on the Value-added snowboarding' genre thatpromises a lot, but is currently undermined by sluggish controls.

A C T I O NThere's definitely noshortage of tilingst o d o .

C O N T R O L S

Treacly andunresponsive tosay the least

G R I N D I N GO P P O R T V I N I T I E SM o r e r a i l s t h a n

Clapham Junction.

B u m r n i T sL U R D N GSo just what exactly is going on upM o u n t G a r r i c l ( ?

A favourite with hardcore snowboardersfor years, Mount Gan-ick's slopes providephat air and trick-puliing potential Inspades. At least that's how it used to be,before Chief O'Leary became the residentranger His dislike of snowboarders was

^ clear from the outset and pretty soonhe was limiting their access tocertain areas of the mountain. Thatwas annoying enough, but now

V * O'Leaty has closed the summit^ entirely and there are rumours thathe's not the only one keeping people

off the slopes. The word Is that a UFOhas crash-landed up there and a

\ faceless government organisation iskeen to keep spectators away Enter

tl Naya, skilled boarder and yourcharacter In Dark Summit When anunidentified 'mole' contacts her and

gives her access to Mount Garrick shei sets off to find out what exactly is going

on behind the barriers. But she's goingto have to keep her wits about her Ifshe's to avoid the authorities...

i r

Naya may be cool but she seems to dress in the dark.

6 2 6 3 8 I « 8 2 B S 8

TVvc-player games are arguably more fun than Story mode.

In Dark Summit, you won't be wanting for things to do.

Check out the novelty sized chicken! Go on! It's huge!

L U D R D B : 5 T E C U R R R N

N 2Children of the

(rjevolution take note:Ubisoft's larval adventure is back

P u b l i s h e r U b i S o f tDeveloper Genki

Players: 1Re lease : TBC

P R E N E LJ A D E C O C O O N 2

ew ideas In videogaming are rare.Example: everyone knows that JakAnd Daxter, played as a straightplatform game, tal<es Its cue fromDonkey Kong at the dawn ofpixellated time. And so Dropsfilp Is

Afterburner, and TimeSplitters Is Wolfenstein, and ProEvolution Soccer Is Pong with 22 footballer-shaped bats.And, if you want to keep going and take it to the nthdegree. Metal Gear Solid, played via the overhead map,is Just Pac-Man - get through the maze, collect the pills,avoid the ghosts. Weil, maybe.

Jade Cocoon 2 may look fresh and quirky but it'snot a new idea. Its premise will be familiar even to thosewho didn't play the original PSone Incarnation of JadeCocoon: collect monsters, rear them and play them offagainst one another In the hope of winning morB. Gottacatch 'em all, right? Right. PlayStation 2 now has ananswer to Pok imon .

So It's an RPG with kleptomaniac tendencies andcomes with all the roamlng/fighting/breeding gamepiaybaggage which that implies. The elemental theme thatran through the first game remains; it'll be a systemfamiliar to those who've experienced Final Fantasy X,where the most effective tactics In each fight dependlargely on the enemy's elemental type.

There ar? combative Improvements to consider,too. While the restrictions of the first Jade Cocoon gamelimited combat to one-on-one fights. Jade Cocoon 2allows the player to use up to eight monsters In eachfight by surrounding them in a ring of their geneticcreations. Only the fonfl/ard-most three can be used atany one time, but the shoulder buttons allow quickrotation of the circle, and that brings an extra elementof thought into the anime mammal new skool chess

mix An animal's attacks are related to their particularposition in the cincle; with the ability to fine-tune theircircular order In between battle for as long as It takes,the strategic possibilities alone seem worthy of thefranchise's next-gen evolution.

Graphically therB's a generational leap too, but themove to a fully 3D world hasn't Impaired any of thegame's distinctive caricatured atmosphere. Presumablythat's mostly to do with the character design, Genkihaving employed a (smalil name Japanese artist,Katsuya Kondo, to do their scribbling for them. That's tobe praised, since in this post-Pikachu world everyonewants their own pet monster, and Jade Cocoon has tostand out f rom the crowd somehow.

Yes, Jade Cocoon 2 is not a new idea by anymeans, but that might not be as import:ant as It seems.Think about the games referenced in the first paragraph.Good games are good games, whatever their heritage,and while innovation is something to be admired,brilliance Is paramount. Will Jade Cocoon 2 find anaudience on PS2? We'll see... □

□N T H R E E T P□R D E C D I I D D N 2As good as the classic family movie Cocoon, or as bad as the movieCocoon 2: We're Not Getting Any Younger?

C A T C H T H E M A L L200 pure monstersand around 20,000c r o s s b r e e d s !

G R A P H I C S

Very Japanese, verystylish, but maybe al i t t l e c r u d e .

• o

G A M E P L A Y

Cute, but will itprove as addictivea s P o k e m o n ?

Exclamation marks Indicate things you can interact with. Pink hues and pretentious furniture: this must be mystic

N e v e r t r u s t a h i p p j i . . . . . O r a s u g a r - r u s h i n g t w e l v e - y e a r - o l d .

Play5tation.E 03

sni Wins: JBH snufKinE

A CLONE IN THE DARK?Can LucasArts' latest vehicle keep Star Wars away from the Dark Side?

Only PSM2 has the answer.

I LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC.I Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM, All rights reserved.jnder authorisation. LucasArts and the LucasArts logo are trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd.

n S M 2 >

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\ IWHAT PSM2 STANDS FOR

^ Why is PSMZ Britain's best independent P5Z mag? Because we're just like you - straiglit-talking gamers wittpassion for PlayStation 2. Real gamers rely on us to deliver the definitive verdict, and this issue's no exceptiorVirtua Fighter 4 reviewed, Onimusha 2 exposed. Metal Gear Solid Z tipped into submission... All-in-all anotfround of tireless, pertinent and informative insight into what you care about most. Want to know more? Then,

OmCIALMAGAZir

own I t on \) jDeo no^!-■ f t . , # • ,

U N C D N E R I N G T H E L R T E B T N E O J E E N E R y f T l D N T H

h e a d l i n e r

E D I T E D B Y G E O R G E WA LT E R

Britney Spears on PS2! —Summoner/Red fact ion return -

Raw wrestling with Pride FC —Latest coin-op news4x Studio presents IrvnStorm —

2002 FiFA Wtorid Cup exclusive -Smash Court Ter)nis is back • - - -

PF-

Think you of Star Wars. New games you want, hmmm? Clear this future is. Star Wars: Jedi Statfighterand Star Wars: Racer Revenge precede the new Episode II movie in March.

r

Get a taste ofEpisode II withJedi Starfighter.

Exploding enemy shipsm^e for spectacutar' firework dispiays.

Once inside thiecraft, no-onecan iaugh atyour 'tacfie.

Drold StarfiohtAr

M M ' :•Hly.y.

wrm STAR WARS: Episode II - Attack of the Clones poised for aninvasion of cinemas in May, LucasArts is currently putting thefinishing touches to Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter This sequel to theoriginai deep-space shooter Is due for a worldwide launch at theend of ivlarch. it promises 15 missions, split-screen cooperativeaction and faster Force-assisted gamepiay. It will aiso give Star Warsfans a preview of the iocations and story line of the new movie.

Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter is set ten years after the events of thefirst game. When the Jedi Councli receives reports of disturbances Inthe Karthakk system. It dispatches top Jedi AdI Gailia to investigate.Piloting the Repubiic's new Jedi Starflghtet; Gallia becomesembroiied in a series of events that run concurrently with theEpisode a stoty. Over the 15 deep space and planetary missions, thefocus alternates between Gailla and the ex-pirate Nym (who returnsfrom the first game). Everything has been improved - the 3D engineIs faster, the targeting Is more intuitive, and each mission can alsobe piayed in a co-op, Spiit-Screen mode with a second piayer Thereare ten secret missions to uniock and extra bonus vehicles. But thebiggest improvement Is the addition of speclai Jedi Force powers.

"We wanted to enhance the Starfighter game and bring It to thenext step," explains the game's Designer Tim Lungo. "One of the El

Play5tation.E 03

Your four basic weapons are now assigned to tlie digital directional pad.

3 main goals that we had for Jedi Starfighter was to increase thenumber of weapons that the player had. So each one of the buttonson the D-pad corresponds to a weapon. When you fly the Havoc, youhave bonnbs, cruise missiles, cluster misslies and proximity mines, inthe Jedi Starfighter; the buttons also correspond to your Jedi Forcepowers. These add a new kind of gameplay to the flight action genre.Traditional weapons are point-and-shoot, very ballistic. We wantedthe Force Powers to be magical."

There are four Force Powers that are Introduced in the game -Force Lightning Ian area-effect energy blast). Force Shield (aprotective bamer), Force Reflex (which slows down time, Matrix-style)and Force Shockwave (an expanding sphere of destruction). Theactivation of these Force Powers Iscontrolled with what Tim Longodescribes as a "golf-style swingmeter" When an enemy is targettedusing a Force Power, a coalescence ofcolour appears around It. By releasingthe flre button at the apex of thiscoalescence, you achieve a perfect hitor 'Force Clarity' on the target, Inflicting maximum damage. Forcepowers are only available when you have a full energy bar

With contrasting styles of fly-'n'-flght action, huge capital ships,diverse locales, revenge targeting and wingman commands, JediStarfighter looks bigger and better in all departments Yoda oncesaid: "Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not thesethings." Perhaps not But PlayStation 2 owners definitely do. □ DE

•Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter is stated for release on 22 March.

Miss ions arespiit betweens u r f a c e - b a s e ds k i r m i s h e s a n ddeep spacedogfights.

/^Fans get an earlyheads-up on locationsand story elementsfrom the new moyie//

STAR WARS: RACER REVENGE■Hie underrated pod racing showdown makes a return in March, after transferring fromLucasArts to Splashdown developer Rainbow Studios.

Based on the spectacular pod racing battle betweena young Anakln Skywalker and the sinister Sebuibafrom The Phantom Menace movie, Star Wars Raceroriginally appeared on N64 and Dreamcast Its bestqualities were its impressive sense of speed, detailedand lengthy tracks, and a subtle sense of humourmissing from much of the Episode I flim itself.The PlayStation 2 sequel appears to have built onthese positives, while introducing a more intense,c o m b a t i v e e l e m e n t t o t h e r a c e s . W h e r e a s i n t h e fi r s t

game, you could crash indefinitely and restart after athree-second pause, now one nasty collision meansInstant retirement A dynamic of boost and repair hasbeen Introduced, so as well as controlling your craftduring a race, you're also constantly gambling on itsstability as opponents ram you from all sides. Boost is

always available, but at the severe risk of anoverheated engine. Repairing your craft on the go,meanwhile, results in rapid deceleration. A moreaggressive, exciting panic-driven race is the result

Set two years before the Episode II movie plot,there is no crossover with this game land indeed nopod racing in Attack Of The Clones at all|. However,a teenage Anakln is the main human character,alongside an ever-more-twisted Sebuiba and anamusing cast of grotesque alien pod pilots. RacerRevenge's 13 tracks are lush and highly-detailedaffairs set across the five planets of Tattooine, MonCalimari, f?yloth, Gamar and Soleste.

* Star Wars: Racer Revenge is released on 28 March.Rev iew nex t I ssue .

The three-piecepods are speedybut f-agile.

ATTACK OF THE CLONESStor Wors: Episode 11 promises epic battle scenesand a darker storyline. So Where's Jar-Jar?

Due for release on the 16 May 2002, Stor Wars;Episode H - /Attock of the Clones marks the next stageIn the story of Anakln Skywalker and how he turns tothe dark side of the Force and becomes armouredasthmatic Darth Vader Darker than Episode t, Attack ofthe Clones focuses on the growing love between youngAnakln (Hayden Christensen) and the ex-Queen ofNaboo, Padme (Natalie Portman).

Behind the scenes, Chancellor Palpatine (IanMcDiarmid) Is secretly developing an army of clonedsoldiers - unlike the drold anmies in Episode I, theireffectiveness isn't hampered by a big 'off switch. Asthe relationship between Anakin and Padme develops,Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) investigates theexistence of the clone army Prepare yourselves forrenegade Jedi (including Christopher Lee's CountDookul, Bobba Fett's father; a fully-built C3-P0 and alightsaber battle Involving a nimble CG Yoda. Episode Hclimaxes with a Broveheort-style battle on the planetof Geonosis, where thousands of Jedi Knights face-offagainst the new clone troopers.

Sounds great. So fingers crossed...

Hayden Christensenas Anakin Skywalker.

J6 PlayStation.E

A BITTERTRENCH BATTLEHAS BEENWA G E D A C R O S SE U R O P E "

/RON STORM, P6 046

T :

Next-gen virgin Britney hits PlayStation 2 - and howl

WHEN PUBLISHER THQ announced at May200rs E3 videogaming trade show that it hadplans to make a Britney Spears game, hopesweren't exactly high. Was this going to be abunch of old video clips thrown together? Orwould it be a version of Jaleco's SteppingSelection, the poor Dance Dance Revolutionclone that featured the video to Boby OneMore Time but was so average It wasn'treleased in the UK? Or would it be even worse?

Fast fonward eight months to this January'sTHQ Editor's Day and 0PS2 hangs Its head inshame for Britney's Dance Beat looks Justgreat. Ostensibly a Bemani dancing game, THQhas entrusted Japanese developers Enix tobring the Lo/itaesque popstress to PS2. It's agreat move given Enix created cult dancinggame Bust-A-Move (Bust-A-Groove In the UK)for PSone, released In 1998 to great reviewsfor It's PoRoppoesque gameplay and pre-Spoce Channel 5 looks. Enix has recentlyre leased Bus t -A-Move Dance Summi t 2001for PS2 in Japan to solid reviews in theJapanese gaming press and this next projectshould see the developer receive similarplaudits in the US and UK

So what's Britney's Dance Beat all about?The game puts you in the role of one ofBritney's dancer mates (choose from Rob, EIna,Caria, Dan or Enrique) who must go throughvarious 'dance off auditions to win the right toaccompany Ms Spears on stage. Pull the rightmoves to the likes of Body One More Time, i'mA Siave 4 U and Overpratected and you'll open

up video clips, backstage footage and, asrevealed to 0PS2, exclusive songs only to bereleased In Britney's Dance Beat

Britney looks great In the game, wearingvarious outfits Including green hipsters andthat red bra one-sleeve affair You'll also seevideos to the songs you dance to, playing onbillboards In the background. Sadly, you won'tbe playing as Britney in the game itself butwho knows what happens when you completethe game In the way of bonus characters?

Gameplay-wlse, Enix has Improved onBust-A-Move. Yes, you press the buttons Intime to the music but Instead of scrollingdown a la Konaml's Dancing Stage game,symbols appear on a revolving wheel whichallows for clear screens and solid two-playeraction. Beat your mate and effects start toappear over your opponent's wheel, puttingthem off. Best of all, you can also play thegame using a dance mat - expect THQ torelease a 'game & mat' bundle package (aswith Ubi Soft's The Jungle Book: Groove Part^when the game Is released,

Having played the title, 0PS2 can attest Itplays as good as it looks - and It looks Justgreat it better had, as the game is heading tothe shelves in April, with THQ consideringfurther games featuring other artists IfBritney's Dance Beat Is a hit. □ IVIG

•Britney's Dance Beat is out this April. We'ilfeature an exclusive Interview with her nextIssue. Actually, we wont but It's worth a try

B L U E L I N E S» SCEA's online first-person military title SOCOM is currently up and running over an Ethernet system for testing by internal employees according to inside sources » SCE is

experimenting with the idea of moving production of PS2 consoles to China where cheaper labour costs can be commanded, news agency Reuters has revealed » Giants: CitizenKabuto developer Planet Moon Studios are to develop a new action adventure for LucasArte. The game will follow in the tradition of the publisher's crafted play and wry humour

) C

UK gamers promised DVD extras with PAL release of MGS2.

S 7 m L I B

You're right but they have justsent me a DVD.

(Left) Assistant Director Yoshikazu Matsuhana and (Right) Kojima shares a jol<e with Snal e.

READERS CURRENTLY LAMENTING thedelayed release date of Metal Gear Solid 2 willbe pleased to hear that the game has not, asmany games forums have suggested, slippeddue to unfinished code. Instead, its slightly laterarrival Is down to Konami waiting for theproduction of an 'extras' DVD to be completedand the addition of extra game modesexclusively for the PAL version.

Meta l Gear So l i d 2 w i l l be on sa le a t UKretailers from 8 March instead of the previouslyadvertised 22 February. The DVD, that has beenproduced by French TV channel Fun TV, is anhour-long behind-the-scenes look at the makingof the title. Giving a rare glimpse of Konaml'sJapanese development studios, It featuresinsightful interviews with key members of theMGS2team, including Director Hideo Kojima.The documentary tells the fascinating story ofhow the game emerged from early plans andsketches into the what has undeniably becomethe most publicised game in videogame history,

"It would be easy to just release Metal GearSolid 2: Sons Of Liberty as it is, but Konami ofEurope is committed to providing consumerswith the very best package imaginable," explains

Kunio Neo, President of Konami Europe."Naturally, we are disappointed to miss ouroriginal February release date, but we are certaingamers will be doubly delighted with theresultant package and enjoy the insight the DVDprovides." The PAL release will also Include threeexclusive game modes: a Casting Theatre (whereplayers can tinker with the FMV to make M16-wielding grannies trade places with Navy SEALs),an Extreme Difficulty level and Boss Survival inwhich players can take part in a series of fightsagainst the game's boss characters such asFatman and Vamp.

The DVD is reminiscent of the 'Making Offeatures included with Konami's other hit title,S/lent Hill 2 (also produced by Fun TV), theJapanese release of Pino/ Fantasy X or the extrasbundled with SSX Tricky. Of course not allgames' development cycles could hold upenough interest to justify the cost of a DVD, butMGS2 and the widening interest it has createdmakes it perfect for such a treatment. 0PS2 isnow leading the campaign for the documentaryt o b e s h o w n o n n a t i o n a l T V, □ G W

*See 0PS2#017 for the definitive review of MG$2.

PlayStation.E 03

AROUND L IKE AC R O S SBETWEEN BILLYELLIOT ANDMIKE TYSON"

PRIDE FC, PG 041

U I P G H T ELatest news on the progressof forthcoming games.

TOCA RACE DRIVER

Publisher: CodemastersL a s t s e e n : O P S 2 # 0 1 7R e l e a s e d a t e : J u n e

Just as 0PS2 was going to pressCodemasters furnished us with afew of the first in-game screenshotsof its forthcoming racing gameTOCA Race D r i ve r.

T H E T H I N G

P u b l i s h e r : C o d e m a s t e r sL a s t s e e n : O P S 2 # 0 1 3R e l e a s e d a t e : W i n t e r

U n i v e r s a l I n t e r a c t i v e h a s r e l e a s e dan impressive trailer of Its JohnCarpenter inspired scare-'em-up.Consisting mainly of in-gamefootage the title is lookingparticularly representative of thec u l t m o v i e .

KELLY SLATERPRO SURFER

P u b l i s h e r : A c t i v i s i o nL a s t s e e n : O P $ 2 # 0 1 0Release date; April

The next game to roll out ofActivision's 02 extreme sports labelfollows the exploits of super-surferand general Mr Nice Guy Kelly Slater.This is one of the first few in-games c r e e n s t o b e r e l e a s e d .

D ISNEVS PETER PAN: THELEGEND OF NEVER LAND

P u b l i s h e r : S C E EL a s t s e e n : l s s u e # 0 1 7Release date: April

Disney's Peter Pan grows up andbrings a 3D platforming experienceto the PS2 courtesy of SCEE. We'vepiayed the finished game, so youcan expect a fuii review next issue.

Jhi f

y /

Never mind green-eyedmonsters - we have pink.

More spell casting inS u m m o n e r 2 .

R N D T H R T ' S m R G I I IVolition to release Summoner 2 - Final Fantasy beware.

W H E N T H E O R I G I N A L S u m m o n e r w a s r e l e a s e d

back at the start of 2002 it was rightly lauded asthe best RPG on PS2... so far by 0PS2 (8/10,OPS2#004). A year on, that title has been claimedby Boldur's Gate and should have a brand-newowner when Final Fantasy X hits the UK thissummer. Not taking things lying down, developerVolition has dusted off its 20-sided die andannounced that wor1< on Summoner 2 is alreadywell underway.

Picking up the story 50 years on from theoriginal Summoner, you take control of the Queenof Halassar, adored by millions as a goddess reborn.In somewhat biblical terms she is described as,"having her fate written in the book of prophets,"and, "the saviour of ali creation", it would be anunderstatement to say she has something of a'reputation'. Unfortunately, your high profile meansyou are bound to pick up a few enemies and theQueen of Halassar has some rather nasty ones.Enter the King of Galdyr. He wants you dead, andother sinister factions like the 'Unseen' and thearmies of Urath are all plotting your downfall.

So far so Summoner, but the real news is themakeover that the title has been given. Theoriginal's tum-based gamepiay has been overhauledto incorporate more 3D action/adventure-style realtime combat, meaning that the sometimes insularworld of RPGs couid now be a viable proposition formainstream gamers. This new combat will beaccompanied by a more friendly camera system,vastly Improved graphics, a more character-drivenstory line and 30 brand-new locations Includingtropical isles and dreamlike cities. HardcoreSummoner fans wont be disappointed though, asthe game will feature customisable spells, newsummoners, an expanded mythology, improved Alfor your fellow fighters plus the ability to controlthree of your eight character group at once.

Published by THQ this autumn, 0PS2 will bringyou more on Summoner 2 from this year's E3 showin May □ MG/GW

'Check out www.summoner2.com for more.

R E - M I S S I O N T O M A R SVolition is aiso hard at wori( on anothersequel - get ready for Red Faction 2.

i « *"

\ I TWhile previewing Summoner 2 to 0PS2kt.this January's THQ Editor's Day, the llliniis-based developer also announced a sequel toRed Faction. Having sold over a million opieswortdwide on PS2 and PC (and been avwndedthe honour of an 0PS2 cover on issue i008)a sequel to the first-person shooter corles asno real surprise.

Essentially Half-Ufe set on Mars (wfih aplot on loan from Total Recall] Red fbctjonwas most notable for its use of the GeoiModengine that allowed players to strategiclllyalter and destroy the game environmeni inreal-time. Why creep through a door an getshot by a guard when you could aim a rtocketlauncher at a wall and have the resultingrubble fall on top of the waiting enemyTjWhilethis technology was sadly only operational inspecific game areas. Volition Is looking tpenhance the Geo-Mod engine in a sequll duethis winter,

"Red Faction 2 will take the action genreto new heights," said Volition's PresidentMike Kulas. The enhancements we've njadeto the Geo-Mod engine will allow playerj tocompletely interact with a game world, wheredestroying and altering the environment]becomes an integral part of gamepiay."

Details are scarce at the moment, bjutVolition already promises the game will feature multiple mission objectives, refiniedgraphics, an auto-save function, enhancedenemy Al (already one of the game's be^features), new game modes, customisableenemies and, as before, a myriad of we onsto fire and vehicles to drive. Best of all,Volition claims the game will also featur^ thefour-player split-screen that was sadlymissing from the original.

38 PlayStation,?

> » , v m m » J i

u s t ^ a m s ! ' TiiSimSTtS

Yuke's put wrestling aside and bring us fighting adventure EOE: Eve Of ExtinctionALTHOUGH MORE FAMOUS for creating WWFSmockDown/ 'Just Bring /t/'for THQ, Japanesedeveloper Yuke's Corporation has also been workingon the adventure EOE: Eve Of Extinction. This singie-player game is initiaiiy notable because of its fightsequences whicti pit you against multiple enemies,with Executive Director of Development for Yuke's,Yoshio Togiya claiming, The game will be so actionpacked that you won't be able to take your hands offt h e c o n t r o l l e r . "

You play as Josh Calloway EOEs centralcharacter, who is an employee of Wisdom Inc, amulti-national conglomerate and pioneer in thegenetics industry. However, not all of Wisdom Inc'sresearch Is as noble as it sounds and Calloway soon

discovers their evil intentions to build a weapon ofmass destruction called The Legacy constructed byfusing the essence of the human soul with a crystal.After our hero's girlfriend, Eliel Evergrand is capturedand her soul used to create a powerful Legacy hesets out rescue her and stop Wisdom at all costs.

Typically Far Eastern in it's approach to story,battling and music, on a first play EOE feels ratherlike an RPG minus the turn-based sequences. Shortcut-scenes are interspersed with third-person battlingi n w h i c h d i f f e r e n t a t t a c k s c a n b e u n l e a s h e d w i t h acombination of weapons including a light-saber-inspired beam sword, whips, axes and rods. Each hasit's own special qualities imbuing Calloway with time-stop and anti-gravity powers as just two examples.

Puzzles will also need to be solved, such as findingpasses to get through barriers and to gain access tou n r e a c h a b l e a r e a s .

Initial reactions are that the game Is lookinggraphically solid with Yuke's internally developed 3Dengine doing exactly as promised and providingdetailed, interactive environments that have aconvincing sense of scale. We've yet to play farenough into the game to have anything but a gutreaction, but at its most superficial levels it begsfurther investigation. Look out for a review of EOE:E v e O f E x t i n c t i o n n e x t m o n t h . □ G W

* EOE: Eve Of Extinction /s out towards the end ofMarch through Eidos.

» BAM! Entertainment has signed a deal witii Aardman to make games based on their animated characters such as Wallace and Gromit. The first game is expected in 2003 and isbeing developed in close collaboration with W&G's creator, Nick Park » Dragon's Lair Is set to return to the PS2 after last year's dismal DVD rehash. The new title is based on anexpanded version of the original Dragon's La/r but this time we are promised a brand-new eel-shaded 3D game. Anything will be better than the last effort..

— R E 5 H F D R T H E 1 J U E 5 TNew Eidos brand Fresii Games is to bring Japanese obscurities to the UK.

>M r M o s k e e t o , j _ ^des igned to A ~ mmake your life •a misery.

N I P P O N E S EW I S H U S TFive Japanese games that 0PS2want released in the UK.

GT Concept (SCEIINew Gran Turismo malarkey.N e e d a b e t t e r r e a s o n ?

RaluigaKi Oukoiiu [Taitol(Above) Draw and then play asyour own RPG characterNo Osanpo |Sega|Take a dog for a virtual walk andavoid obstacles.

Roomania #203 ISegalPlay pranks on a student in hisl i a l l s o f r e s i d e n c e .

Rimokokoron ISCEilSpice up the lives of the residentsof a small town.

GREAT NEWS FROM Eldos this month withthe announcement that It Is launching a newbrand to bring Japanese titles to Europe andthe US, Fresh Games, as It will be known, hasalready signed up three titles for release thisspring 2002; Mr Moskeeto, Mad Maestro andLegia 2: Duel Sago. All were previouslypublished under different names by SCEI, theJapanese branch of SCE.

The more intuitive and regular reader maynotice from the screenshots that this Isnt thefirst time 0PS2 has featured two of thesegames. Mr Moskeeto, where you control adisease-spreading insect on a quest for blood,then known as Ko iMosqu/to; Summer At TheYamada Residence! was covered way back InOPS2#011. Interestingly, 0PS2 has teamedFrench publisher Wanadoo had tried to securethe rights to this title, too.

The other is Mad Maestro, a rhythm-actiontitle that has you conducting a villageorchestra in a quest to raise enough money tobuild a new town hall, which puts a clever

Get ready toraise the roof inM o d M a e s t r o .

"What do youm e a n ' o w ?He's givingyou a kiss!"

t - V

twist on the Bemani genre by nequlrlng you toapply varying levels of pressure to theanalogue buttons it was originally titled BravoMusic and featured more recently In issue#015. Both were played and championed, andbegged us to ask the question: "Why dont weget these kind of original and quirky games inthe UK?" Thankfully Eldos has recognised thisneed and are willing to deliver the goods toWestem gamers.

Little is known of the other game, Legia 2,other than that it Is a sequel to Legend OfLegia, and is a martial arts themed 3D RPGwhich combines traditional combat withpowerful magic-based attacks. Unfort:unateiy,screenshots of this game were unavailable atthe time of going to press. Satoshi Honda, MDof Eidos Japan is excited about the prospect"We are extremely excited about releasingoutstanding games in the US and Europe thathave traditionally been unavailable outside ofJapan," he enthuses. "Titles like theseexemplify gamepiay that the hanJcore gamerhas been craving woridwide."

0PS2 couldn't agree more. Now we willJust have to wait and see what Eastern gemsEidos decides to release next. But in alllikelihood they will have been featured InSpy first - so ail you Japanophlles out thereshould keep your eyes open for ourrecommendations in future Issues. □ GW

'All three games will be released throughEldos this spring priced at £34.99.

PlQy5tation..E 03

seriouslyaddictiveA c e C o m b a t

D i s t a n t T h u n d e rA game of unerring speed, skilla n d n o n - s t o p a d r e n a l i n e .A m a z i n g p h o t o - r e a l i s t i clandscapes combined with thew o r l d ' s g r e a t e s t a i r c r a f tequipped with cutting edgeweaponry make this a trulygripping experience."Easy to get into and difficultto fault, Ace Combat is thebest combat flight sim onPS2." PSW Magazine

PlayStation 2■JSSwtPIXAR

£Aonsteiis,mcS c a r « I s l a n d

Monsters, Inc.Features over 20 filn clips front h e l a t e s t D i s n e y P i x ablockbuster, 15 huge zones t(explore and superb in-gamigraphics. Go behinc the scenewith the special '.naking offeaturette or simply enjoy thiunique action sequences an(c h a r a c t e r a n i m a t i o n s . E n r onow - it'll bring out thiMonster in YOU!

L i m i t e d E d i t i o n O n l y £ 2 9 . 9 9

O u t N o w

PlayStation 2

Uj|Ek£Qul:

W i p E o u t F u s i o nI t i s 2 1 5 0 A . D . a n d t h eF e d e r a t i o n h a v e u n v e i l e d t h enew WipEout F9000 League.Compete against 15 otherpilots as you race the newgeneration of anti-gravityrace-c ra f t over 45 t racks w i thuse of 26 weapons. WipEoutFusion takes racing games Intothe fu ture ."An instant classic - straighto n t o t h e A - l i s t o f m u s t - o w nP S 2 t i t l e s . " 9 / 1 0 O f fi c i a lPlayStation 2 Magazine

O u t N o w

Sta te Of EmergencyThe corporation took over youcountry and proceeded tcimpose its strict; rules ora n u n s u s p e c t i n g p u b l i cQuestioning this new authorityl e d t o u n r e s t . U n r e s t l e d t cfull scale rioting. To clamfd o w n o n t h e r e s i s t a n c e t h fcorporation has now declareca state of emergency. Now it';time for you to fight foiyour freedonn.

O u t N o w

b u y o n l i n e a tw w w . h m v . c o . u k

to pdogf o rgames

PLAY AS JAMIE,W H O W O U L DS H O U T P U K K A 'AT EVERYO P P O R T U N I T Y '

DES GENES, PG 046

Pnde FC provides theglitz of WWF but withmore guts. And blood.

L O U D R N D P R D U DLike wrestling? Like beat-'em-ups? You're gonna love Pride FC.WHILE WWF IS UNDENIABLY brutal, there is somethingof the amateur dramatic about the theatrical sport. Oneminute your favourite wrestler is down for the count afterbeing hit with a table, the next he's prancing around like across between Bliiy Elliot and Mii<e Tyson. So what do youdo if you like wrestling but, to be biunt, want your bloodand guts a bit more real? Welcome to Pride FC.

While selling out 50,000 arenas in Japan, Pride FC(Fighting Championship) is relatively unknown landprobabiy illegal) in the UK. The concept is simple. Placetop fighters from various combative sports in the samering and have them compete under the same rules. Thephilosophy behind the sport is the acceptance of anyschool of combat with the aim being to expose thestrongest fighters of ali discipiines. Put mots simply, it's amix of wrestling boxing kickboxing karate and Ju-Jitsu butwith the added bonus of causing actual bodily harm.

Which brings us to the smaii matter of the videogamecurrently being developed forTHQ by Japanese developersAnchor, the felias behind the original conversions ofTekken and Soul B/odeforthe PSone and the Pride-aiikeUltimate Fighting Championship for both Dreamcast andPSone. Pride FC wili boast 25 fighters from ali over theworld, each drawn using a graphics engine that not oniy

represents blood and sweat but enables muitipic o u n t e r - a t t a c k s a n d o n e - h i t k n o c k o u t s . ' "

Fighters wiil be built from over 5,000 polygonsso expect injuries to be graphicallyportrayed. Fighters Include

S a k u b u r a I g o rVovchanchyn and ail comec o m p l e t e w i t h t h e i r o w n HWWF-styie signature ringentrances, stare downs andspecial moves,

Jim Flaherty, ExecutiveProducer of Pride FC, promised0PS2 that the game wouldfeature over a thousand

fighting animations toprovide a realisticrepresentation. Everwished SmackDown! played more iike Tekken?Then Pride FC couid be for you. □ iVIG/GW

*Pride FC is due later this year from THQ. Coverageof the American launch of Pride Ithe sport, not the gamethis March wiil be shown on cable

Who's been a naughty boy then? Take that! And that! And... It might look lilte a male bonding ritual, but these guys are angry.

E i D O I D a E N I I I LOur Heaven and Hell-styled 'ometer

P S 2 H E A V E N

Britney Spears. Who wouldyou rather dance with,Britney or Baloo? Exactiy.

Dismai winter weather. #Perfect chance to snuggleup with your warm,humming PS2 andh i b e r n a t e t i l ! J u n e .

Moulin Rouge's Absinthe-fuelled Kyile apparition.Drinking the vile greenliquor rots your spine, soit's good to know there'sa trade off.

Being able to play Final %■Fantasy X in English at ionglast. So thot's what's goingo n . B r i i i i a n t i

Red-faced men in iii-fitting #suits taking up residence onall the good games at theATEl coin-op show. Like,aren't you supposed to bebe networking with thebingo hall people?

The problems our MGS2demo caused some peoplelast issue. For the last time- you press ® not ®. Ohyes. It works now.

GoDai . So bad i t ' sembarrassing Worth buyingonly for the exercise you'llget returning it to the shop.

• 0

4 J.

B L U E L I N E SInfogrames/Atari is to release TD Overdrive as the latest instalment of its Test Drive series. The game features a series of modes including a cop chase and a mission-based Storymode. The game will be out in March » Square has announced a second round of beta testing for its online RPG Final Fantasy XI for a select few Japanese gamers » Return ToCastle WoHenstein has been officially slated for PS2 by Activision. It's to be developed by Raster Productions but original creators id Software will take an executive role

PlayStation.^ 04:

w

Ihouldn't you be at school!lunking off to play Wove Runner;P at the 2002 ATEI show.

A

P H O T D G R A P H Y; M A R T I N B U R T O N

N 5 E R T C O I N T D C D N T I N U E0PS2 seeks out the latest arcade titles at the ATEI 2002 coin-op show.

EVERY YEAR THE coin-operated and electronic amusements,gaming and leisure industries get together for the AmusementTrades Exhibition international lATEl] exhibition at London's EarlsCourt. On paper it sounds like a brilliant day out - hundreds ofcoin-operated amusements all on free play. Unfortunately, as yearshave gone by, less and less new videogame coin-ops have beendisplayed at the show.

Instead the vast exhibition centre was two-thirds taken up byfruit machines, 'redemption' machines (that Involve you getting aworthless trinket for your skill at a very simple game) and thosefunny sliding stairs cabinets you see on piers that have youpumping in coins in an attempt to push a layer of lOps into achute. More technologically advanced amusements on displayincluded international betting systems and DVD Jukeboxes forinstallation in pubs and clubs All very interesting but where werethe 'real' games?

Luckily, the main players in the videogame trade wereparticularly well represented with Namco, Sega and Konami alltaking up substantial floor space to demonstrate their newestcabinets, it was unsurprising that these were the most popularareas of the show. It was also noticeable that as the sound andgraphics of next-generation console games become morecomparable to their coin-op counterparts, developers are trying tointroduce more physically interactive elements to their titles inorder to keep punters interested in visiting their local arcades

»2 PlayStation.E

Gaelco's Football cabinet requires players to kick a plastic ballhanging under the cabinet while controlling the footballer with ajoystick and three buttons for run, defend and dribble. The powerand direction of your shot or pass is determined by the way you hitthe ball. Although the idea sounds rather unwieldy, it's quitesatisfying pulling off a screamer from outside the 18-yard box whenyou've actually kicked the ball yourself. Elsewhere, Konami's TsurgiThe Sword' is a Samurai combat game that has players using anon-screen virtual sword. On the same stand Perfect Pool is playedwith a pool cue - the power and spin you use to hit a white ballattached to the cabinet corresponds to your on-screen shot. Itactually proved rather tough.

Even if you dont visit arcades often, many of these titles willeventually be available on your PS2, some already appearing onrelease schedules. Clearly the more interactive units and theirrequisite gimmicks will probably be unsuitable for consoleconversion, but they will at least keep the arcade experience aliveand fresh for a while longer □ GW

//Pulling off a screamer fromoutside the 18-yard box isquite satisfying when you'vekicked the ball yourself//

r u R u i

WHAT 0PS2 PLAYED. . .Jetskis, 18 Wheelers, Gorilla Hunting and plastic swords. All in a days work at the ATEI.

1. WAVE RUNNER GPSega/AM2This jet-ski Sim features a reaiYamaha MJ-GP1200R which you cansit astride and steer round a series ofthree water courses of increasingdifficulty. The craft itseif responds towal<e and rippies requiring you to'worl<' the Jet-sl<i around corners as itbucks and joits accordingly it mightprovide an authentic ride, but visually,in its pre-release state, Wave RunnerGP wasn't quite as polished as PS2'sown Splashdown.

2. KING OF ROUTE 66Sega/AM2Although this Just looks like anenhanced version of Sega's othertrucker sim 18 Wheeler, with itsoversized steering wheel and horn,King Of Route 66 includes a voicerecognition function. This is provided bya CB radio that can be used to Joinother convoys, or to bark "Nitro!" intofor a speed boost.

3. VIRTVA TENNIS 2Sega/HitmakerWe reckon this a dead cert on PS2 soit was quite interesting to see how thearcade version was coming along Oneof a series of titles made for the Naomi2 board and cabinet (the 'brain' thatruns the machine) it should beidentical on PS2. Inevitably it wasdevilishly playable and dangerouslyaddictive in Two-player mode.

4. COME ON BABY!E x c e l l e n t P o t a t o

Although this isn't exactly a new title,it's undoubtedly one of the mostoriginal at the show - you take on therole of a small baby. Play as Doogie,Zambie, Carreo or Pan Pan (in Pandacostume] in a series of ludicrousOlympic-inspired events like FaceSlapping, Lxing Jump, Gorilla Hunting (?)and Tower Jumping. Ethically unsound

but a lot of button-bashing fun and afair smattering of monkeys.

5. TURRET TOWERN a m c o

Housed inside an octagonal blueperspex cabinet. Turret Tower is onetitle that's confined to the arcades.Inside, you are strapped into a seatand required to take on the role of aturret gunner with six differentweapons at your disposal. It may notbe graphically up to much, but thegimmick - you rotate through 360"depending on which way you move theturret - is always going to pull in thecrowds at an arcade.

6. TSURGI 'T>IE SWORD'K o n a m i

This was perhaps the most interestingconcept seen at the show. Players holdthe handle of a sword which isrepresented on-screen by a hugeblade. The game is straightfonwardSamurai sword fighting, but the effectand 'weight' of the sword aresurprisingly good. Expect to seesomething like this on PS2 in the near-future, if in a different format. Didsomeone say light-saber?

7 BEACH SPIKERSSega/AM2

Sega do what they do best with an all-female beach volley game. Everythingthat an arcade game should be - overthe top, chunky, loud and dead easy toplay Beach Spikers is made even moreattractive to the male gaming crowd bythe inclusion of "16 Gorgeous Action-Packed Babes!" There's nothing to stopSega releasing this on PS2 and itsbrilliant Multiplayer mode would be aguaranteed hit.

O T H E R S O ND I S P L AYK o n a m i

□ Thril l Drive 2/Racing□ K ick And Kick/

F o o t b a l l a c t i o n

□ Jurassic Park II I /Light gun shooter

□ Per fec t Pool /interactive pool

S e g a□ V i r t u a A t l i l e t i c s /

H i t m a k e r / A t h l e t l c s s I m

□ Virtua Fighter 4/AM2/Beat- 'eni-up

□ Club Kait EuropeanSess ion /AM2/Kar tracer with memorycard system

13 Virtua Striker 3/AV/Football Sim

□ Wi ld R iders /Wow/MotorbIke racer

□ Maze Of The Kings/Hitmaker/Light-guns h o o t e r

N a m c o / B r e n t / G a e l c o□ Ridge Racer V -

Arcade BatUe/Racer□ Smash Court Tennis:

P r o T o u r n a m e n t /Te n n i s s i m

□ Gun Survivor 2/Llghtgun shooter

□ Te k k e n 4 /Beat-'em-up

□ Wangan Midnight/R a c e r

n Gae ico Footba l l /Interactive football sin

□ ATV Tl-ack/4x4 ATV race r

PlayStation B

"WELsil DN O R T H E R N m i S HREADERS MfiYNOT BE SOLUCKY, BUT LET'SBE REALISTIC.. ."

WORLD CUR PG 052 •••

' V i 'n E P D R T ET 1

Look! Diddy SSX Tnct<y characters! Ain't tliey cute?

SSX TTOCKVIS TO have its own range of collectibles based on charactersfrom the PS2 videogame. Ttie figures are being designed by JoyRldeStudios, part of Racing Champions, who is also working on similar productsbased on EA games like Cel Damage and Command And Conquer.

The SSX Tricky toys, which will Include Elise and Eddie, will go on sale inthe US in July 2002 and ate curtently at tfie prototype stage. They will alsocome packaged with special codes, strategies and cheats. "Many of thecharacters that EA has created are among gamers' favourites," explainsLinda Chaplin, Director of Strategic Sales for EA in the US. "We're confidentthat JoyRlde will do an excellent Job of designing our videogames icons,and we look fora/ard to working with them on future products.'

As Racing Champions has entered an exclusive 'multi-year' licensingdeal with EA it seems more than likely that further character-basedcollectible figures will be released in the future. Unfortunately no planshave yet been confirmed for the SSX Tricky toys to be sold in the UKso keep your eyes peeled for them in your local import shop over thes u m m e r m o n t h s . □ G W

•Should the SSX Tricky collectibles become available In the UK we'll let youknow first In Spy

Not actual size. EAprovided us with aspecial peek at thetoy prototypes. Lucky,lucl^ readers.

PlayStation®?' O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E - U K

Age; 14 going on 24 I Height: 7'5" in heels I Blood Type; Pinl(Distinguishing Features; Retro jet-pack, tangerine-coloured

micro-wardrobe and candy pink hairL o o k s A gorgeous distillation of Sixties

chic and Noughties sass. 9 4A t t a c k Rayguns + beats + gyrating robots• Murder on the dancefloor 8 3Defence Always ready to bust a groove in

the face of hordes of evil Morolians. 7 8Spec iaU An effective two-part wedgie

shaker dance move. 5 5

Distinguishing Features; Sharp teeth, big hands and an evilglare. Your granny wouldn't approve.

Looks Like he's been hit in the face a lot,very hard. Scares small children.

Mta«k His punch is like being hit square inthe chops with a shovel.

Ulala is your classic podium dancer, not afraid to strut herstuff in the skimpiest of miniskirts while leering men look on.But Ulala's saving the world from aliens, so go giri!

Bit of a bully really Although he claims to be the hardest manin the worid, he is constantly surrounded by minders and isoften seen wearing a shiny dressing gown.

PlayStation®^I OFFICIAL MAGAZINE-UK

COLLECT THE ENTIRE SERIES!SWAP WITH YOUR MATES!

CUT OUT AND KEEP!S E N D N O C A S H !

ACTUALLY, SEND CASH!

144 PlayStation.E

□Rb) 1 (55 □ECEfTIBER)Went Christmas gift iiunting for the verycool Kubrick MGS2 figures, but theyseem to be sold out. Empty-handedafter a day's search, not good. However,finally acquiring some Godzilla meatduring my travels cheers me up.

□R y I Binvited to a New Year's Eve dinner,tatami room-style. We sat huddledaround the kotatsu |a low, heated tablelchatting and watching a wrestling match.A hotpot of soup was bubbling awaythere was plenty of sake and the sushiw a s d e i i s h .

□R ! d KAfter a bout of flu and still not feelingmy best, I visit Kagaya, a very mad barits tiny, and can seat no more than 16people, During ttie evening, thehyperactive manager serves drlni^s In afrog and monkey suit and the beer mugsvibrate when brought to the lips. Sake Ispoured into cups from a cherub-cappedflask - classy stuff! Requests can also bemade for said manager to appear indifferent country-themed attire (the list Isactually in the menu). We choose Braziland France - he soon appears in frillysleeves, waving maracas and blowing awhistle. Later he re-emei^es as a beret-wearing painter, complete with easel!After more than a few drinks, membersof our group end up wearing the animalsuits. We'll blame the alcohol this time.This has to go down as one of myweirdest nights out in a very longtime.

□R a 2 3In need of a slice of game action, I headto the local arcade to try Namco's RyoriNo Tatsujin (Master Chei\. You must slidea cutting knife along a track and chopup a variety of pixellated seafood at theindicated cut mark. Sounds simpleenough, but the better you get, the moreprawns and squid appear, all sportingmultiple cut points. A total exceeding 22points (achieved within the time limit)awards a prize - in this case, it's AfroKen merchandise, its close, but 1 lose.

R b l Uu i B U R L m i xAt 23, J-pop darling and trend-setterAyumi HamasakI has racked up 19 topfive singles and five number one albumssince her 1998 debut. Ayu Visual Mixfeatures five songs from her 2001 tourand allows fans to customise their ownconcert video. You have multiple cameras,360" pans and 50 effects Isuch as failingfeathers] at your disposal. On the seconddisc you have access to numerousremixabie tracks and, with the use of amodem connection, PS2 exclusivecontent can be perused online. Lovely

Watch the real-life tracks from 07*3 raced on by real cars!

□R M N G 5 C H D D LWant to race like a pro? Then watch, listen and learn with Attack GT.ATTACK CJ IS a GT3 tutorial DVD that's Just beenreleased In Japan. Clocking in at 134 minutes, thedisc's content is divided into four main sections,the first of which is a three-part inten/iew »/ithproducer Kazunori Yamauchi. Shot at the TokyoMotor Show, the interview covers topics such asGran Turismo's roots, its evolution, plus KazunoriYamauchi's impression of the concept carsfeatured in the series' latest incarnation.

The DVD also features a Technique sectionthat is hosted by race driver and InstructorTakashI Ohi (supervisor of the GT series since GT2|.After discussing the multiple setup options of theGT Force wheel, Yamauchi then launches intoseveral cornering tutorials. Utilising diagrams, realfootage from a cai s Interior and roadside camson the Ebisu Cincuit, the presentation alsoincorporates comprehensive instrumentationdisplays on a one-lap run.

Yamauchi then moves on to relate specifictechniques to specific sections of GT3's tracks, five

of which are featured In the Super Time Attacksection. He begins by talking about hisexperiences in creating the environment for eachtrack Following this, Formula Nippon Champion,Satoshi Motoyama, makes an entrance and offerstips on negotiating the course's tricky areas. Theon-sctBen action cuts between game footage,pedal work, steering and a multi-angle lap replay(there's also a statistics overview of each track).The producer himself tackles Trial Mountain (NSXtype S, best time r33"952) and Tahiti Maze (LancerEvolution VII Rally, r54"995). The Machine Gallerysection of the disc features the car-cam footage ofthree vehicles from the 2001 Autobacs CupTouring Car Championship

it may be a little excessive at times, but AttackGT may nevertheless be the golden ticket forJapanese players who are desperate to obtain thelegendary 'gold' on the S licenses. □ AW

'Plans for a UK Attack GT release seem unlikely.

1 G R A N T U R I S M O C O N C E P TTOKYO 2001 (SCEIl

2 M O B I L E S U I T G U N D A M ; F E D E R A H O NVS Z10N DX ICAPCOM/BANDAI]

3 MOMOTAROU DENTEI X IHUDSONI4 W O R L D S O C C E R W I N N I N G E l £ V E N 5

RNAL EVOLUTION (kONAMI)5 SHIN SANGOKU MUSOU 2 (kOEl)6 M E T A L G E A R S O U D 2 :

SONS OF UBERTY (kONAMI)7 CRASH BANDICOOT 4 (KONAMII« SEAMAN (ASCill9 WINNING POST 5 (KOEl)10 JAK AND DAXTER ISCEI)

•Chart source; Famitsu (January 7-13}

L U H D y o u E D N N R C R L L P

B U G B U S T E R SSpray cans are the new light guns,in MIzI Productions' Bug Busters, am u t a n t i n s e c t I n v a s i o n i s

threatening the world - you mustclean up and wipe out the pests.Reloading your 'weapon' Is doneby furiously shaking the spray can,while various power-ups such as aZippo lighter will give temporary aflamethrower effect. Wipe out theenemies (maggots, flies, spidersand every other despicable pestyou can think of) within the timelimit to clear the stages. Should beI n U K a r c a d e s s o o n .

"Shake it! Shake it, shakeit, shake it, shake it baby!"

HamasakI is faintly annoyed atbeing upstaged by a 'browser'.

□ l U R D V E N T U R E !

P GT S U K U R U 5Tsukuru' is Japanese for 'build' and RPGTsukuru 5 allows players to constructtheir own RPG worlds from a selection ofeditable 3D monsters, architecture andcharacters. By using the tools available,players can create their own fantasygames. There is more to Tsukuru than justgraphics editing though - you are alsorequired to develop the game's story line.

"And this is where the elves l ive..."

PlayStation,E 04

Switch to thinl-personand... oh, you're dead.

The first-persoff jview is best forfirefights lil(e this

The sniper sight,t r a d e m a r k o f t h efirst-person shooter.

R 5 □ RN E

5

New info and hands-on experience of 4x Studio's IronStorm.

AS RRST REPORTED in OPS2#013, Frenchdeveloper 4x Studio is to reiease /ronStomi, anambitious waitime shoot-'em-up. Set in 1964, itestablishes the bizarre scenario that the First

World War never ended and for 50 years abitter trench-based battle has been wagedacross Europe,

Creative Director, Edouard Lussan, explainsthe concept further: "We w/anted to mal<e ashooter that would be different to games likeQuake, Wolfenstein or Medal Of Honour. Wehad to Invent a new concept and finallydecided on the principle of 'Aiternatlve History';

IronStorm's piot revolves around thedespotic Russo-Mongoi leader Baron RomanUngern Sternberg |aka The Mad Baron). His aimis to create a huge pan-Mongol state to rivalthat of Genghis Khan's with his ultimateobjective being to conquer the entire world. It'syour task as Weazei, a soidier born in themuddy trenches, to get behind enemy iinesand infiitrate the Mad Baron's researchcomplex where he is developing a top-secrettactlcai weapon that will enable him to achievehis pians. The game will be a mixture of first-

and third-person perspective with the piayerdeciding which view suits the particularmission In hand (the game offersstraightforward blasting and steaith missions).

After having had hands-on experience ofImnStorm at Wanadoo's Paris developmentstudios, 0PS2 can report that at Just 50percent complete It's a convincing experience.ImnStorm is easily approaching the standard ofpreview versions of EA's Medal Of Honour:Fmntline that we've aiso played. The game wasrunning at a speedy rate and the grittylocations were well designed.

Although being developed alongside anetworkable PC version It is unfortunate that

no muitlplayer option will be included In thePS2 version. 'The design of the maps are notvery adaptable for a muitlplayer deathmatch,"says Lussan. "However, we are waiting withsome Impatience for the time when the PS2modem will be sold with the console, so wecan enjoy play with up to 32 players." □ GW

IronStorm Is scheduled for release throughWanadoo In Oc tober

layStatioPsE

"STARRING COCKNEY TV chef Jamie Oliver and his numerous pals, familymembers and celebrity fnends, this fiin racer will have you driving around In ailkinds of vehicles, from shopping trolleys to Jamie's trendy moped. Tlie action willtake place in different locations from the Naked Chef TV series and aiso from hisTV adverts.

It would piay like Mario Kart with the piayer either doing standand laps likemost racers offer or participating In deathmatch situations. Players would use avariety of different foodstuffs which couid be collected as pick-ups along the wayand used against opponents (le Sunflower Oil Slicks and Tofu Cannons).

'You couid also take part in bonus missions, like finding Gran who's gone andwandered off and got lost In the freezer section, or searching the flat for the ail-Important missing dinner ingredients before wife Juies comes home from thebeauty salon.

"You could piay as a variety of different characters, including Jamie himself(who would shout "Pukka" at every given opportunity) and Jamie's Gran Iwho notonly has an annoying habit of getting lost, but also leers at old men). Thesoundtrack would consist of ail the songs from the TV series, Including Dancing InThe Moonlight, by Toploader (who would also star as secret characters in thegame). It would support the MuitiTap for four-player games and even network playover the internet. Pukka!"

WRITE TODesigner Genes, Officio/ PlayStation 2 Magazine, Future Publishing, 30 Monmouth Street,Bath BAl 2BW. Or email us at PS2©futurenet.co.uk Send us a description of your gameidea and try to accompany It with a few sketches or drawings to bring your words to life. Ifwe use It we'll send you a T-shirt and a print of the box art designed by Moyler

This Idea sounds like greatfun - I love the prospe :t ofplayers having to huriIngredients at each ottisrT h i s w o u l d o f f e r m u c h n o r e

variety and humour thiin thetypical weapons found instandard racing games

One key question i >w h e t h e r t h e J a m i e O l i v j rname provides enoughmarketing draw to attr; ctplayers to go out and buythe game. Maybe you'd wantto include some more iif hiscelebrity mates such aj. ZoeBall and Norman 'Fatbc /Slim' Cook? However, TiieNaked ChefTV show doesattract an audience acr jssthe age ranges, so you'ieprobably on to a winne . Apukka Idea, indeed...

'Charles Cecil Is MD of/B2developer Revolution.

146 PlayStation,E

I B H C K T O e H !OPSZs George Walter shows you how tomake your own Yabasic games.

THIS MONTH;R R E A N D S H I M M E R E F F E C T S

THIS IS THE SECTION that shows the gaming power of Yabasic - the program givenaway free on the DVD that comes with any newly purchased PS2. This month, Yabasicexpert (viarc Gale (aka Xalthorn) provides us with more graphical effects for you to tryout. More proficient users could implement them in their own games.

FIREopen window 640,512c u r b u f = 0

x=320;y=256setrgb 1,255,0,0setrgb 2,255,0,0setrgb 3,255,255,0o f f s e t = 0s i z e = 3 0

speed»10

repeats e t d r a w b u f c u r b u fc u r b u f = l - c u r b u f

setdispbuf curbufc l e a r w i n d o w

for x=0 to 640 step 40y=cos((x+offsetl*(pi/180l)'size+320gtriangle x-40,512 to x+40,512 to x,ynext X

offset=offset+speedi f o f f s e t ) 3 6 0 t h e noffset=offset-360fi

joypad'peekl^portl")until Ooypad=16384)

S H I M M E R E F F E C T Sopen window 640,512c u r b u f = 0X = 0 : X d = 4

repeatsetdispbuf curbufcurbuf=l-curbufs e t d r a w b u f c u r b u fclear window

setrgb 1,255,0,0setrgb 2,255,0,0setrgb 3,255,255,0gtriangle 0,0 to 0,512 to x,0gtriangle 640,0 to 640,512 to x,0setrgb 2,255,255,0gtriangle 0,512 to x,0 to x,512gtriangle 640,512 to x,512 to x,0

x=x+xdif x>640 or x<0 thenx d = - x dfi

joypad=peek("portr)until (joypad=16384)

THE CLEVER BrT...FOR THOSE IN THE KNOW, HERE'S PART FOUR OF MARC GALE'SMOVEMENT TUTORIAL, LOOKING AT ROTATION.

"Rotational movement Is where youwant to move object at an angle. Inother words, If you want an object tospin around and move in the directionit was facing, you want rotationalm o v e m e n t "

'To start off with, we need to learn howwe define the x and y values of differentpoints of a circle. Thanl<fuliy, there Is anice simple formula to work this out.Given an angie, the x and y values arefound with the following formula."

x=sin|angie)y-coslangiel

"Now, this would be great if computersworked In degrees (1-360J. However, theydon't. They work in radians. So we needto convert the angle we want intoradians for the formula. The conversionformula is shown below."

x-sin(angie*|pi/180))y-cos(angleipl/180i|

This Is a bit much to do every time wewant an angie value for x and ychanges. So, during the initialise routine,we set up a couple of arrays to hold thecorrect angie values. The followingsnippet will achieve this for us:"

dim cosinesl360)dim sinesI3601

for angie-0 to 360cosines|angle|-cos(angle*|pl/18011sines|angle|»sln|angle*[pi/18011next angle

"Now we have the arrays set up, wecan move an object at an angie bysimply adding the appropriate sinvalue to the x coordinate, andsubtracting the appropriate cos valuefrom the y coordinate. The snippetbelow shows this."

angie=90xpos-xpos+sines(angie)ypos-ypos-cosineslangiej

"Of course. If you want to move theobject at different speeds, simplymultiply the value in the arrays by thespeed you want. Let me show you withan example."

speed=10angle-90xpos-xpos+(sines(anglel'speedlypos-ypos-(cosines(angle|*speedl

*Next month: a short program to showall of these elements working together

t o r ^ - A -LIKE LOSER SSKILLED IN THEU N P O P U L A RART OF HEADC L E AV I N G "

BARBARIAN, PG 54

NN D H B D D G

Zoinks! Scooby-Doo bounds onto PS2 this year

WHILE GAMES BASED on cartoons havetraditionally sat on the 'less challenging" side ofthe PSone and PS2 fence. Heavy Iron Studios isdetermined to buck the trend by bringing theexploits of everyone's favourite sleuth houndScooby-Doo to the PS2. Of course, Scooby wouldbe useless without his band of dropout followers,so Fred, Daphne, Velma and stonerextraordinaire, Non/ille 'Shaggy' Rogers will all begiven the 3D treatment.

Despite being based on the classic Seventiescart:oon and not the forthcoming live action/CGmovie, the game Is being marketed as a title forthe younger gamer Falling in-between theplatform/puzzler and adventure genres, Scoobywill have 12 different levels to explore within fourworids. In keeping with the cartoon tradition,stages will be themed around creepy mansions,spooky caves and graveyards while special guest

stars will also pop up throughout the game -dont expect the Harlem Globetrotters though,

Power-ups (In the form of Scooby Snacksnaturally) will unlock secret areas and bonusDVD extras will give added replay value. Scoobyaficionados will also appreciate that some ofthe original characters' voices will be used Inthe game.

Previewed to 0PS2 at publisher THQ's gamesevent this Januaty, Scooby-Doo looked to havesmooth graphics, a high frame rate and best ofall, no Scrappy-Doo - guaranteed. Will It farebetter than other cartoon calamities such asTarzan Freeride and Woody Woodpecker'! We'llknow when Scooby-Doo Is dramaticallyunmasked later this yean □ GW/MG

■^cooby-Doo is due to be published by THQthis summer.

Thankfully, Scooby-Doo will be based or theoriginal cartoon, hence the emphasis on'spooky' and 'ghostly' surroundings.

*8 PlayStation,?

If you drink a lot withjt you're alright."

mf h . \

kV llJ SJ

\ ■ V *.• /

^

s i s ^

"People get obsessed with drinking too muchwater and get ill."

You may get quite high but the comedown's bad."

t f %• ? «

"A lot of people say a lot of things aboutPt ecstasy, but at the Natidhal Drugs Helpline

w e k n o w t h e f a c t s . "

na t iona l d rugs he lp l i ne

0 8 0 0 7 7 6 6 0 0If you're not sure about the long-term effectsof ecstasy such as memory loss, call us.

w w w. n d h . o r g . u k

0 0 : 0 0

G E T H i m D F F I ■Midway changes the rules in arcade football title. Red Card Soccer.

2 ^

In typical Midway fashion, Red CardSoccer takes footbal l and reinvents i twith an unashamedly arcade twist.Making no attempt to enter the territoryof s imulat ion-centred t i t les l ike ProEvolution Soccer and FIFA 2002, RCS isfirmly focused on the most exciting andvisual elements of the game.

You can play as any one of 32internat ional teams In seven real World

Cup stadiums - including Yokohoma, thevenue for the World Cup final at the endof June - but the realism stops there.Players will have access to power-ups,h idden modes and s tad iums and caneven ra ise the momentum of the i r team

to give themselves an advantage overtheir opponents. Furthermore, in place ofsensible passing and tactics. Red CardSoccer opts for the more spectacularbicycle kicks, shimmies, nutmegs andlightning-fast headers.

In order to ensure that there is a

quick learning curve, Midway hasinstalled what it's calling a 'contextsensitive control system' which effectivelymeans that players gradually utilise moreD-pad buttons as they become morecomfortable with the game's functions. Toadd replay value, a Create-A-Team modewill be incorporated that allows thebuilding of a 'super-team', made up ofplayers from different Internationalfoo tba l l t eams.

It's questionable how successful anarcade-styled football game will fare onPS2 when the market seems to alreadybe sewn-up by the excellent real-lifesensibilities of Pro Evolution Soccer WithMidway behind It, 0PS2 is sure this wonthit the showers too early □ GW

* Red Card Soccer Is scheduled for

release later this year

Putting tiie foot' intofootball, Red Cord Soccerwil l be the PS2s first

\ proper arcade soccer title

# 1 4 A R M A S3 - 4 - 3 I H i # 9 B A R T L 6 T T

a T T T T T T

H M V P 5 2 C H R R T 5"Sorry, mate. Have yougot good insurance?"Grand Thef t Auto 3 'sat number one. Again.

T I T L E

1 . G R A N D T H E F T A U T O 3

2 . M A X P A Y N E . .

3 . R A Y M A NR E V O L U T I O N

P R O E V O L U T I O N S O C C E R

5 . J A M E S B O N D 0 0 7 I N . . .A G E m * U N D E R R R E .

6 . D E V I L M A Y C R Y

7. TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER 3.8 . S S X T R I C K Y

. - N e v e r s o f t

- E A C a n a d a -

- ^ d i v i s i o n

-EA Sports Big9 . C R A S H B A N D I C O O T :

T H E W R AT H O F C O R T E X . . .

1 0 . R O B O T W A R S .

T r a v e l l e r ' s V i v e n d iT a l g ' g l l n i w Q r c ^ l

^ B B CM u l t i m e d i a

^Source; HMV 25/01/02

#1: GRAND THEFT AUTO 3Bryan Adams' 1991 songEverything I Do (1 Do It For You}has got two things in commonwith CWJ. Both occupied thenumber one slot for what seemslike an eternity and (for differingreasons) they are both criminal.

topdogfon

# Z M A X P A Y N ERockstar take both the top slotswith Max Payne bursting intosecond place. Most likely a resultof Take 2's aggressive lifestylemarketing campaign, Max Paynewill only last as long as theappeal of its main selling point -slow-motion bullet time.

# 3 : R A Y M A N R E V O L I H I O NThe legless fella returns nearly 18months after its original release.Its unexpected re-entry is due toHMV selling certain PS2 titles at£19.99 in its post-chrlstmascleanout sale, with Rayman clearlyproving the most popular choice.

G U E S T C H R R T SPlayStation 2 Top Tens from around the worl j

1 1 TO P 1 0 I R I S HP S 2 G A M E S

1 M A X P A Y N E R o c k s t a r2 G R A N D T H E F T A U TO 3 R o c k s t a r3 JAMES BOND 007 IN. . .

A G E N T U N D E R R R E E A4 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER Konami5 F I F A 2 0 0 26 D R O P S H I P

8 J A K A N D D A X T E R9 W O R L D R A L L Y

C H A M P I O N S H I P1 0 D E V I L M A Y C R Y

•Source; Chart-Track (19/01/02)

EA SportsS C E E

A c t i v i s i o nS C E E

S C E ECapcom Eurosoft

I ■ T O P 1 0 F R E N C HP S 2 G A M E S

G R A N D T H E F T A U T O 3 T a k e 2DEVIL MAY CRY Capcom Eurosof tP R O E V O L U T I O N S O C C E R K o n a m iJ A M E S B O N D 0 0 7 I N . . .A G E N T U N D E R R R E E A

5 GRAN TURISMO 3: A-SPEC SCEA6 D R O P S H I P S C E E7 J A K A N D D A X T E R S C E E8 B A L D U R ' S G A T E :

D A R K A L L I A N C E I n t e r p l a y9 S S X T 1 U C K Y1 0 W O R L D R A L L Y

C H A M P r

EA Sports Big

i P I O N S H I P S C E E

•Source: www.mlcromania.fr (18/01/02)

»50 PlayStation E

C o n fl i c t D e s e r tStorm: ready forlaunch in May.

i n c o m i n gThe most accurate release schedule In the biz.

M e d a l O f H o n o u r ; F r o n t l i n e FPS E A

C o n fl i c t Z o n e strategy U b i S o f t N A S C A R H e a t 2 0 0 2 Racing sim InfogramesD e u s E x F P S E i d o s P r i s o n e r O f Wa r Strategy C o d e m a s t e r s

Dragon Rage A d v e n t u r e 3 D 0 T O C A R a c e D r i v e r Racing Sim C o d e m a s t e r s

D r a k a n : T h e A n c i e n t s ' G a t e s A d v e n t u r e S C E E V-Raily 3 Rally Sim InfogramesDynasty Warriors 3 A c t i o n T B C

Endgame Light gun game EmpireEOE: Eve Of Extinction A c t i o n E i d o s A l i e n s : C o l o n l a i M a r i n e s F P S E A

Frank Herbert's Dune A d v e n t u r e Cryo Alpine Racer 3 A r c a d e r a c e r S C E E

Grandia 11 R P G U b i S o f t A u t o M o d e i l i s t a A r c a d e r a c e r CapcomI c q A d v e n t u r e S C E E B i k e : s t r e e t . v e r t . d i r t Extreme sports MidwayISS 2 Sports Sim K o n a m i B l a c k & W h i t e G o d s i m E A

Jimmy White's Cuebaii World Sports Sim Virgin B l a d e 2 A c t i o n A c t i v i s i o n

M a x i m o P l a t f o r m e r Capcom Britney's Dance Beat Rhythm action THQM e t a i G e a r S o l i d 2 A d v e n t u r e K o n a m i Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon Adventure T B C

PaRappa The Rapper 2 Rhythm action S C E E Colin McRae Raily 3 Rally sim C o d e m a s t e r s

Pirates: Legend Of Black Kat A d v e n t u r e E A Dead To Rights A c t i o n S C E E

P o i i c e 2 4 / 7 A c t i o n K o n a m i D e k a v o i c e A d v e n t u r e S C E E

Shadow Hearts R P G Midway D i n o C r i s i s S u r v i v o r 3 Light gun game CapcomS l e d S t o r m 2 Extreme sports EA Sports Big D i n o z P l a t f o r m e r V i v e n d i U n i v e r s a l

Star Wars Racer 2: Revenge A r c a d e r a c e r A c t i v i s i o n D u k e N u k e m F o r e v e r A d v e n t u r e R o c k s t a r

Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter Space combat A c t i v i s i o n E x o A c t i o n InfogramesT D O v e r d r i v e A r c a d e r a c e r Infogrames F355 Challenge Racing S C E E

Worms Blast P u z z l e U b i S o f t Final Fantasy X R P G S C E E

W TA To u r Te n n i s Sports Sim K o n a m i Freaky Flyers Flight action MidwayGood Cop, Bad Cop A c t i o n T B C

1 April G e n r e P u b l i s h e r I G u m b a l l 3 0 0 0 A r c a d e r a c e r S C i

2002 FIFA World Cup F o o t b a l l S i m EA Sports Hidden And Dangerous 2 A c t i o n Ta k e 2

Antz Racing A r c a d e r a c e r Empire H o t W h e e l s A r c a d e r a c e r MidwayB i o o d O m e n 2 A d v e n t u r e E i d o s I r o n S t o r m FPS W a n a d o o

D a r k S u m m i t Extreme sports THQ J a d e C o c o o n 2 R P G U b i S o f t

G1 Jockey Sports Sim T B C Judge Dredd Vs Judge Death F P S TBC

G i t a r o o M a n Rhythm action T B C Jurassic Park; Survival A c t i o n V i v e n d i U n i v e r s a l

Jimmy Neutron; Boy Genius P l a t f o r m e r THQ Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer Extreme sports A c t i v i s i o n

LMA Manager 2002 Sports Sim C o d e m a s t e r s Kengo II Beat-'em-up U b i S o f t

M a d M a e s t r o Rhythm action E i d o s Kingdom Hearts R P G S C E E

Mike Tyson Heavyv^eight Boxing Sports Sim C o d e m a s t e r s Medal Of Honour: Rghter Command Flight action E A

M r M o s k e e t o A c t i o n E i d o s Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance Beat-'em-up Midway

Sega Sports Tennis 2K2 Sports Sim S C E E M X 2 0 0 3 M o t o r b i k e s i m THQ

Soldier Of Fortune: Gold F P S C o d e m a s t e r s N o - O n e L i v e s F o r e v e r F P S F o x

Super Trucks Racing Sim J e s t e r i n t e r a c t i v e O n i m u s h a 2 A d v e n t u r e Capcom

Star Trek Voyager: Eiite Force F P S C o d e m a s t e r s P r i d e F C Beat-'em-up THQ

Sven Goran Eriksson's World Cup Challenge Sports Sim 3 D 0 P r i m a l A d v e n t u r e S C E E

Sven Goran Eriksson's World Cup Manager Sports Sim 3 D 0 Rally 2002 Rally Sim EA Sports

Transworld Surf Extreme sports Infogrames R e d C a r d S o c c e r Arcade football Midway

Virtua Fighter 4 Beat-'em-up S C E E R e d F a c t i o n 2 F P S THQ

Zombie Revenge A c t i o n A c c l a i m Run Like Hell A c t i o n Interplay

Scooby-Doo P l a t f o r m e r THQSmash Court Tennis Pna Tournament Sports Sim S C E E

Ape Escape 2 P l a t f o r m e r S C E E SOCOM: US Navy SEALs C o m b a t s i m S C E E

Commandos 2: Men Of Courage Strategy E i d o s S o u l C a l i b u r 2 Beat-'em-up S C E E

Conflict: Desert Storm C o m b a t s i m S C i Spyro The Dragon 4 P l a t f o r m e r V i v e n d i U n i v e r s a l

F o r m u l a O n e 2 0 0 2 Racing Sim S C E E Starsky & Hutch Driving Empire

Freekstyle Extreme sports EA Sports Big Star Trek; Shattered Universe Space combat Interplay

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 Racing Sim EA Sports S u m m o n e r 2 R P G THQ

Premier Manager 2002 Management sim Infogrames Te k k e n 4 Beat-'em-up S C E E

Space Channel 5 v2 Rhythm action S C E E Te n c h u 3 A d v e n t u r e A c t i v i s i o n

Spider-Man: TTie Movie A c t i o n A c t i v i s i o n The Getaway A r c a d e r a c e r S C E E

S t u n t m a n Driving Infogrames T h e L o s t A d v e n t u r e T B C

Ta z W a n t e d P l a t f o r n e r infogrames The Thing A d v e n t u r e V i v e n d i U n i v e r s a l

T h e Te r m i n a t o r A c t i o n Infogrames TimeSplitters 2 F P S E i d o s

Yanya Cabailista; City Skater Extreme sports T B C Tomb Raider; Next-Gen A d v e n t u r e E i d o s

Tr i b e s 2 F P S Vivendi UniversalT u r o k E v o l u t i o n F P S A c c l a i m

B a r b a r i a n A c t i o n Virgin interactive V e x x P l a t f o r m e r A c c l a i m

F i r e b l a d e C o m b a t s i m Midway World Rally Championship 2 Rally Sim S C E E

Legion: Legend Of Excalibur Strategy MidwayMat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 Extreme sports A c t i v i s i o n 'Game release dates are correct at the time of going to press.

n n o E TU U R N T E D

This month's games werechosen by Jamie Muttramof Plymouth.

1 . M H A L G E A R S O U D 2 :S O N S O F U B E R T Y"Snake has new gadgets andthere's a new playable character."R e l e a s e d a t e : M a r c h

2 . T E K K E N 4"Sounds like teal combat. A greatgame for me."Release date: October

3 . F I N A L F A m A S Y X"A chance to see paradise andtake heaven into my hands."Release date: July

4 . TO M B R A I D E R :N E X T - G E N"A new adventure with Lara, anda game that won't get boring."Release date; December

5 . M A X PAY N E"Max Payne Is cooler than anesklmo's freezer."Release date: Out now

6 . S T U N T M A N"It sounds new and hi-tech. Agame without a safety net."Release date: May

7 . W I P E O U T F U S I O N"A new space race game thatwill kill me and you."R e l e a s e d a t e : O u t n o w

8 . S P Y R O T H E D R A G O N 4"Sounds very smokey."Release date: TBC

9 . T O N Y H A W K ' SP R O S K AT E R 3"More great grinds and newskills, a game that will keep meoff the ground"R e l e a s e d a t e : O u t n o w

1 0 . T W I S T E D M E TA L ;B L A C K"It has lots of motor massacre,t o t a l m a c h i n e m a d n e s s . "R e l e a s e d a t e : O u t n o w

Y O U R G O !Drop us a line with the gamesyou cant wait for and and why,plus a photo of yourself and we'lldo the rest Most Wanted,Official PlayStation 2 Magazine,Future Publishing, 30 MonmouthStreet, Bath BAl 2BW.Email PS2®futurenet.co.uk

Play5tation.E 0

\

. E 5 R b D n m i N DWith Sweden and the Argies in our group, Becks may not be lifting the trophy - but you can in 2002 FIFA World Cup.

THE FACT THAT EA Sports Is neleasing a football game to tie-ln with thissummer's World Cup won't be news to most readers. What does surpriseIs the way that the development team has grasped the opportunity toseriously tweak and tune the FIFA 2002 engine, rather than re-release thesame game with International teams. EA Sports overhauled the FIFAgameplay dynamic for 2002, with mixed results. Now It looks like theniggles are being rectified In time for kick off In Korea and Japan.

0PS2s exclusive playtest has revealed the following brand newgameplay features:

- A more forgiving passing system allowing you to build patient moves- Better positioning and run-making of team-mates- A wider range of tackle animations, thwarting persistent dribblers- The ability to power-up headers and volleys of differing strengths while

the ball is in the air- A special move In which players can juggle the ball past opponents, or

flick the ball up for volleys- A wider range of shot outcomes, depending on player position, shot

direction and shot strength

The development team has also striven to make the World Cup feellike a more exalted experience than the yearly league-based updates. Outgoes l=atboy Slim, in comes the Vancouver Symphony orchestra. All the

pageantry of the world's greatest sporting event is ably recreated, and theplayer likenesses have improved immeasurably from FIFA 2002.

Default settings for the game will place your chosen team in theexact World Cup group as drawn last December; playing your matches onthe designated day, in an exact replica of the correct stadium. However,should you wish to make England's progression a little morestraightforward, you can redraw the groups, or fix them yourself. Eightextra teams will be included In the game in addition to the qualified 32,meaning that the Scots and the Dutchamong you will get your shot at gloryafter all (Welsh and Northern Irishreaders may not be so lucky, but let'sbe realistic...). You can even second-guess Sven by selecting your squadfrom a pool of 40 players.

As always, 2002 FIFA World Cupalms to provide an Immediateexperience while gradually revealing depths that will keep you playinglong after the real trophy has been held aloft Pro Evolution Soccerremains the benchmark, but EA Sports Is determined to grab the glorythis time around. □ SR

* 2002 RFA World Cup will be released on 26 April.

Default groups ire thesame as those n thereal World Cup.

//Should you wish to makeEngland's progression morestraightforward, you caneven fix the groups yourself//

2002 FIFA Worid Cuprewards intellige ntbuild-up play.

BILL HARRISON,S E N I O R P R O D U C E RDiscovering the fastest way to endearyourseif to a nation is to wear tiieir stripand tip tlieir team to lift the World Cup.

So, another FIFA cash-in?Absolutely not. The World Cup is a vetyprestigious tournament and this isn'tsomething that we take like lightly We'veknown that we'd be making a World Cupgame for a long time, so it's been indevelopment for well over a year it'sImportant for us that on an emotional level,2002 FIFA World Cup feels determinedlydifferent from the yearly FIFA games.

How do you go about engendering therequired level of Worid Cup fever?The music, the presentation and theatmosphere Is ail about revelling In the epicqualities of a World Cup tournament.National pride is at stake so attention todetail Is paramount. Whichever country yousupport, you've got to feel like this is yourgame. The kits have got to be correct, theright players have to be in the team. We'vealso cranked the emotions up to ten - highsand lows. If you win, it feels fantastic. If youlose, it feels crushing The pressure's on inevery match.

What are your favourite new features?Just by adding over 200 new animations,you'll see how the variety of the game Ismassively extended. The subtlety of thepowered-up shots and headers, whenmastered, can really give you an edgeagainst opponents. Pius you'll easily pick outthe star players, the fast players and thebest passers in the game. One of thegreatest things about the World Cup is thesheer array of talent on show.

The componentparts of theJapanese PS2Linux Dev Kit.

The blimp camera angle makes the stadium and pitch look nice,but won't be much use when you're actually playing the game.

The variety of ways in which you can score goals has beenincreased. Here we demonstrate the left-foot swivel and volley.

Brand new PlayStation 3 info, and PS2 LinuxKits for tine UK

□ PLAYSTATION 3The Chief Technical Officer at Sony, Shlnlchl Okamoto, recentlywent on the record with possible plans for the PlayStation 3.Okamoto-san said it was possible that the next game console willinclude advanced processor technology codenamed CELLCurrently in early planning stages, the chip that will eventuallyreplace the Emotion Engine will be co-developed by Sony, Toshibaand IBM. The processor will be capable of 1 trillion FLOPS (floatingpoint operations per second) in comparison to the PS2's 6,2 billionFLOPS, Don't start saving yet though - the processor itself isn'texpected to be ready until 2005.

□ PS2 UNUX KITSSCEE has announced that it will start selling PlayStation 2 LinuxKits in the UK in May. The kits contain everything that a buddinggames developer with a PS2 will need to create original games forthe console. The price is still unconfirmed in Sterling but its RRP inEuros is 249 (£152). The kit includes; internal 40 GB Hard DiskDrive, 100 Base-T Ethernet Adaptor two Linux installation discs(DVD-ROM), an XGA monitor cable adaptor (with audio connectors),a USB keyboard and a USB mouse plus technical documentationand a software manual.

Following the success of Net Yaroze, Sony's home gamecreation system on PSone, a more advanced PS2 setup wasdeveloped. The PS2 Linux Kit has already been on a limited releaseIn Japan selling 7900 units. Most Interestingly, the announcementseems to suggest that the PS2 Ethernet Adaptor and internal HardDrive could be complete and ready for sale at under £200 thisMay However, sources at SCEE indicated the possibility that theHDD included in the Linux kit would not be compatible withgames. Whatever; this suggests SCEE is readying Itself for a newannouncement on the HDD and Online front, □ GW/PF

•For more information log onto www.technology.scee.net

PlayStation.E 0

JA beautifully realisedposterior. Koumikovatees up her next serve.

(Right) To begin with,eight licensedplayers are availableto chose f rom.

(Below) Trainingmodes are included,some o f wh ich needto be unlocked.

L .1 ]PK'*M,HtNGlS

E m n s H HPlayable code of Namco's Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament arrives.OPS2 MAY HAVE FOUND a replacement for Pro EvolutionSoccer for lunchtlme gaming In the form of Namco's SmashCourt Tennis. This comes as the first neai contender for thebest tennis game on PS2 - its only opponent being thedisappointing and completeiy incomparabie Centre Court:Hard Hitter from Midas Interactive.

With a selection of modes including Arcade, ProTournament, Exhibition and Training it's the muitipiayer optionthat has already grabbed our attention and threatens to ciaimtoo much of our time. With a MuitiTap, up to four piayers cantake part in a doubles game, with the added bonus of beingabie to mix male and female competitors in the samematches from a collection of iicensed players that includesAnna Koumikova, ivionica Seles, Pat Rafter and Pete Sampras,Ali are superbly animated with each piayer displayingrepresentative on-screen characteristics such as service, orstance, with instantly recognisabie facial likenesses.

//What really impressesbeyond the graphic flairis the tennis action itself//

Aithough oniy in a pre-preview state the game is aireadydrawing gamepiay comparisons to Pro Evolution Soccer, ifonly because piayers wiii acquire more skiii through practice.Presentation is sharp and courts are well constructed, eachwith its own distinct piaying surface and animated line judges.However what reaiiy impresses beyond the graphic fiair andflashy menu screens is the tennis action itseif.

Smosfi Court's simple but effective controls give theimpression that you are in total controi of the type anddirection of your shot, be it a iow return down the iine, aspeedy ace hit right down the middie or a lethal Super shotit is this element that will keep you returning for more toimprove your game

Smash Court Tennis wiil be familiar to PSone veterans,aithough you may have noticed the iack of its predecessors'super-deformed characters. Rest assured, though, the serieshas lost none of Its piayabiiity in this next-gen revamp. ExpectNamco's tennis ciassic to return in June this year to coincidewith Wimbledon fortnight - strawberries and champagne atthe ready □ GW

■^mash Court Tennis Pro Tournament is published by SCEE

S L U E L I N E S» ga development studio AM2 has launched its own music label - first release is the Mrtuo Rgfrter 4 soundtrack. The 20-track album will feature such classics as A TUrnmc OfLeaf, Defile A Sanctity and A Star Of Sand » As seen by 0PS2 at the ATEI show last month, we can confirm that Namco's light gun shooter Ninja Assault will be released for P >2 »The Incredible Hulk is to appear in a game for PS2 after Universal Interactive signed an agreement with Marvel Characters, Inc, for rights to use stars from the famous comics

B I I B E H R X J O U RFighting game meets RPG in Safflre's Barbarian.THINK 'BARBARIAN' AND you might conjune up the image of a barely-clad, sword-wielding hero, a hacker and slayer; a Conan-a-like loner skilled inthe unpopular arts of head-cleaving and belly-slicing Biend this muscledadventurer Into a 3D fighting game, set him over 100 quests lacross swampsand through torch-lit dungeons) and then pipe the whole thing through aPS2 with a generous poly-count and a powerful musical score. If you can'tImagine it, dont worry. Saffire has aiready done it for you.

Barbarian seems to combine the best of two gaming worlds. As a high-fantasy fighting game, it pians to feature ten different characters - from bighulking brutes to slim and nimble Xena wannabes. Each of them has theirown strengths and weaknesses, not to mention combat moves, attackcombos and magicai weaponty. in the SIngle-Piayer mode, wan-iors questacross 12 enormous Interactive arenas, tackling a succession of opponents.In Muitipiayer mode, up to four piayers can compete In battles with up toeight combatants. With RPG elements that aliow you to augment the skills ofyour chosen axe-swinget; plus secret areas, bonus game modes and hiddencharacters. Barbarian promises to be something quite exciting □ DE

* Barbarian is pencilled in for a May release through Virgin Interactive.Now that's no w# totreat a lady. Unless fyou're a barbariaa

54 PlayStation.2

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X K 5Big improvements planned for THQ's MX 2002 sequel.

AS PREVIEWED TO 0PS2 at this January's THQ Editor's Dayin i_as Vegas, MX 2003 will continue the franchise first seenon PS2 iast year and once again stars the sport's mostfamous motocross star Ricky Camiichael.

Although this could have Just been a lazy yearly update,THQ subsidiary developer Pacific Coast & Light Co has beencareful to include enough new additions to keep the gamefresh while building on some of the original's fallings. Howhave they done this? The simple answer Is more ofeverything IMore modes, more tricks, 15 new tracks (fromreal stadia to deserted towns and army boot camps) andexclusive rights to feature the Annual AMA AmateurNational IviX Championships at Loretta Lynn's Ranch. Taking

In the multiple disciplines of motocross, supercnoss andfreestyle, the title will now Include a Freestyle Track EditorIthink Tony Howk's 3| that will allow players to set up theirown stunt courses.

Expanding the stunt aspects of the sport appears to havebeen a priority of PC&L Co, with the addition of a newFreestyle Career mode. Players will now have to attractsponsorship, earn prize money and purchase upgrades fortheir bikes. PC&L Co has also listened to gamers' criticismsconcerning longevity of the first title and has ramped-up theamount of mini-games and hidden areas (again, think TonyHawk's 3). One mini-game Involves delivering pizza whileanother sees riders having to shunt their bike around a golf

course, hitting the right targets to score points. One secretarea previewed to 0PS2 by PC&L Co's Dennis Harper wasmassive, opening up to reveal a Rosweli-styie secret bunkercomplete with flying saucer (containing withered alienfoetuses) hidden inside a skate bowl. Itself hidden at thebottom of a mine shaft In a mountainside!

Motocross and its associated events may not be thsmost giamorDus of motorsports but from our earlyexperiences It seems MX 2003 should be a more thanworthy attempt at attracting gamers who aren't already bikefans to taste Its muddy delights. □ MG/GW

•MX 2003 will be released this summer by THQ.

Well, It's one way of avoiding the rush hour traffic. As the sequels keep coming so the locations get more bizarre. Quite where this man thinks he's going to land Is beyond us.

T H E B U R N □UE5TIION 0PS2 grills the videogames Industry's finest on a hot topic.

How do you define the'kil ler app7

A killer app is a game, utility orprogram which is a must-have. Insome way, it stands head andshoulders above other products.It is rarely due to presentation orhype alone. A l^iller app has to beconsistently good throughout.

I define killer app as anapplication that bothdemonstrates the potential of asystem, and is something thatpeople instantly want to have.

Renewal of a genre, I meanmainly from the gameplaypoint of view and the ability tocreate nice graphics and orstrong universes.

What do you consider to havebeen the PlayStation 2'5 killerapps so far?

This is easy to answer In somerespects, but there's obviouslypersonal opinion to take intoaccount. I'd say 6T3, Moto GpMetal Gear Solid 2, Quake III,MTV Mus/c Generutor 2, SSX,Final Fantasy X. There are others!

Metol Geor Solid 2 is definitelythe killer app for the system.When that first trailer was shownat E3, people instantly saw whatthe PS2 was capable of and theysaw a game that simply rocked. 1think that game's buzz sold PS2sby itself

Gnan Turismo 3, GTA3, Metal GearSolid 2, Silent Hill 2 and ProE v o l u t i o n S o c c e r .

Other than a game, is thereanything else that could becomea kjiler app for a console?

At the risk of blowing my owntrumpet the Mus/c productsaren't games in the true sense ofthe word, but they're unique andpowerful, and could be defined askiller apps. When PS2 finally goesonline, we may see an almightybrowser utility that could becomea non-game killer app.

Sure. I would say the PS2s abilityto play DVDs is a built-in killerapp for the system. When you'rein a store with $300 in yourpocket and you're deciding if thePS2 is 'worth it,' the fact thatyou're also getting a DVD playeris going to mean a lot.

A browser online, for example?It's a bit early to answer thequestion since no online marketconsole exists as yet.

H o w c o u l d a c o n s o l e b esuccessful without a killer app?

It could have hundreds of okaytitles, with enough diversity toplease everyone. But you haveto question whether it couldhold its ground against a consolewith fewer but better titles. Iguess quality wins over quantityevery time.

It needs to hope the othersystems don't have one either Akiller app drives hardware sales,and once a person buys aconsole they've made aninvestment in that console'sfuture. You need a killer app toget them on your team.

M a i s o u i l

So, is a console'ssuccess decided ty itskiller apps?

56 PlayStation.E

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THE PlayStation^^ INTERVIEW/ W n C U L M fl G A Z I N E 4 M

W O R D S : D E A N E VA N S / P H O T O G R A P H Y: M A R T I N B U R T O N

UJannen 5pecb:anMore than simply the bloke behind Deus Ex", Ion Storm's Warren Spector is one of the gamesindustry's leading lights. And once you get him started, there's no stopping him...

C u r r i c u l u m V i t a eName: Warren SpectorJ o b t i t l e : P r e s i d e n t o f I o nS t o r m ' s A u s t i n o f fi c e

Born: New York, USA

Background: Graduatedf r o m N o r t h w e s t e m

University in Evanston,Illinois IBS In Speech) andthe University of Texas(MA in Radlo-TV-FiimlPrevious jobs:Steve Jackson Games -Co-editor of SpaceGamer, Fantasy Gamerand Fire & Movementmagazines. DevelopedTOON (award-winningrole-playing game).TSR Inc - Developer.Contributed to RPGs: TopSecret/S./, Rocky &Bullwinkle's Parly, BuckRogers Battle For the25th Century boardgameand The AD&D 2ndEdition Dungeon MastersG u i d e .

Origin Systems - Co-pnoducer of PC titlesUltima VI and WingCommander Producer ofBad Blood, MartianDreams and the UltimaUnderworld series offantasy RPGs. Also co-developed: Ultima VII,Part 2: Serpent Isle,System Shock and Wingsa Glory.

ijDoking GlassTechnologies - Oversawmultiplayer title JunctionPoint (never completed)and Thief series of RPGs.I o n S t o r m - C r e a t e d I o nStorm with Tom Hall andJohn Romero. MadeDominion, Daikatana,Deus Ex and Ananchronox.Currently working onDeus £*2 and Thief 3.Miscellaneous: Married toCaroline Spector, authorof several fantasy novels.He writes semi-regulariyon the subject of gamedesign and developmentfor a variety of magazinesand Web sites; ownsmany books and lives forbasketball. He also playsrtiyttim guitar in the bandW a s t e d Yo u t h .

. W h a t Wa r r e n S p e c t o r d o e s n ' t]<now about videogames isprobably not worth knowing.From his 'paper' RPG days atSteve Jacl<son Games and TSR

Inc, to the e-RPG stints at Origin Systems andLookingGIass, he has built up a wealth ofdesign experience. All of this knowledgecoalesces in Deus Ex, 2001's PC Game of theYear and now making its appearance onSony's black box. This month, Warren Spectortalks to 0PS2 about the challenges in bringinghis free-form, cinematic 3D adventure to PS2.

Deus Ex has been described in various

quarters as a revolutionary FPS. Do youthink so? And if so, in what ways?Well, first of all, I don't think of Deus Ex as afirst-person shooter. It's a first-person game,sure, and you can shoot, yes, but it's not aboutshooting. It's about letting players decide whotheir character is and how he interacts with the

game world. It's as much a role-playing game asit is a shooter And as much a strategy game asit is an RPG. And as much an adventure gameas it is a strategy game...

What we have done is combine elements ofa variety of game styles in ways no-one hasdone before. Deus Ex allows players to pick theirplay style in a world rich enough to allow themto craft their own unique experience. It isn't agame about how clever we are as designers butabout how clever you are as a player. Thatshouldn't be revolutionary but a lot of peopleclearly think it is.

Is there anything that you are reallypleased with in Bern Ex?The interface is one of the high points for me.But, really, the thing I'm most happy about isthat we were able to bring the entire Deus Exexperience to PS2 owners. We made very fewcompromises. The game isn't 'dumbed down' or'more action oriented' as many pundits told us itwould have to be. Bringing multiple gameof-the-year-award gameplay to an entirely newaudience was our primary goal and theteam worked very hard to make thathappen. As far as I'm concerned, theysucceeded admirably.

What, if anything, did you haveto leave out of the game?The only thing I can think of thatwe left out of the PS2 version is thelaser sight weapon modificatioa And,frankly, we pulled that out becauseit never worked the way we

wanted i t to in the PC vers ion and we should

have cut it there, too! Oh, and we left out abunch of interface screens - you can nowaccess most of the game's critical functionsright from the main game screen instead ofhaving to wade through a bunch of menus.

Is there anything that you wish you couldhave added to the game?1 almost hesitate to say this, because it'llprobably ignite a firestorm, but I wish we couldhave gotten Multiplayer mode into the PS2version. We did an experimental Deathmatchmode for the DX Game of the Year edition onPC and it really didn't feel like any other

^The challenge oflearning a newplatform didn'tallow us the luxuryof including amultiplayer option''multiplayer experience out there - all of ourcharacter differentiation stuff worked great in amultiplayer setting. Realistically, though, thechallenge of learning a new platform andpreserving and enhancing the single-playerexperience on the PS2 just didn't allow us theluxury of including multiplayer.

Do you think that the PS2 version of DeusEx is a better, 'all-round' game than theP C i n c a r n a t i o n ?

In many ways, the PS2 version of Deus £x is thebetter version. I'm really happy with the morestreamlined control scheme and interface. Andwe got a chance to go back and fix some mapsthat didn't quite play the way we hoped theywould. We were able to do some additional

balancing on the weapons, so the combat ismore satisfying It's just a bit more refined in alot of ways than the PC version was. No big

surprise - we knew what game we were. making this time around. With the PC

version of Deus Ex, a lot of time wentinto figuring out what the heck wewere doing!

How long did the PlayStation 2version take the team to

complete and what have you all

The sky's the limit, now Spectorhas made an impression on PS2.

learned during the PS2 developmentprocess of Deus Ex?The PS2 version of Deus Ex took a htt le more

than a year. We didn't just slap it on a newplatform and hope it all worked. We redesignedthe interface from scratch. We upped the qualityof the charac te rs and an imat ions . We red id a l l

the cinematics. We reworked the geometry,NPC/item placement and lighting on everysingle map to address player input and theneeds of the new platform.

What did we learn? I think we learned how

rigorous you need to be when you work on aconsole game. PC developers haven't had toworry about a couple of K of RAM in a decadeor more. On the PS2, every bit of memory isprecious. And dealing with saved games whenyou don't have a hard drive was a challenge,too. We learned a ton that'll stand us in goodstead in the multiplatform future!

Do you think that game designers arebecoming lazy, in that there's a lack oforiginality in the industry at the moment?No way would 1 say game developers are lazy!Making games is insanely hard. No-one I knowsets out to make a bad or unoriginal game, it'sjust that the risks associated with developmentare so great these days, the amount of moneyyou spend is so astronomic (relative to what itused to cost...) there's a tendency to want to dostuff that you already know works. That's notlaziness. That's self-preservation. Having saidthat, I do wish developers would take morechances - and that publishers would fund tlierisk-takers a little more freely. And having saidthat, I think you just have to look to games likeGrand Theft Auto 3 and the Tony Hawk series ortitles like Frequency to see that there's plenty ofinnovation going on out there.

What games have you been impressed byo n P S 2 s o f a r ?

Well, 1 think I tipped my hand a bit already inmy previous answer! GTA3 rocks - it's actuallynot unlike Deus Ex in that it emphasises uniqueplayer experience above everything else.Freeform gameplay is great stuff,.. AndFrequency has occupied a lot of my PS2 timtrecently I have a strange fondness for Rez, too.

You mentioned in a recent interview withthis magazine that John Romero said toyou: "Make the game of your dreams."Deus Ex is the result. If someone said thesame thing again to you now, what sort ofgame would you like to make?Hey, just wait and see! □

n e x t m a n t z i hin the april issue of

PlayStation®?' O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E - U K

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LOOKING GOOD IN U\TEX, ITS SPIDER-MAN:THE MOVIE! CAN THE WEBBED WONDERPUT A NEW SPIN ON PS2 GAMING?WE CROSS THE CHANNEL FOR ANEXCLUSIVE FIRST PEEK AT EDEN STUDIOS'V-RALLY 3! C'EST TELLEMENT RAPIDE!PLAYED! THE STAGGERING NEW SEQUEL TOONIMUSHA - PLUS WE INTERVIEW ITSCREATOR, KEIJI INAFUNE.PLUS: DEUS EX REVIEWED/TOP-SECRETTOMB RAIDER NEWS/HERDY GERDYTIPPED/WIN SOLID SNAKE/ iV lORE

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G E N E R R T D N

He's small, he's cute but he's got a pair ofdistinctly un-cute talons grafted onto his hands.0RS2 jets off to the US to meet Acclaim's dark

platformer hero, Vexx. Daxter? He dont know Jak!

Jet black of hair, blue of eye and Astani Battle Gauntleted of hands, Vexxis more than a match for the forces of darkness.

)62 PlayStation.^

V E X X

Amongst other treats, Vexx's talons can generate localised blasts of energy to createforce fields, propel our hero forward and, erm, attack large walking mushrooms.

Functionality is the basis of all of Vexx's design. This character's function ito make you mess yourself with fright. Apparently.

I Maybe it's a Texan thing. When you think of platfomgame heroes you usually conjure up some saucer-eyed moppet with a day glo Hugh Grant bamet. Acute-as-a-button protagonist with a stout heart, shorttegs and the kind of wholesomeness that you don't

I usually find outside of a Carpenters album or an All-Bran factory. And dammit, don't they always hang out in worlds wit!all the brooding menace of a blueberry muffin? So it's with somesurprise that while gemming up on Pfear, Acclaim's upcomingplatformer, 0PS2 read the following section from the back story.

"With greater resolve, he reached for the gauntlets again andscreamed as the ancient artifacts leapt onto his outstretched handsand began the bonding process that would prevent them fromever being taken off w hile their wearer was alive. Pain courseddown Vexx's arms, causing blazing points of light to appear beforeh i s v i s i ( m . ' '

Right. Scanning the remaining text looking for a comforting fix o'flopsy bunnies', 'wacky sidekicks' or baked goods, there seemed tobe a distinct lack of silver linings. ITiere was a murdered grandfatheisure. Cackling wraiths? You bet. But 'Pulsing pain' featured a fair bit,too. Crash, Mario, Banjo and the rest would be filling their collectivedungarees faced with this kind of start in life. However, with hisbrooding eyes and lethal finger cutlery Vexx is made of sterner stuff.Then again, he does hail from the city of Austin in the Lone StarState. A contradictory place where, if you believe one grizzled local,the citizens' legendary charm and manners stems directly from theknowledge that almost anyone you talk to owns a gun, "so it's bestto be polite."

SUME, SNAILS AND PUPPY-DOG'S lAILSNice and nasty, sweet and sour, cute and ratting It's an interestingmix and according to Greg Hatgro^ e. Lead Artist on Vexx atAcclaim's Austin Studios, it's made for a refreshing approach to awell-worn videogame genre. "A few of the guys on the team are intothe Disney-style of character. Some of them actually came fromDisney and Warner Brothers. .And they were, 'Great! We're going tobe able to make something for kids!'The early concept workreflected that. But now you've got a main character who is cute andharmless at one point and then becomes really dangerous. ITiat'sgoing to add a lot of depth. I like the contrast. Having some cutesythings in the world accentuates the bad stuff. So you'll have an areawith trees that k)oks like a park, but as you get closer to the bad gu^you start getting really twisted environments and the tension builds.But even on the nice levels, at night, the music will change, thecharacters will change."

Sounds like the perfect time for a bit of scene setting. Are yousitting awkwardly? Good. Astara, so the story goes, was once a richand vibrant planet until it was all but destroyed in an ancient war.Four life-supporting fragments of the planet remained, and on one «these the village of Rockhaven stood for many years, its peacefulpeople struggling to make a life for themselves. A noble endeavourbut one that is ultimately doomed when a Shadtm raith by the nam*of Dark Yabu descends with his troops, enslaving the good people oRockhaven and setting them to work in the caves surrounding dievillage. One of these villagers, a young man called Vexx resists the

Play5tation.E 06

Vexx contemplates a careeras a professional goalie. Whatever you can

see, you can get to.

E] urge to rebel, but regrets his decision bitterly when his grandfathercollapses, literally worked to breaking point. Grief stricken, Vexx sneaksaboard Yabu's personal Wind Ship, where he discovers a pair of AsianiBattle Gauntlets hidden in the Shadowraith's quarters. One painfulfusing session later, Vexx is bound to the only weapon capable ofharming Dark Yabu. However the process is a volatile one and itdestroys the Wind Ship, showering the regions of Astara with the energy-giving orbs Yabu has been forcing the villagers to excavate. Infuriated,the Shadowraith leaves Vexx for dead amongst the smoulderingwreckage, and takes the Rockhaven \'illagers with him.

Our hero awakes to find an old blind hermit called Darby by hisside. The old man informs the whippersnapper that Dark Yabu has takenhis people to a towering structure called the Landspire, but without aWind Ship, it will be impossible to follow. Unless... If Vexx can gatfierthe orbs scattered around Astara he might be able to reactivate a sy stemof interconnected portals - the Astani Riftgate. One of these should takeVexx to the I.andspire and to a confrontation with Dark Yabu. Armed(or should that be handed?) v\ith the formidable gauntlets, Vexx sets offto free his people.

VEXXP1ANAT10NS PLEASEIt looks like the days when 'leaping every which way but Sundaycollecting baubles is justification enough for playing a platformer' arewell and truly over. And that's just the story. Vexx also confirms thaiwhen it comes to finding inspiration for projects, developers are culturalmagpies and the objects that catch their eye aren't always confined lothe world of videogames. Of course, there are some - names like Mario,Crash and Sonic are bandied about as classic role models for Vexx. Butthe Street Fighter series, theme parks and the Dreamworks animatedfeature. The Prince Of Egypf? Some explanation is definitely called for

First off, the Street Fighter connection. Far from avoiding confrontationor defeating enemies in a decidedly lo-fi way by jumping on them, Vexxis going to be, well, tasty in a fight, serving up talon sandwiches foranyone or anything that might happen to be standing in the way of hisongoing quest. "The attack moves are derived from anime and classicfighting games," explains Nigel Cook, MD of Acclaim Studios Austin "Soyou'll be able to use beat-'em-up-style combos and juggle enemiesaround." What's more, proving himself in fight situations will have awelcome side effect for your hero. "Basically if you don't have enoughpower, it's one way to get your health back up. Return to an area withbaddies and beat them up." And the fringe benefits of Vexx's gauntletsdon't stop with street fighting skills. At different times they'll grant himlimited im ulnerability, the ability to 'power swim' (faster than a speedinghaddock), glide, unleash blasts of kicalised energy for offense andpropulsion. Oh yeah, let's not forget the ability to climb up sheer walls.With that little lot it's a wonder Vexx has any time left to collect anyorbs en route.

064 PlayStation E

V E X XV E X X A P P E A LT h e m o v e r s a n ds h a k e r s i n U e x x .

V E X XOnce Vexx was just your run of themill cocky, brash, hot-headedteenager. Then Dark Yabu descendedon his village enslaving the goodpeopie of Rockhaven. When anaccidental discovery finds Vexx fusedto a powerful pair of AstanI BattieGauntlets, the punk-ass kid rapidlyattains punk-ass hero status and thescene is set for an almightys h o w d o w n w i t h D a r k Ya b u . A n d w i t hthe help of Darby the hermit andRela the Astana, you never know. Hemight just make it...

D A R B Y

Darby is a blind hermit with anoccasionally tenuous grip on sanitywho discovers young Vexx batteredand unconscious in the wreckage ofDark Yabu's Wind Ship. Nursing Vexxback to good health, he begins toimpart his vast knowledge of Astaranmjrthology and lore to the young lad.He also reveals the crucialinformation that an ancient system ofportals exists, that they can bereactivated and that they will leadVexx to the towering building calledthe Landsplre. Within Is the evilShadowraith Dark Yabu and Vexx'senslaved people, in short, Darby ist h e b r a i n s b e h i n d Ve x x ' s b r a w n .

D A R K Y A B U

As the most powerful of theShadowraiths, Dark Yabu fought withhis brethren against the nobie AstanIrace many years ago when theyinadvertently opened a rift betweenthe living and the shadow realms.T h e M i l l e n n i u m W a r t h a t e n s u e dshattered the peaceful planet ofAstari leaving the four fragmentw o r l d s t h a t e x i s t n o w. D a r k Ya b uwants to reopen the gateway tot h e s h a d o w r e a l m b u t h a s o n e

remaining obstacle. A lone femaleAstana called Reia. incidentally. DarkYabu has the ability to change hisshape which begs the question,"Why did he choose such an uglyone for daily use?"

R E I AReia is the last of the AstanI, a once-nobie race who perished in theMillennium War against theShadowraiths. A girl at the timeAstara was shattered, Reia feels theguilt of her peopie who accidentallye n a b l e d t h e S h a d o w r a i t h s t o I n v a d e

t h e i r w o r l d . A s a r e s u l t s h e h a s h e l da vigil for over a thousand years,attempting to stop Dark YSbu'severy attempt to reopen thegateway to his world, in short, she'sa goodie and wants to help Vexxreach the Landsplre and destroyol' ugly features.

And what about The Prince Of Egypt? It seems that the underratedcartoon feature, or more specifically a sequence where hieroglyphicfigure's animate to tell a story, has become the imaginative springboardfor one of the game's numerous mini-games. At one point, Vexx willenter the surface of a carved wall, whereupon the player will be treatedto an inspired twist on old-skool scrolling 2D platform games.

With the development team dedicated to implementing off-the-wallthinking in a way that's positively Japanese, this example barelyscratches the surface. For instance, there's a level set in a giant's castle.Inside you'D find a huge room complete with TV and videogame consolesetup that you can activate and, balancing on the controller, play to yourpint-sized heart's content. And that's not the strange bit. Climb up ontothe piano (playing the keys as you walk, naturally), hop into the worksand you're treated to an abstract musical level. Seemingly floating inspace, Vexx must leap and climb up a series of musical instruments.And with each new drum, horn or guitar he lands on the soundtrackbuilds with that instrument's particular sound. You begin to appreciatejust why the developers are so psyched about the game.

The inspiration provided by theme parks is, considering platformgames' love of themed levels and areas, a little easier to nail down. Buteven here, there's an attempt to visit genre staples with fresh eyes. Takethe game world's structure. By splitting Astara into four, adjacent islands

//At night-time, tiie faiiing liglitcauses creatures to transforminto evi l versions of t l iemselves>/

floating in space, the developers can afford to make the distinct areasfully free-roaming without having to worry about players walking intoinvisible walls at the edge of the map. Try that in Vexx and you won'tfind a glitch in the code, you'll literally fall off the edge of the world. Andthen there's the role of monuments. With such open environments itwould be easy to get lost, or lose track of your objectives withoutprompting. But with a nod to Disneyland's fairy-tale castle, that won't bea problem in Vexx. Cook explains. "We've got a 3D system where youcan see other worlds within the atmosphere, far away. I wanted it to belike a theme park in that you go in there and you might see a tower witha temple on top of it and you'll say, 'Some day I'll go there.' And it maytake three days and it may take 20 minutes but whatever you can see,you can to get to." These monuments also act as focal points for youradventure, so whichever of the game's 144 tasks you're currently trying tocrack, and in whatever order, you won't have to worry about getting lost.

You may, however, feel a little less relaxed about night falling. Vexx'sworld is filled with indigenous creatures, most of which will attack only ifprovoktxl during the day. Come the night, and it's a different matter. The

failing light causes creatures to transform into evil and belligerentversions of themselves. Take the humble Popper (a large worm thatleaves Bugs Bunny-style dirt trails in its wake) for example. It's no lookerin the daylight to put it mildly, but after bedtime it looks positivelyhorrible. And what's more, it will actively hunt you down if you hangaround. Thank goodness for the creation of hidden sundials dottedaround Astara that allow you to switch between night and day. It's animaginative way to make the passage of time impact on gameplay. Andsave your bacon from marauding creatures of the night, of course.

It's interesting to note that despite entering the final stretch ofdevelopment (two years down with an October release planned) theteam seem remarkably calm. Perhaps they've cobbled together one ofthose sundials to monkey time around in their favour? Well, almost.

A U S n N ' S P O W E RUnlike many developers, Acclaim is keen to develop its own softwareand design tools. Vexx is no different in that respect, either. A newengine and set of tools have been purpose-built specifically for this gameand Acclaim Studios Austin's other big project, Turok Evolution (SeeOPS2#\7). Director of Product Development, Male Caimmack, explainsthat the advantages of this approach to game design are huge: "If youdon't have the right tools at your disposal the game's not going tohappen. Some of them are off the shelf, but the actual world-buildingsoftware that we have to make ffejcr with is our creation, we designed ithere. We needed it to do specific things that other tools just don't do.That was a big learning experience for us too. The software has tofacilitate world creation, and has to be able to evolve with the plans."

And with Turok Evolution using the same pool of technology as Vexx,both teams have benefited from each other's experience. The designtools have meshed with the philosophy that getting the fundamentals ofgameplay right is the top priority. Everything else comes later. "The waywe do it is to start simply, then add more detail. So even early on, it'sraw geometry but it plays like it should play. Then we add the graphics,the effects and so on. We were playing the game on PCs a year ago atthe very first stages, when the engines and the tools were all we had.And that way we could stay on the right Uack," concludes Crummack.

With designers able to edit graphics and textures in real-time withoutlong periods waiting for changes to be rendered by the development kits,they've been free to experiment, creating mini-games and effects inminutes and hours rather than days. Science aside this is all potentiallygood news for gamers looking for more bang for their videogame buck.

Of course, no end of innovation and cutting-edge design software isgoing to make it easy for Vexx to steal the PS2 'bounce and trounce'crown from IVIessrs Jak and Daxter, but it's a compliment to Acclaim'syoung hero that with almost a year of development remaining beforerelease. Naughty Dog's duo are the only competition in sight. Not badfor a first attempt at a platformer. Not bad at all. □

Env i r onmen ts a revery varied with aslittle repetition oftex tures and fea turesas possible.

PlayStation

□R M N G R m B I T O S I SPerliaps best-known for its Music titles, Jester Interactive has also developed aseries of racing games. The company is now planning on changingtempo and becoming a publisher. 0PS2 investigates.

I ^

Super Trucks;Jester's first gameas a publisher.

Despite what you may think, the computer gamesindustry is now a respectable business. The days of

I M teenagers turning out million-soiling games from theirbedrooms are long gone. Hell, there are people in thegames industry who wear suits and ties on a regularbasis. These people do not make games of course.

Developers make games and developers wear jeans and Quafe T-shirts.No, the smart-dressers of the games industry are publishers. They arethe top of the foodchain and work in expensive offices, flashingAmerican Express cards to pay for fancy lunches at The Ivy. Developersgenerally have somewhat strained relationships with their publishers.

The reason for this is because a publisher will make more money outof a successful game than the developer who actually makes thesuccessful game. Publishers say this is only fair because they make thegame a success with their clever advertising campaigns, while developerssay it's unfair because without the actual game, the publisher would havenothing to advertise. As any French publisher would say, "C'est la vie."

There is a purpose for this brief ABC of developer-publisher relations.And bizarrely, the purpose is tucked away in the sleepy Welsh town ofMold; a place that is the global headquarters of developer, but soon-to-be publisher. Jester Interactive.

"We've been on the other side of the fence, trying to get gamespublished. We've been jerked around and rackt>d-off by publishers,"explains Jester's pugnacious Marketing Director, Clark Evans. Not a manto mince his words, Evans has spent the past 12 months talking to mostof the world's publishers about Jester's upcoming titles, such as SuperTrucks (see Keep On Trucking). He's not been impressed by what he'shad to experience. "We've been in the situation where we've been talkingto a publisher about doing a deal for 1()(),()00 units, only to have themback out at the last minute. They then tried to get back on board amonth later for 30,000 units..at this point we choose not to tell you thewords Evans used to describe what he thought about that. All you needto know is that he was not keen to take up the offer. Not at all.

"I think deahng with Super Trucks has pushed us along thepublishing route a little bit quicker than we anticipated," continues TimWright, Jester's Creative Director and co-creator of its hugely popularMusic series. "But to be honest, pubhshing has always been the long-term plan for Jester. Keyboard to shelf is our philosophy."

JUMPING THROUGH HOOPSTo give Evans and Wright the benefit of the doubt, if a developer wantedto become a publisher, the start of 2002 is exactly the right time toattempt it. With the install base of next-generation consoles such asPlayStation 2 rising rapidly, the whole industry is experiencing stronggrowth. For example, the UK market for console software alone wasworth over £700 million in 2001. Conversely, Trip Hawkins, who co-founded Electronics Arts before moving on to form 3DO, reckons that inorder to be successful, a publisher must have annual revenues of $100million. Jester doesn't even come close to those sort of figures.

"Externally, what we are doing might seem foolhardy. There was thisdeveloper, who started in 1998 and did a couple of music games, andnow wants to publish a racing game. Is it insane?"'Wright ponders hisown predicament for a moment. "We know that a good racing game like

S e l e c t T r u c k As expectedvarious drivingpositions afe '■proved from in-cab to third- andfirst-person views.

PlayStation E 067

K E E P O N T R U C K I N GThe first self-published title from Jester will be Super Thicks on PlayStation 2.UVe get the lowdown from Clark Evans, Marketing Director.

What is Super Ihick racing?Officlally-Hcensed from the FIA (the same body that organises FormulaOne), Super Trucks is based on the European Super Tmckchampionship, it's the second most popular motorsport In Europeafter Fl* boasts Evans, a long-time fan and dabbler In thechampionship himself. "We couldnt compete In terms of doing an Flgame but, with Super Trucks we have a unique sport, and this is thefirst console game based on it. People are racing these five-ton trucksthat go 0 to 60 in Just over three seconds. We dont have anylimitations In terms of damage, so we have fully-modelled collisions.It's a fun game and a great product for Jester"

□ A r c a d e o r s i m u l a t i o n ?Everything about Super Trucks (the game) screams arcade racing It'san attitude that's hugely helped by the fact that the real sport isbasically a bigger version of dodgem racing. There are 14 teams in thechampionship, each of which fields one tmck, although the likes offvlercedes-Benz and IVIAN have more than one team. Races begin witha formation lap which leads straight Into a rolling start and a certainamount of chaos at the first corner This is enhanced by the fact thatthe trucks have a speed limit of lOOmph.

□ Power or speed?"Ttiey have to limit the speed for safety reasons. When five tons gets

out of control, it makes a huge mess," explains Evans. This results invery close racing throughout the ten-lap contests. The key skill fordrivers to master Is the abillly to accelerate out of corners to lOOmphas fast as possible, while braking as late as possible into corners.Luckily the size and robustness of the trucks means that, unlike Fl,collisions rarely result In retirement. Consequently there are plenty ofskirmishes to be had. It's supposed to be a non-contact sport,"laughs Evans. "Each truck is fitted with a fore and rear camera, andboth are linked live to a control room. If there's an incident, they makea note of It and check the footage later Drivers do get pulled-up bythe stewards, but things will get out of control when you race five tonsof t r uck "

□ W l io a re the d r i ve rs?Another area of truck racing ripe for exploitation is the personalities ofthe drivers themselves. A motley bunch of ex-Formula 3000 or rallydrivers, most have driven for the same team for years.

The nature of the sport, compared to Fl, means that individualdriving styles are more expressive - this helps in terms of modellingAl behaviours. "Antonio Albacete [Cespa team) is a very precise driver,whereas Fritz Kreutspointner [MAN team] Is a lunatic. He takes cornersside on. He's on the ragged edge all the time. Gerd Korber [Buggyrateam] Is one of the most notorious headcases. You mess with himand he will have you. We've built that into the trucks' Ai," explainsEvans. "They are a real bunch of colourful characters. Steve Parrish[Mercedes-Benz team] puts smoke bombs in people's cabs. And onthe last lap of the last race of the season, Gerd Korber parked histruck sideways across the track" There's even one driver who has anenormous white teddybear In his passenger seat - something whichhas been carefully included In the Super Trucks game.

In keeping with therough and readysport. Super Trucksfully models damage.Although it's unlikelyto fo rce re t i rement .

'The Directors meet on a Mondayand if tliere's a good idea, the nextday we're doing it." Clark Evans

[3 Super Trucks will shift more units than a music game, and by self-publishing the game we'll get a larger slice of the money pot That givesus the resources to expand."

There is another reason for believing that Jester can pull off a moveinto publishing. Plenty of developers spend their lime discussing high-concept game design or clever tricks for managing dataflow through thePS2's vector units. There are probably not that many who manage theirown four-time World Record-holding motorcyclist though.

Evans takes up this particular story. "Jason Rennie is a local guywho is very good at motorcycle jumping. He wanted to break the WorldRecord for jumping (he furthest distance on a motorbike. GavinMorgan [Jester's CEO] thought this was a good thing to get behindand signed him up. I ended up sitting at the same table as Gav duringa christening. He knew 1 was involved in motorsport and said, Tvesigned up this guy who jumps bikes. He's a nutter. Think you can d( isomething for him?"'

A few months later, Evans arranged for Rennie to jump atDonnington Park, where he broke the world ramp-to-ramp distancerecord which had stood for nine years. He leaped 253 feet, live on SkySports and was, of course, fully decked out in Jester Interactive leathers.Since then, Rennie has jumped at the Nurburgring in front of a quarterof a million spectators, as well as in Tokyo. Future plans include a jumpacross the ITiames and a head-to-head jump-off against his arch rival,American Doug Danger. "We will do a game based on Jason at somepoint but there are inherent complications," says Evans. "All he does isjump, so we have to spend time getting the right concept and makingthe game fun."

PULUNG UCENCES OUT OF HATSA similar example of Jester's self-sufficiency is its well-publicisedacquisition of the rights to the Isle of Man bike race (Manx TO andsemmal 8 bit games such as Mmw Miner, Jet Set Willy and Paradroid[see Pick 'N' Mix]. "We don't have a problem in hunting down andsearching out opportunities and then going out and getting them," saysEvans. "The Directors of Jester get around the table on a Mondaymorning and if there's an idea we think is good and can happen, thenext day we're doing it ITie IT race is a good example. We found outthat no-one had the licence so we jumped on a plane. We met theTourism Minister for the Isle of Man, sat around a table, did the deal,signed it and fleu- back. It was a two-day job."

It's this level of get-up-and-go which is impressive. Coincidentally, itis reminiscent of the attitude of Codemasters, with whom Jester has had

)68 PlayStation.^

P I C K ' N ' M i xTlianks to its various acquisWonslast year, Jester now possessesa treasure trove of licences. Itjust needs to decide what to dow i t h t h e m .

A TT racing game is currently inpre-production as the developmentteam works out how to map the32 mites of tracl< into theconstraints of PlayStation 2. Morecomplete are the Game BoyAdvance versions of the classicgames Manic Miner and Jet SetWHIy, which will be released duringthe summer Jester's biggestproject however Is the reworking ofP a r a d r o i d f o r P S 2 ,

To give you the full story, wewere working on a Dreamcastgame called Hell Gate," recalls nmWright, Jester's Creative Director."We needed something to drive theconcept forward and we weretrying to work out what the gamewas like and suddenly Paradroidflashed Into my mind."

A bit of detective work andone cheque later, Jester was theproud owner of the back catalogueof UK publisher Graftgold: 21games ranging from Uridlum toFire & Ice, Avalon, Gribbly's Day Outand Paradroid. "initially, we arelooking to pursue about five of the21," says Wright. "We're working onways of Implementing Uridium onnext-gen consoles to make it lookabsolutely stunning. Paradroid Ism o r e a d v a n c e d - t h e r e a r e a

couple of game engine cut-scenescurrently available from the Jestersite {www.jesterlnteractive.coml"

Ufiwirmit

intimate contact through its Alusic titles. Codemasters' great skill hasbeen buying cheap, real-world licences and spending the time andmoney building them into valuable game brands. Think Colin McRaeand TOCA. And while this doesn't work without a quality game - helloPrince Nassem Boxing - it's clear that Jester has learned from themistakes made by its former publisher.

"I've been in the industry for 14 years working for differentcompanies and you get a good overview," explains Wright. "You learnwhat to do and what not to do. Certainly, through dealing with people atCodemasters, we get to see how they market games and things like that."

So what does Codemasters think about Jester's ambitions as a

pubhsher? "We've still got our obligations to them for Music and we willobviously honour those," says Evans. "1 don't think they'll be annoyed.They know it's always been our plan to get into publishing and justbecause we've gone into publishing, it doesn't mean that we won'tconsider publishing through someone else. We wouldn't hesitate topublish through someone like Codemasters if we felt they would do abetter job on a particular product."

As for where Jester Interactive 'the publisher' is to go from here, ithas plenty to be getting on with. Super Trucks comes out in April,followed by Jet Set Willy and Manic Miner on the Game Boy Advance,plus a new superclub-branded version of Music for the PC. It's going tobe a testing time. "We're not under the illusion that it's going to be easy,"ends Evans. There is, however, one thing you can be sure of: no matterwhether Jester is a publishing success or not, there won't be any suits orties on display. □

Comparedhopes the

to the sterile simulation of F1 racing, Jesterarcade thrills of Super Wucks will draw new fans.

Play5tation,E 069

Snowboarding was never so muchfun before SSX. Now the EA SportsBIG brand has gone into hyperdrive,remodelling basketball, motocrossand sled racing in its brash,colourful image. If it's a sport, it'sready to have BIG' stamped all overit. Could - gulp - football be next?

Nobody can deny (hat SSX and SSX Tricky antwo of the most exciting games of thePlayStation 2's life to date. Taking what wasalready classed as an extreme sport andamping each element tt) the max, introducingfreaky fantasy elements while retaining instan

playability and a [wrfectly tuned learning curve, the SSX gameset an example to games developers everywhere. It was onlynatural that would attempt to apply this magic touch to

other sporting disciplines. ITie next two games under theburgeoning EA Sports BIG brand are to be Freeksty le, a

typically e.\aggerati-d take on freestyle niotoeross, ancSled Storm, a rocket-powered snowmobile ratx>r.

O/^S'2 visited liA's home of BIG at its impressivVanoMver studios and quizzed the resident MBIG, Steve Rechtschaffner, about the future.

PlayStation.2 07

' B J u Ja u j j j j r

C X C C U T I O N C R

& y s iv i u s *

Here, as with all BIGgames, the tricks havevery silly names.

J'mIo a a IHcks make boost, boost

makes speed, Ybu dig?

0

Like SSX on dirt bikes.□ Developer: Page 44/Release: May□Assistant Producer: Jill Goodall, Associate Producer: Rich Rogers

BIG BeginningsFreekstyle is developed by EA-affiliated SanFrancisco studio Page 44, which is alsoresponsible for EAs series of supercross games.The physics engine for producing a freestylemotocross game was already in place - allFreekstyle needed was a sprinkle of that EASports BIG magic.

BIG CharactersIt may surprise you to discover that Mad MikeJones, Clifford Adopante (The Hyin Hawaiian)and Greg Albee' .'Ubertyn are actually ail real-life freestyle motocross riders, whose popularityin the States puts them on a par with proskaters and BMXers, Stefy Bau is a formerItalian and World women's motocrosschampion, while Leann Tweeden is the host ofan extreme sports TV' show in the US.

BIG Courses"Our first step away from the Supercross serieswas to come up with courses that, to the

TTie Freekstyle systemorces players to pullricks and take risks/'tich Rogers, Producer

average person, were a little more exciting." saysGoodall. "Supercross simulation courses can belike N.'\SC\R - if you're a fan, you'll drive ovalsforever, but otherv\ise you need more variety."

Freekstyle will feature si.\ main courses, afew additional courses for the Freestyle mode,and probably a couple of small practice courseswith lots of ramps.

BIG Game ModesUnlike SSX, there aren't Dual Trick and Racemodes. Instead, the main game uses a trickreward system: when any rider (includingyourself) performs a trick, the points go into acommunal 'trick jackpot'. Depending on howyou finish, you get a percentage of the jackpotadded to your score. "The system forces playersto pull tricks and take risks." suggests Rogers.Tricks aren't only for points though - the\- alsogive you turbo. "For this feature we've tried tocombine boost properties from SSX and i\'BAStreet There's a simple boost that you can useanytime, but there's also a Freekout gauge.Once this meter's full, you can pull the four-button super-sick irick. \'ou need to have bigair, and if you land that trick, you get amazinghyper-speed for several seconds depending onthe quality of your super-sick trick. If you cankeep doing tricks without v\ iping out. vou canstay in the hyper-speed Freekout mcxle."

Wflkiik

Outside the main game, there's a Freestylemode concerned only with trick scores, and aFreeride mode that's purely for racing.

BIG TricksThe game's 80 tricks are controlled with theshoulder buttons, just like SSX (@ executes atweaked trick). One set of tricks is common toeach rider, but they all also have individualunique tricks. If you hold tricks in the air vourscore increases, but there is a trick score ceiling.Hold t(X) long and your score drops,encouraging you to explore more risky combos.

BiG Music"We're aiming for the DJ style of SSX but withmore of a guitar influence in a Limp Bizkitvein." says Goodall. Some of the game's musichas been written by production team TheHumble Brothers, recent remLxers of LinkinPark and The Deftones among others.

BIG MultiplayerThe Two-player Split-screen mode has not beenfinalised yet, but the scoring system will bedifferent to that in the main game. "Sadly 1don't think we can include .\1 riders without

compromising the game's performance,"concedes Rogers. Expect a cat-and-mousepoint-stealing affair and plenty of trash talking

That 's a hel luvalong way down.Don't fall, oryour boost willdisappear.

74 PlayStation.E

T i n t 0 1 0 2 : 7 0

STKALTH

0 < l f t l 3

S T O R M

Five Al riders willdo everything intheir power tomake you fail.

S /ed Storm

producer ConorLumpkin and

A AV B E L B O m i S D R E R M W N

S L E D S T O R mLike SSX on motohsed snowmobiles.□ Developer: EA Canada/Release; March□ Producer: Conor Lumpkin

BIG Beginnings

T h a t l o o k si n s a n e - w h i c his why you'reabout to land onyour butt.

EA released a game called Sled Storm for thePSone back in 1999. A neat little racer defined

by cool sfiort cuts and a smart upgrade system,it was a definite forerunner for SSX. Work onthe sequel was originally started as a straight-ahead EA Sports title, but then the sensibledecision was made, in l^umpkin's words, to"BIG-ify" it. So what's the difference between asled, a snowmobile, a Skidoo and a toboggan?"A snowmobile and a Skidoo are much thesame thing - a Skidoo is a brand name for atype of snowmobile, A sled is more of afantasy invention, it's Hke a high-poweredrocket, a 350 horsepower beast... although afew of the machines that appear in our game doactually exist in real life. A toboggan? That'swhat you get pushed down the hill on whenyou're five years old..."

BIG CharactersAs opposed to Freekstyle which features real-lifeSupercross riders, "f don't believe anyone inthis game actually exists," reckons Lumpkin."Apart from perhaps Psymon [who you'llremember as the spiky-haired psycho from SSXTricky\. ff Psymon doesn't exist, he certainlywishes he did." Zoe Payne is another Trickyrefugee who's traded in her snowboard for asled, to star alongside other daftly named fellassuch as TJ Rallins and Alix Kinoshita.

BIG CoursesThere are seven courses in the game. "Eachcourse has its short cuts, but they become morenumerous - and more treacherous - as youadvance." Naturally there's a progression interms of the sleds you win, too: "The top speedof your first sled is about 90-95. When you get

to the end, you're riding a sled at about 125.Also the later courses are a lot faster."

BIG Game iviodesThe Quick Race and Championship modes areself-explanatory, but the Rival Challenge is anew idea. "This is a reward for completingChampionship mode. You can take on anyother rider in the game head-to-head and if youwin, you get one of their sleds. If you lose, theyget one of yours. The idea is to collect all thesleds in the game, and ultimately you can openup the hallowed 'big one'. There are 40 killersleds, all with various properties, so you'll wantto own them all."

BIG TricksTricks give you speed boost (here measured ona 'Storm' gauge) but according to Lumpkin,"The tricks are there primarily because they'refun.'They're also simple to execute, living onthe shoulder buttons in the familiar BfG gamecontrol setup. Silly trick names include theSwan Dive and the Xup Cancan.

BIG iviuslcGeneric big beat from people called HeinHoven and Overseer. At least the pre-racebanter between Matthew fillard and MeanJean Okerlund is good.

BIG Multiplayer"There's only a Two-player mode becausethere's so much happening on the screen.We already pulled out the map from the HUDbecause you just didn't have time to register it.ft sounds like a cliche but we really wantedSled Storm to be total in-your-face, seat-of-the-pants racing." 0

m a b b h e i xL i l l a n dOne of S/ed StDm1% OTTvoice actors is MatthewUllard, soon to be Sha®r inthe new Scooby-Doo movie.He's also starred in Screom,Hackers and Love's Labour'sLost and is totally stoked toappear in a PS2 game.

How did you get involved withSled Stonn?EA's whole thing with these gamesto hire professional actore to provkcharacter voices - obviously Trickyhad David Arquette and Lucy Liuand all those guys. We're actots, It';our job to take on the roles ofcharacters, so it makes sense. Forme, I'm a huge gamer This |obwasnt about the money, It wasabout a lifetime of free games fronEA Sports! I play a lot of FIFA andfrom that 1 started getting Into theBIG label and I loved SSX and NBAStreet So when EA called, I wastotally in. Sled Storm Is a blast toplay I'm excited that the game I'mInvolved with looks like It's going t(be a big hit.

You appear as a presenter andcommentator in the game, buthave you ridden a sled yourselflNo! Have you? 1 certainly wouldn'tdare ride the way they do In thegame. It's Insanel 1 raced motocrosgrowing up, I play basketball -although I can't dunk - but I'm notmassive extreme sports kid. That'swhy videogames are so badass,because they're fantasy and you c;become a champ.

What was it like to work with tlnotoriously insane wrestlingc o m m e n t a t o r M e a n J e a nOkerlund (who also providesvoiceover for Sled Storm)?He was so awesome, really butch.He's a studi We were Just throwingstuff back and forth. The amount (work It took was unbelievable. It was hard as any day I've ever workeon a movie. You have to keep up tintensity and the ener® level for 1hours, i was sick, but thought, "it'sJust a game, It'll be simple," At theend of the day I was exhausted.

How did you feel about playingShaggy, the ultimate stoner icoiThe movie is phat, it's a littletongue-in-cheek. We go out andsave the world. 1 can't tell you ifthere's a guy In a mask at the encMaybe there is. but maybe this tinthere's a real demon... you neverknow. Shaggy is such a coolcharacter. We never outright admlthat he is a stoner but there aresome knowing references to Scoosnacks and whatever There's lotsthe adults to catch on to, but thekids will never know.

•Scooby-Doo Is re/eased to cfnerrI n J u n e .

PlayStation.E 0

1

He was once on the US freestyle ski team, he was among the firstDeople to put extreme sports on television, he practically inventedDoardercross, and now he's defining videogame largeness with SSXand the EA Sports BIG brand. Meet the re BIG daddy

Back in the late Eighties you were busyputting skating and snowboarding ontelevision with your production company.How did the invention of boardercTOSsc o m e a b o u t ?

I'd long had this idea about racing skiers orsnowboardcrs in a motocross style. You canimagine how boring motocross would be if theyraced them one at a time... Anyway, we had asegment to fill on our TV show, and somesympathetic people at Whistler ski resort, Isketched out a course that was built in onenight, and we called it boardercross. Some ofthe snowboardcrs were sceptical at first, but assoon as they raced the course five at a time,they were having a blast and crossing the finishline high-fiving each other. Later, i\rr\' andliurosport licensed the footage andboardercross took off from there.

"Name any sport anduve're probably alreadysketching out ideas forthe BIG makeovei^ '

A decade later, SSX must have seemedlike the obvious next step...SSX was a great excuse to do a lot of things 1dreamed about doing in boardercToss withoutthe obvious restraints of gravity and, you know,people getting hurt. It took a gladiator approachto modern day snowboardmg The fun part wasthe creative exercise of 'what ifs'. Plusboardercross in real life had become definedby then, so t wanted to create somethingdifferent. And it's so much easier to invent itin the game worid because you don't need todeal with physical logistics or sanctioningbodies or any of that.

Was SSX the game that you alwaysw a n t e d t o m a k e ?

Yeah, it was the favourite of my three ideaswhen I first started at EA. But these were thedays of Super Nintendo and MegaDrive. ff Ihad built SSX back then it would have been alot more straightforward.

Before SSX, you developed the Triple PlayBaseball series. Was this an early attemptto introduce the BIG philosophy?Definitely. I just thought that the way to get to alarger audience was to focus on the handful of

things that people think of as being fun inbaseball. Joe Average is not into that deepstrategy element. We did things like goosingup the sound of ball on bat when you hit ahome run so it sounded like an explosion. Wegot criticised by the hardcore baseball fans,but we continued to outsell everybody byhuge numbers!

Would you define an EA Sports BIG gameas one that amplifies the fun elements ofan existing sport?That's essentially it. There's still a strong basisin realism. Ptx)ple want to believe that they'reactually doing these things. Someone rccendysuggested that we do a hoverboard game, butthat's not for me. f like to have a believablefoundation and then build on top of it.

When did the idea of the whole EASports BIG brand first emerge?It was simultaneous with the development ofSSX. Sure, it was a risk to introduce a wholenew brand on the back of one game,particularly as a lot of i^ple were dubiousabout SSX until it entered the final

development stage. The NBA team had anidea for what became Street and came to seewhat we were doing on SSX and the BIGbrand grew tentatively from there. Luckily it allcame together.

I think EA Sports BIG has grown the way abrand should grow, and that's being driven anddefined by its games, not by throwing moneyaround. But by bringing Sled Storm andFreekstyle on board, we can't bo complaccnt Ireally like Tony Hawk's Pro Skaur but I feltexploited when I went out and bought the [MatHoffman] BMX game. It was the exact samegame except you were on a bike With BIG, Iwant to ensure that every game we introduce isa new gameplay experience and will havethings unique to it outside of what vehicleyou're riding.

So it's important to make each gameunique then, but which common elementsa r e c r u c i a l ?

A famiUar contfol system. Pacing. Immensesurface appeal underpinned by immense depth.Quality of presentation. The feeling that you'rereally experiencing the adrenaline rush of thecharacter on the screen.

The BIG philosophy seems flexibleenough for you to apply those

S P O R T S

characteristics to any sports game genre.Are there any interesting drawing hoardideas at the moment?An Sports BIG football game would begreat. It's a huge opportunity, but we'd have tobe very, very cautious when defining thegameplay because f(K)tball is a sptwt thatptxiple are hugely passionate about around theworld. The handful of fantasy elements we maywant to introduce have to totally hit the mark,othervTOe all you've got is a mucked-up footballgame. We can bend the rules of a sport but wehave to retain its essence. Name any sport andwe're probably already sketching out ideas forthe BIG makeover. But we'll just have to seewha t su rv i ves .

Given Steve R's at ire,could the BIG angi nggame be next?

176 PlayStation.E

What's the latest on your downhillmountain bike game, slated to be the nextthing from EA Sports BIG after Sled Stormand Freekstyle?It's going to be out in time for Christmas 2002,We've been working on it for about eightmonths and the majority of the Tricky team areinvolved. The visual producer on the game hasjust joined us fresh from supervising the specialeffects on the last two Spielberg mo\ ies. It'sgoing to be a whole new unique experience, it'sall about characters and stor\', but it takes

place through a sport involving fearsomemountain bikes. That's about all I can say rightnow, but we'll come back and tell you guysmore as soon as we can. □

P R E V I O U S LY R E L E A S E D .

s s x□The fantasy snowboardingspectacular that started it all. Still wellworth playing if you haven't started onTricky because it remains better than90 percent of PS2 titles out there.□We said; "Slick, speedy andextremely addictive. An irresistibletaste of the future." 9/10 OPS2#001

N B A S t r e e t□ Basi<etbaii, as hustled by cartoonshell-toed homles from the streets ofHarlem. Makes the NBA iook like asedate game of lawn bowis.□ We said; "Perform unfeasible slamdunk combos and embarrass youropponents. A great two-playerexperience." 6/10 OPS2#010

SSX -IVicky□ it's back, it's bigger, It's better, it'sbrighter, it's brasher and if you don'tlike it, you're wrong So perfectlydesigned, we're still discovering newshort cuts four months on...□We said; "An instantly playable,brilliantly-designed game. Uberi n d e e d . " 9 / 1 0 O P S 2 # 0 1 5

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2001 Datel Ltd. Action Replay 2V2 is a trademarli of Datei Ltd. PlayStation 2 is a registered trademarl< of SCEE.This product is not sponsored, endorsed or approved by Sony.;tual appearance may vary. XhartTrack Decetrber 2001. "Lines open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Calls cost 60p per minute. '"Includes cheat codes available from vmw.codeiunkies.com.he screen shots from PS2» games are used to Illustrate HR2~V2s compstlUllty with these lantastic titles. They are the copyright ol their respective owners. AP2-V2 Is NOT endorsed, sponsored or approved by arty of these copyright owners.

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PlayStation.E' O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E - U K

The only game reviews worth readingR e v i e w s C h a r t e rFACT: OmCIAL PlAYSIAnON 2 MAGAZINESreviews are the best in the business. Our cracksquad of reviewers play the games longer,harder and better than anyone else - take alook at the screenshots in each review for proof.Rather than a few images from the first twolevels or some replay footage, our review pagesshow we've played the games to bursting point.

It's this dedication that means you can trustour scores above anyone else's. Whether agame's superb or sewage, our experts will tell itlike it is with buckets of opinion rather than afew cheap gags and some PR nonsense. Ourexperienced reviewers have written for the likesof Edge, DC-UK, Official PiayStation MagazineSuper Play, PSM2, PC Gamer, GamesMaster,ZZAPI, Games Radar, N64 and Sega Power soyou know these are opinions you can trust

Next time you head off to spend your hardearned cash on a PlayStation 2 game, makesure you read our reviews first.

Review RatingsHere's what our review scores stand fon

10/10 Nigh on revolutionary. A game that couldchange the face of gaming foiever

9/10 A tmly astonishing game. If you have aPlayStation 2, you need this now

8/10 Highly recommended7/10 Good, solid fare that's definitely well

worth a look6/10 Better than average, and ideal for

hardcore fans of the genre5/10 An average game4/10 Poor but still with the odd moment3/10 Extremely disappointing2 / 1 0 To b e a v o i d e d

1 / 1 0 B e e r m a t

The 0PS2 AwardsWe dont hand out high scores for nothing sowhen you see one of these, you'll know it's asign of quality. iJDok for them on game boxes

The Gold Awardis a rare gem andonly to be given toPS2 games thatscore tha t ma^10/10. The oniygame to get Goldis MGS2. Too right!

■me Silver Awardis for games thatreceive 9/10. If yousee this, ifs a s<^of star quality,indicating that youslioukJ buy thisgame now!

The Bronze Awardis for games thatscore 8/10. Thesegames are highlyrecommendedand are 100%guaranteed tosatisfy.

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80 PlayStation,?

ICO...... ......... ....... .........088A beautiful, captivating adventure. Rescue the damsel in distress, fleethe spooky castle, avoid the shadows and live happily ever after...

M A X I M O 0 9 2To call this game a 3D Ghosts 'N Goblins is to do it an injustice. You' I

ver have as much fun running around in your pants with a sword.r ' M A X PAY N E 0 9 6The Motrlx-inspired PC shooter comes to the PS2 in all its cinematicsplendour But does the conversion do it justice?

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K E S S E N I I 9 9Taie strategy games are few and far between on PS2.So is Kessen II more than just a pretty Chinese face?S P A C E C H A N N E L 5 V I 1 0 0RESIDENT EVIL SURVIVOR 2C O D E : V E R O N I C A 1 0 3ESPN INTERNATIONALW I N T E R G A M E S 1 0 5JONNY MOSELY MAD TRIX........107S H A D O W M A N :2 E C 0 N D C O M I N G 1 0 8T H E S H A D O W O F Z O R R O I l lGODAI: ELEMENTAL FORCE ........112IRON ACES 2: BIRDS OF PREY ...112D R A K A N : T H EA N C I E N T S ' G A T E S 1 1 3ESPN X GAMESS N O W B O A R D I N G 2 0 0 2 1 1 4

PS one ™The latest titles for the little grey fella

M E G A M A N X 6 l i s

R N A L F A N T A S Y V I 1 1 5

P R O E V O L U T I O N S O C C E R 1 1 5

m e d i a□ \ D / N T E R N E T / P R N T / m U 5 C

DVD REIi EASFS •«••••••••••••••••••••*•••••••»•••••••• 115Moulin Rouge/Planet Of Ttie Apes/Ttie Fast And The Furious/Ttie French Connection I & il Boxset/Die Hard, Die Hard 2;Die Hatijer Boxset/Battle Royale/Dr Strangeiove.D V D T O P 1 0 1 2 8The top ten Teen DVDs on the market.I N T E R V I E W 1 2 0We asl< Zero 7 questions, they respond with answers,I N T E R N E T 1 2 0B O O K S / M A G A Z I N E S 1 2 1M U S I C 1 2 1

IntroducingMeet the faces behind the

Dean EvansThis month, Dean adopted a svoice and pretended to be SaiRichards while Sam was awayAmerica meeting EA andLucasArts. He also conqueredparts of old China in Kessen IIdeveloped his shepherding skifor Herdy Gerdy and is still tryito get someone to lend him acopy of Meto/ Gear Solid 2. N(luck so far though.

Game of the month: "HerdyGerdy Although the pull of PnEvolution Soccer is still strong

Cant wait to play: "PES wheget home, but Jed/ Storfighteflooks very, very nice."

I R E c a m m E N O E O <The games to get and the games we cant wait to get. H

Still playing

K E I A L G E A R S O U D Z

OPS2#17,10/10If you dont know hewgreat MGS2 Is by nwwe Just havent got theroom to tell you again.

S S X T R I C K Y

0PS2#15, 9/10TTie sequel to the bestboarding game on thePS2. Bigger, better andmore of what we like

WIPEOUT FUSIONOPS2#16, 9/10Play this for two hoursand the rest of yourlife begins to speed byin fast fonward mod&

Can't wait to pi«

V I R T V A F I G H T E R 4

Preview, page 12Ail-new face-thumpingactton that takes theV F f r a n c h i s e t o n e w

and iofty heights. Fab.

J E D I S I A R F I G K T E R V E X XNews, page 35 Fteature, page 62More missions, better DarK free-roaming3D graphics and the piatfonner that wilinclusion of Jedi Force give Jak And Doxtpowers. We cant wait. ain for its Orbs...

PlayStation.E C

P u b l i s h e r E i d o sDeveloperCore DesignP r i c e : £ 4 4 . 9 9Players: 1Out 22 FebruaryW e b s i t e :w w w . e i d o s i n t e r a c t i ve.co.uk/games6 0 H z m o d e : Ye sWidescreen: YesS u r r o u n d S o u n dsupport Yes

Back storyHerdy Geitfy comes fromthe same developer thatbrought us Tomb Raider,Tomb Raider and moteTo m b R a i d e r S o m e

elements - such as blockpushing - have beencarried over; and there'salso a rumour that you canfind a little gri in theAncient Temple leveldressed as Lara Croft. Oh,and dont forget to searchfor the frozen Santa Claus.

Beyond beyond, left of right and Just upfrom down, ttiere is a magical isle ofDisneyesque prettiness. Here, vastswathes of fenced farmland lead to

moonlit mountain peaks, and a dark hauntedforest borders a desert town with an abandonedgold mine. Brooks babble, woodpeckers peck andsmall woodland creatures do whatever it Is thatsmall woodland creatures do. This cute, fairytalesetting describes the vast and varied world ofHendy Gerdy, the much-anticipated new (and Lara-freel game from Core Design.

Few would argue that most PS2 games canusually be labelled according to their genre - ttiereare racers and shooters, sports games and beat-'em-ups, platformers and RPGs. Occasionally, thetBare titles that edge beyond the expectations oftype iMetal Gear Solid 2] as well as those that defyeasy pigeonholing (Rezl. So what is Herdy Gerdy? Ithas some ledge-leaping elements, but it's not aplatform game. It boasts hert)-hating enemies, butthere Isnt any combat There are locked doors, yetthere are no obvious keys to open them. You couldsay that this quirky 3D adventure is simply aboutherding gnDups of cartoon animals into smallenclosures. But Herdy Gerdy is more than Just ashepherd simulator It's a series of inventive andorganic puzzles that are often beautifully andsuperbly realised.

The Herdy Gerdy story takes place on anisland created long ago by the Elders using thepower of the First Acom. The Acorn Itself is theprize in a herding tournament that is held everyfive years. To win it, competitors need to showthat they understand the relationship between theland and the various animals that call it home.Unfortunately the last winner of the Acorn, Sadorf,

//rhe game is a seriesof inventive and organicpuzzles that are oftensupertily realised//has been using its nutty power for iiis own darlpurposes. As a result, the natural balance of theisle has been disrupted. Now it's time for thetournament to be held again and Gerdy's father,Gedryn, has been preparing to tai e on Sadorf.Aware of Gedryn's superior beast-managementskills, Sadorf has cast a sleeping spell on Gedtynto stop him from competing In the tournamentThe Island's hopes now rest on his son (ie, you)and on his raw, untested talents lie, no hendingexperience whatsoever).

I N AT T H E ' D O O F E N DTaking control of Gerdy, your task is daunting butstraightforward - reach the herding tournament,defeat Sadorf and win back the First Acorn, ingame terms, this lengthy quest translates to over30 levels of object collection and animal herdingOn the opening landscapes, the game slowlyintroduces you to the controls and the gamemechanics. Gerdy can be viewed via one of threepre-set camera angles - a close-up shot, azoomed-out view and a wide-angle Herdingperspective. There's also a first-person headcamoption, useful for getting a different view of a level'senvi ronmenta l features.

To begin with, Gerdy only has a basic range ofmovement skills. You can walk around to explorethe landscape, run, jump (but not very high) andtalk to other characters. The game's inhabitants I

W H E R E T H E H E L LA M I ?

Your progress throughout Her^Gerdy is tracked by the in-gamfemap, which appears when youmove between the levels. Startingin the south of the island, you haveto make your way northwards andacross to Tournament islandwhere the herding battle againstSadorf will take place.

Herdy Ger features some simple platforming sections, while cut

f .

H E R D Y G E R D Y W I L O U F EFrom the fields surrounding ValleyFloor to the icy wastes of the Moonlitpeaks, the world of Herdy Gerdy isc r a m m e d w i t h a n i m a l s t h a t c a n b eherded or trapped. Not only must youunderstand how the different animalsreact to Gerdy, but how they react toe a c h o t h e r a n d i n t e r a c t w i t h t h elandscape. Only with this knowledgecan you become a Master Herder...

1. DoopsThese dumb, chicken-like animalsrepresent the simplest form of Herdy Gerdylife, i^ft alone they become Gromp fodder,but can be easily herded in groups of 15.They also float.

Collect all 100 bells on a level to get agiant bell. 1Vade this to unlock secrets. "1

Press « to sWji.

2. BleepsWith small tail rotors, Bleeps likenothing better than throwingthemselves off high cliffs and floating tothe ground. They respond to the Flute,b u t w i l l s i n k a n d d r o w n i n w a t e r

3. BlurpsSmall, poisonous creatures that can't beherded. Instead, Blurps can become auseful tool for temporarily disablingGromps. They can also be kicked aboutthe map like a football.

Those thiDgs are GRiMpS. oast crittersDuring his travels, Gerdy will meet characters who will explain the game and give Gerdy useful items.

4 . H o n k sMuch like ducks, Honks love the waterand wont tolerate extended periodsaway from It. Like Bleeps, they can beherded Pled Piper-style using themagic Flute.

5. HonklingsThese baby Honks start life In egg formand wiii only hatch when adult Honks arenearby Honklings will follow Honks whenthey are herded, but can't be moved ont h e i r o w n .

6. GrimpsThese ravenous beasts will not onlyattack Doops, but they will also attackGerdy on sight. They can be calmedwith the music from the Flute and, likeGromps, will not cross water

7. GrompsThese big, pink predators will munch onDoops and chase Gerdy across the map.Gromps cannot be herded but they canbe trapped, poisoned or lured Into fightswith other Gromps.

Herding Doops is much like herding sheep. Doops naturally avoid Gerdy, soyou can guide them together to form a flock and move them as a group.

El are on hand to offer advice, explain the controlsystem, and set mini-tasks that will direct youtowards the next chunk of the adventure. Eachlevel also has 100 collectable bells scattered here,there and everywhere. By picking up all of thesegolden bonuses, you can claim a giant bell thatcan be traded with a fanner to unlock extraelements of the game. You'll quickly notice thatsome of the bells are unobtainable to Gerdy atthe start of the game. Some are located in deepwater but Gerdy cant swim. Others sit tantalisinglyon ledges, but Gerdy cant Jump high enough toreach them. At least not yet. Once you havegained extra items to enhance Gendys abilities,you can return to the level to snap them up.

Beyond the tutorial stage, the real core of thegame Is Introduced. In a word: hertling Stick withus, this is actually much more interesting than Itsounds. Each of the levels in Herdy Gerdy has itsown delicately balanced ecosystem and ispopulated by an array of different creatures. Theearly levels are dominated by the dumb, chickenlike Doops. These animals will naturally run awayfrom Gerdy if he approaches them, but they canalso be herded into manageable flocks If youslowly circle around them - in much the sameway that a sheepdog drives a flock of sheep. Oncebunched together, the Doops will start to move asa group and can be guided Into the safety of aDoop enclosure. A number appears above thenewly created flock showing how many animalshave been herded.

After your first successful attempt at Doop-herding, you are given a Herding Stick, a magicalbit of wood that can be stuck in soft ground toattract scattered flocks of Doops. The HerdingStick is just one of several objects in the gamethat will help Gerdy Interact with the animals andthe environment A magic Rute can be picked upon a later level, allowing you to extend yourherding talents. Magic Boots enhance Gerdy'srunning and Jumping prowess, while anenchanted Feather gives him the ability to climb

//Each of the levels inHerdy Gerdy has itsown delicatelybalanced ecosystem//ladders. Get the magical Gloves from theCarpenter Mole and you'll be able to push heavyblocks Tomb Ro/der-style. Find a SwimmingCostume and Gerdy can float in deep waterwithout fear of drowning A map can also besummoned on screen at any time, a helpfulscatter of brightly coloured dots that displays thelocations of the level exits, the animals and theirrespective pens or traps.

As you progress through the levels, newcreatures are introduced, each with their ownunique characteristics. There are the Bleeps(which can hover using their tall rotors). Honks(which love the water) and Honklings (baby Honksthat will only follow their parents once hatched).Grimps, meanwhile, resemble dog-sized coffeebeans with razor-sharp teeth, and will attackDoops (not to mention Gertly) if they And them.The Hending Stick has no effect on these newcreatures - they can only be controlled when youhave found the magic Flute. Another set ofcreatures, the Blurps, cant be hended at all. Butyou can kick these poisonous creatures aroundthe map like a football and they can be used todistract and disable the ever-hungry Gromps.

Ah yes, the Gromps. These are huge, pinKbear-like predators that will attack and eat almostevery creature that they find. Gromps obviouslymake the herding process much more difficult. Ifa Gromp spots you it will give chase andultimately thump Gendy across the map - unlessyou trap it, distract it, or manage to escape (seeGromp Stomping). If a Gromp sees a flock ofDoops it will eat them, ruining your chances ofsuccessfully herding the pink poultry into a pen.It's this interplay between the animals and the

184 PlayStation.E

R E MHERDY GERDY

i-:- ■? - 4o;6

Sub-games galore! Beat the clock, avoid the guards In Foxtown, rescue a bear from a wicked witch.

way that they Interact with their environment thatgives Herdy Gerdy its quiri y appeai. it's what turnseach level Into an organic puzzle, challenging youto guide lesser creatures Into specific enclosuresbefore the predatory animals can eat them,

NERDY GERDYiHere's how it all fits together Each level in thegame has a certain number of animals scatteredacross it and these must be hettJed into theirspecific animal pens. The H button pulls up astatus display that shows how many of eachcreature type are present on the current level andhow many of them are free, caged or killed. Belowthis Is the progress bar, showing Gendy's head atone end and a Gromp at the other For eachanimal that you successfully guide into a pen,

Gerdy's head will devour a section of the progressbar Conversely, for every animal l<illed or eaten,the Gromp will tai e a bite along the bar To cleara level, you need to herd all of the availablecritters into their respective pens. It's worthnoting too that the pens can only hold a certainamount of animals - a Doop pen can hold 15Doops, a Bleep pen can only accommodate eightBleeps, and so on.

On most of the levels, however, you only needto herd a percentage of the total number ofanimals present to unlocl< new areas of thegameworld. And each new level opened bringsyou a step closer to reaching Tournament Island,which Is lunsurprisingly) located on the oppositeside of the map from your starting position. Asyou progress, the landscapes change from the

grassy fields of Gerdy's homeland to woodedglades and a lal<e criss-crossed with woodenwalkways. The basic aim remains the same -work out a way of trapping or disabling theGromps and herding the Doops, Bleeps andGrimps into their respective pens. In some cases,you'll need to return to levels that you've visitedbefore, especially when you gain the new abilitiesafforded you by the magic Gloves, Feather andSwimming Suit,

Once mastered, herding proves fairly easy onthe lower levels. Where there are three Gromps,there are usually three Gromp traps. And once theGromps have been disabled, it's much easier tomanipulate the lesser creatures. On later levels,however; things start to get tougher There mightbe eight Gromps on a level, but only four traps.

Guiding Grimps overa lake-based leve l .

Lure Gromps into thetraps. It can be tricky.

Before Gerdy can reachTournament Island andattempt to win theherding tournament, heneeds to find severalpieces of equipment thatate vital to his progressacross the map.

The close-up view:useless for herding.

1. The Herding StickThis stick has cowbelis andribbon attached to it and, whenpiaced in soft ground, it has thepower to attract various animalst o w a r d s i t .

2 . B o o t s

Initially Gerdy is barefoot. Picl< upthe Boots and they enhance hisrunning and jumping abilities -vital for evading Gromps and forreaching high iedges.

3 . R e d ' s F l u t eWhat the Herding Stick can'therd, the Flute can charm.

4 . E f r i n ' s H o r nBeat Efrin's time in a herdingchalienge to get his Horn. It has

Gained from Midmear, the music no herding abilities, but can befrom this instrument hypnotises used to scare some animais andBieeps, Honks, Grimps and Ants. attract or wake others.

5. Beider's FeatherSome levels have strategically-piaced ladders ailowing Gerdy toclimb up to new areas of themap. Belder's Feather makesGerdy iight enough to use them.

6 . P o r i c ' s H a m m e rFound deep in a goldmine, oncethe hammer is obtained, it aiiowsGerdy to activate these RainbowSwitches that can often open upn e w / b i o c k e d r o u t e s .

7 . G l o v e sYou'li get these from Crystal i^keand they enabie Gerdy to pushbiocks around. Biocks can onlybe pushed on sides that showetched handprints.

8 . S w i nFor most of the game, Gerdycan't swim. When it comes todeep water he sinks like a stone,unless you get the SwimmingCostume for extra buoyancy

PlayStatlon E (

Use the map (top right) to lure Gromps into empty traps.

El You need to trap the Gtomps that are the biggestthreat to your herding and disabie the others -poison them with Blurps, for exampie, or bring

Gromps together so that they wlli fighteach other In many cases, the landscapeitself plays a part. You may have to herdDoops into the river to float them to anotherpart of the map. Or guide a line of Bieeps

off of a cliff to access a hard-to-reachenclosure. When you l<now how theanimals will react to each other and the

, terrain, you can pian how to use both; to your advantage.

You quickiy learn that the obvious! way to complete a levei Is not

necessarily the best way Eachlandscape is its own reai-tlme puzzle

and the animai organisation becomesmore complex as Gerdy progressesacross the map. For example, yourattempts to ciear a ievei may behampered by the accidental death of an

G R O M PS T O M P I N G

On most of the levels inHerdy Gerdy, a soundtactic is to remove theGromps from piay soyou are free to safelyherd the other animals.There are several wayst o d o t h i s .

animal or the Inaccessibility of certain areas. Insome cases, it's actually an advantage to becaught and thumped Into the air by a Gromp -you can often land In a new part of the landscapeor find yourself somewhere that you couldntreach by traditional methods. On some levels,Gromp traps are sited perilously ciose to Dooppens, so close In fact that if you snag a Gromp ione, It will pull out a fishing rod to catch anyDoops you have herded into the enclosure. Onothers It's even worth sacrificing animals toachieve the overaii goai. it's fortunate that you canrestart (and reset) a levei at any time.

YOU LITTLE BEAUTY!The world of Herdy Gerdy is a faltytaieconstruction, a picture-perfect corner offantasyiand that comes with talking animals,wicked witches and an evil villain. As you can seehere, the graphics are beautifully drawnthroughout. But what you can't appreciate from agallery of static shots Is the animated detail. True,

some of the colours may seem a iittle washedout, but it's hard to fault the 36 levels of herdingaction. Gerdy himself moves with Disneyesquemotion and the whole game has a distinctcartoon feel that captures the splendour ofsomething like Tarzan but with the tongue-in-cheek violence of a Roadrunner short.

And then there Is the landscaping At first,Herdy Gerdys homeland Is aii tinkling streamsand rolling hills - a waterwheei creaks alongsidethe mill, butterflies and fireflies swiri in a virtualbreeze, scattering as you approach them. Thisgrassland soon gives way to snow and ice as thegame takes you towards the mountains, it's onthe Mountain Pass level that you really start toappreciate the sheer scale of the level design inHerdy Gerdy From the top of this stage, you cansee aii the way to the bottom - the playing area Ishuge and fabulously detailed; there are momentswhen you just want to stop and stare. Admittedly,all this exquisite attention to detail means that theloading times for each level are hardly fast. But as

1. Gromp IV^apImprobably, the bear-like Grompscan be trapped in these tinyGromp traps which keeps themfrom moving around the map.One trap holds just one Gromp.There is no escape.

2. BiurpsGromps are basically big, stupideating machines and will beattracted to Blurps if they seethem. Once eaten, a Blurppoisons and disables a Grompfor around 20 seconds.

3. Gromp Vs GrompLure two Gromps together andboth of them will fight,embroiled in a cartoon battle offlailing limbs and dust. Thisdistraction will allow Gerdy tosneak by unnoticed.

4 . W a t e r

Gromps don't like water andwon't cross it even if you standon the opposite side calling thembig pink jessies. Use this to youradvantage if you are beingchased and need to escape.

6 Play5tation.E

R E ^H E R D Y G E R D Y

i . J * ^Doops can float. On some levels you need to urge them into the stream, but don't let the Gromps see them.

Henly Gerdys many levels vary In theme, design and herding complexity.

//Herdy Gerdy fiiseshigh-qualKy visualswith a style of gamingthat offers somethingtruly unique//Gerdy can't die on any of the levels you play, younever need to reload and start again so it's aminor inconvenience at best

If anything iets Herdy Gerdy down it's theerratic game camera. We found we wanted to usethe zoomed-out Herding view ail the time - itaffords the best view of the landscape. Obviouslythis isn't always possible. When Gerdy goesthrough a tunnel, for example, the cameraswitches to the close-up over-the-shoulder view.This automatic view editing can prove frustratingas the position of the camera doesn't always shiftbetween views fast enough. If you happen to berunning away from a Gromp when the viewchanges, you can often lose perspective and allsense of direction. As a result, you find yourselfconstantly tweaking the camera settings.

There are also moments, admittedly few andfar between, where you are not sure what to donext or where to go. You might spend an hourherding animals on a level only for nothing tohappen. This is because some of the levels areonly accessible when you have certain objects.There's no point in the game letting you into theAncient Temple for example If you don't have themagic Gloves to push the blocks around inside,but the signposting for this fact isnt as clear as itshould have been. We could also say that we wishthere were more animal types, that the gameplay

is perhaps a bit too repetitive, or that the feel ofthe game Is often too unbearably cute But thiswould be nit picking it's like saying that MetalGear Solid 2 is not long enough, or that Deus Exshould be a little better lit.

When it comes down to it, Herdy Gerdy isquite unlike anything else around at the momentit fuses the sort of high-quailty visuals that youexpect from the PS2 with a style of gaming thatoffers something unique, it's one of those titlesthat you really have to see moving before you canappreciate the extraordinary detail, the classyanimation and the sheer scope of the level designand the miniature ecosystems within. The gameboasts over 36 levels; in some you have to herdanimals against the clock, in others you have allthe time in the world to think and organise.Packed with hidden extras, mini-puzzles and neatplatform elements across varying terrains, allarranged In a refreshingly non-linear structure,one thing you definitely can't complain about inHerdy Gerdy Is the lack of a challenge and theabsence of gameplay □ Dean Evans

The map can eitherbe fully displayed (asit Is here) or half-hidden allowing youto see more of theo n - s c r e e n a c t i o n .

rH E R D Y G E R D Y

n

Why we'd buy it- Originaiity. Name

another game thatinvoives herding..

- Superb visuals, great 'sound and gloriousattention to detail

Why we'd leave it- The gameplay is perhapsa little too repetitive

An extraordinary gameunlil^e any other on thePS2. it has to be seen andplayed to be believed.

Graphics Disneyesque backgrounds and animation 0 9

S o u n d A stimng score, but its jauntiness can grate a s

Gameplay This is the best herding game ever seen... B B

U f e s p a n 36 levels and loads of hidden extras to find B B

2. On this map, two of the Gromps (red dots) sit nextto the two Grimp pens Ipurple squares), One of thesepinl( predators is at the end of a chasm that containsDoops (green dots) and Grimps (purpie dots).

PlayStation.^ MERDICT

4. Sacrificing the Doops makes a iot of sense. TheDoop pen on this level is located underground andit's far easier to herd the Grimps and Bleeps.

PlayStation.E 0

Play5tatLon..g Torda wiU be draggedin to these black holes.

r - -

Our hero, Ico, surveyshis castle surroundings 'f o r t h e fi r s t t i m e . '

C D

A *■ • t r *

Yorda lends Ico a helpinghand after a nasty fall.

* 9 J

t

Prepare for your mind to be challenged and your heart to be broken, .l(5fP u b l i s h e r S C E EDeveloper SCEIP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9

Players: 1O u t 2 2 M a r c hW e b s i t e :

vwvw.scea.coi i i /games/categor ies/act iona d v e n t / i c o6 0 H z m o d e : Ye sW i d e s c r e e n : N oS u r r o u n d S o u n d

support No

Back storyIco was released in the USlast year to huge acclaim. Ithas been substantiallyaltered for its PAL releaseand has a full-scteen PALconvers ion - I t wi l l a lsoinclude a 60Hz mode. The23-strong internal SonyJapan team who worked onIco was lead by DirectorF u m i t o U e d a a n d P r o d u c e r

Kenji Kaido, It was their firstproject together

Before we begin this review, you mustbe warned: Ico is an intensely personalexperience and It will take over yourlife. Within a day of playing you'll be

absorbed beyond reach. You'll experiencenightmares in which you're stuck at the bottomor top of dizzyingiy high towers. You may alsosuffer fretful dreams in which you'ii find yourselfinvoived in a tense struggle to save an unknownperson, piagued with intense sensations of iossand separation. Beiieve us, we've been there.Freudian analysis aside, it's worth mentioning thetype of dreams that have been experienced dueto this game, as they quite neatly explain ]ust whatIco is ail about.

The first dream factor is height. Throughout Icoyou find yourself at the summit of some veryprecarious structures. Whether it's a ladder; abeam, a ledge, a bridge, a tower or a cliff, thesense of distance between you and whatever liesbeneath is breathtaking Vertigo is deflniteiy theoperative word here.

The next factor is survival. But in Ico, instead ofthe usual individuaiistic bias, your own survival issecondary to that of another character Playing asthe eponymous hero, you are banished from yourvillage to an eerie castle because you have anunsightly set of devil horns on your head. Shortlyafter being entombed in the castle you breakfree and find the beautiful Princess Yonda,somewhat symbolically in a hanging cage like atrapped bird.

/ /Be warned: wi th inone day of playing Icoyou'll be absorbedbeyond all reach//

Yorda is the most delicate, fragile being you willever meet in a game. Ico instinctively wants tosave her from the castle where her evil QueenMother keeps her and you will too. Her brightwhite, glowing appearance is the polar opposite ofthe dark grimness of her home. You need to saveher You need to help her And so, fnam the outset,Ico instils anxiety in the player You don't want tolose Yorda. Her safety becomes your only priority -it's akin to being given the responsibility of lookingafter someone else's newborn baby

GREY-DREAM BELIEVERThe final, and perhaps most game-based factor isthe way Director Fumita Ueda has constructed theenvironments you exist in. Initially you'll be struckby a lack of power bars, health bars or scores - aconscious effort to make you forget you're in apreconceived world. Then there's the use of light,darK shadow, mist, fog fire and water All appearorganic in their nature; fogs enveloping loftyoutcrops of the castle, water reflecting brightsunlight, flickering crackling torches lighting updark comers of cavernous chambers. It'sotherwoddiy dream-like and dream-Inspiring

Nowhere to go but up.Time to do some jumping.

A L R I G H TPA L 7

Often when a game isc o n v e r t e d f r o m N T S C t oPAL many elements arelost. Ico bucks this trendh o w e v e r - t h i s t i m e w eare given more..

$1. During a second playthrough the game you willbe able to control Yordaw i t h t h e s e c o n dc o n t r o l l e r ! S h e w i l l n o w

walk, pick up objects andis able to jump.

2. In the first play thrcughyou won't be able tou n d e r s t a n d w h a t Yo r d ; 3

says as she speaks Inhieroglyphs, but In thesecond play through tneya r e t r a n s l a t e d .

3 . C u t - s c e n e s a r einteractive (zoom In andout, move camera) as inM e t a l G e a r S o l i d 2 .

4 . I n t h e U S v e r s i o n t h eShadowmen alwaysappeared from the samepoint and took Yorda tot h e s a m e a r e a . I n t h ev e r s i o n t h i s I s m o r erandom and they canappear from anywhere

188 PlayStation.E

R E M I E I UI C O

H E L P r r i E y D R D RYorda isnt as helpless as she first appears. Here'show she responds to Ico's calls and direction:

2. Press tn to call her across and Ico readies himselft o c a t c h h e r

. .

daintily over the abyss.

%)

- V - - ,> is incredibly agile. As well as being an expert climber he is also able to

swim. This becomes particularly important during later levels of the game.

Yorda is exhausted bythe effort of performingher psychic magic.

No,i^e's not a Viking, thoset horns are part of his head.\ V

"Woo hoo! We've opened the castlegates, we're saved!" But are they... ?

With all this tension, motivation and ambiencein piace, the game begins. Progression through thecastle - a combination of Castle Dracula andGormenghast - is achieved through solvingnumerous puzzies and engaging in increasinglymore difficult battles against your enemy theShadowmen. The predominant factor in theseevents is Yorda. While Ico is strong enough to pushlevers, climb chains and ropes, traverse wails andresist attacks, your princess is almost helpless. Shecan, with a bit of help at least. Jump gaps and bepulled up walls.

This reliance on you for support and guidanceallows for some incredibly heart-in-the-mouthmoments. You might, for example, find yourselffaced with a gap in a bridge across a seeminglybottomless ravine. After you've jumped across youcall Yorda to follow and tBach out to catch her: Forone perilous second it looks like she's missed, butshe grabs your fingertips and you pull her to safety.Cue a quick pause, a deep breath and a wipedown of the now-sopping joypad.

This responsibility also ciBates a need tochaperone Yorda wherever you can in order toavoid leaving her open to abduction. There'snothing quite like the terror you'll feel as you heara scream and the camera cuts to show her beingsnatched away by a ghoul. As ico valiantly racesback to her as fast as he can, your pulse ratedoubles - especially when your path is blocked bygaps or climbs. Blind panic is seldom establishedin videogames quite as vehemently as it is here.

These sofas orpoints. You will

' loveseats' are used as saveboth need to sit down to save.

In a twist of fate,Yorda has to saveyou near the endof the game.

I 4. Arrrghhh! Don't fall! Please!

5. Pull her to safety. Phew. Now we can relax a bit.

What are you doing

PlayStation s (

During the courseof Ico and Yorda'sadventure, our hornedhero comes across anumber of differentweapons, some ofwhich are secret. Hecan only carry one ata time and they varyIn their use andeffect iveness.

1 . W o o d e n P o l eThe first one Is practicallygiven to you. It drops fromabove when you rescueYonda from her cage atthe start. The pole mightprovide the least povierb u t I t c a n b e u s e d a s a noversized wick, necessaryto light various torches tocomplete some puzzles.

2 . S w o r d

This appears wedged Inbetween two large stonedoors and drops to theground when you find away to open them. ThisIs considerably morepowerful than the poleand Is used for cuttingropes and dealing withm o r e t h a n o n eShadowman at a time.

3 . I d o l S w o r dYo u r e c e i v e t h i s n e a r t h eend of the game. It's evenmore powerful than then o m i a l s w o r d a n d h a sthe dual advantage ofbeing able to open theI d o l D o o r s l i k e Yo r d acan lhandy, should youcome detached from herat any point).

4 . B o m b s

T h e s e a r e f o u n d d o t t e da r o u n d v a r i o u s a r e a s

They are ail used to blowholes In things to reachnew areas, and in oneincredibly difficultsequence deep In thegame you'll need to throwone... They ar^e ignitedwith the aid of thewooden pole.

5 . M a c eThis Is found in a secretr o o m n e a r a w a t e r f a l l . I twill destroy mostShadowmen with Just oneblow and gives you anearly advantage, makings o m e o t h e r w i s e d i f fi c u l tb a t t l e s m u c h m o r e

manageable. Like thesword it can also cut rope.

6 . O t h e r s e c r e t

w e a p o n sDuring a second playthrough of the gamedifferent weapons willappear in various rooms,including a beam sword.Yo u ' l l h a v e t o fi n d o u t t h e

rest for yourselves.

Ico bravely scales yeta n o t h e r l a d d e r t or e a c h a n o t h e r

precarious level.

Find this tree and hitit with your weapon.It might just hide asecret . But what?

0 Battles with different guises of the Shadowmen- wispy, smoky apparitions which take the form of

spiders, demons and binds - are made moreexciting by the added pressure of protecting Yonda.L£ave her in their clutches for too long and she'llbe dragged Into a portal. If Ico fails to pull her outin time, a wave of darkness will blanket the screenand it's Game Over for you both. You are the hero,but you can't exist without Yorda lyou also needher to open the idol Doors which allow you toenter new sections of the castlel.

Although puzzles mainly revolve around themanipulation of levers, switches, and the pushingand pulling of blocks, they are a constantchallenge and provide a great sense ofachievement when solved. In one Instance you'llneed to take a ride on a windmill In order toreach a high ledge, in another you'll have to usean old train cart. Other challenges will requirequick thinking and a certain degree of agility. Thesehave been intelligently designed and they lookgreat, too; the camera angle shifts to give you notonly the best view, but also the most cinematic.

Equally impressive is the way ico and Yordainteract and move They hold hands and call foreach other In their own indecipherable language.Ico runs like a child, struggles with objects that aretoo big for him to carry and charges about withthe raw enthusiasm only seen in a ten-year-old.

In contrast, Yorda is overtly dainty, running withher arm trailing behind her as Ico hun-iedly leadsher away from danger At save points, Ico jumpsonto the stone sofa and slumps while Yorda sitsdown carefully and politely places her hands in herlap. Furthering the impression of her innocence,Yorda chases birds and butterflies In the gardensequences and inquisitively watches Ico as heponders his next task. As she gains confidence she

//Ico is blessed withthe most touching lasthalf hour you'll find ina videogame//will offer advice, pointing to a useful ledge or exitThe result is a startllngly humanistic adventurethat melts the heart and rewards lateral thinking

It is unlikely that Ico will appeal to someonelooking for an all-out adventure - if a high-actiongame is what you're after, leave this well alone. Icomight be as slow-paced as a Ken Loach film, butit is, without doubt, equally as gratifying Tocontinue the film analogy, Ico is blessed with themost touching last half hour you'll find in avideogame, complete with a strangely hauntingand melancholic end theme. Tears might Justenter the comers of your eye.

And us? Did we fall for Ico's charms likeblubbering softies? Well, we'd never admit it inpublic, but secretly, this reviewer is fresh out ofKleenex □ George Walter

I C O"I

loo's role as Yorda';protector is evenmore importantduring attacks.

Why we'd buy it- Outstanding concept,v ie l l execu ted

- S u b l i m e c h a r a c t e r

In te rac t i on- Beautiful, stylised

e n v i r o n m e n t s

Why we'd leave it- >t)u're an impatient

g a m e r- Battling is limited to

t w o m o v e s- 'tbu've got an excess of

t e s t o s t e r o n e

F o r t h o s e w h o l o o k f o r

something deeper in anadventure game thanviolent thrills, this will be aspellbinding revelation anda game to savour

( k a p h i c s immaculate character animationS o u n d Minimal but effective, tearjerker end theme |lGameplay Puzzles, but v»lth a new twistLifespan Replaying the game ofiers new ele m e n t s | l

PlayStation^ \IERDICT

)90 PlayStation.E

ONE WARRIOR WORTH A THOUSAND '

/ VI w >

m

Jlfm'ji::m, •BATTLEFIELD ACTION with over 20 intense Stages and 40 playable warriors!*• ' ♦Brand new 2-PLAYER Versus and Cooperative Modes!^ 'Even more bone-crushing moves, and improved MUSOU Attacks!

S ; j Control your bodyguards with squad-level commands!•First in the ser ies — massive ELEPHANT TROOPS!

AVAILABLE MARCHmm

Authentic horse racing action maizes you the jocl^ey!Worl< your way to the top and into the winner's circle!!

Play5tation®EDynasty Warriors 3, G1 JOCKEY and the KOEI logo are trademarks of KOEI Co., Ltd. © 2002 KOEI Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

"PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Who's the King?The evil Achil le -unless, that is,you stop him.

P u b l i s h e rCapcom EurosoftDeveloper CapcomDigital StudiosP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1O u t 1 M a r c hW e b s i t e :wvvw.capcom.com/m a x i m o6 0 H z m o d e : N oW I d e s c r e e n : N oS u r r o u n d S o u n dsupport No

Back storyAl l o f Max ima 's charac te rsare designed by Japanesear t i s t Susumu Matsush i ta .

Recognised for his vibrantcartoon style, Susumu hasi l l u s t r a t e d i n n u m e r a b l ech i l d tEn ' s books and

regularly whips up cover artfor Japan's bestsellinggames mag, FamitsuWeekly. He's also designedcharacters for several othergames, including ShodoivsOf The Tusk 119981 on theSa tu rn and the Mo to r ToonGP series. Ttie MonkeyMagic anime series, is alsobased on his wori<.

The good King Maximo sails in on thecrest of Hobbit chic. The eponymousstar of Capcom's latest sword andsorcery title Is another unlikely hero,

short of height but stout of heart and he certainlywouldn't find himself out of place In Fnodo'sFellowship. The game is a tantalising blend ofplatformer, slash-'em-up and 3D adventure thatstretches out over dozens of intricately detailedand often downright nasty levels. So with a Jumpand a slash and a huge weapon stashed, it's off tobattle we go, HI ho, hi ho, hi ho...

When our story begins we find young Maximoin a bit of a pickle. The mini monarch returns froma hard day's adventuring to find that his trustedadvisor Achille is no longer to be trusted, Achillehas only gone and commandeered the forces ofthe undead to help him pinch Maximo's kingdomand wife-to-be. Achille really sticks the boot in bytaking away Maximo's life Shoots him with his bigmagic staff, he does Shocking

//What's in it for Death?He's a little cheesedoff with Achille forwaking up the dead//

Fortunately for the King Death is just aroundthe corner A rather unconvincing Grim Reapercollars Maximo before he can reach the

Underworld and offers him a deal. In a silly accentmost unbefitting the han/ester of souls, Deathsuggests that if he were to return Maximo to thephysical worid, and Maximo were to overthrowAchille, things would be hunkydoiy and everyonecould forget that this whole 'dying* thing everhappened. What's in it for Death? He's a littlecheesed off with Achille for waking the dead.

So with the functional opening FMV out of theway it's down to business proper Suited, bootedand tooled-up with his dirty great magical sword,Maximo trots off to begin his quest. 'Thought-to-be-dead King embarks on epic adventure toreclaim kingdom and Queen," screams the storyintroduction. The plot may be a little well worn butit served the ancient Greek writer Homer all rightin the classic tale The Odyssey, and what's goodenotigh for Homer is good enough for us.

First port of call is The Boneyard, as good aplace as any to begin a one-man crusade againstthe legions of the undead. The opening level,despite being fairly simple to polish off, lets youknow exactly what to expect from the rest of thegame. Scrapping with skeletal hordes, avoidingperilous drops nabbing items and straying from

the path to find hidden areas are the staple diet ofMaximo. It's also apparent from the word go howwonderfully thoughtful and detailed the levels are.Lethal fissures open up in the rock beneath you,pockets of mist cling to gravestones and jaundicedhands flail at you from beneath diseased soil. Justa few of the details that combine to make for a

continual sense of unease. The art team has donea top job of making the atmosphere creepy andcute at the same time, a mildly unsettling themethat prevails throughout the game,

SHARPENING UPBut who's afraid of the big bad forces of evil whenyou're armed to the back teeth? Following thegood examples set by Samanosuke fromOnimusha Warlords and Devil May Cry's heroDante, Maximo goes nowhere without three feet ofsharp steel by his side. Sensible chap. He even hasa shield to go with his shiny suit of armour A vastarray of hoodlums try to throw a spanner in yourmetal works, from foot-soldier skeletons to cavetrolls and sledgehammer-toting demonic swine.They all have differBnt attacks and you need to beas sharp as your swortJ to work out ways to crushthem without getting hit yourself.

Swordplay Is the main thrust of the gameTo begin with there are only a handful of moves 0

Your shield is botha defensive andoffensive weapon.

It's one Hell of aquest to set out on.

There be gold inthem there hi l ls .

)92 PlayStation ^

R E M I E L UM A X I M O

With knights in shiningunderpants rescuin;d i s t r e s s e dt o w e r s t h e r e ' s m o r ethan a whiff of fairy talecoming from MaxJmo'splot. Although the storyis nothing to startbeating yourbreastplate about, itdoes a fine job of givingpurpose to all the bone-crunching and ledge-leaping and as youmake your way throughthe game, you'lle n c o u n t e r s e v e r a lo d d b o d s . L e t u sintroduce you.

M a x i m oOur valiant sword-wieldingh e f t ) . H e r e t u r n s f r o m t h ed e a d t o b a t t l e A c h i l l a a n dhis army of darkness forpossession of a stolenkingdom and a beautifulw o m a n . M a x i m o ' s a c e

swordsmanship wouldmake Zorro wet his pantz.

King AchilleFormerly Maximo's chiefadvisor, Achille uses a giantdrill to pierce the land andrecruit an evil army fromt h e U n d e r w o r l d . Yo u m u s t

fight this army If you're notto lose everything The finalboss? Surely not.

SophiaMaximo's sweetheart,conned into marryingAchille, does very little Inthe game except shriek abit In the FMVs, Still, she'spartly the reason forembarking on this epiccampaign. She'd better bew o r t h t h e t r o u b l e .

Grim ReaperDeath Is pretty peevedwith Achille for waking thedead and strikes up a dealwith Maximo, returning theKing to the physical planeto fight. The more you seeof Death, the more youknow the plan isn't goingt o o w e l l .

MagnusL i k e S a r u m a n f r o m L o r d O fThe Rings, this wlzard-turned-bad will try to spoilyour journey with dirtytricks. He occasionally popsout of chests to fire greengoo at you, whichtemporarily turns you Intoa wee helpless baby Ahh,coochy-coo.

T h e F o u r S o r c e r e s s e sThese lovely ladles, eachImprisoned in one of theboss towers, are up for asnog If you rescue them (seeThe Sorceresses' Kiss). Justdon't mention it to Sophia ifyou take them up on theirtongue-tickling offer

PlayStation.E 0

T H E H U B 5Planning for your excursion.To complete each section of the game you'll haveconquer five separate ievels and a boss. Each hu)has its own spool<y theme.

The BoneyardA fairiy easy introduction to the game, this stini<ir jburiai ground introduces yoti to some of the gam i'siess deadiy opponents and ailows you to hone yoijrswond fighting sl(iiis for the iater, tricl(ier ieveis.

R E NM A X I M O

Hel l 's cmel dev icescramp your style.

Magnus the wizard sometimes pops out of a chest and starts blasting youwith spells. The side effects of getting hit are a real pain in the nappy.

One of the sword

power-ups offers anovel take on thefl a m e t h r o w e r

0 available to Maximo, As you progress deeper Intothe bony mire, some 40 power-ups are thrown atyou. Use these to lengthen your swond, give It ablade of Ice or flames, throw sheets of purpledestruction and even conjure up a snowstorm.The shield can also be enhanced from a defensiveweapon Into a steel discus/boomerang affair..with built-in whirlwlndl Handy for reaching thosetricky baddies without endangering yourself.

The staggering choice of methods to dispatchyour foe certainly keeps the Interest levels up,but there are so many of them that It can get alittle bewildering You can hold as many power-ups as you can And but they'll only be availablefor the duration that you're alive, which Is all toobrief In the trickier levels. Once the hourglass Isempty, it's back to the basic moves you've gotstored in the 'Ljock Spot' Inventory lyou're alsoable to hoard all your power-ups In this place).Deciding which moves are most useful and whichare the best to keep stored is something of a hitand miss affair though.

The armour degradation system is prettyIngenious and the source of some cutesyamusement There are bars at the top of thescreen Indicating how much armour you have left,or to put it another way, how many hits you cantake before being KO'ed. You can hold up to fourarmour segments, depending on how your power-up collecting Is going and each one can take fourhits. When you're down to the last segment thelittle fellow will be naked apart from a pair ofheart-patterned boxer shorts. Chortle chortle.

Collecting coins is standard platform fare butthe game takes an interesting angle on thetreasure hoarding Maximo isn't in it for the cashbut he does need gold to purchase game savesor for travel expenses between game areas. Youcan also buy additional lives, better shields and

more armour from the bizarrely named Wheel-0-Prizes that are scattered around the levels. Oh,and new styles of boxer shorts. Cow print pantsanyone? It's the little things...

You also have to collect trapped spirits, whichmanifest into a kind of blue fairy dust, bysmashing open Spirit Collectors that Achllle hasconstmcted to entrap the souls of the dead. Onceyou've collected 50 spirits you'll receive a DeathToken. Sounds ominous? Once you've used up allyour lives in the physical world, you'll be shippedoff back to Mr Reaper Pay him with a Death Tokenand he'll transport you back upstairs. The pricegoes up the more times you croak, so It'simperative to keep collecting those spirits or facethe big Game Over

HUBBLE BUBBLEOnce the initial level is done and dusted, you findyourself In the first of the game's hubs. The hubsare fairly sizeable areas in themselves and containportals to a further four levels as well as a MagicPool, a safe haven In which to save the game ortravel to another hub, and a Boss Tower You cantackle the levels In any order you like, making thegameplay pleasingly non-linear, and once you'veconquered all four, you're able to have a pop atthe hub's Boss.

Although Maximo would need a stepladder tobite their kneecaps, the giant bosses aresurprisingly easy to dispose of They're a bitwimpy only being able to take a half dozen or sosword swipes before crumbling, the main difficultybeing to discover their weak spots. Charging Inbrandishing your sword will only be met with agood kicking so you need to put your thinking capon and plan a tactical assault for each boss. Oncevanquished, a Sorceress enslaved by the boss willbe freed and she'll offer you a gift (see The

ayStation.S

T h e G r e a t D a n l iThe swamps of the kingdom are a more perilousprospect They are populated with zombies that ttpiranha fish and giant alligators that rear out of ti-fetid virater The best-looking of the hubs, but don"seduced by the pretty scenery,

■ #

J-

GraveyanI of ShipsYou're entering more familiar platform territory hefcwith much hopping across ice floes required. Thefrozen wastes are populated with wrecked ships aidthe souls of dead - but extremely dangerous -pirates, it's getting trtcky now.

Realm of SpiritsA first-class nightmare of a level and 'proper' platformfare. One slip as you bounce between racky outcropsor a mistimed run past an unpleasant swingingo b s t a c l e a n d i t ' s c u r t a i n s .

R E T R O T O G Ois this ail just a iittlebit of iiistoryrepeating itself?

Maximo IS Capcom stribute to a pair ofclassics they releasedback when Duran Duranstill ruled the pop charts.Ghosts'N Goblins and Itssequel Ghosts AndGhouls followed a similar,albeit 2D, format toM a x i m o . T h e s t a r o f t h e

GNGs was one KingArthur, an equallyd i m i n u t i v e c h a r a c t e rprone to belting aroundin his boxers trying tofight the undead with amagical sword. However,only the closing levels ofM a x i m o c o m e c l o s e t othe difficulty of theearlier games. YourSinclair magazinet e s t i fi e s t o t h i s : " G h o u / sAnd Ghosts is really hard.Perhaps a bit too hardto be friendly In additionto the baddies, thecheckpoints you have toreach to prevent gettings e n t b a c k t o t h e s t a r t o fthe game are quite farapart, meaning your firsthour of playing isFrustration City... It'senough to make a grownman weep,"

Youll need to use brains as well as brawn. Battling atop icy pinnacles is a risky business. The prospect of a boning has Maximo rattled.

T H E S O R C E R E S S E S ' K I S STo snog or not to snog? How will it be for you?

/ y

When you free a sorceress from the clutches of a bossshe'll give you an extra slot to store power-ups and alsooffer a reward. You can choose from a Save Game, FullArmour or A Friendly Kiss. Get a peck on the lips fromall four sorceresses' and you'll bag yourself a hiddenfeature when you finish the game. However, each kissoccupies a valuable power-up slot, so Is it worth puttingout? Well, you decide. Collecting four kisses unlocks agallery of concept and character art by Lead Artist,Susumu Matsushita. If you choose not to go for thekisses, those free slots will mean you have greaterattacking scope in the game proper

//Intricately detailed,wonderful^ realised,with fathoms of depthand neat gameplay//Sorceresses' Kiss). Once you've collected the gift,it's on to the next hub for more frolics. And soon until you've faced and overconne Achille InCastle Maximo and your l<ingdom and bride-to-beare recla imed.

Maximo Is certainly an old-fashioned gameand it will more than satisfy anyone v^lthhankerings for the 'good old days' of gamingThere's no pretence of stealth, no shadovvyconspiracies and no AK-47s or nittio-fueiledvehicles. This really shouldnt matter, but thedisappointing sales of Naughty Dog's bouncy JakAnd Daxter suggests that the gaming public nolonger has the same appetite for cutesyplatformers as In previous decades, which Is ashame. Both Jak And Daxter and Maximo are

intricately detailed and wonderfully realisedgames with fathoms of depth, some greatcharacters and neat gameplay

Maximo Itself Is almost the equal of big hittersOnimusha and Devi/ May Cry. It lacks thedramatic and more 'adult' scenario but it's easilyaccessible for gamers of all genders and ages andthe difficulty curve is spot on. If anything shouldput you off, It's the whole business of the

platforms. There's often very little time to actuallystop and assess a situation and this means you'llinvariably find yourself careering toward thebottom of a fiery pit as you miss your footing on aledge - especially in the later levels. Having thishappen five times in the same spot is enough tohave anyone reaching for both the white flag anda copy of the frustration-venting GTA3.

This game really does deserve to do well -well as, say, the Spyro games on PSone, whichwere equally Involving and full of charm. MaximoIs a must-have game for any platform fan andIndeed for anyone who may be fond of taking uptheir sword for a one-man battle against theHordes of Hades. For the rest of you out there,ditch your night-vision goggles and machinepistols and try a pair of love pants for size. Theyfit quite snugly □ Nick Ellis

M A X I M On

Why we'd buy it- A splendid, enormouslyvar ied adventure

-Skull-splitting fun for allthe family

- rs a noble cause that

Maximo fights for

Why we'd leave it- It's a platfomier withal l the f rustrat ions ofthe genre

- We'd rather not see

young men prancingaround in their pants

Capcom has taken someold ideas and given thema 21st Century buffingT h e r e s u l t s m a k e f o r a n

engaging helping ofplatform adventure fun

, with swords!Graphics Rich and varied landscapes and characters 0 8

S o u n d Tlie musical score beefs up the atmosphere B B

Gameplay Highly intuitive and very well blended B B

L i f e s p a n 100% game completion will take ages

N E R D I I I T

PlayStation.^

^ E \ lM A X PAY N E

Time s lows to ac r a w l a s M a x

engages in a spoto f s l o - m oslaughter.

G U N 5 .E U N 5Max Payne's arsenal is suitably tough and \gangsterish. No weedy revolvets here - instead,you've got chunky Desert Eagle pistols, sawn-offshotguns and, should you get the urge, a Is u b s t a n t i a l l e n g t h o f l e a d p i p i n g . I

This grenade launcher Is the most powerful weaponIn the game, althou^ there are few places open Ienou^ to use It without ttie risk of wiping out a Isignificant chunk of your own health.

m n x p n y N EThe action hero who makes Rambo took like a pacifist..

S n i p e r r f fl e i iVbu always know when youVe just made a winningsniper shot because the game slows down to folldi,the bullet as It spins through the air towards youqfsoon-to-be-hlstory target

P u b l i s h e r R o c k s t a rDeveloper RemedyP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1O u t N o wW e b s i t e :w w w . 3 d r e a l m s .c o m / m a x6 0 H z m o d e : N oW i d e s c r e e n : N oS u r r o u n d S o u n dsupport No

Back storyAs one of last year's mostlong-awaited PC games,Max Payne was always indanger of succumbing tothe huge level of hypesunDunding It. Despite suchintense pressure, the gamereceived widespreadacclaim and its simple,intense action marked itdown as a future consolehit. Unfortunately, originalFinnish developers Remedyhave stmggled to squeeze agame that only runsproperly on top-spec PCsonto PlayStation 2.

In all good Mickey Splllane-styledetective stories, if tiiere's one thingguaranteed to turn a good cop into abitter, whiskey-soaked w/recK it's a

tragic crossover of work and family life. Haunted bythe apparently motiveless slaughter of his wife andchild, undercover detective Max Payne becomesobsessed with tracking down those responsible -the same people who are flooding the streets ofNew York with a deadly drug known as V.

The game opens as Max stands atop askyscraper following the final, climactic battle. Hehas a flashback to the moment he discovered thescene of devastation in his New Jersey home, thenhe leaps fora/ard three years to witness his first biglead on the trail of his family's killers. Max Payneweaves a memorably nolrish plot around what Is,essentially, an all-action shoot-'em-up.

The game is dark and extremely violent.Packing a variety of weapons. Max stalks aroundthe dirtiest, seediest cityscape we've seen in avideogame, leaving a trail of bullet-riddled bodiesas he goes. Filthy subway stations and low-rentapartment blocks are stuffed full of bad guys, all

out to prevent our kill-crazy hero reaching theclues that will lead him ever closer to the crime

lords who set the events of the game in motion.While there's some minor exploration to be

done, switches to be flipped and puzzles to besolved, the majority of Max Payne consists ofbursting Into rooms full of bad guys and sprayingthem with enough lead to make long-termenvironmental health hazards of their corpses.What sets the game apart from any standard issueshooter Is the use of Bullet Time, a feature Inspiredby the Identically named technique seen In thefilm The Matrix.

Like the movie. Max Payne uses Bullet Time toportray a hero with superhuman reflexes. It givesyou all the time you need to survive againstoverwhelming odds, slowing the game down to acrawl so that you can pick off individual enemiesduring what would otherwise be an Instant deathsituation. Max Is extremely vulnerable and unableto absorb much punishment, so whenever there'sa scene with more bad guys than you can copewith, hit the Bullet Time button. This acts like akind of smart bomb - as the game speed almost

There's definitely an art to making your killsas aesthetically pleasing as possible...

...But the lack of a 'quick save' means youhave to make do with some scrappy hits.

)96 PlayStation,E

The levels feature plenty of exploding scenery. Max has no great respect for V-pushIng criminal scumbags.

Bullet Time - straightout of the movie TheMatrix - plunges thegame into slow-motionwhile allowing theplayer to aim at normalspeed. Here's how todo it:

1. Hit m to activate a 'shootdodge', making Max divesidevi/ays through the air and slowing the game to afraction of its normal speed. It looks, for a moment, as Ift h e w o r l d h a s f r o z e n i n t i m e .

2. Although you don't have any control over Max's bodywhen he's airborne, your gunslght is unaffected by thetimewarp. You can carefully position the target over eachenemy's head.

3. Get it right and you can mow down several of them ina single dive. The more you kill, the more energy Isadded to your Bullet Time meter. Keep on piling upthose corpses.

Seems a shame tomess up such anicely renderedpinstripe suit..

The muzzle flashes atthe bo t tom o f thescreen are f rom theo u t - o f - s h o t M a x .

freezes, you can look for the most dangerousenemies, target them one by one and kill four orfive by the time the game returns to normal speed.

Being the game's one big tricK you expectBullet Time to be an impressive effect, and itdoesn't disappoint Background sounds becomemuted and you can hear Max's heartbeatpounding away. You can see bits of scenery gettingtom up by bullets and when you kill an importantenemy, such as the last gang member; the actionstops and the camera cuts away to spin aroundyour victim as he falls.

PAYNE IN THE GRAPHICSThe contnols are easy to get used to, althoughaiming using the right stick Isn't as smooth as It isusing a mouse on the PC original. To remedy thisfault the developer has Included a lock-ontargeting option, which reduces the risk of wastingprecious Bullet Time hitting nothing but airbecause of the twltchy analogue response.

There are several other Issues which make thisotherwise excellent game a less-than-satisfylngport from the PC. For starters, the graphics havetaken a bit of a pasting during the conversion, andthough the level of detail remains largely intact, theframe rate can be unpleasantly jerky. There's amotion blur option which leaves a faint trailbetween frames - switch it off and the whole thingmoves like an old fllck-book animation at times.

One of the best visual effects on the PC wasthe way you could see all the Individual bulletshanging In the air around you during Bullet Time,but either It's been omitted In the PS2 version orthe tiny projectiles Just get lost in the motion blurand lower-definition background textures. Thecomic book cut-scenes, which were revealedframe-by-frame as the dialogue was spoken on PC,

are here placed on the screen all at once, so you'llhave seen the last part of the story before theactors have finished reading the first lines. Finally,the PC version allowed you to save at any point -an Important feature given the difficulty of some ofthe later levels. Here you have to return to anautomatic save point that might be situatedseveral rooms ear l ier

But Max Payne Is still more than good enoughto warrant a purchase If you don't have access toa sufficiently powerful PC to run the original. Asidefrom the relentless action and cinematic shoot-outs, there are some really great little touches ofclass that make the game stand out from the restin its genre: the attention to detail In the gloomyrecreation of what must be the roughest area ofNew YorK for example, or the Interactive scenery(working TVs and water coolers), or the way Max'shead turns to look at any objects that will trigger acut -scene when examined.

It's high-quality, high-concept stuff, andsomething that bears comparison with the bestaction games on PS2 - if you havent been spoiledby the PC version, you'll love It □ Martin KItts

M A X P A Y N E1

The laundryroom i sn ' tthere to helr e m o v e

f o r e n s i ce v i d e n c e .

//In true Matrix style,Bullet Time is used toportray a hero withsuperhuman reflexes//

Why we'd buy it- Bul let Time- Gieat story line- Meaty weapons

Why we'd leave it- Rough frame rate- Features missing from

the PC version

A classy, atmosphericshooter, with a dark storyline and heart-thumpingb a t t l e s c e n e s .

Graphics Highly detailed, but with a jittery fir a m e r a t e i

S o u n d Corny diaiogue fits in with ttie fiini n o i r f e e l i

Gameplay A one-tiick pony? But what a trid( i t i s . . . 1

L i fespan Around 15 hours to finish, plus dilfficufly modes i

ml

PlayStaUonjg XIERDICT

PlayStation 01

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D E V E L O P E D B Y

rainbowS T U D I O S

O 2002 (.ucasArts Entertainment Company LLC. O 2002 Lucasfilm Ltd & TM. All rigtTts reserved. Used under authoruation. LucasArts and thets logo are registered trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd." " and "PlayStation" are registered tradeinarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Meteor S!io»et

Lightweight strategy wargaming that's more 'pretty' than 'gritty.

Publisher THQDeveloper KOEIP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1O u t M a r c hW e b s i t e :wwvKkoei .co jp6 0 H z m o d e : N oW i d e s c r e e n : N oS u r r o u n d S o u n dsupport No

Back storyKessen II is the latest in along line of Interactivesagas Irom Far Eastdeveloper KOEI, The originalKessen picked up arBspectable 7/10 inOPS2#04, and heads agaggle of games includingDynasty Warriors 2 andRomance Of The ThreeKingdoms.

Strategy watgames rarely have thecapacity to take your breath away Theytend to focus on maps and tacticsrather than polygons and plxel-

pnettlness. How/ever, Kessen II delights in flutteringflags, elaborate armour, yelling svi/ordsmen andspear-wielding peasants, all of which are realised Indetail-heavy 3D. Like the original PS2 launch game,Kessen II attempts to deliver the thrills of strategywarmongering without the statistical baggage.

Set In feudal China, Kessen II is a game ofRisk-style province-toppling that's tightly pinned toan unfolding narrative. You play the part of Liu Bel,a young warrior trying to rescue his girlfriend fromthe clutches of moustachlo'ed vil lain Cao Cao, This

Initial story line, told through lengthy and overlyfrequent cut-scenes. Is quickly expanded Into anepic fight for a large chunk of China. Cue a seriesof 11 battles, firmly rooted in historical realism, butwith a touch of Final Fantasy-style magic to spiceup the repetitive hack 'n' slash.

In an attempt to console-Ify war mechanicseven furt:her; KOEI has streamlined Kessen II foryour convenience. Rather than designing your ownstrategy, Kessen II offers three pre-defined tacticsIn a pre-battle War Council, These dictate how yourforces auto-approach the overall mission objective- although they can be changed or abandoned

once the mission gets underway All tacticalmanoeuvring takes place on the map screen,giving you a bird's-eye view of the surnoundlngterrain and your forces on It.

Each army under your command consists ofseveral smaller fighting units - swordsmen, archersand cavalry. Once battle has started, It's possible tozoom In and out of the action. You can even zoom

right Into the 3D brawl to take control of an

Individual unit leader Here, you simply movearound to assist In the bloodless bludgeoning, oractivate any special abilities that the leader maypossess. These abilities are essentially one-shotbattle power-ups. Rally, for example, motivates yourtroops to fight harder, while Battle Cry lowers themorale of enemy soldiers. Meteor Shower Hall,Lightning and Firestorm all speak for themselves.

Kessen Its gameplay Is a repetitive case of cut-scene, cut-scene, cut-scene, battle, cut-scene, cut-scene. Less a hot-blooded wargame. It's more of afantasy novel with Interactive battles. Nudged alongthe narrative rails ftum one battle to the next,charge after charge Is mounted and spell afterspell is unleashed.

Yet despite this tactical simplicity, Kessen IIremains utterly absorbing - even If you feel you'rewatching the game more than actually playing It.While It may be easy (you can finish Liu Bel'smissions in a day of hardcore playing), Kessen IIblends action and cinematic storytelling soperfectly that you might dare to call It anInteractive Movie... □ Dean Evans

K E S S E N I In

Why we'd buy it- There are very few

wargames on PS2- Ttie 3D graphics areoften breathtaking

Why wed leave it- Too many cut-scenes, not

enough game- A little on the easy side

Thily gorgeous, but It's abeauty that's oniy skin-deep. Kessen II is fun, butit needs more gam&

Gtaphks improved in aii departmentsS o u n d A rather stirring orchestrai soundtr a c k

Cut-down, stripped-back strategylufespan You'ii finish ft in a few days

The Wood Ox weapona c t s a s a n e n o r m o u s

fiametlirower, easilydecimating the ranks ofenemy t roops.

PlayStaUpnjg \|ERDIIZT

Play5tation.E 099

R E NS PA C E C H A N N E L 5 V I

visually SC5 is a total treat with candy colours andgorgeous retro styling at every turn.

E P n i l E C H R N N E L 5 \ I 1P u b l i s h e r S C E EDeveloper SegaUnited Game ArtistsP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1O u t M a r c hW e b s i t e : w w w .u - g a - c o m6 0 H z m o d e : Ye sW i d e s c r e e n : N oS u r r o u n d S o u n dsupport No

Back story"Hie funkifled brainchild ofTetsuya Mizuguchi, the manbehind the recent PS2audiovisual overload Rez,Space Channel 5 vl flrstbroadcast to Dreamcastowners in Spring of 2000,Rapidly gaining cult statusthanks largely to uber-teporter Uiala, it ms only amatter of time before shestrutted her stuff on PS2.

Here's a given in life. With the possibleexception of fresh fish on a hot kerb,nothing has a shorter shelf life thanself-conscious cool. And while we're

about it, what about this gem? Few activities markyou out as a square more effectively thancriticising the achingly cool and stylish (well, usingthe word 'square' in 2002 might qualify, but youget the idea. Daddio).

All of which is a shame because although theleft-field rhythm action game Space Channel 5 Isextremely cool and stylish with the wond 'cult'stamped through it like a stick of particularly funkyrocK it isn't nearly as fresh or engaging as It waswhen it first wowed the Dreamcast public twoyears ago.

Time to whip out the briar and slippers? Notyet. First, a little SC5 prehistory is in order fornewcomers to the land we call the Retro Future.

The year Is 2499. Rookie reporter for theeponymous TV Station, and gazelle-limbed superbabe Ulala is sent to Spaceport 9 to cover a fast-breaking story. An alien race called the Morolianshave landed and are making people dance againsttheir will. Armed with her microphone, ray gunsand enough funk to grow an afro on a tiled floor;Ulala must Investigate, freeing hostages andzapping Morolians as she goes. And you can betshe's going to uncover a whole lot more than shebargained for as she shakes her booty in thename of humanity.

Okay Enough already with the plot. How doesthe game play? In short, listen and repeat Aliensand hostages leap out before you in time with the

//Ulala Is armed withray guns and enoughfiink to grow an afroon a tiled floor//

loungecore soundtracK pulling dance movescorresponding to the four buttons on the D-pad. Inaddition to this they may throw one of two sounds- 'chu' or 'kiss' - into the mix, and these

correspond to the 0 and @ buttons. The formerzaps MoHDlians, the latter frees hostages. All youhave to do is repeat the string of commandsexactly as you hear it In the next bar of music. Inthe early showdowns the combos are short andgenerously timed, but by the time you meet Spacel^ichael Jackson (don't ask) the music is faster andthe strings of inputs longer and much harder toremember, let alone repeat with Impeccabletiming Get it right and you'll either free humans(who'll fan out behind you In a choreographedposse) or zap aliens. Do it enough times and yourviewer rating (percentage shown on the bottom-right of the screen! will rise. Failing to hit the beatwill damage those ratings and, what's more, you'lllose heart In the form of, well, heart Icons. Loseenough of these or fail to hit the required viewingfigures and you'll get a screen full of static asUlala's Swingin' Report Show is cancelled.

One of the bosses isan Ulala clone cal ledEvila. Scrap!

Who are the movers andrump shalters in SpoceC h a n n e l 5 v l ?

N a m e : U l a l a

Age: 22Appearance: Vision inTangerine PVC, withblancmange pink tressesand an impeccable senseof rhythm. Oh, and totesblue ray guns. Sigh.Deflning Qualities:Rookie reporter for SpaceChannel 5, Ulala may nothave newscastingexperience but she candance the antenna off aMorolian at 20 paces.

Name: PuddingAge: 19Appearance: Cutesyvers ion o f U la la in a

cheeky blue ensemble,but an obvious lack ofsass is going to costher dearly...Defining Qualities: AReporter for Channel 42,the inexplicably namedPudding l<nows somescorching dance movesa n d c o m e s w i t h h e ro w n b a n d .

Name: JaguarAge: 25Appearance: Expertboyband mime artist withr e m e d i a l b o o t s .

Defining Qualities: Withan ego as swollen as hisfootwear Jaguar is apirate broadcaster whothinks he can scoop Ulalaat every turn. Isaccompanied by whatappears to be a posse ofFrench sailors with goldfish bowls on their heads.

0Name: Space MichaelJ a c k s o n

Age: Your guess is asgood as oursAppearance: LatoyaJ a c k s o n

Defining Qualities: Kingof Pop. Passion for shinyciotlies with a theatricaiiymilitary flava, mean thatJacko iooks very at homein 2499. Unfortunatelyhe doesn't appear tohave learned any newd a n c e m o v e s i n t h e l a s t497 years.

100 PlayStation.

B i m n N 5 E ZWant to know the secret of Space Channel 5 vl'sgameplay? Meet the daddy.

If you think listening to strings of commands andrepeating them Is a genius distillation of gameplay forthe 21st Century this 24-year-old lump of plastic Isgoing to blow your mind. Based on Simon Says, thepopular parlour game (what do you mean you don'tknow what a parlour is?), Simon was boardgamemanufacturer Milton Bradley's attempt to fuse newfangled microchip entertainment with their usualtable-top family fare. With the sort of funklly raund-edged styling that Uiala would approve of, Simon'spanels would blink and beep In sequence, inviting youto repeat the pattern. Hit the buttons correctly and anew link would be added to the chain. Hit the wrongpanel and Simon would fart white noise at you withall the withering sarcasm Its lo-tech componentscould muster Like Space Channel 5, Simon'ssimplistic gameplay masked an addictive qualityrivalled only by crack cocaine and Pringles.

When you fail to throw the right moves your body language reflects the defeat. Chin up! There's a lorryload of fiink ahead.

The Morolians are running the show, butare they really in control?

Jaguar is a brash, pirate broadcaster. Beathim and you may well have made a friend.

Space Michael Jackson isn't immune tothe Morolians' funk ray.

Space Channel 5 is almost as much fun towatch as it is to play.

As far as gameplay's concerned that's about it.There are Boss characters but with the trickyexception of one Iwho can only be defeated byinputting the opposite controls to the commandsgiven) they're all beaten in exactly the same wayas the humble Moroilan grunts. You'll also comeacross professional competition in the form ofPudding, a reporter for Channe) 42, and Jaguar acocky pirate broadcaster But they too aredispatched with six buttons and fast reflexes.

CHANNEL HOPPINGSpace Channel 5 makes up for its one-trickgamepiay with great visuals. As the screenshotsshow, the game Is a retro-styled candy boxboasting more acid hues per square inch thanMiami's Art Deco district with flamboyant styling tomatch. In Ulala, PS2 has a feisty new uber-babe.She's got oodles of sass, improbable animemeasurements and owns a wardrobe that leans

heavily towards the bright orange PVC end of thefashion spectrum. And since she's the Morolianass-kicking protagonist here, she's not just asuperior example of videogame eye candy, oh no -a comforting fact for respectful 'new men' to keepin mind when she flashes her shreddles mid funkfor the 238th time.

So what, you may be wondering. Is theproblem? Developer UGAs equally batty Rez Isbuilt on comparably simplistic gameplay anddoesn't even have anything resembling the joyfulpersonality of SC5's Ulala in it's favour Well, thatmay be, but what Rez does have Is a permanentlyunfolding sense of visual wonder Space Channel 5vl, on the other hand, does not. It's cute, it looksgfBat, but complete the first level and you've prettymuch seen all the variety the game has to offer

Moreover Spoce Channel 5 Is a short game byanyone's standards. Even though you may take awhile to beat the hardest boss, there's a chanceyou'll hit your groove and breeze through the iot inwell under five hours. Cult appeal is one thing butsomewhere along the line, value for money has gotto figure in the equation.

Throw in a caii and response Multiplayermode, or even a few variations on the gamepiaytheme and SC5 would look as fresh and attractive

as its cast. However on the imaginative rhythmaction front, chronological newcomer Rez has.Ironically stolen much of its sibling's thunder -that'll teach Tetsuya Mizuguchi to come up withconsistently imaginative videogame ideas.

All the same. Space Channel 5 Is definitelyworth seeing It's stylish, unique and a lot of fun toplay That desen/es credit. But with SC5 v2currently slated for a May release, promising a shotof depth-enhancing features, Ulala's PS2 debutseems destined to be a top-quality rental titlerather than the quirky must-have it might oncehave been. □ Paul Frtzpatrick

S P A C E C H A N N E L 5 V I

u la la . Doub le

helping of groove,ha l f o rder o fmodesty.

n

W h y w C d b i i y i t- It's original- It's very stylish- Ulala is the sexiest

videogame characterever created

Why we'd leave it- It 's short- The novelty fades- SC5 v2 is out soon

On Its own merits, SpaceChannel S vl is animaginative and enjoyablegem. However, with asequel on the way youmay do better to holsteryour ray guns for now.

Graphics Textbook deflnition of iBtto cool l a g

0 7 'JS o u n d Super funky ioungecote choonsGameplay Just not enough variety B E

L i f e s p a n A tasty mouthful, but a mouthful all the same a s

BBC News 24 take note. This is how it's done.

PlayStation^ XJERDICT

PlayStation-E 101

# More than 500 soldiers on screen at once

nt Devastating tornado, lightning and meteor attacks

^ Increased weapons, tactics and troops -even Elephant Cavalry!

# 30 new stages including sieges, sea battleand stampedes

PlayStation.2A v a i l a b l e M a r c h 2 0 0 2

Kessen II is a trademark of KOEI Cofporation ar>d KOEI Co.. Ltd. 02001 KOEI Co.. Ltd All fights reserved"PiayStation"and the -PS" Family logo are registered trademarks ol Sony Computer Erilertainmerit Irw.THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ irw. All Rights Reserved. w w w. k o e i g a m e s . c o m w w w. t h q

T I F .

ik Command and control right down to squa® level

R E NRESIDENT EVIL SURVIVOR 2 CODE: VERONICA

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Each section of the ,game ends w i th a Jboss-battle. Kill the /creepy-crawly!

M A N U A L— ^ o o

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T h e A i mWithout your partner, you mustmake your way to the boss withinhalf an hour, amassing as high ascore as possible.

Tt ie KnowledgeShooting several enemies in quicksuccession wiil fill up your ComboGauge and reward you with a high-scoring boost.

StiRii-lllUiJ 1 ■2 ' 2 0 "

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The WeaponsYou can take three weapons. Claireh a s a c c e s s t o t h e a s s a u l t r i fl e a n d

magnum, while Steve has the submachine gun and grenade launcher.

If you don't complete asection within the time limit,Nemesis is un leashed.

You may look smug now, butjust wait until the zombiesand l ickers arr ive.

R E 5 0 E N T E M I L E U R N J N D RE C D D E : M E R D N C HA first-person shoot-'em-up based on Res Evil should be excellent, shouldn't it? ' |

Publisher: CapcomE u r o s o f tDeveloper CapcomP r i c e : £ 4 4 . 9 9Players: 1O u t N o wW e b s i t e :v v v v w . c a p c o m . c o n i60Hz mode: NoW i d e s c r e e n : N oSurround Soundsupport NoPeripheralssupported: Light gun

Back story"me indirect foiiow-upto the poorty-receivedPSone shooter Survivor, thisis the first Resident Evilgame not to add to theseries' over-arcing story iine.instead, it offers anaitemative iook at theevents that tool( piace inC o d e Ve r o n i c a

Although the original first-personshooter spin-off - Resident EvilSurvivor on PSone - was a black mark

l l on an otherwise clean series scotBcand,Capcom was not perturbed. Never a company tothrow away a good Idea on its first failed attempt,it's taking a second bite of the decomposingcherry. Resident Evii Survivor 2 Is based onCode: Veronica and converted from the arcades.

Playing as either reluctant heroine CiaireRedfleld or wild-eyed ioner Steve Bumside, youfind yourseif back on the undead-infested Rockfortisiand, once again duking it out with zombie dogsand lickers. The plot vaguely follows that of Code:Veronica, but with ali the cetiebral elementsremoved, it appears to be built for speed ratherthan atmosphere.

Playing against the ciocK the game Is brokendown into smaii map sections. Your aim in eachshort section is to find a key and then make yourway to the exit for a confrontation with the ievei'sboss monster If you dont make it to the exitbefore the timer count hits zero, the Nemesis -remember him? - is unleashed and will pursueyou until you manage to escape.

The game is designed for play with theG-Con 2 but, whereas other light gun games ieadyou thnough their levels on rails, Survivor 2 handsyou complete control over your movements.Potentially this is a groundbreaking feature but inpractice It's a disaster; a lesson not learned fromthe original Survivor game.

The gun's D-pad moves you fonwards,backwattls and sideways, while turning around Isperformed with the two side buttons It's a clunky

system to begin with, and you still have to aim andshoot In fact, it's considerably easier to play withthe Dual Shock Joypad, rendering the whole affairsomewhat farcical.

Further inhibiting your progress is yourcomputer-controlled partner Whichever characteryou chose, the other will act as your back-up,sometimes shooting enemies for you, but most ofthe time acting like a total arse and getting in theway of your bullets.

Graphically, it's not too bad. Code.- Veronicaveterans will, no doubt be excited by seeingfamiliar areas from a first-person perspective, evenif they aren't quite as detailed. The monsters,however, are disappointing This Isn't a game torecommend even to Resident Evii compietists orlight gun fanatics. Not only Is the gamepiaymessed up, but even the sappiest player will havethe whole affair wrapped up within a few hours.Come on Capcom, give us a decent a first-personResident Evii game. □ Paul Rose

You know the drill by now: fire, fire, fire,fire, reload, damn you, reload! Fire, fire.

fire, fire,fi r e . .

Why we'd buy it- To justify that expensiveperipheral purchase

Why we'd leave it:- It's not what a Res/dent Evil

game should be

V ^ t a n o t h e r w a s t e d

opportunity to do a reallydecent, scary first-personsurvival horror game.

Graphics Reasonable scenery, but dull monstersSound ' Familiar RE sounds and grating rock music 0 5

Gamepiay Too fast for atmosphere, too clunky to satisfyL i fespan Onfythe Dungeon mode offers any longevHy a s

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Play5tation»2Developed by Radical Entertainment Ltd. Radical Entertainment and its logo are trademarks of Radical Entertainment Ltd Dark J?nd/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc. All other trademarks and logos are property of their respective owners. All nghts reserve-■ i»i.iystation.2" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved

nit, THQ and the respective logos

R E NE S P N I I V m R N AT I O N A L W I N T E R S P O R T S

Don a tasty Lycra numberfor the speed skating event.

I P L A Y E R S E L E C T

" Q(Left) The mildly exhilarating bobsled. (Right) Bemani ice skating Yawn.

T I f

- ^ f t t e o p w t h e S P E C f A t O U T F l

C h a r a c t e r sdi ffer in theirskills. Tlie Britentrant is oddlyquite good.

F I N I N GCurling is a very under-represented sport.Here, 0PS2 provides an introduction to thesport a la ESPN. The aim is to slide your'stones' (made out of granite, weighingabout 20kg) closer to the centre of the'house' (the circles drawn on the ice surface)t h a n t h e o t h e r t e a m .

You'll see this quite a lot,when you first start playing.

Downhill Skiingis one of thegame's highlights.

1 First set direction, curl and length.

E S P N I N T E R N n T D N R L >U U I N T E R 5 P D R T 5ESPN's winter sport event ieaves us witli a stinl ing coid.

P u b l i s h e r K o n a m iDeveloper KCEOP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1-2O u t N o wWe b s i t e :w w w . e s p n . c o i i i60Hz mode: NoW i d e s c t e e n : N oSurround soundsupport No

Back storyKonami's ESPN games atBrather prolific. The monil ercovers practicaiiy everysporting event in theWestern worid. Sports undertiiis banner cunentiyavaiiabie for PS2 inciudetracl< and fieid, ice hocl<ey,basl(etbaii, skateboattlingand snowboarding. So farthey have yet to provideanything but a poor cousinto their more specialistcounterparts..

Sports games must be a developer'snightmare. How exactly do youreproduce events that are generallyIndiv idual and based on a combinat ion

of speed, stamina, precision and skill? For example,a bobsled has never had an accelerator, the speedIt gathers depends on how hard you push It at thestart. It's all about people power

There is, however, an obvious answer. In the olddays of Daley Thompson's Decathlon and GeoffCapes' Strong Man, this meant waggling theJoystick from side to side as hard as physicallypossible to make your athlete run faster orperform harder Now, with the advent of joypads Itmeans hitting two buttons in repeatedly quicksuccession then pressing a shoulder button toexecute a jump or trick

And this Is how you compete In Winter Sports'Speed Skating and Ski-Jumping events, while theDownhill Skiing and Snowboarding are a case ofpressing or ^ and ® for speed. FigureSkating Moguls and Snowboard half-pipe on theother hand borrow from the Bemani genre.Unfortunately, while you follow a complicatedbutton combo to achieve a trick/move - be it forspeed or accuracy - you tend to ignore the onscreen action, only seeing the result In the replay.

As a single-player game there's littleencouragement to play long for the medals.Mainly because there are only ten events andthe game is so unfairly difficult. All too often youpull off what you believe to be a perfect K120ski-jump only to find your dismal score isactually 30 points short of the top threepositions. "How much faster do I have topriess these buttons?' you'll gasp, through

exhausted sobs. The Two-player mode - in whichyou take it in turns to do badly - is identical, onlynow two of you will be asking the same question.

Stand-out events are the Downhill and aconvincingly unwieldy Bobsled, while Curling willprove irresistible to anyone who enjoys pushing20kg lumps of stone on Ice with your CPU-controlled team-mates wielding yard broomsIcome on, don't tell us we're the only ones...). Otherevents are either too short or too boring to raiseanything other than momentary interest.

It's likely that this game was released tocoincide with the Winter Olympics that are beingheld this month, and it is released simultaneouslywith Eidos's officially licensed Salt Lake 2002.Neither game has managed to charm itself ontothe 'must buy' list, which suggests that either it'sdifficult to make event-based winter sportssimulations work on consoles, or that winter sportsare, fundamentally, very dull. You decide. And thengo and buy SSX Tricky instead. □ George Walter

m r i ' l . W H . I i l

2 Release the stone. According to the curl and speedyour on-screen assistants will 'brush' giving the dualeffect of reducing friction (making the puck gofurther) and reducing curl.

3) The team whose stones are closest to the centreof the house get one point for each stone that iscloser than the best of the opponent. After ten endsthe team with the most points wins the game.

n

Why we'd buy it- Curiing is fun- You have magcai

fast Angers- Great if you're a fan of

Ski Sunday

Why we'd leave it- i Jmi ted even ts- Only skill necessary is

nimble fingers- it's plain duli

H a s a l a c k l u s t r e a n ddated feeling R's notexactly the developer'sfault, but more to do witfiuninspiring subject matterS ' n o fi i n a t a l l .

G raphk» i-aboured movement and bland appearance 0^ ]a5S o u n d Jamiroquai iJte disco twaddleGameplay Rnst seen in 1984

L i fespan About as long as the reai Winter Oiympics

PlayStaUoRjg \IERDICT

Play5tation,E lOS

M A R C H S 3 - S S B I R M I N G H A M N E C

3 a l e H o l m e sbby For teU e x i s P a r k/lartin Ogdeni a r e t h B a t e s

rim 'Fuzzy' Hallo d d W a l k o w i a ki t e v e M c C a n n

Ljstin Gunter, Josh Hino, Zach Shaw, Colin MacKay,lint Millar, Chris Mahoney, Stefan GeislerThe UK Vans team Members' ..

n d l o a d s m o r e . . . . . l o p

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X ' ..CLIASSParking Prices: Coaches £15, minibuses £)2.00 & Cars £6.00 Presented by Haymarket Ext ibitions Ltd

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R E NJ O N N Y M O S E L Y M A D T H I X

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Rack up the points by stringing tricl(S togetlieron a haif-pipe. A bacl(-flip here, a IVIute there..

i f WR i r f m tT r c c h s mTu r o t n g / / / / /

. s t o b i i i t v i t t n

^//' UONNV MC3SB{Ziy~7/I> HMeet Oiympic hero Jenny Mosely. This season, Jrvi wilibe wearing a natty biack and red number from IVI&S.

B OLess a serious downliiii course, the Las Vegaslevei is a iudicrous, neon-iit fairground ride.

□□N N y m n s F i Hm R D T R XStill into snowboarding? Pah! Freestyle ski-ing's where it's at. Apparently

P u b l i s h e r 3 D ODeveloper 3D0P r i c e : £ 2 9 . 9 9Players; 1-2O u t : N o wWe b s i t e :w v v w . 3 d o . c o m /m a d t r i x60Hz mode: NoW i d e s c r e e n : N oSurround Soundsupport No

Back storyJonny Mosely became alegend In his own esotericfield when he won theFreestyle Moguls final In the1998 Winter Olympics inNagano, Japan. His medal-winning move? A daring350" Mute grab.

Grinding on skis?That cant reaily bepossible, surely?

There are licences that you know aregoing to make an impact. Think TonyHawk's Skateboarding, Colin McRoeRaiiy and Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX.

And there are those that would come and gowithout anyone really noticing Would you spend£45 on Souber Formula 1 Back /barkers? Orsplash out on Torquay United Winning Eleven?Could you get amped-up about the prospect ofMan Titchmorsh Pro Evolution Gardening? No. Well,you get the same numb feeling when you load upJonny loosely Mad Trix, a game that offers you allthe fun of competition snowboarding without thetun', or Indeed the 'snowboarding'.

In essence, 3D0's latest game abandonsboards for skis. It's been Inspired by the heroics ofextreme skier Jonny l losely gold medallist in theFreestyle Moguls at the 1998 Winter Olympics. MadTrix is an attempt to bottle the raw adrenaline rushof fast-paced, trick-packed snow riding and toreconstitute It In PS2 form. The firstdisappointment is that there are only two mainoptions: Freeride and Competition. In Freerlde, youcan get to grips with the controls at the non-threatening Ski School. Alongside this Is the mainSlope Styie discipline, where the challenge Is toperform as many tricks as possible on courseslittered with ramps, rails and half-pipes. Downhilldestinations In the Siope Style mode Include thesnow-covered streets of San Francisco, Rome,Machu Picchu, Las Vegas and Washington DC.

In the Competition option, success In theSiope Styie mode grants you access to the BigMountain mode. Big Mountain is the high point ofthe Mod Trix experience, but the basic idearemains the same - Jump, flip, spin and grind yourway from top to bottom, a Staiefish here, a Mutegrab there. The more tricks you perform to thelooping rap and grunge-rock the more points youearn. As you descend, your progress Is filmed as amovie to be watched when you're finished. Extravariety is provided by the availability of fictionaland pro skiers (each with their own statsl plus arange of power-ups that can increase your speedor the points-value of any tricks you pull off.

It's a shame that Mod Trix rarely grabs yourlong-term interest. The graphics are far fromspectacular, and the tricks even less so. Mad Trixfeels almost pedestrian on the man-made tracks,but it saves a ilttie face with a speed boost on theBig Mountain courses like Nepal and Kilimanjaro,where the terrain is steeper and the groundchailengingly uneven. The fact that this Is a skiinggame rather than a snowboarding one doesn'tmake a jot of difference. The mechanics are muchthe same. And with SSX Tricky setting the boardingbenchmark (delicious detail, superb sound andirresistible gamepiayl Mod Trix just can't match up.Trix, yes. iviad? Not nearly enough. □ Dean Evans

JONNY MOSELY MAD THIX

J N D R yIt's unfortunate that Mad THx doesnt do muchmore than revamp the snowboarding genre forskiers. It does, however, inciude a fewinteresting extras.

Power -UpsThe courses In Mod Trix are littered with bright,performance-enhancing Icons to help boost yourever-ascending points total.

; n " - - t ' - M a « S S 7

i J

Up-hlll SkiingMissed a ramp, overlooked a grind? Then simply turnaround and ski uphill to do It again. That's what yourski poles are for...

L

Why we'd buy it- Only for Jonny Moselyfans and winter sportscompletists

Why we'd leave it- its simply another boardinggame but on skis

- And not a very good orinteresting one at that

- And then there's SSX Trickyt o c o n s i d e r M m m m . . .

Offers nothing new,exciting or enjoyable. MadTHx deserves to be leftout in the cold.

Lengthy courses, only reasonably r e n d e r e d i

S o u n d The swish of skis. A sarcastic comi m e n t a t o r

Gameplay ' Limited in scope and hardly revoliLitionarvLife span A variety of courses, but ttiey nevtir truly excite

PlayStatioruE XIERDICT

Play5tation.E 10

B H n D D L U m n N :2E(ZDND CZDrri lNGAcclaim's gothic anti-hero enjoys a second jaunt over to Uveside.

That's me, that is. MikeLfRoi's split personality.

P u b l i s h e r A c c l a i mDeveloper AcclaimStudio TeesideP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1O u t N o w6 0 H z m o d e : N oWidescreen: NoS u r r o u n d S o u n dsupport; No

Back storyBased on a character ftDmAcclaim's own comic bookseries, Shadow Man firstappeared on the N64 in1999 to much, er acciaim.However N64 reviewerswere so overjoyed to gettheir hands on a new gameof any sort that scores were,arguably a tad on thehigh side Versions laterappeared on PC, Dreamcastand PSone, and weregreeted witti more modestpraise Ttie non-linear plotof Shadoiv Man pitted Mikel£Roi against Legion andhis cadre of reanimatedseriai killers. Lovely

There are some wonderfully dark Ideasin the Shadow Man mythos. To avengethe deaths of his family, the centralcharacter Michael LjeRoi has had the

Mask of Shadows grafted into his chest, a devicerich with voodoo power that enables him to crossbetween the worlds of the living and the dead.Whenever the sun goes down, Mike LeRoibecomes the undead assassin Shadow Man,Walker Between Worlds and Lord of Deadside. Asort of fleshy version of The Terminator - all bonesand sinew/y muscle.

Mike hails from the backwaters of Louisiana,where the streets have French names, where thebad guys are called 'Papa' or 'Doc' and wherebeing a chicken or a goat Is Just asking for trouble.For here, the dark arts are practised dally andthere's a decent chance one of your neighbours Isa voodoo priestess or a witch doctor.

It doesn't take a leap of imagination to seewhere all this is leading, and sure enough - after agruesome cinematic Intro - Shadow Man Is called

Pertiaps as an openadmission that 2econdCowing Is heavy on theload times, theprogrammers havegiven you the abilityto fiddle with theloading screen.

upon to save the human race from an Imminentdemonic infestation. The Grigori, a race of demonswho live unnoticed among humans, are Intent onreleasing their leader Asmodeus from The Pit'Iwhat kind of pit we're not told) and only ShadowMan has the power to thwart their evil plans. Sofar so grim,

GOING UNDERGROUNDThe game kicks off in Deadside, where LeRoi hasto find his teddy bear and escape to Uveside, Thebear which belonged to his deceased youngerbnother Is LeRoi's only remaining link to the realworld. Once In his possession, it allows him tomove relatively freely between familiar locations.

This toincated mission Is designed to ease youinto the game, and let you to get a feel for thedual-joystick movement. Shadow Man 2s controlsystem uses the left analogue stick to moveforwards and backwards and to strafe left andright, while the right stick alters direction. Acclaimadmits this Is a little unusual but It's the system

Oh, the horror. This armoured demon attaci<swith both sword and (gasp) a carpet beater...

By pushing the L and R buttons Icomplete with analogue control) and wiggling thejoypads, you can create you own swirling lightshow to prevent your brain fromseizing up, mid-load. These supermodel thin zombies are a push-o/er.

A few rounds to the head should do it.

LOS PlayStation,2

R E M I ESHADOW MAN: 2EC0ND COMING

(Left) The crocodile-infested Louisiana bayou. (Rigiit) Tiie teddy bear is your first port of call, back in Deadside.

//Dark acts are a dailyoccurrence - being achiclcen or a goat isjust asldng for trouble//they recommend, and it works just fine. Thealternative setting (where the left anaiogue controlsfonwands, bacl<wards and direction] may be moreto your iiking but movement feels less accurate,and the landscape nauseously wheels from sideto side. Still, it's your call.

The action begins when LeRoi returns to hisNew Orleans bar Wild At Heart to see his friendJaunty, an Irish dwarf and similarly displaced beingwhose role in Deadside is that of Keeper ofBoneyand Gates (a role he fulfils as a skeletalsnake). But waiting for him instead are somegoons in the employ of Papa Mort6, a local witchdoctor In league with the Grigori.

After a brief bout of fisticuffs (you have yet toarm yourself with a weapon) you find Jauntymissing and some Silence Of The Lombs-stylereminders of the goons' visit. At this, iviike sets offto see his voodoo priestess, Nettie, who hands youa machete and sets you off on the mission proper.

What follows is a sprawling gun-totingadventure, part Tomb Raider, part Zeida OcarinaOf Time, part any third-person shooter you care tomention. As is de rigeur with explorathons such asthis, the successful accomplishment of sub-questsis rewarded with cut-scenes, new weapons and theopening up of new areas of the map. Unlike itsirksome predecessor, 2econd Coming is fairly

ME AND MY SHADOWThe tasks or puzzles aren't necessarily hard, butcan be quite time consuming - especially if youjust happen to miss a partially hidden passagewayand spend the next 45 minutes combing overeariier ground. The in-game map Is too small topinpoint such detail.

A major aspect of the game is the extensiveuse of weapons - the collection and use thereofIjeRoi is usefully ambidextrous, able to wield twoweapons at any one time, and switch betweenanother two at the flick of a button. So, forexample, you can have an axe in one hand forsmashing crates, and a sub-machine gun in theother for the rapid dispatching of the undead.Then, by tapping cd or m, you can switch to oneof Mike's voodoo weapons or say the sniper rifle.This guy really comes loaded for bear, as theYanks say.

As time wears on, day turns to night andMichael LeRoi, mild-mannered bartender,becomes Mike LeRoi, butt-ugly demon-slayer Thiedusk-to-dawn transitions are nicely handled(complete with subtle palette changes) and thedaily cycle provides another twist In the tale. Asthe undead Shadow Man, LeRoi can swimundenwater for any length of time, but is physicallyweak so block-pushing requires the strength ofhis human alter-ego. However Shadow Man cannow use his Deadside magic to power a series ofvoodoo weapons. These range from Colles(voodoo limpet bombs), to Linferno (a coat of fire), 0

Siippery-slidey ice world. Everygame must have one. By law.

Okay, so he's not Lara (morePosh Spice) but he's pretty agile.

PlayStation.? 1

R E NSHADOW MAN: 2EC0ND COMING

(l£ft) An unpleasant welcome awaits in the Wild At Heart. (Right) The undead can really hold their breath...

Spooky temple alert.

//Michael LeRoi, mild-mannered bartender,becomes Mike... butt-ugly demon-slayer//

B to L'orage, a storm that rains lightning bolts uponyour enemies, and which can also create floods,providing access to otherwise unreachable areas.

The only drawback in combat is the Zelda-style targeting system that automatically locks-onto a target and only unlocks when you turn awayor some other prey falls Into your line of sight.There are boxes and urns around the levels thatcontain power-ups; annoyingly, these are alsotargeted, which means that when attacked by ahorde of demons it's easy to spend half your timewreaking vengeance on some Inanimate object,rather than the fleshy wrongdoers.

One final gripe is that while 2econd Coming ismuch more linear than the original, the levels arelarge, complicated and there's still a fair amountof to-ing and fro-ing of the find switch to opendoor A, revealing switch for door B' variety.Adventurers with a poor sense of direction mightfind it all a bit too bewildering To be brutally frankthere's nothing really outstanding In 2econdComing, It's not the prettiest game on PS2, thesound is nothing to shout about, the puzzlesaren't that compelling and you'll definitely haveseen better cut-scenes. But the game does boasta certain clumsy charm and once you've beendrawn Into the grisly story, and completed a fewof the sub-quests, it's easy to become hooked.

The adventure is huge (though the quoted 30hours of gameplay seems optimistic) and there'senough variety from one area to the next tomaintain Impetus. 2econd Coming's biggestdrawback is probably timing if this had come outjust six months ago, it might be doing briskbusiness. But, like a low-budget, half-heartedscience fiction tomp that premieres on the sameday as Star Wars: Episode li, you have to wonderjust who it's aimed at. Though a totally differentbeast, it bears enough similarities to the likes ofDevil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid 2, Deus Ex or MaxPayne for it to appear pretty far down on anyone'sshopping list.

Which is, quite frankly a real shame. Clearlythere's been no shortage of effort laboured on thetitle, and it's not a bad game by any stretch. Butwithout the big-name cachet, or some technicalgosh-wow factor it's hard to see where a slightly-above-average action-adventure title like this fitsinto your plans. □ Steve Jarratt

More shooting. Frankly, there's quite a lot of thisin Shadow Man 2. That, and running.

SHADOW MAN: 2EC0ND COMINGJ

Why we'd buy it- Expansive quest- Two-fisted gunplay- >bu l i ked the comics

-TTie shop had sold outof Devi/ May Cry. MGS2,Deus Ex and Max Paytre

Why we'd leave it- Not particulariy

outstanding in any way- Progress can be slow- Lots of to-ing fn>ing

and loading- A bft on the clunl y side

P r e d i c t a b l e a c t i o n -

adventuring wHh asombre twist Worth a tiyif you dont really fancyany of the other big-h i t t e r s o u t t h e r e .

Graphics Rich textures and gotseous effects 0 e

07^S o u n d Jap rock may not [je to your taste B E

Gameplay Fun, though sliffitly dated and derivative 0 7Life span 'tbu're unlikely to tetum to it B E

PlayStatjorug NERDCT

PlayStatlon.B

Zorro gives genericguard #126 a seeingto with his rapier.

R E NT H E S H A D O W O F Z O R R O

Publisher CryoDeveloper In UteroP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1O u t : N o wWe b s i t e :z o m > . c r y o g a m e . c o i i i6 0 H z m o d e : N oW i d e s c r e e n : N oS u r r o u n d S o u n dsupport No

Back storyAlthough Zorno sounds likea figure of myth he was Infact created by Americanwriter Johnston McCulleyin 1919 as a hispanic spinon Robin Hood. Ater a lifeIn magazine stories, Zorrobecame a popular hero ofAim and, via Wait Disney, TV.After a long break, the 1998flim The Mask Of Zonvrejuvenated the franchise.Four years on, has Zorro gotwhat it takes to swash thebuckles of PS2 gamers?

In Snealting mode youcan wail( right underthe guards' noses.

When we last left Zorro he was

attempting to infiltrate CapltanMontero's barracks across an

expansive yard, lit by a full moon andpatrolled by some of his finest men. Ahead ofZorro lies a stairway leading down to the cells and,should he be spotted, a lifetime rotting awaybehind bars. With painstaking care, the maskedhero creeps behind an oblivious guard. DIo MIo! Itlooks like Zorno will make it!

And so It would have been If the game camerahadn't suddenly and inexplicably swung around,reversing the controls and sending our suave butmomentarily disorientated hero walking straightinto the guard's back.

Welcome to The Shadow Of Zona Convincingproof that even good ideas dont always survivetheir telling A shame, because the theory Is sound:to create a stealth-'em-up third-person adventurewhere industrial fittings are replaced by candle-lithaciendas, and the customary techno arsenal by arapier and a devil-may-care toss of the head.

Over seven episodes (that ape the cliffhanger1957 Disney series) your job is to sneak aroundcarrying out drip-fed missions furthered byrevelations, overheard conversations and the like.This means lots of hiding in shadows, leaping onand off tDofs, collecting items/keys/etc and sword-flghting with various enemies. It's not earth-shattering innovation to be sure, but potentiallyplayable nevertheless.

However, the reality is something else again.The swond-fighting system is a cop out for acouple of reasons. Rrstly it's reduced to a sluggishBemanl-style repetition exercise that isnt evenenlivened with a decent variety of animations. Andsecondly, being Zorro, you don't actually killanyone. You ]ust spank them unconscious withyour blade. Or something. To be honest it's hard totell because each fight ends with your victimstanding but then the camera cuts to him lying on

the floor He doesn't even have the grace to waituntil you're out the room before leaping up again.

Furthermore Zorro's range of movements Iserratic to say the least. While he may be unable totake a drop that most five-year-olds would behappy to attempt he can sometimes reach ledgesthat even the most experienced platform herowould balk at Then there are the occasions whenZorro decides that taking the game into his ownhands would be a good Idea, wandering offwithout any input from you. infuriating? Si.

The worst culprit however, is that rovingcamera, it Jitters, it spins and it teases you withlimited control only to leave you wanderingunseen into the next area and the arms of awaiting guard Isee What's The Angle?). You knowsomething's not right when you have to enterFirst-Person Pistol mode just to see whats in thesame noom as you.

Add to this a bizarre doubling-up of controlsthat has tire' and 'whistle-really-loudly-to-alert-every-living-thing-within-a-square-mile-of-your-whereabouts' on the same button, and TheShadow Of Zorro pretty rapidly becomes atiring and frustrating experience, iviaybe it'll justdisappear into the shadows like its hero. We canbut hope. □ Paul FItzpatrickr

THE SHADOW OF ZORRO

WHATS THE ANGLE?That dodgy Zorro camera in action.

l i l1. You've been spying onCapltan Montero and hiswoman at arms, Cariota.You round the corner...

2. ...And you endurethe loading screen.

3. You enter next roof top 4. Hey presto! The cameraarea face on. Now, decides to spin around mld-remember, fon/vard is 4^. step and...

5. Suddenly 4^ takes you 6. ...You're returning to theback the way you came, previous area via anotherand before you can say lengthy loading screen."Don Diego De La Vega"... Damn it all.

Why we'd buy it- It's a relatively

nove l i dea- Our eyes are

sensitive to light- We cant get enough

Flamenco guitar

Why we'd leave it:- infuriating cameras- Shallow fighting system- inconsistent animation

Such a shame. What couldhave been an enjoyable,swash-buckling spin onthe stealth-'em-up hasbeen rendered virtuallyjoyless by poor executionand lazy graphics.

Graphics Surface sheen fedes with timeS o u n d Nice guitars, pedestrian FXGameplay Glimmers through frustrationL i fespan Li t t le incent ive to cont inue

P lay5tat ion.g XIERDICT

PlayStation.E 11

R E X J I E L UG O D A I : E L E M E N I A L F O R C E / I R O N A C E S 2

P u b l i s h e r 3 D ODeveloper 3D0P r i c e : £ 1 9 . 9 9Players: 1O u b N o wW e b s i t e ;w w w . 3 D 0 . c o m6 0 H z m o d e : N oW i d e s c r e e n : N oS u r r o u n d S o u n dSupport No

It's possible that your Initial reactionV upon playing GoDak Elemental Force

will be an alarmed expletive hissed

through gritted teeth. Your secondreaction will be to laugh hard. There's only one wayto approach GoDal, and that's as one of those low-budget, poorly-dubbed martlai arts films - go on,admit It, you l now the kind we're talking about.

You play a young ninja, out to avenge thedeath of someone or other From the hilariousopening moments, which seem to unintentionallyecho Monty Python And The Holy Grails DarkKnight ("None shall pass!") to the positively sidesplitting attempts at recreating Crouching Tiger:Hidden Dragon's slow-motion wire-fighting you'llbe dampening your pants.

it's a ftse-roamlng beat-'em-up. In which youhover |no, really] around a series of surprisinglydetailed levels and struggle with the controls and'eccentric' camera. You're able to collect weaponsas you go - big swords, little swords, big sticks,bigger sticks, smoke bombs and throwing stars.

GoDal is a game of good Intentions gone badlywrong it's stuffed with Ideas - the wire-fighting haspotential, and there are nice gamepiay elementsthtDughout But, alas, It's been poorly implementedto the point of unplayabllity. The only level it workson is one of mart:ial arts parody... but you'reexpected to pay 20 quid for It. Funny or not,GoDal: Elemental Force isn't worth a quarter ofthat They should have called It Arthritic Tiger:Crippled Dragon, or something □ Paul Rose

GODAI... ELEMENIAL FORCE

Why we'd buy it:- For a chuckle

r ^ . i

S o u n d

G a m e p l ^L i fespan

Why we'd leave it- It's just rubbish

The odd nice idearuined by dreadfulimplementatian. a si i

PlayStatLon,g \|ERDIC

T h e H e l l l h a s arear gun tur re t .So don' t a t tack i tf r o m b e h i n d .

Publisher XicatDeveloper XicatP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1O u t N o wWe b s i t e :w w w j ( i c a t . c o m6 0 H z m o d e : N oWidescreen: NoS u r r o u n d S o u n dsupport No

IS

Iron Aces 2 is quitepretty to look at,but it's not a patchon Ace Combat 4.

The popularity of Ace Combat provesthat there's still a lot of mileage in theconsole-based flight game. Namco'sgames may be lightweight air combat

sims, but they do capture the thrills of dogfightingwithout clogging the flying experience with fussytBalism. iron Aces 2 strips the action down tojoypad-friendiy basics. But unlike Ace Combat itdoesnt have nearly the same class or playabillty.

What Iron Aces 2 does offer Is an Interactivestoty of air combat Starting in the WW2 days ofthe Spitfire, Heinkel 111 and Bfl09, the Campaignmode takes you through a series of missions thatIllustrate the changing nature of aerial warfare.Simple one-on-one confnontatlons evolve Intostrafing runs, bomber escort and bombing runs.

O i r * c t t Q n t t U f t : t > r « v t a y £ s i i mD t r « c t l e n » l b a H a n p l v w

I l « n s t i d C K M C M M - aI X buttcntCK A tottcreCwcet

As the years pass, propeller-driven aircraft give wayto the age of the jet, allowing you to fly theVietnam-era P-80 Shooting Star, the Phantom F4and Han-ier Jump Jet There are 35 different planesin ail, a variety of landscapes to fly over and Al-controiled targets to Are at, Budda budda budda...

While the Campaign mode is detailed, the aircombat is rarely exciting There's a Free Battlemode (pitting different aircraft against each other)but no multiplayer option to use It in. Graphicallyiron Aces 2 is reminiscent of a PSone title - evenclose-up engagements lack the wow-factor thatwould keep you playing day-after-day Lacklustremusic and sound effects dont help either Anyonelooking for some sky-high stimulation should go-flywith Ace Combat 4 instead, □ Dean Evans

j Fly a variety of aircraft including WW2 fighters,I the first jets, and modern aircraft like the MiG.

rYeu fust escort and def«nd our rtuiriitng jxatwrs JP-SO. Ihest bcabcrs mit b« Msy to tneirpl»n*s, so wmkt utr* th»t no craft angagft thwi. \f lytnft »n enaay i?rjp»oi. so wry. An sttad^ ab a r t e r m i l b e x m i n e n t .

The mission briefing gives an explanation ofwhat you must do to complete the level.

IRON ACES 2: BIRDS OF PREY

Why we'd buy it:- Interactive history ofa i r c o m b a t

Why we'd leave it- No multipiayer support- Ho-hum graphics

G r ^ i h i c s 0 5 A good Idea, but a [~d isappoint ing game. ' 1S o u n d 0 3

Gamepiay 0 5

L i fespan 0 <

PlayStaUp^ XIERDIIIT

12 PlayStation.E

R E N I E U UDRAKAN: THE ANCIENTS' GA^S

Drakan is blessed withgood lighting effects^backgrounds andcharacter animation. I

Rynn will need to conserve energy tomake it through the vast 3D levels.

L L i n y D FT H E D R R G D NAlone, battle-babe Rynn can be a formidablewarrior. But with the dragon Arokh, they mustwork as a team to open the Ancients' Gates...

M t t n K G r a t t S w d i t

N M d t d 1

□R R K R N : T H ER N D E N T S E R T E 5Can a medieval Lara Croft (and her dragon) save the world?

P u W i s h e r S C E E

Developer SurrealS o f t w a r eP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1O u t N o wW e b s i t e :w w w . s u r r e a l . c o i i i /games-drakan2W i d e s c r e e n : N oSurround Soundsupport No

Back storyDrakan: Order Of the Flamewas first released for PCand received faint praise inttie games press. Drokon:We Ancients' Gates pici^sup ttie story of Rynn andtier dr agon Arakfi where ttiefirst iet off.

In an age where there be dragons,Drakan: The Ancients' Gates fusesTomb Raider-style adventuring withmyth and magic. Although It lacks an

easily identifiable numeral, TAG is actually a sequelto the original PC game. In Drakan: Order Of TheFlame, the Xena-like warrior Rynn joined souls withthe dragon Arokh to battle the forces of darkness.In TAG, the world is threatened again - four magicportals must be unsealed and 15 levels of hackingand slashing jumping spellcasting and dragon-riding stand between Rynn and victory.

Technically, TAG is the sort of game that thePS2 was designed for - large 3D environments, athird-person viewpoint, hand-to-hand sluggingplatform-leaping and sparkly spellcasting Theresult is a high-fantasy romp, a case of go here, gothere, find this and kill that. Platform sections testyour ledge-leaping skills, while a ZOE-style auto-targeting system keeps your chosen enemy lockedas you attempt to stab, bludgeon or slice it intosubmission with Rynn's many varied weapons.There's even a first-person perspective viewpointfor firing arrows with a longbow.

it's clear that developer Surreal Software hasgone to town on the graphics. The worid of Drakanis one of pretty contrasts - lush green In places,

eerily gloomy in others, labyrinthine mine

j levels, icy islands and misty swampland.Each level is vast and populated with itsown legion of monsters, from blade-fodder

Orc-a-likes to ceiling-crawling cavespiders. Obviously, as Rynn becomes

more powerful, the monstersbecome bigger stronger andmuch mo te numerous .

While TAG is essentially anaction/adventure, it's been wrapped around alightweight RPG framework Rynn can improve herphysical abilities with experience, enhancing herfighting prowess to make her stronger in battle.Experience is also required to wield some of thegame's mightier weapons. This ensures that Rynn

doesn't become too powerful too quickly andguarantees that even the early levels provide youwith a stiff challenge. Like an RPG, too, there isgold to collect and shops to spend it in. As in theoriginal game, the weapons in TAG get worn down(and eventually broken) through constant use.Consequently, it's best to carry as many weaponsas you can.

Drakan: The Ancients' Gates is very enjoyable.The levels are huge and as cut-scenes nudge youbetween the plot pivots, you simply fight andexplore, collecting bonuses and experience on theway This also means that it's a little repetitive,level upon level of sword and sorcery whereenergy conservation is as Important as combatprowess. As we're mud-slinging the movablecamera can be somewhat erratic and while thecontrol system is easy to use, it lacks the precisionof a dedicated platformer Small things, but Justthought you should know. □ Dean Evans

1. For her quest, Rynn has access to a large array otweapons. Including swords and axes, clubs andbows. Magic spelts can also be learned and castduring combat with a wa^le of the analogue stick.

2, Rynn's !nventot> allows her to equip differentweapons for use in combat, view any spells she has(earned along ttie way. and consult a handy map of

: the surraunding area.

3. Most Importantly Rynn can ride Arokh, a reddragon that can belch a blast of flame, spit greatballs erf fire and take her to parts of the landscapethat she cant reach on foot.

Graphical cut-scenes neatly link the 3D adventuring.

rDRAKAN: THE ANCIENTS' GAIIS

Why we'd buy it- Urge-scale fantasyadventuring

- Vast levels, beautifullyrealised

- Accessible RPG

m e c h a n i c s

Why we'd leave it- Repetitive tiack-and-siastigamepiay

- Imprecise characterc o n t r o l

A medieval Tomb Raider-a-like, that's all mnningand jumping and fighting(but with a dragon).

Graphks A detailed 3D wortd for you to explore [BB 07 JSound Dramatic, often surging in places w

Ttie combat is repetitive but it's still engagingU f e s p a n 15 vast levels of accessible RPG gaming

From mountain passesto gloomy swampland,Drakan often looksbetter than it plays.

Plav5tation..g \IERDICIT

PlayStation.E 1

R E N I E UESPN X GAMES SNOWBOARDING 2002

RAD UNGO'Y o u t o o c a n l e a m h o wt o t a l k l i k e a b o a r d e rwith this handy guide.

P u b l i s h e rK o n a m iDeveloper KCEOP r i c e ; £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1-2O u t N o wW e b s i t e :w w w . k o i i a m i -europe.com/english/games6 0 H z m o d e : N oWidescreen: NoS u r r o u n d S o u n dsupport: No

Back storyThis is the latest releasein Konami's multi-eventESPN series Other gamesInclude ESPN InternationalTrack & Field, ESPN NBA2Night and ESPN NationalHockey Night

The word 'extreme' could easily andaccurately be replaced with 'stupid'especially when coupled with the word'sport'. Frankly you'd have to be a bit

mad to want to throw yourself down a mountainwhile balancing on a plank of wood. However,rarely has 'extreme' been a metaphor for'a bit dull', but there's always a first time...

ESPN X Games Snowboarding 2002 Is thelatest in Konami's officially licensed range ofextreme sports sIms. As the title suggests you getto slide down mountains on an overgrown ski, andto this end, it's pitched head-to-head with EA'ssplendid SSX Tricky. Wisely though, Konami's effortdoesnt really attempt to compete on level terms.Rather than adopting the fantasy styllngs of SSX, itchooses Instead to plant Its buttocks firmly ontothe seat marked 'simulation'.

As with all the ESPN titles, XGS features a hostof real-life boarders plus all the official styllngsyou'd expect from a licensed title. You get thechance to compete in a bunch of real-life eventsIn the X Game and Snowboander modes. The latteroption is your basic Career mode where you adopta rookie boander and plunge head-first into theheady world of professional snowboarding Yourultimate goal after months of toil? The X GamesChampionship itself This SnowboattJer mode alsohas you seeking sponsorship and engaging Inphotoshoots, a little more than most careeroptions provide.

The X Game mode allows Immediate accessto the big events; the downhill trick-fest ofSlopestyle, the all-out racing that Is SnowboanderX, the self-explanatory Half-pipe and the splendidBig Air mode that sends you hurtling down aslope, with the sole Intention of pulling off as manycrazy stunts as possible. Unlike SSX Tricky,perfonming the requisite tricks in ESPN 2002

requires some contorting of the fingers. Grabbingyour boand Is a simple enough tasK butattempting anything more challenging - like abackwand flip or a spin - requires precise timingand multiple button combos.

Visually XGS is not bad and the boarders areparticularly well detailed. However while the 20-odd courses are slIcK they have a tendency tosuffer ftum chronic slowdown, especially in theSnowboarder X and Two-player modes. The latteris also afflicted with some severe pop-up. Sound-wise It's the usual mix of adrenaline rocK withbarely an eyebrow raised at the appearance of TheOffspring Sigh.

Overall, ESPN X Gomes Snowboarding 2002suffers from a combination of over-complicatedcontrols, frame rate problems, and a stubbornInsistence on prioritising reality over playabillty.Sure, SSX Tricl might be all flash power-ups,ludicrous iiber tricks and unbelievable courses, butIt's far more enjoyable to play ESPN X GamesSnowboarding 2002 Is dull, dull, dull. And for agame that's supposed to be extreme, that's oneheck of a problem. □ Paul Rose

T h a t ' sm a k e

a good T, nowthe let ter 'P. . .

AIR: A jumpASS.: Acronym forAbominable Snow Slider -someone wearing aparticularly stupid hat.AV I E : S h o r t f o r a v a l a n c h e .BIFF; A brief collision withthe ground, which isquickly recovered from.B O N K : To r e b o u n d o f fan object.B O N O : To s n o w b o a r dhard Into a tree, or thelead singer of U2.B U T T - D R A G G E R :

Beginner snowboarderFREAK: A particularlye n t h u s i a s t i c s n o w b o a r d e r .GROMMET: A youngs n o w b o a r d e rH U C K E R : S o m e o n e w h othrows themselvesthrough the air, resultingIn an unpleasant landing.R A D : R a d i c a l o r c o o l .S T I C K : A l t e r n a t i v e t e r mfor a snowboard.S N O W B U N N Y : N o v i c efemale boarderS T O K E D : To b e e x c i t e d .WACK: The oppositeof good.

There are a range of pro boarders to select,each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

rE S P N X G A M E SSNOWBOARDING 2002

Why we'd buy it- Because the only gameshop In a 100 mileradius refuses to stockSSX Tricky

GraphicsS o u n d

CameplayL i fespan

Why we'd leave it- Because ffs not half as

much fun as SSX Tricky

It's a tlioroughly mediocresnowboard simulation -and that's not enough.

Reasonable, were it not for the flavKTfie usual tiresome college rock tunesTfie tricks are overly complexPlenty of modes and levels

14 Play5tation.E

PS o n e T MThe best PSone reviews around, courtesy of Official PlayStation Magazine.

(Above) Mega Man's most powerful weapon is hissword. (Left) Some areas of the game require youto just hold your ground as events are played out

I** around you. There's no way you'll be able to jumpthrough the ice-falls - they'll pound you to pieces.

I n P N XAint nothing nnega about this man.

Publisher CapcomE u r o s o f t

Developer CapcomP r i c e ; £ 1 9 . 9 9Players: 1O u t N o w

B E

B S

PSone™MEGA MAN X6

GraphicsStandard 2D fare,nowt excitingSoundFuii of standardpiatform tunesGameplayLost in t t ie

E ight ies. Yawn 05Li fespanWe got boredp r e t t y s w i f t i s t i 0 5Doesnt tiy hardenough to be excib'ng^Dent expect it to lastvery long.

So there we were, playing Mega ManX6 on our Sega MegaDrive and... no,hang on. It wasnt a MegaDrive at all. Itwas our PlayStation. Still, it's an easy

mistake to make. Have you taken a look at thosescreenshots yet?

This is a game that's stuck firmly in the past.It's a side-scrolling platformer-cum-shoot-'em-up,and feels like the kind of game they stoppedproducing when the PSone was a mere twinkle inTeiyu Goto's eye. The graphics are bright andcartoony but they're pretty simplistic by today'sstandards. That's not what puts us off, though.

What really winds us up Is the endless,repetitive nature of the action. You're attacked bywaves of single creatures, then waves of baddies,bosses, and pretly much anything else you've everseen in a by-the-numbers videogame. There'snothing new, spectacular or even interesting goingon. Just the same old Jump/shoot/swipe actionyou've experienced in a thousand other games ofthis type. At least the gameplay areas keep theplayer Interested.

The clever thing about it is that the levelsrandomly change every time you play the game, soyou should never really get the same level twice.Now, this all sounds well and good but the fact Is,the areas of each level and the creatures you

//The levels randomlychange eveiy time youplay, so you never get thesame leve l tw ice/ /

encounter dont change, so the end result is that Itdoesn't really make much difference. You'll stilltrawl around levels that differ In layout but not inthe challenges they offer

The power-ups system is quite intriguing,though. One objective is to rescue charactersscattered throughout the levels, and depending onwho you rescue, you'll be able to arm-up withdifferent weapons before embarking on furthermissions. Some end-of-level bosses also provideyou with upgrades, that you can switch to duringplay This adds a bit of spice and variety to things,and enables you to bosh baddies more effectively

Technically the game is niggle-free. It's wellpresented, runs vety smoothly the contnois areeasy to get to grips with and it doesn't look at allbad. The story line is pretty standard - regularmanga-style mush with not a whole lot going for itIn all, it's hardly a brilliant prospect. Mega Man X6is a relatively mindless blaster with little to holdyour interest. Utterly average, in fact □

B EM E R D I I I T

R E N\

R O U N D U P

R E V I E W

F I N R L F R N T R E y M lIt's part of videogame history, but does it stillhave what it takes in the gaming stakes?Some may well dismiss it as retro, uncooland just too old. Don't make that mistake,though. Great story lines and top-notchgameplay are what RPGs are all about andFinal Fantasy VI delivers all the world-exploring, weapon-upgrading character-tweaking magic-summoning you'll need. Itsimply overflows with all that has made theFF series so popular □

PSone. CmFantastic in its day andstill great. Dont let looksput you off, it's a classic. N E R D E T

L ' E M D L U T D NPro Evolution Soccer is the follow-up to thebest footy game on any console. ISS ProEvolution 2, scored the elusive 0PM 10/10,and the series has become a benchmark infootball videogaming

Changes will be made to challengehardened fans and wow newcomers.Dribbling will be twice as responsive with 15,instead of eight running directions. Playerswill have more stats and we may see moredetailed breakdowns of passing ability. PES,will hit PSone in March 2002. □

(Above left) Holding down the fire button produces a single bolt from your weapon.(Above right) in the icy levels, beware of your character's downfall on the slippery slopes.

A L S O O N P S O N ET H I S M O N T H . .Get the full story on thereturn of Final Fantasy VIto PSone and more. For alithe latest PSone news,reviews, previews andplayable demos see oursister mag OFFICIAL UKP L AY S TAT I O N M A G A Z I N E .

PlayStation.E 11

□ \ I D / I N T E R N E T / P R I N T / m U B CPS2 doesn't just play games, you know. Here's some other stuff you might like...

Text Lee Hart/Sam Richards/Geoiiee Walter/Grahani Dalzell/Mike GoMsmithWAGE O

- t - - *

* .

VIOUUN ROUGEi x / £ 1 9 . 9 9 / 4 M a r c h

m: The final film in Director Baz Luiirmann's Red Curtain trilogy, this)undbrealting musical somehow manages to out-lavish even thecesses of its predecessors, Strictly Ballroom and Romeo <& Juliet Thetting is Paris 1899 and English poet Christian (Ewan McGregor) teamswith a group of bohemians led by painter/showman/dwarf Toulouse

utrec to stage a show at the infamous Moulin Rouge. Mistalten for aike whose investment is required to save the club. Christian meets theuge's beautiful star, Satine (Nicole Kidman) and the pair fall madly in'e. But with the real dastardly Duke intent on making Satine hisjperty, her health deteriorating and a spectacular show to put on, the'ers' dreams of 'happily ever after" seem destined to end in tragedy.An opulent extravaganza held together by two superb performances

m the leads, the key theme of reworking modern love songs - from! likes of Madonna, Elton John and David Bowie - as big musicalmbers works surprisingly well, with Kidman especially shining throughr vocal duties. The love story is also utterly convincing, if not a littlewing thanks to some sizzling chemistry between the stars. Moulinuge certainly isnt for all tastes and there are moments when its over-:-top styiings begin to grate, but as a brave attempt at bringing theisical into the 21st Century with a huge glittering bang, you have tomire Luhrmann's sheer directorial audacity. LHatures: The extras cover every aspect of the production you couldssibiy wish to know about. There are two commentaries with thekative Luhrmann accompanied by his production designer,ematographer and co-writer Brief interviews with all the lead actors,iturettes on everything from the choreography to the editing, a Makingdocumentary and loads, loads more.rdict A wholly original modem musical, set in a captivating decadentrid and presented on a superb DVD. 8/10

Nicole's divorcecelebrations w^rebeginning to getout of hand.

I ^ I N T H E M A K E S T H EHEART GROW FONDER\ brief - but highly stimulating -ipeclai effects featurette coversjerky pop poppet Kylie MInogue'sippearance as The Green Fairy,^siting Christian and his bohemlanlals while they're heavily under thenfluence of absinthe, Kylieiroceeds to bewitch them withIslons of the Moulin Rouge.

1. Bad Green FairyThe plan was to have an 'evli rockerfairy played by Iggy Pop or MarilynManson, until a meeting ended with thewords, 'We should really get KylieMinogue for this!' Something most of ushave blurted out at one time or another.

:. Blue screen babeifter the nightmare of choosingetween a) using an ugly drug-ddled rocker or bl hiring Kylie,iving her a skimpy fairy costumend suspending her from the celling)r a few days, Miss Minogue isjady for her blue screen antics.

3. Fairy good showAnd here's how Kylie looks In thefinished film, appearing to the chaps asa shimmering gneen vision ofenchanting beauty. Now, hands up whowants a spin-off movie in which TheGneen Fairy flutters around lookingsaucily Into the camera for two hours?

PlayStation

J ? .

V

f - V

PIANET OF THE APESFox/£19.99/Out now

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS

Film: Tim Burton fans expected great thingsfrom his 're-imagining' of the CharltonHasten classic in which an astronaut findshimself stranded on a pianet where humansare slaves and apes are the masters. Butdespite some superlative make-up designsIcourtesy of Rick Baker) and the sight of adelightful iittie chimp In astronaut garb, themovie falis to deliver

RIffing off the basic plot of the original,but suffering In comparison every step ofthe way, Burton's film Is never less thanentertaining but there's an unmistakableimpression that his skewed vision has been

"Agagagag. When I eatsme spinach/I'm strongto the finish/I'm..." Oh,sorry, wrong Popeye.

kept In check by studio restrictions. And asfor the twist ending where the 1968 versionis a supreme, revelatory about-face, here theconclusion is iiloglcai to the point ofannoyance. Sheer monkey business. LHFeatures: The quantity of extras almostmakes up for the disappointment of themovie Itseif Tim Burton's commentary islethargic but contains bon mots such as hisassertion that apes are almost as scary asSanta Ciaus. And there's a King Kong-slzedselection of behind-the-scenes featurettes.Verdict: Like most remakes of classic films,this should have been left well alone. 5/10

THE FRENCH CONNECTIONI & II BOXSETFox/£29.99/25 February

Fiim: The gritty tale of tough New York copPopeye Doyle's investigation of Frenchgangsters smu iing heroin Into the US, TheFrench Connection and its sequel areamong the elite films in the crime thrillergenre. The first movie, directed by WilliamFriedkin and Influenced by the French newwave, is a landmark In Hollywood cinema -shot entirely on location using hand-heldcameras to achieve an unprecedenteddocumentary-style look and feel. GeneHackman is terrific as Doyle, and the carchase Is arguably the best ever filmed.

Universal/£19.99/25 March

Film: Point Breoli with cars Is the easiestway to describe this petrol-fueiied machoaction flick, in which rookie cop BrianO'Conner (Paul Walked infiltrates a gang ofstreet racers who may or may not be usingtheir souped-up Japanese sports cars tosteal from haulage trucks.

Filled with laughable, yet brilliantlyevocative street racing showdowns, RobCohen's film Is a thunderous, faintlyhomoerotic ode to the motorvehicie andthe men who drive them. While the paceflags a little in the middle, and the wholemodern highwaymen plot Is fairly ridiculous.

The fost And The Furious is well-madetrash which should be sampled with tongireverse-parked neatly Into cheek LHFeatures: The generous selection include;a great featurette looking at the real worldof street racers and their sexy motors; theoriginal Rocer X magazine article thatInspired the movie; short featurettes onediting the kinetic racing scenes and thespecial effects tricks; plus a commentary tdirector Rob Cohen, seven deleted scenesand a stotyboard to film comparison.Verdict: Porno for petrolheads. it's daft, biludicrously enjoyable 7/10

Willis bravely fought offdemons t ra to rs a t h is 'Re tu rnO f B r u n o ' c o m e b a c k t o u r

y

DIE HARD/DIE HAIW 2:DIE HARDER BOXSET

The French Connection li sees Doylefollowing the case to Marseille. Almost tothe superior standard of the original, thefilm is memorable for the lengthyexcruciating cold turkey sequence afterPopeye has been kidnapped and forciblyaddicted to smack. LH

Features: There are more goodies than wehave room to mention but the highlights area compelling commentary by Friedkin andMark Kermode's excellent documentary onthe original film, recently shown on BBC2.Verdict: Two magnificent cop thrillers. 9/10

Fox/£39.99/Out now

Film: Despite boasting one of the worstcatchphrases In cinema history("Yippeeklyay.. oh forget it"| Die Hordsinglehandedly rescued the action moviegenre from the ludicrous, muscle-boundgrasp of Stallone and Schwarzenegger It'sedge-of-the-seat excitement all the way withthe besieged skyscraper setting providingthe perfect backdrop to Bruce Willis's wisecracking, terrorist-shooting exploits.

The sequel, set In the rather lessconfined Washington Dulles airport, suffersfrom trying to out-thrlll and out-qulp the

original, but its still a cut above the vastarray of wannabes that Hollywood vomlteiin the wake of the original film's success.Features; Die Hard has a bumper offerin,of three commentaries, a collection ofdeleted footage and outtakes, and two acInteractive workshops where you can Addwith the audio mix and edit your own sceiThe sequel fares Just as well with a MakinOf, numerous production featurettes andcommentary by Director Renny Harlln.Verdict A bundle of cool extras make thian essential package for action fans. 9/1

In TteLkieOf pfre (Columbia TriStar/£19.99|/Casualties Of War (Columbia TriStar/£19.99|/Heartbreakers (Warner/£19.99)/Swordfish (Wamer/£ 19.991Thirteen Days (Buena Vlsta/£19.99|/The Fugitive (Warner/£19.99|/The Watcher (Universai/£19.99j/WWF! No Mercy 2001 (Sliver Vision/£19,991

PlayStation E 1

*t !

"Blink and I ' l l shoot!The Worid StaringCompetition requirestough training.

BATTLE ROYALEMetro Tartan/£19.99/Out now

Film: Imagine Lord Of The Flies translatedinto film by the developers of Street Fighterwith a hint of reality TV show Survivorthrown in for good measure. Kinji Fukasaku'sincendiary blood-fest is a closeapproximation of what would happen. Aspart of a new law to control the increasinglyviolent, disrespectful Japanese youth, a classof teenage school kids is dumped on adeserted island and told they have two daysto hunt down and kill each other - the lastperson standing is the winner The incentive

Is, If more than one sun/ives they're; all killed.Suddenly, petty adolescent squabbles turninto raging machine-gun face-offe asparanoia and primal violence bubble to thesurface like froth at the mouth of a rabiddog A brutal and astonishing movie. LHFeatures: The disappointing selection ofextras includes the theatrical trailer a shortstills gallery and four pages of film notes.Verdict: Part media satire, part perceptiveexamination of adolescent emotions, allIdiosyncratic Japanese battle bonanza. 9/10

Film: At the height of cold war insanity,anTied with a script by renowned satiristTerty Southern and with genius characteractor Peter Sellers on board, Stanley Kubrickmade a great big cinematic custard pie andrubbed It in the faces of those squabblingYanks and Russkles. Sellers plays three roles:a stiff-upper-lip English captain, the USPresident and the eponymous Germanscientist Strangeiove. This latter character'slove of the bomb and Nazi right arm betrayhis Hltier-heiilng background.

When General Jack D Ripper decideswater fluoridlsation is a Commie conspiracyto steal the precious bodily fluids of theAmerican people, the crazy bastardlaunches a nuclear attack on Russia. Too

late to call off the raid. It's left to PresidentMerkin Muffley to break the bad news tohis opposite number in the USSR, andStrangeiove to outline his plans for thecreation of a master race in the aftermathof armageddon. As relevant now as it everwas and still the most potent political satireever made, no film collection is completewithout this masterpiece. LHFeatures: Previously only available in theKubrick boxset, this special edition containsa great retrospective documentary wth Infoon all aspects of the production. A featurettetracing Kubrick's life from childhood toStrangeiove. Plus on-set interviews withGeotge C Scott and a hilarious Sellers.Verdict: An all-time classic comedy 10/10

a b e l W i t h o u tC a u s ei r n e r / £ 1 2 . 9 9m; James Dean rails againsti closeted middle classbringing In this landmarkin angst classic of gangs, sexd disappointing father figures,atures; Featurette Interviews.

The Lost BoysW a r n e r / £ 1 2 . 9 9Film: Completely silly, yethugely watchable teen vampireflick with Kiefer Sutherland Inhis best role as the leader of abunch of goth blood-suckerspreying on a small coastaltown. Far better than most ofJoe! Schumacher's movies -particularly his other youth film,the horrible St Elmo's Fire.Features: Production notes.

S c r e a mB u e n a V i s t a / E 1 9 . 9 9Film: The Ironic teen slasherflick that. Ironically, started thenew wave of teen slasher flicks.Better by far than any of thewannabes it spawned, the jokedoes eventually wear thin butthe first half-hour especially isgenuinely scary.Features; Commentary.Documentary. Interviews.

a m el M / £ 1 9 . 9 9m: Stephen King's breakout/el of pubescent rage isen suitably hystericalatment by Brian De Palma.sy Spacek and Piper LaurieI the scariest child/parentTibo since the Krankles.atures: Two documentaries,rturettes. Stills gallery. H e a t h e r s

Cinema Ciub/E9.99Film; Michael Lehmann'scaustic satire on teen angst hasChristian 'please call me JackNicholson' Slater and WinonaRyder killing off their bitchyclassmates and making themurders looks like suicideInevitably killing yourself thenbecomes tjie latest high schooltrend. A great black comedythat effectively captures theliving hell of adolescence.Features; None.

L a H a i n eMetro Tartan/£19.99Film; When the police beat ateenager into a coma it sparksa night of rioting and mayhemin this cult monochrome dramaset on the mean streets ofParis's inner city slums. Bothbleak and brilliant, La Halne isa rare youth film that actuallyreflects the lives of its targetaudience and captures themood of a marginalisedunderclass of French society.Features: Theatrical trailer

i s t Times A tdgemont Highlumbia TriStar/£19.99n: Hilarious, potents e c t i o n o f n i h i l i s t i cIfornian teens and theirmsy sexual shenanigans,turing soon-to-be star^ like3n Penn, Jennifer Jason Leighi Eric Stoltz. Scripted byrently hot director Cameronwe from his book,itures: Documentary,nmentary. Music Hl lights.

Bi l l & Ted'sE x c e l l e n t A d v e n t u r eMomentum/£15.99Film: The worid's dumbestteens find that they must passa history exam In order to savea future civilisation based ontheir metal band the WyidStalyns. Cue mucho time-travelling antics to collect thelikes of Abe Lincoln, Socratesand Napoleon, then breeze

A m e r i c a n P i eU n i v e t s a l / £ 1 9 . 9 9Film; Part gross-out teencomedy, part well-intentionedexploration of teenage love andInsecurity, American Pie Is aclass above the likes of RoadTrip and Dude, Where's i y Car?which its success unfortunatelyled to. The Webcam scene Is aclassic of excruciating comedyFeatures: Commentary.Outtakes. Ttieatrlcal trailer

r r i s B u e l l e r ' sly Offa m o u n t / £ 1 9 . 9 9n: John Hughes' finest andniest movie follows therChievous Ferris (Matthewderick). his lovely girifriendane and his neurotic bestte Cameron as they bunk offool and sample the varied)tdden delights of Chicago.

L8 Play5tation,E

TBOmm u m m V I D E O

Hailed as a masterpiece upon release, master film-maker BrianDePalma's 'Casualties of War' is based on the brutal and true

story of a squad of soldiers caught in the moral quagmire ofwartime Vietnam. Witness to a vile crime, Private Eriksson(Michael J. Fox) is forced to stand alone against his fellov/soldiers and commanding officer Sergeant Meserve (Sean Penn),a pov/erful and charismatic man pushed over the edge ofbarbarism by the terror and brutality of combat.

S P E C I A L f S A T U R B S I N C L U D E :Eriksson's War: A conversation with Michael J. Fox, Making OfFeaturette, Deleted Scenes, Filmographies, Trailer

R E L E A S E D A T E :25th February 2002

w i D E s £ R f f H

t M R f t O U S

^ i— \ i

a

THE FAST & THE FURIOUS isa heart pounding, high adrenalinemovie, featuring some of the mosta w e s o m e c a r s e q u e n c e s e v e r

committed to screen. Hollywood'shottest new star Vln Diesel stars asDominic Toretto, leader of a gang oiLA street racers, mixed up in a spreeof violent car jacks and high speedrobberies. Toretto's gang is infiltrate<by speed junky cop Brian O'Connor(Paul Walker) leading to atestosterone filled, high impact finale

American Pie for the 1970's!!l One of the most popular moviecomedies of all time! This raunchy, screwball comedy offers arelentless spoof of 1960's college life by following the hilariousadventures of the Delta fraternity. Stars John Belushi, DonaldSutherland and Tom Hulce.

S P E C I A L F E A T U R E S I N C L U D E :

The Yearbook An "Animal House" Reunion, Production Notesand Filmographies

R E L E A S E D A T E :4th February 2002

Boost your DUD collection with these fantasticR e m a s t e r e d C o l l e c t o r ' s E d i t i o n swith NEVII BONUS footage, all availableo n D V D f r o m 1 8 t h F e b r u a r y.

U O n i N W I I . I J A M SH m m m T K m a s

i

S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S I N C L U D E :3 Featurettes, Storyboard Comparison,

Commentory, Galleries,2 Trailers, Filmographies

m o n u K P u m

S P E C I A L F E A T U R E S I N C L U D E :

Deleted Scenes, Alternate Ending,HBO Making of, Featurette on Chow Yun-Fat,

Director's Commentary, Trailers, Filmographies

O T H E R C O L L E C r O K ' SB O m O N S AVA I L A B L B s

A F e w G o o d M e n * D r S t r a n g e l o v e • G r o u n d h o g D a y

L i t t l e W o m e n • M y B e s t F r i e n d ' s W e d d i n g

Fly Away Home • In the Line of Fire

„ s 0 j ( K v i o l e n t , - " t s S S F i^ l o u d a n d c o o l . " A l< ^ M A X t M

R E L E A S E D AT E :1 1 th February 2002

S P E C I A L F E A T U R E S I N C L U D E :The Making of the Post and the Furious (1 8 mins)

Commentary from Rob Cohen • 7 Deleted scenes (6.5mins}Special Effects featurette ♦ Multiple camera angles for high impact scenes (3 mins)

Visual Effects Montage featuring the first race (4mins 40)Editing the film for censorship featurette

Storyboards to final feature comparison (7 mins)The article that inspired the movie from Vibe magazine • 3 Music videos

w I 0 E s c E I N

H t U H I f O e i Ri fi i i n i i T S fi t r a i l

A KNIGHT'S TALE is a modemday rock 'n' roll telling of a mediev(story packed with action, comedy,romance and treachery. With asensational soundtrack includingmusic from Robbie Williams andQueen, this action packed adventurof medieval gallantry and contest isguaranteed to rock you.Stars Heath Ledger, Mark Addy ancPaul Bettany.

' 4

4 0 ^ 'R E L E A S E D AT E :25th February 2002

www.aknights-tale.co.uk

S P E C I A L F E A T U R E S I N C L U D E :] 1 Featurettes inc. background to the fantastic soundtrack the stunts and a

profile of Heath LedgerHBO 'Making Of Special • 6 Deleted Scenes

Robbie Williams & Queen 'We Are The Champions' music videoFeature length commentary from director Brian Helgeland and star Paul Bettany

Available from H^ \/topdogfordvcl U N I V E R S A L "

V r .

w w w . c t h e . c o . u k

© Layout anb Design 2001 Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. -All Rights Reserved. All information correct at time of going to press.

>INTER\JIEUU

nother day strolling throughle ether for the enviouslylilled Zero 7.

» I N T E R NI

G A M A S U T R Awww.gamasut ra .com

Although this games Industry Web site requiresfree registration to access parts of the site, It Isstill the best source of information for technicalgaming news. Some of the more advancedarticles will confuse anyone but a C++ expert,but other pieces (such as a spoken-word Intrato the problems faced when porting PC gamesto next-generation consoles, by Black & Whiteguru Peter Moiyneuxl should be of Interest toanyone with a desire to And out what exactlygoes on in the mailing of their PS2 games, it'snot Just magic, you i now. Tbe site Is a great toolfor those considering a career in the gamesdeveloping industry, with Jobs advertised and anarea where you can post an online CV.

Ze>(—a 7'om nowhere to now with the downtempo duo.101 was the year of the chlliout album. A myriadIdentikit compilations flooded the seemingly;atlable market for all things blunted as the post-jb staple crossed over Into the mainstream. Thenndon production duo Zero 7's debut offeringvple Things was released with the minimum of;s. Previously best-known for a remix ofidiohead's Climbing Up The Wails, suddenly they!re the name on everybody's Hps Equal parts Aird Bacharach, with a spoonful of Seventies soul,3 album's languid mood and poignant melodicnsibiilty struck a chord with critics and publicke. it was a slow burner to begin with, word ofDuth taking the place of the hype machine, butarly a year on from release, it still maintains anpressive chart position.

With well received live shows and a Mercuryjsic Prize nomination under their belts, a mixmpiiation album imminent and new material In; pipeline, a contented and, er, chilled Samirdaker - who together with Henry Binns makesZero 7 - takes up the story. 'There was no real

asterplan, the album was something we'd alwaysinted to do and seemed the logical step fromnixing other peoples stuff. We werent confidentd didn't really consider ourselves to be proper

heard our s tu f fnd said it gave iierlie liorn. Slie endedp on our album"//

artists, we just wanted to make the kind of musicwe liked to listen to'

Zero 7 stand out from their many chllioutcontemporaries thanks to their lush orchestrationand the soulful vocal talents of Sophie BarkerMozez and especially Australian diva Sia. "Most ofthe strings were layered one Instrument at a timeby friends of ours, only the last track on the album[End Them] uses a whole string section." The storyof the Sla connection is also characteristic of thealbum's muddled birth. 'We were due to help outon Sia's album, but when she came to the studiowe were playing our stuff, which Sla said gave herthe hom. She started singing over it and ended upon our album Insteadl"

The latest project from the duo is a mixcompilation, the fourth in the Another Late Nightseries. It's an eclectic affair that reveals the originsof Zero 7's inspiration. "It's made up of music we'vealways listened to and been inspired by togetherwith stuff that we've got Into over the last couple ofyears, like the Cinematic Orchestra." Also present Isthe boys' own reworking of the Johnny OsboumeSeventies classic Truth And Rights which alsocomes as a free seven-Inch single with thepartypack edition, "it was something we'd beenplaying at the shows which had been going downwell, so we recorded It with the live band."

So when can we expect new material?Hardaker's reply is characteristically non-committal:"We're Just kicking Ideas around at the moment,we're in no hurry. We just want to make the bestalbum we can." Expect another blinder then. □ GD

Z E R O 7R E L E A S E S

□ Another Late NightZero 7's rtilx of laid-back Seventies groovesand contemporarydowntempo breaks'n'beats is out now onTreacle/Azuli records.I n c l u d e s t h e i r o w nexclusive cover versionof Truth And Rights.

□ Simple ThingsReleased last year andstill available on UltimateDilemma is the classicdebut album, featuringthe singles Destiny andIn The Waiting Line.

s o d a c o n s t r u c t o r

S O D A P L AYvww.sodaplay.comThe Internet has given designers the chance touse Web technology to help waste Inordinateamounts of time. There's been eiectrotanfccomlsMinlgolffor example, and the floating penguin'one. Now we have Sodaplay. And hopefullysome time to pilfer The site does a great job ofexplaining the concept (a workstation thatallows you to create 3D objects which moveacross the screen by combining kinetic energyand gravity), it's well crafted and fast (even on aslow modem! and the 'making moving objects'possibilities are limitless It proves that wastingtime can be interactive and productive, even Ifthe end result Is a floating wireframe giraffe.

!0 PlayStation.^

THE TOP FNE jA game like Final Fantasy X develops a lar efan base which means a good selection of welldesigned Web sites.

1. www.ffonline.comGreat design, loads of features. Better than theo f fi c i a l s i t e . j2. f fa lphacomLoads of content but almost unreadable taxi.Unfortunate as It features a Fan Fiction sectron.3 . w w w . f f h q . n e t ,Has a good media section with wallpaper ardvideos to download.4. www.ffnet .netFeatures an essay entitled, 'FFX; Is it any good?'Well, is It? Give the site a visit and find out, 15. www.squaresoftcom/playoniine/ |b tg - f ramese tAmerican official site. Far too much fancy Flashtrickery to be of any use on a standard modem.

. . « M j L 5 7 f : - - t > | . ; . - ' . - ^ . ' i B : ; f r i ^ V ? l ; ' t - i ; N - ) : - • ;

» P R I N T » m u g [ :

W E A V I N G T H E W E BAuthor: Tim Berners-LeePubl isher : TexerePr i ce : £799

Tim Berners-Lee has the rather impressiveaccoiade of being responsibie for thecreation of the Worid Wide Web. in this first

hand account Berners -Lee describes how he

and a group of otherl i ke -m inded ind i v idua lsat Swiss high-energyphysics lab CERNdeveloped the softwarewhich eventuallyinspired a wholenew me thod o f

communication,c o m m e r c e a n dresearch i^nown more

commonly today asthe internet.

A surprisinglymodes t Ox fo rd

Universlly graduate,Berners-Lee turns what

could have been an impenetrableexposition of mathematical and computertheory, destined for the realms of beandygeel<dom, into a readable and compulsivechronicle. Beginning by referencing the littleknown works of early Web pioneers like TedNelson - who as early as 1965 was talkingof a system that would enable people towrite and publish in a new, nonlinear format

W e a v i n gT h e P r e s e n t a n d t - u i u

called 'hypertext' - Berners-Lee introducesterms which have now entered intoeveryday language. HTML, HTTR URL andthe ubiquitous www and .com are givencontext. The software he wrote, such as anearly type of Web browser called Enquire, isexplained in simple layman's terms.Concentrating on the day to day

development of hisproject in theopening chapters, thebook goes on tofocus on wider

concepts like privacy,ownership and thedisseminat ion of Web

language like HTMLPrevalent throughoutis the notion that theWeb is still in relative

infancy whileBemers-Lee ta lks

with a certain

nostalgia about theearly days when theWeb was aboutsharing community

and unitarianism. Weaving The Web betraysa definite concern for the increasingcommercia l isat ion of the Internet .

Although Berners-Lee is at pains tomake sure he never alienates any readerwith technical jargon, a lengthy appendixexplains the more fundamental elements ofthe Web for those requiring more detailedexpert information. □ GW

T H Ef / t h r W o r l d W « d c W e b

W E B

i . M B e r n e r s - L e e

TEKKEN FOREVERFrequency: Monthly (four issuemini-series)Pr ice: $2.95See : www. tekkencomics . com

While beat-'em ups are known for their400-strlng combos, Tekken has alwayshad a bonus appeal - a melodramatic,twisted story line of revenge that makesEastEnders look like The Tweenies. Morepointedly, it out-convolutes Marvel'sX-Men to make perfect soap opera fodderfor comic land.

Published by image Comics, TekkenForever is full of familiar faces - LingXiaoyu, Paul Phoenix and Unknown - witha plot that fleshes out the game'spregnant back story. Ordered by Interpol,supercop Lei Wuiong must lead a brigadeof elite soldiers (including Yoshimitsu) and

take down Kazuya Mishima's empire,currently employing mercenaries BryanFuty and a legion of P-Jacks. HoweverMishima is far more concerned withunleashing the devil gene in his son Jin,

So far, so Tekken but unfortunatelythe comic stinks Dave Chi's dialogue isappaling ("Yup, yup. I am a fatty boombatty. I don't know about you kid, but Iam hunggggrtyyyy." Right.) while sub-plotsfly in from left field. Tekken otaku mightget off on being able to make sense ofthis mess but, despite being planned fora four-issue run, Tekken Forever could bea bit of a misnomer when the salesfigures come in. MGGaming Content: Um, quite a lot givenit's based on Tekken.

"Tekken Forever is in comic shops now.Try Forbidden Planet on 0207 836 4179.

Cornelius: Ooh,Japanese monkey-mansee big blue peach! Mehungry! Me want eat!

Using the powe&of>youfcPS2 with this" month's best CDs}CORNELIUS Point (Matador)Who? Japan's premierpratean pop export .Play Rez and fco bacl<to back and you mightget tlie idea of whatgoes on in themonkey-man's mtnd.

Highlights: Loopingbtrdsong and runningwater into phatrhythms, Comeiius isa sound painter with arestless brush, Luckiiy,he also writes some

picturesque tunes.

Lowiights: Canoccasionaiiy get ai i t t i e t oo kowa l l f o rWestern tastes.

Ve r d i c t C o m e i i u sonce aimed to stage .concert where everya u d i e n c e m e m b e rheard somethingdifferent. Now he'sreal ised his dream onrecord. Mental . 8/10

..AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD Source Tags & Codes (InterscopelWho? S i t ua teds o m e w h e r e b e t w e e nSonic Youth andLInkin Park on therock map, theseTexans fevour guitarburning and noisyself-mythology.

Hi^lights: Somebrilliantly angulardeser t meta l tha tattempts to harnessthe power of ancientdeities to aid thesandblasting ofyour senses.

Lowtights; Despitesharing vocal duties,none of the boysquite have theOzzyesque invocationrequired to summonthe mysterious Godsthey seek.

Verd i c t Do we be l l evthey took their namefrom an a rcha icMayan hierugiyph? Ncbut we do er\joy theirthrilling voyage acrosjthe landscape ofnoise. 8/10

hmomaas Loud (Perfecto)Who? ChunkyTeutonic trancemeister 1responsible for thatAzzido Da Bass remix 1del ivers debut a lbumof his own surprisingly !supple material. i

N A A A S ; . 0 U 0 'J Highlights: TImo

teases star turns from

guest vocalistseluding Keils, MC

Chickaboo andGerman Beck-a-likeMartin Bettin^aus.

Lowiights: Given hislegendary thumpingtrance DJ sets, someo fTimo ' s own bea teseem strangelysubdued. And We A(VNothing is a load ofhorrible htppy rubbish.

Verd i c t The t rans i t i o ;from superstar DJ toalbum artist Is neversimple one, but Maasmanages themakeover w i theclectic apiomb. Wellworth a l isten. 7/10

GOMEZ in Our Gun (Hut)Who? Former MercuryPrize-winningb e d r o o m b l u e s m e n ,who've stru^ied tomainta in themomentum of eariypromise. This is theirth i i r i a l bum.

AIR Everybody Hertz (Source)

Highli^ts: Startsbrilliantly with ShotShot and Rex KramerInvestigating a punk-funk groove completewi th theremins ,trombones and freakye lec t ron i cs .

Lowiights: Sadly,Gomez soon revert tothe creaky Dadrocktemplate that makesthem sound fortyyears older than theyactually are.

Ve r d i c t S o m e w h e r ein Gomez's ranks theardour o fexperimentation stll!burns, but the bluesbores run out w inner

again, 5/10

W h o ? I n s c r u t a b l eFrench duo reducingthe prog majesty oflast year's lO.OOOHzLegend to a cheappun of a remix album.

Q '-JiI I

I Highlights: Modjo addI a sly jazz twist to1 people In The City[while Jack Lahanaj swaps the woni[ 'people' for 'bitches'and tries to start thedumbest party ever

Lowii^s: Mostremixers just end upturning Air's tunes intoweak car iacatures o fthe i r own mater ia l -Mr Oizo and AdrianSherwood beingprime culprits.

Ve r d i c t A i r a n o r a k swi l l want the one(undenwhelmin^ nev^track, but unless youCfBve five so-sov e r s i o n s o f D o n t S eLight this record issuperfluous. 5/10

iS

» A L S O R E L E A S E DSahara Hobiights Jennie Bomb (RCAj/Erick Sermon Music (J Recordsl/Drowning PoolSinner lEpicl/FaWi Evans Faithfully (Arlstal/Six By Seven The Way I Feel Today (Mantral/Alanis Morrisette Under Rug Swept (Mavericl<l/Lambchop Is A Woman (City Slang)

PlayStation-? i:

Ips, tactics, tricks, cheats. Want to rip your new games to shreds? Welcome to the section that's trictly for the HardCore...

laving licked my lips at ttieirospect of ripping tiirougtihe mighty Metal Gear Solid! for this month's Hardcore,ny rampant enthusiasmvas gunned down in ani s t a n t w h e n n e w s fi l t e r e dhrough that the game hadleen delayed, instead 1iresent you with avalkthrough for lastnorth's MGS2 playablel e m o . I ' v e f u r t h e r e x o r c i s e dny stealth demons byIpping the next best thing■ Heodhunter. Okay, the;ame is more 'straight toideo' than beltingilockbuster, but it stillhrew up more than its fairhare of problematicl u z z l e s a n d c a u s e d s o m eingry-looking trigger fingerilisters, too. Check out ourlie complete solution. Alsohis month we presert thei r s t i n s t a l l m e n t o f o u rnassive Max Payne guideilus, as ahways, cheato d e s f o r t h e l a t e s t a n dreatest PS2 games. Gett u c k i n .

lyan Buttl a r d C o r e E d i t o r

V R T T E I N !

tuck? Frustrated? About to slam)ur Dual Shock 2 through the TV:reen? Then write to HardCore.'e'll do our best to unearth codes,jcrets, walkthroughs or advice forst about any game you want. So,you need a hand, just pick uplat pen or keyboard and write tole, Ryan Butt c/o HardCore,Wcial Ploi tation 2 Magazine,iture Publishing, 30 Monmouth:reet, Bath BAl 2BW. Galacticserpost to PS2@futurenetco.uk.

22 PlayStation.E

Sega's Metal Gear Solid wannabe presents more than its fairshare of perplexing puzzles within its perilous parameters, allof which are laid bare in our complete solution.

Jack Wade; Doesn tlook as good as TomCruise In shades...

E S C A P E T H E C O M P L E XWaking up in a strange environmentyour first goal is to escape theiaboratory before you die of noxiousfume poisoning As you proceed downtiie gas-fiiled corridor, guanJs wiil popup and start tal(ing pot shots at you.Use your Stimulator Automatic weaponand don't worry about using the bulletssparingiy because you have an Infinitesupply. There are five guards to kill andonce they have all been vanquished,simpiy waik to the far end of thecorridor and open the door to completethe stage.

T H E S T E R N M A N S I O NAfter the cut-scenes, you'ii emerge Inthe Stern mansion. Angela will bebehind the bar but you can't interactwith her untii you have searched theroom for items to jog your memory.There are two documents on the bar, aportrait on the wall behind you, acertificate above the fireplace and acoupie of books on ttie tabie. Onceyou've examined them all, Angela wliihand you a KEYCARD, so use this totake the elevator down to the garage -but before you do, be sure to take theADRENALINE from the gym opposite theelevator. After another cut-scene, you'iiemerge on Angela's motorbike Use thisto ride out of the garage, turn right andhead towards the North District of town,

THE NORTH DISTRICT (l)Objec t i ves■ Earn 250 Skill Points■ Go to the LEILA office■ Complete License test 'C

When you first emerge in the NorthDistrict check your map and you'ii seethe location of the LEiLA offices.However, before you go there you mustearn 250 Skill Points. The best way toobtain them is to ride at top speedalong the district's many long straightswithout hitting anything Once you hittop speed, your Skill Points meter wiilappear in the bottom corner of thescreen and wiil begin counting up untiiyou either slow down or hit anothervehicle or wali. When you manage tobulid up to 250, head towards the LEiLAoffices, drive into the car park behindthe main building and then dismountthe bike by pressing the ® button inthe designated area. Now enter thebuilding and prepare to take your 'Clicense (see VR Missions). When youhave obtained your license, be sure totake your new weapons from the 'Clocker before you ieave the building

THE NORTH DISTRICT (2)Objec t i ves■ f^ack down Greywolf and questioniiim about Fulcl's whereabouts■ Greywolf should be at either theabandoned Amco factory or theclosed-down gas station In theN o r t h D i s t r i c t

■ Locate the informers and try to getinformation on Greywolf from them

After leaving the LEILA offices, get backon your bike and check your map. Twonew locations will now be flashing - theWolfpack HQ and the Wolfpack GasStation. Head towards the Gas Station,whilst all the time taking those longstraights to help build up your SkillPoints to 500. Be very careful though,hit something and those points willdrop dramatically

G a s S t a t i o nWhen you arrive at Itie Gas Station,Angela will pinpoint the locations of thetwo informers on your map. Rrst of all,check behind the crate on your right toobtain a RESONATOR GRENADE thenhead left and dap down the side alleyafter the pumps - there will be acrate with some ADRENALINE at theentrance to the alley As youproceed down the alley (take noteof the carwash control box), takeout the first Wolfpack henchmanand then go around the back towhere the two henchman areindulging in a spot of targetpractice. Kill them both and thenpick up the CAR BATTtRY andthe two RESONATOR GRENADESand then observe the informerin the burning car (whom youcant get to yet).

Now go back around andenter the Gas Station, take theR E S O N AT O R G R E N A D E a n d t h e n

go through the open door at theback of the building. Kill themechanic and take theHEALTHPACK. Now operate thecontrol panel for the car-lifLAs the car is being lowered,the system will short circuit -so you'll have to restorepower Walk around to thelocker and take theRESONATOR GRENADE on theway You'll need a key for thelocker, so use the CAR BATTERY in thecontrol panel for the overhead craneand when the engine has been liftedout of the pit, go down the steps andtake the CARWASH TOKEN. Now leavethe building and get ready to fight threemore henchmen who have Just arrivedon the scene. Go to the car washcontrol panel and use the token toopen up a new area. Walk Into the carwash and kill the henchman tying inwait. Take the RESONATOR GRENADE (ifyou have room) and then go throughthe door In this next room you'll findthe fuse box and the LOCKER KEY. Takethis key back to the locker in thegarage and open it to get the ELECTRICCORD. Take this cord back to the fusebox and then repair it to lower the carin the garage. Take the FIREEXTINGUISHER from the car and thengo back outside and round the back towhere the burning car is situated. Usethe extinguisher on the car Take theCROWBAR from the dead informer andthen use this on the door around the

FULL WALKTHROUGHV R M I S S I O N SAs in Metal Gear Solid, you have to complete a series of VR missions In order to gain tile licences requiredto access certain parts of the game. These missions take on four distinct themes, which are as follows...

1. Motorcycle Control TestThe idea here is to ride your bike through aseries of checi(polnts and then bacl( to thestarting point. You'li need to obsen/e the redarrow at the top of the screen to find out whichchecl(point to head for next. At times you wilihave to double baci* on yourself to get them allwithin a respectable time.

2 . Ta c t i c a l S t e a l t h Te s tYour aim is to either avoid or kill the patrollingguards using stealth kills (hold down the tDbutton and press (g) when you're right behindthem). Observe their patrol patterns and then hitt h e m w h e n t h e i r b a c k s a r e t u r n e d . O n s o m elicence tests you dont necessarily have to killthem all, you can dodge them instead, but it'sgood to get accustomed to this method of killingas soon as possible because it'll help you out alot In the main game.

3. Weapon Utilisation TestThis is a straightforward shooting mission Inwhich you must blast a certain amount ofguards who are lurking on the other side of theabyss. The guards stream out of two holes frombehind the crates, so you'll need to strafe leftand right to get a clear shot at them all. Whenail of the guards have been picked off, run backto your starting point where the exit will appear

4. Combat Technique TestUsing all of the techniques you've learned sofar, you must conquer various areas by killingail the guards. When ail of the guards within aspecific area have been killed, the exit door willturn green allowing you to progress to the nextarea. We advise that you forget about thestealth method of killing and go for all-outshooting because it saves time whenattempting those records.

other side of the Gas Station (the onethat is boarded up.) You now emerge inthe toilets. Walk down to the end, up tothe corpse of the other informer andt a k e t h e A M C O K E Y C A R D . A c u t - s c e n ewill now play to end the level.

Wolfpack HQ (first floor)When you leave the Gas Station, headtowards the Wolfpack HQ that'spinpointed on the map Once you arrive,kill the lone guard and use the keycardon the door at the back (not the one upthe steps]. Once inside, scout aroundfor the Wolfpack henchmen and pickthem off one by one using yourScorpion Neurostunner weapon. If theybecome alerted and attack, draw outyour Stimulator Automatic to take themout quickly Pick up the PROXil^lTYMINE, WALKiE TALKIE and PADLOCK KEYin this area and then go back outside.Use the key on the padlocked box andflick the switch inside to restore powerto the elevator Now go back Into thebuilding via the first door and use theelevator to go to the third floor

Wolfpack HQ (third floor)Search around for a PROXilvHTY MINE inthe toilets and a RESONATOR GRENADEnext to the service elevator. As youapproach the double doors, you'lloverhear a meeting taking place behindthem. Listen to what is said, then enterthe room across the hall. Take theTRUTH SERUIv i f r om the t ab le andexamine the DOCUMENT. When youleave the room, an enemy will emergefrom behind the locked door and openfire. Kill him and go through the door heemerged from. There is a RESONATORGRENADE in the small room so takethat and then go through the next door

There will be an enemy nearby withhis back to you - snap his neck andthen get ready to engage In gunfire withtwo other bad guys who soon comerunning Go through the door on the leftand then through another door toemerge in a small room with a large

crate that is obscuring a poster on thewall. Hold down the ® button next tothe crate and pull it away from the wallthen examine the poster "Wolfpackr u l e s s i n c e 1 9 9 3 . "

G o b a c k o u t t o t h e m i n e c o r r i d o rand then proceed down to the smallroom on the left where you can finds o m e A D R E N A L I N E . L e a v e t h e r o o m a n d

go back down the other corridor andthrough the first door Take thePROXIMITi' MINE and then use the ®button to push and pull the crate sothat it's moved to the end of the shelfholding the ob)ect. Once the crate is inposition, you automatically climb ontop, enabling you to reach the LOCKERKEY. Now go through the next door Inthe corridor and search around for theH E A LT H PA C K a n d a R E S O N ATO RGRENADE before using the key to opent h e l o c k e r Ta k e t h e B R O K E N E M B L E M .When you leave the room, Greywoifcontacts you on the WALKiE TALKIE -you can opt to answer the call if youwish. Either way, Greywoif will besuspicious and send a couple of theguys down. Go through the door at thefar end of the corridor (to the left of thedoor you entered this area by) and youemerge in the original corridor Use the® button to hide behind the cratesand then use a grenade to take out thetwo guards - be careful here becauseone Is brandishing a shotgun. Whenthey have been killed, go to theentrance to the meeting room andanother cut-scene will play

Remembering the poster, enter thefour-digit code of '1993' on the keypadto open the door and then get ready foryour first boss battle.

Defeating BruceAs soon as Greywoif Is done with thechit-chat, immediately crouch downand start firing away at Bruce. You cantake some cover behind the desk, ort h e s h e l v e s i n t h e l e f t - h a n d c o r n e r I f

you wish. After a round of bullets he'llfall down for a couple of seconds

before standing up for a second assault.Empty your next round into him andhe'll be dropped permanently if youcatch Bruce with a shot whilst he Isdrawing a grenade, he may drop it andblow himself up, which Is extremelyhelpful of him. Examine the locker Inthe corner to receive the WOLFPACKEMBLEM and a DOCUMENT Now planta mine near the door and press the rodbutton on the desk. Now simply campout and wait for the enemy to come toyou. When he is dead, go back to thelift and take it to the second floor,stopping to pick up any supplies youmay have missed on tills floor

Wolfpack HQ (second floor)When you finally emerge on the secondfloor take the HEALTHPACK and insertthe WOLFPACK EMBLEM into thepunching machine and input thefollowing pattern:

Row #1; 1, 4Row #2; 1, 2, 3, 4Row #3; 2, 3Row #4: 1, 4

With your new emblem, go back to themeeting room on the third floor anduse It on the right-hand door You arenow able to access the roof whereGreywoif is lurking Lock and load, andprepare for the second boss battle.

Defeating GreywoifThis hairy hell's angel brandishes abazooka which will hurt you quiteseverely if you get caught in its blast

radius. There is a HEALTHPACK to theright when you start the stage, so besure to grab that if you don't alreadyh a v e o n e . T i l e b e s t t a c t i c t o u s e w h e n

flghting Greywoif is to observe theshape of the map and then stay behindthe block closest to the door WatchGreywoifs movements on the map andthen, as he turns a corner get aroundbehind him and unleash a few shots.H e w i l l t u r n a r o u n d a n d t a k e a i m s o b e

quick on the retreat and run for coverbefore his bazooka shell explodes.When he is hit, he will run back downto the end block - enabling you to geta few free shots In the process. Repeatthis process until he is defeated. Ofcourse, you could be clever and scattermines in his path, in which case two ofthese and a couple of shots will do thejob. Now watch the cut-scene and listento Greywoif squealing like a pig

After the cut-scene, go into theammo room that's through the seconddoor on the roof to get a RESONATORGRENADE and a HEALTHPACK. Whenyou're done, exit via the door you camein through. You must now upgrade to a'B' License so speed back to the LEILAo f fi c e s t o e m b a r k o n s o m e m o r e V Rmissions. If you haven't yet gained the500 Skill Points needed to take thelicence, be sure to acquire them onyour way back to the LEILA building.

When you have passed the 'B'licence tests, walk over to the 'B' lockerand take the REGULATOR SHOTGUN, theSTIMULATOR AUTOMATiC+ and theACTION BELT before leaving. Head backto Stern Mansion, watch the cut-scenethen head through the checkpoint thatl e a d s t o t h e S o u t h D i s t r i c t .

T H E S O U T H D I S T R I C TObjec t i ves■ Rescue Angela from the terroristsi n t h e m a l l■ Enter the mall through the sewers

Use the quiet South District roads toboost your Skill Points to 800 (the

target needed for your 'A' licence) thenhead to the malt. In the sewers, walkalong the narrow path and pick up thePROXIMITY MINE. After the cut-scene,kill the guards around the corner thengo up the ladder near the second guarthat leads into the Mall B2 parking lot.

In parking lot, go left and pick upthe PROXIMITY MINE nex t t o t he b in t othe side of the elevator Then creep upbehind the nearby guard and break hisneck. Do the same with the next two t(avoid taking any damage (shooting isquicker but will alert other guards).When all the guards have been killedt a k e t h e R E S O N ATO R G R E N A D E t h a t ' s

near one of the care then take theramp at the end of the parking lot tot h e n e x t l e v e l .

B - 1The level should be deserted for now,so proceed through the parking lot anctake the SHOTGUN SHELLS from besid<the pillar As you go around the corneryou'll set off the alarm in one of thecars, alerting the two nearby guards,Take them out then walk to the far encof the parking lot. There is an explosivedevice on the wall - take note. Now gcthrough the door leading to the stairs.

Go through the next door on yourright and then patrol the area, takingout each of the three guards with astealthy neck snap. Now search theoffices for NEUROSTUNNER BULLETS, cRESONATOR GRENADE and aPROXIMITY MINE; the toilet for aHEALTHPACK; the broom cupboard forsome SHOTGUN SHELLS and aRESONATOR GRENADE. Finally, move thcrate in the storeroom to expose ashort cut that leads back down to thebasement Now go back out the wayyou came in and head upstairs.

Go through the first door you findand search for some ADRENALINE andSHOTGUN SHELLS before opening theair vent nearby. Hop inside the duct,turn left and walk to the far end of thepassage, where a cut-scene will play

Play5tation,E 12

R D C D R E

H E n O H U N T F RMew objective!I Rnd out more about theSyndicate's secret plan,Project Millennium'

3o back out of the air vent, take a rightind go tiirougii tiie first door on tile leftpreviously iockedl. There's a guardnslde - take him out with your shotgunDefore examining the panei on the ieft.

Mew objectivel■ Replace the circuit card In thejlrcult board in the sewers to get themall security system back online

rake the SECURITY CONTROL CARD and:he DOCUMENT from the desk thennead back down to the sewers via theadder that was obscured by the cratesariier on. There are guards to klii alongthe way, some of which have machinegunsi Kill the guards In the sewers thenjse the Control Card on the securityDontroi panei and head back upstairs tothe main staircase. Go up the first flightand through the first door you come to.\ cut-scene now plays. When playresumes, immediately run left and hideDehind the crate. When the guard walksbown your corridor, tums his back andwalks back up, run behind him and5nap his neck. Do the same to the nextiuard then go Into the office (where you;ot the security card) and push theDutton on the panei. Now go throughthe door marked 'Staff Only' to enterthe main shopping area.

Take out the three guards using/our stealth attack and search the area■or goodies There are NEUROSTUNNER3ULLETS and a HEALTHPACK In the

jpper tier (walk up the escalator) and aRESONATOR GRENADE in front of youwhen you enter the area. There's alsoa n o t h e r H E A LT H PA C K i n t h e r e c o r d

>hop to the ieft (there's a guard in here.lMow head to the far-right area of thenail and drag the trolley out of thealevator (next to the 'Feel it' shop] thentake the elevator up to the second floor

P a l m e r a M a l l F 2Sneak up behind the first guard and;nap his neck, then shoot the secondiuard and go Into the kitchen area atthe end (the door along the way takesrou back out onto the stairs.| Take theRESONATOR GRENADE and PROXi i ^ iTYv l i N E G o t o t h e e n d o f t h e c o r r i d o r a n d

nspect the lift. A cut-scene now rolls3nd you see Angela stuck in the lift. Usehe fire hose to pull Angela to safety,rhe cut-scene shows the detonation ofthe explosives in the mail - many ofhe old areas are now accessible.

Mew objectives!■ Stop 'Project Millennium'I Follow Ramirez through theiewers to the Millennium BankI Hook Angela into the}ank's mainframe

So through the door and follow thetorrldor around to the brown doubleloors back out into the main shopping

area. Ttie ACN has now stormed thebuilding so the place is crawling withagents. 'I'our weapon is automaticallys w i t c h e d t o t h e N e u r o s t u n n e r s o a s n o tto cause any fatalities. Avoiding thelaser beams and any patrolling agents,make your way through the door on thelower level of the shopping area andhead towards the staircase. Take thes t a i r s d o w n t o t h e b a s e m e n t . G o

through the basement, kill the terrorista n d h e a d b a c k d o w n t o t h e s e w e r s v i at h e l a d d e r t h a t w a s u n d e r t h e c r a t e .Follow the passages out of the sewers -there'll be some guards to take outalong the way - then go up the laddera t t h e e n d t o t h e M i l l e n n i u m B a n k

M i l l e n n i u m B a n kTake the HEALTH PACK and toss a

grenade Into the room ahead, then takeo u t t h e t e r r o r i s t i n s i d e a n d t h e o t h e rtwo outside. Use the computer andobserve the surveillance camera, thenpush the button to open the securitydoors. Go back to the main foyer wheret h e o t h e r t w o t e r r o r i s t s w e r e a n d t a k et h e S H O T G U N S H E L L S a n d P R O X I M i Ti 'M I N E N o w h e a d b a c k t o t h e b a c k r o o mand examine the electronic lock in frontof the glass doors. When you open thedoor, you'll have to flght Ramirez

Ttiis guy attacks by launching his petspiders at you, of which he'll deploytliree at a time. When they spot you,they lunge into a full-bodied attackwhich will drain your health Inseconds - fire two shots at each tomake them explode. The Idea is to usethese spiders to destroy the safety doorthat Ramirez is standing behind, sodestroy two of the three spiders thatmake up a wave and then shoot thethird spider once, in order to stun It.Walk up to It and press ® to gaincontrol of the spider

The view then switches to a first-person spider perspective, so use theanalogue stick to change the directionof the spider, aim it at the securitydoor and press (g) to make the spiderdash towards it. As you near the door,press ® again to make the spiderJump, then explode. The best position tobe in is up against the security doorfacing away from It. The spiders alwaysstart in the same position - onestraight ahead opposite the door, onediagonally ahead and to the left (it'llattack from the desks) and the third willattack from the screens to the left.Once you've hit the door with Avespiders, a cut-scene rolls and Ramirezis defeated.

As Ramirez Is Immune to all formsof torture, use the TRUTH SERUM onhim and make him squeal like a baby.You now have to log-in to the maincomputer terminal - remember thecoloured pattems and repeat them.Just write down each sequence withint h e t i m e l i m i t t h e n e n t e r i t w h e n

prompted using the symbol buttonsthat correspond with the colour Youhave now completed the level.

However, you now have to acquire800 Skill Points (If you didn't manage itin the level) so head back to the LEILAbuilding to take your A-Licence (see 'VRMissions') When you have completed all'A' licence tasks, take the SUB MACHINEGUN and CODE BREAKER f rom the 'A 'locker and leave the building. Your nextgoal is to reach 1300 Skill Points andhead towards the Woifpack HQ in theNorth District Use the long straights inthis zone to reach your Skill Pointtarget, then go to the HQ pinpointed onthe map.

Woifpack HQ (revisited)Take the NEUROSTUNNER BULLfTSand use your weapon to knock out theACN agent (you can use stealth kills).Now use your CODE BREAKER on thee l e c t r o n i c l o c k a n d l o w e r t h e l a d d e r t othe fourth floor There are two guanjs tokill here, so sneak up on them andsnap their necks. Go into the ammoroom and take the RESONATORG R E N A D E a n d N E U R O S T U N N E R

BULLETS then go through the door intot h e s t a i r w e l l .

Go down the stairs into the filingroom and exit through the door Thereare three guards patrolling this nextarea and killing the one straight aheadawards you with NEUROSTUNNERBULLETS, it's probably best you avoidthem altogether and duck into theelevator shaft Once inside, climb downthrough the grate to emerge in a newsection of the second floor Head rightout of the elevator then drag the crateinto the room and align It with thecontrol box, Now climb up and hit theswitch. Head back to the elevator andgo through the door right next to It

Go through the next door and hitthe switch to lower the ladder avoidingthe two ACN agents. Go down theladder then mn up the stairs to the ieft.Now enter the elevator and head to thethird floor Take out the agentssurrounding the elevator entrance andgo through the double doors Into themeeting room. Use the CODE BREAKERon the magnetic log to the fliing room.Then go in and take the BOMB MARLOCKPiCK and DOCUMENT from thetable You're now automadcally takenback to the North District streets.

B o m b D i f f u s i o nTime is ticking! Using your bike, speedto the flashing dots indicated on themap and you'll automatically enter thesewers. Negotiate the tunnels, kill theguards (if need be] and look for a silversuitcase. You must open it and enterthree codes to disarm the bomb. You

simply have to press the sequence ofbuttons that it tells you to. Once eachbomb Is disarmed, you're awarded moretime with which to get to the next.Here are some clues as to where eachsuitcase bombs are situated:

Suitcase #1: Take the right fork at theend of the sewer passageSuitcase #2: Stay on the right paththrough the sewer passage.Suitcase #3; Go left, then left againand follow the sewer passage around.Suitcase #4: Kill the flrst guard thenshoot the fuel to wipe out the second.Suitcase #5: Keep to the outside lefts e w e r p a s s a g eSuitcase #6: Shoot the flrst guard, thenshoot the fuel to wipe out the second.

W h e n t h e s i x t h b o m b a t t h e L E I L A

building has been disarmed, a lengthycut-scene will roll. You emerge in theAquadom and must face the next boss- the mighty Gladiator

Defeat ing GladiatorAll you've got to do here Is wait untilt h e G l a d i a t o r i s c l o s e b e h i n d t h e n w a l konto the red and green pressure padsThe idea is to charge them up, thenwalk off just as Gladiator Is walkingonto them, if timed right an electricalcharge will blast Gladiator and stunhim for a few seconds [he takesdamage even If the charge is omittedbefore he gets onto the pad). You canonly stand on the red pads for a fewseconds (until the word 'Danger' isdisplayed] but you can stand on thegreen pad as long as you like to lureG l a d i a t o r o n t o I t

The guanJs step into the area toshoot you as you fend off Gladiator,so dash away from the boss andshooting them before continuing Keeprepeating this process until Gladiatoris defeated and you'll be crowned thenew champion!

T H E D O C K SObjec t i ves■ Hnd Jack■ Investigate the 'special cargo' Inwarehouse 12. Jack may be there

You now assume the role of Angelawho must locate Jack's whereabouts.Turn around and pick up the PROXIMITYMINE in the corner (a glitch in theprogramming means it's concealedunder the concrete, but iook for thered icon), then kill the two guards andhit the gate switch In order to accessthe next area.

Kill the guard straight ahead with astealth kill and then do the same onthe next. Pick up the RESONATORGRENADE a t t he end o f t he a rea

populated by the second guanj then goand take out the guard patrolling thebridge Don't go over the bridge just yet.Instead go down to the end and pick upthe RESONATOR GRENADE on one sideof the wall and the ADRENALINE on theother side. Now go over the bridge andopen the gate to the next area. Thereare three heavily-armed guards here, soobserve their patrol pattems and takee a c h o n e o u t w i t h a s t e a l t h k i l l .

Now walk around the area and iookfor warehouse '12' - it's in the top-leftcorner of the map and is identiflable bythe large number painted on the frontGo inside and take out the two guardsusing your stealth kill, then go into thesmall office where the guards were.Take the LOADING KEYCARD from thedesk then go and pick up the HEALTHPACK at the other end of the warehouseand leave. Walk behind the warehousethen go through the gate into the nextarea. There are two more guards to killso observe their pattems, creep up andsnap their necks inspect the gate andyou'll automatically use the LOADINGKEYCARD. Now simply walk fonwards tocomplete the stage.

QUEEN OF HEARTSobjectives■ Find where Jack is being held tinthe ship

Rrst take out the guards patrolling thedeck of the ship, being careful not tostray Into the searchlights. Search thearea for a RESONATOR GRENADE andthen go to the back of the ship whereyou'll flnd a door - go through it

Kill the guard that walks around thecorner then go through the next door toenter a stairwell. Go up the steps to thesecond floor of the ship and go throughthe door Turn left and go into the opendoor to flnd a RESONATOR GRENADEand a DOCUMENT While you're here.Inspect the Alpha, Beta and Gammam a c h i n e t h e n l e a v e t h e s m a l l r o o m a n d

go and kill the guard around the comerGo through the flrst door into thecaptain's cabin and take the BETACHEMICAL, DICTAPHONE andD O C U M E N T f r o m t h e d e s k T h e n t a k e

the HEALTH PACK from the adjoiningr o o m a n d l e a v e t h e c a b i n . T h e r e i s

nothing of interest In the toilets aroundthe corner, so go back to the stairwelland proceed up to the third floor

Once on the third floor, turn aroundand go into the small room to flnd aRESONATOR GRENADE, then go downthe other passage, pushing up aga nstthe wails to avoid the spotlight If youare caught in Its glare, guards will comecalling, so beware. Take the RESONATORG R E N A D E a n d t h e n h e a d d o w n t h e t h i n

passage which leads to some cabins.G o I n t o t h e fi r s t c a b i n a n d t a k e t h e

ADRENAUNE, ALPHA CHEMICAL and theDOCUMENT, then come out and goaround the corner to pick up aPROXIMITY MINE Go back and then godown the flight of stairs on the left

When you emerge in a new sectionof the second floor, go left and you canopen the door next to the toilets nearthe captain's cabin for a short cut Goright and take out the two enemiesguarding the door then go inside tomeet up with Jack After a cut-scene,go and open the other door at the endof the passage (which takes you backnear the stairwell on the second floor]then go through the door on the rightInto the stairwell and up two flights ofsteps to the fourth floor

Take the RESONATOR GRENADEfrom the closet and then go through theother door to trigger a short cut-scene.When the guanJs have flnished talkingthey continue work on the computers,allowing you to sneak up behind andsnap their necks Take the DOCUMENTon the table then choose to push thebutton, which moves a locker, revealinga new door Go inside and take theMASTER DISK, GAMMA CHEMICAL andRESONATOR GRENADE, then leave thefloor and go back down to the second.

Head in the diroction of Jack's calland go through the first door on theleft, insert all three chemicals into themachine and solve the puzzle. You mustmix up the Alpha, Beta and Gammachemicals to match the coiour on theright Almost any combination works sojust mix five doses of chemical togetherand you'll be awarded the EXPLOSIVE.Now head to Jack's cell and use theE X P L O S I V E o n t h e w e a k e n e d w a l l o f t h ecell next door to free Jack and assumecontrol of him once again.

Head back down to the flrst floorand take out the patrolling guard. Nowwalk towards the sealed hatch to triggera call from Angela. You can now gcthrough the hatch to the lower sectionsof the ship. Take out the lone guanti andgo through the door behind him toa c c e s s a c o n t r o l r o o m . Ta k e t h eMACHINE GUN BULLETS from Insidethen head back down the passage andthrough the door at the other end. Killthe throe patrolling guards and take theSHOTGUN SHELLS. Now take any of thethree ladders and go to the botton'

O P E N I N G T H ES T A R L O C K E RTo access the Star Locker at the LEILA building, beat all therecords in the VR Missions and then complete the game Amessage will appear at the end of the credits telling you thatyou have unlocked the secret In your next game, go to theLEILA building and unlock the Star txicker to be awanjed allweapons complete with inflnite ammo.

.24 Play5tation.E

F U L L WA L K !right-hand comer of the map (the oneon the pause screen] and you'll find aswitch - hit it to operate the crane,then go back down and through thedoors to the refrigerated area,

Waik over to the control panei anduse It to open the lockers. Examine the'stiff and take the CAPTAIN'S iD CARD.T h e n t a k e t h e H E A LT H PA C K f r o maround the comer and leave the area.Dash across to the far side of the roomand go up the ladder Use the ID cardon the locked door panel and you'li beasked for voice Identification - use theDiCTAPHONE from your Inventory,

Once Inside, take out the threeguards (more will appear If aierted] andthen go through the glass doors Intothe central room. After the cut-scene,take the HEALTH PACK and examine theflashing dot on the map - It's Greywoif,N o w l e a v e t h e a r e a a n d h e a d t o w a r d sthe other side of the cargo room. To theleft Is a short passage with a door atthe end. Examine the keypad to theside of the door and you'li automaticallyuse the keycard you were Just given. Goinside, klii the guard, take the MACHINEGUN BULLETS, then go through thedoor leading upstairs. Go up the stairsand head down the passage to find aPROXIMITY MINE. Now go back to thee l e v a t o r t o m e e t a n o l d f r i e n d ' .

Defeating RamirezThis wise-ass Mexican has set up campIn the gun turret and switched on a setof flood lights to dazzle you. Your firstaim Is to take out these lights, butRamirez blasts you whenever you pokeyour head out. Hide behind the cratefacing Ramirez and equip your decoyshells (use the fast equip by utilising theD-padl. Toss a sheil out from one sideof the crate, then waik around the otherside and empty a Stimulator Automatic+ cartridge Into one of the lights beforehiding again. Repeat this process oneach of the four lights until you get ac l e a r v i e w o f R a m i r e z . H e n o w s t a r t s

tossing grenades at you In groups ofthree. So dodge left and right to avoidthe explosions then, when threegrenades have exploded, hit him withheavy gunflre. He wlli keep throwinggrenades, so keep repeating theprocess until all his energy Is drained.

After the cut-scene, return to theLEILA building to take your 'AAA' licence.If you havent already gained the 1300Skill Points needed, do so now. Whenyou have completed your 'AAA' licencetests, take the MISSILE LAUNCHER,GOGGLES and FLAK JACKET and go tothe location pinpointed on the map.When you get to the Biotech building,go left, past the trucks, then go downthe steps to your rendezvous point. Gothrough the sewers to find Hank. After achat, you embark on a duel with the bigguy. He opens Are Immediately, so youhave to dodge his bullets before givinghim one between the eyes. As you waik,a series of commands flash up onscreen - you must follow these In orderto stay alive. The sequence is as follows:

m, (X), When Hank is dead, godown the next flight of stairs, follow thepassage to the end and go up theladder When In the courtyard, kill thetwo guards and take the PROXIMITYMINE before entering the main building.

B I O T E C H L A BObjec t i ves■ F i n d C h i e f H a w l ( e■ Find Alan Sharpe and questionh i m a b o u t t h e m u r d e r o f

Christopher Stern

Inside the entrance hall, take thePROXIMITY MINE and go upstairs. Gothrough the second door Kill the guardthere before sneaking out to the otherarea and killing any others In your way.Search the rooms for a RESONATORGRENADE, HEALTH PACK, RECEPTIONKEY and SHOTGUN SHELLS, then go

back downstairs and place a mine nextto the double doors. Now open theneighbouring grey door with your newkey. Push the alarm button and twoguards will arrive - the mine you placedearlier should take them both out. Gothrough the double doors and take thelift down. Now equip your GOGGLES,evade the laser tripwires and take outthe three guards over the far side. Thengo into the room they came from, takethe RESONATOR GRENADE and hit thebutton to disable the security devicesNow go through the door opposite, intothe locker room. Take the ENP ROUNDSthen go through the other door

Kill the two guards then go throughthe first door on the right. Take theM A C H I N E G U N B U L L E T S a n d S H O T G U NSHELLS. Leave the room and then gothrough the next door on the right. Takethe DOCUMENT then examine thekeyhole on the desk and the bookcase- which move to reveal a new passage.Search the rest of the room for theSERPENT KEY BRONZE, SERPENT KEYGOLD and two pictures with messageswritten underneath (you don't have thecodes just yetl. Leave the room via thepassage behind the bookshelf and thenInsert the first two keys into the stones n a k e d o o r a t t h e e n d N o w v i s i t t h earea to the right (before the snake door]and go down the spiral staircase. Takethe SERPENT KEY SILVER and the stashof ammo from the crate. Now go backupstairs and insert the last key Into thesnake door and go Inside.

After a cut-scene, you assume therole of Angela - she must find Jack.Examine Alan Sharpe's corpse, thenleave the room. Avoiding the reddetector lights, go down the blue tunnel(the second corridor on the right] andthrough the door at the end. Take theSALINE and the DOCUMENT (from theneighbouring room] and examine thegene sequencer machine. Now go downthe yellow tunnel and through the doora t t h e e n d . Ta k e t h e A D R E N A U N E a n d

open the cupboard to obtain a coupleof PROXIMITY MINES. Now go back upto the central hub (where the devicethat controls the security Is situated]and plant a PROXIMITC MINE next to theunit. Back off and shoot the mine untilthe other system is blown apart,deactivating the laser guards on the lastremaining door Kill the guards thatemerge (use the other mine and lurethem towards you] then go through thed o o r Yo u h a v e n o w l o c a t e d J a c k . Wa l ka r o u n d t h e o u t s i d e o f t h i s l a b a r e a a n d

up the walkway to the corridor Jackencountered previously. Go into theroom where the snake door was andopen the desk using the lockpick. Younow have control of the securitycamera, which you can use to get thecodes you need to crack thosepaintings. Remember them?

The first picture had the clue; "Eveholds the key to Adam In her heart", soz o o m i n o n t h e s t a t u e o f E v e a n d o n t o

h e r c h e s t . W r i t e d o w n t h e c o d e a n dthen go to the picture and input thecode. After the last digit has beenentered you're awarded the EVE KEY.Go down the spiral staircase to theright of the snake door and Insert theE V E K E Y i n t o t h e d o o r l o c k b e l o w. N o w

go down In the lift. Kill the twopatrolling guards using the stealth killand then go through the next door.Ta k e t h e H E A LT H PA C K a n d t h e n w a l kforward to trigger a cut-scene In whichyou meet Adam.

Defeating AdamGo to the control panei in the centre ofthe room and activate the gas supplyR u n t o t h e t w o i l l u m i n a t e d t e n n i n a l s I nthe top and bottom corners of the laband release the gas. You have to lureAdam in front of the gas pipes and hithim with five shots to stun himmotionless in front of the pipes for afew of seconds At this point, you must

switch your aim to the pipe and shootIt to release a cloud of gas and poisonthe mutant When he recovers, liecharges at you, so keepyour distance until hisrage subsides. Repeatthis process until Adamfalls unconscious - youcan now take a sample ofhis blood to make upJack's antidote. Head backthrough the lab and downthe blue passage where thegene sequencer machine Is.U s e t h i s m a c h i n e t o m a k e t h eBLOODY MARY VACCINE, whichyou need to take to Jack.

When you resume control of Jack,go upstairs and through the snaked o o r Ta k e t h e D O C U M E N T S f r o m t h edesk then equip your GOGGLES to lookat the red illuminated area in the centreof the room. This shows thecombination for the second paintingso write it down and then go and enterI t Ta k e t h e A D A M K E Y t h a t ' s a w a r d e d

for solving the puzzle and go andInsert It in the laser door at the end ofthe passage.

in the new area, kill the two guardsa n d t h e n t a k e t h e S H O T G U N S H E L L Sand ADRENALINE before operating thesliding lift. As you descend, stand at thef r o n t o f t h e l i f t a n d s h o o t t h e f u e ldrums near the guards to kill them.When you get to the bottom, go downthe long passage and through Into therefrigerated area. Kill the two guardsa n d t a k e t h e M A C H I N E G U N B U L L C T S .Now operate the control panel in thetop corner then go back the way youcame. Follow the crates as they arewinched through the laser passage,taking care to pick off all the guardsthat emerge. When you get to the end,go through the door to emerge In thelab where Angela fought Adam. Go upto the computer terminal and enjoy thecut-scene. Go back upstairs to JoinAngela and make your escape... oh, buthang on - Adam's backl

Defeating Adam... againFor this battle, Adam stays rooted to thecentral section of the area - you mustcircle him while blasting him repeatedlywith your machine gun/mlssllelauncher Adam has two forms ofattack; the most common Is his singleshot blue plasma ray - which you cananticipate by the way his weaponcharges blue before he shoots. To avoidthis, dodge left or right when he flresHis other attack Is his red plasma ray,which is slightly harder to dodge.

When his weapon charges redbefore he shoots, he emits a sweepingseml-clrcular ray that can be dodgedby either hiding behind a pillar orrunning around to his back. Each timeAdam shoots In your direction, standout from behind a pillar and unleashmachine gun fire on him. You can pickup Infinite amounts of ammo from thea m m o b i n s s c a t t e r e d a r o u n d t h e l e v e l .His energy Is slow to deplete so keepplugging away to gradually wear himdown. When his energy reaches acertain level, all of the pillars aredestroyed - now you have nothing tohide behind when avoiding the plasmaray When this occurs, you must tonedown the amount of bullets you fire sothat you have time to run away from hisred plasma attacks.

Eventually, when Adam's health barIs eradicated, another cut-scene kicksIn that shows him gearlng-up for a finalattack. In this last encounter, Adamchases you around the level, but don'tlet his large health bar fool you. Lookfor the red dot on the map and unleasha barrage of shots at him. He shouldstop, groan and hold his head - givingyou the opportunity to dash over to thered dot, pick up his JUDGEMENTCANNON (this Is what the red dot was]and hammer the final nail In his coffin, O

Angela Stem: Givesyou her iteys afterone date! Hussy!

i t a t i on i 12i

m x p p y N Erhose of you left awe-struck by Rockstar's previous crime-riddled blast-a-thon, GTA3, will have no doubt chomped yourlame dealer's arm off to get a taste of this - its bloodier; even seedier cousin! Part one of our mobster-mashing guide.G E N E R A L H I N T SSecome a better bobby in an instant with these bite-sized tasty titbits...

■ Search and destroyn this wallrthrough, we haven't pinpointed the location of every painl^ilier pill andjveiy scrap of ammo because they are just too plentiful. Needless to say, you shouldiearch each new area thoroughly for supplies and open each cupboard and lociterfou come acrass for handy bonuses,

I Stop! Bullet time!rhat hour-glass gauge to the right of your health meter Is your bullet time. ByDressing m or id at any time during play, you'll slow down time - which Is handy for:hose mass shoot-outs when the odds are against you. In bullet time, you can dodgeDullets and dive for cover, so master it now!

■ Aim of the game*pproach each new area with caution and use your white aiming dot to target anyJistant gunmen and pick them off from afar before they even notice you're lurking/vith intent in the area. Your aim doesn't have to be precise to inflict damage, but adirect hit will kill the enemies faster

■ S c e n e s t e a l e rA/hen engaging in gun fights, always look around for inanimate objects to shoot -such as fire hydrants and gas canisters. One stray bullet could use these to youradvantage, ie, by exploding them to blind enemies temporarily or, better still,Kill them point blank.

C H E A T SFry entering any of the following codes on the pause screen. Please note that there Isno confirmation to state whether or not the cheat has worked, so you'll have toreturn to the game and see If you have all weapons enabled, taken any damage, etc.Make sure you only enter the code once and then return to the game to see if it hasworked because entering the same code again will disable the cheat - hence it mayappear that the codes don't work, but they do.

C h e a tUnlimited healthU n l i m i t e d a m m oM\ weaponsEight painkillersB u l l e t t i m e s o u n d sU n l i m i t e d b u l l e t t i m e

C o d em , I D I B , I D i n CD, CB, CDm I D m . CD ® © . a?),®m , I D e n . CD ® ®.< i<),®m m m . CD, ® s) ,®e n I D CD, CD ® s),@i n o a e n . CD, ® ® . «s) ,®

L E V E L S E L E C TPlay through the game as normal until youcomplete the first subway stage, then press B[0 return to the main menu and press t, 4',

t, *-• 4-, @. If the code has wor1(edthen the game will freeze for a couple ofseconds and you'll be able to load any stagefrom any chapter Result

T H EW A L K T H R O U G HP A R T I :A N A M E R I C A N D R E A Mit's a living nightmare as Ivlax returnshome one day to find his wife and childviolently butchered. You take control ofMax shortly after arriving on the sceneand you instantly notice that thingsarent right When you take control,answer the phone and go upstairs Intothe bathroom. However, the door isblocked by something so you'll have togo around the landing Kill all thecrazed gunmen and then you'll realiset h e f u l l e x t e n t o f t h e h o r r o r. Wa t c h t h ecut-scene and welcome to hell!

Chapter 1: Rosco Street StationThis is a nice easy section to ease youinto the game. Your first aim is to findAlex, although he isnt to be found onthis stage. When you emerge from theb-ain, go to the toilet to the left andf o l l o w t h e b l o o d t r a i l t o t h e d e a d

security guard. Then, follow the subwaypassages, killing all enemies as you go,until you come to the second toiletRush in and kill the gunman before heshoots the subway worker and thestage will end.

Chapter 1: So much for being subtleLjead the worker upstairs to the securityd o o r a n d t h e n w a i t a s h e e n t e r s t h ea c c e s s c o d e . A s s o o n a s t h e d o o r

opens, the worker will be shot for histroubles and the door will close again.Walk up to the contnol panel and press®, then enter the room and go throught h e n e x t d o o r T h e r e ' l l b e s o m e h o o d s

waiting inside, so dispose of themquickly Go through the door on theright and activate the power switch torestore power to the train, L^ave thearea and go back down to the train,then enter it through the side down.Walk up to the control panels at thefront and press ® to drive the trainthrough the wall. Then exit via the doorat the front and jump over the rubble tocomplete the stage.

Chapter 2; One way or the otherHead down the tunnel, taking care of

any trigger-happy scumbags as you go,then jump up onto the Illuminatedpiatfomi stacked with crates. Head upthe stairs and make your way around tothe vault, killing all comers as you go.As you near the vault, the whole placewill start to shake, prompting Max tosay "What the hell was that?" All willbecome clear when you see the gapinghole in the wall of the vault

Chapter 2: Uve from the crime sceneGo through the hole in the wall leadingInto the vault and get ready for action.Proceed into the next area and getready for more heavy gunfire. Walk overto the console in the centre of theroom |if you want to silence thatannoying siren, point your gun upwardsand shoot the unit on the celling. Maxwill thank you for your troublesi andpress (g) at the illuminated screen toopen vault 'C, then go inside and taket h e b o n d s . R e t u r n t o t h e c o n s o l e a n daccess vault 'A' to get the detonators.N o w a c c e s s t h e c o n s o l e a t h i r d t i m e t o

re-open the door you entered by Goback out and up the stairs, kill thegunmen and finish up by pressing ®at the big rusty door

Chapter 2: Stepping on toesThe stage will begin with Max using thedetonators to blow the rusty door cleanoff its hinges. You will then meet upwith Alex, but before any significantwords can be exchanged, he'll getwhacked by a lone gunman. Go up thesteps, kill all the gunmen and thenactivate the escape gate via the switchIn the booth (if the gate isn't alreadyopenj. Finally, go through the gate tofinish this rather short level.

Chapter 3: Playing it BogartEliminate all of the gunmen In the roomand then take the letter from the table.After a short while, a bunch of otherguys will burst through the door, so takethem out quickly and run down the hall.Down a flight of stairs you will emerge

Max Payne: Take twoguns into the shower,why dontcha?

in a sleazy room. Examine the radio andlisten to a news broadcast and thenblast your way through the window andout onto the ledge with the neon 'Hotel'lettering. Go through the next door ont h e l e f t .

Chapter 3; Without warningGo into the toilet and send the junkyscurrying straight back to hell (just forlaughs, you understand, although somejacked-up junkies in this game brandishweapons and can turn at any moment]Work your way through thepassageways and rooms, killing all ofthe gunmen as you go, then tune iritothe flashing white TV in one of therooms to catch a news bulletin, Gcthrough the door further down the hallto complete the stage

Chapter 3: A few hundredb u l l e t s b a c kKill the junky and blast all the gunmenthrough the next door. Go into thebooby-trapped room and take the letterfrom the desk. Now go further down thecorridor and through the next doorShoot out the windows and then walkalong the ledge to a boarded-upwindow. Shoot the boards off and you'llfind a secret room. Go back along theledge and back the way you came. Gopast the booby-trapped room andsome hoods will open a door that waspreviously locked. Take them out, t'lenblast the furnace to make a hole In theground. Drop down through this holeand blast the surrounding gunmen Gointo the hooker's room and take theDIARY on the desk, then go through thedoor behind the secret cupboard andexamine the video camera. Go thrciughthe next door and kill the remainin.?gunmen, then dash Into the elevator toend the stage.

Chapter 4: Caught in the crossfirisThis is an easy level to complete; simplym n a r o u n d t h e c o r n e r a n d k i l l a l l t h ehoods, then blast the crates In fror t ofthe door to proceed to the next area.Rck up the NEWSPAPER and then gothrough the door up the steps. Kill allthe enemies here and then walk alongthe passageway to complete the stage

Chapter 4: Rico IVIuerte, bigt i m e h u s t f e rGo through the double doors and killthe men sitting at the table Examinet h e s u i t c a s e s a n d t a k e t h e K E Y f r o m t h ecoffee table In the corner Use this KEYt o a c c e s s t h e b a r a n d t h e n k i l l M u e r t e ' s

girlfriend and the surroundinghenchmen. Finally go through the sided o o r o n t h e l e f t a n d b l a s t M u e r t e t o a n

undignifled death - complete witht r o u s e r s r o u n d h i s a n k l e s !

Chapter 4: The blood veins ofN e w Y o r kWa l k d o w n t h e h a l l a n d k i l l t h e t w c

gunmen before using the switchbo,ird.Head up the stairs to the club and blastthe gun-toting gamblers inside [why nottry your luck on the one-armed bandit?)Proceed through the double doors toemerge on a rooftop, then shoot outthe glass in the skylight before droppingthrough. Survive the ensuing gun battleand then go through the door toemerge in a familiar area. Press thebutton in the booth to activate the exit,then run back through the lobby andout of the exit before the buzzer stopssounding to complete the level.

Chapter 5: The man riding shotgunAfter the lavish set-piece depicting afuel tanker crashing and convenientlyblocking your path, head back to tfiev a n a n d s h o o t i t t o s o u n d a n a l a r m

COMPLETE GUIDE: PART ONEThis will cause a gang of punks tocome rushing up some nearby steps, soblast them as they ascend and thenfollow the steps downwards. Kill the twojunkies and then head down the hall toend the stage.

Chapter 5; Something more sinisterThe level begins with a bomb going off,which blocks your path, or so It wouldseem. Back up against the flames andthen peek around the corner to get aclear shot at one of the gas canisters.Shoot It repeatedly until It blows -causing one of the canisters to shootoff down the corridor and break downthe door opposite. Go through this doorand kill the gangsters and junkiesinside. Go upstairs and answer thephone, then go into the next room andkill the two gunmen in there - butwatch out for failing celling mind! Headout the door on the right and thenshoot the lock off the next door. Takethe LETTER and the KEY from the shelf,then go back out into the large roomwith the fallen celling and use the KEYo n t h e w o o d e n d o o r t o e x i t .

Chapter 5; Let the gun do the talkingYou will have to scale several flights ofstairs in this stage. At the top, each onehas a pack of gunmen who are proneto tossing grenades down at you. Timeyour ascents carefully and take out thegunmen as you go. When you get to thetop of the first section, jump over thegap in the tier and then carry on up thenext set Eventually you will come to aroom with a window In - jump throughthe window to complete the stage.

Chapter 6: Tlie alternate routeHead down the fire escape and takeout the two junkies huddled around thefire on the ground. When on the ground,head across to the door opposite andkill the three junkies inside Go up thestairs and kill all the gunmen aroundyou then go left and talk to the punk -who In turn will agree to get you Intothe laundry. Lead him across to thelaundry and the level will end.

Chapter 6: A one man warOnce the hood you picked off has gotyou Into the laundry, kill the guys at thedoor and go Into the elevator As youascend, aim your gun upwards andshoot the speaker to stop that blastedelevator music, then when you emerge,go into the living quarters and wait forthe bloke to come out of the toiletbefore blasting him (very Pulp FictionllCheck the TV set and then head out ofthe window. Walk across the beam andthen smash through the next window tosurprise two other gunmen. Once theyhave been killed, exit via the nextwindow and continue across the nextb e a m t o t h e d o o r

Chapter 6: A city wide APBWalk up the corridor and peer aroundthe corner You will see two guysoperating a vending machine - It turnso u t t o b e a b o m b a n d b l o w s t h ehalfwits into fleshy chunks. Wait acouple of seconds and the wall behindthe machine will crumble, allowing youto climb through. Proceed through thepassages and then climb up the ramp-llke piece of crumbled celling, killing thethree gunmen as you go. Double backat the top using the narrow ledge andkill the two guys out on the tier Gothrough the door on the right and thenwalk up to the door on the left to endthe stage

Chapter 6: Fear that gives men wingsHaving stuck one In VInnle's gut in thecut-scene kill the machine-gun totinggangsters and take the letter from thedesk. Now head out after VInnie. Jumpdown out of the window and then getacross the rooftops using the beam.Once over the other side, go left Into

the window and head upstairs andthrough the door After another cut-scene, Vinnle will escape by jumping ontop of a moving train. If you are tocatch him then you'll have to follow hislead. When the next train speeds intoview, get a running jump off the raisedsection and with any luck you shouldland on the train, which in turn willsignal the end of the level.

Chapter 7; Better than the last oneWhen you have jumped off the train,Vinnle will continue his escape via arather nifty cut-scene. When youresume control of Max, jump off theside of the building onto the pipes anduse them to get across to the buildingfrom which Vinnle was taking pot shotsat you - but watch out for the twogunman who ambush you as you crossthe pipes. Once over the other side,take a right and jump onto the raisedplatform before making the tricky longjump acnDss to the next building. Runa r o u n d t h e c o r n e r a n d k i l l t h e t w odistant gunmen in front of the billboard.Now run around to the door, avoidingthe attentions of the NYPD as you goand then watch the next cut-scene.Vinnie will scramble three gunmen upthe stairs to get you, so grease the sonsof bitches as they climb Into view. Whenthey're dead, head down the stairs andthrough the door to complete the level.

Chapter 7: ice hard and siickGet through the hole In the fence (ontothe basketball court) and take out thegunmen guarding the area. Look up atthe basketball net and you'll see aBERETA - take It. Also, head over to thechain link fence next to the street andwait for a couple of seconds. A carshould drive by that you can bring to anabrupt halt by shooting it, prompting aman with a shotgun to get out and starttaking pot shots at you - pointless, butwe just thought we'd point that out

Follow Vinnle up the stairs andt h e n u s e t h e e l e v a t o r - t a k e o u t t h e

gunmen as you go up. Follow the signsand head towards the side door whichIs your exit out of the level.

Chapter 7: Ail a biurUse the stairs and then go outsideThen jump over to the fire escape andhead down and through the door below.Examine the TV set and then follow thepassage around, killing the gunmen asyou go. Head down the hail and throughthe door to emerge outside, then goacross and through the next door, downthe next passage and then out into theopen once again. This is when you'llhave another encounter with Vinnie -and this time. It's personal!

Chapter 8: A den of drugsGo into the ticket booth and pull thelever to open a secret door behind you.Go through It and up the stairs, takingout the two gunmen at the top andthen take the book. Go through the nextdoor and you'll emerge In a nightclub.

Shoot the goons on the dancefioorand then go through the door thatl e a d s o f f o f t h e m a i n d a n c e fl o o r. G odown the passage through to the nextdisco and wipe the floor with thehenchmen. Follow the signs to the bara n d t h e n t a k e o u t t h e l a s t t h r e e

gunmen before examining the sinisterbooks. Proceed through the next doorto complete the stage.

Chapter 8: Ragana RockGo up the steps and out into the barrelroom where you'll find hordes ofgunmen to kill. Drain the place ofsupplies and then follow the patharound and through the passage outback. Shoot the guy through the trapdoor and go upstairs, wading throughthe crazed gunmen as you go. Go outonto the frosty roof and through thedoor Into the area above where the

original mass-gunfight took place. Usethe planks to get across the room andout through the door parallel to the oneyou entered by to emerge back out onthe roof Use the stone beams to workyour way across to the next door to endthe stage.

Chapter 8: An empire of eviiGo down the stairs and then open thedoor at the bottom. Go down the nextflight of stairs and follow them down tothe stage. Use the stage controls toopen up a secret passage and gothrough it Go up the stairs on the otherside and then pull the levers on thecontrol panel to arrange a routethrough the screens. Finally, go up thenext set of stairs and over the beams[more bloody beams!) to the door

Chapter 9: Straight from a bad dreamThe climatic scene to the flrst storyinvolves battling this crazed devilworshipper In his seedy hell-hole. Whenyou go up the stairs in his 'church' pickup every available piece of AMIVIO andstand by for action. A fleet of mobsterswill attack you from the highest point ofboth the north and south corners of theroom. Unleash your dual Ingrams andsend your targets straight back to hell.Keep moving and utilise your bullettime to ensure you can dodge theirattacks and get some weii-placedreturn fire In. When you have killed ten,look up high and another two will beraining shots down at you. When themobsters have been killed, Lupino willemerge, chanting like a madman frombehind the curtain, which Is whenthings start to get really frantic.

Lure Lupino and his two associateso u t t o t h e b l o o d f o u n t a i n I n t h e c e n t r eof the room and then flre like crazy.Take out his two henchman flrst as heI s e a s i e r t o t a c k l e o n h i s o w n . O n c e

again, use your dual Ingrams inconjunction with bullet time and youshould be able to make relatively shortwork of this loon. When Lupino hasbeen nailed, you can afford to put yourfeet up - but only for a solitary minute!

P A R T 2 :A C O L D D A Y I N H E L LDon't drink the whisky shot, Max! Toolate. As revealed In the cut-scene, MonoSax pours Max a shot laced with Valkyr,which then sends him into a drug-induced nightmare which goessomething like this...

From the door of your house, gointo the living room and then right anddown the lengthening corridor When itsplits, go left and follow it along. It willthen slowly bend right and come to afour-way intersection. Go right and headon down as it gradually bends left, andgo left. When it bends right, go rightand then go right when it bends rightagain. Go right when it bends right athird consecutive time and go straightover the Intersection. When you can goleft, go left and continue down until youcan only go left. Run down the corridoruntil you hit a wall, then turn left downthe passage and take a right at thetwo-way intersection. Finally, when thepath breaks to the right, you will seeyour family room and a cut-scene willk i c k i n .

Examine the pictures to learn moreabout your friendship with Alex Balderand your wedding, then go up the stairsinto the bathroom and try to go throughthe door next to the shower - whichwilt then be blocked, Leave thebathroom and go left and through thedoor straight ahead (at which pointyou'll hear a baby crying) Follow thesmall corridor to the darkness where allthat you can see is blood, blood andm o r e b l o o d .

Run down the path of bloodstraight ahead, stand where the trailbreaks to the right and look in thenorth west direction. Perform a leap of

faith in this direction and you'll land ona blood trail comer From here, runstraight ahead to where the blood trailbreaks to the right and stand there -you should now see the blood trailwhere the door is situated, which iswhere you must jump to next. Whenyou land, head on through the pathstraight ahead and it will eventuallybreak to the right and lead you to thechild's room. Head on through the nextdoor and run down the long corridor -when you near the end, you will hearFrankie Niagara talking. Now, all youhave to do is to read Michelle's diary onthe table and you will see one final cut-scene before coming out around.

Chapter 1: The baseball batA cut-scene will show Max cominground after his traumatic nightmare andtaking a beating from Frankie, who willt h e n l e a v e . Ta k e t h e b l o o d i e d B A S E B A L LBAT (which you can then use on thec a b i n e t t o t h e l e f t t o b u s t t h e l o c k a n d

get some painkillers to help replenishthe damage suffered at the hands ofFrankie). Head out of the door oppositethe cabinet and then allow yourself tobe spotted by the mobsters to the left.Lure them into the room, crack themover the head with your bat and taketheir weapons. Watch out because fivesuited mobsters will emerge packingshotguns and dual Ingrams, so takethem out quickly. Now head on out ofthe room with shotgun in hand and goleft and then peep out to the rightWhen you see the mobsters fire at you,dodge backwards and take them outwhen they come around the comer

Head down the corridor, using ac o m b i n a t i o n o f b u l l e t t i m e a n d

shotguns to take out the other gunmenthen hang left. You will pass a storageroom on the left, but don't go in justyet. Instead, keep going and take outthe oncoming mobsters. When everypunk In the area has been nailed, goback to the storage room and use yourbat (to conserve ammo) to smash openthe BOXES. Exit via the door you cameIn and go through the door across thehall. Search the place for supplies andgo back out, Go left and head into theelevator to the right, push the buttona n d t h e l e v e l w i l l e n d .

Chapter Ir From bad to worseEquip your dual BERETTAS, then takeout the mobsters outside the door Thenhead through the warehouse to the left,taking out the enemy scum as you go.When you reach the large open space,look right and dive into the room - youmust take out some mobsters behindthe desk and the crates. After disposingof them, head on through the nexts m a l l d o o r t h a t l e a d s i n t o t h e m e a tf r e e z e r a n d a i m l e f t t o t a k e o u t t h emobster that is lurking in the cornerAfter you've killed him, pick up hisIngrams and head out into the streetvia the garage entrance straight ahead.When you emerge outside, head to theright and run down the snow-coveredstreet When you come to the nextopen area, head to the left andcontinue running. You will eventuallycome to a hotel on the right - head onin through the police-guarded doors.

Chapter 1: Mobster muscleThis place should look a little familiarGo left and to the lounge doors tooverhear what the mobsters are saying.When they are done speaking, dive inand cap the three henchmen beforeexamining the RADIO to tune in a newsbulletin - apparently, you're dead!

Take the LETTER from this roomand go straight along to the toilet whereyou can nail a mobster and nick hisWEAPONS. When you leave the toilethead left through the bar door and getready for action. In this room you'll haveto nail Frankie and his cronies, so wadein and do the business. □

T O O L S O F T H E T R A D EDespite the fact you start off on youcieaning-up exercise with only apistol for comfort, there are a wealtof additional weapons to pick up anuse throughout the game. So here'san at-a-glance guide to what's hot c' d a ' s t r e e t s . . .

B a s e b a l l b a tUse it to beat goons senseless whenyou are fresh out of ammo.

Lead pipeDitto, but it is also handy for beatingd o w n w e a k e n e d d o o r s a n d w a l l s .

Desert EagleA powerful handgun that is deadlyaccurate, although slow to reload.

B e r e t t a

Fast firing but not as powerful as theDesert Eagle, nor as accurate.

D u a l B e r e t t a sTwice the firepower, twice the fun! Plugthose bad guys, John Woo-stylel

J a c k H a m m e rThe most powerful of the threeavailable shotguns. Great fromrange too.

Pump action shotgunHighly effective at close range and canhole up to seven shells.

Sawn-off shot^nCan fire off two shells at once; inflicttwice the damage in half the time.

C o l t C o m m a n d oA powerful machine-gun that can hold30 rounds per clip,

I n ^ a mEssentially, this is an Uzl semiautomatic machine-gun that ripsthrough anything with ease,

Dual IngramsEquip these two babies and your tickeout of trouble is assured.

M - 7 9A highly destructive grenade launcherthat is great for long-range kills.

G r e n a d eTakes practice to master the throwingtechnique, but worth it

M o l o t o v c o c k t a i l

Essentially a petrol bomb. Lob it andwatch those flames engulf all!

Sniper rifleExtremely accurate from long range -they'll never know what hit 'em!

NEXT MONTH'

trnS^^^L^ mobster

Play5tation,E 12

T I E T R L G E R R 5 D L D ESo you've devoured the Metal Gear Solid 2sure you've seen everything there is to see?

demo. But did you complete it in record time? And if you didn't, are youDon't assume. Read our exhaustive guide and experience everything.

PlayStadpn E

ANOTHER WOmj t ) EXCUISIVEIP U O r 2 0 0 3 $ B I C ( Z S T G A K E R R 5 T

N O U R K S T K M O V m

Snake? Snaaaaaakel Okay, now that'sout of the way welcome to our guideto getting the most out of the brandnew, playable MGS2 demo that camewith our last Issue. Below you'll finda walkthrough that will take youthrough from deck to exit in theshortest time possible. But as Snakefans will know, getting an unbeatabletime is only part of the fiin so we'realso giving you a rundown of someof the surprises and curiosities youmay not have discovered along theway. Enjoy.

A f t D e c kHead round to the right and up the stairs. Grabthe CHAFF GRENADES and take out the guardpatrolling on the balcony by tranquillizing himwith your trusty M9. Jump down then up the nextset of steps. Open the door and go inside.Extra If you head round the Port side of the deckyou'li find another guard on patrol, if youneutralise him you can pick him up (deselectweapon, press and hold @1 and throw his bodyoverboard. Look for a rectangular marking on thedeck floor and drag the guard towards it. You canalso learn how to strengthen Snake's grip Whenyou're on the balcony, face the fencing and press® to flip over the edge and hang on by yourfingertips, immediately, a grip gauge will appearand start dropping However, if you now press CDand IB together you'li start performing puil-ups.Keep doing these whenever you can throughoutthe game and the gauge will lengthen, showingSnake's strength has Improved.

Deck-B. Crew's Quarters, StarboardGo round the corner and flatten yourself againstthe wall in front, then shimmy along until you cansee the guard patrolling back and forth. Wait untilhis back Is turned, then creep up behind him andpress (§> once to stun him or repeatedly to snaphis neck Run around the comer, turn to Snake'sright and head upstairs.

Deck-C. Crew's Quarters, PortThere are two ways to get past the securitycamera. Firstly, you can throw in a chaff grenadewhich will disable Its sensors momentarily or youcan flatten yourself against the wail and sneakpast it. At the end, go straight on for a RATION(it's hidden In a crawl space], then come backgrab the CHAFF GRENADES from the locker andgo up the stairs.

□eck-D. Crew's QuartersA patrolling guard goes In through the door to thedining room at the top of the stairs, so follow him(watching out for the camera) and take him out.There's a RATION In the kitchen area. Keep an eyeon the radar to ensure the other guard on thisfloor isn't looking then head out of the roomthrough the other door You can also Ignore thatguard and go right, but you'll come across theinfra red semtex trap and a guard just around the

A N DT H E R E ' SM O R E . . .

Pressing CD whenyou're at the titles c r e e n w i l l m a k e a

gunshot noise.

While talking on theC o d e c t h e r e a r e a

couple of things totry. First of all bypressing either R3or L3 and movingthe correspondinganalogue stick youc a n z o o m i n t o a n dm o v e a r o u n d t h e

images of thepeople talking. Also,try pressing m and(B during the Codecc o n v e r s a t i o n s . Yo u ' l l

be able to hearSnake's privatethoughts. Very funnya n d t h i s a l s o w o r k sIn the full game.

P r e s s a n d h o l d mduring FMVs andyou'li zoom Into thes c e n e Yo u c a n a l s ouse the rightanalogue stick tom o v e t h e c a m e r aa r o u n d .

thicker room fun;T h e r e a r e a n u m b e rof things you can doh e r e a n d m o s t o ft h e m I n v o l v e t h o s e

posters on theInside of the lockerd o o r s . G e t I n s i d eo n e o f t h e s e l o c k e r sa n d l o o k d o w n a tthe poster Press cdgently now andyou'll hear silver-tongued Snakemaking a kissingn o i s e ! A l s o w h i l e

you're In the locker,call Otacon andh e a n d S n a k e w i l lhave a funnyc o n v e r s a t i o n a b o u thow they first met. ifyou leave open thelocker door that'sfacing the left exit,any guards whomight enter will bedistracted by theposter and won'tbother checking theother lockers. Lastly,try knocking againstthe poster (back toopen locker door,press @) with eithergun equipped orb o l s t e r e d . T t i eformer will producea comical 'boing'n o i s e . T h e l a t t e r w i l l

instantly alert theguards. Shame onyou for foolinga r o u n d w i t h

glamour models!

corner beyond that. Want to see how to get pastthe trap? Shoot the Are extinguisher and thecloud It spews will make the Infra red beamsvisible. You could also smoke to get the sameeffect, but It's bad for your health barExtra Crawl under the tables to collect additionalAMMUNITION. You can also shoot the ketchupbottles, pans and crockery if you like. Pointlessbut fun.

Deck-E. The BridgeA f t e r a c u t - s c e n e a n d a c o n v e r s a t i o n w i t h

Otacon, Snake sees Olga outside on the tanker'sdeck Grab the RATION from the left corner of theroom and open the door nearby to face her

Navigational Deck, Port WingOnce Olga attacks, ensure you've got yourRations and M9 equipped and switch to first-person mode. She'll appear from behind a cratein front of you so start firing, don't worry If shehits you. if you get enough shots in quickly she'llgo down at this point. If she disappears and youhear her shout 'Take thlsl' move left quickly asshe's about to throw a grenade. Grab the M9BULLETS if you need them and go to the far leftand continue shooting. If you're too slow, she'llfire at the light, pointing it towards you to blindyou. Simply aim for the light, blast It out andshoot Olga. After a conversation with Otacon,grab the ration from the top right and go back tothe bridge lyou can now pick up the USPBULLETS), then down the stairs. Return to Deck-8.Extra After you've defeated Olga there are acouple of things you can do if you're in no hurry.Shake Olga down to get her DOG TAGS. CallOtacon while looking at her face and Otacon willmake an Interesting comment If you headtowards the Starboard wing of the NavigationalDeck you can climb the stairs to reach the ship'scrow's nest. Climb to the top of this and you'll notonly get a great view of the Manhattan sl line butyou'li also find the THERMAL GOGGLES.

Deck-B. Crew's Quarters, StarboardAfter coming down the stairs, strangle the guard

again and carry on round the corridor Go rightinto the Deck-A crew's lounge, strangle the guardhere for some M9 BULLETS, and go left. Headthrough the door at the end, run round thecorridor, strangling the guard as you go, anddown the stairs at the end.Extra A number of things to do In the Loungearea, book at the Plasma TV and call Otacon foran interesting conversation about the new MetalGear Ray Call him again and he'll tell you off fordawdling! Behind the bar you'll find some goodiesand if you stand an look at the opposite wailyou'll see one of the game's many FHM posters.As with most aroas you can shoot just abouteverything for a little surprise, but here the pickof the bunch Is the pot of Ice cubes. Not only canyou spill them out but, if you wait, the individualcubes will melt How's that for detail?

Engine Room, StarboardGet the USP BULLETS and open the lockers for anice surprise, then go through the door into theengine room. There ate several guards In hereand this large room is made up of severalwalkways. Head across these, strangling theguards as you go, until you reach the other sideThere's a RATION, some M9 and USP BULLETShere also. Go through the door and hide in theright-hand locker until the guard that appearshas gone, then emerge and grab the USP bullets.As you move toward the door at the end of thepassage, Otacon calls and warns you of thesemtex rigging It. Use your USP to shoot theblinking green light of the explosives control unit(down on the floor, on the right-hand side), rundown the end to finish the demo.Extra When you're in the locker area here you'llfind a toy figure of Raven from MGS. Try shootingthe toy for a little surprise Also, when facing thebomb-rigged corridor you can avoid disamiing It.See that sack at the end there? It's got flour in It.Shoot it and a cloud of flour will show you whereall the beams are. Before you head down to theend of the demo It's worth taking a picture of thegiri and boy on the poster inside the locker tot h e l e f t .

It's time to 'Snake',rat t le and rol l wi thour full demo guide.

. . . A N DM O R E .

Guanjs stunned am:hidden In lockerswill not wake up.Very useful.

Don't forget you canshoot guards' radio:,making it Impossibleto for them to callfor back up.

If you can, alwaystry to shoottranquilizer darts atguards' heads orspines. They'll dropl i k e s t o n e s a n d

you won't getspotted at all.

If Snake Is low onhealth and you'vegot no rations, find aquiet comer andc r o u c h d o w n .

Eventually yourh e a l t h b a r w i l lreturn to green.

Don't forget thatjust because you'vegot ® pressedd o w n i t d o e s n ' t

automatically meatthat releasing It wllmake Snake Are ofa round, if youdecide not to shoo ,just release thebutton very gentlyThe Dual Shock 2'sanalogue buttonswill sense this andSnake w i l l l owe r t h : 5

weapon withoutfiring It.

Yo u c a n s h o o t t h e'?'s above guards'h e a d s t o s t u n t h e n .it really works.

28 PlayStation.E

EXCLUSIVE

M E M L GS O U DFeature, review and demotop billing in the blockbustingOfficial PlayStation<i>2 MagazineAction Heroes Special Edition!

tonwN w®*"

1 — — . U B E ' W

T H E U K ' S B E S T S E L U N G P L / P r S T O n O N . 2 M A G A Z I N E

PlayStation.^• OFFICIAL MAGAZINE-UK PrBSentS

AN ACTION GAMES EXTRAVAGANZAstaning>ME1AL GEAR SOUD 2: SONS OF UBERIY 'DEVIL MAY CRY

•HALF-UFE •HEADHUNTER 'MAX PAYNE •SILENT HILL 2intxyuiAg •DEUS EX 'ICO 'MEDAL OF HONOR; FRONTUNE Plus Many More

And Featuring AN ACTION-PACKED DVD WFTH 10 PLAYABLE DEMOS Includip

AT A NEWSAGENTS NEAR YOU FROM 21 FEBRUARY

T H E E i m P B D N B : R D R D R R G E WIPEOUT FUSION

H R R D C D R E5 5 X T R C K y

Although you'll want to play this game todeath in order to unlock everything and bethe best, why not slope off early with theseessential cheaty titbits?

M a s t e r C o d eHold oi + m and press (g), ®, ®, 4.,®, ®, ®, t at the title screen. Thenrelease id + tn and a sound will confirm correctcode entry. Congratulations, you will now haveunlocked everything!

Full SUt PointsHold OI + IB and press ®, ®, ®, ®, st,®, ®, ®, ® 11 at the title screen. Thenrelease id + oi and a sound will confimi correctcode entry. All the boarders will now have fullStat points.

M a l l o r a B o a r dHold m + OD and press ®, ®, ®, 4,,®, ®, ®, t at the title screen. Thenrelease m + tn and a sound will confirm correctcode entry. Choose Ellse and start a track andshe'll have the Mallora Board and a blue outfit

Sticky BoardsHold ID + CD and press ®, ®, ®, >1.,

®i ®, at the title screen. Thenrelease m cd and a sound will confirm correctcode entry.

Mix Master MikeHold ID + m and press ®, ®, ®, ®, 4',®, ®, ®, ®, t at the title screen. Thenr e l e a s e m + i n a n d a s o u n d w i l l c o n fi r m c o r r e c tcode entry. Choose any boarder at the characterselect screen and he or she will be replaced bySSX Tricky's DJ Mix Master Mike on the course.

R e c t o r a t o rIn World Circuit mode, enter RECOR as a nameand then choose any boarder at the characterselect screen Whoever you chose will then bereplaced by the mysterious Rectorator when yous t a r t t h e c o u r s e .

R I R B L R D E

A cracking code to unlock everything plus allthe extras you can obtain by going aboutthings the hard way.

Master CodeSelect to play Story mode then, on the levelselect screen, press t, 4', t, 4', m, id, cd, cd,!■ + ®, If the cheat has worked you'll hear asound and all levels, characters and bonuses willinstantly be unlocked.

Unlock JJ SawyerSuccessfully complete the game with an 'S' rankIn al l levels.

U n l o c k N a o m i

Successfully complete the Downtown level with a' B ' r a n k

U n l o c k O s c a r

Successfully complete the game with an 'A' rankIn ail levels.

U n l o c k ' T h e I n s i d e r '

Successfully complete the Storage level witha 'B ' rank .

Unlock Stunt Attack ModeSuccessfully complete the game in Stoiy mode.

A l t e r n a t e C o s t u m e s

Complete one of the following tasks to unlock anextra third costume for the indicated character:

Ethan: Successfully complete Stunt Attack mode.Kat: Successfully complete Score Attack modewith high scores on all levels.

H o w t o m a k e t h e

opposing goalie 'doa B a r t h e z '

Start a game asusual, then changeyour controller tothe other side. Givethe ball away toyour team and bringtheir goalkeeper outby holding at. Whilestill holding the mbutton, press S;t h e n r e l e a s e m a n d

change thec o n t r o l l e r b a c k t o

your team. Resumethe game and now,whenever you getthe ball, theopposing goalkeeperw i l l r u s h o u t a n d

attempt to tackleyou anywhere onthe field. This trickmust be repeatedf o r e a c h h a l f

Cheats to help you stayalive on the anarchicstreets of Springfield!

Go to the Options menu,hold down m and a>and then press any of thefollowing sequences forthe desired effect If thecode has worked you'llh e a r a s o u n d .

C h e a tExtra moneyM o r e c a m e r a v i e w s

O v e r h e a d v i e wNight-timeF l a t c h a r a c t e r s

Show collision linesNo mapDrive red soapbox carD r i v e a s S m i t h e r s i nM r B u r n s ' c a rDrive nuclear busStop time*S l o w m o t i o nH a l l o w e e n m o d eNew Year's Day modeThanksgiving modeC h r i s t m a s m o d e

C o d e

®, @, ®, ®®, ®, ®, ®®, ®, @®, ®, ®, ®®, @, ®, ®®, ®. ®, ®@, ®, ®, @® , ® , ®

®, ®, @, @®, ®, ®, ®@, ®, @, ®®, @, ®, ®® , ® , ®

®, ®, ®, ®

*Press ® to start, stop and reset the In-game timer.

There are three ways to get weird and wackycheat codes for this ferocious futuristic racer -complete the game, guess them, or read on-

Select 'Extras' at the main menu and then go to theCheats menu. Enter any of the following codes herefor the desired effect

C h e a tFeatures unlockedUnlimited weaponsUnlimited shieldsRetro shipsAnimal shipsFast ships

S P L A S H D O W N

C o d e

®, ®, @, ®, ®®, ®, ®, ®, @® , ® , ® , ®®, @, ®, @, ®®, ®, @, ®, ®@, ®, ®, ®, ®

Avoid sinking without trace in this wet 'n' wil ISea-Doo sim with the following cheats:

C h e a t m o d eFrom the main menu, select Options and thenp r e s s t , t . 4 ' , 4 , • * , ® , ® , a tthe Options menu to unlock the Cheat l^amescreen. Now simply enter one of the following c ise-sensitlve codes before pressing the ® button ti' goback to the Options screen and back out into tf:emain game.

C h e a t C o d eNever get i<nocl<ed off TopBitxlHard tracks witii normal A1 HobbleMaximum performance meter P M e t e r G cA i l c o u r s e s PassportA i l c h a r a c t e r s A i l C h a rA i t w e t s u i t s L a P i n a t a

Expert Al A I I O u t A iAll ending FMV sequences F e s t i v a l

Play Time Trials against a UFO I B e l l e v ePiay Time Trials against an F-18 jet F18

Play Time Trials against a ghost S E A D O O

Hit a six every timewith this bite-sizedb e l t e r -

Super batsmenS e l e c t t h e ' I n s i d e E A

Sports' option fromthe main menu,then press m,IB, CD. ■!. Amessage willc o n fi r m t h a t t h ecode has worked -now simply Press mduring play for apower shot that willhit a six every time!

We provide the killer code to become the king of the ring withoutfirst having to memorise all that complicated choreography.

All wrestlersAt the main menu, press t , t , 4 ' , 4, ®, ®, ® tounlock all of the wresters. Then go to the Options screen and save yourgame to ensure that they all remain unlocked in future bouts.

S e c r e t c h a r a c t e r s

Complete the task Indicated to unlock the corresponding wrestler on thec h a r a c t e r s e l e c t s c r e e n .

C h a r a c t e r

Captain Lou Albano

David & Michael Von Erich

Dory FunkFr i t z Von E r i ch

I v a n K o l o f f

Jimmy Hart

King Kong Bundy

Mr Fuji

Robert Gibson& Ricky Moriion

S a b u

T a s k

Complete Career mode with a' H a t e d ' w r e s t l e r

Complete Career mode asK e v i n Vo n E r i c h .

Complete Career mode as Terry FunkComplete Career mode as KerryVo n E r i c h .

Win the Versus Tournament

Complete Career mode with a'Loved' wrestler

Win the Southeast Territory InC a r e e r m o d e .

Win the Tag Belts in Tournament mode.

Win the Tag TournamentComplete Career mode as The Sheik

D R O P S H I P : U N I T E DP E A C E F O R C E

Be the master of the universe with these coc es!

Select the 'Classified Flies' option from the malrmenu and then enter any of the following game titlesand suchlike as unlock codes to access the de iredc h e a t e f f e c t

C h e a t

InvincibilityU n l i m i t e d a m m oL e v e l s e l e c tBonus l eve l 1B o n u s l e v e l 2B o n u s l e v e l 3

E V I L T W I N

C o d eT E A M B U D D I E SB L A S T R A D I U SK I N G S L E YKREUZLERS H E A R E R

U B E R D O O P E R

Enter any of the following as codes to unlock aa few handy cheats...

C h e a tInfinite livesSuper shotsRapid fireGun sightsSniper mode

C o d e

® ,® r ® , ® r@r ®, ®, ®.

®. ®, '®, ®,

J E R E M Y M C G R A T HS U P E R C R O S S W O R L D

Be a better biker in an instant!

Enter the following two codes on the main mer uscreen. If the code has worited then the botton-leftcorner of the screen will flash.

C h e a tMoon gravityUnlimited turbo

C o d et, t, t, t, CD, ®, ®CD, ID, ®, @, ®, <0

%A

.30 PlayStation,?

iusillRIPTON OFFERYES, I WANT SIX ISSUES OF

PlayStation®^/ OFFICIAL MAGAZINE-UK

THE OFFICIAL PLAYSTATION 2 MAGAZINE

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0 8 7 0 4 4 4 ^ 6 5 6PlayStation®^/ OFFICIAL MAGAZINE-UK

Other magazines let you watcPlayStation®^ lets you play/

PlayStation,S i:

This month: MGS2 chat up lines, 'Strip Bombermon', peripheral DIY and drunken shenanigans..F F R l U Q R L O Q J P

Got something you want to get off your Ittbe big mind? "men teil us andwin a prize! The winner of the Star Letter each issue gets a voucher for£50 to spend at V Shop. Ali other fuil ietters printed receive a £5voucher for V Shop. Send your ietters to the Editor c/o Postai,Official P/pyStot/on 2 Magazine; Future Pubiishing 30 MonmouthStreet, Bath BAl 2KV. Emali us at our new Postal emali addressPS2postal@futurenetco.uk or aitemativeiy text us your PS2 rants, raves,rambiings and feves on 07764 175886 for our new Postai Bytes section.Piease note; tfiis phone number is for Postai Bytes oniy! TXT US NOW!

STARLETTER

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SIAR l£TTHt DRINKING THINKINGI've Just got back from a rather heavy-duty PS2 session. There were only six of us but we»/ere ail very drunk! i've never noticed it before but after a few pints the whoie Third Place'changes. Some games Just seem to get better Pro Evolution Soccer Is the best footbailgame I have ever played but It is so much better piaying against someone who Is as biinddrunk as yourself, it makes those goals that little more extra special. After PES, we movedon to Airblode. Most magazines didn't commend the Parly mode but i must say, we madevery good use of it!

There are, of course, games that aren't so good to play when drunk. Extreme-G 3, forexample. Just gives you a headache - i'm sure there are many people out there thinkingthe same thing My mates and i are constantly on the iook-out for games we can piay aftercoming home from the pub and both Airblode and PES enable us to do this in great styie.Sure, turn-based eight-piayer modes as in Airblode involve some waiting about, but whenyou're drunk you just use that as valuable time to talk crap to your mates!

So, given my experience In the field, I propose - and I'm sure your hard-working teamof writers will support my idea - that you ail get drunk and review games from this 'FourthPlace' drunk perspective. You can give games both a normal and a 'drunk' rating thushelping me and my mates to choose our next post-pub mission. Alternatively you couldjust do a one-off special 'drunk' review of all the current games available.

Come on: you want to do It, we want to read it, SO STAi^ DRINKING!David Tlimer, Surrey

We've all been there. It's 2om, and, drowning in a pit of Stella and cold pizza, theImpromptu Pro Evolution Premiership is reaching Its climax. Sefton needs to win his lostgome to snatch the championship, but a victory for Dalzeil could - unbelievably - handthe championship to Walter But what's that sound? It's Sefton noisily ejecting hisvodko/morm/te cocktail Into the sewers via the toilet bowl. He's out for the count! Waitermight no longer know where he Is, but he's lifting the trophy - two empty Fosters canstaped together - aloft! Revealed at last, the real reason why Sefton was forced to leave the0 P S 2 t e a m I n s h a m e

Whether it be Pro Evo, Alrblade, Capcom Vs SNK or Tony Hawk's, most goodmuitlplayer games make for ideal drunken entertainment. Quake Hi boasts a definitechunder factor: but otherwise anything with a Mu/tiTop is fair game Just you wait forSmash Court Tennis. And if you've ever hod a revelatory experience while playing PS2ripped to the tits on booze, let us know, it's not big, it's not clever: but it Is very funny

WHISPER IT...At risk of being labelled a heretic, am i theoniy one who thinks that Gran Turlsmo 3is actually a bit boring? i got a GT3 packwhen buying my PS2 and having read thereviews in four magazines [You read othermags? Now that's heresy! - Edl I reallytried to enjoy the game. Yes, the graphicsare amazing the sound (when run throughmy stereo! replicates real-life engine noise,etcetera, etcetera, but the problem Is that idont really know what I'm doing when I'mupgrading and, to me, driving around thesame few tracks lap after lap gets morethan a bit tedious.

i had to follow your guides on how toupgrade because (even at 31 years of agej

I cannot drive for real and i'm not that intocars, so the process In most cases left meconfused, i think that the main problemwith GT3 for someone like myself is thatthere is no collision damage. Just beingable to (virtuallyj drive a high performancecar doesnt do It for me and racing withcars that perform unrealisticaily (ie, theirperformance is not impaired due todamage! just seems pointless. I personallythink the enjoyment and longevity of GT3depends on whether you are a real carnut or not, but judging by the lack of pre-owned copies of GT3 gracing the shelvesof Electronics Boutique and Game it lookslike I'm In a small minority.Ashley Price, East Sussex

Don't worry Ashley it's not that you'remissing out too much. There are eventhose among the 0PS2 ranks who -while appreciating GT3's visual beautyand its brilliance when played as astraightfomard arcade racer - wouldrather muck about with Spyhunter andCrazy Taxi. GT3's Immense longevity isonly really of value to petroiheads. Thatterm appears to Include most PS2gamers, but by no means everyone.

SLIPPERY SNAKEAs a girl who loves PS2 I am lookingforward to Metal Gear Solid 2, but isSnake still going to come up with suchsad chat up lines? Check these lines fromthe last game, I think they more thanprove my pointMeryl: So there's something you likeabout me?

Snake: Yeah, you've got a great butt.Meryl: Oh I see. First It's my eyes, then it'smy butt, what next?Snake: On the battlefield, you don't thinkabout next .

The man is such a cheesemasteri Nowoman would fall for l ines like that unless

they were In a blue movie. The sequelmight look better than the original but Ican only hope that Snake has had timebetween missions to re-think his lady talkAndrea Aviin, Coventry

That's a great letter, Andrea. Andrea's alovely name, by the way Do you comehere of ten?

PUNK'S NOT DEADAlthough I think your mag rocks, i read thereview of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 andthe Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 music CD inOPS2#15 and it seems that you guys hatepunk! in the game review you refer to the'top hip-hop soundtrack" but what aboutthe punk rock tunes In It? You guys reallyhate punk rock, dont you? There's alsoevidence of this in the review of the TonyHawk album, in the review you suggestthat the album favours "dumbass poppunk" over better music - what are youon? I am a fan of that type of music andyou guys only have s*%t to say about It!Kjell Schack, Belgium

Sorry Kjell, but when someone says punkto us, we conjure up images of the SexPistols, The Clash and The Romanes, orperhaps even Minor Threat and BlackFlag. The current wave of US 'punk' bandsin the vein of Blink 182 and 0PM - more

concerned with pulling down their 'pants'

and shoving drumsticks up their 'ass' thananarchy and subversion - are just o bittame for us. Although we've got to admitthat new Sum 41 single is kinda catchy

For your Information, the 0PS2 officeis currently rockin' to the sounds of TheWhite Stripes, Jay-Z, Cornelius, Royksopp,the range of hilarious bootleg MP3savailable at www.souiwax.com, some ofLou's New Age whale music and anythingfeaturing a funky flute Stick that lot on asoundtrack and watch it blow up.

IN THE HOTSEATI have been enjoying a world of virtualreality on the PSone for nearly three yearsnow. After having to retire early (due to anaccident at work! I decided to buy aPlayStation to while away a few hours.Next came a steering wheel and pedals,plus a couple of racing games... ail verygood, but something was missing So 1built a wooden base 4'3" by r6", f tted itwith a vibrating speaker underneath thatreacts to the sound output of the console,and stuck a games driving seat on top.

The result was astounding: roadrumble through the seat and authenticengine sound. I was prompted to write thisletter after reading the Star Letter inOPS2#15 as even the poorer racing gamesfelt good in this baby! Subsequently twonewspapers and a local TV station havefeatured my chair - and I was very proud.Then came the PlayStation 2. A LogitechForce Feedback Wheel, GT3... sorry, mustclose now... I feel a race coming on.D Leak, Oxon

Our sister mag, 0PM, has recently featureda series of home-made peripherals. TheyIncluded a cardboard box in which to hideyour joypod when taking penalties on ProEvo and a contraption in which to storesuitable odorous material (turf, blood,gunpowder) under your nose In order toheighten the sensory experience of agame. Mr Leak Is obviously working on ahigher level entirely Anyone else inventedtheir own peripherals? Let us know.

STRIP BOMBERMAN?Worry not Leanne Bail (Postal, OPS2#141,After years of the boys versus girls debate,I reckon the tide has finally turned...thanks to me! My boyfriend used to beunbeatable at Tekken 3, as were his matesand his father too, but with the heip ofMiss Ling XIaou, I've won ten consecutivefights and, to this day, I remain undefeated.Not oniy that but I often win at 'StripBombemron' too (guess the rules for

34 PlayStation.E

For information on V Shop'sdeals turn to page 34 now.

Text us your abbreviated wds on 07764 175886, including yourt name and town. Remember, this iine is for Postal Bytes only.

yourselves). So here's a message to gamesdevelopers everywhere: girls are takingover so start thinking about us! For years,men have hogged their PlayStations sothey can drool over Lara Croft, etc. it'sabout time giris had a iittie compensation.A maie i-ara equivalent might be niceiFran Eckard, via emaii

A male Lara equivalent? How aboutHeadhunter's Jack Wade? Eddy Gordo?Guybrush Tfireepwood from Monkeyisland? Not quite doing it for you? Maybegame developers should start recruitingmore girls for their focus groups and seewhat transpires. Meanwhile, are you surethat playing 'Strip Bomberman' with yourboyfriend's Dad Is really advisable?

JUST MY OPINIONAfter reading through OPS2#15 1 notedthat two people had sent In letterscomplaining about the scores you gaveWWF SmackDownl and OperationWinbQCk. Then in 0PS2# 15 Dave Bondwas complaining that you gave Burnoutand GTA3 the same score. The score 0PS2magazine gives a game is surely just Itsopinion and NOT fact! Let's face it, we allhave different opinions. I think FIFA 2002,Tony Hawk's 3, SSX Tricky and GranTurismo 3 should all have got 10 out of 10,but that is my opinion! I hate Pro EvolutionSoccer and Metal Gear Solid, but that ismy opinion! If you dont like the scores0PS2 magazine gives games, then why doyou buy the mag?

To finish off, has anyone out there gota better score then 1,834,350 withoutcheating in SSX Tricky?Stephen Crocker, Plymouth

Couldn't have said it better ourselves,Steve. Review scores can only ever ever bean opinion, although we like to think that0PS2 offers the best Informed opinionaround. Our experienced reviewers haveail played hundreds and hundreds ofgames In their lifetimes and are thus inthe perfect position to compare andcontrast. Every game that comes in forreview tends to get played by several ofus, all of whom throw our twopenn'orthInto the mix - that's why our reviewsoutline every pro and con we can think ofin order to give you the most Informationpossible before you dedclde to shell outyour hanl-earned cash However; If youdon't like footy games, you're not going tobuy Pro Evolution Soccer, even if we give it12 out of 10. That's your right as adiscerning consumer

WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWNI have owned a PS2 for about threemonths now and, like an idiot, I wanted aiot for nout, So when somebody at mylocai games store [which shali remainnameless) offered to chip my PS2 for £20I jumped at the chance. I then bought fivegames for just £25 and thought i was onto a winner About a month iater my PS2froze and wouldn't play any normal games,copied games or even DVDs, i was a bitannoyed and went back to my localgames store only to be asked, "What doyou want us to do about it?" I then phonedSony They said, "We cannot do anythingbecause chipping your PS2 invalidatesyour warranty!" In the end I was left with avery expensive paperweight. So, mymessage to everyone out there is: do notchip your PS2 because it's not worth it.Mark Sanderson, via email

6TA3 50 (Banv cwning stwits c»r is that 9spomeriai? Zeus, retro boy! _ JJS' PUT MYHMU PRE-ORDA FORIi FOR MGS2.AND f€RESA RUHER.,.,.. .DOES l^AMP FANCY RAIDEN? _ Yofflhsssi^ lads/Mav Pavne its the busirwss/rasgrules/clv^is fro® falkirk^ in Scotland _ Urmsg rocks, Will there b s dragon ball z gatuean it)ill anv beat e« ups be online, Did vounotice i put a complement first. Slv huh. Jay_ "oh av 9CKl »hat the f*ttk ias that?!" meHfhilst plaving Silent Hill 2, Adam. H.Heath _Hi it's a Cofflic nut from iiK has any orie elsen o t i c e d t h a t S o l i d u s S n a k e l o o k s a b i t l i k e

Big Boss from the origanal MG2 but uiith theeye patch on other s _ I ^st had 2 say thatSHAO^DCftlN 3 is a^eat! and i ht^ they faringback Tomb raider instead of ThiFiderbirds.(PS2 rules!) love/ Lyndsey Riovida _ gta?k i s s a s s , t h e b e s t g a m e e v e r D A Z f r o m

Neuimarket _ Cai u really unlock michael coleon snack down 3? CBi coae on! Nik Rat essen _

Why doesnt the ps2 have visualisations tuhenplayin music cd's?Grrr i luant trippy effects!stuart_ca®br i dge _ I' ve Just f i n i shedread ing the aag «h i l e s i t t i ng on the bogle t t i ng »ycur ry ou t ! Pe te r / Mo lves _ YourI1GS2 defflio mas truly mindboggling! I Theb i t t u i t h t h e R a v e n m o d e l J u s t l e f t m e

speechless! ! KoJi ia is a genius! _ IM AM E TA L G E A R S O L I D M A N I A C ! ! t o b y. L o n d o n T H E

S S X T R I C K Y S O U N D T R A C K I S K I C K I N ! E A

RELEASE IT ON CD NOW! ! OH AND THAT EL ISE

IS 1 FIT BIRD!! MICK/ LEICESTER _ byenike! you nere ace at opn and ope2! goodluck _ Why must they (Bake FFX1 an onlinegame, I t lu i l l ru in the format damn I t _ 3f ight in gaf tes /each » iv the i r own un iquesyste# out nxt vr?i« gona b abusy bunny.Kelly/ PrestonU cant squeez cheez frm agoat b4 its hatchd. MGS demo rulz. Dan 0brum _ fflite skive off school to play yourlove l y ■gs2 deno to io r ros . Je th ro Jazz

it's a sorry tale, to which we can only add:TOLD YOU SO! With Sony doing everythingIt can to combat piracy of this kind, evenif your PS2 survives the dodgy chippingprocess, expect any normal games youbuy in future - Including those on 0PS2'sdisc - to start recognising the illegalalterations made to your machine andrefuse to boot up. Then again, when weImplore you not to chip your PS2, it's justour opinion. The choice, as a discerningconsumer; Is yours. Papenveights willalways come in handy after all.

YE^OW POLKA-DOT PS21 have a PS2 that I have modified myselfand now I have a problem. I painted ityellow with pink spots which made thedisc spin four times faster than it didbefore, but this was still too slow for me. Ithen decided to swap the PS2 motor withmy car engine and now it spins at 194times its original speed. The only

disadvantage I've found is that I have towait five minutes until the disc stopsspinning before I can open the tray. If Iopen the tray before that, the disc goesflying out at great speed and up until nowI have broken two vases, two of my cat'sribs and a couple of my teeth.

I bought some graphics cards andstuck them in the machine with sellotape.Now the graphics make the TV glow whileI'm playing and the radiation has causedme to lose my manhood. I bought an N54and added its components into the PS2,so now, as well as being able to play theN64 games (after shoving them into theCD reader) I can choose Mario, Yoshi,Peach and Luigi every Sunday In March ascharacters in games such as Timesplitters,TIF2 and SSX. The Emotion Engine is nowa 'Human, Intelligence, Emotion, Feelings,Senses' engine. And after my brotherstrangely died recently, the PS2 now has asquelchy bralnish feeling.. My question

Is this: Is the warranty still valid 'cos Inever liked the yellow/pink thing anyway?John Porral, via email

Is this letter on ironic jibe aimed at allthe foolish fellas - hello again MarkSanderson - who got their PS2s chippedby a mate of a mate who works out theback at Dodgy Dave's Game Bazaar inorder to play pirated discs only to findthat their machine has melted and Sonylaughed In their faces when they tried toinvoke the warranty? Or Is It just therombllngs of a slightly camp madman?Whichever; I'm sure we can all learn onelesson: don't take design tips fromLaurence Llewelyn Bowen, or you toocould end up losing your 'manhood'. □

To be eligible for the Star Letter prize,remember to include your full nameand address. 0PS2 reserves the rightto edit letters for clarity and style.

■a w u i » 3

SIXTEEN: World exclusive reviewand demo of Headhunter. A lookat Mox/mo and TImeSpfftters 2plus nine more playable demosi

SEVErfTCEN: The exclusive UKreview and playable demo ofMGS2. Plus WipBout Fusion, Rez,Parappa the Rapper 2, and more.

a a a i "FOURTIEN: Ttie exclusive DevilMay Cry review plus playabledemos of WWF SmackDown!'Just Bring ftf and six morel

I ' . HRFTEEN: Reviews of Jal( AndDaxter, SSX Tr/cky and TonyHawk's 3, with 12 demos on theDVD including J&D and Burnout!

To order back issues of 0PS2, write to Official PlayStation 2 Back Issues, Future Publishing, Caty Court, Somerton, Somerset TAll 6TB,or call 01458 271184. Back issues are priced £5.99 |UK), £6.99 (Europe) and £7.99 (Rest of the Woridj. Supplies limited.

PlayStatlon.E 13

Every issue, 0PS2's Doctor Fitz staunches your game related bleeding.

1. I'm writing witti regards to Tony Hawk'sPro Skater 3. After seeing your articie InOPS2#15 my son was keen to purchase amodem to piay online. He found one thatwas identical to your picture In your article- Diamond Supramax. After many

attempts, an error code said: "Could notdetect any compatible network devices.Check your connection. See THPS3manual for troubleshooting". The modemwas plugged in correctly so the next stepwas to check compatibility. I searched theonline guide for THPS3, and there Is nomention of the modem you pictured.We've always found your advice, articlesand tips helpful and interesting However;you have let my son down, he has paidout of his own money for a modem youadvertise and It is useless. There is nothingin the article to explain clearly whichmodems to buyMs M Colder via email

1. At the end of the news story inquestion we ran the following disclaimer:"For information on compatibility pleasecheck the manual which comes with thefinished game." When the story waswritten, the final version of the game andmanual were not available and the modelof modem photographed was merely aprop Iwe hooked up online using anethernet connection!. Hence the'important' note. We didn't at any pointrecommend a particular brand of modem.As for your son's modem. You should beable to return it to the store. We hope heis ollle-ing online soon.

1. Can you tell me, and probably manyothers, where the boards are In the RioGrande level of THPSS>

2. Does the Internet-play actually work?I've seen your feature but I don't believe It.Anon, via email

1. Ail the boards In the Rio Grande levelare found in the secret area Here's howyou get to it At the start of the levei godown the first slope, then turn left beforethe second slope. Go down the curvingslope here and acmss the rood. Follow theline of the buildings until there's a gapbetween them. Go through here and you'llcome up to a section of breakable fence.Smash through and you'll come to a bowlThe boards are here.2. Yes, it does work. But as mentionedabove, piease check the game manual fora list of PS2 compatible USB modems.

1. Have you got any Information on NBA2K2 (from Sega) as a PS2 release?2. If it doesnt come out over here, will Itplay on a English PS2? If not, can you geta peripheral which will make it work?3. Have you got a release date forTimeSpiitters 2?Paul Jackson, via email

1. There are currently no plans for NBA2K2 to come to the UK2. No. And no. What you may be thinkingabout is the Dote/ Region X DVD kit thatallows you to watch NTSC DVDs on yourPAL PS2. It doesnt work with games.3. The latest word from Eidos isSeptember As soon as we have a moreaccurate date you'll be the first to know.

1.1 have a USB Microsoft steering wheel,can I use this or any other PC USBperipheral on my PS2?2.1 have a Region X DVD but when I play

Region 1 DVD's, they're black and white. IsIt because my TVs not NTSC compatible?Kev Wetton, v ia emai l

1. Your wheel won't work because PS2

games arent developed with the Earth-straddling Ivlicrosoft corporation in mindConversely a generic USB mouse and orkeyboard will work providing it doesntrequire you to install software.2. Yes. It's either time to upgrade your TV,stick to classic black and white movies, orfork out for an NTSC converter box to pluginto the back of your PS2. See your localgame shop for more info.

1.1 can't believe I've been sad enough toa) work out what this stuff means and blbother to tell you about it, but here goes...The script around the edge of the mapsupplied with Jak And Baxter reads asfollows: "In ancient, dreamless, uninvadedsleep, the silent giants wait to beawakened. Deep will their slumber be,silent their once echoing voices, until theworld has no memory of their beginnings.In the gloom they will watch, and they willwait. Those who go to them for answerswill return only with the questions

"But there will come a time whensilence ends The one who carries the lightwill awaken the voices With him, onewhose fate was twisted toward darknesslong ago, in the time before time. Whenthe light bursts from the Earth theanswers to the questions will begin. Butonly begin, for still the world will not beready to learn the truth of Its past, or thesecrets of its future."

I've also been nerd enough to checkout the Precursor Orbs, and find that theyhave decipherable script, too. The top halfof each egg reads "Naughty Dog" - nosurprise there. The bottom half reads "MadMan". Well, I guess that's me sussed then!Paul Newsham, via email

1. You said it Paul. Nice one!

1. Can you please give me cheats forTekken Bowl Tournament?Ben. via email

1. Sorry Ben. There's no painless way tounlock Tekken Bowl. You have to unlockOgre by beating the game ten times inArcade mode with any character However,to make this task a little easier: set thedifficulty setting to Easy the number ofrounds per bout to one and then choosea team capable of inflicting quickdamage, IKazuya and Bruce for examplel.it'ii make your life easier

1. I've had my PS2 since last Christmasand It won't load horizontally so I amforced to put it vertically on the floorwhere It could fall at any time.2.1 have Just purchased Tony Hoivk's ProSkater 3, but I am not sure whetner to payfor the modem in case It is a waste ofmoney What other games will be releasedsoon with the online function?3. In the brilliant GTA3 I Just need a MrWhoopee Ice Cream Van to completethe Import/export mission but cant findit anywhere. Are there any cheats to getthis vehicle and earn $200,000 whencompleting this mission?LCullen. via email

1. if your PS2 wont load games while inthe horizontal position then, providing youhaven't been trying to toast crumpets inthe CD tray it sounds like a candidate forreplacement or repair. There's no quick fixfor this problem. Call the people at Sony10990 998 8771 and see what the situationis on your warranty, it sounds like you'vehad your PS2 for over a year but they maystill be able to help you free of charge2. Aside from FFXi, the lion's share of PS2games with online content are waiting forthe release of the Network Adaptor in thelate Spring. However; a large amount ofPS2 games due to come out after thattime will have to have at least someonline option, from downloadable stats toonline piay So your modem isn't going tobe gathering dust that's for sure.3. There are two ways to get an IceCream Van Drive around the CartelMansion (near your hideout and the dam].Go to the back of the mansion and waiton top of the hill - make sure you're in afast car The ice Cream Van appearsrandomly but before long you'll hear thesound of its music, if your reactions aregood, you'll see the van drive by Now getchasing! If the von goes off the edge ofthe map you'll have to wait until the nextday/night cycle before another chancewill present itself The second way involvesgetting a police car and pressing L3 toswitch to vigilante mode After a whilethere'll be one perp who's driving the van.Stop him and the van's yours. Pressing L3while at the wheel plays the van's chimesand if you drive slowly with the music on,people will try and buy a cone from you.

Send all your game and technicalqueries to: Surgery, Official PlayStation 2Magazine, Future Publishing, 30Monmouth Street, Bath BAl 2BW. Oremail PS2postal@futurenet.co.uk.marking it 'Surgery*. Get writing now!

POSTAL SURGERY DROP INA spoon full of Benylin for your iritsome videogame hacking.

First out of the waiting room is 'Jack' who wantsto know If PS2 can be used as a Karaoke machine.Well, there are USB Microphone/Disc packagesavailable in Japan, but not here. You could get aKaraoke DVD and connect your PS2 via your stereothough. Next we have Jon Pitt who's curious toknow if you can use a PSone MultlTap on a PS2.Sadly the answer Is no. But then again youwouldn't want your colours to clash wouldyou? Then there's Lee Roche who wants to knowhow you unlock Limp Bizklt's Fred Durst In WWF

SmackDowni 'Just Bring it! What you need to do Is defeat more than 15 fighters usingthe Undertaker in the Slobber Knocker Mode. Just keep rollln' rollln' rollln'. Get It? Nevermind. Last up Is Daljinder Ghuman who wants to know how you defeat Dran In DarkCloud What you need to do Is attack him with Xiao's slingshot until he drops Then useToan to attack at close quarters quickly Then repeat until Dran is defeated. That's Itfor now. See you next month...

Not exactly your typical SmackDown!star - we give you Mr L Bizklt.

36 PlayStation,E

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I (orFicial UK)

WHAT IS THIS TRACK FORPApparently "the sport of the future". It will involve eightteams each racing two hovering, or "gravity-defying",ships, travelling at speeds of up to 1000 miles an hour.Horrifically, information we have uncovered reveals thatthese vehicles will be armed so that the "pilots", claimedto be "the sixteen superstars of the future", can shooteach other down or totally off the track. Hence the name

given to the sport, "Wipeout Fusion". To quote the bodybehind it, "It's all part of the sport." It must be stopped.

Ho r r i i i c p l ans f o r London a t n i gh t .

HOW WIU IT AFFECT lONDONPLondon is the proposed venue for the development of a mult! billion pound Anti GravityRacing circuit. The body behind it believes that to maximise the sport's potential tracksshould be built over the worlds major cities, creating "A spectacular venue accessible tomillions, the likes of which would be impossible to create in any existing spectator sport".But at what cost to London? When questioned, the developers declined to comment, butwe know for a fact that the cost will be huge. Apart from destroying the skyline of one ofthe world's most beautiful cities, proposals include the impairment of St Paul's cathedral,the demolition of Buckingham Palace and the permanent closure of the River Thnmes asa passage for shipping to accommodate the track. Not to mention plummeting houseprices and the devastating affect on the lives of millions of residents and workers.

www.wipeout fus ion.com

ENVIRONMENT AND NOISE POLLUTIONThe environmental and health implicationsare catastrophic. In a densely populated areathe need for space and cleaner air are utmost,this proposal does the exact opposite. Actualdetails about the fuel these vehicles use are

Anti Gravity or Anti proving illusive, but it's undoubtable that toEnvironment? power such a vehicle it would have to be

extremely volatile, or worse still, nuclearbased. What does 1000 mph sound like? No one could ever know until it'stoo late. The best we could expect is that it would be like having Heathrowairport in the middle of a city. Do you want your children to grow up in suchan environment?

SAFETYThere is no way that vehicles travelling at speeds of over lOOOmphthrough the heart of a city can be safe, let alone with the danger of "protoncannons" or deadly rockets being used during races. Imagine thedevastation involved in an accident over a busy area such as OxfordCircus. Who's going to foot the medical bills, the taxpayer? Contrary totheir claims, these people obviously have no regard whatsoever for publicsafety - your safety.

YOU CAN HELPThe only people to benefit from these developers succeeding in theiroutrageous proposals are themselves. With your support we are in aposi t ion to stop this happening. To find out more vis i twww.stopthetrack.co.uk

"PlayStation" and "PS2" are registered trademarks of SonvComputer Entertainment Inc. "The Third Place" is a trademark of SonyComputer Entertainment Europe. Wipeout (TM) Fusion ® Sony ComputerEntertainment Europe. All Rights Reserved. Published by Sony ComputerEntertainment Europe. Developed by Sony Studios Liverpool.

PlayStation^T H E T H I R D P L H C E

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If it's for PS2 and on sale in the UK, then we've played it, argued about it and pl ed it some more. Want thedefinitive verdicts on the 207 PS2 games available right now? Then welcome to The Shortlist

0 P S 2 A W A R D STo filter out the pearls fromthe swine, 0PS2 hasi n t r o d u c e d a b r a n d n e wcolour-coded ratings system.

PlayStationB/ W K M L M M U M M K

■ a k gG O L DOnly awarded togames that scorethe full 10/10.

PlayStatLon g

S I LV E RAwarded to t i t les thatscore 9/10.

PlayStation E

B R O N Z EAwarded to t i t les thatscore 8/10.

4 X 4 E V O L U T I O N(Take 2/Terniinal Reality)F l a s h b u t s l a c k o f f - r o a d4x4 racer. Fai ls to make a

lasting Impression.Reviewed OPS2»06/Overal l 05

7 B L A D E S(Konami/KCEJjNinja-styled adventurewith a 'healthy' dose ofchopsocky gameplay.Reviewed OPS2Ji05/Overall 06

1 8 W H E E L E RlAcclaim/Sega/Acclaim Clieltenham)Brash, chunky and colourfultruck racer Unfortunately It justdoesn't offer enough substanceto satisfy the hardened gamer.Reviewed OPS2K14/0verall OS

A C E C O M B AT:D I S TA N T T H U N D E R(SCEE/NamcojBest Ace Combat yet. Agraphically-polished flight simwith a variety of missions.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overai i 07

AGE OF EMPIRES I I ; THEA G E O F K I N G S(Konaml/Mlcrosoft/Ensemble Studios/KCET)PC-style real-time strategy withgreat depth and longevity.Absolutely engrossing. If a touchd i f fi cu l t t o con t r o l .Reviewed OPS2#13/Overal l 07

A I R B L A D E^ (SCEE/Criterion)

Intricate visuals, sublimehandling, massive airs -everything you could wanthoverboanJing to be.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 08

A L L - S TA RB A S E B A L L 2 0 0 2tAcclalm/AcclalmStudios Austin)An enjoyable all-round game ofbaseball with oodles of depth,and surprisingly compelling towatch as well as to playReviewed OPS2#07/Overal l 07

A L O N E I N T H E D A R K :T H E N E W N I G H T M A R E(Infogrames/Darkworks)An undeniably scary survivalhorror game series, but one thatfalls to frighten the pants off theP S 2 i n t h i s c o m e b a c kReviewed OPS2#13/Overail 06

AQUA AQUA:W E T R i X 2 . 0(SCI/Zed Two)Addictive, well-realised updateof the N64 punier Wstrix.Reviewed OPS2#01/Overal l 07

A R C T I C T H U N D E R(Midway/Midway/Inland Productions)Crude visuals, but plenty of fastand furious gameplayReviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 07

A R M O R E D C O R E 2(Ubi Soft/From Software)infiniteiy-tweakable first-personm e c h s h o o t e rReviewed OPS2ii04/Overai l 07

A R M Y M E NA I R AT TA C K :B L A D E ' S R E V E N G EI3DO/3DO)Dullsville helicopter game.Reviewed OPS2#09/Overal l 02

A R M Y M E N ;G R E E N R O G U E(300/3DO)On-rails shooter that managesto plumb new depths ofsoldiering tedium.Rev iewed 0ps2#08 /0vc ra l l 01

A R M Y M E N :S A R G E ' S H E R O E S 2(3DO/3DO)Another poorly realised shooter,f rom the se r ies tha t s ta rs l i t t l egreen plastic soldiers.Reviewed OPS2#07/Overal l 03

AT V O F F R O A D(SCEE/Ralnbow Studios)Quad bike stunt racer withdubious pack Ai but morethan enough thrills.Reviewed OPS2#10/Overai l 06

. B A L D U R ' S G AT E :M DARK ALUANCE

(Interplay/Black Isle Studios)Piay Dungeons & Dragons indigital format. An RPG that doesthe PS2 great justice.Reviewed OPS2»15/0»erall OS

B A S S S T R I K EITHQ/PAI Corporation Ltd)Fishing on PS2? Yes that's rightGet out in the f resh a i r and doIt for real!Reviewed: OPS2#15/Overai l 04

B A T M A N V E N G E A N C ElUbl Soft/Ubi Soft)Interesting action adventure, butjust a little too 'on rails' toprovide a real challenge.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal i 06

B L O O D Y R O A R 3(Virgln/Hudsonsoft)Fur Fighters meets WWF in thisbeastly battler. A lot of fur, butnot quite enough bite.Reviewed 0PS2»09/0vera l l 06

^,BURNOUT^ lAcclaim/Criterion Studios)OutRun grows up, and learnshow to crash properly Thrilling,edgy race action that willthreaten your no claims bonus.Reviewed 0PS2»13/0vera l l 0<

^,CAPCOMM V S S N K 2

(Capcom Eurosoft/Capcom)A superb 2D beat-'em-up fromthe house that knows all therei s t o k n o w a b o u t c o m b a t . W i t hendless two-player fun.Reviewed OPS2#15/Overall 0>

C A R T F U R YC H A M P I O N S H I PR A C I N G(Midway/Midway)Arcade racer with crazy physicsand a dose of high-speed hardshoulderingReviewed OPS2#10/Overal l 06

C E r f T R E C O U R T:H A R D H I I T E R(Midas Interactive/Magical Company)Cheap, arcade-styie tennisgame. Fun Multiplayer option,b u t n o t m u c h e l s e .Reviewed OPS2#17/Overal l 04

C I T Y C R I S I S(Take 2/Syscom)Innovative helicopter adventurewith neat control system andbeautiful landscapes.Reviewed OF»S2#10/OveraH 06

C R A S H B A N D I C O O T:T H E W R AT H O F C O R T E X(Vivendi Universal/'n-aveller's Tales)Crash spins onto PS2 but littlehas changed from PSone.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal! 06

C R A Z Y TA X I(Acclaim/Sega/Acclaim)

Arcade thrills aplenty In thisno-holds-barred city-smashingracer If you want speed, buyt h i s n o w.Reviewed OPS2#07/Overall 08

C R I C K E T 2 0 0 2(EA Sports/EA Sports)

T h e b e s t l e a t h e r - o n - w i l l o w s i mon any console, ever Relax andm a k e l i k e i t ' s s u m m e r.Reviewed OPS2#15/OveraH 08

D A R K C L O U D(SCEE/Level 5)An enthralling RPG withatmospheric music and aworld-building element thrownin for good measure.Reviewed 0F»S2#l l /0veral l 07

D AV E M I R R AFREESTYLE BMX 2(Acclaim/Z-Axis)Orthodox but impressive, thisBMX s im has an i nven t i ve

array of tricks.Reviewed OPS2#12/Overall 07

DEAD OR AL IVE 2(SCEE/Tecmo)Blistering beat-'em-up that'sfamous for its stealthy gameplayand collection of extremely well-endowed lady fighters.Reviewed OPS2#02/Overal l 07

D E V I L M AY C R Y(Capcom Eurosoft/Capcom)

Melding rip-roaring battlingwith lush surroundings and asuperb gothic atmosphere.One of the best PS2 gamesyet? Definitely.Reviewed 0PS2#14/0vera l l 09

D I S N E T S D I N O S A U R(Ubi Soft/Ubi Soft)Poor movie spin-off. Dont inflictit on the kids.Reviewed OPS2#03/Overal l 04

D N A(Virgin Interactive/Hudsonsoft)Gene warfare and confusingpuzzles abound in this bizarremanga adventure.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 06

D O N A L D D U C K :QUACK ATTACK(Ubi Soft/Disney Interactive)A first-generation platformerthat suffers from Stone Agegamplay and graphics.Reviewed 0PS2#04/Overal l 04

D R A G O N ' S L A I R(Digital Leisure/Cinematronics)Unplayable retro adventure.Should have stayed firmly stuckon the Laser D isc where i tbelonged.Reviewed OPS2#D3/Overall 02

D R A G O N ' SL A I R I I : T I M E WA R P(Digital Leisure/Cinematronics)Painfully dull arcade sequel.Reviewed OPS2#03/OveraH 01

☆d

D R I V E N(BAMI Entertainment/BAM! Studios Europe)Poor racing game from a poorfi l m l i c e n c e .Reviewed: OPS2#15/Overal l 04

D R I V I N GE M O T I O N T Y P E - S(EA/Square)Dismal racer Falls to evoke anyemo t i on a t a l l .Reviewed OPS2#05/Overai l 04

☆DROPSHIP: UNITEDP E A C E F O R C E(SCEE/Studio Camden)Impressive combat sim thatr e w a r d s c o m m i t m e n t w i t hpaced and varied gameplayReviewed OPS2#16/Overall 08

D Y N A S T Y W A R R I O R S 2(Midas Interactive/KOEI)Epic battler mixing strategy,sword slashing, horse ridingand shooting people.Reviewed OPS2#02/Overai l 07

^ECCO THE, DOLPHIN :

D E F E N D E R O FT H E F U T U R E

ISCEE/Sega/Appaloosa)You're a dolphin and it's up toyou to save the world from anal ien invas ion. Relax In thenew age calm of thisu n d e n w a t e r a d v e n t u r e .Reviewed OPS2#16/Overalt 08

E P H E M E R A L FA N TA S I A(Konami/KCEJ East)Bemani-style RPG where pullingoff a guitar soloIs integral to the plot.Reviewed OPS2#10/Overali 07

^,ESCAPE FROMM MONKEY ISLAND(Actlvlsion/LucasArts)A d v e n t u r e t h a t I n c l u d e s s m a r t

visuals, witty script andintelligent puzzles.Reviewed OPS2#09/Overall 0«

E S P N I N T E R N A T I O N A LT R A C K & R E L D(Konami/KCEO)Graphically impressive athleticsSim marred only by iffy AI.Reviewed OPS2#01/Overal l 06

E S P N N A T I O N A LH O C K E Y N I G H TiKonami/KCEO)Other hockey sims on themarlset with better gameplayput this in the sin bin.Reviewed OPS2#05/Overal l oe

E S P N N B A 2 N I G H T(Konaml/KCEO)Hardcore gameplay mai<es thisone for basl(etball heads onlyReviewed OPS2#05/Overal l 06

E S P N X G A M E SS K AT E B O A R D I N G(Konami/KCEO)Not-vefy-extreme skateboardingSim with some unsightlygraphical glitches. You're bestoff sticking with Tony Hawk's.Reviewed OPS2#13/Ovcral l 05

E S P N W I N T E R X - G A M E SS N O W B O A R D I N G(Konami/KCEO)Lifelike snowboarder, ruined byunsightly bland graphics,unresponsive controls and al a c k o f e x c i t e m e n t .Reviewed OPS2#01/Overall 06

E T E R N A L R I N G(Ubi Soft/From Software)Unoriginal Japanese RPG.As painful as Its title.Rev iewed 0PS2#05/0vera l l 03

E V E R G R A C E(Ubi Soft/CiaveEntertainment/From Software)An ultimately depressingrole-playing game, that failsto engage the player at anymeaningful level.Rev iewed 0PS2#06/0vera l l 02

E V I L T W I N(Ubi Soft/ln-Utero)A d v e n t u r e f r o m t h e d a r k s i d e o f

platforming Average, far-from-perfect animation with 76 levelsof twisted plotReviewed OPS2#17/Overall Ofi

E X T E R M I N AT I O N(SCEE/Deep Space)A//en-inspired survival horror-fest that Is set in a desertedAn ta rc t i c r esea rch base .Positively crawling with cooldesign Innovations.Reviewed OPS2#08/Overal l 07

' EXTREME-GS

^ (Acclaim/Acclaim)A neon beas t o f a f u tu re b i keracer that requires skill anobrains. Takes some 'inspiration'from the WIpEout series. iVot fort h e f a i n t - h e a r t e d .Rev iewed 0PS2# l l / 0ve ra l l 0«

F 1 2 0 0 1(EA Sports/EA Sports)Another solid PlayStation 2Formula One title, but ultimatelyi t ' s a tad sou l lessReviewed OPS2#13/Overal l 07

F 1 C H A M P I O N S H I PS E A S O N 2 0 0 0(EA Sports/EA/Visual Sciences)Hardcore F1 fans w i l lfind this a little too easyRev iewed 0ps2#03 /0ve ra l l 06

F 1 R A C I N GC H A M P I O N S H I P(Video System/Ubi Soft)G o o d a t t e n t i o n t o d e t a i lbut a lot less fun than i ts

(many) competitors.Reviewed OPS2#06/Overall OS

F A N T A V I S I O N(SCEE/SCEI)The world's first fireworks game.Not enormous, but of rare andrandom beauty.Reviewed OPS2#01/OveraM 07

R F A 2 0 0 1(EA Sports/EA Sports Canada)Great graphics, but SecondDivision gameplayReviewed OPS2#02/Overal l 0«

H F A 2 0 0 2(EA Sports/EA Sports Canada)Despite admirableimprovements, this is still a goaldown to P ro Evo lu t i on .Reviewed 0PS2#14/0veral l 07

A - F O R M U L AO N E 2 0 0 1

(SCEE/Studio Uverpool)Still the best F1 game to reachthe PS2 yet. All the drivers,t r a c k s a n d c a r s I n c l u d e d . L o a dit up and feel the speed.Reviewed OPS2#07/Overa!t 08

.40 Play5tation>2

S I X o pb h e b e s b

b n e s h a r

1 . S M U G G L E R S R U NThis deleriousiy enjoyable contraband andcops game plays like a particularly Insaneepisode of Dukes Of Hazzard wltti all fourwiieels off ttie ground. Hugely fun In Single-Player mode this game gets even betterwith a MultlTap and mates.^Smuggler's Run /s OLrt now from Rockstar Gomes

2. MADDENN F L 2 0 0 1The gridiron choice forvirtual sports fanseverywhere Madden Isextremely playable. Ascomplete as you'll everneed, all that's agedare the team rosters.•Madden NFL 2001 Is outnow fmm EA Sports

3 . S S XThe daddy of extremesnowboarders can stillcut it on the slopes.Far from being Just aquality launch title SSXis better than a largenumber of PS2 gamesout there a year on.•SSX Is out now from EA

Sports Big

4 . T l M E S P L r r T E R SSuperlative FPS thatboasts Inventon andpryotechnic mayhemIn equal measures. TheMultiplayer modes arethe main draw, but thesingle-player story Iscracking fun too.'TimeSplttters /s out nowfrom Eidos

5 . T E K K E N TA GT O U R N A M E N TFor now this still packsmons punch than anyo t h e r P S 2 b e a t - ' e m -

up. Great to look atand difficult to master,this is a must forhardcore fight fans.Tekken Tag Tournament Is

out now from SCEE

6 . S H A D O W O FM E M O R I E SThis time-shiftingwhodunnit adventurereplaces gory horrorwith an unsettlingatmosphere and aserpentine plot Aslow burning gem.*Siiadow Of Memories Isout now from KoriomI

F R E A K O U T(Swingl/Treasure)Unique cartoon action-adventure witti a kookyJapanese twist. Grab enemiesw i t h a b e w i t c h e d s c a r f .Reviewed OPS2#12/Overal l 07

, F U RR G H T E R S

(Acclaim/Bizarre Creations)Cute fluffy creatures armed totiie teetii with shotguns blasteach other to pieces. The toycupboard wili never lookinnocent again.Reviewed OPS2#08/Overa}{ 08

G A U N T L E T:D A R K L E G A C Y(Midway/Midway East Games)A linear RPG that unfortunatelycomes off as a pale imitation ofit's coin-op ancestorReviewed OPS2#08/Overal l 05

G I A N T S :C I T I Z E N K A B U T O(Interplay/Planet Moon)The Reaper might be cooi, butioading times hamper this portof a compiex PC battle game.Reviewed; OPS2#15/Overal l 06

G I F T(Cryo Interactive/Ekosystem)New take on the 3D platformer,but iets its French imaginationget in the way of its gamepiayReviewed OPS2#10/Overai l 06

G L O B A L T O U R I N GC H A L L E N G E : A F R I C A(Rage/Rage Warrington)An Impressive racer that isfurther lifted by clever use ofinteresting locations.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal i 07

G R A D I U S I I I & I V(Konami/KCET)Du l l 2D a rcade shoo te r. MorePSone than next-gen.Reviewed OPS2#01/Overall 02

G R A N D T H E F TA U TO I I I

(Rockstar Games/DMA Design)The original crim sim goes 3D.The game has its flaws, butthere's nothing else quite assicK inventive and funny on theshelves. Buy It.Reviewed OPS2#13/OveraHO«

G R A N T U R i ^ OA - S P £ C

(SCEE/Polyphony Digital)If you didn't know already, GT3is the greatest driving game inthe world. Buy it now.Rev iewed 0ps2#09 /0vera l l 09

G - S U R F E R S(Midas Interactive/Blade Interactive)Futuristic racer that's improvedby an innovative track editorReviewed OPS2#13/Overal l 07

G U I LT YG E A R X

(Virgin/Sammy)Pushes hard at beat-'em-upboundar ies . The s tar t o f a newwave of next-gen 20 fighters.Reviewed OPS2#16/Overall 08

G U N G R I F F O N B L A Z E(Swingl/GameArts)A mech shoo te r f o r r obo tobsessives everywhere.Reviewed OPS2#03/Overall 07

H 3 0 S U R H N G(Take 2/ASCII)Inadequate surf sim, althoughthe wa te r ' s we l l rea l i sed .Rev iewed 0p$2#02/0vera l l 04

H A L F - U F E(Vivendi Universal/Valve/Gearbox)

The award-winning PC first-person shooter/adventurearrives on PS2 in resplendentform. An essential purchase,Reviewed OPS2#14/Ovoral i 09

H E A D H U N T E R(SCEE/Amuze)Dirty Horry meets MGS2 ina wor l d whe re t he l aw i scontrolled by bounty hunters.There's a great game heresomewhere, but we only gotglimpses of it.Reviewed OPS2#16/Overal l 07

H E R O E S O F M I G H TA N D M A G I C(3DO/3DO)Patchy PC-style adventure.Rev iewed 0ps2#08 /0vera l l 03

H O L O G R A MT I M E T R AV E L L E R(Digital Leisure/Sega)it may be called a 'classic' butavoid this like the plague.Reviewed OPS2#03/Overal l 00

I N T E R N A T I O N A LL E A G U E S O C C E R(Eon DigitalEntertainment/Taito)Easily one of the worst footysims ever to grace the PS2.Reviewed OPS2#10/Overal l 02

I N T E R N A T I O N A LS U P E R S TA RS O C C E R

(Konami/KCEO)Genuine squads and moreinstant terrace gratification take/SS up to the PS2 level.Reviewed OPS2#01/Ovof,M{ 08

J A K m nD A X r E R : T H EP R E C U R S O Rl £ G A C Y

(SCEE/Naughty Dog)A brilliant platformer from them a k e r s o f C r a s h B a n d i c o o tintroduces two heroes you'll beseeing a lot more of.Reviewed OPS2#15/Overa» 09

J A M E S B O N D0 0 7 I N . . . A G E N TU N D E R R R E

(EA/EA Redwood Shores)A thrilling single-player Bondexperience, with a great Four-Player mode and beautifulleading ladies. Almost on a parwith N64's GoldenEye.Reviewed OPS2#15/Overal l 08

J E R E M Y M c G R A T HS U P E R C R O S S W O R L D(Acclaim/AcclaimStudios Salt Lake)A motocross game that's justlike the real thing (minus therealism, thrills, speed, grittyhandling and mud).Reviewed OPS2#16/Overal l 03

J E T S K I R I D E R S(Eidos/Opus Corporation)Grea t wa te r e f f ec t s andKawasak i - l i censed Je t Sk i s .Shame about the averageracing, though.Reviewed: OPS2#15/Overall 06

K E N G O : M A S T E RO F B U S H I D O(Ubi Soft/UghtWeight)A padded-out Training modemakes up for this smart ninjafighter's otherwise ratherl i m i t e d n a t u r e .R e v i e w e d 0 p s 2 # 0 7 / 0 v e r a l l 0 6

K E S S E N(Electronic Arts/KOEI)A real-time strategy game setin feudal Japan, where youget to command a hugearmy. Initially confusing,potentially enthralling.Rev iewed 0ps2#04 /0vera l l 07

K L 0 N 0 A 2 :L U N A T E A ' S V a L

(SCEE/Namco)Cute and cheerful platformerfeaturing the lovable glove-eared blue cat-rabbit hybrid.Reviewed OPS2#13/OveraH 08

K N O C K O U TK I N G S 2 0 0 1(EA Sports/EA Sports)A more-than-competent boxingSim. Not good enough to earnits royal status, though,Reviewed OPS2#05/Overai l 06

K U R I K U R I M I X(Empire/From Software)A blend of two-player cooperation and cutesy platformerA n o d d b u t w o r t h w h i l e a d d i t i o nto any PS2 collection.Reviewed OPS2#07/Overal l 07

L E G E N D S O FW R E S T L I N G(Acclaim/Acclaim)'Violent ballet' with a shortageof modes and options. Finerecreation of Pro wrestlingReviewed OPS2#17/Overal l 05

L E G O R A C E R S 2(Lego Software/ATD)It's a Lego racer. Build cars andcharacters (using virtual Lego),then race them. Very average -give us more bricks!Reviewed OPS2#14/Overall 05

L E M A N S2 4 H O U R S

(Infogrames/Melbourne House)Accessible for the gamerwho's daunted by ultra-accurateSim-Style vehicle handling, buthas depth and thrills ina b u n d a n c e .Reviewed OPS2#09/o.".^-i;< 08

L O T U S C H A L L E N G E(Virgin Interactive/Kuju)With a whole back catalogue ofbranded cars, it's a Lotus fan'sdream. It's just a shame theirspeed isn't conveyed.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 05

M A D D E NN F L 2 0 0 1

(EA Sports/EA Sports)A rewarding and complete NFLgame, Could convert non-believers to the sport.Reviewed 0PS2#01/o, .. raH 08

M A D D E NN F L 2 0 0 2

(EA Sports/EA Sports)Exemplary American footballtitle with a pristine pedigree.Virtually faultless, aside frombeing just another yearlyupdate of a franchise. Go buylReviewed OPS2#13/Ovefail 09

M A G I X M U S I C M A K E R(Fast Trak/Magix)Music creation game withloads of sounds and a freakyVideo Editing mode. Crispsamples, professional sound,but not enough scope forindividual creativity.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overal l 06

M D K 2A R M A G E D D O N

(Interplay/BioWare)Originally a game on Dreamcastand PS, this third-person actionshooter in space has lostnothing in translation. Has threeplayable characters and isdest ined to be a cu l t c lass ic .Rev iewed 0ps2#07 /0vera i l 08

(Konami/KCEJ)A must-own, state-of-the-artTactical Espionage action gamethat's reason enough to buy aPS2. A superbly paced,surprising story with intelligencea n d s o u l . U n b e a t a b l e s o u n d a n dgraphics - a benchmark forfu ture PS2 t i t les .Reviewed OPS2#17/

M I D N I G H T C L U B(Rockstar/Angel Studios)Speedy, urban racing, thatboasts huge and action-packed New York and Londonenvironments. Sadly, thegamepiay ain't that great.Reviewed OPS2#01/Overal l 04

M O D E R N G R O O V E :M I N I S T R Y O F S O U N D(Ubi Soft/Moderngroove)An entertaining lightshowgenerator, containing five fulld a n c e a l b u m s ,R e v i e w e d 0 P S 2 # l l / 0 v e r a l l 0 6

MONSTERS, INC(SCEE/Disney Interactive)Disney Platform game, basedon the film, initially amusingbut sloppy and basic with alife span of no more than afew hours, though the film clipsare entertaining.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overall 04

M O T O G P(SCEE/Namco)Gran Turismo on two wheels?Ish. A fantastic motorbike simthat rewards repeated playReviewed OPS2#03/Overal l 07

M O T O G P 2(3DO/3DO)A refreshing bike racer Slightlyrepetitive gamepiay and ashallow multiplayer, but slick,fas t and rea l i s t i c . Exce l len t 3D

graphics and race replay facility.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overal i 07

M O T O R M A Y H E M(Infogrames/Beyond Games)Unoriginal deathmatch-basedvehicle blasting.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overal l 05

M T V M U S I CG E N E R AT O R 2

(Codemasters/Jester)Home DJ sample/mixerm u s i c m a k e r. I t ' s e n o r m o u s f u nand nigh-on faultless. This isexciting and well put together -pick it up and start making youro w n c h o o n s !Reviewed OPS2#08/Overan OS Ld

PlayStation.E 14:

c n e s n a r

F] MX 2002 FEATURINGR I C K Y C A R M I C H A E L(THQ/PacifIc Coast Power)Polished and engagingm o t o r c r o s s s i m t h a t u t i l i s e s I t ssubject matter to great effect.Reviewed: OPS2#12/Overai i 07

M X R I D E R(Infogrames/Paradigm)Motocross/supercross simthat lacks the true grittinessand excitement of the sport.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overal l 06

N B A H O O P Z(Midway/Eurocom)Instant arcade-styled basl<etballs i m b u t t h e r e a r e b e t t e r o n e so n t h e s t r e e t .Rev iewed: 0ps2#06/0vera l l 06

N B A U V E 2 0 0 1(EA Sports/EA Sports Canada)Solid and playable. Thrills arethin on the ground, though.Rev iewed: 0ps2#05/0vera l l 06

N B A U V E 2 0 0 2(EA Sports/EA Sports Canada)An update of NBA Live 2001?Only for true basketball nuts.Reviewed: OPS2#15/Overal l 06

N B A S T R E E T(EA Sports BIg/EA Sports)Great looks, great to play, butno t wha t mos t w i l l wan t . The re ' sroom for Improvement.R e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 1 0 / O v e r a l l 0 6

NFL QUARTERBACKC L U B

(Acclaim/AcclaimStudios Austin)American football game thathas unique features, butunable to compete withMadden 2002.Reviewed OI>S2#13/Overall 08

N H L 2 0 0 1(EA Sports/

EA Sports Canada)EA Sports' perennial Icehockey licence that hits themark. As JamleOliver mightsay, "Pucka!"Rev iewed 0ps2#02 /0vera i i 08

N H L 2 0 0 2(EA Sports/

EA Sports Canada)The definitive Ice hockeyvideogame, and a markedimprovement on NHL 2001.R e v i e w e d 0 P S 2 # 1 4 / 0 v e r a l l 0 8

N H L H I T Z 2 0 0 2(Midway/Black Box)A satisfying, if short-lived,arcade-style Ice hockey game.Reviewed 0PS2#14/0ver3 l l 06

N Y R A C E(Wanadoo/Kalisto)Average future taxi racer,based on the opening sequenceof Luc Besson ' sscl-fi epic The Fifth ElementNothing Crazy to see here.Reviewed 0PS2#14/0veral l 05

O N I(Rockstar/Bungie Software)N e w c h a r a c t e r a n i m a t i o n i nan enjoyable third-personscl-fi romp.Reviewed OPS2#05/Overal l 07

O N I M U S H A :W A R L O R D S

(Capcom/Capcom)Impressive survival horror thatlets the PlayStation 2 run hot.Does suffer from an Iffy PALconversion, though.Reviewed OPS2#09/OveraH 08

O P E R A T I O N W I N B A C K(Midas Interactive/KOEI)Lacks variety, but still managesto be an enjoyable stealthshooter, nevertheless.Reviewed OPS2#07/Overal l 06

O R P H E N(Activision/Shade Inc)Disappointing anime-insplredJapanese RPG.Reviewed OPS2#01/Overai l 04

PA R A P PA T H ER A P P E R 2(SCEE/NanaOn-sha)Rhythm action game fromJapan In which you play arapping dog. Simple butcompelling gameplay. Short lifespan and only really worthrevisiting for nostalgia,Reviewed OPS2#17/Overal l 07

PA R I S - D A K A R R A L LY(Acclaim/Broadsword Interactive)B a s e d o n t h e r a c e o f t h e s a m e

name, this sim does little toInspire interestReviewed OP$2#13/Overal l 05

P E N N Y R A C E R S(Midas/Takara)A half-baked and underfed GT3,with just a few good tracks tor e c o m m e n d I t .R e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 1 4 / O v e r a l l 0 4

P O L A R O I D P E T E(JVC/lrem)Coated in Japanese weirdness,this side-scrolling photo sim is ad e fi n i t e c u l t h i t .Reviewed OPS2#16/Overal l 07

P O U C E 2 4 / 7(Konami/KCET)Basic cop-shot light gun gamewith motion capture option.Fran t i c and fas t bu t l acksstructure and individuality. Justanother on-ralls shoot-'em-up.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overall 05

P O O L M A S T E R(Take 2/Ask)Dull pool sim, despite some tidyball physics.Rev iewed 0ps2#02 /0vera l l 05

P O R TA L R U N N E R(3DO/3DO)Vlkki, of Army Men notoriety,gets her own title. It's theb e s t o f a b a d b u n c h .Reviewed OPS2#13/Overal i 05

P R O E V O L U T I O NS O C C E R

(Konami/Konami TYO)Konaml TYO updates l$SP r o E v o l u t i o n a n d c r e a t e s t h ebest PS2 football sim yet.Reviewed OPS2#14/ ;verail 09

P R O J E C T E D E N(Eidos/Core Design)

Look beyond some not-greatvisuals and you'll lose weeks tothis complex and satisfying first-person shooter/adventure.Reviewed OPS2#12/Overal i 08

QUAKE III(EA/id & Bullfrog)

In four-player, this FPS isthe best multiplayer yet. Atechnical tour de force, it runslike greased lightning and looksabsolutely gorgeous.Reviewed OPS2#06/averal i 09

R A Y M A N M(Ubi Soft/Ubi Studios France)Based primarily on multiplayeraction. Some good Ideas, butthe gameplay Is nothing new.Reviewed: OF»S2#15/Overall 06

R A Y M A NR E V O L U T I O N

(Ubi Soft/Ubi Soft)Animation-quality graphicselevate this classic platformerstarring a disjointed hero. A titleworthy of PS2.Reviewed OPS2#02/OveraH 08

RC REVENGE PRO(Acclaim/Acclaim Cheltenham)A distinct lack of anydiscernable speed makes thisa n a v o i d a b l e k a r t r a c e rReviewed OPS2#02/Overal l 03

R E A D Y 2 R U M B L E :R O U N D 2(Midway/Midway)A marvellous, arcade-basedcomedy boxing game, pittingridiculous cartoon fightersagainst each otherReviewed OPS2#01/Overal l 07

R E D FA C T I O N(THQ/Volition)

Ace first-person shooter thatmelds MGS-style tactics and theall-out blasting of the hallowedQuoke III. Marred only by someaverage level design.Reviewed OPS2#08/Overal i 08

R E S I D S m *E V I L C O D E :V E R O N I C A X

(Capcom Eurosoft/Capcom)A captivating story, cinematicatmosphere, kinetic action,frights, thrills and copiousamounts of blood-letting, Give Into Its disgustingly depravedclutches. You know you want to.Reviewed OPS2#10/0veraH 09

R E Z(SCEE/Sega (UGA))

Fight computer viruses fromwithin the system. Exploring therelationship between sound andco lou r t h i s t echno shoo te rprovides pure gameplayReviewed OPS2#16/. /erail 09

RIDGE RACER V(SCEE/Namco)A popular racer, but high hopeswere scuppered by the limitedsize and a lack of originality.Rev iewed 0ps2#01/0vera l l 07

R I N G O F R E D(Konami/KCE)

A mech RTS tha t ' s fun?Oh yes. A must-buy for thediscerning robo-fetishistafter something different.R e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 0 7 / O v e r a t l 0 8

R O B O T W A R L O R D S(Midas Interactive/DaZZ)Many other superior mechgames make this redundantin a somewhat minority genrein the UK,R e v i e w e d 0 p s 2 # 0 6 / 0 v e r a t l 0 4

g l o s s a r yJust got your PS2? It'syour first console everand you've bought thebest magazine to givethe iastest and most up-t o - d a t e i n f o r m a t i o n ? B u td o n ' t h a v e a c l u e v * h a twe're going on about?Well, without wanting topatronise those gamersw h o ' v e b e e n r o u n dsince the ZX Spectrumby spelling out themeaning of gamingterms and acronyms Int h e r e i v e w sand previews, here'syour 'at a glance'guide to ali things PS2a n d t e c h n i c a l .

Afterbum; An extra kickof power in flight sims.Al; Artificial Intelligence.Analogue: Re: DualShock 2. Registeringdegrees of Input, asopposed to digital'son/off status.Boarders; Snowboardersor games featuring thealpine sport.Coin-op; Coin-operatedarcade videogames.Cut-scene: Explanatory,non playable scene invideogame (also 'FMV).C P U : C e n t r a l P r o c e s s o rUn i t . B ra ins o f PS2.Dev kits; ProgrammablePS2s used by developers.D-pad: Direction pad on

P S 2 c o n t r o l l e rOuat Shock contro l lerC o n t r o l l e r f o r P S o n e .D u a l S h o c k 2 :Controller designed forPS2 (with analogue).ECTS: EuropeanComputer Trade Show.E 3 : E l e c t r o n i cEntertainment Expo (US).F r a m e r a t e : N u m b e r o f

images drawn persecond in games. Higherf r a m e r a t e = s m o o t h e ra n i m a t i o n .^ S : F i r s t - P e r s o nShooter (eg Quake ll/l.Hack 'n' slash: Refersto game (usually fantasy)featuring blade combatHigh res: High

resolution (graphics).HUD: Head Up Display.S c r e e n f u r n i t u r e s u c h a smap, speedometer etc.Iconography: Graphicalshorthand defininggame, genre etc.Low res: Refers to poorquialty graphics.L3: Pressing down ont h e P S 2 c o n t n D l l e i ^ sleft joystick.Mini-games: Bonus,playable games found inlarger titles.Polygon: Building blockof videogame graphics.PSone: The precursor toPS2. If you dont knowwhat this is then franklythere's no hope for you.

Real-time: When onesecond of game timeequals one second Int h e r e a l w o r l d .RPG: Role-playing gameRTS: Real-time strategyR3: Pressing down ont h e P S 2 c o n t r o l l e r ' sright joystick.S i m : S i m u l a t i o n .Strafe: Move sidewayswhile looking straight.U S B : P o r t t o c o n n e c tperipherals such askeyboard to PS2.

□If there's a term, wordor phrase that's stilltaxing your brain cells,let us know and we'lli n c l u d e i t h e r e .

R O B O T W A R S(BBC Multimedia/Climax)TV show tie-ins rarely work. Thisc o u l d h a v e b e e n a w h o l e l o tbetter Stick to watching the real' b o t b a t t l e s i n s t e a d .Reviewed OPS2#14/Overall 05

R U G B Y(EA Sports/Creative Assembly)so far the only PS2 game torepresent this sport. More akinto Madden than F IFA in

approach, a highly enjoyableand refined take on the sport.EA Sports does It again,Reviewed OPS2#08/OveraH 08

, r u m b l e r a c i n g(EA/EA)

Fas t and f u r i ous a r cade s t un tracer that has tons of challengeand replay value, especially InTwo-Player mode. Full of totallyInsane courses to put youthough you paces.Reviewed OPS2#08/Overai l 08

R U N E :V I K I N G W A R L O R D(Take 2/Human Head)A Viking slash-'em-up thats h o u l d h a v e b e e n c o n fi n e d t othe Dark Ages.R e v i e w e d 0 P S 2 # l l / 0 v e r a l l 0 4

S A LT L A K E 2 0 0 2(Eidos/Attention To Detail)Well-presented Winter Olympicsgame. Decent weather effectsand well-defined athletes, butthe majority of events are rathertedious. Not much variety and alimited life span.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overal l 05

V^SHADOWO F M E M O R I E S

(Konami/KCET)Filmic adventure that keepsthe surprises coming with aserpentine plot.Rev iewed 0ps2#05 /0vera l l 08

S H A U N PA U V I E R ' SP R O S N O W B O A R D E R(Activislon/Dearsoft)Basically Tony Hawk's on snow.It's an exhilarating sport, but thegameplay is unimaginative andthe controls sluggish.R e v i e w e d : O P S 2 # 1 5 / O v e r a l l 0 6

^SILENT HILL 2\ (Konami/KCET

Team Silent)One of the most atmosphericand genuinely frightening titleson PS2. Like all of your worstnightmares rolled in to onerelentless videogame.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overal1 08

S I L E N T S C O P E(Konami/KCEO)

Slick but simple shootinggallery-style game whereyou play a police sniper Agreat launch title that we'restill playingReviewed OF»S2#01/Overall 08

S I L E N T S C O P E 2(Konami/Konami TVO)A worthwhile update of thisarcade sniper sim, though theformula Is looking tired now.Rev iewed 0PS2# l4 /0vera l l 07

S I L P H E E D : T H EL O S T P L A N E T(Swingl/Treasure/GameArts)Tedious top-down shooter thats h o u l d n ' t b e o n P S 2 .Rev iewed 0ps2#03 /0ve ra l l 03

.K (J

S I R A L E XF E R G U S O N ' S P L AY E RM A N A G E R 2 0 0 2(3DO/Anco)Adept footy management sim,but lacks the killer goal.Reviewed OPS2#12/Overa(l 06

;.SKY ODYSSEYI (SCEE/Cross for SCEI)

A flight sim where - somewhatunusually - you dont have toshoot anything just completecrazy missions.Reviewed OF»S2#06/Overalt OS

S K Y S U R F E R(Virgin Interactive/Idea Factory)Whoever thought that jumpingout of a plane attached to aboard would make a good games h o u l d b e s h o t .Rev iewed 0ps2#04/0vera l l O: )

S M U G G L E R ' S R U N(Rockstar/Angel Studios)Mission-based fun in which youescape from the cops with atrunkload of booty. Impressivefree-roaming environments.Reviewed OPS2#01/OveraH 07

S M U G G L E R ' S R U N 2 :H O S T I L E T E R R I TO R I E S(Rockstar/Angel Studios)Impressively big, fast and frantic,bu t no t much d i f f e ren t t o i t spredecessorReviewed: OF»S2#15/Overall 07

S O U L R E AV E R 2(Eidos Interactive/Crystal Dynamics)Soul-sucking fantasy adventuret h a t r e v o l v e s a r o u n d t h eexploits of Raziel and his hugeSou l Reaver sword .Reviewed OPS2#14/OveraH 07

S PA C E A C E(Digital Leisure/Cinematronics)Horrific and ancient arcado port.The original was cool. This Isn't,Reviewed OPS2#04/Overatl 01

S PA C E R A C E(3DO/3DO)The ca r toon Kar t race r In i t ssimplest form. Lacks origlralityand is a poor Mario Kart np-off.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overal l 05

S P L A S H D O W N(Infogrames/Rainbow Studios)Above-average Sea-Doo racer,with Impressive water effects.The racing Is sluggish, though.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 07

S P Y H U N T E R(Midv^ray/Paradigm)

P r e t e n d t o b e J a m e s B o n oCaptures the spirit of theoriginal game and adds furthershiny next-gen knobs.Reviewed OPS2#12/Overati OS

S S X(EA Sports Big/EA Sports Canada)

I n v e n t i v e r a i n b o w - c o l o u r e chigh-speed snowboard gamepacked with crazy courses andc r a z i e r c h a r a c t e r s .Reviewed OPS2#01/OveraH 0?

S S X T R I C K Y(EA Sports Big/EA Sports Canada)

The sequel to the PS2's sleeperhit is now bigger and betterN e w c o u r s e s I n c l u d e d !Reviewed OPS2#15/OveraH

142 PlayStation.E

d a b a b a s eCan't get hold of one of the games inThe ShortList? Something gone wrong?N e e d t o c h e c k a r e l e a s e d a t e ? H e r e ' s t h edefinitive list of all the UK PS2 publishers.

STAR WARS:S T A H R O H T I R

(Activision/LucasArtsjMesmerising 3D Stor Warsblaster with engaging missionsand film-perfect sound effects.Reviewed OPS2#06/OveraH 09

S TA R WA R S : S U P E RB O M B A D R A C I N G(Activision/Lucas Learning)Bana l ca r toon ka r t race r. TheForce Is weak wi th th is one.Reviewed OPS2#08/Overal l 05

S T R E E T H G H T E R E X 3(Capcom Eurosoft/Arika)A decent enough cult 2D/3Dbat t le r Has i t s devou t fans .Rev iewed 0ps2#03 /0vera l l 06

S T U N T G P(Virgin Interactive/Team 17)Prac t i ce ca r s tun ts w i t hr e m o t e - c o n t r o l i e d c a r s . Agood idea that's sadly ratherpoorly realised.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 03

S U M M O N E R(THQ/Volition)

Although confined to strict RPGplot confines, this is anentertaining spectacle withexpert storytelling.Reviewed OF»S2#04/OveraH 08

S U P E R B U S r - A - M O V E(Acclaim/Taito)Another update of a classicgame, but a pointless one asit adds nothing original to thetimeless gameplay.Reviewed OPS2#02/Overal l 04

S U P E R C A R S T R E E TC H A L L E N G E(Activision/Exakt)A by-the-book arcade racinggame round desolate cities.Nothing to recommend it.Reviewed 0PS2#14/0veral l 04

S W I N G A W A Y G O L F(EA Sports/T&E Soft)Cutesy PSone golf sImthat's let down by a poorPS2 conve rs i on .Reviewed OPS2#02/Overall 03

TA R Z A N F R E E R I D E(Ubi Soft/Disney Interactive)Based on a Disney film of thesame name, this tries to bedifferent with 'surfing" treebranches, but it doesn't work.Reviewed OPS2#16/Overali 04

T E K K E N T A GT O U R N A M E N T

(SCEE/Namco)Fantastically playable andgraphically spectacular beat-'em-up. The tagging movesshould keep the Tekken faithfulhappy until the next 'propefi n s t a l m e n t r e a c h e s t h e s h e l v e s .Meanwhile, keep your eyespeeled for Tekken 4.Reviewed 0ps2#01/0ver ; i l t 08

TEST DRIVE :O F F R O A D W I D E O P E N(Infogrames/Angel Studios)A tidy but limited offroadracer, from the makers ofSmuggler's Run.Reviewed 0PS2#14/0vera l l 08

TG DARE DEVIL(Kemco/Papaya Studios)M i s s i o n - b a s e d r e t r o c a r r a c e rthat fails to provide innovationo r e x c i t e m e n t .Rev iewed 0ps2#02/0vera) l 05

T H E B O U N C E R(SCEE/Squaresoft)A fun, accessible brawlerwhose adventuring elementsare fairly limited.Reviewed OPS2#09/Overall 06

T H E F U N T S F O N E S I NV I VA R O C K V E G A S(Swing! Entertainment/Toka)Stone Age karting actionbased on the t i t u l a r fi lm l i cence .Ya b b a d a b b a . . .Actually, don't. EverRev iewed 0PS2# l l / 0ve ra l l 02

T H E M U M M Y R E T U R N S(Vivendi Universal/Blitz Games)Sub-standard, adventure-basedmov ie t i e - in . You ' re be t te r

sticking to the more reliableTo m b R a / d e r c o l l e c t i o n .Reviewed 0PS2#14/0ver3l l 05

T H E S I M P S O N S :R O A D R A G E(EA/Radical Entertainment)It's Crazy Taxi but with Bart andH o m e r b e h i n d t h e w h e e l .Reviewed: OPS2#15/Overall 06

T H E W E A K E S T U N K(Activision/Activision)You'll get more enjoymentplaying along with the TV showthan you will from putting upwith the viper-tongued AnneR o b i n s o n . W i t c h .Reviewed OPS2#14/Overall 04

T H E M E PA R K W O R L D(EA/Bullfrog)Take on the ro le o f a themepark tycoon for a day In thisengaging god sim, wherepleasing the crowds and gettingthose turnstyles a-spinnin' isyour prime directive.Rev iewed 0ps2#03/0vera l l 07

T H I S I SF O O T B A L L 2 0 0 2(SCEE/Team SoHo)An atmospheric and playableadd i t ion to a rev ived ser ies .Reviewed OPS2#12/Overall 07

T H U N D E R H A W K :O P E R AT I O N P H O E N I X(Eidos/Core Design]A brave attempt to blendarcade and sim with choppers.Reviewed OPS2#12/Overall 07

T I G E R W O O D SP G A T O U R 2 0 0 1(EA Sports/EA Sports)Authentic golf sim, a tadundermined by a randomcontrol system.Reviewed OPS2#06/Overal l 06

T I M E C R I S I S 2(SCEE/Namco)

PS2's first on-rails light gun titlese ts the s tanda rd fo r o the rs tofollow. Has a great Two-playerco-op mode.Reviewed OF»S2#13/Overalt 08

n M E S P L i T T E R S(Eldos/Free

Radical Design)Fun, fast, frantic and Inventivefirst-person shooter Buy it forthe addictive split-screenmultiplayer madness.Reviewed OPS2#01/ ueral l 09

T O K Y OX T R E M E R A C E R(Crave/Ubi Soft/Genki)Sedate, and thus dull, racerRev iewed 0PS2# l l / 0ve raH 04

T O N Y H A W K ^ S P R OS K A T E R S

(Activision/Neversoft)F a n t a s t i c s k a t e s i m t h a t ' s

perfect to play whether you'vegot two minutes or two hoursto spare. Notable for being thefirst PAL game to have onlinenetwork play, too.Reviewed OPS2#15/Overall OS

T O P G U N(Virgin Interactive/Digital Integrations)A flight sim that seems to havebeen designed by people whohave never even seen a plane. Afew a rcade th r i l l s .Reviewed OPS2#14/0veral l 04

- T W I S T E D> METAL: BLACK

(SCEE/lncognito)On a post-nuclear-war planet,i t ' s t ime to d r i ve a round inf r e n z i e d v e h i c l e - b a s e dhedonism. This is everythingthat you'd expect a TwistedMetal game to be on PS2 - andt h e n s o m e .Reviewed OPS2#12/Overal! 08

U E FA C H A L L E N G E(Infogrames/lnfogrames)Everything that could go wrongin a football game, handilycompiled In a single title.Rev iewed 0ps2#10/0vera l l 02

U E F A C H A M P I O N SL E A G U E S E A S O N2 0 0 1 / 2 0 0 2(Take 2/Silicon Dreams)The balance of play and fluidanimation isn't defined enoughin this footy game.Reviewed OPS2#16/OveraH 07

. U N R E A LT O U R N A M E N T

(Infogrames/Epic Games)A satisfyingly gory, totally over-the-top and immensely playablefirst-person shooterReviewed OPS2#04/()Vf;ra!i 08

V I C T O R I O U S B O X E R S(Empire Interactive/ESP)Offbeat, story-based Japaneseboxing title that sadly lacksthe killer punch.R e v i e w e d 0 P S 2 # l l / 0 v e r a l t 0 4

W A C K Y R A C E SS TA R R I N G D A S TA R D LYA N D M U T T L E Y(Infogrames/lnfogrames)Misty-eyed fans of the TV serieswi l l l ove the v isua ls . A shamethe game isnt all that great.Rev iewed 0ps2#09 /0v6ra l l 06

W A L T D I S N E T S J U N G L EB O O K G R O O V E PA R T Y(Ubi Soft/Disney Interactive)The game guaranteed to get todancing round your living rooml ike a loon .Reviewed OPS2#08/0veral l 04

W A R R I O R S O FM I G H T A N D M A G I C(3DO/3DO)D r e a d f u l n o n - a d v e n t u r e / R P Gwith nothing to recommend it.Rev iewed 0ps2#07 /0vera l l 03

W H O W A N T S T OB E A M I L U O N A I R E ? 2 N DE D I T I O N(Eidos/Revolution)Scaiy animation of Tarrant andeasy questions make this achore . Tha t i s our fina l answerReviewed: OPS2#15/Overall 04

W I L D W I L D R A C I N G(Rage/Rage)Off-road buggy-racing gamewith Initially discouraginghandling. Stick with it, though,a n d t h e S t u n t m o d e c a nbecome quite addictive.Rev iewed 0ps2#01 /0vera l l 06

■ FUSION

(SCEE/Studio Uverpool)Style and substance are here inthe most fully realised W/pEoutyet. This future racer is as smartand extreme as it gets. With acracking soundtrack.Reviewed OPS2#16/Over3H 09

W O O D Y W O O D P E C K E R :E S C A P E F R O M B U Z ZB U Z Z A R D ' S PA R K(3DO/3DO)Unoriginal Platform adventurewith a friendly cartoon look andsolid, brightly coloured graphics.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overal i 03

W O R L DM C H A M P I O N S H I P

S N O O K E R 2 0 0 2(Codemasters/Blade)Extremely playable snooker simthat may convert sceptics. Takepart In the all-star tournamentplaying as Hendry or Doherty.Incerdlbly playable.Rev iewed OPS2# l l /Ov i im i l 08

W O R L DD E S T R U C T I O N L £ A G U E :T H U N D E R T A N K S(3DO/3DO)Arcade tank sim that's brilliantin Four-Player Deathmatchmode. Lacks lasting appeal inOne-Player mode, though.Rev iewed 0ps2#05 /0vera l l 07

W O R L D D E S T R U C T I O NL E A G U E : W A R J E T Z(3DO/3DO)P l a n e - b a s e d f u t u r e w a r b a t t l e s .Looks like an average PSonegame, though.Reviewed OPS2#10/Overal l 02

W O R L D R A L L YC H A M P I O N S H I P

(SCEE/Evolution Studios)The most realistic, exciting rallyexperience ever committed to avideogame. This is a pristineexample of next-generationprogramming that no self-respecting gamer shouldbe w i t hou t .Rev iewed 0PS2#14/0vefa l ! 09

W W FS M A C K D O W N !' J U S T B R I N G m '

(THQ/Yuke's)Step into the spandex pants ofThe Rock and chums. Th is i sw i t h o u t a d o u b t t h e m o s trealistic representation of theWWF experience on a consoleyet. Top stuff.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overajl 08

X-SQUAD(EA/EA Square)A t e d i o u s t e a m - b a s e d t h i r d -

person shooterReviewed 0ps2#02/0vera l l 05

Z O N E O FT H E E N D E R S

(Konami/KCEJ)C o o l m e c h t h r i l l e r f r o m M e t a iGear's Hideo Kojima, withbonus MGS2 demo just to getyou in the mood.Reviewed OPS2#06/OveraH 09

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CAPCOM EUROSOFT 0208 846 2550wvw.capcom-europe .com9th Floor, 26-28 Hammersmith Grove,L o n d o n W 6 7 H A

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CRYO 0121 250 5072wv/w.cryo-interactive.com186a Stratford Rd. Shirley, Solihull 890 3BQE I D O S i r ^ R A C n V E 0 1 2 1 3 5 6 0 8 3 1

wwrw.eidos.co.uk1 Hartfieid Rd, Wimbledon, London SW19 3RU

ELECTRONIC ARTS 0870 243 2435vww,uk.ea.com2000 Hillswood Drive, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 OEU

E M P I R E 0 8 0 0 7 8 3 0 1 5 6

www.empire.co.ukThe Spite, 677 High Rd. North Finchiey N12 ODAINPOGRAMES 0208 222 9700wvm.infogrames.com116 Baker St, London WIM ILB

JVC INTERACTIVE 0207 240 3121www.ivcmusic.co.uk44 Wellington St, Covent Garden,London WC2E 7RH

K O N A M I 0 2 0 8 5 8 2 5 5 7 3

www.konami-europe.com7/9 The Oaks, Ruisiip, Middlesex HA4 7LFL£GO 01753 495 453vww.iego.com33 Bath Rd, Slough, Berks SLl 3UFMICROIDS 0208 901 7388wvw.micro ids,com2 Gayton Rd, Harrow. London HAl 2XUMIDAS INTERACTIVE 01279 858 000vww.mldas- interact ive.co.ukMatrix House, Cambridge Business Park CB4 OHH

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v w w. m i d w a y c o m96 Kensington High St, London W8 4SG

ROCKSTAR GAMES 0870 124 2222vww.fDckstargames.comSaxon House, 2-4 Victoria St, Windsor,Berks SL4 IBY

SCEE 0990 998 877www.playstatlon-europe.comPlayStation Careline, PO Box 2047,L o n d o n W I A 3 D N

SCi 0207 585 3308wvw.sci .co.uk11 ivory House. Plantation Wharf, York Rd,L o n d o n S W l l 3 " m

TAKE 2 0870 124 2222wvw, take2games.comSaxon House, 2-4 \nctoria St, VWndsor,Berks SL4 IBY

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VIRGIN INTERACTIVE 0207 551 4222vww.vte.co.uk74A Charlotte St, London WIP ILR

VIVENDi UNIVERSAL 0118 920 9100vww.vivendi-universai- interact iveco.uk2 Beacontree Plaza, Gilette Way,Reading RG2 OBS

PlayStations 143

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UJINI H l l J D E S C R m s i W^ U R R□L ^ D S O U N D S y S T E m

• R N D R P U = i a 5 T F I T I D N a

To celebrate Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment'sDVD release of The RistAnd The Furious on 11 February,why not try to win yourself a copy of the movie plus a32 widescreen TV, surround sound system and PS2 towatch it on?

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS is a heart-

pounding, tilgh-adrenaiine film, featuringsome of the most amazing street carracing action ever seen on screen. VinDiesel plays bad boy Dominic Toretto, agang leader from LA who rules the noad inhis nltro-fuelied car Brian O'Connor (PaulWalker) Is an outsider who wants tochallenge Tonetto to a risky and highlyIllegal race through the city streets...

Left in Toretto's debt following a bet Inwhich he loses his car, O'Connor quicklybecomes drawn in to Tore t to 's c r imina l

underworld. As the action reaches boilingpoint the truth about O'Connor'soccupation comes to light In an explosive,high-impact finale!

The only way to watch The Fast AndThe Furious is on DVD. The first-prizewinner will not only receive a copy of thisfantastic movie, but a 32" widescreen TVwith surround sound and a PlayStation 2 towatch it on. Five runners-up will receive acopy of the DVD. All you need to do isanswer the question below and hope yourname is drawn from the hat.

H O W T O E N T E R ;1. Write your answer on a postcard and send to FastAnd Furious, Official PlayStation 2 Magazine, FuturePublishing, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BAl 2BW.2. Email us with the answer at

PS2compos®futurenet.co.uk - remember to put FastAnd Furious in the subject line.3. Please Include your name, address and phonenumber on all competition entries.

'If you do not wish your name to be used for furthermarket/ng information, please state this on your entry.

Competition RulesNo purchase necessary. Nocorrespondence will be enteredinto. No employees of FuturePublishing, Columbia TriStarHome Entertainment or anyaffiliated company may enter.No cash altemattve is offeredto these prizes. Closing date Is21 March 2002, If any prizebecomes unavailable, FuturePublishing and Columbia TriStarHome Entertainment reservethe right to replace It withano^er of equal value. Multipleentries will be disregarded. TheEditor's decision is final Allnormal competition rules applyBig thanks to Columbia TriStarHome Entertainment.

THE QUESTION

W i { D I E S E LS T i U U t E O I NW H I C H S C I - F IH O R R O R M O V I E ?

PlayStation.2 l

UJHRT IF. . .U O L E N C E M U I D E D G R m E S I U R 5 B R N N B 3 POne minute gamers were dismembering tineundead and sending piucl battalions on suicidemissions, tiie next, tliere was silence. WInat couldpossibly fill tine void vacated by twatting tilings?W O R D S : PA U L F I T Z PAT R I C K / I L L U S T R AT I O N : W I L L I A M B A R R A S

O N I M U S H A : B O N S A I

The undead tyrant Lond Nobunaga has risen again and isat the head of an army of unruly lalbelt slightlyproportioned] foiiage As the spunky young buck,Nissanmicra, you must confront the overgrown menace,

painstakingly trimming the pint-sized legions intoattractive shapes before aii Is iost. Armed w/lth enchanted

clippers and the mythical dustpan and brush of Kankasor,you're going to need your wits about you. Can evii be cut down tosize or will 17th Century Japan be overrun by tiny, unslghtiy bushes?Release date; 24 Juiy/RRP: £44.99

G T A 5

The year is 1953 and you are Bob Knob, smali-time entrepreneurand citizen of the ieafy and charming Ubertyviiie. But you've failenon hard times and need to get back on your feet by fair means, orvery fair means. Whether strolling through the sun-dappled suburbsor borrowing neighbours' cars ("key's in the glove compartment.Bob") you're on a mission to re-establish your business empire fromthe bottom up. You start by running errands for Old Man Johnson'shardware store, but show the necessary gumption and you'll beheadlng-up the local chamber of commerce before you know itGW 5 Is an excellent addition to the recently renamed GenteelTrade Association series, with none of the cussing and fisticuffs.Release date: 4 August/RRP: £4499

S I L £ r ^ S C O P E 4You are FBI marksman, Jazz Lambrusco. Known In the trade as'Head Shot' your sniper skills are legendary. And you're on holiday inEurope with your family! Travelling from Stockholm to Halkadiki andarmed with a coin-operated viewing telescope, you must spot asmany landmarks and tourist attractions as you can In the time limitallowed. Can you fill your scrapbook before the tour bus goes backto the hotel? Will you spot your beloved being chatted-up by theguy selling straw donkeys before she sees the light and becomesex-wlfe number five? Your reactions had better be as sharp as ever...Release date: 23 August/RRP: £3499

TEKKEN TAG: YOU'RE IT !

It's five years since the last King of the Iron Fist tournament andonce again the world's finest martial arts experts have gathered totest their reactions. Namely running around, shrieking like maniacs

while Kazuya MIshima tries to tag them with the 'lurgy'. Featuring allthe familiar faces, hundreds of dodge and scarper moves, and aninnovative 'Bagsy-Not-lt' mode, this is sublime hardcore retreat-'em-up action. Can you unlock the 'Kiss Chase' mini-game?Release date: 25 August/RRP: £3499

Also released: Army Men: Peeling Spuds, Resident Evil: Quiet NightIn, Street Sweeper EX3, James Bond 007 in... Operation Desk Joband Bass Strike 2.

//GIA 5 is an excellentaddition to the recentlyrenamed Gentee l T^deAssociat ion ser ies/ /

r

jt ^1]^ We dig^ U K r e ^F I G H T E R

_ o d w i t h a n e x c l u s i v eew of th^est beat-'em-up ever!

NEXT MONTH IN THE APRIL ISSUE OF

Play5tatlon®El/ OFFICIAL MAGAZINE-UK

□ Looking good in latex, It's Spider-Man: The Movie Gain( iCan the webbed wonder put a new spin on PS2 gaming?

□ Rated: Deus Ex, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, VampireNight, LMA Manager 2002, Dynasty Warriors 3, more!

□ Tomb Raider - top-secret news on Lara's new adventurePlus! Onimusha 2, V-Rally 3, Herdy Gerdy tips, anotherMASSIVE demo disc, and win a life-size Solid Snake model

OFHCIAL PlAYSIiKnON 2 MAGAZINE: ISSUE 19/ON SAL£; FIUDAY 22 MARCH

146 Play5tation.E

TOP WALKTHROUGHS PLUS OVER f111HU CHEATS & TIPSA = O 1

c e C o m b a t 4ge of Empires 2gent Under Firei r b l a d elex F's Player ManagerII Star Basebal l 2002lone in the Dark 4mer ican Pro Truckerqua Aqua Wetrix 2r c t i c T h u n d e rrmageddon (MDK2)r m o u r e d C o r e 2rmy Men Air Attackrmy Men Green Roguermy Men S's Heroes 2rmy Men Land Sea & AirrV Off-Road Fury

B = 0 2[ i l du r ' s Ga teatman VengeanceIG: NBA StreetIG: SSX SnowboardingIG; SSX Trickyloody Roar 3am bad RacingD u n c e r

j r n o u tj s t A Move 3

C = 0 3-12 F ina l Res is tanceoncom vs SNK 2

\ Furympionship Snooker;en Kabu to : G ian t sCr i s i se Veronica Xi m a n d o s 2I Boarder 2001; h B a n d i c o o tly Bump's: Car Bat,cy Taxik e t 2 0 0 2

D = 0 4l u c k : Q u a c k A t t a c k•A. Dark Native Apostles Devi lk A l l iance : Ba ldur 's Gatek Angelk C l o u dk Legacyk S u m m i te Mirra BMX 2d or Alive 2s E xril May Crym o n W o r l dley's Dinosaurcula The Last Sanctuary■er 2: Back on the Street■inq Emotion Type-Spshipm M a n i a

asty Warriors 2

Dynas ty War r io rs JE = 0 5

Ecco The DolphinEighteen WheelerElite Force: VoyagerEmotion Type-S (DrivEphemeral PhantasicEpisode 1: Star FightEscape Monkey IslandESPN Int. Track 8c FieldESPN NFL Pr imet ime 2002ESPN SkateboardingESPN SnowboardingEternal RingEvergraceEvil TwinE x t e r m i n a t i o nE x t r e m e G - 3E x t r e m e R a c e r

F = 0 6F T 2 0 0 1F1 Champ. Season 2000Fan ta V i s i onF i fa 2001F i f a 2 0 0 2Final Fantasy 10Final Fantasy 8F o r m u l a 1 2 0 0 1Four By Four EvolutionFreestyle BMX 2FrequencyFur Fighters

G = 0 7Gauntlet: Dark LegacyG i a n t s : C i t i z e n K a b u t oGolf, Swing AwayGradius 3 & 4Gran Tur i smo 2G r a n I b r i s m o 3Gran Turismo ConceptG r a n d T h e f t A u t o 3G r a n d i a 2Green RogueGuilty Gear X PlusGun Gr i f f on B lazeGundam: J to Jaburo

H = 0 8H30 SurfingH a K L i f eHarry PotterH a r v e s t M o o n : H o m e l a n dH e a d h u n t e rHerdy GerdyHeroes of Might & MagicHigh Heat Baseball '02H i t m a n : C o d e n a m e 4 7

1 = 0 9IcoIn Co ld B loodInt. Superstar SoccerInt. Track & FieldISS Pro Evolut ion

J = 1 0J Bond: Agent Under Fire

Knockout Kings 2001L = 1 2

L. of Koin: Soul Reaver 2Last Blade 2Le Mans 24 HourLegends of WrestlingLego Racers 2LAAA Manager 2002Lotus Challenge

M = 1 3M a d d e n N F L 2 0 0 1M a d d e n N F L 2 0 0 2M a r t i a n G o t h i cMas te r o f Bush idoMax PayneMcGrath's Supercross WorldM D K 2M e t a l G e a r S o l i d 2Midnight ClubMight & Mo gicM(^ile Suit GundamMonkey Island (Escape)M o t o G PMoto GP 2Motor MayhemMTV Mus ic Genera to r 2MTV SkateboardingMummy ReturnsM X 2 0 0 2MX Rider

N = 1 4N o s c o r 2 0 0 1N o s c o r H e a t 2 0 0 2N A S C A R T h u n d e r 2 0 0 2NBA HoopzNBA L ive 2001NBA L i ve 2002N B A S h o o t o u t 2 0 0 1N B A S t r e e tN C A A F o o t b a l l 2 0 0 2N F L 2 0 0 1N F L 2 0 0 2NFL Gameday 2002N F L P r i m e t i m e 2 0 0 2N F L Q ' b a c k C l u b 2 0 0 2N H L 2 0 0 1N H L 2 0 0 2N H L H i t z 2 0 0 2N o - O n e L i v e s F o r e v e r

O = 1 5Off Rood FuryOff Road Wide OpenOkage: Shadow KingOmega SoldierO n iO n i m u s h a : W a r l o r d s

Por ta l RunnerPro Evo lu t ion SoccerProject Eden

Q = 1 7Q - B a l l : B i l l i a r d s M a s t e rQ u a c k A t t a c kQ u a k e 3 R e v o l u t i o n

R = 1 8R Carmichae l ' s MX 2002Raymon 2RC Revenge ProReady 2 Rumble 2R e d F a c t i o nR e s i d e n t E v i l : C o d e V. XR e v o l u t i o n : Q u a k e 3Ridge Racer 5Ring of RedRood RageR o b o t W a r sRumble RacingRune: Viking Warlord

S = 1 9S Pa lmer 's Pro SnowboarderS h a d o w o f M e m o r i e sS h a d o w m a n 2Si len t H i l lS i l e n t H i l l 2Silent ScopeSilent Scope 2Silpheed: Lost PlanetSimpson's Road RageSky OdysseySky SurferSmackdownl Just Bring I tSmugglers RunSmugglers Run 2So ld ie r o f Fo r tuneSoul Reaver 2Spiderman 2: Enter ElectroSplashdownSpy HunterSSX - SnowboardingSSX TrickyStar Trek Voyager: Elite ForceStar Wars: Star FighterState of EmergencyStreet Fighter Ex 3S u m m o n e r

Sunny Garcia: SurfingSuper Bombad RacingSuper Bust A MoveSupercar Street ChallengeSupercross WorldSurfing H30Swing Away GolfSyphon Filter 3

The World is not ETheme Park Wor ldThis is Footbal l 20Thunderhawk: OpT i m e C r i s i s 2Time SplittersTokyo Extreme RacTomb Raider 4Tomb Raider 5 ChTony Hawk's Pro SITony HawHc's ProTop Gear: Dare DiTop Gun: CombatTrack and Fie ldTriple Ploy BoseboTwisted Metal BlocType-S: Driving En

U = 2UEFA ChampionsU n r e a l To u r n o m e r

V = 2 ;Vampire ApocalypV i c t o r i o u s B o x e r s

Voyager Elite Forc^W = 2

W G a m e s S n o w b cWacky RacesWarlords (OnimusWarriors of M & MWDL: War JetzWe a k e s t L i n kWet r i x 2Who Wants 2BA AiWild Wild RacingW i n b a c kWorld C Snooker !World is not EnouiWr a t h o f C o r t e xWRC: World RallyW W F S m a c k d o w

X = 2 'X Gomes: Sko tebcX G a m e s : S n o w b cX-Squad

Y = 2 iYanya Caballista:

Z = 2 (Zombie RevengeZone of the Ender

0 - 9 = 2007 Agent Under1 0 2 D a l m a t i o n sI B W h e e l e r4 x 4 E v o l u t i o n

T H E A B O V E L I S T I S J U S T A S E L E C T I O N O F W H AT ' S AVA I L A B L E

I »1 ^ [•] m m i m s a w m a m R• L ' i •

[ X c j S

UMBERS COST ONLY 60p PER

L E R S : + 4 4 7 0 0 5 9 0 7 5 7I R I N G Y O U R C A L L Y O U M AY P R E S S :I E S E R V I C E A N D G E T M O R E C H E AT S

E B A C K O N E M E N U S E L E C T I O N

II cost no more than £3.00, and v^ill end at 5 minutes. Mooremail: custserv@cheatsunlimited.com, or call our

BT National Rate applies)

rp,av«alW'"~

WIPEOUT FUSION

STATE OF EMERGENCYstate of Emergency is an urban riot game

set in the near future, where the oppressiveAmerican Trade Organization (ATO) hasdeclared a State of Emergency. State

authorities are clamping down onorganized resistance and restricting

movement across the City to counter thespread of revolt. It is up to you to smashup everything and everyone in order to

destabilize the ATO. Use any itemavailahieto begin fighting, including

pipes, bricks and benches - evendismembered body parts. I

Released 8 February I

PlayStation.(i !

1

k " ^

It is 2150AD and the Federation haveunveiled the new Wipeout FVOOO league! Tomalte the sport more appealing to fans, theFederation has selected a wide range ofracing venues, each with its own newinteractive features, and some withfreeform areas that dorit limit pilots tojust following the track. It's no longer asimple race on a track. Pilots have moredecisions to make in a race.

18

GAME OHACE COMBAT

^^ystdtionp

MONSTERS. INC.

Oistant Thunder builds further on theincredible gameplay and totally

immersive missions of its predecessors.The game begins as the Earth is struck

by a giant meteor. The resultingenvironmental catastrophe and food

shortages shatters the fragile peace, asthe strong nations plunder the weak. The

tactically powerful country of Eruijainvades a neutral neighbour and seizesStonehenge a powerful electromagnetic

weapon designed to destroy meteorites andobliterate any potential air strikes. When anallied force tries and fails to stop the Eruijan

domination, there's only one option left: the aceup their sleeve.

PlayStation

Features over twenty film clips fromthe latest Disney Pixar blockbuster.Monsters. Inc. Lots of unique scaretactics to discover and over fifteen hugezones to explore Superb in-gamegraphics - unique action sequences andcharacter animations

megastonisWHATEVER TURNS YOU ON