HE UK'S BESTSELLING PLAYSTATI0N.2 MAGAZINE issue025/october2002/£5^9withdisc

DOFFICIAL MAGA2INE-U

tEVIEW SPECIAL3 new games rated!

H O F F M A N 2N I M U S H A 2EKKEN 4i E T H I N GJ R O Kid more !

I I A M II C E !I cars, thejpons, theisions, the lot!I first real info1 shots ofA: Vice City!

T H A T S L I FWhy The Sims is ev

better than treal thi

layStation 2

Everybody wants to be a DJ...Enter the world of 'Frequency' and let your senses take control. Feel the pounding of drumbeats in your head and release yourself throughthe rhythm. Before you know it you're addicted to the bass and there's no going back. Remix tracks by top artists, swap remixes with your mates.With tracks from Orbital, Paul Oakenfold, Roni Size, Jungle Brothers, Lo Fidelity Allstars, Dub Pistols and more.

and 'PlayStation' are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. «▶ is a trademark of Sony CorporationDistnbuted by ny Computer Entertainment Europe. All rights reserved. Frequency is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America IncDeveloped by Harmonix Music Systems. © 2001 Sony Computer Entertainment. America Inc. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.uk.playstat jon.com

T H E T H I R D P L R C i

Play5tation«2' O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E - U KO N T H E C O V E RExclusive T/meSp/ittersartwork lovingly create(especially for us by thechaps at Com.X.

I S S U E 0 2 5 / O C n ) B E R 2 0 0 2

E NTIMESPUTTERS 2Travel through time with big guns. Life doesnt get much bettei

092 ONIMUSHA 2: SAMURAFS DESnrMarvel at the wonders of ancient Japan. Then carve up demo

096TEKKEN 4The great-grandson of the original beat-'em-up in all its glory.

1 0 0 T H E T H I N G102 MAT HOFFMAN'S PRO BMX 21 0 4 T U R O K : E V O L U T I O N1 0 7 N I N J A A S S A U L T108 LEGION: LEGEND OF EXCAUBUR1 0 9 E G G O M A N I A1 0 9 L E T H A L S K I E S1 1 1 L O N D O N R A C E R 1 11 1 1 S H I F T E R S1 1 2 L E G O F O O T B A L L M A N I A112 DISNEY'S STTTCH: EXI>ERIMENT 62611 6 A N T Z E X T R E M E R A Q N G11 6 A K I R A P S Y C H O B A L L

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"One of the must have titles of 2002" PMV^

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■Jwww.stuntman-game.com

P l a y S t a t i o n 8 i

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FROM THE CREATORS OF THE BLOCKBUSTER SERIES 'DRIVER

stuntman™. Atari Interactive Inc. 2001, All rights reserved. S copyright 2001 Intogrammes, (ireated and developed by Reflections Interactive limited, an Infogrames studio. Published and distedby Infogrames™, Reflections™, the Reflections logo and the Stuntman logo are trademarks of Reflectibns Interactive Limited. - and "PlayStation" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer EiHtertainment Incl

SIX PLAYABLE DEMOS AND 13 EXCLUSIVE VIDEOSSIORM YOUR PS2 WITH ALL GUNS BIAZING.

^ o3 0 1 S 3

PLAYABLE DEMO ONE/T1MESPUTTERS 2Time waits for no man. So shoot first and ask questionslater with our world exclusive demo.

PLAYABLE DEMO TWO/T M S I S F O O T B A L L 2 0 0 3SCEEs soccer sIm lines up for a new season. Does Ithave the strength to challenge Pro Evo 2forthe title?

PLAYABLE DEMO THREE/X - M E N N E X TD I M E N S I O NFreakish fisticuffs in a caseof mude and the beast

PWYABl£ DEMO FIVE/D I S N E Y ' S S m C H :E X P E R I V E m - 6 2 6Piay the four-anned,well-armed, alien shooter

PLUS/VIDEO PREVIEWS OF:

PLAYABLE DEMO FOUR/N I N J A A S S A U L TShoot ninjas. Shootrobots. Shoot monsters.

Forget about stealth.

PLAYABLE DEMO SIX/W W E S M A C K D O W N !J U S T B R I N G mSubmit once again to thisPlatinum wrestling gem.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance,Ratchet & ClanK Hitman 2,WWE Smacl^down! Shut ybur Mouth,Ferrari M55 Challenge and more.» FULL DE1MLS: RAGE 010

F E R T U R E B

0 6 4 K E U I I N A F U N E

The legendary producer ofOnimusha 2 on Kurt)sawa,Mouse Hunt ond 'naughty spots'.

068 VICE VICE, BABYHere it is: all of the GTA Vice Cityinformation and artwork that no-one else has. You're welcome.

0 7 6 S W I S H T O N YOur exclusive first look at theTony HawKs 4 preview build. Allthe new game modes explained.

0 8 0 P E O P L E P O W E R

The Sims is on Its way to PS2.We find out what's new and howmuch fun it is to play God.

E R m EP R E M I E L U E

0 1 6 R A T C H E T & C L A N KThe gadget-packed platformereveryone's been talking about.Not just another Jak And Daxter.

0 2 0 . W W E S M A C K D O W N !SHUT YOUR MOUTHTight Lycra pants and baby oil?We step into the ring to see ifeverything's okay In the WWE

0 2 4 B U R N O U T 2 :P O I N T O F I M P A C T

Want to be dr iven to destruct ion?Then check out our preview of thisInsane crash-laden street racer

0 2 6 A P E E S C A P E 20 2 9 S U M O F A L L F E A R S

0 3 0 T W I N C A U B E R0 3 2 G U N G R A V E

0 3 4 M A D D E N N F L 2 0 0 3

R E B U L R R E

006 Edi tor 's Let ter039 Spy

Pro Evo 2, a new Medal 01Honor game, Harry Pottermuch more.

066 Next Month084 Reviews

Ail new PS2 games rated!118 PSone Reviews

All-star Siammin' D-Ball arall that's new on PSone.

120 MediaThe Italian Job on DVD, aninterview with Biazin' Squadand plenty more.

126 HardcoreThe only Prisoner Of Warwalkthrough you'll ever neec

132 Subscr ibeTwo issues free and 0PS2delivered to your door

134 PostalAll your questions answers

144 CompetitionsWin Behind Enemy LinesDVDs, or even a motorbike

146 What If...The armed forces rslied onvideogames for training?

E R R N D T H E I U T D : N I CSUN, SEA, SAND... AND SIN. THE OFFICIAL FIRST LOOK RIGHT HERE PAGE 068

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

^'Online multiplayergaming may be thefuture but MultiTapmultiplayer gaming

is the present''

EDITOR'SCHOICEFlick here for immediatePlayStation 2 gratification.

1. Grand 1110(1 Auto: Vice CHyThe speculation ends as we revealfirst real game details 0682 . T i m e S p l i t t e r s 2You've played the demo, nov» readour amazing full verdict 0863 . T h e S i m sMucked up your life? The Sims letsy o u s t a r t a f r e s h 0 8 04 . R a t c h e t & C l a n kA fuil piaytest of one the bestgames of the autumn 0165 . N e w M e d a l O f H o n o r ?Great news: EA is planning anotherM O H g a m e f o r P S 2 0 5 6

EDITOR'S LETTERApologies to anyone who's tried to phone our office recently only

V to be greeted by the click and whirr of the answerphone kickingin - we were all in the games room engrossed in aTimeSplltters 2 multiplayer marathon. There really is nothing

better than humiliating your mates via the medium of videogames, and FreeRadical design truly understands this basic human impulse.

The TimeSplltters 2 Four-player Split-screen mode is perfectly balancedallowing you to easily and rapidly customise the game for your own needs,selecting numbers of bots and weapons sets to provide an almost infinitevariety of scenarios - and that's Just the basic Deathmatch mode. The gameeven allows you to set up a multiplayer league, logging all the statistics fromindividual Deathmatch games to save you mucking around with pieces ofpaper if you want to spend an evening sort:ing out just who is the best shot.

This kind of collective experience is what keeps gaming fresh andexciting, so it's a shame that more developers haven't made better use of theMultiTap. Sony didnt help matters In this respect by opting not to includefour controller ports in the design of the PlayStation 2, dissuading developersfrom making four-play an integral part: of their games. The number ofcompelling four-player experiences on PS2 are limited, but they can addmonths to a game's longevity. Pro Evolution Soccer is a whole different gamewhen played two versus two; Smash Court Tenr\ls Is much more fun if youplay mixed doubles; and even The Bouncer benefitted from a four-playerbeat-'em-up brawl.

Anyone who's ever lived in a shared house or in a student hail ofresidence will appreciate the way that guilt can be shared when there arefour of you wasting glorious time on your PS2 instead of Just one. Onlinemultiplayer gaming may be the future, but MultiTap multiplayer gaming is thepresent. TimeSplltters 2 proves four is the magic number and hopefully moredevelopers and publishers will take the hint.

o

SAM RICHARDSEdi tor

J TgW

OFFlCtH«MM£«Kf-UK Subscribe for a whoie year and

get 13 issues for the price of 11Call 0870 444 8656 now, quotingorder code EDP25, or turn to page 132

for more details. Offer ends 03/10/02

Overseas readers ca l l +44 1458 271100Lines open 24 hours, seven days a week

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

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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.

STUNTMAN TM. Atari Interactive tnc, 2001. Ail rights reserved, (c) copyright 2001 Infogrames. Created and developed by Reflections Interactive Limited, an INFOGRAMES studio. Published and distribut by INFOGRAMESTM, Reflections the REFLECTIONS logo and the STUNTMAN logo are trademarks of Reflections Interactive Limited."(Playstation logo)" and "PlayStation" are registered tradenfiarks of Sony Computer tntertainment.

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Out 23 August PlayStation. C o d e m a s t e r sG E N I U S A T P L A Y

ised by Codemasters under license. All otiier cipiriglits or trademarks are die property of dielr respectiie oivners and ate tjolnj used liy Codemasters under license. M. and 'PlayStatiin' are registered tiademate of Sony ftimputer Entertainment Inc. All RigSts Reserved.F o r t h e l a t e s t o n To c a R a c e D r i v e r \

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PlayStation®?' OFFICIAL MAGAZINE-UK

»DN THE DX inplayable demosOther magazines let you watch, 0PS2 lets you play..

For the ful lexc lus i ve rev iewturn to page 086.

ih! It's no good. One taste of fameid I Just had to come back and do Itlain. What would you like? A song? Aince? Or perhaps the world'ssmier PlayStation 2 DVD...? Yes, it'sDbably for the best.

I'm here as a warning A lessonm history. You may think that thisDnth's DVD is good. You may bejying the TimeSplitters 2 demo and/ing 'Thank you. Free Radical, fors great demo. Thank you Karl Hilton,ivid Doak and your staff of geniusjgrammers for this great game,ank you Daniel Griffiths for making; phone call that checked to seeit it had been delivered safely" Well,the optician once said, 'You aint3n nothin' yet!"Time has told me that Christmas

what PlayStation 2 is all about. Andht now my stable of elves amhloning a DVD so big It may not fitide your PS2. Last year we broughtJ a DVD with 12 playable demos -5 year we're on track to beat that.Official PS2 Magazine will be

ivering quality and quantity asIter approaches. So although It maycold outside, there'll always be al-hot' DVD on 0PS2. Ha ha ha! Until(t month, then.

l i e l G r i f fi t h s ^lior PlayStation Producer

To use this DVD, ioad it up on your!. Then scroll between games andng demos with the and t keys.;hoose within a section use <-I Press ® to start up yourlice. Please note, you may have to;t your PS2 after some demos.

T

*

» P U H y H B L E D E m D O N E

TIMESPLITTERS 2Publisher: Eidos/Game type: FPS/Out 27 September/Players: 1 (Full game 1-16)

PlayStation E

™ e C O N T R O L SL - s t I c k - M o v eR-stick - Look around® Activate® ReloadI D C r o u c hm A i mCD Alternate fireGQ Main firet / J ' Zoom In /ou t<-/-> Swap weapon15; Pause game/optionsIS Pause game/mission

s t a t u s

T H E G A M EIt's the sequel to the first-person multi-blaster that showed whatPS2 could do on launch day They told us that we didnt need adecent Single-player mode thanks to the otgy of Multiplayermodes they'd included. We'll, they were lying. The confessioncomes In the much-improved form of TimeSplitters 2. For inaddition to every Multiplayer mode you can think of (and a fewmore besides) there's a cracking time-shifting single-player story,too. What's more If you do have the hardware and the friends, upto 16 of you can fight it out via a mess of linked PS2s.

T H E D E M OWelcome to the Oblask Dam level. Feel free to press andreconfigure the controls. Then it's a simple matter of fulfilling allyour mission objectives (press If at any stage to see how you'redoing) and killing lots of people en route. Pressing and willchange your weapon (do make good use of that sniper rifle -developer Free Radical practically invented the videogame sniperrifle) and bring up your hand scanner which Is Invaluable forspotting enemies. Watch your strength (the red arc), pick uparmour (the blue arc) to keep you safe, and take out the cameras.

E N G L A N D

B R 4 Z 1 1

0,1 •

UleecKMAM f ! R O N A U J O U

Enjoy this taster on us,well bring you the fullr ev iew soon .

PLRyRBLE □EfTlD TUJD

THIS IS FOOTBALL 2003Publisher: SCEE/Game type: Football sIm/Out: 27 September/Players: 1-8

-IHE CONTKOLSL - s t i c k - M o v eR-stick - Change strategy® Attack: Ground pass/

Defend: Change man(g) Attack: Aerial pass/

Defend: Hook tackle@ Attack: Shoot/

Defend; Block tackle@ Attack: Through-bail pass/

Defend: Sliding tacklem Attack: Step over (hold),

Spin feint Itapl/Defend:Team mate assist Iholdl

IB Attack: Shimmy (holdl,Close control [tap)/Defend: Keeper rushout (hold)

CD Attack: Deliberate dive/Defend: Deliberate foul

jS Pause game■ Change strategy

» PLHUBBLE DEmO THREE

N I N J A A S S A U LTPublisher: SCEE/Game type: Llghtgun shooter/Out: 4 October/Players: 1

T H E G A M ENow this really is football. It's the second TIFfor PS2 and its already successfulformula has been honed yet further this time offering such mind-bending featuras 13,500 real player names. In addition to this the full leagues from Brazil, ArgeiMexico, Japan, Korea and North America have been added to the alreadyimmeasurable rosters frcim last year

It's all an effort to make the game as fact-packed as possible. Chances are tyou were to go and kick a ball about in the park right now someone would takepicture and you'd wind up in the game, too.

T H E D E M OWelcome to the first two-minute half of a four-minute game of This Is Football 2Just enough time to get a taste of the game's Improved controls and admire th!faces of the players in the England and Brazil teams. Keep at least one eye peelfor the likes of Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Owen who show off T/Fs new facial mo(system at its best. The action takes place in the Saitama stadium, Japan.

Once your two minutes Is up, dont flick off the PS2, spend some time adnthe full features list. And if you've got a MuitiTap or two you really can play the dwith up to seven mates. We spoil you, we really do!

Have a ninja blastread what we sai(about it on page ]

T H E C O N T R O L SL-stlck/'D-pad - Ivlove the

gunsight® Main fire@ Secondary fireCD Reloadm ReloadS P a u s e

T H E G A M EMore G-Con 2 shooting action from the makers of Time Crisis 2 andVampire Night The premise Is simple. Point the gun at the TV and shootbad guys. We won't say how It works (suffice to say black magic isinvolved] but will say if you've got a G-Con 2 then this is for you.

An evil warlord has captured Princess Koto and now holds her captive.The Princess is the sole survivor of the royal family which holds the powerto unseal the mythical Mach Gun. If the Gun is found, the whole world willbe enslaved. And so begins the relentless tirade of photon-based death.

T H E D E M OThis Is the second level of the game, set in a snowy graveyard riddledwith things Just gasping to be shot. Do the right thing and play witha G-Con 2 for an as-its-makers-intendeda r c a d e e x p e r i e n c e o r m a k e d o • 'w i t h a D u a l S h o c k 2 a n d ' * /m o v e t h e c u r s o r , ^ *a r o u n d t h e s c r e e n w i t h » Ithe left stick and shoota w a y w i t h ® . R e m e m b e r ^to press CD or CD to reload your clip when youstart firing blanks.

Excellently for a demo of this type, two people can playsimultaneously by inserting a second pad and pressing jj;. Dowatch out though, this taster demo times out after a few minutesto prevent you from having too much fun.

PlayStation c

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»DN THE DWDm O R E D E r n D B

P l a t i n u mTry the top PS2 titles again, now at a bargain price.

• m E C O f ^ O L SD-pad - Move® Attack® Guard® Grapple® Run® S m o c k D o w n !

special movet B T a u n t

S ; Pause

» PLRTINUtn PLRURBLE OEmO ONE

WWE SMACKDOWN!JUST BRING IT!Publisher: THQ/Game type: Wrestling/Out: Now/Players: 1-2 (Full game 1-4)

T H E G A M EFresh from It's name change after a run-in v»lth panda-fanciers theWorld Wildlife Fund IWWFl, WWE SmackDown! Just Bring It! is,despite the change,, the same game you were formerly paying £40for but will shortly be able to bag for just 20 notes.

This, the first men-ln-pants game for FS2, tops ail previousefforts on lesser machines, implementing new Six-man Tag, RoyalRumble and NIne-Men-ln-Ttie-RIng options alongside such favouritesas King Of The Ring, Hardcore and Survival.

T H E O E M OExhibition is the only mode that can be selected with this demo, andthen you can choose from Tag or Single matches, with all otheroptions tantalisingiy unavailable. You may then squeeze Into the tighttrunks of Steve Austin Ihmm), The Undertaker Ibrrr), Kane (doublebrrrl or Kurt Angle (mummy!).

Choose how many special moves you'd like each character tostart with and the max they can amass. Next use the Rules 1 menuto tweak your options, before going into the ring and tweaking youropponent's nipples. The leisurely pace of the combat will surprisethose weaned on. say, Tekken (wrestling is, after all scarcely a sport,never mind a martial art) but the attention to detail and capacity forhilarity make SmackDown! a classic.

We're using this as an excuse to promote theexcellent-looking Mat Hoffman Pro BMX 2 byallowing a man who's used to suffering blowsto the head engage in the fine art ofconversation. But here 'tis anyway.

» E X T R R T I J U QUK.PLAYSTATION.COM VIDEOWhy aren't you going to ukpiaystatlon.com?Why are you reading this? Watch this videoand realise what you are missing. Buy a PCor Mac and read about PlayStation 2 on itGo on, you know It makes sense. i

» e X T R R T H R E ETHE MAKING OF STUNTMANIf you thought that making a videogame wasa matter of drawing 'ones' and 'noughts' on aDVD in crayon, then prepare to be amazed.The men at Reflections have toiled harderthan the ancient pyramid builders.

P(ay5tation 2

playsble demos» P L R y R B L E D E m D F G U R

D ISNEY 'S Sn rCH:EXPERIMENT 626Publisher; SCEE/Game type: Platformer/Out: 10 October/Players: 1

T H E C O I ^ O I SL-stick - Direction and aimR-stick - LookD-pad - Walk and aim® Jump@ Rre® Lift/throw® Fire special weaponm Speed burst/ball slamID Camera view (tap)/

Strafe (hold)o) Jetpack/GrappleC D L o c k - o n

S; Pause gameS Show interface

T H E G A M EYou may be aware of Lib & Stitch, Disney's new featurestarring a hula girl and an alien. Well, this Is a third-person shooter based on the story before the film.Rat-faced Stitch - the result of an alien experiment gonewrong - escapes to Earth and shacks up with Lllo. InExperiment 626 we see him helping his creator Jumbacollect DNA for further experiments.

T H E D E M OCollect DNA samples (the blue double-helix icons andextra-strength red icons) and hit the red circle Icons tobe contacted by Jumba who will dish out Information. Adouble tap of ® will enable you to leap wider chasmsor get out of deeper pits. @ will auto repeat so simplyhold It down if you get Into trciuble. Shooting boxes andobjects which flash when hit will release power-ups torefresh your body and boost your gunnage. Other thanthat It's all fairly straightforward. Work your way from themission start, down through the jungle to the exit.

» P L R y R B L E D E m O F I V E

X - M E N N E X TD I M E N S I O NPublisher: Actlvlslon/Game type: Beat-'em-up/Out: October/Players: 1-2

T M E c o N r m o t sL-stIck - Move around

opponent® Left punch@ Right punch@ Kick attack® Combo attackt/4' Jump/crouch«-/-» Towards/awayopponentCD GrappleC D S h o v e

E: Pause (move llsti

T H E G A M EChoose a mutant. Move It this way and that. Hit buttonsto flail limbs, and the last person to fall over wins.

Nothing to do with the Jackman/Berry/Plcard*movie, this is drawn from a pure strain of Marvel-ousness with 24 X-Men to choose from and made tohurt each other In keeping with its title, the side-onscrapping of the hit PSone games has been expandedinto the third dimension with aplomb. XMND featureshuge fully stompable 3D arenas.•Ves, we know tftofs not his real name.

T H E D E M OPlay as Beast or Phoenix. Beast Is agile for a man hissize and, helpfully, multiple button taps lead Intoeffortless combinations and multi-hits. Phoenix lacksbulk but has speed and, once again, pad hammering Iswell rewarded. Watch for the build up of your powermeter, enabling more powerful moves (press andselect Moves to see a full list of combos). This demoreloads after each fight, which can take some time.

Ta [ K b o u s i» Comments and queries about this DVD shouid go to

Adrian at PS2efuturenet.c0.uk. Sorry, we cant answeryour questions over the phone.» if you have probiems with your DVD, pop it in anenvelope and send it to the following address. Vi/e'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 5 T B .

'Remember, this DVD-ROM will only work on a PS2.

Video pi-evieixisA glimpse of PS2 future..

Prepare for theultimate fightingt o u r n a m e n t .

4.

» U O E a D N EM E TA L G E A R S O U D 2 :S U B S T A N C EPublisher: KonamiWhat goes around comes around. Just asM6SI spawned its VR Missions so MGS2gives birth to Substonce. See the game in

action and witness Snake In a tuxedo,Snake penetrating parts he couldn'tformerly reach, and Snake doing battlewith Godzilla-sized VR soldiers. Substantial.

» V IDEO TUJOM O R T A L K O M B A T:DEADLY ALLIANCEPublisher: MidwayOnce again the beat-'em-up with moreclaret than the Bordeaux region demandsthat you "get over here!" See masked men

produce spears from nowhere. See ladlewearing next to nought blow heads cleaoff. See skulls spirited from a bald demchands. Realistic? No. Disturbing? Certain

» V I D E O T H R E EN H L 2 0 0 3Publisher: EA Sports

'Unprecedented puck physics" Is thepromise. Armoured men on skates is thepremise. EA's latest NHL delivers all theimpact of ISOibs of rage shoulder-

slamming you into sweat-misted Perspex.Ice hockey may be faintly ridiculous, but itmakes a cracking game as EA Sportsconsistently shows us year in year out.

» V I D E D F O U RRATCHET & CLANKPublishen SCEESee the latest trailer for the game that JakAnd Doxter wanted to be. There are guns,gadgets and gert big explosions. This videoshows off many portions of the adventure

ahead and hints at the humour within.Worth viewing for the bit where Clank'shead spins round in the opposite directto his body. Read the preview on page I

» V I D E O F I V ETERMINATOR: DAWN OF FATEPublisher; IfifogramesHe did say he'd be back. And you never forget thefirst time you see a human skull being crushed by acaterpillar track Well here it is again in our video oftfie game set before the first film. Ever wondered howexactly Skynet took over the world? You'll soon find out.

» V I D E O S I XTREASURE PLANETPublisher: SCEE

More movies Into videogames. Reasoning that eachDisney movie makes a fortune, they're now makingthem at quite a rate. And we get a videogame to match.Fortunately the skilled hands of developer BizarreCreations should keep this platformer in check.

» V I O e D S E V E N

Publisher THQWrestlers aren't known for their politeness - preferringinstead to let their tattoos do the talking So, wesuggest you 'shut your mouth' and enjoy this nut-clasping video of the next WWE episode.

» V I D E O E I G H TFERRARI F-355 CHALLENGEP u b l i s h e r : S C E E

Another arcade classic, this Is one from more recenttimes. AM2's meticulous masterpiece Is said to be oneof the hardest driving games ever made thanks to Itsunrelenting realism. Ferrari F-355 Challenge preciselymodels Ferrari's crimson classic designs

» V I D E O N I N EH I T M A N 2Publisher: EidosIn anticipation of our soon-to-come playable demo youcan sit back and watch the game's action unfold. Whatthe Hitman lacks In hair he more than makes up for Iningenuity and a reilsh for the job In hand.

» V I D E O T E NKONAMI EVOLUTION SPORTSPublisher: KonamiSee not one but three games in the shape of Konami'snew Evolution sports range. There's Evo/ut/onSnowboard/ng, Evolution Snowcross and the nownotorious Evolution Skateboofdmg starring our oldfriend Solid Snake.

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F o r t i c k e t s c a l l 0 8 7 0 9 0 2 0 4 4 4The Games Matrix in association with gannesradar.com is part of the Stuff LIVE 2002 exhibition.

LIVE 20021The Gadgets, Gear & Technology Show

' F U T U R E B R M I N B N O W !

a e o

PREVIEW CONTIErrrS16 Ratchet & Clank

lechanical mayhem in Insomniac's cool 3Dplatformer. Get your first iook here,

20 WWE SmackDown!Shut Ybur Mouth

Thini< wrestling's play-acting? Think again.

24 Burnout 2: Point Of ImpactMirror Signal. Massive crash. We take

;rlterlon's slick street racer for a quick spin.

26 Ape Escape 2imprisoning primates is the name of the ttgame. Maniacal puzzle fun is the result.

29 The Sum Of All FearsInternational terrorists + nuclear weapon -

squad-based thrills from Tom Clancy

30 twin CaliberTwice as much bang for your buck with

Rage's fully-loaded zombie shoot-'em-up.

32 Gungraverilllantly mindless bullet-ridden action with

a coffin-wielding undead hero.

34 Madden NFL 2003Take the NFL by storm again, all under the

watchful eye of the master.

'5PEIZT. THE GRDGE . _self-r«specting galactic adventurer should be without these pieces of kit

2 . S W I N G S H O Tone of these, Clank You may find targets suspended

be able to cross big in mid air; owning a Swingshot> and leap to areas will enable you to swing betweenlously unreachable. platforms lust like Tarzan.

This gizmo opens locked doorsproviding you can crack thesecurity code. Codes start simple,but grow increasingly tough

4 . H O V E R B O A R D

Some dude called Skid McMarxdonates one of these Alrtladestyle boards if you successfullycomplete a challenge for him

\ J

L U D R D 5 : N i C K E L L B

Grab your monkey wrench, there's more thanjust nuts and bolts to this platform adventure.The new Jak And Doxter, and then some.

P u M i s h e r S C E EDeveloper Insomniac

Players: 1Release: November

tep this way for the most engrossingcharming and downright violent helping ofintergalactic adventuring this side of Ursa

1 Minor Ratchet & Clank lands on planetI Earth this NovemlDer and you'd be mad tomiss it Armed with a souped-up starship,

more heavy metal than a JCB factory and a sense of balancebefitting a ballerina, it will be up to you to save the galaxy ftDthe hordes of evii. Ah, go on then, just one more time.

But we must clear something up before we grab theconttDis. As videogames become ever morB complex, genreboundaries become ever more blurry, and this has never beemore apparent than here. Ratchet &. Clank is a tantalisingblend of plot-driven adventure, gadget-laden shoot-'em up,buddy movie and, oh okay, traditional piatformer

First, let's look at the game's main characters. Ratchet istalented young mechanic of slightly feline/fox appearance wtIs bored with life In his home world, and whiles away thehours dreaming of great adventures on distant planets. It's acase of be careful for what you wish for, as one day a smalldrold crash-lands near Ratchet's home, offering him Just thequest he was after Clank, the unfortunate drold In question,has come to warn anyone who'll listen of a galaxy-wldeinvasion by the Tharg - a race of evil robots.

So Ratchet Jets off to destroy a Death Star develops acnjsh on his sister and finds out that his dad has chronicasthma and a penchant for black masks... No hold on, thatsnot right Sure, there's more than a whiff of Star Wars aboutthe plot but we can forgive that, the old stories are the bestones, after ail. Anyway, we're less concerned with the plot th£we are with whacking seven shades of circuitry out ofvillainous robots with a giant wrench.

The developer behind Ratchet & Clank Is Insomniac, thecompany responsible for the trio of Spyro The Dragon game:on PSone; games that never failed to deliver the right blend

T H E □□□ E Q U n ntf you wer« expecting some semblance of sanity in the characters, think again.

CAPTAIN QUARKThe galaxy's favourite supertiero, who Ratchet andClank set out to find and warn about the evil Blar^invasion. A rather grating bloke actually.

B I G A L

Big Al owns a robo-shack in Metropolis where youcan buy neat upgrades like Clank's heli-pack Ahandy guy to know.

S K I D M C M A R XA cool, intergalactic hoverboarding champion,this guy is the Tony Hawk for the 23rd Century.Complete with dreadlocks and tie-dye T-shirt.

ROBOT UEUTENAMTWhat ya smoking for? You ain't got no lutfool. Someone's giving orders to this evil-doing rustbucket, but who?

Our heroesd i scuss tac t i csfor an ambush onJak and Daxter.

Riding through toilet plumbing is a popularpastime in Ratchet's galaxy, apparently.

There's plenty of traditional hopping across gaps, bthe game is so much more than just a piatformer.

' R E NR AT C H E T & C L A N K

S action, humour and graphical exceiience. These are values thatinsomniac has carried over into this next-gen venture.

You'd think that the whoie point of the game is to stop theevii Tharg from ruining what was once a very ioveiy gaiaxy.Wrong! The reai point of the game is to coiiect as much cooigadgetry and weaponry as you can and use it to frag theenemy in as many maiicious and amusing ways as possible. Todo this you'ii need to coiiect currency, which in this game is notcoins but nuts and boits, and there are thousands of themscattered around the levels Whether you'tB destroying crates orfrying enemies, you'ii be picl<ing up nuts and boits.

SCRAPHEAP CHALLENGEOnce enough scrap has been coliected, you'ii be able to nip tothe ievei's Gadgetron vendor (the best DiY shop in the universe!and purchase the latest bit of hi-tech l<it or stock up on ammo.In addition, each level will have one or more items that need tobe hunted down. Often one of the curious characters youencounter will offer to sell or give you some gear in exchangefor completing a task Everything that you can get your mitts onin this adventure is likely to play a part in your game.

The other main concern in each level Is to locate anInfobot Once found, the infobot will, before revealing therequired co-ordinates for your next destination lie, anotherplanet), play a short movie that nudges the plot along Hop Inyour starship (which unfortunately you cant pilot yourself],consult the galactic map and off you pop.

The levels start out massive and Just keep getting bigger asyou journey to the far reaches of the galaxy. Each one isdifferently themed and gloriously detailed. Some are dark andeerie, some are vast cityscapes while others are luscious forestworlds. All are rammed to overflowing with unpleasant andoften comical alien foe. There are lots of nooks and crannies toexplore and each planet contains a wide variety of tasks thatcontinually keep things fresh and interesting In another nice

touch, you can buzz between the different worids if you fancygoing back to a mission you failed to complete eariier

At this stage of development we can sense two bits ofgristle in the otherwise Juicy Ratchet & Clank steak: the cameraand the selection menu. On the whole, the camera works wellbut get yourself in a corner, though, and things can go wrong,with the scenery not enabling you to turn the full 360". Second,to swap gadgets or change weapons mid-scrap when yourammo runs out you have two equally unsatislying methods ofmenu selection. Either enter the pause menu to reselect (yawn),or use a so-called 'quick select' function. In reality 'quick select'is too clumsy, and can force you to scroll thtDugh some 11 or12 items, all while the action continues around you.

Irritations aside. Ratchet & Clank Is an outstandingimaginative creation. It's delightful to look at, a Joy to play andpacked with humour It has the best array of gadgets andweaponry this side of MGS, and it's a huge game There are 18vast worlds to explore. So far we've only seen the equivalent ofNonwich. Who knows what new weird and wonderfulInstruments of destruction await us beyond the intergalacticboundaries of East Anglia...? □

□N T H R G E T PR R T C H E T a C L R N KWe've banged on about how great the game is looking, but is thisprecious metal or just a ioad of old platform junk?

G A D G E T SMore interesting kitthan a Q departmentgarage sale.

V I S U A L SRich colours andfantastic detail,absolutely stunning.

C O N T R O L S

Generally decentbut needs attentionin places.

zRXjy mETRL nr iRIZHINESVfsit to your local Gadgetron dispenser and you'll find some rather tasty weaponry for sale. They wontIt cheques, credit cards or even gold coins - the only currency they understand is nuts and bolts.

l A S T E R3S a decent range,; with a sight and Isfor taking outy and aircraft.

T H E B O M B G L O V EThis is an effective long-rangeweapon. You'll start out with onefully equipped, all at no extra cost.How generous.

tT H E P Y R O C I T O RAlso known as the commonflame-thrower Extremely handy fortaking out the kind of beasties whohunt in packs.

- m E G L O V E O F D O O MThis dispenses four smaii battie bets,who toddle off to do your dirty workfor you. All you have to do is lie backand laugh maljciously.

B A T T L f B O T SDont think that Clank's been leftout. Operating In much the sameway as the Glove Of Doom, thesebots fall under Clank's command.

THE SUCK CANNONProbably the best weaponever It vacuums up small 'enemies then blasts themback at big enemies. i

A panorama ofthe openinglevel is lookingparticularly f

Ratchet learns that he is wanted formerciless beastie-killing.

Gadget man Big Al fits up Clank with a heli-pack and provesthat a small chopper can be handy if used in the correct way.

'lay5tation.E

TRUST NOTHING FEAR EVERYTHING

i f " :' 1

"The atniposphere is spot on, perfectlycapturing the icy austerity of theJohn Carpenter film" pcg Magazine

"Great script, a twist of 'sci fi' horror, luridgraphics, a high bullet count, and some

gut spinning biological realities. Be excited.Be venj excited'' XGamer Magazine

■'There's nothing quite like beingrepulsed, feeling paranoid andshaken by fear" PSi-2 Magazine

PC CD-ROM

The Thing- imemctlve game S 2002 Univeraal Inte,active. Inc. The Thing and related chan,c.ers are TM and ol Universal Studios, Licensed by Universal Studies Ucensmg LLLR All nghts jseaed,ornoration Black Ube! Games the Black Ube: Games Logo. Vivendi Universal Games, and the Vivendi Unrversal Games Logo are trademartcs of Vivendi Universal Games. Inc. \n the U.S. and or other ~3i Som Computer Entertainment Inc. 'Microsoft. Xbox. and the Xbox Logos are either regrstered trademarks or Irademarts of K4icrosoft Corporation in the United States and or other countries and are used under ftcense from ficfcs0f.

"Terror? Tension? Paranoia? "Terror never felt so good" "A genuinely fresh spin on the genre"The Thing del ivers i t a l l " PC Format PC gamer Qffic ia t PS2 Magazine

PlayStation, x o o xC O m P U T E R> ! l R T U J O R H S

vwvw.theth inggames.c

P R E \WWE SMACKDOWN! SHin* YOUR MOUTH

5 nL U D R D 5 : D L I ^ R H U R L E i d

5C K D N

R

It's mullets akimbo as SmockDown returnsfor its fourth Instalment. But is this more of

the same or a genuine wrestlevolution?

i ring entrances are a sight to behold in themselves. Eachiracter has their own highlights video which plays on theIt screen at the top of the aisle, while all the music used IsI licensed to aid In the authenticity.

PuUishen THQDeveloper YUke's

I^ers: 1-6Release: November

unny as it sounds, there can be little doubtas to the appeal of hitting someone actDssthe skuli with a folding chair, chucking themthnaugh a table or flinging them off the top ofa large cage structure. Why else would theseries of WWE (formerly WWF) SmackDown

games prove to have such enduring popularity? Now on itsfourth outing - its second on PS2 - the SmackDown series hasfinriiy established Itself as king of the ring But Is there anythingleft for Shut Your Mouth to achieve that we havent already seenfrom Its predecessors? Other than having the silliest game titleof the year, of course...

On first playing SYM, what becomes immediately apparentis that while it retains the accessible controls of Its triumvirateof prequels, both the look and feel of the game is far moresolid. Rather than being based on a traditional beat-'em-up-style combo system, the moves your character executes areprimarily based around single button taps combined withdifferent directions. Where you are in relation to your opponentalso helps to determine which one of the game's hundreds ofdifferent manoeuvres you pull off.

It's a straightforward arrangement and one that has alwaysensured SmackDown Is hugely playable - albeit at the expenseof feeling as if you don't really have full autonomy over whatyour character is up to at any particular moment Fortunately,developer Yuke's appears to have addressed the problem bytweaking the controls so that you dont spend entire matchesjust feeling as if you're moving from one pre-set series ofanimations to the next. It's never going to have the gritty feel ofa truly great beat-'em-up but that's not quite the point

Far from being Just a fighting game, SYM aims to simulatethe whole 'sports entertainment' experience. What happensaway from the ring Is almost as import:ant as what takes placeinside It This is best reflected In the revamped Season mode,which forms the central axis of the game's single-player

1. The lovely StacyKeibler heads downto the squared circle.Although she Is justa valet, she's a fullyplayable characterIn the game.

2. The Titantron[giant screen) playsthe entrance videofor each character.Impressive stuff.

3. The mannerismsas each grapplerenters the ring arespot-on. Hulk Hoganeven does his ear-cupping routine.

4 . U n d e r t a k e r

arguably has themost impressiveentrance by virtue ofriding to the ringsidea r e a o n a m a s s i v e

^ great bike.

Now here's a mismatch if ever there was one: Stacy vs Big Show.There's no restriction in the Exhibition mode on who you can fight.

New to Shut Your Mouth are six-man tagmatches. lj)ts of standing around, though.

The People'sChampion:low-key, as ever.

experience. Indeed, the Season option begins with a lengthy'draft' section (reflecting recent WNE story lines) in whichsquads are picked to represent the warring Smacl<Down andRaw factions. All this before you even have a chance to slap aside headlock on anyone, let alone start clobbering them with aplastic chait:

SEASONAL VARIATIONSAs per SmackDown! Just Bring It!, between matches you'll findyourself flung into various scenarios backstage, with yourresponses determining your route through the game. This timearound, though, there are far more character-specific situations,as opposed to the more generic narratives of yore.

Each grappler is now also given a different starting point Inthe rankings, again reflecting their real-life profile. Suffice to say.The Rock begins in a much more promising position than, say,Al Snow, Should you choose to play as a character you'vecreated yourself, you'll begin at the very bottom of the peckingorder and will have a much tougher time achieving the ultimategoal of winning WWE championship gold.

Also new to the Season aspect are 'Superstar* points, withyour scone determining which title belts you are qualified tochallenge for F^or each title you win, you are rewarded with oneof a number of unlockable items which range from secretcharacters, new moves and extra arenas, to new items availablefor use in the Create-A-Wrestler mode.

The system with which you can design your own droolinggrapple-monger remains much the same as that of Just BringIt! With its layer-based approach, you're afforded far moreflexibility than most other game's create-a-character options.If you've got the patience, it should be possible to design afairly accurate representation of yourself - even If (or perhapsespecially If] you're seven-feet tall and have a penchant formasks and fingeriess gloves. Aside from appearance, it'spossible to tweak various other aspects of your fighter's

//Far from being a simplefigliting game, SYM aims tosimulate the whole 'sportsentertainment' experience//

H

m n T C H D F T H E D P yOne of the best aspects of Shut Your Mouth is the massive selection of'speciality' matches available, offering all manner of weitd and wonderful bouts.

t c t r m

■■■ : hk

J'flic£' W/j"

M bHell In A Cell differs slightly from that ofpredecessor Know Your Role as the cagestructure itself is much larger As ever,though, it's possible to break out of thecage and clamber around on top of it

0 1

lat of The Hardcore option al lows you to t ights cage in numerous backstage locations. Fromver, what we've seen of them so far, they'reif the packed with more detail than ever -) f i t c h e c k o u t t h e s t e a m , f o r i n s t a n c e .

g m L o

Tables, ladders and chairs. It's like MFIhas been invaded by a load of muscle-lovin' mentalists. Note that even moreobscure members of the WWE roster,such as Maven, are featured.

m \

A P P c A S A N C r

S B C I T T — 1 0 M 6

T R A N S P A R E N C YC i A H t T. t :u ^ ■X—^C O L O R

f ' mA n a l o g

S t i c k

D E F A U L T

D E C I S I O N

w t t m c m C A M C i t

T h e c h a r a c t e ran ima t i ons a relooking fantastic.

The Create function is still being worked on, but itpromises to deliver a huge degree of flexibility.

R E NW W E S M A C K D O W N ! S H U T Y O U R M O U T H

□ make-up, including abilities, moves and logic lyes, there is logicinvolved in wrestling., apparently).

Even If you dont get involved with the full-on Season mode,there's still plenty here. The Exhibition mode offers the widestvariety of match options ever seen in a wrestling game, rangingfrom simple one-on-one bouts all the way through to Hell In ACeil, Royal Rumble, Lumberjack and the impnobably-namedSlobber Knocker. For the first time In a SmockDown game,there is also the option of having up to six players at once -assuming, of course, that you have two MuitlTaps and plenty ofwrestling-fan mates.

As ever; a Hardcore match option allows you to flght ailround the ringside area (you can even jump off the crowdbarriers, a la Jeff Hardy) as well as being able to brawl througha number of backstage areas. The selection of dressing rooms,utility areas, corridors and hallways are now based on those offamous New York City venue Madison Square Garden and youcannot help but be Impressed by the level of detail and therange of visual effects on show. Even a lowly backstage boilerroom, for instance, features disconcertingly realistic strobelighting water dripping from the celling and steam rising fromvents in the floor

Naturally, the roster has been afforded a similar degree ofattention. The most recent version of the code we've seenfeatures an extremely generous 59 Lycra fiends to choose from,although not all of these will necessarily be playable at thebeginning of the game. Particularly impressive is the number ofbrand new performers included. So, along with all the usualsuspects such as The RocK Kurt Angle and Triple H, are thelikes of Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, Brock Lesnar; Billy Kidmanand rookie Randy Orton. Even die-hard WWE watchers wont bedisappointed by the wealth of grapple nuts to wade through.

The character models themselves are much more detailedthan previous Incarnations and the animation is Incrediblysmooth, lending the game a far more aesthetically pleasing air

Indeed, compared to its predecessor, the game looks as if it'shad a complete makeover Everything from the ring entrancesto the crowds that pack the arenas (no more Raroppo-style 2Dcut-outs) have been given a good brush up.

Best of all, Shut Your Mouth handles so much better thanprevious SmockDown outings. While the controls hardly differ tothose of the older games, the actual fighting aspect feels a lotmore solid and - crucially - far less random than It has donein the past You'll still end up executing moves that you don'tmean to, but there's more emphasis on reversals and counter-holds. Dare we say It, there's even scope for some tactics inhow you fight

Despite all its tweaks, WWE SmockDown! Shut Your MouthIs hardly a radical departure from anything we've seen before.Notably there are no new modes to speak of and, while thegeneral overhaul and updated roster should be enough to keephardcore WWE fans happy, more casual grapple-heads andthose who have played on any of the previous SmockDown!offerings may be hard pushed to recognise this as a truesequel as opposed to a mere update □

□N T H R B E T PU J U U E E m R C K D D l U N I5 H U T y o u R m a u T HYuke's is now on its fourth SmockDown game. So are there signs ofgrappling fatigue or is this as fresh as a ciean pair of wrestiing trunl^?

G R A P H I C SThere's a noticeabieimprovement over thevisua is o f JBH

R O S T C RAround 60 wrestiers,each with their ownunique set of moves.

G A M E P L A Y

Soiid, but doesn't dom u c h t h a t h a s n ' tb e e n s e e n b e f o r e .

10)2002 World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved,"

RLU PDLUERillowed to face wrestlers from the opposing squad once you've achieved championship status.

#

:an choose to play as any characterlike in the Season mode.

Each Lycra lover has their own ranking,which affects where they start the game.

Before your first match, you're assignedto either the Raw or SmackDown roster

WWE TV show story lines are closelyfollowed in the game.

S t i i c y K e l t * l e r V 4 v , B i a s h «r n m \ c : n m *% » J h • X

u get tired of flinging your opponent around the ring, you can alwaysthem out of the squared circle and beat them up there instead.

There are no new modes onoffer but everything has

PlayStation,?

P R E NBURNOUT 2: POim- OF IMPACT

L U D R D S : T i m C L R R K

1 11

It's David Cronenberg vs Ridge Rocerand, worryingly, the promised airba;

peripneral still hasn't arrive'

Publ isher AcdaimDeveloper Criterion

Players: 1-2Release: September

^ he original Burnout was a girl's game. WhichIs by no means a criticism, it's Just that youdidnt have to mess up your manicure byspending hours fine-tuning a greasycarburettor instead, Criterion put playersbehind the wheel of a turbo-charged motor;

and let them pelt through rush hour traffic at suicidally highspeeds. Pretty easy to see why the iadies ioved it, Isnt It?

It wasn't that long ago when we iast road-tested Burnout 2,but it seems that with this latest buiid, the game has suddenlycome together Criterion is now talking a silghtiy schizophrenicapproach. In that the driving model now appears more refined(fllci<lng the back out at top speed is a joy] but the game is alsosignificantly more accessible.

The speed boost function is again triggered by dangerousdriving but its now much easier to activate. After a couple ofnear misses, 'Boost OKI' flashes up on screen. Hit m and you'rerewarded with a superb-sounding burst of nitrous oxide, and ascreen-melting injection of speed. Keep driving lli e JeremyClari son on angel dust and you're Immediately rewarded withanother boost, and another - chain enough of 'em togetherand you can kiss your eyes goodbye.

in keeping with the new user-frlendiy vibe, you wont crashafter the slightest hint of contact either Although the pile-upsare even more spectacular; the multi-angle replays have beenreplaced by a single camera, it's certainly less Intrusive, butmay still Irritate the purists. Thankfully though, the handling issweet enough to allow you to squeeze through ridiculouslysmall gaps while punching the air with yourflst and holleringlike a drunken hillbilly

Despite being the most arcade-orientated racer in recentmemory, the original Burnout game was actually very difficultto beat. Criterion was cleariy unhappy that a lot of playersdidn't see the later levels, which is why Burnout 2: Point OfImpact Is a much more approachable affair You'll find yourself

to grips with Burnout 2's handling hardly requires theeural reprogramming needed to master Gran Turismo 3,erion tias Included this tutorial anyway. It will teach youbuild your boost meter and pull off powerslides, all whilean embarrassing-iooking but surprisingly spariiy hatctiback.

winning races in the Singie-player mode without too much of astru^ie, which might suggest questionable iongevity - butwhen a game is this stupidly fun to play, you're guaranteed toi<eep returning for mote.

Thankfully, the jagged visuals of the first game have beenreplaced by sumptuous curves and It almost goes withoutsaying that the frame rate Is absolutely rock-solid. Weparticularly liked the swirling snow found on the Crystal SummitVista track and the sunlight reflecting off the side of thebuildings on the Surfs Up Shores course. That said, the roadsurface can look a little too shiny at times, the odd checkpointstill needs balancing and the pumping soundtrack wont be toeveryone's taste, although hearing the music shift up a gear asthe boost kicks in definitely adds to the experience. Also wortha mention are the gorgeous spark effects, ludicrous jumps andaggressive Ai drivers.

You will have to wait for the review to get OPSZs definitiveverdict, but currently ail the game elements suggest thatBurnout 2 Is going to be the turbo-charged sequel we werehoping for Max Power-reading boyracers will love It - andchances are, so wlii your little sister □

□N T R R G E T P B U R N D U T 2 .P O I N T D F i m P R C TIf they could license Radlohead's Killer Cars for trie soundtrack, thesereplays would make for the most sobering road safety campaign ever

0S P E E DThe racing's obscenelyquicK and so are theloading times.

C A R S

Whiplash-inducingc r a s h e s m e a n n oo f fi c i a l l i c e n c e s .

S O U N DMuscle cars soundthroaty and near-misse f f e c t s a r e b r i l l i a n t .

http://malice.sierra.com

P R E MA P E E S C A P E 2

L U D R D 5 : B E D R G E L U R L T E R

1

= B L I 2Chilled monkey brains. Not our

favourite dish... Until we met thepesl^ primates from SCEI's latest.

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

Players; 1-2Release: February 2003

onkeys are, without doubt, themost popular mammal on theplanet. Whether it's a cute pink-assed chimp, a big-nosedproboscis monkey or a hugechest-beating gorlila, the ape

has captured into the public's Imagination more thanany other member of the animal kingdom, it couldn'tbe more different In the world established In ApeEscape 2. Here, monkeys are iike vermin, a pestilencethat needs to be deait with by catching them in nets.

Why? Arent the monkeys cute any more? Weli, yes,but they're also devious and dangerous King Monkeythe evil Spectre, has decided that being the subject ofnumerous quirky postcards and safari park tours Isntenough - he wants to take over the worid. It's the taskof pointy-haired Spike and his baby monkeyaccomplice to capture ali the little bleeders spreadaround a series of themed levels and prevent theensuing apeageddon.

Ape Escape 2 may be designed as a platformer, butIts analogue-based control system is unique In thegenre. The left analogue stick controls Spike'smovement while the right stick controls his attack.Weapons are selected via the four face buttons andlumping is achieved with m. The game gradually weansyou onto more difficult moves like double Jumping,crawling and climbing Tfie most obvious advantage ofthe system Is Spike's ability to run in one direction andswipe at the escaping apes with his net In the other

Much of the humour lies in the Inventive weaponsused to capture the monkeys. Starting out with a light-saber and the all-Important net, your targets can bepacified or stunned with an array of other gadgetswhich are awarded to you at the start of new levels.

There's a first-person aimed sling-shot for long distanceattacks, a banana-shaped boomerang a powerpunching glove and a remote-controlled car that ainsover your target's toes causing them to hop about Inpain. Other items such as the hula-hoop give you aburst of speed, while the monkey radar (with sonarbleep) helps you find the more well-hidden prey

From the Japanese code we played, little haschanged In terms of gameplay from PSone's ApeEscape, bar the Introduction of more expansiveenvironments. Improved graphics and new gadgets. Themonkeys have new guises, too: there are disco dancers,bullfighters, divers, gangsters and even Jesters. Theiranimation is also superb as they cower in corners, tripover things, sit dazed with stars floating around theirheads and go crazy after the whiff of a banana.

Everything about Ape Escape 2s Japanese edition Islooking bold and comical, and we're hooked. L£t's Justhope the conversion to PAL retains all game's quirksand humour Oh, and did we mention the Pro EvolutionSoccer-trumping Monkey Football mini-game? □

□N' TRREETPR P E E B C R P E EApe Escape 2 looks set to be an entertaining and surprisinglydeep platform title. And it has monkeys. Lots of monkeys.

3

c o m n o i sA control systemthat doesn't takeweeks to master.

o

! POINT OF VIEW■ The camera hadtrouble keepingup with the action.

M I N I - G A M E S

Monkeys, playingfootball. What morecould you need?

rget drinking PG Tips, these monkeys can drum, climb and play football as evidenced by Ape Escape Zs mini-games.Excited monkeys'heads flash red.

I fSiiSlL

n e e D e B o nire are monkeys and there are sets ofigo drums. But anything more than thatdidn't understand, apart from the factt this mini-game seems to be a takethe Bemanl genre.

Dodge Soccer, FootsaniThis Is five-a-side football with addedviolence, exploding footballs andmonkeys in footy strips. Hours andhours of gameplay are guaranteed Inits Two-player mode.

Gekimuni, Ukki-CKmberWe played AE2 for over nine hours and stillhadnt got far enough to unlock this mini-game - hence no screenshot But we cantell you it's got something to do withclimbing mountains and collecting bananas.

/ In the Vegas level thef ; ve rm in a rm themse l ves

with guns. Uh-oh...

s hub: where monkeys are stored, mini-games:essed and unreadable Jap text extras opened.

6 PlayStation.?

BELIEVE THE HEIGHT!

The Ultimate combination of...

M o l o c r o s s Supe rc ross Frees ty le

PlayStation.E' t t t :

HKHV CfuvmcHaeLwww. thq . co .uk /mxsupe i

OUT OCTOBER 20fl© 2002 THQ Inc Ricky CarmichasI used under exclusive license by THQ Inc. THQ, the THQ iogo and the MX Supertiy logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc. All other trademarks and logos are propAll Rights Reserved. "J." and "PlayStation" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Licenced by Nintendo. TM, (R) and the Nintendo Gamecube logo are trademarks ot Nintendo (C) 2002 Nintendo.

are property of their respective owners.

Take yourm o b i l e o n

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^ R E X I I E L LT H E S U M O F A l l F E A R S

L J J D R D 5 : P R U L R T Z P R T R E K

E 5n )15Frightened by maths? Dont worry, you

don't need a calculator to enUbi Soft's counter terrorism s

o ym .

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

Release date; 27 SeptemberPlayers: 1

life as a tense political novelby techno-thrlller Author Tom Clancy,The Sum of All Fears is now a

] videogame as well as a Hollywoodmovie. In it. Jack Ryan ICIA analystand the Author's long-running hero)

has to untangle a volatile chain of events that starts withterrorists detonating a stolen nuclear device on the USmainland and leads to the brink of World War III.

Keenly aware that the average PS2 owner wouldrather shoot first, ask questions later (if at alll, SOAF Isbeing developed as a militarily efficient FPS whosemissions parallel and intersect the events of the film, inother words, you get all of the action, with none of the'corridors of power' waffle and absolutely no sign of BenAffleck's sad-eyed spin on Jack Ryan.

Based on a new incarnation of Ubi Soft's GhostRecon engine (a second Clancy FPS in the pipeline forPS21 SOAF casts you in the role of a member of theFBI's crack hostage rescue team. Your speciality is closequarters combat, so no rolling hills or launching rocketsfrom distant postal codes for you. Your job takes placein the corridors of terrorist-seized offices, enemycompounds and other challenging urban environments.

The opening mission is typical of the SOAFexperience. During the briefing you leam that redneckmilitia members have seized a local TV station and areholding a number of staff hostage. Your ultimate aim isto free them with a handful of secondary objectives,building to that climax along the way A weapon set Issuggested for the mission (see Choose Your Weapon!from a possible 15 options. Then it's straight to work

Most missions have two FBI teams of three menapiece tackling the same objective. One is Ai-controlledand the second one you lead. Sadly you cannot give

orders to your comrades but you can switch betweenteam members easily - effectively giving you three livesper mission. A discreet on-screen map displays a threadleading to the next objective, so you can concentrateon making surprise count in your favour as you burstthrough doors and creep around corners. Factor in tothis equation the fact that a single well-aimed shot froman enemy can bring you down, and you'd have to agree,as tense premises go, this one Is a peach.

However; in the code we got to play the enemy Alundermines this tension. Where the rest of the gamewears its hardcore, special-ops authenticity with pride,it's unfortunate to find trained terrorists failing tonegotiate closed doors, or ignoring six FBI agentsstanding in a doonway holding sub-machine guns.

If this problem Is fixed then SOAF has the potentialto offer FPS junkies an authentic military sIm-styleinterpretation of their favourite genre. Whether this morethoughtful take on killing with guns will hold its ownagainst the sci-fi slaughter of TImeSplitters 2 and itsdeathmatch buddies is yet to be seen. □

□N T R R E E T PT H E E U m D F R L L F E R R ESOAFs hardcore atmosphere is currently undermined by dimwitted jThere is a good game in here, but it's yet to take a stand.

L E V E L P O P U L A T I O NSparse on somem i s s i o n s . M o r e

goons please.

!

W E A P O N SA hefty selection ofcutting-edgepeople-mowers.

M O V I E R E L E V A N iRuns parallel to thfilm's story, so nov i r t u a l B e n A f fl e c k

THE RIGHT UUERPDN FDR THIYour crack hostage rescue team has a wide selection of weapon sets, each perfect for aparticular type of mission or environment. Here's the pick of firearms on offer.

These guys are yourteam. They've got yoiback. Who 's got the i r

iCQB AssauKWith its compact 'bultpup' design,the 5.7mm sub-machine gun is theperfect blend of stopping powerand size. Tailor-made for use incompact spaces. It comes with a9mm automatic pistol whose rapidfire is just the thing for laying downsuppressing lite.

Military BreachWhen you dont have the time toswitch between weaponsmid-battle, you need the M4/SGcombination. In one design youget a powerful M4 assault riflewith a shotgun attached. Blastlocks, clear rooms and take outenemies with pinpoint accuracy.

t r t tFull AssaultStealth not high on your list ofpriorities? The 12-gauge sho^uncontains enough rounds to saveyou from the dangerous task ofhaving to reload every two minutes.It has immense stopping powerand comes with a 0.357mm pistolthat has more power and lessr e c o i l t h a n a 9 m m .

G o i d : T * r ^ ^ o D o w nnlwfty Fire

tungo down

Hostage Rescue Team ReconThe 9fnm sub-machine gun Is notas powerful as the M4 rifie but it'svery easy to control In tight spacesand has an effective silencer. Thiscomes with a silenced 9mm pistol.As a bonus, the silencer alsoimpnaves accuracy Result.

Tango down fsnt a ^drink onder - it means wkanother dead enemy. V.

LIF*.

v o x

' v m ?

i i f c S . f ? ' - -

Complexact ions are seton one button.

^ D A W t^ ( f f

Play5tation.E 0

P R E NT W I N C A U B E R

L U D R D E : m R R K L D H R T I

\

When the undead are unleashed,Rage attempts to prove that

two guns are better than one.

Publisher RageDeveloper Rage (Warrington)

Players: 1-2R e l e a s e : 2 5 O c t o b e r

he virtual undead usually have apretty rough deal: getting stomped,mashed, Impaled and burnt - all forour gaming pleasure. It's not about toget any easier for them as Rageprepares to unleash this gun-toting

buddy game. There's evii around every comer andplenty of frenzied shooting Is on the menu. Enter ourheroes: the heavily-armed hardbolled Sheriff Fortmanand his mouthy prisoner Valdez, who between themattempt to shoot their way out of trouble.

This strictly linear third-person shooter Isco-operative play all the way Its best shared with afriend, but be warned: let your buddy die and It's gameover for you both. You have no control over yourcharacter's movement apart from his arms, essentiallylimiting the game to a fun (but retro-tinged) arcade-styleshootout. Twin Calibei's major Innovation is in Itscombat system, with the Dual Analogue sticks used forIndependently aiming each ami, then m and m forfiring the weapons. It sounds tricky In theory andcertainly takes some getting used to In practice.

Weapons available Include pistols, shotguns andmachine guns. A problem we found with this early codewas In the roving camera that pans around the action.One minute you're blasting hellspawn back where Itcame from, the next the viewing angle changes andyou're storming towards enemies with your gunspointing backwards. Shooting your partner Is difficult toavoid at these times. You wont kill him with one shot,but you'll lose points and doubtless receive a deliberatebullet back for your error A more welcome feature Isthe Inclusion of dynamite. Just when the action beginsto look a little like Michael Jackson's Thri/ter video youcan lob In a stick or two for fast effective zombie relief

Intensive gameplay emerges as hordes of zombies,hell hounds and cultists pop up from the ground,charge around comers and fail from the sky. Thesiow-mo sequences when you bag an impressive killare fantastically gory - your victims erupt in waves ofblood as they're shredded by your bullets While It's agreat feature to begin with, the slow-mo becomesdistracting and, because the action continues around it,prevents any real flow or momentum. You're never faraway from blood-soaked gunplay, but the game's scopeseems pretty narrow. The environments have a darKforeboding and claustrophobic B-movIe feel, yet eventhe exteriors are limited by the fact that your charactersare on one pre-determlned path.

So far; with Its linear nature and hackneyed plot.Twin Caliber should reek like last Saturday's socks.However, when you see your virtual self up close,kicking the head off a creature of the night. It's hard notto warm to it As for the final version, how about Just alittle more variation? This kind of guns-and-walkingaction is ail very well for a quid In the amusementarcade, but for the price of a console game? □

□N T R R E E T P T L U I N C R L I B E RAn interesting twin pistols' idea but hampered by linear game flow anddodgy cameras. Let's hope they sort it out for the final build.

G U N P I A YNeeds some fine-tuning, but dual gunsare very satisfying.

F R E E T O R O A M ?You have to go wherethis game takes you.No questions.

U N D E A O E V I L D O E R STons of them, allwalking right Intoyour sights.

dDRE BLIfTlE'dlcms full of zombies, weapons aplenty. Can you guess what happens next?

g m U B B a a

i l i e t T i m e. that videogame effect staple.: a creature of the night withough shots and you'll get a nicetion replay of the carnage.

H o t S h o t sSatisfaction guaranteed. Line up both of yourarms with bad guys, select the shotguns andprepare to release some tension.

M (

B s s

t t i n g Y o u r K i c k s D i e - n a m i t eley get close enough and It's getting a littie crowded and your fingers areI've hit them a few times, the starting to cramp up. Make some space thew-mo kicks in. And so do you. old-fashioned way

2 l21,822 »ir.

Don't stop to admire these strange-coloured floating dots, justline them up with the undead and let rip with your gun.

R E M EG U N G R A V E

NL U D R D E : P R U L P I T Z P fl T R I C K

) r x M EBang bang! You're (un)clead. 0PS2

plays Red's eel-shaded shooter anddiscovers gun-happy heaven.

P u b l i s h e r A c t i v i s i o nDeveloper Red Entertainment

Players: 1R e l e a s e : N o v e m b e r

lam! Crack! Whoosh! Kaboom! BlamBlam Blam! That's the sound of theanti-stealth games bandwagonmoving into top gear and flatteningany shadowy figures crouching in Itspath. If you look in the back seat

you'll see Devil May Crys Dante pinned back by the kickIn acceleration. But who's that In the driving seat with acowboy boot jammed on the Juice and a coffin chainedto his back? Say hello to Beyond The Grave, a deceasedassassin resurrected to dish out firearm-assisted justiceto everyone In his lumbering path, and the anti-hero ofGungrove. This is a full-on, third-person shooter with asimple agenda: to make you deaf and dumb withpyrotechnic cool. Originally planned as a Japanese onlytitle, Gungrave Is now set to grace the UK's PS2s.

Play for Just one solitary minute and you'll have themeasure of Gungravels gameplay experience. You'll alsorealise that despite some of the most coherent andstylish design yet seen on PS2 from respected mangaartist Yasuhlro Nalto, you're not going to be troubledwith a characteristically serpentine back story come thegame's November release. It's your basic girl meetstongue-tied zombie assassin dressed in S&M RoyRogers get up, who persuades him to tackle a shadowycorporation with help of twin handguns and coffln-cum-rocket launcher story. Yknow. That old chestnut.

Over the game's six short levels your job will beto make your way from start to boss-dwelling finish,shooting everything and everyone to kingdom comewhile looking as cool as you possibly can. Make stylishuse of BTG's balletic gun dives and that rocket launcherand you'll rack up style points that help to unlockscorching finishing moves. As you progress througheach level (subdivided into checkpoint-punctuated

sectlonsj the enemies come thick and fast. Not to worrythough, BTG is (arguably too helpfijilyl equipped with arecharging shield. Taie, It wont protect you once thegrenades start fizzing by your feet, but it certainly helpsto keep you looking cooler for longer when surroundedby hovering gunbots.

And does Gungrave ever look cool! Nalto's designshave been given an appropriate eel-shaded look, whilecut-scenes feature quality anime. BTG's animations arealready Incredibly fluid and will make you look like theflve-tlmes winner of the International Hardcore GamerOf The Year Award even when you're getting twatted bya large blue fist on wheels Idont ask).

However; beneath all that style, Gungrave reallylacks substance There seems to be little more to thegame than blowing six shades of crap out of everythingon screen. Of course, that makes It the perfect antidoteto overblown 'epics' like Final Fantasy X and given theoodles of style on show, Gungrave could emerge as aperfectly formed cult gem. But, for now, there Is achance that when the smoke clears, gamers could begetting relatively little bang for their buck □

□N T H R E E T P G U N E R R N ENoisy, action-rammed pyrotechnics make for a real antidote to stealthand strategy, but there are doubts about Gungrove's length and depth.

A M M OReload? Run out?As if. Just keep thatfinger on the trigger.

D E P T H

Only a microscopecan gauge the depthof this action.

B O D Y C O U N T

Major wars havem o r e m o d e s t

casualty figures.

jUNERRME 5 GUIDE TD EUNRLRbd mnt a deadly aim and balls of steel but lack panache? Let Gungrave's resident king of cool, Mr Beyond Theive Esq show you how to make your murderous rampage look good.

" i i j j . . ■■ M l . . . . . .

Do take every opportunity to showby leaping and spinning mld-iflght. You're super cool and amiedit's not prancing, it's showmanship

B Dont let your hard-ass facade slipeven when faced with flopsy bunnies.If they were that cute, they wouldn'tbe toting automatic weapons.

iki» 'C Do indulge in pointlessly over-the-top violence. Sure, one shot to theface would take out goon #356, butletting rip with two barrels looksmuch more hardcore.

D Do pose extravagantly when usingheavy weaponry. You're about to ruinseveral people's days so give 'emsomething entertaining to look at,at the very least

t f '

E And if you happen to trip over, domake it count by turning it into anelaborate tumble finished off with a |blood curdling scream. Saying "whoops-a - d a i s y ' i s n o t c o o l . 1

hat do you mean you don't likehat? Oh, you do now..."

2 Play5tation,E

© 2002 10 Interactive. Hitman2 ; Silent Assassin is a trademark of Eidos Interactive. Bdos, Eidos Interactive, and the Eidos Interactive logo are registered trademarks of Eidos Interactive, (nc. AH rights reserved. 10 Interactive logo are trademarks of 10 Interactive.Mic«»otl,Xbox,the)a»K logos, «e«wregist€redtrad0m»ksortradeniateofNtao8oftCorporatoih1 e United StatesaKl/cfothercourtriesC2002Moo8oftCon» under Iteence by Eidos Interactive Ltd. 2002. " JJ. " and "PlayStation" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All nghts resen/ed.

P R E M I EM A D D E N N F L 2 0 0 3

L U D R D S : N I C K E L L I S

J) D E K

WPolish your helmet and dust down

your jockstrap, the inspired Americanootball Sim returns for a 13th season.

Publisher EA SportsDeveloper EA (Tlburon)

Players: 1-4O u t O c t o b e r

j R D E R u F P L R yre's what it all bolls down to at Ist down and 10.

merican football is easy to dismissas one of those half-stupid, half-crazysports that only our soccer-loathingcousins across the pond coulddream up. 'Glorified rugby springs tomind, only with the players being

such wimps that they have to wear mote protectivepadding than a bomb disposal officer This simply isntso. A few run outs with Madden and you'll see thatAmerica's favourite sport is highly complex, tactical,physical and (perhaps more so than any other sport)utterly a team game.

Electronic Arts' Madden series has consistentlycaptured all the best elements of American Football -from the management aspect to the on-field brutality -since It first appeared in 1980. Veterans of the serieswont find too many surprises this year and if you'veplayed last year's 2002 version |OPS2#0131 you'll knowexactly what to expect this time around - to be franKvery little has changed. Updated squad rosters and anoverall graphical buffing are just about all you're gettingfor your money

However it's still one of the best sport sims thatyour money can buy There's simply so much going onin the game. There are umpteen different game modes,including entire NFL seasons, a knockout competitionand set-piece scenarios. All the teams and playerscome fully licensed, and there's a comprehensive Editmode if you fancy pitching a home-made Ottery StMaty Orang-utans against the New York Giants. Witheach Individual match lasting around an hour the gameis value for money personified.

Of course. It's likely that this may well leave NFLvirgins cold. If a tight end is something you would onlyassociate with certain Australian pop stars. Madden will

l A C n C A L C H O I C E

fone you take to the field, youjst select from dozens ofterent plays. Do you want to runth the ball, chuck the ball, or justat the opposition s heads In?

2 . R E A D Y T O R U M B l £

Having chosen your tactics, the teams are nowready to lock horns. Take a last-nilnute checkon how the defence ate lining up and whereyour target players are. You do remember whatyou'ne meant to be doing, dont you?

3. QUARTERBACK QUANOARVAnd theyre off! In the ensuing carnage, youhave to time your throw/run to perfection, andif you complete the pass, you'll have to by andget as far up the field as possible. Easy Thereate only five blokes trying to break your lep...

The ref givesa penaltyfo r i ndecen the lmet s ize .

probably appear utterly bemusing at first glance There'sa whole new language to leam. Wide receivers, linebackers, 1st downs - what the hell are they all about?Fortunately EA is considerate enough to take intoaccount that not everyone will have been following thesport since they were old enough to walk and haveseveral features that allow first-timers to easethemselves Into the game.

At the start-up screen, you can choose the EasyPlay option where Madden will make most of thosecomplicated tactical decisions for you, allowing you toconcentrate solely on the on-field action. There's also acomprehensive Training mode where you can suss outwhat all your minions ate meant to be doing and naildown the difference between the various offensive anddefensive plays. If you're a sports sim fan, perseveringwith this game is absolutely worth your while and you'llsoon forget all about that 'soccer game'. Well, maybe.

EA Isn't offering anything groundbreaking or new InMadden NFL 2003, but another solid outing beckons forthose who heed the call. Hut hut □

□K T ' t r r g e t pr i l R D D E N N F L 2 0 0 3Another top notch helping of Yankee lunacy, but there's barely anydifference between this and last year's version. Well, if it ain't broke..

0^C O N S I S T E N C YThe 13th instalmentpromises to bea n o t h e r b e l t e r

G R A P H I C SFantastic animation,superb replays andcheerleaders, too.

I N T E R F A C EA r o u n d t w o d o z e nbutton controls tolearn. Aaarghl

As a sim, Madden has it all - the Field Goal attempt is justone of dozens of real attacking plays you can choose from.

Competition isbrutal during themating season.

• -Things freq,uentty

.• / descend into-.'nf> total carnage.

PtSeA KmN Y J1st AMD id'

The game hasmore s ta t s t hana trainspotter's

_ notebook. .

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l o - l n t e r a c t i v e^ S I L E N T A S S A S S I N

© 2002 10 Interactive. Hitman2 : Silent Assassin is a trademark of Eidos Interactive. Eidos, Eidos Interactive, and the Eidos Interactive logo are registered trademart<s o1 Eidos Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. 10 Interactive logo are trademarks of 10 Interactive.MiCT0S0fl,Xb0x, the Xlx»:to90s,ae either registered fradrnarts or trademated Microsoft Coiporalfon in tlie United States and a other countries.© 2002 MicrosonCcipor under licence by Eidos interactive Ltd. 2002. " " and "PlayStation" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All nghts reserved.

HAD ENOUGH OFCTA: VICE CITY VET?Thought not. For more exclusive shots, more essential information,more unbelievable action - get hold of the new issue of PSM2.

FROM THE MAKERS OF:PlayStation®^' O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E - U K

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m O N T H

h e a d n e > f ~ 5

nrst Pro Evolution Soccer 2 shots

Mortal Komtxi t hands-on

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Knighr Rider comes to PS2Tenchu III update - new screens

LDfdOfTheR/ngsbookgame -/ C O 2 a n n o u n c e d ! — :

D P S S E X C L U S I V ^ E

R N L I KOn 27 August, the PS2 went online in tlie US witli tine launch of the Network Adaptor Here's our hands-oireport on now gamers in America will be taking their gaming experiences online.BY THE T IME YOU READthis, SCEA Will havel a u n c h e d t h e P S 2 N e t w o r kAdaptor package in theUS. Initially, this will allowusers to engage in onlinegaming. Costing Just$39.99, SCEA hopes thatby the end of 2002 amillion Network Adaptorswi l l have been so ld in tot h e h o m e s o f A m e r i c a nPS2 owners. Our US sistermag PSM has been testingthe system for a numbero f mon ths now. Here a reits thoughts and opinionsof the PS2 onl ineexperience as it stands.

W H A T Y O U G E TF O R Y O U R M O N E YT h e c o n t e n t s o f t h eUS Network Adaptor box(priced $39.99) in full;

■ The Network Adaptor■ A start-up disc■ A manual■ A demo disc featuring

two playable games,M a d d e n N F L 2 0 0 3and Ft^quency Online

m A coupon that can beexchanged for a postagepaid copy of Twisted Metal6/ock; Online [as long ast h e c a r d i s r e t u r n e d b e f o r e31 December 2002)

■ Introductions to severalonline carriers, IncludingAOt, Earthlink, AT&T SBCand Sympatico, althoughseveral other servicec a r r i e r s c a n b e u s e d

Also required:■ A P S 2■ An 8MB Memory Card■ A n I S P a n d a n o n l i n e

connection, usingDSL, cable modem,o r s i m i l a r c o n n e c t i o n s .

PSA f S HANDS-ON TEST'The new version of the Network Adaptor Isslightly thicker than the unit that was shown atE3 2001, and connects to the PS2 via theexpansion bay on the back of the system. Twoscrews anchor the Network Adaptor to the PS2.On the back of the Adaptor there are two jacks- one for Ethernet (broadband) and one for a

phone line. Internally, the Network Adaptor hasa power connector and a data connector for anIDE hard drive. SCEA Is yet to announce anofficial PS2 hard drive and none of the currentonline titles require it.

"Sony wanted to ensure that even a non-techie could install and configure the Network

Adaptor As a result, the configurationapplication is incredibly simple and includesa full suite of test options in order to verilyconnection status once everything is In place.

"Before configuring the Network Adaptor,we had to decide whether to use the Ethernet

(broadband) or modem (narrowband)connection and had to have a Memory Card

//"Ihe configurationapplication is verysimple and has a fiillsuite of test options";^

with 137Kb of free space in order to save theconfiguration settings.

"After purchasing the $40 Adaptorconnecting It to the PS2 and booting up thestart-up disc, we were presented with a seriesof menus that we had to navigate through.Initially the software ran various diagnosticchecks in order to detennine if the Network

Adaptor and our Internet connection wereworking con-ectly Once this had been done wehad to select our ISP from a list and input ourlogin name and password. The data thencopied over to our Memory Card, where itcould be accessed by all of the various online-compatible games."

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5 . 0 3 ( P u b l i c )

e • cSetect your tSP feom me 11^

Prodigy E a r t t i U n k

Sympatk^

SympadcQ

w f f r i d n e t You r ISPn o t l i s t e d ?

'A BHCK 'kThe start-up disc contains everything you need to get online. Users simpiy seiect their ISP from a list on the disc.

KTERHET SERVEP

Tesang Completed %pccessfu'!a

Ser rdng k i Qagnosac SenerIpctoig up host'rtsweb psflw com'Connectng t) port 10066l ioadng diagnostc d

Press »v TFWNGLE button ID rekm ki tie Mvi MeruUse left anaba stck qr B sort

'A EXIT

The PS2 does most of the legworit in setting the system up.

T H E G A M E S"Some eight online games have been confirmed for release In2002, Including Tribes: Aerial Assault, AW Offroad Fury 2, AutoModelllsta My Street. NBA Live 2003 and Tony Hawk's 4. UnlikeMicrosoft, which Is pushing a peer-to-peer model for onlinegaming Sony appears to be using a client/server modei. Allof the games we tested (with the exception of Tony Hawk's)require players to log on to a lobby sen/ice before Joining a

game. For gamers, this is a big plus from a game securitystandpoint. Peer-to-peer models are more open to cheatingthan c l ien t /server mode ls ,

"Once you have chosen a game and are connected to alobby serifer you can either chat with players or Jump Into agame. A USB keyboard Is highly recommended if you plan tocommunicate with your fellow gamers.'

//^Vnce you'veconnect to a lobbyseiver, you can jumpstraight into a

i n t e r m e tL A N

O P T I O N S

IVvisted Metal Black: OnlineP u b l i s h e r : S C E A

Developerr Incog EntertainmentUS Price: Free until 31 December 2002

"Twisted Metal Black: Online is a great example of how the onlineexperience enhances PS2 gaming as we know It Playing thegame against seven other people Ithree on 56k dial-upl is notonly a blast, but it also has a different 'feel' to It than Just playingagainst people In the same room, due largely to the fact thateveryone has their own screen. Thanks to the client/servermodel, players can Jump Into and out of TMB: Online at any time.This convenience makes pick-up games an easy reality."

I COMFlGUf t£ h t rmo tx

c o m m A v t m c m

SOCOM; US Navy SEAUP u b l i s h e r S C E ADeveloper: Zipper InteractiveUS Price: $39.99

The broadband-only SOCOM; US Navy SEALs is anotherstandout when It comes to competitive play. It's a solid enoughsingle-player game, but when you connect to the Net, join upwith seven buddies and take on eight opponents there's nodoubt that this is where action games are (and should be)heading - especially when you add a microphone headset andstart barking onjers at the rest of your grunts who couldpotentially be anywhere In the world."

# ^ c ? & a u e i s i C Y

r u T o s » i i A . u t »

s o c o

I V O P T I O N S.

u o i . v « , r n o

Frequency OnlineP u b l i s h e r S C E A

Developer HarmonixUS Price: Free (If you already own the original game)

"Fnsquency Oniine shares a lot In common with its offlinecounterpart Players new to the game can play a four-level demoversion of Frequency offline to practise first. If you own the fullversion of Frequency, you can swap discs once the demo hasloaded and have access to the full range of songs. Hie leastbandwidth-intensive game of the group, Frequency Online playedjust as well over a modem as it did via the Ethernet. There Is amaximum cap of four players per game, though."

W O T N O W E B ?Surprisingly, the US online PS2 start-up disc has noWeb-browsing capabil i t ies.

Browsing the Web, sending emails and chatting are keyparts of the Internet as we know It It would make sensefor Web, email and chat programs to be included on thenetwork start-up disc, but for some reason SCEA hasdecided to leave them out So, how are budding Netheadssupposed to get their surf on? The only possibility we canenvisage is if Netscape, or another browser maker suchas Opera Software, was to code Its browser for PS2 andrelease It directly Unfortunately, there Isn't any word onwhen - or if - anybody will.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE UK...When will UK gamers get to enjoy the online experience too?

So what does this mean to us PS2 owners Inthe UK? If the Idea of online gaming appeals toyou, you're probably wondering why SCEE hasyet to announce similar plans for Europe. Theirreluctance is probably due to slightly differingpriorities to their US counterparts. While SCEAseem content to Just give gamers theopportunity to get to grips with online gaming.SCEE has made a commitment to much wider

and more ambitious network functions. Theseinclude web browsing online chat, videomessaging, downloadable game demos andmusic samples plus video on demand andsecure CD ripping All would rely on a highspeed broadband connection to operate. This Ishighlighted by the fact that any Europeanversion of the Network Adaptor will not featurean analogue 56k modem function and has

WHAT YOU'VE SAID ABOUT ONUNE PS2 GAMING IN THE UK■Pte char t source uk.p l3yaaUonx:om

o -

H O W W O U L D Y O U U S E AB R O A D B A N D E N A B L E D P S 2 ?Download and streamm u s i c a n d v i d e o 1 5 %V i e w P S 2 d e m o s 1 5 %Surf the Web 9%Play networked games 61%

instead been dubbed the Broadband Unit. Itseems SCEE would rather give a minority ofbroadband-subscribing PS2 owners a highquality service from the start. Offering ananalogue modem option would attract morecustomers, but its potentially sub-standardquality isn't something SCEE seems preparedto risk. Rest assured, as soon as solid plansare unveiled you'll hear about them here first

D O Y O U H AV E B R O A D B A N DA C C E S S AT H O M E ?■ Yes 50%

" No, but I'm planning toi n u n d e r s i x m o n t h s 1 4 %

' No, I'm not interested 11%* What's broadband? 25%

10 PlayStation,?

"HIS LdtflER-CONSTRICTEDL U N C H B O X WA SPOPULAR WITHTEENAGE GIRLSOF THE TIME"

KNIGHT RIDER, PG 050

E S '

New football season. New Pro Evo. New favourite game.

"OH MY GOD... TtieyVe made it better Againr Believe us,we've just finished playing It, Pro Evolution Soccer 2 feels likean entirely different ganne to last season's performance. Wedidnt notice at first, but after half a day's play we realisedthat the ball physics have improved, movement is more fluidand players have more natural animations.

Everything down to the feel of l ici ing the ball has beenrefined and players now have their proper names Even better;there's no wind shooting through the stadium any more. Yes,the Inane witterlngs of Terry Butcher and Chris James havebeen replaced by the more considered commentary of TrevorBrooking and Peter Brackley.

Complete Info on our hands-on test will follow in nextissue's preview but here's what we gleaned from our play

While the Japanese version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2(known as Winning Eleven 61 Introduced new playeranimations when it was released earlier this year; theEuropean release of the game goes even further Playersnow stretch for the ball, trap It, spin away in a collision,stumble, arch their backs Into headers, perform nutmegsand even behave more naturally when they are running offthe pitch.

Brand new moves and button commands have beenIntegrated for dealing with free kicks: 0 makes the wallstand still, @ causes the players to jump and CD makes adefending player run out from the wall towards the playertaking the free-kick. Very useful indeed against the likes ofBecks and Car los

After only 30 seconiwe've got a yellow.No change there the

J C • 1.-J •; I

More subtle gameplay alterations are noticeable In thepassing model. Now the way a pass Is controlled depends oithe ease in which the ball was received. This encouragesmore accurate passing as opposed to route one hoofs. Thethrough ball looks to have been made more intuitive allowinfor more scything defence destroyers.

In terms of visuals, following an agreement with Umbro,the English, Irish, Nonwegian and Chilean kits will all beIncluded. Backdrops and stadiums are noticeably enhancedand the Player Edit suite has been extended to allow thecustomisation of things like hair and individual flair □ GW

•Konom/'s Pro Evolution Soccer 2 Is out in NovemberRead our full preview next month.

B L U E L I N E S . . .» Medieval third-person adventure Enclave is to be ported from the Xbox. Starbreeze Studios' title was praised for its strong aesthetic qualities » Tremors comes to PS2. RockSolid Studios has announced it will release a game based on the bleak horror film that introduced the world to giant sand worms. An "immersive stoiy line" and ' hlgh octane actare promised » Agetec Is localising Zettal Zetsumei Toshl, the Irem-developed earthquake adventure game featured in Spy, OPS2#023. It Is set to be retitled as Disaster Report

H R R R y 5 G R I T I EEA unveils Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Commerce... sorry, Secrets.

Go on Harry, snaphis neck like a twig! J

CHRISTMAS IS TRADmONAIiY a time of rampant excess and over-indulgence,so it was a bit of a surprise when EA showed unusual restraint by opting not toexploit its mega-lucrative Harry Potter licence on PS2 last year Apparently, EA felt

,there just wasn't enough time to develop a next-generation game worthy of eitherthe movie or the books.

One year on and it's all systems go for the pint-sized magician, as Potter andEA gear up for a massive Christmas push. As expected, the game is a third-personblend of action, puzzle-solving and exploration, based around Harry Potter AndThe Chamber Of Secrets, the second film in the series, initial impressions suggestthat the extra time spent creating a dedicated game engine has beefivvojih theeffort, as Potter's world looks every bit as vibrant as you'd expect.'-M-W

Following an introductory tutorial, Harry finds himself back at aboutto begin his second year of wizard school. From what we'veseen, the gwieplay is skewed heavily towards the youngerend of th#i|arket, but It's impossible not to enjoy the Abroomsticklase Quidditch mini-game which, once ▼unlocked, A play at time. All the supportingcast from the film are present and correct, andduring Harry's nocturnal explorations you'll evenbe able to sneak about. Solid Snake-style. At the ^ *rate the stealth bandwagon is currently travelling, p we can surely look forward to the inclusion of astealth element in FIFA 2003 as well. □ TC

♦Both the game and the film of Harry Potter AndThe Chamber Of Secrets are out on 15 November .

% I p■ f e , J

H a r r y , j u s t „p o t t e r i n g A l l Wa r o u n d t o w n . i r ■

PlayStation E

U P D R T EWe check the progress offorthcoming PS2 titles.

P O W E R P U F F G I R t S

Publ isher: Bam! EntertainmentL a s t s e e n : O P S 2 # 0 2 4R e l e a s e : W i n t e r

Not much to update in terms ofgunplay features (covered in lastmonth's Spy) but Bam! has sent ussome sprightly new screens of VISEntertainment's kitsch offering.

RED FACTION II

Publisher THQL a s t s e e n : O P S 2 # 0 2 4Release: November

THQ came by with nearly completecode of Red Riction II showing off aslick four-person Muitlplayer mode.Some members of 0PS2 reckon it'sfaster than T/meSpZ/tters 2...

N H L H I T Z 2 0 - 0 3

Publisher; MidwayL a s t s e e n : O P S 2 # 0 2 1Release: 5 October

We saw this at Midway's Gamer's Dayin Las Vegas. It's looking rock solidwith plenty of ludicrous hiddenmodes and characters, plus licensedteams for more serious types.

K I N G D O M H E A R T S

P u b l i s h e r : S C E EL a s t s e e n : O P S 2 # 0 2 1R e l e a s e : 2 2 N o v e m b e r

Finally SCEE offers up a release datefor this epic DIsney/Fino/ fantasyadventure - It scored highly on ItsJapanese release earlier this year.Pencil 22 November Into your diary.

0PS2 goes hands-on with the latest version of EA's long-running,mega-selling football franchise.

FOR THE FIRST TIME in four years EA has taken the decision to rebuild its biggest sports seriesfrom the bootlaces up. Despite continual commercial success, the company has clearly tal<en onboard the criticisms made by the press and hardcore gamers, and the result is a game that issignificantly different to its predecessors.

So what's new in FIFA 2003! Weil, gone are the stocky player models of the past - they'vebeen replaced by pixel-perfect digital representations of all the game's biggest stars. The only twoteams playable in the current build were Real Madrid and ivianchester United (quelle surprise)but Figo looks great in his trademark necklace and Becks's hairdo looked as immaculatelytrimmed as you would expect.

The other immediate difference is in the ball physics Go on a mazy run and, instead of it Juststicking to his feet, the player will knock the ball into his stride. It makes play much more realisticand enables defenders to nip in with quick tackles. Animation is also typically impressive, withplayers stepping on the bail to turn on the spot and shielding it from opponents.

The passing system has also undergone a massive revamp. The ® button now operates asan auto-pass, enabling fluid one-touch attacks, while the ® button offers more open-endedpassing possibilities by incorporating a power bar which can be used to play the bail into space.Elsewhere, the set-piece routines have been completely reworked and, thanks to the newswingometer-based system, it looks like we might finally even be able to score from free kicks

There's obviously still plenty of work to do but, despite the shooting system not having beenimplemented properly in the current version, we were still able to take the lead twice againstsister title, PlayStation Max. Sadly though, honours were shared after two swear-inducing blundersfrom Barthez. Now that's realism. □ TC

TIFA 2003 is due out this November, with commentary coming from Aiiy McCoist and John'breakfast' Matson.

O N E O N O N E0PS2 tackled Danny Isaac, the AssociateProducer on FIFA 2003, and asked him whatchanges he believed people wanted to se ei n t h e s e r i e s :

"I think people were frustrated with the way thegame played. It was numerous elements, notjust one thing People were saying, 'It doesn'tfeel like football.' We have had a look andasked ourselves why. One thing was the ballphysics and the way the players handled - Inthe new game, It's much harder to run pastpeople and you have to pass the ball now. Wealso had people say, 'When I play by myself ilike to knock the ball about, but when I playagainst a mate It's too dangerous.' That's theopposite of real football. It should be dangerousto hold on to the ball. The Idea Is not to getcaught in possession, to keep moving the balland create a chance. Fundamentally, we'vegone back and said: 'What are the basics offootball?' And It's passing the ball to a guywearing the same coloured shirt as you."

Goalmouth action has been a touch predictable in the past. We hopeEA's 'back to the drawing board' approach will add more variety. By building up the passing game, EA is hoping to reduce the ease with

which you could guide your player round opponents in earlier versions.

2 PlayStatlon.E

□R K D m SThe stunningly brutal Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance leads Midway's new release llne-up.

EXCLUSIVELY REVEALED BY SPY In OPS2#021, Mortal Kombat is back. During arecent trip to l s Vegas, Nevada to witness Midway Games' upcoming new releases, wesaw tiie latest version of MK iiot out of Ed Boon's development i^it.

There were six playable characters on the demo pods - Cage, Raiden, Kungiao,Mavado, Bo Rai Cho and Scorpion - each possessing three different attack stances.Unique combos can be orchestrated by switching between stances mid-attack. Kungiao,a white iotus monk armed with a fiendish broadsword, can flick between shaoiin fist andpraying mantis stance; while tubby old codger Bo Ral Cho Is a specialist in drunken fist,ml zong and wieids a jo staff. When strucK fighters ooze blood which drips down theirfaces and creates pools on the floor Sticky...

Although the feeling of contact during a fight was occasionally questionable, movesfelt responsive and animations were fast and fluid. Only the fatalities - the trademark ofany Mortal Kombot game - had yet to be Implemented. However, during a videopresentation, 0PS2 was able to witness two from a safe distance. The first showed afighter laying out his opponent, pausing then jumping on his head, popping it like apumpkin. The second featured an unlucky warrior having his entire skeleton ripped fromhis skin, in one piece. Disgusting, disturbing, wnong We can't wait □ GW

K A I D E N - t #

Frost ut i l ises herdouble daggerfighting stance.

•MK: Deadly Alliance leads a diverse llne-up of games we can expect from Midway inthe coming months. All of which are listed below... S A n - S H o a ' - D O a B i f S - O A C C t R

M I D WA r S 2 0 0 2 / 3 G A M E U N E - U PMorphing, saving the worid from aliens, thieving weasels and a fight with a tiger..

M u t o d e m o n s t r a t e sthe gorilla morph.

Ki l l a l l .a l ienslSave the planet!

* i «tn \l i e /H ft

^ 1 0 P *

V . iD r M u t oIn this mad scientist-themed platformer Dr Muto cancollect DNA from animals, morph into their form and usetheir abilities to his advantage.

Rvoky Flyers has astrong paphical style.

Freaky FlyersThis flying adventure game offers weight through the storymode which follows a different path depending on whichcharacter you choose.

D e f e n d e r

Objective-based missions and an ability to flip 180" Qust likeyou could in the 2D originall) had us engrossed during theshowing of all three levels in this space shoot-'em-up.

G l a d i a t o rThis arena based beat-'em-up enters youinto combat with lions and tigers.

C r a n k T h e W e a s e lA thieving weasel is the star of thishumour-filied puzzle-heavy platformer

Doomsday RescueFrom the developer of Moto Mayhemcomes this fast-paced apocalyptic racer.

Freestyle Metal XThis looked l ike a cross between MXSuperfly and Freekstyte in footage we saw.

. . . A N D T H E R E ' S M O R E !We were also treated to sneak peeks of three previously unannounced titles.Justice League: Injustice For AllBased on the hit Cartoon Network series Justice League, this gamefeatures famous superheroes inciuding Batman, Superman, TheFlash and Wonderwoman fighting against supervillains The Joiner, LexLuthor and Mongul,

A r e a 5 1Uncover the secret behind the mysterious Nevada-based Area 51 inthis remake of the original Atari llghtgun shooter This horroradventure features special effects by Jurassic Park dinosaur guruS t a n W i n s t o n .

Ni t roci tyDrag racing, street racing, freeway chases and the battle to be king ofthe streets. You must attract women, build up a reputation and takeon the best racers in San Francisco, New York City and Los Angelesusing customised street machines.

Play5tation.E (

EOOID a ENI I ILOur Heaven and Hell-styled 'ometer

P S 2 H E A V E N

ImeSplitters 2 getting only 0-he second ever perfect tenicore in 0PS2 and for beinghe best excuse ever forvorliing on that 'gameso o m t a n ' .

i certain UK games PR execvho consumed so muchlicohol In a 36-hour Lastegas drlnl(ing binge thatle lost the power to walktnd had to be pushed tolis room In a wheelchair

teign Of Fire's staggeringlyleautifui female leadlabeiia Scorupco, who hadhe good fortune to stand(ithin ten metres of Editorlam at the Dublin premiere.

•pe Escape 2. Forlanaging to bring someunshine into our otherwisearK dingy and increasingly•ulty-smeiling office.

box exciuslves. To beerfectiy honest, who cares?'il come to PS2 eventually

A's abysmal PlayStationxperience line-up. NoOTR, no Bond, no Horryotter, no Sims? What's aillat about, biggest gameubiisher in the world?

im only managing tolake tlie quarter-finals ofie TImeSplitters 2 Industryeathmatch challenge event I London last month,aturaliy, a written warningas been prepared.

tank God for thati Normal; n / l c e r e s u m e s a s 3 D 0iiease the thoroughlyilnglng Shifters. Just keeplaking rubbish - It's far3sler that way

Unlockable characters in The Two Towers! More games on the way!

AS BRILLIANT AS EA's Lord Of The Rings game looks, thehobbit-fanciens among you pnDbably felt a slight twinge ofdisappointment that only three of the fellowship would actuallybe playable characters. Well you neednt have worried, becauseit turns out that two other characters will accompany Gimli,Aragorn and Legolas after all.

These newcomers will only be available as unlockable extras,and in a bid to discover their identity 0PS2 tracked down thegame's Producer, Jonathan Harris. We put it to him that seeing asEA has taken the time to model non-player versions of Gandalfand Frodo, they would seem the logical candidates. He replied:■Yeah, you could maybe figure it out, but I think it will be asurprise I don't think it will be something people expect, and it'lldefinitely be something that will make people say 'wow!' I can'ttell you If Gandalf Is one of the playables, but that would be cool."

Harris was, however, prepared to speak about next year's LordOf The Rings game, which will be based on Return a The King(the final movie In the trilogy). "We're not sure if It'll follow thesame format as The Two Towers, exactly," he says. "We're lookingat increasing the RPG element of it and making it more visual.

H A N D S - O N0PS2 sampled the latest three finished levels from The Lord Of The Rings;The TVvo Towers. Check out our first impressions below.

The plan is to follow that up with a trilogy game - which will bereleased in 2004 - and will tie all three films together:" That'sright, another game featuring content from all three films.Remember where you read it first.

Keen to double check this exciting information, we also spoketo EA's Executive Vice President of Worldwide Studios, BruceIvicMillan. He told us The Return Of The King game will look evenbetter; with bigger battles: 'The design team wants to make iteven more immersive. It's great this year being able to play all thecharacters, but we'd like to take that further in terms of what'shappening with the other characters while you're not using them."

McMillan also confirmed that the release of The Return Of TheKing will be followed by another title which will encompass theentire trilogy. After that, almost anything Is possible, but he hintedthat we could well see an RPG and RTS game based on the films."We will do them," he said, "but it will only be when we've got theright team available and can take the time to do it justice." □ TC

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers will be releasedon 8 November.

^ S 2 H E L L

F A N G O R N F O R E S T

Light streams through the tree-tops inthis level. The gameplay here Is moodyrather than manic, with the emphasison smaiier skirmishes rather than fullblown battles. We played using Legolasthe elf archer, and although the bowattack hadn't been implementedproperly, his short-sword made quickwork of the ores which appeared fromthe river Tackling the Uruk Halbeserkers and a forest troll proved alittle more problematic, though.

H E L M ' S D E E PA classic set-piece this, with a rampartunder siege from hordes of ores. It'shectic stuff as your character has toknock down ladders before thedefenders are overrun. Gimli the dwarfproves a good choice thanks to hissheer power Ttie level is played atnight, making the fiery arrows andmortar explosions look particularlyimpressive. The lock-on system workswell and convincing enemy Ai makesfor nerve-shredding duels.

R O h l A NThe sun-kissed plains of Rohan boastswaying grass and a village packedwith destructible scenery. We choseAragorn to protect the localinhabitants from the ore menace,and his all-round ability served usvery well. The game engine handlesthe shift from external to internalenvironments seamlessly - andwe were witness to some reallyspectacular heat haze effects asthe houses are torched.

B L U E L I N E B» Could it be that Konami is planning to develop CasUevania for PS2? It's a rumour that just refuses to die... » Hudsonsoft has started Beta testing its Bombertrtan Online titlein Japan. It'll be out over there at the end of the year. We can only hope for a UK release » 3D0 has announced firm plans for Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse, a huge biblicalvideogame epic. "It's like The Matrix meets Hellraiser," gushes IVIichaei Mendheim, VP and Creative Director of 3D0. From the people who brought you Army Men? Be afraid.

» PlayStation.2

\ctually, the regulars loved his work so much that the drinks were on them.

f you like being able to see the difference you make, consider construction.i/Vhether you're interested in a degree or a Modern Apprenticeship,:all us FREE on 0808 100 0055.

w i a j w » c i t b » c o » i J

3 L D 5 7 E I N □ R0PS2 is seriously impressed by Traveiler's Tales' ambitious multi-genre epic Haven: Call Of The King.

INTRODUCING YOUR GAME as the most important ever made is quite a bold ciaim, but it'sexactly how Arthur Parsons, Producer at Manchester-based Traveiler's Tales, is tallying up hislatest project. Haven: Call Of The King. He has every right to eulogize - interest In the title washigh before It was announced commercially, with various high-profile publishers all vying for theopportunity to sign it up Rumour has It that even SCEE put in abid. Eventually, It was Midway who clinched the deal and Haven:Call Of The King now stands as Its hottest properiy alongsidebetter-l^nown franchises Moital Kambat and Defender.

So what maizes Haven so special? incredible scale, gameplayvariety and not a single loading screen once the game start:s.Parsons elaborates: 'Haven Is special because It's the first gamethat allows complete freedom of movement around a planet across allterrains, and then lets the player travel into space and explore otherplanets. Ttie game manages to do this seamlessly with no visible loadingand It maintains a high frame rate whilst drawing highly detailed worids

//Incredible scale^ varietyand no loading screensonce the game starts//

and up to a thousand enemies on screen at once." The Impetus forthis ambitious game (three years In development! is lead character

Haven's quest to find the Golden Voice -an ancient art:efact promised to free

his people from Intennlnable slavery.Along the way, multiple gameplaystyles are encountered.

1 havent really counted Tlthem up, but there are a lotof styles In there," enthuses

i

V

Parsons. 'There's platform action, puzzling, Bemani button bashing car racing car battlingvehicle exploration, space combat low-level flight combat, turret-based shooting, boat racingground-based shooting and atlasphere gaming in the style of the ball levels of the Gamecube'sMonkey Bali.' By the sound of that list, gamers should want for nothing

0PS2 was recently able to play through a series of levels of Havenwhich reinforced claims of a seamless game environment. We were ableto switch from platforming to boat racing to swimming to spaceshipflying without the slightest pause or hint of a loading bar Vehicles suchas cars, boats and planes are neatly woven into the gameplay - in onesection, we had to ride on a monorail using a mounted gun to shootdown an alien spacecraft.

In our opinion, even In Its unfinished state, Haven is very promising The basic structure of anoriginal game is already in place and it's now down to Parsons and his team to begin addressingthe gameplay. ensuring they put their Impressive engine to the best possible use. It's difficu t tocompare it to any other cunent PS2 release as it blends so many different game styles, but themain hub of Haven Is not unlike Jak And Daxter However, instead of Just a few Islands, Havengives you a whole Universe to explore.

Could this be the most Important PS2 game ever made, then? A claim we'd be foolish tosubstantiate before seeing the finished product, but Parsons' ambition for Haven: Call Of TheKing is something to be celebrated. The original Idea was to set a new benchmark, to raise thebar a iitde and reach a standard that other games would have to strive to equal. I fully anticipatethat after other publishers and developers have seen Haven, they will want to create similargaming experiences." □ GW

Haven: Call Of The King Is scheduled for release in 2003.

y

Just one of the stunninge n v i r o n m e n t s D ^ v e l l e i ' sTales hias designed.

Af

5 Play5tation,E

ENGINE TROUBLE?still wondering what all the fuss is about? Haven'sProducer, Arthur Parsons, explains the game engineto everyone who isn't a programmer...

"In essence, we wanted to be ableto draw as many things on thescreen as we possibly could at anyone time. Then we wanted to createways of lighting and fogging thosepolygons (graphics) without slowingdown the performance. We thenwent bacl< in and added all of thewhizz-bang effects, again ensuring

that the initial power created was maintained. Thefinal touch Is in the way we allow the user tocontinue on to wherever they want to go withoutany visible signs of loading While the player isengrossed In the game, the engine Is manipulatinghuge amounts of data, load areas, sounds,characters and CD audio. When people play thisgame I hope that they enjoy the experience ofgaming without the usual interference."

Character design is byRodney Matthews.

Glassy graphics utilise greatlighting and texture effects.

PlayStation.E 0'

^ l E R C E D F T H E R E T O I XBrosnan on board for Jomes Bond 007: NightFire.

"WE LIKE TO THINK we've got the best-looking ladies in anygame." Barely minutes into his presentation, and N/ghtRre'sCreative Director, David Luoto, is cutting to the chase. After thesuccess of last year's Agent Under Fire, EA's latest Bond game willbe based on a unique story created specifically for the game,despite the fact the new movie, Die Another Day, is also due forrelease th is November

The obvious advantage for Eurocom, NightFire's Derby-baseddeveloper is that it's free to cherty-pick classic moments from allthe Bond movies rather than stick closely to just one film. Evenduring Spy's limited time with the game, we still managed to doeverything from sneaking Into a swanky party at a remote alpinecastle, to driving a torpedo-equipped Aston Martin VanquishundenA/ater In the South Pacific. What's more, the girls really dolook as lovely as Luoto would have you believe - with plenty ofslinky evening wear and suggestive chatter adding to the secretagent atmosphere.

The gameplay seems every bit as solid as before, with multipleroutes through the levels and slightly more emphasis on adoptinga stealthy approach. Visually, NightFire boasts improved drawdistances and excellent animation courtesy of EA's state-of-the-artmotion capture studio. This year's Bond character is a bigger andbetter and, best of all, he even looks like Brosnan. Pierce recentlysigned up as the game's official face, and it certainly adds to theambience when the camera swoops out to a third-personperspective, giving you a better view of your suntiundings (seeShaken, Not Ttiird). James Bond 007: NightFire comes with thehuge range of gadgetry synonymous of the classic Bond character,our favourite of which has to be a suitcase that opens up tobecome a remote machine gun. It seems Christmas is set tocome early this year □ TC

*007 will be attempting re-entry this November so you can expecta full preview soon.

SHAKEN, NOT THIRD0PS2 mixed a Vodka Martiniwith David Luoto, and askedhim about the decision toincorporate the new third-personperspective during key sectionsof the game.

The rationale behind it was that insome situations you want toincrease the drama by forcing theplayer's view of certain things. Forinstance. Bond might be movingpast a window and you want himto be able to see the position ofthe guards behind the window sothat he can time his movementcorrectly If you do that in first-person, you don't know where thecamera's looking at any givenmoment" So now you'll have abetter view to a kill.

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE-UK

COLLECT THE ENTIRE SERIES!C U T O U T A N D K E E P !

S E N D N O C A S H !PLAY WITH YOUR MATES!

P L E A S E D O N T S U E !

PlayStation®? ^/ DFICUU. MAGAZINE-UK

[ Age: 39 1 Height: i'9' | Blood iype: A 1

1 Distinguishing Features: Trendy clothes, no bandana, Ij n o s t u b b l e , n o m u l l e t |

L o o k s Like a PhD student studying matinghabits of deep-sea cucumbers. 2 4

A t t a c k Firm handshake and Incisive,informed conversation. 1 2

Defence Kill him and there's no more MetalGear. Pretty effective really. 89!

Specials Shows stunning game footage, thenmakes you wait two years to play it. 6 7

Ukes a night out on the sake with Inafune where he oftenindulges in an enthusiastic rendition of the theme song fromThe Spirits Within at the iocai karaoke bar.

PlayStation®? ^/ OFnCUU.MAGAZiNE-UK

K E U I I N A F U N EProducer of Onlmusha series

Age: 36 Height S'S" Blood type: A

Distinguishing Features: Likes to wear loud shirts and bigshorts. Looks about 12 years old.

L o o k s The antithesis of Kojima, like a reversed,Japanese Morecambe and Wise. "" 4 5

A t t a c k Extensive knowledge of 16th CenturyFeudal Japan. 7 8

D e f e n c e Demonic beasties, and a hero basedon the Japanese James Dean, 5 5

Spec ia ls Also a manga artist |he createdRockman for Capcom). 2 3

Likes a night out on the sake with Kojima where he performsa touching J-Pop rendition of I Could Be So Good For You(theme from Minder) at the local karaoke bar.

8 PlayStation,E

^ WinoL directed, a fO(W• bo^ off ice smash_

>M m

As site manager for a brand new cinema complex, Nina directed operations withthe big picture in mind.

If you think you've got what it takes to make it, try construction. Whether you'reinterested in a degree or a Modern Apprenticeship, call us FREE on 0808 100 0055.

w w w « c i t b = . c o « i J

Tony regrets anempting the 900"as a 75th birthday celebration.

N

SKATING THROUGH THE AGESThe first skateboarding videogame was 720', released In1986. Spy shows how things have changed since thenand brings you the first screenshot of THPS171 Sort of.

T U RTony Hawk's licence guaranteed for 13 years!

IN A DRAMATIC MOVE Activision 02 has announced that itwill continue to publish Tony Hawk Prv Skater games up

until the year 2015, The news came after the signingof a deal that ensures the world famous skater

will lend his Illustrious name to thesuccessful franchise for another 13 years.

The Tony Hawk series has generatednearly $500 million and was the

largest independent US videogamefranchise in 2001.

Aware that his days as aperforming Pto Skater will notlast forever Hawk's role willnow be to consult on the

development of the titles to

ensure their authenticity and realism. "I am very excited to continuemy partnership with Activision 02," Hawk tells Spy "Skateboardlr g isone of the fastest growing sports today and the videogames alio vmillions of kids to perform tricks and combos that they might nut beable to pull off in real life."

With Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 scheduled for release thisNovember - already looking to have improved the series In tern's ofboth graphics and gameplay - it came as no surprise to hear th 3tseries developer Neversoft Is already working on a fifth instalmei twith a release tentatively suggested for 2003. If Activision's strate jy Isto release a regular yearly update of the title then Official PlaySti t/on4 !or would that be 5?) Magazine will be reviewing Tony Hawk's f roSkater 17 in 2015. 0 GW

'Read ourTHPS4 feature on page 76. The first In an ongoing seiies...

720"R e l e a s e d a t e : 1 9 8 6

-ooking all of its age, ttils US Gold releaseemlnds us wiiy consoles needed to bemproved, and how lucky we are today.

Tony Hawk's Pro SkaterRelease date: 1999The PSone revolutionises things 13 yearson wltti the first of Neversoft's Tony Hawk's ProSkater titles for Activision,

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4Release date: November 2002Now the PS2 is four times more powerful, so weget more tricks, bigger levels and graphics thatlook almost like the real thing

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 17R e l e a s e d a t e : 2 0 1 5That Is until the PS5 comes on the scene with a1024Gb processor and life begins to mimicvideogames. Meanwhile, The Hawkster turns 47,

)avilex resurrects Knight Rider. Enter a camp talking car called KITT.lURING -raE EARLY EIGHTIES, Knight Riderestled alongside The A-Team as the coolestiaturday aftemoon viewing that TV could offeriome 20 years on, the tight leather trousers andermed mop of David Hasselhoffs Michael Knightharacter and his faithful sidekick car KITT are;ady for a comeback Davliex, developer of London'ocer 11 (reviewed on page 111) has obtained thecence for the series and Is turning It Into a car-ased action game.

As every boy knew. It was the sleek sentientITT who was the real star, not the girly-looking

Knight whose leather-constricted lunchbox wasmore popular with the teenage girls of the time.This was summed up neatly by Hasselhoff In arecent interview with the BBC's I Love The 1980s:"How could I compete with a car which flew 50 feetthrough the air drove by itself, intercepted policecalls and ploughed through walls?" he askedrhetorically, while fashioning another German hit,

Davliex is bringing back not only Knight andKITT, but his friends Devon Miles and BonnieBarstow, plus arch-enemies KARR and evilmastemnind Garthe, We've yet to see the game In

action but the developer promises to include thehair-raising stunts (turbo boost. Ski mode, grapplinghook) of the TV show In a series of ten missions setover 15 tracks. But surely the biggest draw forsentimental nostalgia freaks Is the opportunity todrive the world's most technologically advanced car(well, it was In 1983 anyway,,). Knight Ridel's notexactly going to trouble Driver 3, but it will certainlyattract Interest from Eighties geeks, □ GW

•We'll let you know the score on Knight Rider'sgameplay next issue.

K N I G H T L O R EToo young to know about theblack knight? Here's a briefintroduction, and may we sugjjestsubscribing to UK Gold...

1. Visionaries Devon Miles andWilton Knight create FLAG,Foundation For Law And Government,a freelance agency that fights cr meand protects the innocent2. The centre of the operation is KITT[Knight Industries Two Thousand, avirtually Indestructible talking ca'packed full of gadgets,3. The car now needs a driver E iterMichael, a cop who's had his faces h o t o f f ,4 . D e v o n r e b u i l d s h i s f a c e t o i o o <like David Hasselhoffs, gives him an e w s u r n a m e a n d s e n d s h i m o f f I nKITT to fight crime and chat up ;Mthe women he can find.5. All of which is subject to changedepending on what takes the scriptwriter's fancy

) Play5tation.E

□Rbl 1 (IB JULid)A typhoon Is appraaching Tokyo so theShinkansen ('bullet train') services havebeen suspended, This Is bad news -have an appointment at Capcom Osakatomorrow/ to Interview KeijI Inafune.

□R i d sThe Shinkansen platform at Tokyostation is in chaos - the trains arepacked and It's standing room only.Thankfully the interview goes well.Interpreter Tadamasa Yamaguchi cracksup when Inafune-san mentions hiskaraoke activities with Hideo Kojima,Amusing banter ensues.

□n a < <Show Sarah (my new neighbourl how toget to lovely Inogashlra ParK I neverwould have Imagined a few years backthat I could articulate the sentence "It'sonly 30 minutes away by bicycle!"

□R y 1 1Checl( out the Toi^yo Character Show atMai<uharl Masse. It's anime and gamemerchandise heaven, but a personalhighlight is the stage appearance ofichirou (^Izukl and Horie Mitsuko -singers of anIme songs since theSeventies. After a talk show, MIzukIlaunches into a performance ofMalinger Zs opening song and thegoosebumps hit bigtlme.

□ R U 1 9Do a double take when i spot Moctossand Armored Core mecha design andanime legend Shojl Kawamori talking onstage at Hobby Expo 2002. After seeinga brief clip of his forthcoming MacrassZero anime, I'm drooling. Later at theMacross booth, he offers signedillustrations - drawn on the spot - asprizes. Elsewhere there's merchandiseand art from the new Storblazers.

□R y S ILatest game snack to hit conveniencestores? Final Fantasy XI Cheetos.Includes a 'F/naf Fantasy Art f^useumSpecial Edition* (a trading card).

Taiko Master, Namco's excellent Taikomusic game, hits PS2 complete with aTatakon drum peripheral. Simply hit thetop or rim of the drum according to theicons and try to keep up with the pace.Two people can either play co-operativelyor go head-to-head. Loaded with daftmusic, tracks include J-pop hits,traditional festival songs, rock medleysand even anime songs from Gotchomanlaka Battle Of The Planets) andDoraemon. Sporting simple but ultra-cutegraphics, watch out for cameos fromother Namco characters.

Summer fear and fun at Sony plaza.

SONY JAPAN'S ANSWER to the UKsPlayStation Experience is the Summer Festivalwhich is held at its Ginza show/room in Tokyo. Theevent was decked out with lanterns and otherprops to replicate a traditional summer festival,with Sarugetchu 2 {Ape Escape 21 and, fittingly. MySummer Vocation 2 headlining the gameattractions. As the summer is also the season forghost stories and visiting haunted houseattractions in Japan, Chun Soft's digital hornDrnovel Kamaitochi 2 was on show, too. The story ofthis novel entails the cast going to a desertedisland where a derelict prison stands; cuemysterious events and death. Text-driven and thusimpenetrable for non-Japanese readers,characters were represented in cut-scenes aseerie transparent ghostly forms.

Far less frightening is My Summer Vocation 2an RPG described as a "return to a simpler time,"set in the halcyon days of 1975. The city-born

protagonist is sent, during his mother's finalmonth of pregnancy to his uncle's seaside inn tostay There, he meets the local kids, explores thetown and has simple childlike fun: catchinghorned beetles and challenging friends' beetles tobug sumo; catching and collecting butterflies; andswimming in the ocean.

To furt:herthe Seventies carefree summertheme, the game's opening song Shonen Jidal - apopular hit from the era - is guaranteed to sendnostalgic shivers down the more mature gamers'spines. Indeed, there were few older playersspotted enjoying the game at the festival.

For foreign gamers the appeal of playing withbeetles and listening to dinner conversations witha host family in a game may be questionable, butMy Summer Vacation 2 has shifted over 250,000units within 17 days of its launch in Japan. □ AW

'Ape Escape 2 is previewed back on page 26.

i p a n i1. JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVEMTURE

(Capcom)2. JIKKYOU POWERFUL PRO

BASEBALL 9 IKonami]3. KAMATOCHI 2 IChun Soft)4. MY SUMMER VACATION 2 (SCEI)5. YAMASA DIGIWORLD 3 lYamasa

Entertainment)6. SARUGETCHU 2 (SCEI)7. RIDING SPIRnS ISpIke)8. GENSO SUIKODEN 3 (Konaml)9. COMBAT PACHISLOT ALADDIN A

(Sammy)10. DENSHA DE GOI RYOJYOUHEN (Taito)

♦Source: Oengeki 22-28 My 2002

F O X F O R C E F I V E !C O m B R T Q U E E N

Combat queensbattling king-size bugs.

Have you got rhythm? Pretend to bea virtual Keith Moon with a PS2.

R f T l E R I C R N H E R D

G E O R G E L U C R 5F I G U R ESpotted amongst a display ofImmaculately detailed action figures ofthe US Army and British SAS at lastmonth's Tol<yo Hobby Expo ms a hero ofa different kind: a poseabie George Lucas,

complete with R2D2. Wantto take out all yourfrustrations on thed i r e c t i o n t h e S t a r Wa r s

series Is taking? This is thetoy for you!

Get your bendyGeorge Lucasat HobbyExpo 2002.

In Talto's Combat Queen you play as shapely combat android Kyoko.Alongside four female team-mates your mission Is to exterminateunfeaslbly large mutant bugs. A Movie Shooting mode superimposespolygon enemies over live action backgrounds: move the targetcursor, take aim and fire. The 3D Shooting mode takes the action tothird-person. With five Idols/actresses dressed up In questionablesci-fi chic on the game box cover, expect similariy ropey gameplay Ifyou choose to persevere, clearing the 21 stages and scoring above acertain amount of points will unlock the girls' fancy special movies. ^ f t -

PlayStation.E 0

'..log;""From the looks of this shot, It'll be worth playing just tosee a Ferrari languishing at the back of the grid for once.

□N T H E G R I DFirst details of Studio Liverpool's Formula One 20(

WHETHER YOU LOVE THEM or hate them, it's a fact that Flgames are among the most popular racing titles with gamers eand publishers. At last count there were eight Fl-themed fireleases available to buy for the F«2. Of these, Studio cLiverpool's Formula One 2001 (reviewed In OPS2#007| was cwidely regarded as one of the best-looking and most accurate cdepictions of the sport. It wasn't without its problems though r- the lack of mid-game save function, occasional slow-down v

a n d p o o r c o m m e n t a r y d r e w c r i t i c i s m f r o m f a n s . tin light of this, Studio Liverpool is working hatri to make

Formula One 2002 an even more accomplished offering "With nthe experience of the first game behind us we took a step l(backwards and pinpointed the areas of the game where we tlknew we could make significant advances and went about arewriting these from the ground up,' Studio Communications vManager Nino Ceraolo told Spy In game terms this meansintroducing higher quaii ly visuals with better textures and reffects, but still retaining the constant 50fps frame rate. Motion itcapture has been used extensively for the pit stops and pre- tirace ac t iv i ty, and a l l F l d r ivers have been created as ncharacters who will be recognisable both outside their carsand behind their visors while sitting in the cockpit *

For Fl rookies, the new Arcade mode should offer aneasier drive. 'The cars are veiy grippy the handling is vetyforgiving and all cars are fitted with traction control so youdont spin off so easily any more," explains Ceraolo. On theother hand, there is increased realism for the more ambitiousdriver who will want to jump straight to #ie Simulation or Promodes: "We've Implemented what we call live dynamicswhich enable the player to dictate traction control and brakebias settings on the fly. We've also added a launch control."

Ceraolo is excited about the prospect of Including onlineracing in the near future. "It's probably due on the marke alot sooner than you think! But in order to do it properlythere's a lot of infrastructure to put in place. After all, beingable to race against other people Is only half the story. You'dwant spectators too, wouldn't you?"

With the Introduction of a competitive new Time Attackmode ("A complete game in itself," Ceraolo claims) a muchImproved commentary bank and the abllily to switch betvveenterrestrial or digital-style TV overlays. Formula One 2002 looksready to set new standards for the sport on PS2, □ GW

'For the full inten/lew with Nino Ceraolo see ul .playstation.com.

D E S I G N E R C B E N E iGames designed by you. This montli; The Locliing brothers invent a recipe for playground anarchy.

GAME NAMESCHOOL- OTBM

DESIGNERA D A M & B E N

SCHOOL ON THE BLACK MARKET begins With a school kid (that's youlreceiving an invitation to Join a rank of school hustlers. Once you Join, you aregiven a set amount of small Items to sell to your school friends (and enemiesl.After one week (120 minutes), and if you have made enough money, you can go tothe Hustlers' Hideout to purchase more Items to sell. The more you sell, the moremoney you make and the better stock you can buy to sell on next time. Itemsavailable range from sweets, crisps and stickers, to teachers' answer books andparents' signature-forging kits.

Mini-games break up the gameplay The yo-yo mini-game is a 'press thebuttons at speed' affair to win instant cash. In an advanced version of the mini-game you can win a golden yo-yo which you can then sell on for a large bonus.Another mini-game Is the Target game In which you have to hit the other hustlerswith a pea shooter to knock them out of business.

There is a radar in the comer of the screen which will warn you of any snitchesin the area. Snitches are your opposition, they are out to get you Into trouble and, ifthey catch you, they will report you to a teacher If this happens you risk losingyour hard-earned cash. At any point in the game you can switch to Aim mode andkeep any unwanted attention away with the use of a water-pistol.

In order to complete the game, you must remain unsnltched and in businessfor one year (a gameplay time of 104 hours).

WRITE TODesigner Genes, Official PlayStation 2 Magazine, Future Publishing, 30 IVIonmouth 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 Tina.

THE EXPERTS OPINIONG E O R G E W A L T E R

/

'Although there are certainmoral implications involved ina game where the aim is togo behind your teachers'back and sell bags of ilik itstickjaw and catapults tofellow classmates, clearlyonly a square would hav( aproblem with It So a goodconcept all round. Wheth'Srthe gameplay would stretchto your pfBdicted 104 hoursis questionable if it reliessolely on traipsing aroumpeddling your wares. Tomaintain interest, perhap jthe type of contraband y( urcharacter deals with coul jbecome progressively moredodgy, it would be cool tc seeBB guns, miniatures of B( lisWhisky and the odd bongomag thrown in for variety.'

*George Walter Is NewsE d i t o r o f 0 P S 2 .

Sony Er icsson

C a t c h t h e m o m e n tTake full colour snapshots. Forget about developing any film, just attach the Sony Ericsson ComrruniCam™, take a shot and get it on screen any place, anytime.Or share your snaps using MMS (Multi Media Messaging) or email direct from your T68i to your friends. There's a lot going on out there. Capture it with the T68i.

©Messag ing

Imaging

The Sony Ericsson T68i and CommuniCam^'Colour Screen ■ World Coverage ■ Mobile Internet ■ Bluetooth™ ■ MMS*

www.SonyEr icsson.com

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There's a far more generous selection of matches this time round, including ladder andcage bouts. This has got to be the tallest cage we've ever seen in any wrestling game...

H D G R N S R U NHulk Hogan and 60 other musty grapplers return for moreold-time rasslin' fumbling In Legends Of Wrestling 2.

IF YOU'VE EVER GRAPPLED with the quandary of what happens to wrestlers once they'vebeen counted out for good, we can put your mind to rest they appear in Acclaim's LegendsOf Wrestling series.

I_ast year's debut effort was notable for featuring both Hulk Hogan and Rob Van Dam,shortly before they were snapped up by WWE. And while Legends Of Wrestling 2 is, again,heavily reliant on Hogan for name value (along with 60-odd other suplex-monsters you'veprobably never heard of and, er, Andy Kaufman) that doesnt mean it wont offer a refreshingchange in a mari<et that's otherwise saturated by WWE games.

The selection of matches has been updated to include six- and eight-man tag bouts,cage fights, battle royals and ladder matches while the Career mode takes you to arenasaround the world as well as across the US.

This time round, greater emphasis has been placed on the tag division (a weak point ofthe WWE SmackDown! titles) with Eighties and Nineties favourites such as the RoadWan-iors, the Steiner Brothers and the Nasty Boys all making an appearance. And for thesuper-hardcore wrestle fan, Legends Of Wrestling 2 even includes DVD footage of interviewswith many of the old-timers, reminiscing about their favourite matches.

We cannot help but fear, though, that the whole package is aimed almost exclusively attwenly-something US audiences. After all, who else would be familiar with the new modebased on the 'Big* John Studd Bodyslam Challenge - which took place In the VWF over 15years ago? Still, it's the gameplay that matters and we'll let you know how it handles just assoon as we get our grappling mitts on new code. □ OH

♦Legends Of Wrestling 2 is due to be released at the end of November.

J S r M h m m M

'Once Tve finished with you

Marduk, you'll be nothingbut a bed wetter/'

f ^ D D I P G o p n oaka Cyril

%r

^ 9

^ I PlayStation.2

Each character's finishing move is featured- but will anyone know who they are?

With more fun ways to annihilate your oppyou'll be surprised just what you're capableunder the influence of Tekl<en 4.

uk.playstation.comwww. tekken-4 .co .uk

N NThe Vietnam and Gulf Wars revisited in Pivotal Games' new Conflict titles.

CONFLICT: DESERT STORM may have only recently hit shop shelves but the game's publisher SCI, Is ready toannounce that no less than two sequels are underway. Developer Rvotal Games is in the process of designing ConflictDesert Sabre, a direct sequel to Desert Storm. It will be released In 2003. Alongside the second Gulf War-themed title willbe Conflict Missing Presumed Dead, this time set in 1968 during the notorious Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War

Desert Sabre will revisit the team-based third-person action of the original, with players taking control of crack SASand Delta Force troops sent into Iraq during Desert Shield. Although play will be combat orientated, the 'behind enemylines' scenario will enable gameplay to involve a degree of stealth and, more Importantly, survival, ijeaving the Gulf forVietnam, Missing Presumed Dead tells the story of four US soldiers caught the wrong side of the border In the heart of theTet Offensive, forcing them to head up-river in an epic Journey to escape the overrun territory.

If Pivotal Is able to build on the solid game model of Desert Storm and also introduce new technology, they couldhave the foundations of a long-running war simulation series to rival already established franchises like Medal Of Honorand UbI Soft's Tom Clancy licences. More news on Pivotai's latest as soon as they're ready to talk □ GW

■Conflict: Desert Sabre Is scheduled for release in 2003 whiie Missing Presumed Dead wont see any action until 2004.

"MAKSG'FA S H I O N A B L HTO DON A BLACKM U F F L E R A N DSWITCH YOURMOBILE OFF'g^

TENCHU3,PG058 »*<«i

H O N O R A N D O B E YIn more war-related videogame news, EA hasrecruited new members to its Medal Of Honordevelopment team from the movie industry.Future Medal Of Honor releases will be furtherenhanced by EA's appointment of new teammembers to its EA Los Angeies studios. They areMarl^ Lasoff, a digital effects supervisor who haswori<ed on Motrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolutionand Titanic; and Tom Allen, a lighting supervisorwho has worthed on Superman and Shrek. EA LAis currently developing an unannounced MedalOf Honor game, the first title to which the newemployees will lend their talents. One thing's forsure, it won't be the previously announcedFighter Command which has since beenwithdrawn from production. Shame. □ GW*More Medal Of Honor news as we get it

Medal Of Honor getsa c inemat ic boos t .

THgger happy; sequelsto Confl ic t ; Deser tStorm are alreadyin development.

P 5 2 C H R R T S G U E S T C H R R T SPlayStation 2 Top Tens from around the world

7 T T l £

1 . M E D A L O F H O N O R : F R O N T U N E .

2 . G R A N T U R J S M O C O N C E P T:

2 0 0 2 T O K Y O - G E N E V A

3. GRAND TTIEFT AUTO I I I _

4 . S P I D E R - M A N

-Rocks tar Nor th Rocks tar

-Treyarch ————Activision5 . P R I S O N E R O F W A R - - W i d e G a m e s - - C o d e m a s t e r s

6. GRAN TURISMO 3: A-SPEC Polyphony Digitai-SCEE7. TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR GOIF 2002 EA Redwood

S h o r e s E A S p o r t s8. STAR TREK VOYAGER: EUTE FORCE Raven Software Codemasters9 . V - R A L L Y 3 E d e n S t u d i o s I n f o g r a m e s /

10. RESIDEm- EVIL CODE: VERONICA X Capcom.A t a r i

—Capcom♦Source; ELSPA (UK) Ltd w/e 10 August

# 1 : M E D A L O F H O N O R :F R O N T L I N EWhile EA's exemplary WWII first-person shooter continues to sellthrough the roof, the guys at EA LAare emphatically beavering awayon the next game in the series.Which period of the war will itfollow? Will it stili star the pluckyJimmy Patterson? Such details arenot ava i lab le . Ye t

# 3 : G R A N D T H E F T A U T O I I IAs the months roll by and GrandTheft Auto ill resolutely refuses tobudge from its well-earned topthree position, we're already gettingexcited by news of an Eighties-themed sequel. Twice as big andnow set In Miami, It's the only titlelikely to have the mettle to pushGrand Theft Auto HI out of thechar ts in the near fu ture .

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

1 . M E D A L O F H O N O R :F R O N T U N E E A

z G R A N T U R I S M O C O N C E P T S C E E3 . G R A N D T H E F T A U T O M l R o c k s t a r4 . P R I S O N E R O F W A R C o d e m a s t e r s5 . T I G E R W O O D S

P G A T O U R 2 0 0 2 EA Sports6 . S P I D E R - M A N A c t i v i s i o n7 . T O N Y H A W K ' S

P R O S K A T E R 3 A c t i v i s i o n8 . G R A N T U R I S M O 3 : A - S P E C

(PLAHNUM) S C E E9 . R N A L F A m A S Y X S C E E1 0 . W O R L D R A a Y

C H A M P I O N S H I P S C E E•Source; Chort-Track w/e 10 August

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

LEISURE SOFTWARE CHARTS COMRLED BY CHARTTItACK © 2002 ELSPA (UK) LTD

1 . M E D A L O F H O N O R :E N l E R E U G N E

2 . G R A N T U R I S M O C O N C E P T3 . G R A N D T H E F T A V T O I I I4 . V . R A L L Y 35 . R N A L F A N T A S Y X6 . P R O E V O L i m O N S O C C E R7 . S P ( D E R - M A N8 . F R E E K S T Y L E9 . P R I S O N E R O F W A R1 0 . S M A S H C O U R T T E N N I S

P R O T O U R N A M E m -*Source: mIcrDmaniafr w/e 10 August

E AS C E ER o c k s t a rInfogrames/AtariS C E EK o n a m iA c t i v i s i o nE AC o d e m a s t e r s

S C E E

(6 Play5tation.E

Scree, the friendly gargoyle,wil l make his debut InPrimal In January 2003.

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

September G e n r e P u b l i s h e r

Akira Psychoball P i n b a l l InfogramesC o n fl i c t : D e s e r t S t o r m C o m b a t s I m S C I

Ferrari F-355 Challenge Racing Sim S C E E

Gravity Games Extreme sports MidwayG u m b a l l 3 0 0 0 A r c a d e r a c e r S C I

Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer Extreme sports A c t l v l s l o n

Legion: Legend Of Excalibur Strategy MidwayMaster Rallye Rally Sim M i c r o i d s

Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 Extreme sports A c t l v l s l o n

MX Superfly Extreme sports THQOnimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny A d v e n t u r e CapcomPremier Manager Management sIm InfogramesProject ZERO A d v e n t u r e W a n a d o o

S t u n t m a n Driving InfogramesSum Of All Fears A c t i o n U b i S o f t

Te k k e n 4 Beat-'em-up S C E E

The Thing A d v e n t u r e U n i v e r s a l I n t e r a c t i v e

T h i s I s F o o t b a l l 2 0 0 3 F o o t b a l l S i m S C E E

Tiny Toons Adventure P i a t f o r m e r SwingT 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

Total Immersion Racing Racing Sim EmpireTurok Evolution F P S A c c l a i m

O c t o b e r G e n r e P u b l i s h e r

B l a d e I I A c t i o n / a d v e n t u r e A c t l v l s l o n

Colin McRae Rally 3 Rally Sim C o d e m a s t e r s

D I n o S t a l k e r Ughtgun shooter CapcomF o r m u l a O n e 2 0 0 2 Racing Sim S C E E

Gio Gto's Bizarre Adventure A c t i o n / a d v e n t u r e CapcomGrand Theft Auto: Vice City Driving/action R o c k s t a r

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin A c t i o n / a d v e n t u r e E i d o s

I r o n S t o r m F P S W a n a d o o

Legaia 2: Duel Saga R P G E i d o s

Legends Of Wrestling 2 Wrestling sim A c c l a i m

Madden NFL 2003 American football EA SportsNeed For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 Driving sim E A

N H L 2 0 0 3 Ice hockey EA Sports

Ninja Assault Ughtgun shooter S C E E

P r i d e F C Beat-'em-up THQRed Fac t ion I I F P S THQRoboCop F P S T i t u s I n t e r a c t i v e

Robotech: Battlecry M e c h a c t i o n T D K

Rocky Boxing Sim RageS h o x A r c a d e r a c e r E A

Sub Rebellion S u b m a r i n e s i m M e t r o 3 D

Superman; Shadow Of Apokolips A c t i o n / a d v e n t u r e InfogramesTerminator: Dawn Of Fate F P S InfogramesTimeSpiitters 2 F P S E i d o s

UFC: Throwdown Beat-'em-up Ubi Soft

Way Of The Samurai A c t i o n E i d o s

1 November G e n r e P u b l i s h e r

Breath Of Fire V R P G CapcomBurnout 2: Point Of Impact A r c a d e r a c e r A c c l a i m

Club Football F o o t b a l l s i m C o d e m a s t e r s

D a v e M i r r a B M X X X X Extreme sports A c c l a i m

D o w n h i l l R a c e r Extreme sports S C E E

Falcone: Into The Maelstrom F P S Virgin InteractiveR F A 2 0 0 3 F o o t b a l l S i m EA Sports

Freaky Flyers Flight action Midway

Gungrave Shoot-'em-up A c t l v l s l o n

James Bond 007: NIghtFire F P S E A

Kingdom Hearts A d v e n t u r e S C E E

Lara Croft Tomb Ralden The Angel Of Darkness ACtion/adventure E i d o s

Lord Of The Rings: Ttie Fellowship Of Ttie RInj» R P G U n i v e r s a l I n t e r a c t i v e

Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers A d v e n t u r e E A

M i c r o M a c h i n e s R a c e r Infogrames

P r o E v o l u t i o n S o c c e r 2

Rally Fusion: Race Of ChampionsR a t c h e t & C l a n k

Rayman 3Reign Of FireRiding SpiritsR u n U k e H e l l

Space Channel 5.2Spyro The Dragon 4Star Wars: The Clone WarsS u m m o n e r 2

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4The GetawayT h e L o s t

T h e S i m s

Tr e a s u r e P l a n e t

T w i n C a l i b e r

V e x x

Worid Raily Championship 02Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions

WWE SmackDown! Shut Vtour Mouth

X - M e n : N e x t D i m e n s i o n

Aipine Racer 3A u t o M o d e l i i s t a

B a t m a n : D a r k To m o r r o w

Devii May Cry 2Mortai Kombafc Deadly AllianceStar Wars: Bounty HunterTribes: Aerial Assauit

A l i e n s : C o l o n i a i M a r i n e s

Ape Escape 2Big Mutha TruckersC l o c k To w e r 3

Dragonbail ZD r M u t o

EverQuest Online AdventuresFar CryFreedom: Battie For Liberty IslandF u t u r a m a

Fugitive HunterG l a d i u s

Haven; Cali Of The KingIndiana Jones And The Emporer's Tomb

LamborghiniMetai Gear Solid 2: SubstancePac-Man World 2

PillagePowerpuff GirtsP r i m a l

R e d D e a d R e v o l v e r

Return To Castle WolfensteinRTX Red Rock

S i l en t H i l l 3

Sly RaccoonSOCOM: US Navy SEAUSou l Ca l i bu r I I

Splinter CellTe n c h u i l l

T r u e C r i m e

Virtua Cop: RebirthWolverine's RevengeXIII

Z O E : T h e 2 n d R u n n e r

*Game release dotes ore correct at the time of going to press.

F o o t b a l l S i m K o n a m i

Driving A c t l v l s l o n

P i a t f o r m e r S C E E

P i a t f o r m e r U b i S o f t

A c t i o n B a m ! E n t e r t a i n m e n t

Racing Sim B a m ! E n t e r t a i n m e n t

A c t i o n Virgin InteractiveRhythm action S C E E

P i a t f o r m e r U n i v e r s a l I n t e r a c t i v e

A c t i o n A c t l v l s l o n

R P G THQExtreme sports A c t l v l s l o n

Driving/action S C E E

A d v e n t u r e U b i S o f t

God S im E A

P i a t f o r m e r S C E E

A c t i o n RageP i a t f o r m e r A c c l a i m

Rally sim S C E E

Driving/action A c t l v l s l o n

Wrestling THQBeat-'em-up A c t l v l s l o n

G e n r e Publ isherWinter sports S C E E

A r c a d e r a c e r CapcomA c t i o n K e m c o

A c t i o n CapcomBeat-'em-up MidwayA c t i o n / a d v e n t u r e A c t l v l s l o n

FPS S i e r r a

G e n r e P u b l i s h e r

F P S E A

P i a t f o r m e r S C E E

Driving EmpireSurvival horror CapcomBeat-'em-up InfogramesA d v e n t u r e MidwayR P G T B C

A c t i o n Ubi SoftA c t i o n E A

A d v e n t u r e S C I

F P S InfogramesStrategy A c t i v i s i o n

A d v e n t u r e MidwayA c t i o n / a d v e n t u r e A c t i v i s i o n

R a c e r RageA c t i o n K o n a m i

P i a t f o r m e r S C E E

R P G T B C

A c t i o n B a m ! E n t e r t a i n m e n t

A d v e n t u r e S C E E

A c t i o n CapcomF P S A c t i v i s i o n

Action/adventure A c t i v i s i o n

S u r v i v a l h o r r o r K o n a m i

P i a t f o r m e r S C E E

C o m b a t S i m S C E E

Beat-'em-up S C E E

S t e a l t h a c t i o n Ubi SoftA d v e n t u r e A c t i v i s i o n

Driving/action A c t i v i s i o n

Ughtgun shooter S C E E

A c t i o n A c t i v i s i o n

F P S U b i S o f t

M e c h a c t i o n K o n a m i

n n o s TU U R N T E D

He took the time to writea small list of games hedesires. Say hi to Edward.

1. SPYRO THE DRAGON 4The purple dragon will simply bethe best thing on PS2."Release date: November

2. DEVIL MAY CRY 2'Dante killing big meanles. All Ineed to get through the day."Release date: December

3 . RATCHET & CLANK" I n s o m n i a c h a s a n o t h e r w i n n e rto follow Spyro The Dragon." Seethe 0K2 preview on page 086.Release date: November

4 . TO N Y H AW K ' S 4"More grazed knees andevaporating blood. VSy!"Release date: November

5 . J A K A N D D A X r E R 2"The first one was great. Quicklybring on the sequel to this greatpiatformer. Daxter's ace!"R e l e a s e d a t e : T B C

6 . T E K K E N 4The best beat-'em-up gracesour screens once again."Release date: September

7 . W W E S M A C K D O W N !S H U T Y O U R M O U T H"Rnaiiy, the Rock has come backto PlayStation 2."Release date: October

8 . A U S T I N P O W E R SThe groovy one himself rockingthe PS2. Yeah baby!"R e l e a s e d a t e : T B C

9 . S C O O B Y- D O O !NIGHT OF 100 FRIGHTS"Scooby-dooby-doo chasing fakem o n s t e r s . W a - h o o l "R e l e a s e d a t e : O u t n o w

10 . LARA CROFT TOMBRAIDER: THE ANGEL OFD A R K N E S SThe first Lara Croft game onPS2? What more do I need tosay? Bring It on!"Release date: November

Y O U R G O IDrop us a line with the gamesyou can't wait for and and whyplus a photo of yourself and we'lldo the rest Most Wanted,Official PlayStation 2 Magazine,Future Publishing, 30 MonmouthStreet, Bath BAl 2BW.Email PS2efuturBnet.co.uk

Play5tation.E 0!

Hot new gameplay details on stealth slasher Tenchu 3: Wrath Of Heaven. Sneakily attach a 'sticky' grenade to hisrobe then stand back and watch the show.

IN THESE STEALTHY TIMES, the ability to creep througti the shadows inflicting silent deathon your unknowing foes Is nothing new. But it's worth remembering the games that first madeit fashionabie to don a blaci muffler and switch your mobile to silent were Tenchu 1 and 2.After the passing of the development baton from Acquire (now doing Way Of The Samurai] toK2, series prequei Tenchu 3 is slowiy sneai ing up on us.

Due out in Ivlarch 2003, Tenchu 3: Wrath Of Heaven features two playable characters:Rli lmaru and the weai er (but more athletic! femaie, Ayame - there is aiso a third playabieninja to uniock. Naturaiiy, the emphasis Is on the notorious steaith klils. Each character hassix silent-but-vloient finishing moves which, when successfully executed, earn kanji letters.Complete a whole kanJi word, and you're rewarded with a new ability such as nInja mind

control. A much expanded item Inventory (timed 'sticky' bombs, a grappling hooK poison riceballs! augments the basic sword-based combat

At first glance, Tenchu 3 Is reassuringly familiar and wont represent a new revolution inthe third-person action adventure field. However; enhanced Al makes strategy and planningmore crucial than ever; especially as enemy placements are randomised on every play. Spy Isparticularly looking forward to trying out the new muitlpiayer modes, including the Co-opAdventure and the Intriguing Stealth Deathmatch, as well as confronting bosses such as the100-foot tail headless samurai. □ SR

Tenchu 3: Wrath Of Heaven will be published byAcHvision in March 2003

" H U M A N S F I G H TD R A G O N S W I T HA R M Y S U R P L U SW E A P O N S -WHAT COULD ITA L L M E A N ? "

REIGN OF RRePG 060

R G E E

without the constraints of the fiim's character interpretations, the developerscan let their imaginations run riot. Tolkien's world looks superb.

Universal shows off Its literary license, The Fellowship Of The Ring.

IjORD of the rings fever may have subsidedbriefly while the world waits for the release ofPeter Jackson's next film The Two Towers but inthe meantime two developers are working onTolklen-based games. As well as EA's action epiclicensed from the movie, Universal Is planning torelease a LOTR game this winter called TheFellowship Of The Ring. The main difference Is thatUniversal uses the book for Its source material.

On a visit to Seattle to meet Surreal Software,the team behind Unlversal's game, we asked TomCllneschmldt, Lead Designer what the advantagesof the literary licence were, "From a gamedeveloper perspective, the literary works are farsuperior to the film," he says, "If it's In the books,we can do It," The team has stuck religiously tothe author's vision of Middle Earth craftingmeticulously detailed 'design bibles' crammedwith costumes, characters and concept art. Allhave been approved by Tolkien Enterprises whoown the rights to Tolkien's books, while furtheradvice and opinion has been sought from fanswho contribute to Theoneringnet Web site.

Mixing third-person swordplay with classicadventuring in-game action switches betweenheroes Aragorn, Gandalf and Frodo as they usetheir individual combat, magic and stealth skillsacross 27 levels, taking in the Shire, Rivendaie andthe Mines of Moria, The Surreal team has beenworking on The Fellowship Of The Ring sinceJanuary and has taken the time to heavily modifythe Riot Engine that drives the game's vast 3Denvironments. This engine waslast seen powering Drakan,-The Ancients' Gates.

Our initial impression isthat The Fellowship Of The Ringlacks the immediacy andHollywood glamour of EA's game, but themain appeal of Unlversal's interpretationwill be to those who hold fondermemories of Tolkien's book thanits glitzy filmic remake, □ AC

■TTie Fellowship Of The Ring is outin November thwugh Universal.

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

FIBHT BACK

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V O i - L i T i O n

PlayStation.^ if ^ecube. >vxeax gambboy^^^b)uter Entertainment Inc, Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U,S, and /or in other countries and are used under licencei ) . G a m e B o y ( t m ) G a m e B a y A d v a n c e ( t m ) a r e t r a d e m a r k s o f N i n t e n d o C o , , L t d , v • "

" R O B (CRABS, ALIENSAND A BRAINL IKE MONSTERTHAT OOZESGREEN SL IME"

CONTRA, PG 062

L R N D B R I I KPlans have been finalised to release underworid adventure title, The Lost

IRRATIONAL SOFTWARE'S MYSTERIOUS title, The Lost, hasfinally been guaranteed a UK release with Ubi Soft taking upthe publishing duties, Rrst mentioned way back in OPS2#008,details have been hard to come by. Until now that is, withsolid information now being offered for a November release.

The story is based on Dante's Inferno and centres aroundAmanda, a woman distraught - owing to the death of herdaughter Our heroine makes a pact with the devil so she Isable to travel through hell to retrieve her infant's soul. Thistranslates to a third-person horror adventure in which Amandamust traverse nine levels, each made up of five stages,collecting souls as she goes The settings include variousindustrial areas and a dank Gothic castle that conjures up adistinctly unnerving and claustrophobic atmosphere.

Amanda's physical make-up affottis her the ability toshape-shift. Each of these apparitions has unique abilities thatmake her journey through hell easier These include Shadow,who exudes stealth and speed and takes the form of amedieval thief complete with grappling hook; and Amazon, amuscular supenwoman whose skill lies in her weaponry.

We've yet to get an extensive hands-on play of the title,but after a brief glimpse on US publisher Grave's stand at E3in May the game was certainly meeting expectations. The onlyproblems at this stage were an Inconsistent frame rate andsome erratic targeting - elements usually addressed beforethe end of the development process □ GW

The Ijost is out in the UK through Ubi Soft this November

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The Losfs towering gothic castles are reminiscentof those found in Capcom's Devil May Cry.

> V ^1JD4UIIE< Sorf • if.. • ' The cloaked ant

h o o k e d S h a d o w.

S L U E L I N E S»Space Fisherman will continue SCEI's tradition of producing high-concept titles. The idea is to catch huge fish that float through the atmosphere » Spirit Software will releaseVoodoo Islands this Novemlwr. In it you piay as a pirate captain fighting against evil cannibals and hostile pirates with the aim of controlling the Caribbean Seas » Ready 2 HumbleHound 3? Although not offlclal, we have heard from sources at Midway that a PS2 sequel is likely. Although specifics are undecided, a wrestling element has been mentioned ..

^ E G N ( Z H E E I KNow we've seen the film, Reign Of Fire begins to make sense..

HUMANS RGHT DRAGONS with army surplus weapons ina post-apocalyptic landscape - what could It all mean? Afterseeing the premiere of Rob Bowman's Reign Of Fire film inDublin last month, It all became clear A giant dragon fossilhas lain dormant in the earth beneath London for thousandsof years until it is disturbed by construction work Once'awakened', the dragon species - able to feed on ash andbreathe havoc-wneaking fireballs - proves Itself too powerfulfor the human race and decimates 99 percent of Earth'spopulation. A scientifically flimsy premise, but one with themarkings of a great action yarn.

In the film, Christian Bale heads a survival community inNorthumberland, scraping by with chaned equipment; whileMatthew McConaughey is psychotic US marine Van Zan whoarrives with a small convoy of battered but unbowed troops,determined to take on the dragons at their own game Youcan nip down your local multiplex now to view the movieconclusion, but naturally Kuju's game expands on the plot.

It serves as the basis for an ambitious mission-basedadventure. In which you pilot a grimy ACP and protectfamnland and miiltaiy bases from the attack of five dragonspecies Multi-tasking provides the challenge - you have to

The i r Ch inese NewYea r ce l eb ra t i onsended in d isaster.

(Above right): Completing missions under fire from dragon hordes.(Below right): You might only have one shot at killing them.

devise a strategy and then drive and fire simultaneously,eliminating the scaly threat without exposing yourself

Even more exciting are the missions where you play as adragon. Animated impressively, dragons can be piloted In thesame way you would pilot a craft In a flight sIm, with humanground troops providing the targets for two modes ofscorching attacks. We're still playing through the levels andshould be able to bring you a full preview next month. □ SR

■^elgn Of Hie the game is out on 15 November from Bom!Entertainment The movie is out now.

p60 PlayStation-E

1. The sweet little pointy nose ofPrincess 1co' Yorda. This is also acommon facial feature of angels,fairies, nymphs and other sicklysweet girly storybook characters.

2. PaRappa's woollen bobble hat.He may well be the coolest houndin the 'hood, but he still wears ahat that was knitted by his Mother.You gotta believe? You gotta bekidding, more like.

3. Klonoa's funny flappy ear glovethings. Strange deformities canbe so endearing - see ET, TheSnorks, Zippy from Rainbow, ALFand The Simpsons.

4. The oversized teddy bear handsof the purple Bleeps from HerdyGerdy. Because even the hardestman in space thinks of his firstteddy bear with a sentimental tearin his eye.

5. A hybrid body of the dog fromGitaroo Man and Jul ie t te the catfrom Fur Fighters. It's obvious.Kittens and puppies combine toproduce the ultimate In 'aahhhhhcooochy coooo', stomach strokingcu teness , Eeuuch I

6. The huge dewy anime eyes ofKeira from Jok And Baxter, alsocommon to numerous JapaneseRPG characters. Even after a

character has just unleashed aparalysing overdrive attack onyou, those eyes will still be sweetlysaying, "What? Me?"

7. Pai Chan from VF4's schoolgirlbunches. No, not because we'resuggesting anyone has anunhealthy schoolgirl fetish, butwho wou ld have the s tomach toh u r t o r m u t i l a t e s o m e o n e w h olooks like they have to be homeby seven?

8. Reiko from Ridge Racer Vsblack open-toed sandals. No usewhatsoever for driving a car veryfast, or for taking part in any kindof activity where toe scuffage islikely, "But they look beautiful,don't they darling?"

9. The legs of a cuddly Moralian _from Space Channel 5.Perhaps because they remindus slightly of Morph, thehappy-go-lucky brownPlasticine man that art expertTony Hart cruelly kept lockedin a wooden box,

10 . L inda f rom Freak Outsmagic scarf. Doubles up as acomfort blanket and Imaginaryfriend In times of danger. Well, youwouldn't expect anyone this cuteto have a weapon would you?M w a h a h a h a h a l

i r n

C D R E T U R N SIco 2 is in development by SCEi - confirmed!

0PS2 CAN REVEAL that SCEI is currently in the process ofdeveloping a game informally titled Ico 2. Rumours were firstsparked over the possibility of a sequel to theav/e-inspiring Ico when a two-page job advert was placed inJapanese game mag Weekly Famitsu. We can confirm, afterspeaking to a Sony representative, that the team is workingon Ico 2 and is looking to recruit new staff members to helpmake the new game even more impressive than the last.

The advert is most noticeable for Its gorgeous artworkwhich shows a group of three horned Ico iookaiikes onhorseback surveying a rocl^ landscape. The grainy style andwashed out colour is in keeping with the original /co's visualsbut the location of the shot suggests the new game may beset outside, rather than in the realms of a castle.

The accompanying text asks for programmers, designers,artists and game planners to contact SCEI if they wish to beconsidered for any of the available positions. Quite whetherthe team size is being increased with the addition of newstaff - which would suggest that more money is being putbehind Ico 2 - or whether they are simply replacing existingstaff, is not clear Equally elusive are any details on story line,content and release dates (or whether Princess Yorda willmake another appearance). Rest assured though, the sublimedelights of Ico will definitely be revisited in the not tood i s t a n t f u t u r e . □ G W

*lf you've not experienced the magic of Ico yet, it'savailable to buy now, priced £39.99.

PlayStation.2 06

5 ) N E F '=^Bum baby, bum...the devastatingeffects of napalm.

New information on Konami's old skool shoot-'em-up, Contra: Shattered Soldier

HERE'S ONE FOR THE hardcore gamers out there: Contm,Konami's hard-as-nails sideways scroiilng shoot-'em-up is bacl<and just as unforgiving as before. It made its debut in thearcades bacl< in 1987 (also appearing on C64, NES and MSXland was an ail-out button-bashing assault on the senses withrelentless waves of enemies putting your lone soldier underAre from all angles. The game is still in retro 2D but now has anext-gen edge with the Inclusion of 3D backgrounds,

in the game the 'shattered soldier' of the title must escapefrom an alien planet and at his disposal is a range of machineguns, flame-throwers and rocket launchers that can all be fired

in eight different directions (normal skeletal limitations areclearly not an issue here). Your soldier can also jump andduck to avoid enemy Are, as well as climb and hang fromparts of the scenery. Various power-ups can be obtained toincrease a weapon's power and change its action, forexample firing three-way bullets.

Spy got to play the Fortress and Train levels and found thecontrols (® for Jump, @ and @ to fire) simple to execute.And although we were playing the easy setting, the gameplaywas as tough as we remembered. The character design hasbeen created by Spawn/Allen artist Ashley Wood and lent the

game a dark edge with enemies taking the form of roboticcrabs, terrilying aliens and a brain-like monster that oozesgreen slime when shot

Unfortunately Contra Shattemd Soldier is unlikely toattract massive sales figures due to its vintage gaming roots,although it will appeal to more traditionalist gamers whohanker after the good old days of the shoot-'em-up whenGreen Beret and Metal Slug ruled the battlefield. □ GW

'Konami's Contra: Shattered Soldier Is in development otKCE JYO and Is due out this November.

T H E P U E 5 T I I D N 0PS2 grills the videogames industry's finest on a hot topic.

A GOQDjIJEDIW h i c h t r e a t m e n t s o f w a r i n

videogames have beenm o s t e f f e c t i v e ?

Effectiveness is about executionrather than approach. Those thathave been most effective interms of gameplay are CannonFodder for It's comedy value orM e d a l O f H o n o r t o r I t s r e a l i s m .

There are effective ways of usingwar as a game setting, exceptwhere the reality gets In the wayof gameplay I wouldnt want toplay a game where all I did washide in a hole getting shot at formonths at a time - which wasthe reality for many people inWWI and WWI I ,

Medal Of Honor's Saving PrivateRyan styling lent It a realistic airand quite accurately conveyede l e m e n t s o f w a r .

What kind of problems canoccur when making avideogame based on war?

Getting the Al balance right Isalways tricky as Is dealing withthe legalities of your opposition.With Reign Of Fire a great deal oftime was spent on the Al of bothhuman and dragon troops.Having a non human enemyeliminated any legal Issues -dragons get bad press anyway

There are political problems,depending on the war you'recovering Nazis cant wearswastikas in games In Europe, forInstance, The main challenge Isdeciding when reality goes out ofthe window and when you 'break'the rules of the setting for thesake of gameplay

I think the most difficult part isthe localisation processImportantly, In a war gamesomeone has to win and youdont want to upset anyone whenthis happens. You also have to becareful not to offend morepatriotic gamers.

What can gamers learn aboutwar while playing videogames?

As the Eighties film Wargamesshows us, there Is a certainamount of battle strategy thatcan be leamt Beyond this, I thinkthere's very little that would be ofbenefit a real war-time situation.

Some games contain accuratehistory. I would hope that mostgamers dont look to games toteach them anything and realisethat the world is very differentfrom what we can get in a game,otherwise there are 10 milliondrivers out there who've leamthow to corner by playing GTA/lfl

If it's a sIm-based game thatu s e s a c c u r a t e h i s t o r i c a l

depictions of events, strategiesand weapons, then it could havesome educational value Some ofthe more realistic FPSs mightgive you an idea of how difficultit could be to sun/ive In a war

How do you feel about themilitaiy using 'games' to traintheir troops?

Unless a complete VR suit andstate-of-the-art real-world displaycan Immerse the player, withstimulants and adrenalinepatches wired to the body, I dontthink a game simulator willachieve status as a propermilitary training device for manyyears to come

There's a RAF fiight simulatorused to train pilots In air combatRAF pilots were amassed to findthat the guy who programmedand used the simulator every daywas better than fully trainedpilots. The top brass had to admitthat playing games actuallye n h a n c e d s k i l l s .

I think Its a good Idea. As anexample there's a game cunentlybeing made by the US Army Ifthat encourages people to signup then I guess thars a goodthing for them. It would have tobe coded by someone who knewwhat they were doing though.

Are videogames a goodmedium for understandingt h e r e a l i t i e s o f w a ' ?

)62 Play5tatlon,E

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W W W . s c i . c o . u k / g u m b a l l _ 3 0 0 0

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rHE PlayStation^ INTERVIEW/ OmCULMABAZINt -UK

W O R D S : PA U L n T 7 PAT R I C K A N D A M O S W O N G / P H O T O G R A P H Y: J A M E S C O P E

Kei ji InapuneThe Producer of sword and samurai epic Onimusha and its superb sequel tall^s to 0PS2 aboutKurosawa, liorse racing and Cliristoplier Waii^en in... Mouse Hunt?

Curriculum VitaeName: Keiji InafuneJ o b t i t l e : G e n e r a l

Manager R&D 2, CapcomDate of birth: 08/05/65Place of birth: Osaka

Nationality: JapaneseBlood type: AAcademic background:Graduate of OsakaDesigner CollegeGameography:Rockman 1-8 (NES/SNES/PSone/SatumI, WanpakuDuck Yume Bouken akaMischievous Duck DreamAdventure |SNES|, ChippuTo Deru No Dai Sakusenaka Chip And Daie's BigStrategy |SNES|,Rockman X1-5ISNES/Satum/PSone),BreothOfRrelSNES),Rockmon Dash (PSonel,Resident Evil 2 (PSone),The Misadventures OfTron Bonne (PSonel,Rockman Dash 2 (PSone),Onimusha (PS2|H o b b l e s :

Collecting sneakers andmilltaiy clothingF a v o u r i t e a u t h o r :

Stephen KingFavourite games:Legend OfZeida, Blackout(NES and SNES versions).Metal Gear SolidFavourite film directors:James Cameron,Aklra KurosavijaF a v o u r i t e m u s i c :Simon & Garliinkel

Keiji Inafune didn't set out tomake videogames. Long beforehis name became s)Tionymouswith the PS2 sleeper hitOnimusha, he wanted to be a

manga artist. However, as a teenager he opted touse his artistic talents in videogames insteadand joined Capcom. Despite early successcreating Rockman (the star of a respected serieson the NES in Japan) it wasn't until Onimushahit the PS2 in 2000 that Inafune's star shone

beyond his home country. We decided that itwas time to learn about the man behind thispeculiarly modern Japanese dynasty.

You entered the games industry from adesire to draw. What was your impressionof Space Invaders' simple graphics?When Space Invaders became popular 1 was inyear six of junior high school. At that time, theold Japanese attitude was that it was bad kidswho went to arcades. Gangs were hangingaround the machines and 1 couldn't get close,because 1 thought if 1 did, they would come overand try to nick my money! 1 did sneak in a fewtimes and really liked the game. But 1 couldn'treally concentrate because I was constandyworried about the gangs coming after me!

During Onimusha's development, you saidyou wanted to make a game "with a tasteof [Japanese Director] Akira Kurosawa." Isyour interest in Japanese history a resultof watching his movies?When 1 was at school, I saw many Westernmovies because of the weekend horse races. Myfather loved going to them, but he had to lookafter me. He'd say, "You must come with me tothe races. The race goes on for a few hours, butif there's a movie you want to see, you can seeit" So he'd leave me at the theatre and bet onthe horses. During the holidays there wasplenty of anime screening. But the racingkeeps going regardless of holidays,so I saw many spectacular movieslike Earthquake. Star Wars was thefirst film that really made me lovemovies. Lucas sa id that he was

inspired by Kurosawa, and it wasaround that time that Kurosawa's

Kagemusha was released. Thatcould be why I got into his movies.

Monsters play a big part inyour games. What are youral l - t ime favour i te monsters?Alien was really well done interms of design. It certainly had

impact and was unique, 1 remember it well; 1saw it on one of those horse racing days. Themovie had already started when I went in andonly front row seats were available, so 1 waslooking straight up at the screen! In the old daysthere were also lots of good monster designs inUitraman that have been inspirational.

How do the Onimusha, Biohazard andDevil May Cry teams and producers getalong? Do you socialise together or dropby to see how development is progressing?We chat, but we don't really go out together todrink. Actually, I can't drink: I'm allergic toalcohol. I get along well with Hideo Kojima andwe go out often to karaoke [laughs], I don't singso much, but Kojima loves to sing LArc-en-Ciel[Japanese band who sang the title song to The

'1 don't want tobecome too wel l -known. That way,I can still go to thenaughty spotsaround Kabuk icho ' 'Spirits Within], There are many great creators,but he's the only one I respect.

If you were to make a game with aWestern hero, which actors would youconsider approaching for their likeness?If I had a chance, I'd prefer somebody who ispopular both in America, Europe and Japan,Personally, 1 like Christopher Walken, but I don'tthink he would help sales. He was great in TrueRomance and Mouse Hunt

Beat Takeshi [Battle Royale, Sonatine]is an icon in the West. Have you ever

considered using him in a game?1 like his movies a lot, but I've never

thought about using him! I fee! so sadwhen I see his movies, in Japan thereare only about ten people in the

cinema, Japanese people generallythink Japanese movies aren't

interesting, with the exception of HayaoMiyazaki's work [legendary Writer

and Director of PrincessMononoke and many other

anime titles],

Onimusha 2: cunninglydisguises a feudalJapan history lesson.

You're in the Japanese Onimusha 2commercial. Have you been tempted to putyour face on a character in your games?No way. My team would make my character abad guy who dies a horrible death!

What would you consider to be one of thepivotal moments in your life?When I play games with my son, that's themost important time for me. We play GundamFederation Vs Zion and Halo... he's alwayslobbing bombs at me!

WTiat will you say to your son if he sayshe wants to create games?"You fool! I'll never forgive you!" Just kidding, I'dlet him do whatever he wants, but I'd tell him it'snot easy. I had many opportunities to seemovies because of my father, so I'm taking himto the movies as much as possible, even thoughhe's still young and can't read all the subtitles.For example, we saw Gladiator and he couldonly understand the battle scenes. 1 want to givehim as many opportunities as possible; if hewants to be a creator, that's fine.

The Onimusha series has been a bestseller and one of PS2's key games. Howhas fame and success affected your life?It used to be thought that 1 only created gamesfor kids. Onimusha proved that I could create agame that would be accepted by adults. My goalis to be like Spielberg, who could create a widerange of titles to appeal to different ages, forexample ET and Schindler's List

You've appeared a lot on Japanese TV.Are you recognised when you go out?Not really. Actually nobody notices at aU. Atevents like the Tokyo Game Show, some peopledo come up and ask for autographs. But that'sfine with me, 1 don't want to become too well-known. That way, I can still go to the naughtyspots around Kabukicho in Shinjuku and readthe odd dirty book Jlaughs],

In ten year's time, what goals would youlike to have achieved?I'd hke to have had created five big hit titles. Tomake a new game is the most important thingbesides the Onimusha series. But I'd also like tobe the boss of a modelling agency, so I'msurrounded by beautiful women!

Colour-coded souls are a prominentfeature in your games. What colourwould your soul be?Rainbow coloured. It'd be gorgeous. □

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PlayStation-^ 06

TEXT: MARK WYATT/EIGHTIES CHIC: PAUL FTTZPATRICK

Listen up punks. For the next chapter in the all-conqueringGTA series, Rockstar is heading back to the Eighties for atale of greed, synth rock, poodle perms and tanned babes.Welcome to Vice City. Your guide, Mark wya t t .

A TA L E O FT W O C m E SHow the all-importantGJAIU/CTA: Vice Citycomparison measures up.

m The playing area of VCwill be up to two-and-a-halftimes bigger than GTAIII

■ VC will be based in oneopen city with distinctregions, rather than threeunlockable areas

■ There will be roughlydouble the number ofm i s s i o n s i n V C

■ VC will have nearly100 vehicles comparedt o G W / l f s 4 0

■ VC will contain around40 weapons compared toGTAI i rs 15

■ There will be up to tenhour's worth of radioincluding licensed songs■ V C w i l l h a v e a r o u n d9,000 pedestrian commentsto GTAI IFs 3000

■ The city will have 50-60inhabitable interactiveinteriors. GTAIII, of course,h a d n o n e

I By the time you read this, Grand Theft Auto ///willalmost certainly have become the greatest sellingvideogame of all time. It's been one of the most talkedabout, from school-yard teens who shouldn't haveplayed the 18-rated game, to terse discussions

I in the House of Lords, who should really know better.The game s good-looking tongue-in-cheek style dragged PS2 gaminginto a distincdy adult-oriented realm. Finally, it was a games-relatedtopic we could talk openly about in the pub. Students and middle-class businessmen could access the comic mixture of gangster style,driving mayhem and violent gameplay with equal ease. Ask anyoneto name one game that any PS2 owner should have and GTAIII is stilllikely to come first. To say that its sequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City,is the most anticipated title to come to Sony's console is nounderstatement. Whether you've completed the full 150 hours ofgameplay in Liberty City or simply dabbled in some automotiveanarchy the chances are you've put some cash away and booked sometime off in anticipation of the impending mayhem.

Until now, talk of the next instalment has been restricted to Webforums, random conjecture and fevered letters to magazines like ourown. But all that is about to end. You see, we've been to Vice City,we've looked at the game and we made it back in one piece. Here, foryou, is our tour of the sights and sounds of GTA's new capital of crime.

GETTING THEREImagine, if you will, a city. Not I jberty City, perennial home toRockstar's favourite son, but somewhere a little more tropical, a littlemore cosmopolitan. Imagine Miami, infamous setting of A1 Pacino's

A S S U M ET H E B E S TFor now at least, Vice City'ss t r e e t s a r e c l o s e d t o n o nresidents. Still, If we werebetting men we'd put somedead presidents on thefollowing features.

■ Old-sKool jetskis andair boats making a piayabiea p p e a r a n c e

S The movie Birdcage notreaiiy getting a look-in

■ A voice cameo by DonJohnson or David Hasseihoff

■ The main character stiiinot being able to swim

■ The streetwalkers notgetting away scott free again

■ Cariito's Way and Scarlacem i s s i o n - a - i i k e s

■ Roller skate-jacking■ A mission to put an end tothe 'music' of HaroldFaitermeyer With twin Uzis

■ An alligator incident

■ Wreaking revenge on slow-moving, Hawaiian-shirtedO A P s a t t h e c r o s s r o a d s

■ Feeling a little ashamedand dirty by the time it's allover Then starting again

S C R E E N I F Y O U W A N N A G O F A S T E RIf looks could kill, they'd look like this.

Improved buildingexteriors and lightingeffects bring thewhole city to life.

A hot bike and a hotchick. If you must livevicariously throughgames, do it right.

E] one man crime wave in Scaiface and the point where Latin Americameets the I'nited States in a head-on collision of palm tree-lineddecadence. It's a tropical paradise with slums. It's a place where eventhe criminals have tans and parakeet print shirts. A perfect location -ripe with different environments, and no stranger to the underworld.

Okay, so Vice City isn't Miami in the same way Libert}- City wasn'tNew York, but Rockstar has created its own version with five mainareas to explore, terrorise and pillage: The Airport, The Beachfront,Downtown, The Swamps and ITie Slums. Each will ha\e its owndistinct character, inhabitants and street life. But the location is onlypart of V^ice City's charm.

H I S T O R YGTAIII was an ambitious living, breathing satire of a modem city, andas its popularity with the punters suggests, Rockstar has nailed thatscenario once and for all. So, looking to develop a successor, thebiggest challenge was clear: to give its beloved concept a fresh spin.So now you've got the location fixed, imagine an era. Shiny suits withrolled-up sleeves, orange solarium tans and the philosophv that greedis good. Coke is it, Crockett and Tubbs are busting crime in Armaniand Huey Lewis .And The News are at number one. Oh yes. Heavenhelp us all. Vice City is bringing back the Eighties with a \engeance.

Rockstar is keen to underline that the game will be neither sequelnor prequel to GTAIII. simply because the team wanted to create anautonomous adventure. It's less an eclectic meeting of styles and erasand more a neon and pastel celebration of one place and time. ThinkBoogie Nights meets American Psycho with a dash of Carlito's Hay andyou're probabK parking your Corvette in the right garage.

Rockstar doesn't believe that any medium, cinema and T\included, has been able to tackle the Eighties properly yet. Perhapsit's the way in which games can bring together so mam factors into aninteractive experience that can make this possible, I'he Reaganiteethos of getting rich quick and screwing other people over certainhweaves itself into the core GTA gameplay with frightening ease. Ifyou're too young to remember, or still in denial about your fashionchoices back then, the new Grand ITieft Auto experience will besomething of an eye-opener. And that's not all. As Rockstar's

/^e cast is still to be officiallyconfirmed, but here's a tip: makeyour own character actor wishlist -you wont be disappointed/^co-founder and project leader Dan Houser reminds us on threeoccasions in the space of five minutes, Vice City will also be, "The bestgame of all time". Disco may be dead, but the supremely confidentspirit of the Eighties lives on,

AT T F A C n O N SThe first thing that strikes you when you see the new city for the firsttime is the advances that have been made in the game's looks. It can'tclaim the same leap in technology that occurred between the top-down GTAH and the staggering 3D foHow-on. That said, it does boastan entirely new engine, still based in faithful renderware, but greatlyimpnn ed across the board. There are smooth lines w ithout polygonaljoints as well as improved light and surface effects. Texture mappingallows clothing to flutter in the breeze, while light spills on to objectsand reflects off surfaces everywhere, A good thing too, considering theEighties love affair with polished chrome. It gives the game a morerealistic atmosphere - but don't worry. Vice City retains the cartoonlike world vision established in the first three GTA incarnations.

Fancy staying indoors? Then you're going to love one of Vice Cityfshig innovations - populated interiors pn)viding plenty of places foryou to explore. So far, we've scoped a cheesy nightclub, a shoppingmall, the Art Deco lobby of a swish hotel and a mansion. But you canbet there will be plenty of other good reasons to duck out of the heatand get a shot of air con.

O R I E m AT I O NInside? Outside? Where will Vice City's plot actually take you? Thestory line in the last game was pushed slightly to one side by the fadthat missions were broken up into such distinct chapters. This time,we get to play a fully-realised central character with his own story to 0

T V A N D H L MThe Eighties were an era of high-fashion, high-concept atrocity, and wesalute the decade for its sheer audacity. The hi-tech nibbed shoulderpads with hi-fashion and a fluorescent teen explosion, ft's a wonder we'renot alt scarred for life.

On TV, The Dukes ruled Hazard County and Colt Severs told us hewasn't the sort to kiss and tell while falling from a tall building, Miami Viceshowed us how fighting decadent crime in sharp suits and fast cars reallycould be glamourous and Kn/Cfht Rider and Airwolf proved that machinesreally could out-act David Hasselhoff and Jan-Michael Vincent There wasa cinematic e;(plosion that heralded the age of Spielberg, Lucas and thesci-fi epic. Bigger was better as we waited in line for evetythlng fromJows, Indiana Jones, Close Encounters, ET, Rambo, Wall Street andScarface to Ferris dueller's Day Off, Weird Science, The Lost Boys andThe Breakfast Club. The Empire struck back and the Jedi returned. It wasa great time to be alive. And indoors.

M U S I CSurfing in on a wave of gay disco, Gary Numan and Dynasty, Eighties musicwas ali about tiie synthesiser - an instrument that sounded like a crap, tinnyversion of other instruments. Invented by Haroid Faitermeyer, soon everyonewanted a piece of synth action. Even Van Haien swapped guitars for hairsprayand made Jump.

Paul 'n-n-n-n-nineteen' Hardcastle went one better, creating samplingso that Run DMC could shout about their Adidas over other people's records.Punk was forgotten as baldy prog drummer Phil Collins insisted that no jacketwas required and any hairy no-mark with a streaked mullet and a sax-fuelledpower ballad could make a mark on Bruno Brookes' Hot 40. Meanwhile. If youdidn't have a newfangled compact disc player and a copy of Dire Straits'Brothers In Arms you were nobody Wham or Ouran? Jacko or Prince? Tiffanyor Debbie Gibson? It was a jungle out there. We biame Sigue Sigue Sputnik.

S O C I E T YFrom casual sex, cocaine and acld-hued socks to Police Academy and KennyLoggins, the Eighties was defined by a 'live now, screw the consequences'spirit that flowed through the decade like unlimited crBdit, Greed was goodFrubbing somebody else's face in It was even better and a clearly battyTinseltown cowboy had his trembling finger on the nuclear trigger.

With Armageddon only a paranoid OAP away, this was no time forsubtlety. Conspicuous wealth locked the concept of understatement In thetrunk of Its hot pink Umborghinl Diablo and hurtled Into the neon-soakedsunset with a hooker on each arm. Sandwiched between the disillusionedtree-hugging late Seventies and the whiter than white early Nineties, theEighties truly was the decade that shame forgot, and ft didn't give a rat'sass who knew.

F A S H I O NIn retrospect, every decade's fashion looks ridiculous,but there's something about the power dressing,hyper-tallored Eighties that makes you wonder ifeveryone secretly knew they looked like plonkers atthe time. Women tore the arse out of the ozone layerwith big hair-styling products, while simultaneouslywearing shoulder pads big enough to put the wind upthe Miami Dolphins starting line up. This was the eraof the 'Message T-Shirt'. Frankie said 'Relax', KatherineHamnett said 'No Pershing' and smart arses said'No Message'. For men, suits were de rigeur: ACharlie-stripe three-piece with scarlet braces for thetrading floor, and a baggy linen cream number,sleeves rolled back, teamed with a pastel T-shirt andespadrliles for drinks on the speedboat at theweekend. Style wasn't about looking good, it wasabout being so goddamn rich you could afford to looklike a prat and stiii get sen/ed at the bar.

Pi

Greed is good.Braces are bad.

PlayStation E 0'

Based on Tom Clancy'sJfgar York Times best-seller

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27.000nuclear weapons

One is missing

utSUMiiuuFEARSSee t l ie movie now play the gamein Cinemas from

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S.S S'"™ f",!";'!"™"!-1™ «" "!«» "SSS"""'- I'll Sl»™ anJ Rud Slorm Enteitalnment are frademaits ol Red Slo™ Einemliiineiil, Inc. Red Stutm Enlettalnmenl. Ii^11 o i. . TU i h".1 J"' Enls'P'ises , Ltd. under license 10 Ubi Snft Entertainment, .fe- and -PlayStation" are registefed trademarks ot Sony Computer Entertainment InAll Rights Reserved. TM, ® and the Nintendo QameCube logos are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2002 Nintendo. Nintendo ®, Game Boy Advance™ are trademarks of Nintendo Co. Ltd.

PC - August 9tliAlso available on:

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N I N T E N D OG A M E C U B E -

(SWEBOr AOWJ»«ai: „

A'Spray and pra/ is standard ifyou're emptying a macliine gunclip from beliind the wheel ofsome sick ride you just 'jacked/^

0 tell - not just a nameless rookie. Where GTAIH was cinematic, ViceCity is real cinema. Our main character now has a name and aspeaking role. He's Tommy Vercetti, an ex-con back on the streets. Andbest of all, you're no rookie this time, so expect expansive gameplaywith elements linking together towards one goal. Remember the BombDa Base mission from GTAUP Its multi-stepped, open-ended structurewas an exception in that game. In Vice City it'll be the rule. Of course,filmic story line aside, non-linearity is of paramount importance to theGTA world so the number of side missions to explore if you get stuckor bored has swelled as well. The rule of thumb in Vice City seems tobe 'If you want to do it, you probably can'. It looks like you're going tohave plenty of fun as Tommy Vercetti.

MEETING THE LOCALSThe virtual Vercetti not only gives Vice City a hero with a name, butfleshes his character out as you progress through the game with wholescenes and dialogue. And guess who's signed on to provide his voice?None other than the original Goodfella, Ray Liotta. Hard as nails?You bet. Scary? Ever seen Corrina Coirina?

You can also expect a huge supporting voice cast again. And yes,it'll be even bigger than the last game. ITie cast is still to be officiallyconfirmed, but here's a tip: make your own character actor wishlist -from the snippets of dialogue we've heard, you won't be disappointed.The knock-on effect is a huge improvement in production values onthe FTVIV sequences. Vice City will have around 80 minutes of cut-scenes compared to GTAIIIs 30 minutes. That's nearly a wholemotion picture to soak up between missions.

And it's not just the main characters who've had an overhaul.The streets are crammed full of new citizens. On the seafront a roller-

skating girl in a bikini flies past, while downtown you have to keep aneye out for gangs that roam the streets looking for trouble. Hell, youmight even have jiour car jacked from under you this time around.Vice City will see the peripheral characters interact with each othermuch more, instead of simply being there for cannon fodder andbizarre comments. Incidents will happen that may have nothing to dowith you or your mission. Cops and gangs have improved AI and willwork as teams to bring you down, as well as the police prosecutingother crimes. There's definitely more of a feeling that life is going onaround you. While the story revolves around your character, the cityseems to live and breathe on its own a little more.

For your part, physically interaction with the other inhabitants hasbeen greatly improved. There's a new hand-to-hand combat featureand a new targeting system for the multitude of weapons on offer -from hammer to bazooka, from shotgun to katana - that will make thegunplay a litde less of a 'spray and pray' affair. Of course, 'spray and S

R E N T A L A S A N Y T H I N G . . . . k ^You've got a bit of time before Wee City's release. Get Into the mood of the Eighties with these modern-day throwbadis...

60i'<31V.hiiOHT-

Boogie NightsFrom disco to porno, sex, drugsand really bad rock 'n' roll.

C I

Carl i to 's WayEx-con Pacino getsdragged back into thecriminal underworld.

B l o w

Wide-eyed kid to drugb a r o n i n o n e d e c a d e -the story of George Jung

D o n n i e B r a s c oIf only to see New Yorkwiseguys on holiday in Florida.

G o o d f e l l a s

Ray Liotta stars in the definitivestory of the underworld throught h e d e c a d e s .

B pray' still comes as standard if you're emptying a machine gun clipfrom behind the wheel of some sick ride you just 'jacked

T R A N S P O R TKey to GTAIIfs appeal was that, despite coherently blending elementsof several types of game styles (third-person adventure, beat-'em-up,FPS) into its bullet ridden mix, it always came back to the superbdriving action. Improved physics mean that while the overall feel ofbeing behind the wheel has certainly been enhanced, diere's alsoroom for a few more treats. Try this image on for size,

A tropical climate can make nights a litde steamy, so whv not jumpon a motorbike? Pick up a passenger, let the radio kick in and you'llget an overall experience that's both ridiculous and sublime. A shinysuit, big Eighties hair, a red bike and a leather-skirted girl perchedbehind while Blondie belt out Atomic. It just doesn't get any better.

Still, every silver lining has a ck)ud. Tyres will now be prone todamage, meaning the police have more than one way to stop youdead. However, it's also a welcome form of road rage therapy if youhappen to be on a street comer with a shotgun. All the vehicles, whichat this stage include cars, bikes, trucks and a variety of boats k)okfantastic. Did we forget to mention messing around in boats? .Miami'sfamous for its waterways, so expect a portion of Vice City's action tounfold on HjO. Oh, and remember the pleasure in coaxing the stubbv-vvinged Dodo into the air? In K/ce City you'll be able to fly again, withthe chance to take to the sunset skies in a chopper in true Magnum Flstyle, Hawaiian shirt and all.

LOCAL EISfTERTAINMEm-All of which brings us to the icing on the GTA cake. Picture yourselfat the wheel of your electric blue Diablo in a tea-bag T and a pair of

Hammer' pants. Hard as it is to believe, something appears

to be missing. It's the soundtrack to your fabulous Eighties chic life.But don't worry, Rockstar has thought of that, too.

The radio stations in the game will play an exclusive mix ofauthentic Eighties classics to accompany your actions, (whether youlike it or not). There are ten hours of radio promised - a deal hasbeen signed with a major music label to produce the soundtrack. Sowhether you were into Billy Idol, Hock Of Seagulls, GrandmasterFlash, Hall & Oates or Five Star, your favourite is likely to be there.

Now, most people old enough to buy Ftce City are going to have anatiiral understanding (and healthy suspicion) of the music andmovies from the decade humility forgot. If you don't, you won't feelalienated. There'll still be violence, guns, drugs, hard men, easy womenand, more than likely, some flagrant abuse of the Highway Code.

NICE CrTYWhen it came to following GTAIII, many feared the easy option:merely a change of environment with all other features remainingmuch the same as before. Rockstar is keen to quickly dispel thatrumour. The boys could quite easily have wheeled out a lazy add-onand, due to the series' popularity, bought most of Miami with theproceeds. But, in once again pushing the PS2 to its limits, Rockstar ishoping to bring you all the unfinished ideas and the missions thatwere too big or too ahead of their time.

E\erything, perhaps due to the fact that our setting is EightiesAmerica, looks bigger, better, faster, sparklier and deadlier. From whatwe've seen so far, we'll be allowed to play out a story in a fantasyMiami where anything and everything goes. So dig out your wet lookgel, dust off that leather keyboard tie and stick your A-ha album in thetop-loading CD player. There's plenty more to come before the game'srelease, so keep it locked on right here for all the Vice City newsleading up to our exclusive UK review. □

m WORUIVERTJTTLESIIERIC ROAOmUP.

• - I

e s ^ H A & d e i l T O B ^ a v k

Crank out huge airs like 10-timeWorld Vert Champ IVIat Hoffman.

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%

BMXWIUNEVBtBEnESAME. .Jump on the bus with Mat Hoffman and ten ^other top pros for the ultimate BMXblowout through eight U.S. cities. Pullhundreds of tricks and combos using /the new Trick Tweaking System orkeep it on the ground with the only BMXgame that offers flatland moves. Unlockbehind-the-scenes video footage fromMat's actual road trip and then snap shots of yourbest tricks for your own photo scrapbook. One dayon this road trip and you'll know why BMX will neverbe the same.

Screenshots from PS2 version

The only BMX game tooffer flatland tricks.

^ mAT HOFFlhAn'SI p r o B m x

m m

A C T I V I S I 0 N 0 2 . C 0 I

* TEXT: NICK ELLIS/INTERVIEW: SCOTT ANTHONY/PHOTOGRAPHY: MARTIN BURTON

l"he undispuReturns with an a

tory mode, cDpeoing levels ancTieister himself.

hg of the sTreet sport, sIm-new Tree-roaming ,°S2 bums a line arounalile■ chats to the

Just one more go. You must kno\v,h|hv it is. It'slate and you've been playing for 4)urs. ("here's

1 a secret tape so nearly within yoiif grasp - justone teeny, weeny, not-go|q^*#i®Jrt-anybodytwo-minute sessiojvafcay. Those timed rimslend Pre) Sbtpg n addictive, hypnotic quality.

Hours vanish. Late nights iHCome wet kcnds. \ou're In skateboardingnirvana. Well, it's time tt/leave that all tx'hind, man. Tom 's had a makeover.

Out with the two-m te runs, in with the freedom to e?ipk)rc massivelevels at your own pacei picking and choosing the order in which you tackle avariety of tasks ranging )m the instantly familiar to the downright Jackass.Out with loading screens, iil .4%ith non-.stop tearing up the streets and hwniliij"out for a chat with the locals to"se»w|B giv«. "You want meJff rescue yourhusband from a mob of angry sea lions? Sure thing, ma'am!" Dammit, it'salmost an adventure.

Changing the format of the game is a bold move from Activision's new 02branch, but the fourth outing for Mr Hawk and chums is likely to be anotherbelter, and one with more than a few new tricks up its baggies. OPS2 has hati-ateaser of the two of the opening levels. College and San Francisco. Come a idt a k e a l o o k .

/Tlie freedom to explore massivelevels at your own pace, tacklingtasks ranging from the instantlyfamiliar to the downright Jackass>/

f EXPLOSIONI are rammed with peo tefasilns of 'em. Students, felsslf skaters and BjSrn Borg are among

those craving your attentlo* ^ flashing s biue arrow a WB'fheir heads. Chat to them and you'lldiscover that they e0k^ant you to completS«JrtMfrere's a reward, of course.

C O M P O SNo more competition levels, or at least that's how it seems. Instead, someone will offer you thechance to compete in an impromptu skate-off In a certain section of the level, and ramps andfunboxes will subsequently appear If you manage to win the comp, you can keep the newobstacles in place, or even move them around. Neat, huh?

A nice surprise, some of your buddiesare in town. "Ah, Jamie Thomas, thatweedy high score you have is beggingto be whipped."

This jerk is clearly having a laugh,betting cash that our Geoff Rowleycan't pull a 'pop shove it' down thisminuscule set of steps.

Hey! It's OIlie, the magic bum, and hewants you to get rid of all of thosepink elephants in a single run in returnfor a Stat point. Like, whatever, OIlie.

Ah, some familiar territory. Theprofessor wants you to collect S-K-A-T-E for him. There's also a single-runcollect C-O-M-B-0 challenge.

E ! 3 !5 PlayStation.2

T D N a H R I U K

GRIPTAPED CRUSADERIf you're in trouble, and no-one else can help, you better call Chad Muska. Yep, these boys aren't therebels they once were. You'll encounter some hapless citizens who have got themselves In all sorts ofbother and it's up to the new caring Chad to get them out of It. Salvation barmy!

Some fool has got himself penned Inby a gang of sea lions. What they'redoing in 'Frisco harbour is anyone'sguess, but his wife would be grateful Ifyou could possibly rescue him.

The frat boys are up to no good.They've put your little buddy In awheelie bin. Don't laugh; go and teachthem a lesson by sticking a boardbetween their chops.

C'mon Geoff! It's not quite SmoshCourt - you use only ® to serve or hitthe ball - but it's an entertainingdistraction nonetheless.

A local inline skater reckons you won'tbeat the fastest t ime on his favouri teinline run. Get set for a super fast burnaround the campus, street luge stylee.

T I M E U N E O FY O U R U F EThe Birdman recently signeda 13-game deal that wilt seehim grinning ali overpackshots until 2015, whenhe'll be a mere 47 years old.W e t a k e a l o o k b a c k o v e r h i s

skating games so far, andponder what the future holdsfor Tony and his gang ofmerry skaters.

BOARD GAMESFurther chatting uncovers a heap of mini-games. Each level has 21 separate goals to complete, andthree or four involve using your deck in rather unexpected ways. It's great to see that the developershave put real effort into making number four a whole new experience. Anyone for tennis?

1 9 9 9 ; T H P S

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater landsand flips PSone's lid, "If you're askater, this is exactly whatyou've been waiting for",declared Official PlayStation

; Magazine after slapping a 9/10; on Its deck. This set theI benchmark for 'boarding sIms.

; 2 0 0 0 ; T H P S 2The Hawk returned a year or solater and totally blew everyoneaway. Bigger and better in justabout every department, thesecond encounter ramped upthe trick list, expanded thelevels, introduced a playlng-for-cash feature and was virtuallyimpossible to put down.

AL 'FRISCOOver in San Francisco, the outdoor 'street' theme continues. There's a main square to session withkerbs aplenty, plus a large dockside area with walkways, high wires and run-wrecking drops into theocean. There are loads of cars on the roads and plenty of opportunities for a quick skltch.

i walkways make for good grinding but get it wrong and you'll be pitched into thewhich is met with the usual scornful derision.

2 0 0 1 : T H P S 3The opening next-gen sessiontook the basic foundations laiddown In the first two gamesand buffed them to within anInch of their truckbolts. Another9/10 effort.

j 2002: THPS4. Should be the best one yet ifthe evidence gathered In the

: opening levels Is anything to go{ by. Further graphical tweakery, aI tightning-quick frame rate andI a vast array of weird and

wonderful challenges suggestI that Neversoft hasn't just beenj hanging out beneath the vert' ramps puffing weed.

I 2005: THPS5i The new game features heavily: armed titanium boards andI missions where you roll into a; hostile area, whoop ass withi your homing deck-to-deck

rockets and make good yourescape. It's Hawk meets Bond

: In Desert Storm.

i 2008:THPS8; After a series of mission-based

skating shoot-'em-ups, Tonyrenounces violence, instead, hereleases Tony Hawk's familySkating Adventure, with friendlymissions for all the family toenjoy In-game attire Includesmatching shellsuits.

2 0 1 0 ; T H P S I O

Technology has moved on sincethe early days of skating anddecks are now powered withhyperdrives, gravity fields andlaser-guided flipping systems.The recent colonisation of themoon allows the developers toaccurately map out theA r i s t a r c h u s C r a t e r Ve r t c o u r s efor all left back on earth toenjoy. Far out, man!

2 0 1 5 ; T H P S 1 5In a special end-of-contractedition, Actlvlslon bringstogether all the best levels frompast Hawk games, but there's atwist. The yeat^ of punishingphysical activity has left theHawk crew battered andimmobile, in THPS15 you'll betrundling around in thepatented Hawk Skatechair'',with homeopathic back supporta n d d e t a c h a b l e c a t h e t e r

B O A R D I N G S C H O O LUmber up, hop on, let's roll. The College level Is pretty huge. Kerbs, stairs, lips,ramps, a tennis court; everything's primed for sesslonlng, with lines ofpossibility stretching in all directions. Going for a spin reveals that nothing haschanged drastically as far as the controls are concerned. You're equipped with ,the same skater skills as before, and thank Christ Air for that.

T H M M M F I I I I k f

S K f T C H T H I STime to learn a new move: 'skitching'. Up in the car parl<, the college Professor is in a spot ofbother Someone has filched his motor and he's asked you to apprehend the thieves by clingingon to the bumper while the car speeds off. This is skitching. Are you mad, professor?

h e r o m a k e splans for Tony

'k's Pro\ . f

Cripes! It's all gone retro Grand Theft Auto and thetop-down view certainly doesn't make life any♦asier. tt's ftin, though.

SPINAL 1APHere's another new move: the 'spine transfer'. Power yourray to the top of a ramp, get some air, then hit cd and'ou'li perform an up-and-over move that brings you backJown on the other side of the ramp. If you're feeling cocl^,'ou can try and bust a flip during the transfer

\

f f

Your last proper show in the UK was a low-key event seven yearsigo. Today you're packing out the London Docklands Arena on a

Sunday. How far do you think the games have been responsibleor increasing the popularity of skating?They're a big factor. There's no doubt that the game has brought a lot oflew people into skateboarding. They enjoy the game and then they want10 go out and emulate it, I guess. The popularity's certainly not somethinghat I expected when 1 signed up.

g Does thai mean you have a greater influence on the development■ of the games now?t I can make as many suggestions as 1 want. But Neversoft always dives

pretty deep anyway.

J 'l jln which areas do you tend to advise?/lainly new tricks and tracks. Ensuring that we get good likenesses ofplaces where people like to skate and making sure that the players of theJame can do the kind of tricks on the replica courses that made the;)riginal places famous,..

[VVe heard that you named a trick after Madonna. Was MrsItitchie a particular inspiration for your skating?

]l lahaha! There's only one trick named after Madonna and the story withThat is, I just wanted to do something trendy And that was the trendies!Ithing 1 could think of. Naming a trick after Madonna.

Ve wondered if you might have the long-term future of thevideogame planned out - you've just signed with Activision until2015, after all. Won't that mean Tony Hawk's on anti-grav boardsvhen you're 47?\o. Nothing wacky. I know people are already sceptical about TonyHawk's 4. "What can they really do extra?" and so on. But they shouldn't

llx'. Four is far, far superior.

Well, you're top of the skateboarding tree and it's only natural"■■^1 •'•'a' everyone wants to know what comes next - in life, as well as' the game. What are your plans?

jL 'm pretty comfortable doing my thing and raising awareness of skating\Jln the fall, I'm doing some arenas with bikers and motocross riders as well

as skaters. There are more shows then competitions, I'm getting more iniochoreographed stuff. □

'8 PlayStatioaE

. . ,

Drop in with 6-time World Champion KellySlater or one of 8 ottier top pros in theultimate surf experience, Kelly Slater'sPro Surfer®. Play a total of 30 levelsat the most challenging surf breaksfrom around the globe. Pull off bigair and fantasy tricks like Rodeo Flip,Knack Knack and Hangman that let youtake surfing to a whole new level. Surf in aconstantly changing wave environment - you'llnever see the same wave twice.

K E L L Y d S L A T E R ' S

PlayStation®^

SAAlEBOVADNi'Ar^cEi

N I N T E N D O

G A M E C U B E . A C T I V i S i O N 0 2 . C O M

2002 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. PublisJied and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision ana fro buner are registered tradetnarks and Activision 02 is a trademark of Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.Illy Slater is a trademark of Kelly Slater. PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube versions developed by Treyarch. Game Boy Advance version developed by HotGen Studios. "PlayStation" and "PlayStation" logo are registered trademarks ofinv Computer Entertainment Inc. TM and ® are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2002 Nintendo. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S and/or other countries and

T H E s i m s

Want to play God but cant be arsed to spend seven years and thousands ofpounds studying to become a doctor? Then you need The Sims. The hugelysuccessful PC people management game will shortly be populating a PS2 nyou. 0PS2 sent Ian Harris around to meet the new neighbours.

n e a r

Would you borrowa cup of sugarfrom th is man? Usn e i t h e r .

Virtual pets are an odd bunch. The string of softwareassisted fads and crazes that proinise companionshipalways seemed to have less intelligence than anamoeba's lunchbox. Take Tamagotchis: the hyped,pocket-sized virtual pet turned out to be a disappointingjumble of pixels that cooed, pooed and snuffed it at

random. The fad fizzled, and for a brief 'post virtual pet' period the crazefor games you could care for seemed as dead as a knackered Furby. Oh,and then along came a game called JJie Sims.

This dolls house novelty where players nurtured virtual familiesthrough life love and soft furnishings appeared out of nowhere in 2000and it took the PC by storm. The proof isn't hard to find. Last year'sbiggest-selling PC title was TTie Sims. The third biggest was The Sims: LwingIt Up, and the fourth biggest was The Sims: Hot Dale. Care to guess whatthe best-selling PC game ever is? Bingo. Initially, the legions of people wholapped it up weren't the usual gaming crowd - they were casual gamersmore likely to use their PC to print greetings cards than play Quake.However, as The Sims' bestselling status attests, the appeal of playing Godis no longer limited to kind-hearted angels.

O B J E C T S O F D E S I R EAs with the majority of great ideas, the game's premise is simplicity itself.You look after a family of characters called Sims as they interact with oneanother. It's not long before you realise that the game is full of problemsthat take lateral thinking to solve. If the display says they're lonely, buythem a phone and they'U invite over the neighbours. If they're poor, showthem a paper and they'll find a job. And if they're sad, hanging a new pairof curtains will usually lift the clouds. Like real life, there are no rules andthe key to happiness is often closer than you think. Sounds simple, butwhile the game appears to hinge around trivial problems and solutions,implementing it took studious creator Will Wright years of research.

/If your Sims are sad, hanging a new pair ofcurtains will usually lift the clouds. The key tohappiness is often closer than you think//

GOOD GODWright is like a sociologist trapped in the b(xlyof a game developer, and made The Sims hispersonal side project for six years beforefinally managing to badger it intodevelopment. He's sunk a lot into this game:the walls of his office are plastered withdiagrams of the brain, sketches of the humanthought process and conceptual maps of thesocial networks that tie friendships together.He's certainly thought about everything andit's clear that behind The Sims' colourfulbikinis and friendly pool parties, there aresome complicated cogs turning.

All well and good, but it doesn't soundthe most PS2-friendly of concepts to makethe leap from the desktop, does it? However,developer Maxis is keenly aware thatconsole gamers have a different set ofpriorities to mouse-pushers and are workinghard to tailor-make a Sims experiencespecifically for you. And that includesmoulding the original's entirely open-endedgameplay around a new level-basedstructure. We spoke to Sinjin Bain, LeadCreative Producer on The Sims'PS2incarnation, who filled in the details.

GOSSIPING ABOUT THENEW PS2 NEIGHBOURSHow is the PS2 version different to the PC game?The first thing we did was to take a look at the control,camera, and the user interface. We didn't even begin tothink about rest of the game until we had those nailed.And let me tell you, that wasn't exactly a simple task.All the core Sims gameplay is there, but now the graphics are

T H E s i m sS much better, llie game has levels that give it more structure, and there's a

Two-player mode.We could have just ported the thing over and popped it out in nine

months or .so, but that wouldn't be the right thing to do. Say seven millionpeople bought the PC game, inaybe one million also own a PS2 - they'llplay it and think, "Wow, they gave us something new,"

How are consolc audiences different Co the PC fraternity?That's something we spent a lot of time thinking about. V\'hat are consoleplavers actually like? We think they're going to plav the game in shorterbursts than PC users, but play it with more people around them.

What's the aim <if the game?We've created a story where you move through the neighbourhood intobigger and better houses. Along the way we throw in challenges basedaround the other Sims you meet and the objects yoit use. The wholegame is about subtlety of character - if you're a clean Sim you're going tohave a shower every dav, if you're a neat Sitn you're going to put the toiletseat down, atid if you're a fussy Sim you're not going to use the bathroomat all if it's dirty.

Why did you introduce levels?The Sims is still about players creating their ow n s(orit>s in their tninds,bvit we think if you give them too little structure they won't have enoughto ba.se their fiction around. Without stuff to do it can get Ixiring. Havingsaid that, what we did not want to do on the console is take away theplayer's imaginations. So we've v\alked a fine line.

Are there any hidden features?Certainly, We wanted to reward players by unlocking objects and givingthem new possessions. There are bonus IcK-ations where you can do thingsyott wouldn't get to do in the real game. So keep your house neat enough,and the maid will get itito your hot tub instead of your opponent's hot tub.And there's a nightclub w here the inaid might do other stuff that shewouldn't do back in the PC game.

What is the Two-player mode like?\()U can cither play with sotneone else, which 1 think is what most |x>oplewill do, or you can play against them. But when you're playing withsomeone you'll realise that the way you relate to them ebbs and flows -sometimes you'll work together and sometimes yoti'll compete. Forexample, who can con the most money out of the other sim.s?

How have you changed the graphics?I'he most obvious change is that we've gone for.?!) graphics. They lookfantastic, and they'll have.il) lighting and all the triminings. In Two-playermode we went for a diagonal split-screen. It works because the Sims moveanti s|M'ak qtiite a bit and the diagonal split gives tna.ximiim horizontaland vertical visibility. You soon get used to it. □

/^''Keep your house neat enoughand the maid will get Into your hottub - and there's a nightclub wherethe maid might do other stuff...">7

CONSOUNG THE SIMSReimagining The S/ms for the PS2 was the perfect opportunity for developer Maxis to tailor its babyfor console gamers, and to bring the series up bang to date at the same time. So what have thedevelopment team done to make you feel at home?

C O N S O U N G T H E S I M S :

LEVELS

# N « i f l i » o r l i o o 4

L 0 O S » ¥ 4 O Cr«at« Family © Exi t

PC chin-strokers might haveenjoyed clicking away thehours In a chilly sparebedroom, but console-playinga u d i e n c e s c r a v e m o r e f o c u s .The solution? The introductionof levels. You will start the

game with a lonely, scruffy Sim those who Just want tow h o l i v e s i n a t u m b l e d o w nshack and must try to pullthem up by their ears untilthey're a suave sophisticatewith a good job, outstandingdigs and lots of friends. And for

experiment with a messy Simwho's rude to women andplays too many computergames, the open ended do-what-you-please game Isstill there.

82 PlayStation E

The mouse-friendly jsometricview Is out, and chunky new3D graphics with careful lightshading are in. Its all verycontroller friendly, and isdesigned to make you feel as

If you're In the room with yourSim. Unlike the PC version youc a n n o w r o t a t e t h e v i e w a n dz o o m i n a n d o u t o f t h eon-screen action to get amuch better perspective on

things - especially Importantin Two-player Split-screenmode. That said, if your Sim Isa slob It means you'll havefewer places to hide thosepizza boxes and stale trollies.

C O N S O U N G T H E S I M S :

T W O - P L AY E R

a mT

M O D E

V

There are several ways to playThe Sims with a mate. Youcould play as Mum and Dad ofa family of Sims, workingtogether to bring up yourfamily and ultimately moving

into a huge house with a bigpatio and a jumbo hot tub.Until one of you snogs aneighbour and ruinseverything Or you could playagainst each other in a

'keeping up with the Jones's*competition for popularitypoints. It's also possible tosave your house and Sims ona Memory Card and play themon a friend's PlayStation 2.

LEVELS GRAPHICS TWO PLAYER TASKS

1 sCONTROLS COMMUNICATION OBJECTS

0£fitet "^1

T H E S I M S O FT H E F A T H E Rwill Wright Is the man whoturned an offshoot of theSim City series into thebiggest selling PC game ofall time. We caught up withhim to ask about the family.

Were you surprised by thesuccess of the PC version ofT h e S i m s ?

Well for one thing Its about asubject that everyoneunderstands and has plentyof experience with. Somehowby keeping the game moregrounded In day-to-day realityplayers tend to project moreof themselves into It i reaiiythink It's this tendency ofplayers to project Into thegame that has given it such abroad appeal. I neverenvisioned that it wouldachieve this level of success.

Why have you decided tointroduce a ievel structureto the PS2 version? Wasn'tthere enough 'point' to thePC game?Console players are moregoal-oriented. Players canwin the game in Sims PS2.There Is a completely newneighbourhood thatchallenges players to advancefrom a cheap trailer to amillionaire's mansion. Alongthe way, players can unlocknew objects, meet ail-newPS2 neighbours and findh i d d e n r e w a r d s . A t t h e s a m etime we want the open-ended play to still be possibleat some level.

W h a t w e r e t h e m a i n

challenges In converting thegame to the PS2 in terms ofmaking it fun to play?The Sims was an entirelymouse-driven game. Thebiggest challenge was tobring It to the console andpreserve Its essence whileoffering a new gameplayexperience to the consolegames player. We've actuallytaken advantage of the PS2controller to simplify TheSims gameplay control evenfurther Experienced Simsplayers can learn the controlsIn less than 30 seconds. Thepick-up-and-piay aspect ofThe Sims on PS2 makes itthe most accessible versionof The Sims yet

Are you expecting it to bepopular again?T h e P S 2 v e r s i o n o f T h e S i m s

Is an all new and Immersiveexperience. Let's hope so!

Building a Sim In your ownImage has always been one ofthe game's dark pleasures,and the PlayStation 2c o n v e r s i o n m a k e s t h i s m o r e

fun than ever, with bettergraphics and chunky 3Dc h a r a c t e r s t o w o r k w i t h . Yo ucan change every aspect ofyour Sims appearance, from

their hair style and colour totheir clothes, build andcomplexion. "In focus testingwe would have to make thegroup stop playing with

C r e a t e - A - S l m a n dt e l l t h e m t o s t a r t

playing the game,says ProducerSlnjln Bain.

Would you let yourwife share a hot tubwi th Mr Smooth here?

C O N S O U N G T H E S I M S ;

C O M M U N I C AT I O N

hC O N S O U N G T H E S I M S ;

O B J E C T S

The Sims don't speak -instead you hear themmumbie, Mr Bean fashion. Sowhilst you never hear whatyour Sim is actually talkingabout you can deduce fromt h e i r t o n e o f v o i c e w h e t h e r

they're chatting happily, flirting

for England or working up toan industrial-sized strop. Andjust in case their mood isn'tobvious from all the bars andmeters, smalt icons appearabove their heads from timeto time letting you knowexactly what's on their mind.

T h e S i m s a r e a s m a t e r i a l i s t i cas the rest of us, and desirableobjects play a big a role Intheir lives. Pointing to anobject brings up a list ofcommands to choose from.Clicking the telephone willbring up a myriad of options

enabling your Sim to call itsneighbour, have a friend overfor tea. or organise a party.And because you can movethe camera around, the PS2version lets you admire yourpossessions from any angleyou choose.

PlayStation,2/ OFFICIAL IVIAGAZINE-UK

» R \ lThe only game reviews worth readingR e v i e w s C h a r t e rFA C T: O F F I C I A L P t AY S TA I T O N 2 M A G A Z I N E S

reviews are the best in the business. Our cracl<squad of reviewers piay the games ionger,harrier and better than anyone eise - tal^e aiook at the screenshots in each review for proof.Rather than a few images from the first twoieveis or some replay footage, our review pagesshow we've piayed the games to bursting point.

it's this dedication that means you can trustour scores above anyone eise's. Whether agame's superb or sewage, our experts wiil teil itiike it is with bucl<ets of opinion rather than afew cheap gags and some PR nonsense. Ourexperienced reviewers have written for the iikesof Edge, DC-UK, Official PlayStation Magazine,Super Play, PSM2, PC Gamer, GamesMaster,ZZAPi, Games Radar, N64 and Sego Power soyou know these are opinions you can trust.

Next time you head off to spend your hard-earned cash on a PlayStation 2 game, makesure you read our reviews first.

Review RatingsHere's what our review scores stand for:

10/10 Nigh on revolutionary, A game that couldchange the face of gaming fotever

9/10 A tally astonishing game If you havea PlayStation 2, you need this now

8/10 Highly recommended7/10 Good, solid fare that's definitely well

worth a look

6/10 Better than average, and ideal forhardcore fans of the genre

5/10 An average game4/10 Poor but has 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

Tile 0PS2 AwardsWe don't hand out high scores for nothing sowhen you see one of these, you'll know it's asign of quality. Look for them on game boxes.

fpiayStaNpniel

T h e G o l d A w a r d T h e S i l v e r A w a r dis a rare gem and ts for games thatis only to be given receive 9/10. If youto PS2 games that see this, ffs a signscore the ailt of star quality,10/10. There are indicating that youonly two games should buy thisthat hold this tide. game now!

The Bronze Awardis for games thatscore 8/10. Thesegames are hi^lyrecommendedand are 100%guaranteed tosatisfy.

84 PlayStation.E

X

m

T I M E S P U T T E R SA sequel to tine marvellous multi-era, multiplayer, monkey-mphing shooter? It's about time.

i f• • • • • • • • • • • •9 2

O N I M U S H A 2 :SAMURAI 'S DESTINYDemons, swords, tactical gift-giving and explosive gameplayTake a stroll through feudal Japan in Capcom's resplendent RPG.

T E K K E N 4 9 6They say that fighting never solves anything Maybe they're right.But The King Of The Iron Fist tournament is back Ready? Rghti

T H E T H I N G l O O:ant we just be friends? No. One of us is a bloodthirsty alien.

John Carpenter's horror masterpiece comes to PS2. Trust no-one.

Sone™The latest titles for the little grey fella

A L L - S T A R S L A M M I N ' D - B A L L 1 1 8

B L A C K & W H I T E 1 1 8

I ^ H ^ B U G S 11 ^

d i

MAT HOFFMAN'S PRO BMX 2....102T U R O K : E V O L U T I O N 1 0 4N I N J A A S S A U L T 1 0 7L E G I O N : L E G E N DO F E X C A U B U R . 1 0 8E G G O M A N I A 1 0 9L E m A L S K I E S 1 0 9L O N D O N R A C E R I I 1 1 1S H I F T E R S 1 1 1L E G O F O O T B A L L M A N I A 1 1 2D I S N E T S S m C H :E X P E R I M E N T 6 2 6 1 1 2

□ \ I D / N T E R N E T / P R l N T / m U 5 C

D V D R E L E A S E S 1 2 0The Italian Job/Pulp Fiction SE/Monsters, Inc/Jackie Brown/BehindEnemy Lines/Brothertiood Of Ttie Wolf/Jay And Silent Bob Strike BackD V D T O P 1 0 1 2 2The greatest ever car chase movies.

INTERVIEVf ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••*••• 124Blazin' Crew wanted to meet at the Crossroads. We phoned up Instead.

I N T E R N E T 1 2 4

B O O K S / M A G A Z I N E S 1 2 5

M U S I C 1 2 5

Introducing.Meet the faces behind the revi

Stuart DredgeStuart's day job is as a writer forour sister technology magazine73, where he gets to play wfthrobots and all kinds of othercool stuff that hasn't beeninvented yet He also reviewsgames for J-17. Not that you'dever read that Not even yourlittle sister's copy Oh no. W/ebelieve you, reallyG a m e o f t h e m o n t h :

"Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002.'Cant wait to play; "ProE v o l u t i o n S o c c e r 2 - I ' v e w o r nout two joypads on the last onealready Otherwise it'd be MarioSunshine." No, us neither

R E C O m m E N D E OThe games to get and the games we cant wait to get.

Still playing

ANTZ EXTREME RACING.A K I R A P S Y C H O B A L L

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T O C A R A C E D R I V E R

OPS2#024, 8/10Hiere's still plen^ ofdriving ambition inRyan McKana Greatracing action.

P R O J E C T Z E R O

OPS2#024, 8/10Find your missingsister in a hauntedhouse armed with justa camera. Spooi^.

C O N R K T :D E S E R T S T O R M

OPS2P024, 8/10Saddam and blastSquad-based thrillsbehind enemy iines.

Cant wait to play

G R A N D T H E F T

A U T O : V I C E c n v

Feature, page 068Ttie potential mayhemin this Eighties crimespree Is astonishing

R A T C H E T & C L A N K

Preview, page 016A furry cat with a tinyrobot companion anda big spanner. What'sn o t t o W k e ?

PlayStation.? 08i

R E N l E iT I M E S P L I T T E R S 2

The secimode on tfiB lasetgun is this coollooking sliield effect.

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w h e n s t e a l t h1 t o s c a r p e r . 3^ MO missions go bad,

15 1

T i r n E 5 P L I T T E R 5 2It's Quantum Leap as directed by Sam Peckinpah and the most essential purchase since Metal Gear Solid 2.

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Fire In the hole! Take outmultiple enemies with awell-placed grenade.' " '

P u b l i s h e r E i d o sDeveloper FreeRadical DesignP r i c e : £ 4 4 . 9 9Players; 1-16 (ixink)Out 27 SeptemberW e b s i t e : w w w . t i n i espiittersgame-com6 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 d : N oPeripherals: MultfTap,L L I n k l e a d s / h u b

Back storyFree Radical Design wasformed by a breai<awaygroup of Rate empioyees,t i l e s o f t w a r e h o u s eresponsibie for GoldenEyeand Perfect DarU on theN64. Tfie first TimeSplltterswas developed to a tightschedule in order tocoincide with the PS2'sEuropean launch.Nonetheless, it was hugelyImpressive and regarded asone of the best games ofthe launch line-up.

TimeSplltters 2 is going to make youcry. Which Is Just as well really, becauseSony must have been worried that allthe talk about the Emotion Engine

reducing grown men to tears was starting to look abit silly So why the sobbing? Well, it's part:lybecause this is the most retina-scorching ban^geof state-of-the-art graphics yet seen on PS2. Playthe Multlplayer mode for long enough, and youunderstand exactly how Malcolm MacDowell musthave felt while filming A Clockwork Orange -strapped to a chair with his eyes pinned open andunable to look away from the multicolouredmayhem on-screen. But the main reason you arelikely to find yourself welling up is out of sheerrelief, because this time the Story mode is everybit as amazing as we had hoped.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIMEAlong with SSX, the original TimeSplltters remainsone of the few PlayStation 2 launch titles capableof withstanding scrutiny today But let's be honest,shall we? It was no GoldenEye and, to be fair itwas never intended to be. Given the contracted

development cycle, compromises had to be made,and the solo missions ]ust weren't up to the highstandard set by the Multiplayer experience.

/You can design yourown missions, withmultiple objectives andpatrolling enemies//

Which brings us back to the braln-warpingmajesty of this sequel. It might sound glib, butTimeSp/itters 2 feels like the game that FreeRadical Design always wanted to make. Wheremovie sequels generally adhere to the law ofdiminishing returns iPollce Academy: Mission ToMoscow, anyone?! videogame fans are pretty muchguaranteed that each new Instalment will bebigger and better than the last. Even so, nothingprepared us for this

Looking at the game on purely technical terms,TimeSplltters 2 Is an absolute masterclass in howto make the PlayStation 2 chipset really singImagine Holly Valance's Kiss Kiss video but withoutthose pesky lensflares. That's how good it looks.From the cavernous halls and Gothic spires ofNotre Dame to the arid landscape of Planet X,where UFOs buzz overhead, it's breathtakingthind-generation stuff and an interstellar mile awayfrom the drab comdors usually found in 0

86 Play5tation,E

1 . G l a s s S m a s hR u n a r o u n d t h e D a m

complex lobbing bricks orhigh explosive roundsthrough the windows. Thethird game involves takingo u t N o t r e D a m e ' s s t a i n e d

glass windows with agrenade launcherRidiculous but utterlycompel l ing.

2 . B e h e a d T h e U n d e a d

Trapped in an enclosedspace you need to fendoff waves of zombiesusing either a sawn-offshotgun or just your banehands. In the hardestversion the cadavers arealso on fire. Cheers.

3 . I n fi l t r a t i o nUse your temporal uplinkscanner to sneak intoland out of| Installationswithout being seen.Playing against the clockmakes It extra tense.

4 . C u t - O u t S h o o t o u tW a n d e r a r o u n d t h eM e x i c a n t o w n a n d

Chicago streets shootingat pop-up targets. Bewarned, shootingpensioners who cross thestreet too slowly Is prettym u c h a n o - n o .

S. TimeSp/itters ClassicTake a trip back in time towhen your only objectivew a s t h e r e t r i e v a l o f a T i m e

Crystal. It's every bit ash e c t i c a s w e r e m e m b e r e d .

6. Banana ChompR u n a r o u n d t h e l e v e l s

munching bananasi It'sPac-Man in 3D! And, It's abit borlngi Still this gameis allowed one slight flaw.

icating this downed UFO isne of the first objectives onlanet X.

O N U N E ? N O TT H I S T I M E . . .ie online option hasn't made itto the final build. Here's why:

'S2 asked Free Radical Design'sivid Doak how he felt aboutiving to axe the online option::hink in the time we had available,'en the current availability ofjadband and the way the wholelout's going. It would have been aa m e t o d e b u t o n l i n e w i t h

mething that was weak. We have; i.LInk working which covers a lotwhat people wanted. Most of thejoyabie experiences iVe hadlying online have been with peoplenow very well. It's hard to beat anch of people sitting in a room,cause of the Interaction whichppens off-screen."

e official word from Eldos:e had always hoped to include anernet online component. Howeveri infrastructure Is not yet In placeenable us to Incorporate an onlineiment and still make the game'siposed release date. We certainlyIn't want to disappoint the fans bylaying the release of such a highlyticlpated game."

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I t M 6

The fire extinguisher Is essential for completingcertain mission objectives. It's also pretty handywhen you've just been hit by a faceful of napalmin Multiplayer.

This 'Splitter has beendunked in acid, andunderstandably isnttoo happy about it.

10 first-person shooters. The spot effects are equallyimpressive: a fully charged laser gun makes theair surrounding it shimmer while the highlypolished floors In Big Tony's Chicago nightclubcreate pixel-perfect reflections.

TS2 is overflowing with ideas and influences,yet it's remarkable how succinctly the whole thingplays. This is a joyous B-movie pastiche, taking inhammer horror spaghetti westerns and cult sci-fl.But whether you're playing as a Spandex-sultedspaceman or a moustachioed super spy, thehand-drawn animation and cartoon charactersensure the game retains its uniquely stylised look.Binding the whole package together Is GraemeNorgate's Incredible score, which mixes Gregorianchants, sleazy jazz and Morricone twangs tocharacterise each different era.

^ME ON YOUR SIDEAll of which would count for nothing without theenhanced Story mode. By now you've probablyalready had a bash at the Siberia level featured onthis month's cover DVD, so you should know whatto expect big levels, multiple objectives and

gameplay that mixes stealth with run-and-gunaction. Where previously It was Just a case ofblasting your way In, collecting the time crystal andescaping the eponymous aliens, now the levels arepacked with variety. At the stealthier end of thespectrum is the NeoTokyo mission, where you haveto trail a hacker to her underground base withoutbeing detected. The temporal uplink gizmo actslike a makeshift radar, enabling you to dodgesecurity cameras and hovering police cars.

In contrast, the Robot Factory Is a lot moretrigger happy, with wave after wave of mechanisedenemies to dismantle. You'll also find yourselftrying to disarm bombs in a super villain'sunderground base (complete with guards in yellowjumpsuits) and breaking prisoners out of jail in theWild West (see Chained Heat). Not only are themission objectives much more diverse this time,but they also change on the fly. Rival gangsters willsuddenly start shooting up O'Leary's bar InChicago, while on Planet X you get caught in thecrossflre of an alien civil war

On the easiest setting you'll probably be ableto play through all ten levels (including the finale

se our simple)W-to guide to thei l l lant Mapmakerode to create youvn single-playerission, then applyr a level designerb at Free Radical. 1. Pick a theme for your level

from one of the five on offer(Victorian, Industrial, Alien andGothic) and start laying down tiles.

2. Now place health power-ups,weapons and items. Once you'vedone that, create a set ofobjectives to complete.

3. You can now pick enemiesfrom all the unlocked models,arm them with different guns,and set their patrol routes.

4. Try throwing in a few gunturrets and some lighting effects.Don't use too many strobesunless you want it to look like aRussian strip joint.

5. Now you can preview thefinished product. Game design,eh? Easiest job In the world.

i8 PlayStation ?

/yinstead of blastingaway in a blind panicyou're strafing withballetic grace//on the 'Splitters' space station] in a few days. Butthat's missing the point. Ramp up the difficultyand it's an altogether different proposition. Alongwith additional objectives and completely newareas to explore, the enemies also become crackshots, it tai es lightning reflexes to outgun themwithout taking a hit, which is vitai because extraammo and health pick-ups are scarce. So muchso, that it occasionally feels strangely like asurvival horror game, in that you have to makeevery single shot count.

Each mission features an appropriatelythemed arsenal, so in the Wild West you'rerestricted to a Garrett pistol and scope-equippedWinchester rifle, which necessitates a completelydifferent approach to the rapid-fire blasters foundin the Robot Factory. As a piece of game design

TimeSplitters 2 Is actually remarkably old-skooi.With each successive attempt you make a littlemore prcigress, gradually learning where differentenemies appear and building a strategy to suit.With practice and perseverance you reach thepoint where your path through the level will bechoreographed down to the last split-second,instead of blasting away in a blind panic you'restraflng with balletic grace and deadheadingzombies with a single shot. Suddenly the once-impossible objective is within your grasp, and thesense of achievement Is Immense. Even afteryou've cracked the game, you'll keep dipping intoyour favourite levels, obsessed with achieving thatnear-mythical perfect run.

TIME TO DIEAs brilliant as it is though, TimeSplitters 2's Storymode is still only the tip of this gorgeousgameplay iceberg. Head over to the Arcadesection and you discover one of the mostImmense Multiplayer modes ever devised.TimeSpiitters 2 features a total of 16 differentmaps, including revamped versions of a few old

In Behead The Undead,you can't leave theplay area for morethan a few seconds.

Check out the0 B-movie-style flying

saucer ove rhead .

R E NT I M E S P U T T I R S 2

T R I G G E R H R P P yAny first-person shooter is arguably only asgood as its weapon set, and 752 doesn'tdisappoint with a well-balanced range ofwidow-makers. Check out five of our favourites.

S S I 1 3 6 S > I

Tommy GunMake like Albert Rnney in Miller's Crossing and fillthose bums full of lead. The Dual Shock 2's rat-a-tat rumble is even more satisfying with a TommyG u n i n e a c h h a n d .

E lec t ro too lThis tasty ilttle number looks like a glorifled Black& Decker sander but spews crackling, high-voltagedeath. Also makes short work of assemblingflat-packed shelving.

■ '■■■■ e i a iP lasma Autor ifleSpits out a hail of pastel-hued plasma bullets Inprimary fire mode and can also shoot 'sticky'grenades. Prone to overheating but a fineall-rounder nonetheless.

n a m e - T h r o w e rGeneva Convention? Free Radical must haveburned its copy, because this toasty masterpiecewill Immolate the opposition in seconds.

Rellve the glory days of Seventies soccer violenceby running around throwing bricks at your friends.

PlayStation.E 08

R E M I ET I M E S P L r T T E R S 2

□H R I N E D H E R TFor your first objective in the Wild West mission,you need to breal^ a prisoner out of jail.

1. Here she is, but annoyingly they haven't left thekey in the door, Loolis iiite we're going to have todo this the old-fashioned way

2. Roll this wagon up to the back of her cell andthen trace a line of gunpowder back to thoseboxes o f TNT.

3. Now shoot the boxes and the trail ignites.

•%

5. She's free: one satisfied, slightly singed customer

'prvTE^RiTTER^^

Enemies often warp into view so you always need to be on your toes. During tiie Notre Dame level you meet Quasimodo,

B favourites, but it's the sheer variety of match typesthat will leave you siack-]avi/ed with amazement(see Overkill on page 911. Plug in a MultlTap, scouryour address book for potential cannon fodderand get ready for the most foul-mouthed night offour-way fun this side of a weekend trip to Sohowith Jamie Theakston. Using i.Link, you can evenhook up to six PlayStation 2s together for16-player carnage.

TimeSplitters 2 is as frenetic as fragging gets.There isnt much point trying to use Counter-Striketactics when a monkey with a flame-thnDwer isrunning around roasting everything In sight Infact, you often wont last more than a few secondsbefore slumping to the gnDund in a chargrilledheap. After a while your eyes will feei like they'vebeen given a raw onion rubdown, but it wont stopyou hitting the Rematch button. This time there'salso a mammoth League option, which is splitinto three difficulty levels, each featuring fivetournaments containing three matches withspecific rules and victory conditions. Do themaths: it's a fantastically ludicrous amount ofgamepiay Needless to say you can customiseevery single option, from match durations to one-hit kills. Once completely unlocked, the gamefeatures a chocolate box of over 100 characters tochoose from and - in our case - the flaxen-haired maiden seemed like the obvious choice.

/Abu can customiseeveiy single option,from matcli durationsto one-l i i t Idl ls//

it's unlikely you'll ever tire of the (viultiplayermode, but Just in case, there are seven Challengegames to master Each one contains threedifferent tasks, usually played against the clock(see Take Your Time). But what you really want toknow about are the monkeys, right? Fans ofGorillas In The Mist should probably look awaynow, because one of the Challenge gamesinvolves blasting the giggling little fleabags out ofthe air clay pigeon-style. You cant help but grin atthe sheer; idiot brilliance of it The other twoMonkeying Around mini-games are almost asgood. One has you shooting explodingwatermelons out of their paws, while the otherplaces you on the Siberian dam as explodingmonkeys hurtle across the water like hairybouncing bombs.

TIMELESS CU\SSICWe were suitably convinced of this game's worthmonths ago, but the recent inclusion of acompletely reworked Mapmaker mode ensures

}0 PlayStation,E

R A N K

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R A N K

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O V E R K I L UYou want Multiplayer modes?You've quite literally got 'em.Fill your boots with this lot:

1. DeathmatchThe meat and potatoes ofTS2s Multplayer mode. Four-player Split-screen is tastyenough, but i.Unl a fewconsoles together and it's amouth-watering dish.

2. Team DeathmatchAs above, but with two teamsof up to eight players usingi.Unk. Hovering coloured Iconsenable you to Identify who's onyour side.

3. Bag-TagSee how long you can hold onto the bag with everyone elseout for your blood. A bit likebeing a wide receiver inAmerican football. Only thebloclsers are armed with guns.

4. Capture The BagTwo bases. Two bags. You wanttheirs and they want yours.This Is one of TS^s mosttactical modes, with successdependent on striking theperfect balance betweenattack and defence.

5. RegenerationYour health bar constantlyrecovers, which results inmarathon shoot-outs asplayers try to whittle downeach other's energy. A coupleof rounds from the grenadelauncher soon settles thematter though

6 . Z o n e sAnother team-based gameRun over the coloured markersto take control of an area. Theside which manages todominate the map wins.

7. ThiefYou score points by picking upthe 'kill' tokens which downedplayers leave behind. Rack upa big score by nipping in andstealing other people's kills.

M i 3 2

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3 5 i O8. Flame TagLike playing 'it', but with flamesflapping around your head.Nice idea, but playing kiss-chase against the bots isactually pretty dull. More funwith human opponents.

9 . V i r u sAs above, except you don'tstop burning even If youmanage to tag other players.The victor is simply the lastman standing

aa i!b 5 < 1 - 1 610. AssaultWith the clock ticking you haveto attack or defend a heavilyfortified base. A checkpointsystem means the attackersdont have to start fromscratch after each frag

1 1 . G l a d i a t o r

Thankfully, no sign of moodyKiwis, but the player who is inthe lead is bathed in an orangeglow and has somewhatenhanced abilities.

1 2 . L e e c h

Each time you hit an opponentIt replenishes your energy barThe more aggressive you arethe longer you stay alive, whichmakes for even more violenta n d f r e n e t i c e n c o u n t e r s .

1 3 . S h r i n kEach time you die andrespawn, your characterbecomes smaller [completewith squeaky, helium voice),which makes you harder to hit.

14. El iminationYou start with a set number oflives and once they're goneyou're out Surprisingly tenseonce you're on your last legs,and plenty of scope for makingheroic comebacks.

TimeSplitters 2 iBaches classic status in 0PS2. Asin the first game, plonk down a few rooms andyou can create a rudimentary Deathmatch level injust minutes. However, it Is the ability to designyour own single-player missions, with multipleobjectives and patrolling enemies, which putsTimeSplitters 2 in an altogether different league.Using the Advanced mode you can createsprawling levels - up to seven storeys high If youhave enthusiastic construction dreams (seeDesigner Destruction). Once you're happy with thegeneral layout of your level, you can add area-specific objectives which players complete byreaching a certain point or destroying a particularobject The real fun starts when you are given thechance to place enemies in your VR landscape.Although you're restricted to a maximum oftenopponents they can be set to respawnautomatically Clicking the preview button enablesa quick run-through, so you can test the level'soverall balance. Once you've got the bug (and youwill), hours will disappear as you adjust the mapto perfection. Best of all, you can save the finishedversion to iviemory Card and swap homebrewmissions with your mates.

Read that last paragraph through again.Create your own levels and swap them with yourfriends? It's a phenomenal innovation, Instantlyobliterating any lingering doubts we had about

the life span of TimeSplitters 2s single-player "Grovel all you want,game. So then, best shooter on PlayStation 2? ' ''""'I S"*® ® monkey's."Absolutely. Some of you may prefer Medal OfHonor: Fmntiine's gritty authenticity to this candy-coloured feast, but the almost Inexhaustibleentertainment provided by the Multiplayer andMapmaker modes means TimeSplitters 2 is anirresistible package.

This Is a videogame well worthy ofcomparison with benchmark titles such as GmnTurismo 3 and Grand Theft Auto ill. Free RadicalDesign has succeeded In creating a digital toyboxthat players will keep on coming back to, simplybecause the individual pieces ate all so brilliantlycrafted. Magic. □ Tim Clark

TIMESPLITTERS 2I

Why we'd buy it-Stunning Single-playerand Mapmaker modes

- infinitely entertaining inMuitipiayer

- Subiime graphics, ear-caressing audio

Why we'd leave it- No oniine option-We suffer from chronic

m o t i o n s i c k n e s s

Expansive in every sense,this is an essentialpurchase for anyone inpossession of aPlayStation 2 and acentral nervous systenx

Graphics Vast environments and eye-searing effects 10

10^S o u n d Eoic score and genuinely funny speech m

Gameplay A worthy successor to GoldenEye's throne 0 9

L i f e s p a n Story mode wont last forever, f«1uttipiayerwil! 1 0

PlavStat ion.g \)ERDI(ZT

R E NO N I M U S H A 2 : S A M U R A I ' S D E S H N Y

layStaUp^E

In Onimusha 2, pre-rendered backgrounds allowthe developers to create achingly beautiful scenes.

m

New enemies l ike th isd e m o n m a r i o n e t t eare superb.

Lr ^£^2

DN imUSHR 2 :BnnnuRnrB DEBTINIZstill mourning Resident Evifs departure to Nintendo? Time to dry tliose tears.

P u b l i s h e rCapcom EurosoftDeveloper CapcomP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1O u t 4 O c t o b e rW e b s i t e :w w w . c a p c o m -europe.com/6 0 H z m o d e : Ye sWidescreen: NoSurround sound: No

Back storyCapcom isnt exactlyrenowned for failing toexploit its franctilses tothe full, so it was nosurprise when, uponcompletion of the originalOnimusha 18/10, OPS2#09)players werE greeted witha teaser tr ailer for a sequel.Tliankfully, the company'sused this opportunity tomeet criticisms of its PALconvers ions wi th a fu l l6 0 H z m o d e .

You'll probably be aware of themajestic Onimusha 2 thanks to theappetite-whetting preview in lastmonth's issue. Nevertheless, for those

who aren't, a brief recap: Taking place several yearsafter the events depicted in the original Onimusha,the hero of that game, Samanosuke, is now dead,but his nemesis, the demon lord Nobunaga Oda,remains at large. The sequel kicks off with a newprotagonist, Jubel Yagyu, shortly after he finds hisvillage burnt to the ground. Rather unsurprisingly -at least to anyone familiar with Samanosuke'sstory - there ensues a bloody tale of revenge,which sees our hero fulfil his epic destiny asCapcom reprise the mix of dynamic action,accomplished cut-scenes and beautiful backdropsthat characterised the first chapter In the series.

What you might not be aware of is that there'scurrently a debate raging In the hallowed halls ofuniversities acnsss Europe, concerned with themerits of story lines In videogames On the onehand, there are the ludologists (from the Latin termfor 'I play') who argue that games are all about theexperience of play According to this school ofthought, developers shouldn't bother with anypretence at narrative, and we oughtn't to Judgegames by their plot or narrative structure. On theother hand, there are the nan tologists, who arguethat games should tell stories

//The cinematic gloss' es you a remariiable

ling of identity withthe game characters//

What's this got to do with an Onimusha 2review? You might iieasonably ask Well to put Itbriefly, Capcom's latest historical horrormasterpiece manages to strike the perfect balancebetween narrative and gameplay using the gradualexposition of a marvellously supernatural plot toregulate and rewand an exquisite combination ofelegant action and conventional conundrums. As ifto settle the debate once and for all, Onimusha 2pnovides decisive pnoof that, with good design anda little bit of creative genius, an edifying story canelevate a game beyond the sum of its Interactiveand non-Interactive parts.

KEEP IT LOCALAt least It would do, were it not for the poor voiceacting and what appears to be a rushedtranslation from the Japanese. And let's get thisout of the way early on, since It's pretty much theonly criticism that can be levelled at Onimusha 2.While the Inclusion of a 60Hz mode demonstratesthat Capcom Is finally ready and willing to take the

Oyu is no mere eye candy She's a kick-asssword fighter and a valuable ally

)2 PlayStation,E

CHOOSE YOURW E A P O N

O n i m u s h a Z s a r s e n a lcontains a mix of olda n d n e w .As if to prove that thisgame is bigger, broader,and better tiian theoriginal, Capcom hasincluded a slightly widerrange of weapons. Here,then, is a list of Jubei'sblades - not counting hisfirearms, or upgradeableweapons that the otherplayable characters haveat their disposal.

1 . B u r a i t o u

This Is your common or gardendemon-soul-lnfused katana, whichcomes complete with a thunderousspecial attack.

2. Hyoujin-YariOr, for something a little cooler, youmight want to choose a spear,equipped with an arctic-flavouredm a n o e u v r e .

3. SenpumaruA long-handled sword, Senpumaru'stornado attack proves useful for morethan just combat

4 . D o k o u t s u i

And if those three are too elegant andrefined for your tastes, you might want toinvestigate the more straightforwardearthquake-inducing hammer.

I §ifli

- < O u r h e r o ' s h e a l t h a n d• p o w e r i s d e r i v e d f m m

/ j the absorption of/ 7 enemies ' sou ls . '

As with its predecessor, combat is simply controlled but satisfyingly flexible and fluid.

Ekei is a jolly monkwhose good spiritshide a deep andconsuming grief.

V - #

CPWe meet

The game really is ashowcase for the PS2.

demands of European gamers seriously, we've stillbeen let down by dodgy lip-synching hilariousiybad voice-overs and generaily poor voice acting.Suneiy it wouldn't have been too difficult to includethe original Japanese soundtracK with Englishsubtitles, in a bid to minimise the headache oflocailsation? Or perhaps it might even have beenpossible to increase the budget allocated forEnglish voice actors, In a bid to match weii-locailsed titles such as Metal Gear Solid 2?

But enough griping The story's still enjoyable,in a 'Chinese ghost story' kind of way and evenalongside such poor voice acting and translation,the cut-scenes are breathtaking to behold, thankslargely to the use of some stunning motion-capture and detailed character models. Capcomhas also gone to the expensive effort ofrBsurrecting the visage of dead Japanese actorYUsaka Matsuda to lend a charismatic personalityto Jubei, but every character is realised withamazing detail. And while all this cinematic gloss Isundeniably nice to look at, it's worth stressing thatit's not purely superficial; the overall effect givesyou a remarkable feeling of identity with thesecharacters, which adds a significant degree ofdramatic tension to gameplay

Indeed it's not just the cut-scenes that standout. Now that Devil May Cry and Resident Evil:Code Vemnica have shown that Capcom doesn't

have to rely on pre-rendered backgrounds, thereare many gamers who would wish to consignthem to the dustbin of history. But the use ofsuch a technique In Onimusha 2 Is absolutelyvindicated by some astonishingly beautiful - andreasonably interactive - environments. Thoughsome of the action takes place In Inabayama Keep(the setting of the original Onimusha] the gamealso ranges far more widely exceeding the scopeof Its predecessor in almost every way

SOUL SEARCHINGBuilding on the strengths of the original, but paringdown the formula and eliminating any weaknesses,it's not just graphically that Onimusha 2 excels.Throughout, there's a sublime attention to detail.The opportunity to play as four other characters,for example, is a joy thanks to the idiosyncraticfoibles of each one. So while MagoichI has accessto pistols and flame-throwers but isnt especiallyquick on his feet, Oyu proves to be a surprisinglynimble swordstress. The gift exchange system,which enables Jubei to Increase his friendlinesswith each of these secondary characters, Is also adeft touch.

Not only does It affect which characters youget to play with. It also earns their assistanceduring tricky encounters when playing as Jubei -resulting In a far more gentle difficulty curve that

This guy's a realbru iser and he 's noteven a boss.

DEMONS IN ~ iD I S G U I S E

New demon-souls give Jubei thepower to transform.In addition to upgradeablemanoeuvres and special attacks, thInclusion of a new type of demon-soul adds an extra dimension oftactical complexity to On/musha 2.Collecting five of these soulstransforms Jubei into a super-powered demon warrior for a shortperiod of time. But the souls areslow-moving and can be difficult tocatch, and its wise not to use thenup prematurely.

H i

Enemies a re

genuinelymenacing.

J

PlayStation.S 0!

m D R E - m U S H RThe fun doesnt stop when you've completed thegame - Onlmusha 2 provides real value.

R E NO N I M U S H A 2 : S A M U R A I ' S D E S T I N Y

agic attacks are hugely enjoyable toi leash and k ick ser ious demon ass.

Jubel Yagyu features are modelled on theface of the 'Japanese James Dean'.

If you think this is beautiful you really need tosee the water effects. Absolutely stunning.

I B adapts to your style of play If you're doing fine onyour own, they won't intrude, but get into a spotof bother and they'll step In to help out. Onenoticeable outcome of this new feature is thatboss encounters are integrated into the flow of thegame with much more panache, Unlii^e theoriginal Onimusha, in which some bosses simply

I served to Initatingly interrupt the flow, Onimusha 2incorporates a much more balanced selection -as weii as some magnificent set-pieces and

Guns have a bigger recurring nemeses, such as Gogandantess, therole in this game. seif-proclaimed supreme swordsman of the

demon realm, for example.There's also an enhanced ievei of tactical

complexity to combat. The ability to chooseseveral upgradeabie weapons is in there - as areseals which can only be broken with a particularweapon, regulating the pace and tempo ofexploration. And once again it's possible todiscover new manoeuvres with which to dispatchan entirely fresh range of demoniacal nasties. Butan increased range of weaponry, along with newsouls that transform Jubel into a demonic warrior(see Demons In Disguise! add depth to a systemthat benefits from quick and responsive controlsand a superb Targeting mode.

And while Onimusha 2 boasts combat to rivalthe frenetic pace and instinctive action of DevilMay Cry, it also requires you to use a little bit ofyour grey matter Puzzle boxes make a return,ranging from those that require some fiendishlyintricate intellectual acrobatics, to some that arepretty easy in comparison. There are also a wholehost of brain-teasers that vary from mind-bendingarithmetic grids to memory tests and beyond. Ailin all, the game provides an intelligent variety ofrelatively straightforward essential puzzles whichare complemented by optional posers that neverthreaten to undermine the fast-paced rhythmestablished by periods of combat.

/ /Boss encounters arenow integrated into theflow of the game withmuch more panache//

So in short, we rather like Onimusha 2. Thedelicately honed accent on action and intelligenceis superbly complemented by a finely sculptedman-iage of nan^tive and gamepiay and despiteostensible similarities to other Capcom titles -notably the original Onimusha and Devii May Cry -it stylishly carves out its own niche, it's bigger,bolder and brighter than its immediatepredecessor, while offering an alternative emphasisto that of Dante and chums.

Certainly, the poorly translated dialogue andlousy voice acting becomes frustrating -particularly as it detracts from an otherwisesublimely told tale - but it is not sufficientlydistracting ftum what is otherwise an incrediblefeat of imagination and technical accomplishmentOnimusha 2 does, however, pose one significantquestion: Why cant ail videogame sequels be asgood as this? □ Dave McCarthy

R 1 b u t t o n : l O f w a r d ^ ' * 1L I I w t t o o : 1 0 b a c k w a r d - i f A IO b u t t o n : H i d e l e t t e r s 1 " 7 - - -A b u t t o n : T o M e n u s c r e e n

X 6 . ^As If providing a hugely satislying and reasonablylengthy experience wasn't enough, Capcom's goneone better by laying on a whole host of unlockablegoodies. For a start, upon completion of the game it';possible to check the paths that you took, enablingyou to go back and play the game again, butpursuing altemat^e routes. There ate also copiousamounts of supplementary material, such as conceptsketches, character designs, alternate costumes,mini-games and Making Of videos that show thehuge efforts that went in to making Onimusha 2 thetechnically accomplished masterpiece that It Is.

D E S T I N Y

Why we'd buy it- It sets a new graphical

benchmark- An inspired balance ofnarrative and interactivrty

- Intelligent puzzles andfrenetic action

Why we'd leave it- Poor local isat ion and

bods' voice-acting

Capcom has produced asupreme sequel thatexceeds its precursor inevery respect This Isadventure gaming at itsvery best

( k a p M c s Lapping waves have to be seen to be believed I BS o u n d Dodgy voice acting, impressive musical score 0 7

Gamepiay A perfect blend of action and intelligence B 9

L i f e s p a n Multiple routes and four playable characters 0 3

PlayStaUon^g \IERDIIIT

14 PlayStation.?

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^ E \T E K K E N 4

King is taken down a peg or two byIVIarduk - the new king of the ring.

Who spiked the coffee? Grown men in nappies, bears intrainers... and we're supposed to believe this stuff?

H Annoying moves likeLaw's Crescent K icknow do less damage,just to even things out.

T E K K E N ^The King of Iron Fist beckons again, but is tine magic fading?

P u b l i s h e r S C E EDeveloper NamcoP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1-2Out 20 SeptemberW e b s i t e : w w w .n a m c o . c o m

6 0 H z m o d e : Y b sWidescreen: NoS u r r o u n d s o u n d : N o

Back storyTekken Is as synonymouswith the PlayStation as BigBrother Is with talentlessgimps, TTte first game -which rEvoiutionised thebeat-'em-up market byutilising a simple fightingsystem whereby each of thefour main symbol buttonsactually controlled adifferent limb - made itscoin-op debut shortlybefore the PSone'sworldwide launch. Fourgames on, and thetransition continues to PS2from Namco's own System256 motherboard, whichdrove the arcade version ofthis newest of pummeliers,mimicking PS2 hardware.

Heihachi Mishlma is so old he's fartingdust, and now the senile dementia haskicked in to such an extent that he'shosting his fourth King Of Iron Fist

tournament decked out In what can only bedescribed as a giant, Elvis-style nappy. Elsewhere,there are men spouting wings while bears paradearound in T-shirts and Reeboks, Welcome back tothe insane world of Tekken.

Since the last Tekken outing, 15 charactershave been culled from the mix (34 down to 19)making for a much more streamlined game. Eachhas their own unique style - with the exception ofCombot a nobotic variation of the old Mokujincharacter who mimics the fighting style of othersand, of course, father and son hate brigade,Kazuya and Heihachi who both practise the samedevastating form of MIshima karate (unwittingrelative, Jin, has now renounced his family style Infavour of a more traditional karate). The result isthat each fighter feels more unique and you donthave to perpetually go through the motions withother similarly-stanced brawlers just to get thedifferent endings.

So what of the new blood then? At face valuethere appears to be five new characters, althoughwe have already stated that Combot is more of a'con' bot and Violet soon lets his disguise slip toreveal that he is, In fact, Lee Chaolln sportingsomething of a Marc Bolan Identity crisis. That

leaves just the three, then: Craig Manduk (a hulkingtudo fighter who was Imprisoned after killingArmor King In a street brawl), Steve Fox (a Britishboxer uncertain of his origins) and ChristieMontelro. The latter is actually a female prot6g6of Eddy Gordo and a lass who has adopted hisCapoeira fighting style almost move for move. So,that leaves only two truly original characters, buthey, at least there are some bmtal new moves forthe existing motley crew. So, as they all descendon another sweaty dojo for a fourth epic battlethat makes the UFC look like the YMCA we say 'letbattle commence!'

"nCHT!"Upon loading the game for the first time, theNamco logo precedes the kind of jaw-droppingcinematics that have become a trademark of theJapanese developer Opening with tournamentorganiser Heihachi tossing his lifeless son's corpseinto an active volcano, the scene then shifts on 20years to show Helhachl's soldiers raiding theG-Corporation (a firm making bold strides intothe field of biogenetics) to steal the devilgene. Subsequently a full-on war ensues.By the time the vivid imagery fades andthe last chord is struck in the openingfanfare, your heart will be racing and yoursweaty, fumbling hands wont be able topress IS; quickly enough.

■J

Af ter h is ChineseRestaurant failed, Lawen te red t he con tes t .

Building on the no-nonsense, straightforwardnose-flattening and neck-twisting of the coln-op,Tekken 4 on PS2 featuresseven different modes ofplay to help prolong yourenjoyment But Where'sthe volleyball and, moreImportantly, Where's thebloody bowling?

Story Batt leTake your chosen fighter through eightstages of ass-whoopIng, Inter-cut withstylish prologue. Introductory sequencesshed light on their exploits since the lastcontest (or their origins. If they're new tothe fray] and there's a lavish finale FMV.

A r c a d e

Play the coln-op Tekken 4, It's an Identicalgame bar the character background andvictory parades. You can still unlock bonuscharacters, but It's something of a wasteof time with no gorgeous ending sequenceto drool over while you nurse your digits.

Time A t tackClear the game in the fastest possible time.You can't cheat though, because anyfiddled options (one-bout matches, easydifficulty, 20 second time limits...) areignored by the savage CPU. Something toseparate the men from the boys.

T e a m B a t t l eAssemble a team of up to eightdifferent characters and face themoff against a friend's or CPU'sposse. The last team standingwhen the dust has settled is thewinner It's as simple as that.

96 Play5tation.E

The sound echoes superblyaround the new arenas .

Kaz struggles to find a reason, apart fromthe obvious, when refused entry to the club.

King is still the Zangief of Tekken - initially crapbut with all the best moves at his disposal.

B R C KThe scrolling beat-'em-up makes a return.

For a fighting series that has traditionally been aswell-rounded as a silicon-enhanced bosom, it cameas quite a |olt to realise that Tekken 4 is left wantingIn the sub-game stakes. To have arguably the bestmini-game on PS2 in Tekken Bowl |an unlockableextra In Tekken Tag Tournament that remains thebest, and only, bowling sim on PS2) snatched awayand replaced with a scrolling variant of the maingame is rather disappointing

Fans of the series will remember that theTekken Force mini-game appeared in Tekken 3 andwas only playable due to the fact that you got anextra, albeit crap, new character at the end. Well itsIn Tekken 4 from the start (there's no magic involvedIn unlocking iti. Here's what It entails.

n m m

1. Choosing a character: Rck a limb-flicking loonwho has at least one highly effective sweeping movethat you can repeat to death - or at least as long asyour thumb skin can tolerate.

Hwoarang misplacesa roundhouse k ick -only to rupture anearby pipe...

What follows is surprising. The traditionalInterface allowing you to select everything from themain title screen has been replaced by a muchmore regimented menu that presents you with atop-down list of aii the game modes. There's noneof the bright, bold fonts favoured by every otherTekken game, just a cold list. The first clue perhapsthat Namco has dragged the series back to basicsand rid itself of aii the gimmicks.

Selecting Story Battle Ithe first port of call forany newcomer eager to start unlocking stuff asquickly as possible) reveals the ten Initiallyselectable characters - the rest are added to thetally each time you complete the game. Amongstthe first ten are the three main new characters, soyou can Instantly take a step Into the greatunknown and get to work mastering their radicalnew techniques. But before you even think aboutappreciating the new moves of the debutantes,you can't help but notice the lush, picturesquevisuals that are thrust before your eyes from theminute you step out into one of the 12 muitl-tlered battle arenas.

Long gone are the 'back-step to infinity' openplan arenas In their place are finely-detailedlocations with pronounced boundaries andinanimate objects for you to slam your opponentsinto. Okay, so the Dead Or Alive series has featuredsimilar playing areas for a while, but rather thanbeing mere tools to heighten the visual impact,

//Namco has draggedthe series back tobasics and rid itselfof all the gimmicks//they put a whole new strategic spin on the game.When Namco unveiled the Tekken 4 coln-op Itcame with the slogan "Control the walls, controlthe fights" and never was a truer word said. Bypinning your opponent against a wall, the forceof your blows Is doubled due to your opponentrecoiling and fracturing their skull on the barrierbehind. Likewise, other objects litter the playingfield such as parked cars, pillars and even people,and by forcing your opponent against them, you'llInflict extra damage In the time it takes for theobject In question to shatter, crumble or fail over

Excellent. But not so if you are the unfortunateparty to be pinned back. However, Namco has alsoIntroduced a new 'position change' system withwhich you can feint and grapple your way out,reversing the roles in the process to totally turn thetide of the fights. Whether you adopt the strategyof going for the Instant wall trap or choose togradually work your way into an advantageousposition, these cosmetic and tacticalenhancements dont overpower the main fightingfeel as they do In, say Dead Or Alive 3 with Its

T I M E i O I S U S♦ s s e c .

Z Use this move repeatedly against the wave upon >wave of Mishima Force guards that attack you. Youcan vaiy your attacks, but this is time-consumingand pointless.

3. Collect the various different-sized eggs andchickens that some defeated opponents drop tokeep your health topped up. And yes, the comedyvoiced "Chlc-ken!" audible pick-up confirmationfrom Tekken 3 retums!

B |

S u r v i v a lThis Is your typical Endurance mode, wherebyyou keep taking on challengers in quick, one-bout matches. The Idea is to see how longyou can survive, although you are helped outby the fact that your energy bar is replenishedbetween matches.

P r a c t i c eMaster those ten-hit combos against anopponent who refuses to fight back. Agauge will show how much damage you'veinflicted and you can study moves lists bypressing pause to bring up a menu. Proscan record combos and play them back.

Tra in ingWith the moves sussed in Practice mode, it'stime to execute them In quick succession.You're told the move and command andmust pull off 20 as fast as you can. Whenthe clock Is ticking you'll be amazed howquickly your timing goes to pot

4. Repeat this whole process again through fourscenlcally-challenged levels in one fowl' swoop(you can't save It at any time) until you can mashMishima and beat the Force. Upon which you'll berewarded with - ta-daaa ~ a new stage. Only attemptthis mode if you're masochistic.

PlayStation.2 Oi

^ E \ lT E K K E N 4

C O O L C U T Sreat new Tekken features andicrets exposed.ake no mistake, hardcore Tekkenns will slip Into Tekken 4's back-to-isics groove like it were alUg-fitting metal-spiked gauntlet,it there is a weaith of assortedlol extras that you may not spote first time you piay..

Complete the game once andu'ii unlock the Tekken Theaterlere all the character endings are:red for future viewing In thisiniature multiplex you can alsoten to the entire game soundtracki d m o r e

Girl on top - Ling works hermagic on thie gruff old cyborg.

It's too much to bear asservant gives master a kick.

It's good to see that Ling has finally come into season - as an accomplished fighter, you understannot that we harbour any improper thoughts about the nimble, gym-slipped teenager... Erm...

By completing the game once,u'ii unlock an excellent newiture whereby you can save your)st magnificent rounds to Memoryrd. Simply press H as you adoptur victory pose and the whole boutI be recorded for playback in thekken Theater

in Training mode, like always, you^ view a complete command listyour chosen character by pausingI game. However, by selecting aicific move, you can now press thebutton to watch a demo of thattve being performed.

f you have the tolerance tolure Tekken Force mode until theer end, you'll unlock a couple ofV battle arenas - namely thei-Maru dojo stage and ai - t i e r e d S t a t u e a r e n a .

El over-dramatic noof-top falls and through-the-wallslams. The beauty of this new system is that it'sthere if you want it, but if you let the action flownaturally, it doesn't encroach on the tried andtested winning Tekken formula of stralghtfonfl/andface-kicking action.

BREAKING NEW BOUNDARIESFrom a purely aesthetic point of view, Tekken 4 issomething of a Jekyll and Hyde. The backgroundsare generally excellent, boasting incredible lightsourcing effects, rippling water and genuinelybelievable thtBe-dimensional crowds that shouldbe the envy of any sports game developer Thefighters themselves are also Incredibly wellanimated and sport clothing obviously designed toshowboat the PS2's most recently realisedcapabilities such as floaty cloth effects and swirlinghair The game's also now got more than Its fairshare of DO/\-style boob-bouncIng titillatlon aswell, but we'd never lower ourselves to championthis directly. Ahem.

On the downside, the effect of crumblingmasonry when a support pillar gives way underthe might of a misplaced punch Is crude and thequality of the ending FMV varies fnom the awesometo the avrful. Maybe we were expecting everycharacter's ending to be like Unknown's fromTekken Tag and although some are, others featurechunky-looking characters with poor facialanimation that takes a step back for the series.

Also, the characters are still emotionless duringfights, which does little to endear them to us. Howmuch better would it have been to havecharacters actually show mock horror when theynsallse they've taken a wild swing and leftthemselves wide open for a counter? Or, and this isa very long shot indeed, could they not sport somefacial bruising - anything to signify that you'reactually physically hurting these guys? Ah well...

//Despite having thescope for a moreengaging fight, it stillplays like Tekken 3//

Another minor gripe is the fact that the gamemakes a mockery of Sony's technologicallyadvanced Dual Shock 2 pad. ThetB's no analoguemovement, only digital and, once again, theopportunity to utilise the pressure-sensitivebuttons has been wasted. So despite having thescope at your fingertips for a potentially muchmore engaging fight, the game still plays likeTekken 3 on the FSone.

As a token gesture to those who boughtTekken Tog - knowing full well that it wasn't aproper sequel - Namco could have tossed In aMultiplayer Tag mode as well, or anything to makeit a little special. Tekken 4 Just doesnt show a lotof initiative. It's a solid fighting game that willensnare hardcore fighting freaks, but if you'reexpecting a titanic leap forward for the beat-'em-up genre, you're in for a big disappointment. Rollon Soul Calibur 21 □ Ryan Butt Panda flatly refuses to become extinct and also illustrates

quality severely lacking in the scenery damage animation.T E K K E N 4

Why we'd buy it- Classic quaiibeat-'em-up gamepiay

- New characters andm o v e s t o m a s t e r

- New arenas make fornew strategies

Why we'd leave it- Not a great leapforward from previousTekken games

- No decent sub-games

Mostly stunning, but some FMV Isicks finesse 11 Sound ~] "FTie arena acoustics convey slgnilDcant depth (

Stylish and sophisticated. A real hl a r d h i t t e r (

1 Lifespan | The 'seen it done it fector is alw<iys a danger (

Y b u c a n t k n o c k d i eessential quality ofNamco's beat-'em-upgiant, but after thehalfway house of TekkenTag, we demanded morefrom Tekken 4.

PlayStatipnjS NERDCT

8 PlayStation.E

13th September 2002www.wayof thesamurai .e idos.com

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Way of the Samurai © Spike Co.. Ltd. / ACQUIRE Corporation 2002. Published under license by Eidos interactive Limited. 2002. Way of the Samurai is a trademark of Spike Co.. Ltd ' ACQUIRE Corporation. Fresh GamEidos, Eidos Interactive and the Eidos logo are trademarks of the Eidos group of companies. All Rights Resented.

m E - m i N G

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The green icon means he's spotted something heparticularly wants to kill - in this case, mini-Things.

The burning Things will spread flames all over theplace. Poor Blake just cant take the heat.

7w m This gorgeous

beast is straightout of the film.

T H E T H I N GTurns out PlayStation 2 is the warmest place to hide..

P u b l i s h e rUniversal InteractiveDeve loperComputer ArtworksP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1-2Out 13 SeptemberWeb site: www.tlietl i inggames.com6 0 H z m o d e : N oW i d e s c r e e n : N oSurround sound: Yes

Back storyJohn Carpenter's 1982classic was the second filmbased on the ortginai JohnW Campbeii short storyWho Goes There? The first,a 1951 B-movie caiied TheThing From Another World,had a Frankenstein-typemonster rather than themysterious beast that couidimitate any iife fomi, Ttie1982 movie had to mal<edo with Kurt Russeii .

How many successful horror moviesnever receive a sequel? While derivativedross like Friday The 13th getsrehashed almost as often as the FIFA

games, John Carpenter's The Thing is one of thefew classics not to get some sort of follow-up.Unt i l now.

Perhaps this film sequel omission Is becausethe ending of the movie seemed so very final.Having dispatched the shape-shifting alienmonster and torched their only means of shelter,the two surviving characters, MacReady and Childs,settled down in the Antarctic snow, sharing a lastbottle of J&B as they waited to succumb to thesub-zero temperature. BleaK but nothing is over tillit's over, and The Thing for PS2 picks up the storywhere the film left it all those years ago.

You play Captain Blake, the leader of an armyexpedition sent to investigate the smoulderingruins. The body of Childs is one of the first thingsyou find, shortly followed by swarms of small,scuttling mini-Things. By the time various membersof your team start: bursting from their clothing anddeveloping an insatiable appetite for blood, youknow there's still plenty of life left in the story.

At the Norwegian base where the whole Thingthing started, the place Is soaked in gore and

strewn with body parts. Monsters begin batteringtheir way through the walls, and some of thehandened soldiers accompanying you begin fallingto pieces from the pressure of the horror out inthe wi lderness.

From the start, It's obvious that The Thing istaking a completely different theme to the movie,but not in a way that dilutes or spoils the storyline. It follows on from the original In the same wayJames Cameron's action-packed sequel took Allenin a new but not unwelcome direction, being moreabout videogame-friendly killing than psychologicalhorror Although the brain-twisting 'is he or isn'the?' factor plays its part, too.

The game's much-touted Innovation Is itstrust/fear system, which basically boils down towhether or not you'll be able to give orders to yoursquad members. The squad is essential to yoursuccess - when you're surrounded by Things, you'llneed confident mari<smen to take them down soyou can finish them off with the flame-thrower Yousimply cant do It all yourself, and soldiers whosuspect you might be less than human wontrespond to your commands. You have to earn trustby not behaving like a madman, and you'll have tokeep a close eye on anybody who looks like hemight start spraying everyone else with bullets

Wear them down with the shotgun, then use ablowtorch or flame-thrower to cook them.

Team members oftenget separated from themain group, and whenyou find them again,you wont be able to teilif they are still human.The alien organismreproduces every detaii,ri^t down to theclothes they're wearing.

B l o o d Te s t sThe only way to distinguish humans from Things Is touse a blood test kit Using one on yourself is also thebest way to make nervous people trust you.

All ChangeOnce exposed, the Thing will burst from its clothing andgo on the rampage in an attempt to kill everyone whowitnessed the incriminating blood test.

F l a m e O n

Although bullets will injure them, full-size Things can onlybe killed by intense heat. Squirting lighter fluid andtossing a match simply isn't an option.

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These bullish Things vomit green siime at you to slow your escape.

//You'll feel realdisappolntmeiit whena buddy turns out tobe a Thing in disguise//

The trust/fear system in the game works verywell, and you'll feel real disappointnnent when abuddy you trusted and protected turns out to be aThing in disguise. Micro-managing the squad,issuing weapons to the appropriate characters andusing blood tests to dispel your doubts aboutsuspect soidiers - or even yourseif - provides awelcome counter-balance to the main body of thegame - creeping around genuinely spooky, hostilelocations, blowing away Things.

With a limited supply of ammo and a Thing ortwo lurking in every dark corner, staying alive is ahorribly tense affair You'll find yourself makingBlake creep around very nervously, listening fornearby monsters, rather than Just strolling into aroom with a shotgun at the ready If it's this kindof action that wears the mark of a top-of-the-range survival horror game then The Thing isabout as good as it gets.

Combat is handled by a convenient auto-targeting system that picks out the mostimmediately dangerous enemy within Blake's fieldof vision. You can widen or tighten the targetingarea to suit your skill level, but be warned; this isby no means an easy game to get to grips with.

The difficulty comes mostly from the shortageof save points around the levels and the numberof monsters chasing you. Swarms of creatures canattack without warning and unless you get into thethe cautious habit of tracking back to save, you'llhave to repeat lat;ge portions of levels every timeBlake buys the farm. You also have to contend

with Blake's susceptibility to fire damage. Theburning Things stagger around spreading flames allover the place, and you'll get singed at least onceduring a hectic battle. What's really annoying isthat Blake will often keel over by steppingbackwards into a tiny puddle of Are.

Apart from that, and the confusingly similaricons used to portray the weapons and thetrust/fear ratings of your soldiers, it's hard to findany significant fault with The Thing. The graphicsare uncommonly good, it's imaginatively designedand surprisingly well scripted. The locations,including a Norwegian base that's rather morethan it first appears, are entirely in keeping withthe movie's visual style. Thing fans shouldnt bedisappointed with the surprises in store, which isno mean feat given the cult following it hasamassed over the past 20 years.

And if you have never encountered The Thingbefore, go and pick up a copy of the specialedition DVD, watch it before playing the game, andimagine how cool it would have been if they hadactually made a movie sequel like this game.Maybe some day.. □ Martin Kitts

r- m E T H I N G

why we'd buy it- Loads of action- Atmospheric locations- Racked wf th monsters- A great follow-up to a

classic film

Why we'd leave it- Confusing Icons- Not enough save points

Graphics Solid environments and fantastic m o n s t e r s

Sound Subtle audio cues, plenty of speei: h

Gameplay Enough room for improvised tacti c s

L i f e s p a n Difficult and well worth replaying

R E NMAT HOFFMAN'S PRO BMX 2

E D E L U R L K I N GFlatlanding is a key skill to learn in Pro BMX 2.Here's our four-step guide to pavement perfection.

This picture actually makes sense ifyou turn the magazine on one side.

You might be the world champ Mat,but the smart money's on the car.

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The array of tricks is huge and varied.Experimentation is the key to success.

Look away now,the landingwont be pretty.

1 . T h e M a n u a l

Pop a quick jump, then press back and forward whilemaking sure you have a good flat stretch of concreteahead of you.

I N D I k N ^ A I R

^ R Z I B T X 2Take a road trip with iMat and his biker gang.

2 . T h e M o v eChoose a tricK in this case the nose whipiash, use® and and you'll begin.

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P u b l i s h e rA c t h r i s i o n 0 2Deve loperR a i n b o w S t u d i o sP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9

Players: 1-2O u t N o wW e b s i t e : w w w .a c t i v i s i o n o 2 . 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 d : N o

Back storyPhoenix-based RainbowStudios aiready iias adecent traci* record in theextreme sports genrs. Risingto prominence with theacciaimed PC titieMotoaoss Madness,Rainbow Is also responsiblefor ATV Offroad Fury andSplashdown on PS2.

Mat The Condor' Hoffman has arguablydone more to raise the profile of BMXriding than anyone alive He's brokennearly every bone In his body been

world champ moiB times than you've had hotdinners and Is as hairy as a monkey His firstgame, Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX, was basically whateveryone expected - Tony Hawk's on bikes - dueto a shared game engine. In this second outingRainbow Studios, aided by Mat himself, has clearlytried to make the atmosphere and gameplay motBspecific to the BMX experience.

The most obvious change Is the use of a real-life road trip as a narrative device, A bunch of theworld's best BMX-ers, Including Hoffman, werepacked off Into a big yellow bus and filmed at avariety of indoor and outdoor spots doing theirthing As you progress through the game, you'llunlock clips and footage of these guys In action.Hoffman's crew are all playable, although you'relikely to pick the character whose T-shirt you likethe most, as their pedal skills dont differ However,fill up the adrenaline meter by pulling off tricksand they have their own special moves.

For extreme sports games aficionados thecontrols are reassuringly familiar ® pops a Jumpand combinations of @/@, D-pad and shoulderbuttons produce spins, flips or tricks. It takes a fewpractise sessions before there's any relationshipbetween what you want to do and what youactually pull off on screen and, as always, the bigpoints lie in linking tricks together

The game's major mode, Road Trip, Is set overeight real city-based levels - Oklahoma, NewOrleans, Vegas, etc - and pnogress depends oncompleting a variety of bike-related challenges andaccumulating Road Trip points. Challenges rangefrom the bizarre (collect poodles on the streets of

LAI to the insane (grind the tentacles of a giantsquid that's attacking Boston pier to send It backto the murky depths! although locating these onsome of the larger levels can be frustrating Dontwony If you're not the greatest stunt cyclist tobegin with as everything you do will garner points,even riding on flat ground.

As with all games of this genre. Pro BMX 2 ispacked with i^rk Editor, Freeride and Multiplayermodes, but the most exciting addition Is theRatlands mode (see Sidewalking), Essentially thisis where you get to try your hand at the trickyballet-like moves BMX-ers perform when they'renot on ramps. Most tricks are customisable via theshoulder buttons and D-pad, although the controlscan be a little flddly at times.

Minor niggles aside. Pro BMX 2 will give you agood return on your money If you have thepatience to practise, A great soundtrack (extratracks can be unlocked by collecting the CDtokens scattered around the levels] makes the rideeven more pleasurable, while the Road Trip modeadds a fresh human element to a genre that is Indanger of becoming stagnant. □ IVIark Wyatt

, MAT HOFFMAN'S PRO BMX 2

3 . T h e B a l a n c eThe balance meter Is all-important here, you'll onlyget the points if you finish the trick.

4 . T h e E n dOnce safely back on your seat, another quick jumpIs the perfect way to ensure you won't fall.

Why we'd buy It- Gives a reai flavour

of the sport- Entertaining and

chaiienging ail at once- FlatJands are a trickybut addictive addition

Why we'd leave it- Fmstrating and fiddiy

a t t i m e s- We're just a little more

demanding of extremeaction these days

Vbu wont be raving onabout rts originality, butPro BMX 2s innovationsand atmosphere give theking of BMX yet anothergood result

Smooth and detailed wrth some imagination 11 Sound Screeches and ouches. Nice tuneI S , t o o 1

Varied, if a little fiddly at times1 Lifespan 1 You'll be along for the ride... all of

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T A K E A P E E K A T T H I S M O N T H ' S H O T R E L E A S E S

Tu r o k E v o l u t i o nRelease; 06-Sept 2002

m mI ASP £44:99-;|tcode: PT0367

The ThingRelease: 20-Sept 2002

A S P £ 3 9 : ^, Code: PT0473r 0 4 7 3 j u j * ^ ^ p

Ferrari F355 Challenge: Release: 27-Sept 2002I ASP £30:^1

C o d e : P T 0 3 4 8 £ 3

PlayStation.

Hitman2: Silent Assassin:Release: 20-Sept 2002 ^

ASP £39T9?-: C o d e : P T 0 5 6 0

O n i m u s h a 2R e l e a s e : 0 4 - 0 c t 2 0 0 2

; ASP £39:^11, Code:PT0210 ]

TimeSplltters 2Release: 27-Sept 2002

' m mASP £39r9Srlr o d e : P T 0 2 11

PlayStation 2

iMat Hoffman's Pro BMX2Release: 13-Sept2002

A S PCode:PT0225T

Scan our online UK release lists. Then set e-mail alerts that keepnotified of any change of dates. We can't make the games come

any quicker but we can at least let you know any date changes assoon as we do. Visit www.gameplay.co.uk to be kept informed.

Te k k e n 4Release: 27-Sept 2002

A S P £ 4 4 T § y. Code:

Gameplay is the UK's largestCTA 3 Vice City

R e l e a s e : 2 5 - O c t 2 0 0 2Asp"Code : PT0483 i s m

> Free Delivery within the UK > Nothing to pay until the game is on it's way

call: 0845 345 4440open 7 days men-fri: Sam-9pm sat:9am-6pm sun: 10am-6pm

www.gameplay.co.ukon-line shopping: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

g a m e p l a yT H E G A T E W A Y T O G A M E S

R E N I E UTUROK EVOLimON

Publisher AcclaimDeveloper AcclaimS t u f U o s A u s t i nP r i c e ; £ 3 9 . 9 9

Players: MO u t N o wW e b s i t e :w w w . a c d a i m . c o m6 0 H z m o d e : N oWidescreen: YfesSurround sound: NoPeripherals: MultiTap

Back stoiyThe first Turok game wasreleased on N64 back in1997 to many criticalwhoops and hollers.Developed by IguanaEntertainment (which waslater taken under theAcclaim banner) it was arefreshing FPS with meatyweapons and solid Ai. Butthe brand has declined inrecent years. Turok 2; SeedsOf Evil was visually excellentbut suffered from poor leveldesign while Turok; RageWars was a mediocremultiplayer game.

Right, fight and fornication. The humanbrain may be a complicated bit of kit,but it's these three basic instincts thatkeep the human race going Visit any

dodgy nightclub and you'ii see rational thoughtgetting checked Into the cioaktoom while MrReptlilan-Brain comes out to play We're not sayingthat the reptilian brain Is stupid, oh no, only thatthe wlil to sun/lve and procteate Is built on Instinctrather than deliberation.

Which Is why the behaviour exhibited by thereptilian creatures in Tumk Evolution Is sodisappointing We didn't really expect them todisplay tremendous amounts of cunning andforethought, but some survival Instinct would havehelped the game's credibility. Though it's weak Inother departments, it Is primarily this aspect thatlets the title down. In fact, the scaly creatures InAcclaim Studio's latest game display someshocking, nay laughable AI. Enemies run around Incircles like lemmings coming down from a badtrip, they stand around gormiessly while theircomrades are shot to pieces and, worst of ail, theythrow grenades a few metres towards the playerbefore running Into the ensuing explosion.

These creatures dont have believable reptilianbrains at all. They are Just animation routines withdumb AI programming attached. Sometimes theywill show more intelligent behaviour like mnning

//The enemies standaround gonnlesslywhile their comradesare shot to pieces//for cover or fleeing in panic, but these flaws occurtoo often and they break the spell that you'reInvolved In a convincingly constructed worldoperating by coherent rules. It's a shame becauseIn other respects Turok: Evolution is a successfullyambit ious t i t le.

You take the role of Tal'Set, and your task is todefeat the legions of Tyranus, an evil dictator andruler in the Lost World, while freeing the RiverVillagers In his evil grip The plot also Involves timetravel, settling old scores and the machinations ofa local priest, Tarkeen, It's reasonably well told, If alittle overwrought, but adds impetus to the first-person shooting. To continue In this positive vein,some of the levels are well designed. Panoramascan be Impressive and it Is gratifying to reachdistant locations, such as rope-bridges andhideouts, that you spotted eariler in the level, andlooking down on the picturesque mountainouslandscape often affords lovely views.

Infiltrating enemy structures later on In thegame can be tense and the knowledge that you're

■'3 f 96P ■Health pick-ups are generously placed around thelush environments so look behind every rock.

- rT I M E P I L O T

Some sections of thegame are broken upwith dinosaur flight-combat. The sectionsare a welcome changeof pace but hardly onesterling gameplay intheir own right.

Object Of DesireListen to the in-game Instructions andyou'll be given objectives to complete.One of the first is to shoot down thisenemy jet fighter

D a m B u s t e r sTake out the two turret towers guardingthe dam and the walls will openenabling you access to the laters e c t i o n s o f t h e l e v e l .

In-flight Energy DrinkBizarre 'balloons' suspend goodiesbeneath them which help you on yourquest. Just run into the object and youcan pick up rockets and health boosts.

Airship AhoyThe final confrontation: a huge enemyairship. Take out Its cannons and launch asmany missiles into its hull as you can, Morerockets are in the temple below.

PlayStation,^

B U R N N R L O FT H E D U m B E S TReptiles are not noted for their quick wit andscholarly learning, but these creatures possessno evolutionary integrity.

i'stuck In A LoopReptiles are terrible at going through doors. Eventhough the doors open automatically, you'll see themgetting trapped Some will even happily take bullets h o t s f r o m c o m r a d e s .

Pan ic A t tackHit some enemies and they will panic so much thatyou'll see them running around on the spot. Othersv/ill flee Into walls In hilarious fits of delirium. Strangedrugs they must be taking.

■Si.*? f-Bombs AwayExplosives are dangerous in the hands of experts,and a complete no-no for dumb animals. Tyranus'smen will drop grenades at their own feet and oftenpromptly run into the grenades you've thrown Intheir direction. Idiots.

T h e t e c h - b o w h a s

two levels of zoom,so use It for theenemy snipers.

You can try out your favourite Steve Irwintechniques, or just blast every reptile to bits.

4 3 ? 8

Just find the bighole in the floor toinfiltrate the enemycompound.

P a n o r a m i c v i e w s a r elike something off at o u r i s t i n f o c a l e n d a r

Monkeys are malicious, deerare docile. Don't let this stopyou from shooting both.

moving ever nearer to the ruler of this kingdom Iscleveriy communicated by the architecture andtechnology which becomes more sophisticated asyou progress. Starting out in dinosaur-infestedmountains, Tai'Set soon discovers the bases thathold Tyranus's forces. Interior locations arguablyprovide more Interesting objectives than exteriorones and the game improves once you leave thegame's forest areas,

SNEAK EASYAfter the success of Metal Gear Solid, stealth hasbecome more fashionable than a poodle In Paris,Chapter 4: Infiltration provides the now obligatorystealth element of the game, Tai'Set must sneakinto the enemy compound and free some of theRiver Villagers from captivity. This task is made tooeasy by a dirty great hole by the compound wall.It's Just one of the not-so-subtle design featuresthat tends to undermine the sense that you'reoperating in a believable world. And the reptilesare so dumb that the alarm, once raised, will beturned off if you Just hide for a couple of minutes.

But what's worse is the fact that the targetinghas been poorly mapped to the PS2 analoguesticks, Fiddliness reaches all-new levels here.Although you can change the cursor speed in theoptions menu, it never quite improves theaccuracy of the targeting Medal Of HonorFrontline had similar problems, but at least EAImplemented a cross-hairs cursor that helped with

more precise aiming In Tumk: Evolution the onlysolution is to switch auto-targeting on and strafemadly between enemies until you hit the mark, Apretty poor system for a game that should haveconcentrated on this vital element from the verybeginning of development.

Other irritations include the choppy frame ratewhich seems to ebb and flow depending on howmany enemies are on screen. Use the flamethrower and things can get even worse. This,combined with the poor targeting system, canmake for a decidedly frustrating gamingexperience. But maybe that's why Acclaim Studiosdecided not to make the Al too advanced. It'scertainly much easier to dispatch a few errantenemies who decide to climb up and downladders for no clear reason,

Tumk: Evolution is initially deceptive. It hassome great ideas and fundamentally solid design,but seems to have been rushed out to meet astrict deadline. The change of pace between thefirst-person shooting and the dinosaur flyingsections (see Time P/lotI are welcome and there'sdefinitely a compulsion to see what's waitingaround the next corner Yet there are Just too manybetter and more polished FPS games on PS2 towarrant giving this a higher score. Ultimately, Tumk:Evolution seems to have bitten off more than itcan chew, □ Mark Walbank The bow comes with many add-ons, such as the explosivi

arrowhead tor that 'one shot one kill' satisfaction.

T U R O K E V O L U T I O N

Why we'd buy it* Var ied env i ronments- Plenty of hefty weapons- You can kill lizards

Why we'd leave it- Choppy frame rate- Village-idiot Al- Clich6d design elements

A well-constructed gamelet down by poor controlsand dumb Al. Threemonths more Indevelopment would havehelped a great deal.

Superb textures, but poor pop-up a s

1 Sound 1 Excellent atmospherics and top-notch growls Q B

Gets better as the game progresses Q G

1 Lifespan Will mildly entertain for over 12 hours B E

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OUT ON l»S2 AM) XBOX - SliiPTEMBliiR 2(K)2t r y i s i n y o u r t i a n d sthe heart of the Third Reich to the mast remote islands In the South Pacific,ant Jack "Butcher" D'Hara and his elite group of veteran soldiers mustne their expertise and venture deep into enemy territory in an attempt toe the course of World War II. Completely Interactive Environment: stealJ uniforms and weapons, climb poles, swing from cables, swim and divelA/ater. drive tanks and ships, climb into buildings and much more.

7 - y T o PlayStation®? OF C0UB G 1

R E NN I N J A A S S A U L T

\ I I N Z 1 R R 5 5 R U LTIf you thought ninjas were all black pyjamas and throwing stars, think again

P u b l i s h e r S C E EDeveloper NamcoP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9

Players: 1-2Out OctoberWe b s i t e :w w w . i i a m c o . c o i i i

60Hz mode: NoW i d e s c r e e n : N oSurround sound; NoPeripherals: Ughtgun

Back storyNamco pret much has amonopoly on the lightgungame market with a steadystream of coln-op shootersto draw from. Time Crisis 2remains the definrtivelightgun affair on PS2 -Vampire Nigiit and NinjaAssault offer lltde more thanalternative scenarios. PointBlonk 3 would be nice.. .

Everyone knows that ninjas are cool.Ttiey wear lots of black clothing spendtheir time slinking enigmaticallythrough dark alleyways, and drink

copious amounts of cider and black. Hang on,that's goths. Ninjas are even cooler; with theirmastery of a variety of slient-but-deadly weapons.

WUat's more, they've been a gaming staplesince the days of Shinobi and The Lost N/njo -although judging by the number of silent assassinvideogames since, that second outing wassomewhat premature in naming Itself. Frankly, wehaven't seen much of ninjas 'packing heat'.Exquisite curved swords? Certainly. Dirty Harry-style guns? Hmmm.

Ninja Assault Is about as far from the Tenchu-styie stealth games we're used to as you can get.You play as a nInJa bodyguard on a quest to freeyour princess from an evil Shogun's clutches, it's afirst-person G-Con 2-enabled House Of The Dead-alike shooter; but with screaming Japanesewamors Instead of shambling zombies. The formatowes a lot to Sega's classic and, to be fair; a longlineage of arcade games before that. Progress isachieved through the nine levels by shooting thebejeezus out of anything that moves, picking upextra ammo and lives along the way and accessingthe odd hidden area too.

The action is fast and furious, with barelyenough time to draw breath between each wave ofenemies. Thankfully, the developers have resistedthe temptation to simply populate the world withidentical ninjas wearing different coloured suits,and instead have created a variety of enemies,from pesky robot spiders to massive andfantastical bosses. Many cant be dispatched by asingle ultra-accurate head shot and you'll have topump them satlsfyingly full of bullets to empty thepower bar that appears handily above their heads.

The scenery's also Impressive, not that you'llhave much time to look at it. TherB's an array ofsuitably Far Eastern landscapes, from mysticaltemples and mountain fortresses to the kind offorest that's just crying out for a spot of treetopbouncing a la Crouching Tiger - although sadly,you're too busy shooting to get the chance.

Naturally like most games in Its genre, NinJaAssault Is pretty straightfonward to complete onyour first attempt. The challenge comes in raisingthe difficulty level, then honing your accuracy andimproving your overall score.

You dont need a lightgun to play as a handysight appears on-screen In the joypad mode. Ofcourse, this does take half the fun out of thegame - pretending to be El MarlachI taking downthe greasy Bandltos in your living room is all partof the experience. So if you've held off buying alightgun so far due to the lack of gamessupporting It, NInja Assault Is one more reason todig out your wallet

The lightgun game genre really does need ashot In the arm - surely the potential is there forsomething more Innovative than another TimeCrisis clone? - but NInJa Assault ticks all the rightboxes and It's good fun while It lasts. And not agoth in sight. □ Stuart Dredge

N I N J A A S S A U L T

«1

A huge robotic spider firing rocks? Don'tstop to wonder, just kill the bugger.

J

Why we'd buy it- Ninjas make a changef r o m z o m b i e s

- Fast and furious gunc a m a g e

Why we'd leave It- It's just another adequatelightgun game

1

Varied enemies and scenery1 Sound Screams, gunshots, what more dc) you want? |i

A tried and tested formulaTypically brief, but bonus games ai d d v a l u e r

N/n/o Assault isnt goingto break the lightgungame mould, but thisslick, solid shooter coversa l l t h e b a s e s .

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R E NLEGION: THE L£GEND OF EXCAUBUR

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often stunning.

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Hack 'n' slash £ Jfollowed by ?batter 'n' bludgeon.

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Fight evil knights andundead foo tso ld ie rs .

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f ^ r ^ r i K - n r i — 1 [ ^ c z r z ^ K r n p e n d r r g d nI X I I X S u r e , e v e r y b o d y k n o w s t h a t A r t h u r P e n d r a g o n' * * ' * — » • I — ^ t < M \ I I _ J b e c a m e K i n g O f E n ^ a n d w h e n h e p u l l e d E x c a l i b u r~ f r o m t h e s t o n e . B u t w h a t h a p p e n e d b e f o r e t h a t ?

I Cue 'Legend Of King Ar thur Abr idged Versfon ' . . .

The greatest legend ever told... But not the greatest game ever made.

Publisher MidwayDeveloper 7 StudiosP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1Out 27 SeptemberW e b s i t e :www.m idway. com6 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 d : N o

Back storyPublished by Midway,Legion has been developedby 7 Studios based inCalifornia. Although thegame is the flt t PS2 titlefor the startup, its sevenfounder members are nostranger to the gamesindustty. Eril< Yeo, forexample, was the LeadDesigner on Command &Conquer Z while L£wisPeterson produced the PC'sD u n e 2 0 0 0 a t We s t w o o dStudios 7 Studios plans tofollow Legion with a 3Dversion of Defender laterthis year

Frcim a distance, let's say about 12feet, Legion: The legend of Excaliburcertainly looks interesting Watchsomebody else play this Midway title

and you'll see a frantic, often good-looking actionadventure game Inspired by Arthurian legend.Think King Arthur, the sword In the stone', theKnights of the Round Table, Merlin and Camelot.They're all there In tiny pixellated form. In fact,with its Isometric 3D perspective and the hack 'n'slash gameplay, Legion seems to have taken theage of steel-plated chivalry and turned It into ahey-nonny-nonny version of Gauntlet

But unlike that Atari coin-op classic, there'smore to Legion than simple batter 'n' bludgeon.The 13 chunky missions blend action, squad-based strategy and RPG elements as the youngKing Arthur battles against the forces of sorceressMorgan Le Fay Taking control of a neatly animatedmini-Arthur, at first much of the combat doesconsist of mindlessly hammering the ® button tochip away at an enemy's hit point total. But bywatching for a sparkle on Arthur's blade andpressing 0 when it appears, you can stringtogether rhythmic combo movements to causemore damage. A heavy attack Inflicts even greaterInjury, but unleashing it depletes Arthur's staminabar This stored energy is also used to cast area-effect spells: medieval 'smart bombs' that areuseful for damaging groups of hulking blackknights or zombie soldiers.

Despite wielding super-sword Excalibur, Arthurisn't a one-man army On the early levels, CPU-contnDlled soldiers help the young King In battleand magical Items can be found to boost hiscombat prowess. Gold coins can also be collectedfrom the vanishing corpses of the hacked and theslashed. These can be spent on other magicaltrinkets when a mission Is completed. Crucially

Arthur Is only one of eight controllable charactersin Legion. As you progtBss, extra fighters includingGuinevere, Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad rally toyour cause. Up to four of the extra characters canjoin you In a mission and you can switch betweenthem at will. You can control each characteryourself, or use the command menu to give themsimple orders while you fight elsewhere lie, attackthe strongest target, concentrate on rangedweaponry, guard a certain area, and so on).

There are some good ideas here. Thecharacters are detailed and some of the between-mission cut-scenes are simply stunning But thesegood points are overwhelmed by the washed-outenvironment graphics, napey voice-overs and anon-rotatable landscape. And while the backdnapsdo change, the gameplay remains repetitive.

There are a few side tasks for you to complete,but each level of the game generally Involvesfighting hordes of enemy knights before a face-offagainst a hard-as-nalls boss. Some flawed Ai, theslow and particularly unsatisfying combat, plus anInability to save the game during a mission, makeLegion: The Legend Of Excalibur more Arthur Daleythan Arthur Pendragon. □ Dean Evans

According to legend (and handily explained In aDVD extra on the Legion disc) Arthur is the son ofUther Pendragon and the lady Egralne, wife of theDuke Of Cornwall. When Uther fails in love withEgralne he lays siege to the Duke's castle In a bidto 'lay' her With the armies evenly matched, Utherpersuades the wizard Merlin to transform him intothe mirror image of his enemy so he can sneak intothe castle for a night of Rfth Century Jiggy. Merlinagrees, on the condition that if a child is born as aresult of the quickie union it is to be turned over tohim. Merlin, living his life backwards, sees Arthur'sfuture because it is actually his own past. So, Uthergets his wicked way, the real Duke dies in battle,and nine months later Arthur Is born and getsfostered by a knight and his family. Skip forwardseveral years... Uther Is killed by his own daughter(Morgan Le Fay) and Merlin magically inserts thesword Excalibur into a stone. You know the rest..

Why we'd buy it- ITS an Interactive

Arthurian legend- Huge levels, 13missions, eightplayable characters

Why we'd leave it:- Repetitive button

bashing combat- Dod^ AI lessens the

multi-character aspect- Fabulous cut-scenes,

average-looking game

Often well presented,Legion is dull to play.Time lavished on thespectacular cut-scerresshould have been spentimproving the gameplay

Good character animation, dull 31D 1

S o u n d Clash of swonds (good), voice-ovei- s ( b a d ) 1Gameplay Offers little b^ond repetitive butt(Dn-bashing 1L i f e s p a n 13 spraw/flng missions

Ft.

P l a y S t a t o v E M E R D I I I T

08 PlayStation.2

R E XL E T H A L S K I E S / E G G O M A N I A

B e h i n d m e t ? C o m e a r t d h a v e s o m e

It takes about 60zt l l ion hi ts toharm boss c ra f ts .

You must take out both air targets and ground The cockpit cam is best for those seeking theinstallations. Pull up to avoid an untimely death. sensation of piloting a barrel-rolling beast.

r r i o c

f t . : 3 1S O

- E T H R L S K I E E it's air combat a right, but it's not especially ace.

l u G I ^ i e i j

Publisher: TUQDeveloper; SammyE n t e r t a i n m e n tP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1-2Out: SeptemberW e b s i t e :vvww.ti iq.com6 0 H z m o d e : N oW i d e s c r e e n : N oSurround sound: No

If imitation is the sincerest form of

flattery, then Ace Combat 4 must begoing crimson. Not only does LethalSkies plunder shamelessly from

Namco's aerial arcade shooter, it also has thecommon decency to be nowhere near as good.

Taking to the skies in some of the world's mostpowerful fighter planes, you must fly a series ofdaring missions, escorting allies to safety andflattening ground installations. Sound familiar? It'salmost like you're stepping Into the cockpit of acraft that has just returned from action. The seat isstill warm, perspiration is dripping down thewindows and a stale odour wafts through the airTo make matters worse, the planes actually handlelike battie-scarrBd wrecks and in stark contrast to

the crisp, ego-massaging handling of AC4, youreally have to battle with the controls just to stayairborne. Which is fire if the game Is attempting tobe a more serious fllght-sim, but It evidently isnt.Such 'authentic' drag should be passed by infavour of pure white-knuckle enjoyment

On first play Lethal Skies looks decent enough.The landscape is detailed, although nowhere nearas finely-textured as AC4's photo-reallstic world,the crafts look convincing and there are some neateffects - like the missile-cam view of the targetabout to expire. But the more you play the moreglaring the game's faults become.

Are you prepared to dramatically lower yourstandards after AC4 for a game that never aspiresto be anything better? Thought not. □ Ryan Butt

iL E T H A L S K I E S

why we'd buy it- Plenty of varied missions- Extra planes to unlock

Why we'd leave it:- Handles l ike a bi tch

1 - Hugely unoriginalA g a m e t h a t d o e s n t neven try to better Its ' 'peers deserves tobe largely ignored. "J

PlayStation^ XIERDICT

nGGD n r iRN IRKemco's Tetris c one lands sunny side down.

P u b l i s h e r : K e m c oDeveloper: HotGenP r i c e : £ 2 9 . 9 9Players: 1-2Out 20 SeptemberW e b s i t e : w w w .k e n i c o . 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 d : N o

Not Easter morning at a kiddieconvention or over production at abattery farm, Eggo Mania is a puzzlegame from UK developer HotGen. The

game derives its title from the egg-shapedM&M-a-like player characters, and we assume theMania refers to frantic gameplay We're assumingbecause after three hours of play we can't find any

The basic premise can be likened to Tetris.Different shaped blocks fall from the sky and youmust direct them into position to create lines. Thedifference is that you control an Eggo who catchesthese blocks and places them on the grid. Whenyou complete a line, you're awarded bonus blocksand the Idea is to bulid a wall as high as possibleto reach floating balloons at the top of the screen.

Extra modes have been included In an attemptto prolong the experience, but they add little to thegame. Custom lets you create your own levels;Bomb is a tedious game of throwing explosives atyour opponent's tower; while Solo and Survival arevirtually Identical to the main mode. Ttie Two-piayer mode Is entertaining If only because itbrings out innate competitive human instincts

Nice character FMV Implies that there wasonce a story here that's been abandoned. PerhapsHotGen realised that the loading times for such asmall game were already too long - a pocketcalculator could probably boot this up quickerEggo Mania tries to emulate the quirklness ofJapanese puzzlers, but does It with typical Britishconservatism. A bit of a bad egg. □ Lou Wells

It's possible to ramp up the difficulty level, but itgoes from ridiculously easy to stupidly hard.

E G G O M A N I A

Why we'd buy it- An insatiable addiction

to puzzle games

Why we'd leave it:- Smells a bit whiffy-Tetris is Top of the Blocks.

Graphics 0 5 T l i i s w a c k y p u z z l e r ^Is too derivative to ' f^| 'deserve yourattention for long. [_ J

S o u n d Z B

GameplayLife span 0 5

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TAKE YOUR PS2GAMES FURTHERW T T H T H I S

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R E NS H I F T E R S / L O N D O N R A C E R I I

P u b l i s h e r 3 D ODeveloper 3DOP r i c e : £ 9 . 9 9O u t N o wW e b s i t e :w w w . 3 d o . 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 d : N o

If you're a regular RPG gamer there willInevitably be times you'll stop midwaythrough a dank dungeon kiliinganything that moves with a iarge axe,

and ask yourself, "What's It all about?"Well, as far as Shifters Is concerned, the RPG

genre Is about to get even more confusing it's notthat there's any lack of excitement or Innovationhere, it's Just that the game is so fuli of errors andbugs, it'il soon have you tearing your hair out.

Released as a foilow-up to 3D0's early PS2flop Warriors Of Might And Magic, Shifters has asimliar fantasy feel to it, with a reasonably intuitivecontroi system governing the armed combat andspeil casting The new angie here Is that thecentral character; Aileron, can change form and

'shift' Into one of 24 creatures over three differentworlds, but even this central idea of the game ispoorly executed. Sure, your new forms look good,have new abilities and can cast new spells but, forthe most part, their individual skills aren't essentialto completing your goals. Once you flnish yourquest you can go back and play as any of thebeasts - adding dubious replay value to a gameyou'tB unlikely to want to replay

There are also some serious problems withbasics like camera angles and the absurd non-player characters who seem to merely follow youaround for five minutes, then disappear Add to thisthe cretinous opponent Al In the fight sequencesand a patchy soundtrack, and you have gamethat's hard to tBcommend. □ Rowan IVIclntyre

S H I F T E R S

Why we'd buy it- It's cheap and cheerful.- Intu i t ive contro ls

Why we'd ieave it- It has more bugs that a

M I 5 c o n f e r e n c e

Graphics a s An interestingR P G i d e a t h a t i s ' 'sadly ruined by the Ir 1^^fi n a l e x e c u t i o n .

S o u n d

GameplayLife span Q 3

PlayStatLpn^g XIERDICT

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Recognise this?Is it London, orEdinburgh or...

. , T . .

Crashing is all tooeasy. Didnt youknow cars could fly?

L D N D D N R R C E RBudget street racing that's still overpriced.

P u b l i s h e r D a v i l e xDeveloper DavilexP r i c e : £ 1 9 . 9 9

Players: 1-2O u t : N o wWe b s i t e :w w w . d a v i l e x . c o i i i6 0 H z m o d e : N oW i d e s c r e e n : N oSurround sound: No

You may be curious to know thatLondon Racer II Is the sequel to a PCracer subtitled M25 Racer And If that'snot enough of a clue to the quality of

this game then feel free to read on. Otherwise, let'smeet up at the Media section. There's a crackingreview of The Italian Job on page 120.

First things first, London Racer II isn't even aparticularly accurate title since the game's peculiarbrand of 'Illegal street racing' takes place inEdinburgh, l_as Vegas, Chicago and New York, aswell as our nation's capital - World Racer II mayhave been more appropriate. Now we're not In thehabit of knocking generosity, but one single superbtrack around London would have been preferableto the bland world tour on offer here.

London Racer IFs streets are spookily empty.We left the opposition behind us yonks ago.

1

In one sense, the game does deliver There's alevel of competence that means even those with amisfiring competitive spirit will be able to glean asilver of satisfaction from beating the field to thefinish line. That said, the Atari 2600 did the samething with four white lines and a black screen In1978. So respect Is due, but not much.

Handling Is rather twitchy the graphics are notreally worthy of the PS2, there is some very shonkyslowdown and, however you slice it, this game isJust not good enough. Even London Racer Ifsbudget price becomes meaningless when you canjust as easily pick up a quality Platinum PS2 titlefor exactly the same price. Hell, you could buy astonking PSone title like Driver for even less.Hmmm. Still Interested? □ Paul l=1tzpatrick

I ' w I I I'posbuii 1®

L O N D O N R A C E R I I

Why we'd buy it- Because we're avid fans

of basic competence

Why we'd ieave it' - How long have you got?

1

Graphics 0 3 £20 will buy you aq u a l i t y P l a t i n u m ' 'racer, so why blow 1 1your wad on this?

S o u n d 0 5

Gameplay 0 3

L i f e s p a n 0 3

PlayStatJon^E XIERDICT

PlayStation.^ 11

R E \ JD I S N E V S S r TCH: EXPERIMENT 626/L£GO FOOTBALL MANIA

Stitch's laser beam grappling hook makes forsome great Tarzan-a-IIke jungle swinging.

□BN EyS 5 T ITC H : EXPER I IT IEN T BEBAnarchic gameplay is good. Anarcliic programming less so.

P u b l i s h e r S C E EDeveloperDisney InteractiveP r i c e : £ 3 9 . 9 9Players: 1O u t 11 O c t o b e rW ^ s i t e :

wvvw.d isn^ .co .uk /d i s n ^ n t e r a c t i v e6 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 d : N o

On the face of it, Disney's Stitch:Experiment 626 has great potentialto spike The Magic Kingdom's usualcocktail of syrupy sentiment with a

sly dose of anarchic mayhem. Stitch Is an Hi-tempered, six-amned aiien experiment created withthe soie Intention of causing havoc, in Uto & Stitch(the big-screen offering out iater this year] the pint-sized pain in the ass is soothed by a cute Hawaiianmoppet, but Experiment 626 gives Stitch free reign.

Officialiy, the game is a pnequei to the film but,in gameplay terms, this boils down to very simplemotivation. Run, siavering and snariing through sixthemed worlds, vapourising everything in sight withiaser guns to collect DNA samples for your madscientist creator. Ttirow In an ongoing quest to

iocate hidden Aim reeis that can be spent touniock ciips from the feature-iength cartoon andthat's as complicated as Experiment 626 gets.

This said, a smattering of power-ups, gadgetsiike a nifty grapple gun that lets you swing Spider-Man-style over hazards and Stitch's ability to gripto most ceiiings and waiis do help to make theexperience quite fun. Or it would be, if it weren't fora game camera that seems heli-bent on getting inthe way of any enjoyment of the wantondestruction at handlsl. Change Stitch's directionquickiy and it seems to jam, only swinging backbehind you when you stop still. A real pity, becausethere are some nice touches here that shouidhave been allowed to shine uninterrupted. MaybeStitch sabotaged the code... □ Paul Fitzpatrick

V, r r. :D I S N E V S S T T T C H :E X P E R I M E N T 6 2 6

Why we'd buy it- Good ideas and Stitchhas a filthy laugh.

Why we'd leave H:- The camera has severe

o r i en ta t i on i ssues .

Graphics G l e e fi i i m a y h e m ~ |u n d e r m i n e d b y a n ' 'irritating camera 1^1and lazy graphics. " j

S o u n d

Gameplay a s

Ufespan 0 5

PlayStaypn^g NIERDIC

The Lego VillagePeople celebrate.

Look at his l i tt le, plastic legs go. '

goal celebration we're not likely to see forthis season. Well, maybe the hats..

L E B D F D D T B n L L m R N RLegoooooooal! iviaking tlie beautiful game into child's play.

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Publisher LegoDeve loperS i l i c o n D r e a m sP r i c e : £ 2 9 . 9 9Players: 1-4O u t : N o wW e b s i t e :www. lego.com6 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 d : N oPeripherals: MuHiTap

Yes, the words 'L£go', footbaii' and'mania' are ali present in the same title.Trust us, you're not dreaming The twingiants of buliding blocks and footbaii

have been married on one knobbly plastic pitch.if you're a hardcore footbaii gamer then frankly,

you're going to be disappointed by this. That said,these six-piayer teams of toy boys give it their ailin a plethora of fantasy L£go environments. Theemphasis is firmly on fun here as you smack yourpitch up In 23 toyland settings, from a Pirate Shipto Mars and back again.

Along the way there's some fancy mouldedfootwork on show and a handful of power-upsavailable. These dont really add much to thegameplay which, after the removal of throw-ins

and comers. Is admittedly pretty basic. Mind you,the ability to turn the ball into a rocket, invertyour opponent's controls and collect speed andstrength boosts certainly keeps things lively Teamsare fully customlsabie and they've got a surprisingamount of l i fe to them.

There are four main game modes to access:Quick Start (straight into a single match). Friendly(customised one-off game), Story (play games towin plot challenges) and Skill Zones (mini-gamesbased on perfecting player skills). The magic liesin the muitlpiayer where you can play two versustwo. For those of us over the age of 12, however,the rest of the game really only offers a few hoursof good clean fun before relegation to the back ofthe games shelf □ IVIark Wyatt

L E G O F O O T B A L L M A N I A

Why we'd buy it- Imagnatlon andfootball... together

Why we'd leave it- Too simple for anyonewho's post-pubescent

L Z u i Z e L H A s o c c e r s i m f o rk W s . F u n , b u t n o t ' 'in the same leaguea s P r o E v a

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L m E S T C A M E B U S r m C m f O E S H O W A V A I L A B L E P OGran Turismo Concepr, Metal Gear Solid 2~,

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OR CALL 0845 6010015 TO ORDER DIRECTLines open Monday to Friday 8am-7pm (except bank holidays), Saturdays 9am - 3pm. (Caiis charged at low caii rate)B2002 0atel Ltd. Action Replay2V2 is a trademark of Datel Ltd. PlayStation 2 is a registered trademark of SCEE. This product is not sponsored, endorsed or approved by Sony. WWW.COdOjUnkiSSiCOm"Lines open 24 liours a day, 7 days a week. Calls cost 60p per minute. ""Includes cheat codes available from www.codejunkies.com. Actual appearance may vary.The screen shots from PS2i games are used to illustrate Al!2 -\f2's compatibility with these fantastic titles. They are the copyright of their respective owners. AR2"VZ is NOT endorsed, sponsored or approved by any of Ifiese copyright owners.

R E \ JA N T Z E X T R E M E R A a N G / A K I R A P S Y C H O B A L L

10:0807t .V

Six-leggedmultiplayera c t i o n .

Bee good! Insectbonuses abound .

It's karting action, but not as we know it. Theforest becomes your own miniature F1 circuit.

^ N T Z E X T R E I T I E R R I Z I N GTiny ants racing tiny kaits? Time to get the magnifying glass.

P u b l i s h e rEmpire InteractiveDeve loperSupersonicP r i c e : £ 3 4 . 9 9Players: 1-4O u t N o wW e b s i t e :www.emp i rei n t e r a c t i v e . c o . u k6 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 d : N oPeripherals: MulbTap

So much for product synergy. Four longyears after Antz wowed moviegoerswith its cutting-edge animation andwisecracking dialogue, along comes

this tie-in racing game. Cant seem to recali theracing scene In the movie, though. Still, full marksfor trying and better late then never

Antz Extreme Racing Is basically your averagekart racet; with bizarre added options ofsnowboarding and running. The game features allthe main characters from the movie - Z, PrincessBala, Cutter - although sadly, not the famous voiceactors behind them. There's a Challenge mode forsolo play where you race against opponents or theclocK unlocking nevv courses as you go. Thenthere's the Four-player Split-screen mode. There's a

variety of insect-related power-ups to collect asyou race and blasting opponents off the track withflies Is particularly satisfying

AER tries hard to be a jack of all sport:s, but is,ultimately, a master of none. The kart:lng sectionsare competent, but are nothing special comparedto the herd of similar games around The boardingsections are jert<y and unresponsive, leaving yourfinely-honed SSX skills redundant as you tumbledown the slopes, out of control. The runningsections do less than the London Marathon todispel the notion that racing on foot Is rather dull.

Like all half-decent karting games, AER Is greatfun for a few people sat around a MultiTap, but it'sonly going to be on the wish list of easily-pleasedmen:handlse hunters. □ Stuart Dredge

A N T Z E X T R E M E R A C I N G

Why we'd buy it- Competent

multiplayer racing

Why we'd leave it- An unimaginative useof the l icence

Graphics a s Mildly diverting but, —|u n l e s s y o u ' r e a n ' 'Antz fanatic, save 1^1^y o u r c a s h . \ _ ^ J

S o u n d a s

Gameplay a s

Life span a <

PlayStaHonjg \JERDIC

Neon and manga usually make pretty goodbedfel lows. I t 's more of a colourful mess here.

Publisher InfogramesDeveloper AIAPr ice : TBCPlayers: 1-2O u t N o wW e b s i t e :www. inf6grames.com6 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 d : N o

Akira was a groundbreaking movieback In 1988, setting new cinematicstandards for the manga genre. Forthose who have waited for the story to

spawn a videogame, there's been one all-important question: what type of game will it be?RPG? FPS? Apparently not. This futuristic cart:oontale of powerful psychic kids is perfect for... pinball.

Akira Psychoball Is colourful and packed withIncreasingly difficult levels which are all faithful tothe movie but, unfortunately, this isn't much morethan a branded pinball sIm.

You start on an elementary, AWra-themed tableand by completing various challenges, such asshooting balls down assigned holes, you unlocknew modes and eventually new tables. As an extra

reward you'll open Akira clips and soundbites asprogress Is made through the game

From your first challenge, where you face offagainst a pinball version of the Clown Gang leaderin what can only be called a 'ball duel', there's adistinct lack of satisfaction. Even when the 3Dpinball action moves from the streets of Neo Tokyoto The Laboratory and eventually to The OlympicStadium and a showdown with Tetsuo, you're stillleft wanting a lot more.

For Akira newbles, the film clips ate a niceintroduction to a great manga, but fans of the filmwill notice that these snippets are taken straightfrom the movie, so there's nothing new to seeAgain, a great film franchise does not a great gamemake. Akira Is no pinball wizard. □ Mark Wyatt

Great Akira clips thinly disguise basic gameplay.

I 1

LA K I R A P S Y C H O B A L L

Why we'd buy it- Must have all Akira-

r e l a t e d m e r c h a n d i s e

Why we'd leave It- Pinball should stay v/hereit belongs: in the pub

C r ^ M c s a s It's a load of balls,so please dont let ' n| 'this be the last ^1Akiro-licensed game.

S o u n d

Gameplay a s

Life span 0 3

PlayStatLon.g \IERDI(Z"

16 PlayStation.E

R E M

nPS o n e T MThe best PSone reviews in tlie business, courtesy of Official PlayStation Magazine.

(Above) Time it right and you can leap over thecentre l ine to attack.(Left) Your linesmen are ideal for taking the enemyfrom behind. They won't know what hit 'em.

R L L - S T R R 5 N " D - B R LIt's getting tough on the street: cause maxinnum pain on the ball court.

P u b l i s h e r M i d a sDeveloper A1P r i c e : £ 7 . 9 9Players: 1-2O u t T E A

PS o n e .A U ^ S I A R S I A M M I N 'D - B A L L

GraphicsSimple, 2D, but crispa n d w o r k a b l e b gS o u n dFace meets basketballat high speed. Smack 05GameplayCracking fun, but onlyin smal l doses 07

L i f e s p a nTough and grippingbut not for long 05

Hardly a technologicalfeat, but the fun factoris simply undeniable.

B EM E R D C T

Welcome to the world of dodgeball, acuriously vicious sport that is thespawn of basketball and streetfighting. Largely played by punks and

homles, the 'hood name for this 'sport' is D-Ball.The premise of this pastime is really quite

simple: two teams of angry pumped-up playersface each other across an open court and chuckbasketballs straight at each other's heads, ashard as possible. Brilliant! Despite its straight-to-bargain-bin price, D-Ball is actually quite goodfun. Each team consists of seven men, four onthe court and three who act as l inesmen outs idethe opposing team's area. Your linesmen can'tmove far and can't be targets for attack, but youcan pass the ball to them and try to throw It atyour opponent from behind.

The winning team Is the one that knocksdown all the opposition's on-court players.Nice and easy Except players can duck andjump or intercept the ball as it comes towardsthem. The controls are very simple - D-pad formovement/direction, ® to Jump, @ to duck,@ to catch and throw.

We can't ignore the fact that that All-StarSlammin' D-Ball is pretty basic for a single-playergame. However, get two controllers plugged in

//The interplay oftactical attacks is a joy,but the game is asshallow as a puddle//and go head-to-head with a mate, and the gamereally begins to shine. The action Is well-pacedbut manageable, and the way you can react toyour opponent's play by using his style againsthim is really very satisfying

For example, you can lob the ball around thecourt from player to player in an attempt toconfuse your opposing team, then launch apowerful shot at one of their players. However, Ifyour opponent taps @ in time, they'll catch theball and gain possession. If you're not ready, he'llluzz that ball straight at you.

The interplay of tactical attacks is a Joy, but,unfortunately, the game Is as shallow as a muddypuddle. For a measly eight quid, though, it's worthgetting your shoes wet.

Play All-Star Slammin' D-Ball In short bursts,get bored, then come back to it later: And like wesaid, the Two-player mode will have you literallyducking behind your sofa. Dodge that! □

Pull off the right button combo to performpower shots and knock others off their feet.

Tlie D-Ball jocks show no mercy, even if there arewomen on the court . This Is hardcore.

\

R O U N D U P

P R E V I E WB L R C K a L i l H I T EHaving played an early version of B&VJ,we can tell you It's shaping up to be oneof the best ever PSone games. The Ideais that you're one of many gods who rulevar ious areas. There are three leve ls which

you need to conquer, villagers toinfluence, gods to battle and quests tocomplete. The decisions you make affectthe way the game plays, so theexperience alters each time you replay it!

Then there's your 'Creature' toconsider, plus quests and combat... Thegame is huge and Its Journey to PSonehas been a long one, but we can assureyou that Midas and new developer Bladeare working hard to get it to you In timef o r C h r i s t m a s . □

P R E V I E WF I R E B U B 5A high-speed race between top driverswho each represent a different planetEach drives their own style of Fire Bug asnazzy multi-wheeled buggy capable ofskewing up walls and skittering acrosstunnel ceilings. It looks fab and playsgreat, but it's Just far too easy.

As it stands, you can power throughthe levels, winning races with little or nocompetition. You don't even need to driveup the walls - you're more likely to havea mishap when racing upside-down.

F/re Bugs has the potential to be acorker, but, right now, it's way too easy □

A L S O O N P S O N ET H I S M O N T H . .Read the world exclusiveBlack & White feature, plusthe first look at DancingStage Party Editor as wellas a l l the la test PSone

demos, news and reviews,only in OFFICIAL UKP L AY S TAT I O N M A G A Z I N E .

18 Play5tation.E

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□ \ J D / I N T E R N F T / P R I M T / m i R I PDone playing? Here's what you might iil e to watch, read and iisten to.Text Ceri Tlionias/Paul Fitzpatricfc/Sam Rjchards/Tim Clat1(/Mat1( Wyatt/Ste Curran

T H E n A U A N J O BParamount /£19,99/Out now

Film: Greatest Brit movie of all time? TheItalian Job is certainly a pretty seriouscontender for ttie title, having survivedInternational apathy on its release (theAmericans hated it then, nov» they're remainingit - go figure! before Bank Holiday TV

appearances and a charmed cult life onvideo expanded the self-preservation

sociefy to nation-spanning size.For anyone who's been hiding

under a flattened Mini Cooperfor the last three decades,

here's the plot MichaelCalne Is Charlie

Croket; a cockneycr im ina l ou t to

isteal four million pounds in gold Jjbullion frt)m a Fiat convoy In the Mmiddle of Turin during a traffic Jam.Enlisting the support of imprisonedunderworld boss Mr Bridger iNoelCowarel, making his final screenappearance! he takes a rag-tagband of chancers over to Italy battlespast the Mafia, outruns the localcoppers In a trio of Union Jack-colouredminis and then ends up embroiled In thegreatest cliffhanger ending of all time. CTFeatures: Making Of The Italian Job. AuthorMatthew Field prods juicy anecdotes out ofProducer Michael Deeley on the commentaryand explains why the one deleted scene (theminis and cop cars waltzing to The BlueDanube) got sliced. A chunky three-partdocumentary neatly covers all the bestbehind-the-scenes stories, but you cant helpwishing that they'd somehow persuadedMichael Calne to take part

Verdict The crime caper to beat all crimecapers. The Italian Job gets a worthy if

not spectacular DVD outing Still a .must-own, though. 9/10

MINI DRIVERThere's only one deleted scene fromThe Italian Job on the Special Edit onDVD, but It's a corker.

Director Peter Coilinson and stunt carsupremo Remy Julienne dreamed up a

; sequence for the middle of the chase when_ the Minis face-off against a trio of police ca■ In the middle of a huge hail.

With an orchestra rehearsing thi Blue; Danube Waltz at one end, the cars whirl, sp

and circle in time to the music befoie theMinis make their escape through a snaildoor; The police cars, of course, get ammectrying to follow them.

I Filmed in the same giant space theySused for the Turin Motor Show, the sequenc|Was shot and edited together to the acclainl of everyone who saw it. Except one.'^Paramount head Robert Evans derioi need it'as "directorial masturbation" and the scenehit the cutting room floor. You can en|oy itnow, though.

20 PlaYStation.E

Mike and Sully find amirror and suddenlyrealise why the kidshave been screaming.

PULP HCTION: SPECIAL EDITION MONSTERS, INCBuena Vista/£22.99/16 September

Film: With four Interweaving stories, aninterconnected cast of characters and anarrative that skips backwards and fonwardsin time, it's a tribute to Quentin Tarantlno'ssklil that audiences weren't confused by his1994 belter Pulp Fiction was one of themost enjoyable, shocking and balls-to-the-wail exciting films of the Nineties.

From Tim Roth and Amanda Plummetlas hoid-up artists Pumpkin and HoneyBunny) to Bruce Wiliis and VIng Rhamesliow-life boxer Butch and hulking mob bossMarselius Wallace! there isnt a bum note Ina single performance. Uma Thurman Is skln-

searlngiy sexy as gangster's moli Ivlia, too,but at the end of the day the film belongsto two men; John Travolta and Samuel LJackson. As black-sui ted hi tmen Vincent

Vega and Jules Wlnnfleid, they redefined theconcept of cinema cooi, spawning manyimitators, but few equals. CTFeatures: Deleted scenes, foreign trailersand assorted time-fiiiers, an originaldocumentary, a behind-the-scenes montageand a quirky encounter between Tarantinoand MIchaei Moore at the Spirit film awattls.Verdict: As fresh as the day QT caiied "cut!"Pulp Fiction just gets better with age. 10/10

Buena Vista/£24.99/Out now

Fiim: With A Bug's Ufe and Toy Story 1and 2, PIxar proved that sly wit and a realawareness of how to structure a rippingyarn could be mamed weii to hl-technology.

Monsters, Inc shows there's no sign of adivorce coming any day soon. Mike andSuiiy are ordinary Joes working at a powerplant Except that Mike Is a smali greencritter with one huge eye and Suiiy Is apurple spotted beast with a spikey tail. Thepower piant is Monsters, Inc, the primarysource of energy for a world of monsters.The energy Is generated by stealing powerfrom kiddiewinks' screams, it's a happy iife,

until Suiiy befriends one of the ilttie humankids... With a voice cast headed by JohnGoodman (Suiiy) and Billy Crystal (Ivlikel,Monsters, Inc Is as smart and funny asyou'd expect. It's not quite up to Toy Story 2standards, but what Is? CTFeatures: Too may to ilst, but includethe usuai detailed breakdown of thetechnicalities and assorted short Aims.The highlights are entertaining audiocommentaries, an interview with Mike andSully plus a look at aii the film's in-]okes.Verdict: Sooner or later; Pixar will have toturn out a dud. This ain't it though. 8/10

JACKIE BROWNBuena Vista/£19.99/16 September

Film: Adapted from Elmore ijeonard's noveiRum Punch, Tarantino's third movie teils thetaie of aging airline hostess Jackie Brown[Pam Grierl and the assorted lowllfes sheruns into when federal agent Ray Nicoiette(Michael Keaton) coerces her to entrap drugdealer Ordeii Robbie (Samuel L Jackson).

This time It's Robert Forster (PhilipMariowe-esque ball bonds man Max Cherry)who gets the Tarantino career ieg-uptreatment. Trouble Is, the whole thing addsup to less than the sum of its parts.Overlong and muddled In places, it neverquite gels despite some glossy moments.

The performances are good, but Tarantinonever seems comfortable with the steadierpace. Without the piot whooshing along hisdirection seems somewhat bored. CTFeatures: A siew of deleted scenes

explained by Tarantino, an interview with theesteemed Director and a leaking Ofdocumentary, but the best extra has to bethe Chicks With Guns video In full...Verdict: Jackie Brown Is far from bad, butIt does iack the audacious drive of QTsfirst Aims. From anyone else It wouid beperfectly acceptable. But from Tarantino,It's a disappointment. 6/10

BEHIND ENEMY UNESFox Home Video/£17.99/Out now

Film: With WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the GuifWar milked dry for action blockbusterset-ups, it's now the turn of the Bosniaconflict. Maverick flyboy Chris Burnett (OwenWlison) Is bored with flying recon missionsas part of the US peacekeeping force andlongs for action. Which he pnamptiy getswhen the Bosnians shoot down his plane...

Trapped 'behind enemy lines', Burnetthas to evade capture while his gruffcommanding officer Relgert (GeneHackman) tries to persuade the powers thatbe to let him send In a rescue force. BehindEnemy Lines suffers a bit trying to a) fit the

grim realities of Eastern European genocideinto a neat glossy package, and b) transforrfantastic light comic actor Owen WilsoniShanghai Noon, Zoolanderj Into a credibleaction hero. But it's still an enjoyable watch

The effects are exciting, John Moore'sdirection is pacy and Hackman gives thewhole thing an injection of A-list clout CTFeatures: A handfui of deleted scenes pluscommentaries from Director John Mooreand Editor Martin Smith, but we need moreInput from Hackman and Wilson.Verdict Wilson never really convinces as amacho hero, but the film still delivers. 6/U

jieSy Ma&Uref Crtor's'Miti'on (Columbia Tristar/£22.99)/Shreli: Special Edition (Dreamworks/£22.99)/Gosford Park (Entertainment In Video/£19.99)/The Others (Buena Vlsta/£19.99)/Th)n: Special Edition (Walt Dlsney/£19.99)/The Sixth Sense: Collector's Edition (Hollywood Pictures/£19.99)

PlayStation.? 12

» D \ D R E N I E L U 5wishing PointQwalski regrets:arting a race to16 next lights...

BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF aUniversal/£19.99/23 September

nop 10 CAR CHASE MOVIES

Rliti: Director Christophe Cans tubselements from martial arts films, perioddramas, horrors, romances and conspiraciesto blend them into an exciting adventure.

A beast is chomping lumps out of thepeople of rural 18th-century France, so theking sends young scientist Gr6golne deFronsac (Samuel Bihan) to end the reign ofterror With his Iroquoi Indian blood brotherMani (Marc Dacascos) in tow, de Fronsacplunges into a world of terrified peasants,sinister nobles and dangerous intrigues...

The film just stays Just on the right sideof ludlcrousness. Gans knows how to keepan audience Interested, balancing balleticviolence against creepy horror and sexualtension in a series of full-blooded set-piecesthat set the heart a-thumping CTFeatures: Just a scanty 20-mlnute look atthe real-life legend of the Beast Of Gevudan.Verdict Spellblndlngly silly and nen/e-twangingly exciting, Brotherhood Of The Wolftakes on Hollywood blockbusters and HongKong manga films. And nearly wins. 7/10

he F rencho n n e c t i o nIth Century Fox/£19.99Im; Hurtling in pursuit of an;vated train. New Yorkitective Popeye Doyle IGeneickmanj slams, spins andoms through one of theittlest and most exciting carases ever. Director Williamedkln reckons that the chaseDk five weeks to shoot,atures; Commentary bylllam Frledkin, Geneickman and Roy Scheider on; n c h C o n n e c t i o n 1 & 2 .lilers. BBC documentary,iking Of documentary,l ie ted scenes . S t i l l s ,

jiyboard gallery. Behind-the-enes gallery.

9 n t nSM/£14.99m: Post-Cold War spookeryformer spies Robert De Niro,a n R e n o a n d S t e l l a n

ai^gSrd turn mercenary. Johninkenheimer's film Is faultlesst its bumper level high-speedase against the flow ofrtorway traffic is white-u c k i e f a u l t l e s s ,atures: Commentary. Makingdocumentary.

j l l i t tr n e r H o m e V i d e o / £ 1 2 . 9 9m: Up and down the streetsS a n F r a n c i s c o w i t h S t e v e

Queen in that Mustang. Notin a shoddy Puma ad (andi fact that one car loses sixbcaps en route) can take thene off a beauty of a chase,a t u r e s : F e a t u r e t t e a b o u t

Queen's commitment toility. Trailer.

Way Of The GunMomentum Pictures/E18.99Film; Usual Suspects writerChris McQuarrie makes hisdirectorial debut with a brutallycool tale of kidnapping andviolence. Boasts the sloviest buttensest car chase ever asBenicio Del Toro and RyanPhiillppe play cat-and-mousewith Taye Diggs proving thatspeed isnt evei^rthingFeatures: Director andcomposer's commentary.Music score with composer'scommentary. Trailer. Castinterviews. Cast and crewbiographies.

Vanishing Point20th Century Fox/£15.99Film: Part art-houseexperiment, part road movie,Richard Sarafian's hypnotic taleof a man driving all the wayfrom Denver to San Franciscoon a bet is basically one longchase. It is, however, a chasewith a truly explosive climax.F e a t u r e s ; T r a i l e r

The Great EscapeM G I V 1 / £ 1 6 . 9 9Film; This classic film featuresSteve McQueen's secondgreatest motorlsed momentthat infamous bike chaseacross Germany. So who reallycares if he didn't actually do thefinal big jump himself?it's him on the bike in all theother sho ts . . .Features: The Real Virgil Hlits'documentary. HemesUnderground documentary.The Untold Story documentary.Inten/iews. Photo gallery.Tr i v i a t r a i l e r s .

T h e B l u e s B r o t h e r sColumbia TriStar/E12.99Film: The 'mission from God'set a record for the mostvehicles crashed. Only TheBlues Brothers 2000 has sentmore cars to the scrap yanJ.Features; Making Of The BluesBrothers. Photo gallery. Trailers,nimographies. Web link MakingOf Blues Brothers 2000.

For Your Eyes OnlyM G M / £ 1 2 . 9 9Film: Bond's strangest carchase Icourtesy of RemyJulienne, who handled all theMini stunts for The Italian Jobl.After blowing up his Lotus,Roger Moore's 007 doesnt batan eyelid at making his escapedown a mountain in a 2CV..Features: Two commentaries.Making Of Music video. Stillsgallery. Radio spots. Animatedstory board sequences. Trailers.

G o n e I n 6 0 S e c o n d sBuena Vista/£9.99Film; Dominic Sena's car-theftcaper putters along in secondgear for ages before finallyshifting up for a belting final carchase across LA.F e a t u r e s : C o n v e r s a t i o n w i t h

Jerry Bruckheimer Music video.Biography. Filmography, Trailer.

Smokey AndT h e B a n d i t4 F r o n t V i d e o / E 1 2 . 9 9Film: Setting the standard forhillbilly hijinks, SATB defined carchase movies for a generation.Burt Reynolds' charm may havefaded, but the automobileaction is as enjoyable as ever...F e a t u r e s : T r a i l e r .

JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACKBuena Vista/£ 17.99/23 SeptemberRim: Get ready for more self-indulgentshenanigans as Kevin Smith iCIerks,Chasing Amy! takes his dopehead slackersJay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smithhimself] on a rambling road trip. The boysfind out that their comic-book alter egosBiuntman and Chronic ans being turned intoa major Hollywood extravaganza.

On hearing the news they set off fromtheir New Jersey stomping ground to stopthe movie at all costs Cue some vaguelycomic misadventures, more lewd gags thanyou can count and a ton of in-Jokes aimedsquarely between the eyes of Smith'sded ica ted fans

If you liked Smith's Dogma, then you willhappily play along with this home movie.

if, on the other hand, you long for the brittlewit of Clerks and Chasir>g Amy, then this Isgoing to have you grinding your teeth downto the roots with Its one-note, 'outsidersneed not apply attitude. You'll be best offskipping ahead to the bits where ShannonElizabeth crops up clad only in a skintightcatsuit - she's the only reason to botherwith this movie. CT

Features: A full range of extras to pleasethe fanboys There's a jovial commentary bySmith and Mewes, deleted scenes, a gagreel and assort:ed music vidsVerdict: If Kevin Smith presides overanother car wreck of a movie like this,Hollywood ought to take his directinglicence away. 3/10

22 PlayStatlon-S

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your way through urban fantasy tracks toy Games big time in 5 game modes throughve worlds so detailed and realistic you canasDhal t .

Master Fuzzy Hall's real backyard course and checkout pro rider behind-the-scenes DVD content withharsh wipeouts, awesome moves and in-depthi n t e r v i e w s .

7 1 r i a e r s t o c iDennis McCoalong with a b

>INTERNIEUU » I N T E R NI

azin' Squad, pictured moments3fore blowin' up, bigtime.ive the pastel casualwear, chaps.

ci ( 3 ^ i n i D a u a i

5n-strong teenage garage crew fire up the charts.nee you're in a band, the opportunity to givelurseif a new, cooier name must be irresistible,jt pseudonyms are a risl<y business. The iine:tween the subiime and the ridlcuious is thinneran a semi-thawed pond with Anna Nicoie-Smith.ating across the surface. Thanl<fuiiy, Blazin' Squadlem to have enough urban attitude to carry it off.lyway there are ten of them, so we won't argue.

The Squad recently cracked the charts withvssmads, a cover of Bone Thugs N' Harmony's3 hit They aiso piayed iive at Sony's PlayStationiperience. The band formed while they were atghams Park Schooi in North lx)ndon, aged just1. Having finished their GCSEs, they're now gearing) for a tilt at superstandom. We spoke to Krazyid Rocky to gauge what the kids are currentlyto. Inevitably the answer comes back as PS2. "Alle time we've got off we piay it,' confirms Krazy.te've all got one. The graphics are wicked - nearlOugh reai." Current faves include Medal of Honor:jntline, MGS2 and Pro Evolution Soccer

Predictably taik turns to Grand Theft Auto III.m completed it and it's much better than theher two," reckons Krazy. But what about the 18rtificate? Aren't you worried an E15PA assaultam could kick the door down at any second?

/"Cmssroads was a bigong in America and weliought we'd give it airitisli vibe" - Krazy//

"Nah, Mum and Dad bought it anywayi" he laughs.Rocky B also roped his parents into buying GTAIIIand describes it as the best thing he's ever piayed,pointing out "It's a computer game, It's made forpeople our age, innit?"

So how did the gang come to find themselvesin the envious position of having a record deal?"Our friend Andrew was doing wori< experience at astudio,' explains Rocky B, "and the producer saidwe should come down to make a garage songThey put it out on Weighty Piates - our ownunderground recond labei - and it got picked up."But given that the band co-writes all its ownmaterial, Isnt it disappointing to be doing a coveras the first single? "No because It's a good cover Itwas a big song In America and we thought we'dgive it a British vibe," says Krazy. "I grew up listeningto that stuff," adds Rocky B, before mentioningBusta Rhymes and UK garage as big influences.

Which might seem strange, given that theband's first singe was so radio friendly, but theBlazin' boys are also fans of the cooler end ofcontemporary pop: "Blue and Usher - things likethat," agrees Krazy. At which point we makesomething of a faux pas in suggesting that the boysalso sound a bit iike 5ive, only with twice themembers. We're greeted by contemptuous laughterIn a desperate bid to repair the damage we askRocky what his fantasy Blazin' Squad game wouldbe like: "Me and Spike-e were talking about thisand it'd be a beat-'em-up where we'd ail havespecial powers. In my finishing move, my feet wouldget really big and I'd stomp on their heads!" □ TC

W H A T S I NA N A M E ?Here's how the lads gottheir MC monikers.

Rocky B (Marcel)He settled on this due tohis love for Sly's punch-drunk film franchise.

Krazy (Lee)He's the first one to dosomething mad. Hasn'tbeen sectioned yet, soIsn't trying hard enough.

Flava (James)So-called because helikes ail sorts of music.

Splke-e (Sam)It's his hairstyle. Althoughhe suggests it's currentlylooking more iike a perm.

Strider (Mus)Named because he's afast sprinter, not after theCapcom character.

Reepa (Stuart)There Is no explanationfor this sinister name. HeIs also a fast sprinter

Kenzle (James)H i s s u r n a m e i s

Mackenzie, which wasntconsidered to be quitestreet enough.

Freek (Ollle)A homage to his favouriteradio station, Fneek FM.

Melo-d (Chris)He )ust liked tJie sound ofit and you can't say fairerthan that, really

DJ Tommy B (Tom)He's the DJ of the group.He's called Tom. Whaddyawant, blood?

i y iOHSYE.COMwww.mohsye.com

Ok so the text is annoyingiy small and theflash-heavy design will make lesser PCs groaniike ageing donkeys on Brighton beach, but dopersevere, because the Games section containssome absolute classics. Breeder asks you tomate rabbits (while dodging incomingmeteorites) while Cat-Vac involves, um, bouncingkittens into suction pipes before they getm u n c h e d b y a s l a v e r i n g d o g ,

Yes, it is as sick as it sounds, and ttiose ofyou who well up at the sight of an Athenaposter should probably steer weii clear Thatsaid, there can be no disputing the idioticmajesty of Monkey Curiing IpicturBdj. AlanPartridge would be proud. □ TC

PLAYSTAT ION.COMuk.playstation.com

This may be SCEE's official site, but it's a millionmiles away from the usual corporate line-toeingThis UK site includes breaking news, videodownloads, comprehensive previews and livelyforums. Along with content written by the in-house editorial team, you'll also find reams ofpages written by the 0PS2 staff - including aweekly review roundup, eariy piaytests of AAAtitles and feature interviews with some of thebiggest names in gaming You can also find tonsof the extra screenshots we couldnt manage tosqueeze into the mag each month. This Is aessential bookmari for anyone who owns aPS2. And that means you, right? □ TC

T H E T D P F N EScoping the Web for the finest Miami Vice sites.

1. www.sundlve.co.uk/miami.htmThese Miami Wee-inspired stories are every bit asdodgy as you'd expect Strictly adults oniy.2. www.donjohnson.comAccording to his official site, "Don Johnsonpresented a look, a style and an attitude thatmade him one of the most Imitated men to comealong since James Dean." Right3. www.wl ldhorse.com/MiamlVfceFan site with a petition badgering Michael Mann toinclude the original cast in the Miami Vice moviei4 . www. janOhammercomThe homepage of Czechoslovakian synth-ficldlerwho created Wee's brilliant theme tune,

5 . w w w . m i a m i v f c e . c o mComplete your collection of all 111 MV episodes.Also Includes a dubious-looking VC game map...

24 PlayStation E

U n d e r w o r l d ' s K a l i ,Hyde and Rick Smith:turning skiving into . .'an a r t fo rm.

i n c

A-

l U PFrequency: IrregularPrice: $4See: www.lup-zine.com

Ralna Ljee waives up with blisters on herfingers and dreams of Pac-Men in electricsleep. Or at least that's what it claims onher Web site which was set up to promoteher videogame culture fanzine, lUP.

Raina, who hails from Los Angeles, grewup playing videogames and writing 'zinesbased on the Riot GrrrI movement, so itshardly surprising her assessment of digitalculture has something of a girl power slantAs well as articles on 'how Tetris saved mylife' and general arcade etiquette, lUPcontains Pac-Mom, a short article about aretrogamlng mother, and a feminist readingof Um Jammer Lammy. Blimey

3 a a K

TOKYOSCOPE: THEJ A PA N E S E C U LTH L M C O M PA N I O NAuthor: Patr ick MaciasPubl isher : Cadence BooksPrice: £11.49

If you thought Japanese cult cinema wasmerely about laughing at rubbish siliconemonsters chasing screaming businessmen,then think again. Macias's compilation andexplanation of Japanese cinema cultureincludes the best of many eras and genresfrom Japan's cinematic back catalogue.There's an impressive endorsement fromDirectors Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royo/el andTakashi Miike (Audit/onI and authoritativearticles and features throughout.

The book divides a huge number offilms Into bite-sized yet comprehensive

But Raina stresses this Isn't about beingsome kind of introspective Nerderella for thevideogaming age. "Ifs about videogames asa way of life, not Just a pastime or privateaddiction," she claims "Stories abouttriumph and defeat, losing quarters, stayingup late, and being invincible." issue #rsbeautiful sllkscreen cover - available In sixdifferent flavours, no less - and carefullychosen paper layout and artwork go a longway to backing up her skilfully wordedrhetoric. Issue #2 of the 'zine will be out bythe time you read this and contains a freepair of 3D glassesi □ SC

*You're unlikely to find lUP in any UK shopsat the moment but you can contact Rainafor a copy via the Web site. She also makesbags with Space Invaders designs!

subsections which include Horror; Yakuza,Banned and Pink & Violent It also has entiresections devoted to cult heroes of cinemasuch as the great Sonny Chlba andindividually inspirational films such asShogun Assassin.

If you're already a fan of such late-nighttelevision fare as Destroy All Monsters, orhave spent some time with the increasingnumber of Eastern DVDs out there, this Is agreat resource to Inform and develop yourInterest At times it feels like a madman'sfilm diary, peppered with hand-drawn fan artand original Japanese film posters.Thankfully, the book does us the favour ofnever taking itself too seriously, which givesit an easily accessible style, it does alsocover giant rubber monsters chasingscreaming businessmen, just in case youwere conce rned . □ MW

Using*tiTepwer ot your PS2with this months best-CDs?UNDERWORLD A Hundred Days Off [JBO}Who? The o ldest menin dance, their averageage rocketing uponthe departure of DJDarren Emerson. Notthat you'd hotice fromthe music, which stiilsounds the same.

BECK Sea Ciiange IGeften)

Hi^tights: If youhavent stuck yourarms in the air to TwoMonths Off at some

point this summer,you must have beenwearing a straitjacket.

Lowlights: Becomes al i t t le maudl in andreflect ive near theend. in case you werethinking of starting aparty with nothing butthis record.

Verd i c t : Bo id andpassionate but . :-!ijthankfully stripped of Iany iager shoutingnonsense, th is isUnderwor id 's bes te f fo r t s ince the i rdebut, Chunlsy. 8/10 i

Who? ^t)u may wellask. Will it be Beck theday-gio disco perv,Beck the hip-hopslacker or Beck thes t r a w - c h e w i n 'troubadour? Actuallyifs none of the above.

Htghllghts: As far fromthe Prince pastiche ofMfdn/te Vultures as it'spossible to get Beckoverdoses on NickDrake and pens aseries of touching,woiid-weary laments.

Lowii^ts: it isnlfijnny and you cantdance to any of it. Butthat's just tough.

Verdict Just when •'you thought his wholecareer might be anironic joke at your ;expense, he sticks hish e a r t o n h i s s l e e v e !and knocks you dead.Breathtaking. 9/10 ■

DEATH IN VEGAS Scorpio Rising (Concrete)Who? The th i rd a lbumfrom the eleci ro noiseduo sounds l ike thebest bits of PrimalSc feam and Dav idHolmes played by at r a n c e d - o u t I n d i a ncult orchestra.

B E E N I E M A N ' T h > p i c a i 1Who? The biggestname In Jama icanmusic for the lastdecade, but Trop/ca/Storm is only hissecond proper albumrelease af ter I999 'sAr t And l i fe

Highiights: OpenerLeother /Gi r ls sets theirresistibly twisteddrone rock tone; 1:^the time Help Yourselffades out, you'rewearing white robesand levitating.

Lowlights: The trackssung by Paul Weilerand Liam Gallagherare glaring retro riftsIn the space groovefebric. D!V dont needthe celebritye n d o r s e m e n t

Verdict Death in •' jVegas operate on an • ielevated plane to • jde l iver e iect roc iashenlightenment Their jmothershlp departs ;soon. Join them! ]J o i n t h e m ! 9 / 1 0

Highiights: This isdancehall reggae in itsbroadest sense, andcol laborat ions with SoSolid Crew and HieNeptunes bestcomplement BeenleMan's thrilling rasp,

Lowlights: Theapparent hunger forglobal superstardomreally robs Beenie Manof his edge; Street Ufeis the kind of genericpop sludge you neverthought he'd stoop to.

Verdict Wycief Jean i;not a good role modeBeenie Man's carelesse c l e c t i c i s m m a k e s •Tropical Storm an ' •unsatisfying merger ofthe br i l l iant and the ib l a n d . 6 / 1 0

MR SCRUFF Th)user Jazz (NInja Tune)Who? Cheeky ManeDJ renowned for hisramshackle Keep ItUnreal ciub nights andrubb ish remedia l

drawings of fish.

Highlights: Theorganic playgroundfunk o f Sweetsmokemd Shrimp that

^ roes you to shake asandai in a bashfullyenergetic manner:

Lowiights: Thewah-wah so io tha tgoes on foriever and

.gives the occasionalfeeling that you'relistening to musicfrom a Sevent iesc h i l d r e n ' s c a r t o o a

Verd ic t I t ' s sotempting to say thatMr Scruff 'puts the furinto to funl^'. but he'cbe better If he could .st ifle that chort le for :.just a second. And his; drawing Is crap, 7/10

» A L S O R E L E A S E DSaint Etienne FInlsterre (Mantral/Cassius Au Reve (VirginJ/Mr Lif I Phantom (Def Jux)/Komputer Market Led (Mutel/Firture Loop Foundation This Is How I Feel (Pan-Kayl/Barty Adamson The King Of Nothing Hill |Mute)/David Guetta Just A Little More Love (VirBlnj

PlayStation.E 12

adies and gentlemen, only the strangest tips, stripped of flab and six-pacl<ed to perfection, mal^e it to the HardCore elite.

pare some snouts or a bottle ofoonshine, guVnor? I've beenu c k i n t h i s N a z i h e l l - l w l e f o r s o

ng I'd rather watch badi-to-Kk episodes of 'AJIo Alio thanM into line for my Nazi captorsf eating weeit-oid Gernianlusage washed down with warmeineken - believe me, this is au r s t c a s e s c e n a r i o !

Ybu may think I've become0 immersed in Codemasters'artime epic, Prisoner Of War,a t i t h a s s t a r t e d t o b l u r t h elundaries between reality andime fiction. But I havent.

You see, the Stalag Luft is likefortnight at Butlins compared toB damp, dingy cell 0PS2 has me>led up in. "You aint seein' yourife and family till that damnlide is written," beilowed thetie Hitler running this show; andith that the door slammed shut,lyllght was banished, and there-melting glare of a small VDUId the crackly tones of Dame!ra Lynn began whining down aimithfe tannoy system. Now I'm1 stranger to hard work insgusting conditions, but it's threeeeks since I finished that guideid I'm still no closer to liberty.

With the kind donation of fagsId booze, at least I can bribe the)curity guard into turning a blind'e while I spoon-burrow a tunnelfreedom - it may take somene, though, so amuse yourselfith all the latest cheat codes fortank-full of other PS2 gamesitil I get out. Oh, and tell my wifeid chiki that I love them.

r a n B u t t\ R D C O R E E D f T O R

IRTTE IN!

jck? Frustrated? About to slamur Dual Shock 2 through the TVreen? Then write to HardCore.I'll do our best to unearth codes,:rets, walkthroughs or advice forit about any game you want. So,'OU need a hand, just pick upIt pen or keyboard and write toi, Ryan Butt c/o HardCore,ficial PlayStation 2 Magazine,ture Publishing, 30 Monmoutheet, Bath BAl 2BW. Galacticerpost to PS20futurenet.co,uk

!6 PlayStation.E

P R I S O N E R O F U U R RGet one over on your goose-stepping captors and march straight out of the concentrationcamps with this complete strategy, hints and cheats survivor's pack.M I S S I O N 1 : T H EH O L D I N G C A M PObject ives1. Steal 50 currency from Sickbay andpass it to Scrounger2. Steal the key from the GermanB a r r a c k s3. Use the key to get Into theS t o r e r o o m a n d s t e a l t h e C r o w b a r4. Leave the camp through the Truckers'Compound and stow away on a truck

Once youYe caught and stuck In yourBarracks, store your kitbag away in yourhiding place (the box beside your bed),get walking and chatting. The firstperson who'll give you decent advice isthe Scrounger, who'll beg 50 currencyoff you in exchange for anything hefinds in the camp. Before you take onthis challenge, spend a day orientatingyourself with the camp's layout anddaily routine, or you'll end up In 'zecooler'. Follow the characters around,talking to them and gleaning little titbits of Information from them. It alladds up to giving you an overall view ofthe camp which is priceless.

Once It's time to eat, It's time tosteal the currency. The best time to doso is in the morning, as the breakfasttrip will get you into the area and you'llhave more time to operate. Get to theMess Hall, but run round the back. Thewall between the Mess Hall and thesickbay is ciimbable, presenting noproblems, just make sure you're not inthe way of any guard's view, especiallyin the tower The door to the Sickbay isunlocked, so simply pop in and grabyour loot. Head back over the wail andback into the Mess Hall. The scroungerwill pass you some BOOT POUSH for allthat trouble you went to.

With the first objective completed,your Co-Piiot turns up. He can help youin the next objective to collect theBrass Key. The best access to theGerman Barracks is during morningexercise. Over the North Fence is theGerman Compound, containing theBarracks. Ask Co-Pilot to distract theguards during morning exercise. Theguards in the exercise area and in theGerman compound will be distracted.Use the diversion to make your wayover the North Fence to get to theGerman Barracks inside it'll be empty,and the BRASS KEY Is sitting pretty onthe Eas t Wa l l .

Things get a little trickier with thethird objective. This section is best dealtwith at night. Climb the fence at thenorth-west corner of the Barracks,opposite the Store. Duck and runtowards the hole in the wall that'll letyou into the Store compound. The bestway to avoid detection here is to gonDund the back of the hut. Keep asclose to the searchlight beam aspossible and follow it to the other side.By now the guanj outside the Storewill have fallen asleep, so get in andgrab the CROWBAR,

Now you have two decisions: waituntil the next night before escaping? ordo ft now? Novices should save thegame here or you'll have to repeat ailyou just did.

Either way, make sure you headnortheast. The Truckers' Banracks Isnorth of the German Barracks and liesIn the north-east comer Tliere areseveral routes to it but the best way isunder the German Barracks. It providescover to get you past the two patrollingguards. Position yourself towards theTruckers Quarters and wait for thefurthest guard to turn around and headover the fence to the door Open it withthe crowbar and crouch-walk past thesleeping guards. Go out into the TruckCompound, crouch-walk your way pastthe searchlight to the waiting truck andthe end of the level. Congratulations,you made it!

Ob jec t i ves1. Play music through the TannoySystem2. Steal the Rocket Plans and returnthem to the Escape Committee3. Steal the Bellows4 . G e t t o t h e Tu n n e l

Another day, another camp to escapefrom. This time, you have a lot morepeople to acquaint yourself with and abigger camp to orientate yourself with.The guards are tighter, so there's lotsmore focus on sneaking this time.Again, take a day to familiarise yourselfwith the layout and routine, so that youhave Intuitive knowledge of where tohide when the guards spot you - whichthey will.

Visit the EC In Barrack 2 to getyour first objective, a to play a morale-boosting blast of music over the tannoyMake sure you have the TAPE and someSTONES when you go to breakfast, asthe Admin Office Is behind the MessHall. Rrst get Into the Mess Hall, andapproach the sleeping guard from thefar left, along the wail. That way you canget under the counter and nab theBRASS KEY from the wall. Wait until theChef has turned his back before youmake a grab for it

Run behind the Mess Hall, andscope out the Admin Office. There's aguard stationed right outside andanother to the West In a tower althoughyou don't really need to worry abouthim. Get over the fence and use theOffice wall to hide Walt for his patrol totake him into the building and runforwards towards the pile of logs andget under them. From there you canthrow your stones at the drums in thecorner Tfiis'll change the guard's patrolroute. Now he will walk around thebuilding making It much easier for youto get Into it. Inside, collect theCURRENCY dotted about and play theTape. This triggers a cut-scene. If, at anypoint, you're caught with the Tape, talkto the fat guard during morningexercise. For a price, he'll get the Tapeback to you.

Now return to the EC to get yournext assignment - stealing theGermans' Secret Plans - and anotherBRASS KEY as your reward. To do this,you need a Uniform. The best place andtime to get one is from the Store West

of the camp, at night. This has oneguard patrolling outside it, so It can betricky. Wait till his route takes him roundthe South side of the Store, and he'llpause for a few seconds - hop over thefence right into the Store, unlocking thedoor with the Brass Key Take theUNIFORM, put It on, then casually strollout. He won't recognise you.

From there, follow the path norththen east to the Kommandant's Office.This bit is tricky. You have to climb thedrainpipe without being spotted. To getto it, make your way around the back ofthe building along the east-facing wall,then along the north-facing wall. This'llget you to the drainpipe and avoid thepatrolling Lieutenant, who can seethrough your disguise. Watch your radarto see when he's looking away andclimb. Even if he spots you, keep ongoing as he'll only get a glance at you.

Once up, get In the building andmake your way downstairs, collectingthe currency When you reach theKitchen, head through the door veryslowly so you dont disturb the guardand duck past the Lieutenant's view,behind the bookcase The Papers are ona desk he's patrolling past. Let him tumaway before crouch-walking to the desk.Grab the PAPERS and back out, makingsure to stand up and walk through thedoor so you dont arouse suspicion. Getback out of the Compound the sameway you came In and back to yourBarracks. If you're taking too much timeto complete the mission, grab theUniform one night then steal the Papersanother night. If you do, use the gap Inthe barbed wire on the east fence toget out on the Prisoner's Compound

The next mission requires you tograb a set of Bellows to provide air tothe Tunnel. You've a choice of two, sotake the ones from the Chef in theMess Hall. Disguise yourself as a guardand walk with the prisoners to the MessHall. Around the back Is a door thatyou'll have to unlock with a Brass KeyMake sure you do this when the guardIn the tower is looking away It gets alittle tricky here. You can walk into theMess Hall, but as soon as you pick theBELLOWS up you'll shift Into Illegalmode, so you have to sneak out withthem. Walt till he's got his back tumedbefore you nick the Bellows. You canonly do this objective during mealtimesas the Chef removes the Bellows whenhe's not there. We'd suggest duringbreakfast to allow you more time tosneak back to the Prisoner Compound.

Now the Bellows are operating It'stime to get to the Tunnel. But you'rebuggered when a collapse leaves theonly accessible hole In a building In thevehicle compound. First, during momingexercise, have a chat to the Fat Guard.He'll unlock the doors In the compound.You can also use a Crowbar to open thedoor, but for speed it's best to use thismethod. The Vehicle Compound has ahole In the wall that'll enable you to getIn undetected. If you wear the Uniformyou'll get there with no trouble, butInside a Lieutenant patrols, so keep outof his sight Once in the Compound,keep ducking behind and under the

Our tips will helpyou keep Stone'sface pretty.

FULL WALKTHROUGHFREE HINTSGet a higher level grade, by beingextra sneaky.Gain a load of currency and thensave the game. Afterwards, talh; tothe Major, who gives you hints. Youshould get 150 currency to get allthree hints. After you have heardthese hints, load from the last savepoint and use the info to help youon your objective. If you keep thesame amount of currency, you cando this for the next objective. Sinceyou have used the hints but notsaved aftera/ards, at the end of thelevel the game will not register theiruse, enabling you to be awarded ahigher grade.

cars lined up along the wall till you getto the middle door In the building Thatroom contains the hole through whichyou can make your escape.

MISSION 3: COLDITZObjectives1. Get to the Hidden Prisoner andInform him of the Rocket program2. Steal a Uniform3. Steal more Papers4. Get the Manhole Tool and escape

To move easily through Stalag Luft youneed to get the LOCK-PICK from thetable outside your Barracks. Walt tilllights out and the guard will fall asleep,allowing you to grab it. With the Lock-Pick you can now access the Theatre inthe Courtyard, but you need adistraction. Get 25 Currency to pay thebomber-jacketed prisoners to help youout Make sure you have stones as well.During morning exercise have himcreate a distraction outside the Theatredoor (West Courtyard! and pick the lockSneak vety slowly to the left, avoidingthe guard. Head up the first flight ofstairs by pitching a stone at the jug inthe comer and moving in behind whenthe guard Investigates. Up the stairs,there's a partition to hide behind toavoid the guard. There's a jug on thetable near you. Pitch a stone at it andthe guard will investigate. Now's yourchance, run to the door and keep onrunning through the Theatre, sticking tothe wall farthest from the patrollingguard. There's a trapdoor at the back ofthe room that enables you to enter theother Prisoner Barracks, wait untillunchtime and sneak In through theright-hand door Move through the otherdoor and a cut-scene will play featuringyou and the Hidden Prisoner, HandingThe Uniform is In the Laundry oppositethe Theatre. Lock-pick the door duringmorning exercise and wait for the guardto head up the stairs. You'll be able toget to the Laundry door Inside the nextroom, keep crouched and use the binsto hide you from the guard, and moveclockwise around them. Take theUNIFORM, then go behind the partitionand put it on. You can now walk out allthe way to Harding's Room In disguise,where he'll sportingly take the Uniformand escape. You have two choices:collect the Travel Papers or to help youro w n e s c a p e .

The Admin Office Is in an unseenpart of the Compound. Walt for nightfall

GENERAL POPULATIONThe Escape Committee (EC) is a group of the camp know-it-alls. Theyprovide truly detailed hints if you can provide them with cash. The cap-wearing officer types need your help, but only help you for a price. You'llhave to earn their trust early on to succeed.

sure you go to these guys If you'vehad something confiscated by aguanj. There's a good chance they'llbe able to get It back

Hard ingConstantly around in the game, he'sinitially a pain in the ass with a badattitude, but you gain his respect withthe ballsiness of your plans - ands u c c e s s .

I n f o P O W sSome POWs have been places theothers only dare dream of. The goodthing is they're only too glad to chatto you about where, when and how; orrefer you to a specific person who'smore knowledgeable than they are.

Help POWsSome of the population are willing toput their necks on the line for you,but only at a price. Generally seenstrolling around in bomber-jacketsthey're the best means of causing adistraction, even if the hideous bWnoises they make are highlyembarrassing to witness.

ScroungersThe people who can get you anythingfor a price. They'll have a stock ofuseful Items worth investing in. Make

GuardsYour mortal enemy will be patrollingaround everywhere. They havesurprisingly good eyesight for gamecharacters, and will follow any out-of-place footprints if they come acrossthem. Good news; they're not toobright and can easily be outwitted.

Fat GuardKeep an eye out for him In Stalag Luft.He's found patrolling during morningexercise. He's corrupt as hell, and fora fistful of dollars will leave doorsunlocked and get confiscatedequipment back

L i e u t e n a n t s

These men are difficult to fool, but notImpossible - they can see rightthrough a guard uniform if they get agood look at you. Otherwise, they'remuch the same as the normal guards.Just be a bit more careful near them.

and sneak out of the Barracks into theCourtyard and into the Mess Hall. Gothrough the door on the right and Intothe corridor The door at the top needspicking and It'll enable you to enter thevast German Courtyard. So big. In fact,that you can run quite easily withoutbeing seen. Head up the far set of stairsand sneak past the guard by duckingbehind the small walls. Get in thesecond door and navigate the squeakyfloorboards to get the TRAVEL PAPERS.Coming back Is just as easy and aslong as you do it at night it shouldprovide no major challenge.

Once again, a trip to the Courtyardis necessary to get a Manhole CoverTool. Follow the previous instructionsand you'll find the Tool on a table at theback of the German Courtyard. Take itand get into the Admin Office, throughthe left door Into the German Mess Hall.Sneak under the tables and make itinto the bottom left comer There's aManhole that you can climb into andmeet up with Harding to escape.

MISSION 4; SABOTAGE!Objectives1. Steal the Package from the Postroom2. Photograph the Rocket and steal theDocuments in the High-Tech Facility3. Infiltrate the German Barracks anduse their Radio to contact London

4. Destroy the Rocket before It Is due tobe launched

You return to Stalag Luft. The camp haschanged its layout since you last werehere. The Prisoner Barracks are now Inthe South-West corner of the camp.There's a huge new addition the High-Tech facility that holds the Rocket youneed to sabotage.

You can collect a LOCK-PICKstraight away from the German StorageCompound, east of the PrisonerBarracks. There are two available, butby far the easiest is behind a brick inthe half-constructed building. At night,climb the fences between Compoundsusing the Catapult on the searchlightsto remain unseen. The tents in the areaare useful to avoid the Lieutenants andenable you to collect the CURRENCYthat's lying around.

On the way back half-inch aUNIFORM from the building betweenthe German Storage Compound andthe Prisoner Compound. Use the Lock-Pick to get into the building when theguard patrols around the back Wear Itwhen you leave and you can calmlystroll to the fence, climb It and get toyour hut with minimum fuss.

To get to the Post Room, afterlights-out head east out of the PrisonerCompound through the Storage area.

USING THE KITWhether it's being picked up, nicked or bought, there's whole a slew ofcontraband to lay your hands on. what's best to have when? Heed our wordof sound inmate advice and the battle's already half won.CurrencyYou need prison camp currency to buy things in the game It doesn't come in theform of money but contraband like food and alcohol. Keep an eye out for shiningobjects lying on tables which can be traded for useful Items. Thankfully once youpick them up they don't disappear If you're caught - I wonder where you'd stashit away from Jerry's gaze...

S t o n e sSo low-tech the guarts probably don't consider them a threat, but they have twouses; to confuse the guanjs and to hit the guards. The POW camps are filled withIncidental objects that ping, clang and thud when a brick bounces off them. Waitfor a guard to patrol nearby and then pitch a stone over his head. He'll walk overto investigate the noise, leaving you enough time to sneak in behind him. If it'snecessary to change the patrol pattem but you can't see anything to hit thenthrow the stone directly at the guard.

Boot PolishBlacking out your face at night enables you to sneak through the camp with lesschance of being spotted. You have to apply It In front of a mirror or you'll leavesloppy white lines to reflect the guards' torch beams. Remember to remove itduring daylight or the Nazis will nab you within seconds.

Crowba rA handy item that will shift you into Illegal mode when you carry it. You'll come uagainst doors throughout the game that only the crowbar can deal with. Onceyou've 'unlocked' a door It'll remain open for the rest of the level - thank God fors m a l l m e r c i e s .

Grappling HookA tricky item to use. Switch into first-person view to get it swinging, and line upyour target with the bottom of the screen. It doesn't matter when you release thehook but the angle does matter, so make sure you're a step or h«o away or it'llgo horribly wrong.

Catapu l tVery useful. You can fire stones much farther than you can throw them. The bestuse for the catapult is to take out the floodlights that can make your progressdifficult. It makes hitting objects and guards much easier as well, as you dontneed to be anywhere near them when you take your pot shot.

ScopeZoom In on the guards and see what theyre up to. Very handy for the more astuplayer who likes to plan his movements. The camp's chain link fences are prettytransparent, so you can see pretty far into the distance with it

Guard UniformThe best way to hide Is In plain sight. Waltz right past the guards when you're intheir battle dress. Just make sure you're calm and relaxed and don't move fasterthan a walk (pushing the stick about three-quarters strength). Carrying somethiniin your hand will give you away - you've been warned.

B R E A K F R E ECan't get past those guards? T>y these cheats out to get over the wall.Cheat CodesEnter the following codes as case-sensitive passwords for the desired effect..A l l l e v e l s u n l o c k e d g e r l e nN o l e v e l s u n l o c k e d t ^ e f a u lA l l d a i l y e v e n t s ^ I l t l mA l l c o r e e v e n t sNo core events except current.First-person view/O v e r h e a d v i e w . . „Unlimited money/roci<s

c o r e t i m

.farleymydB o s t

FcD l

New OptionsEnter the following case-sensitive passwords to unlock new modes that toggle reffects in the game...

C h e a t

Change guard size...Change guard awarenes;C a n n o t b e s h o t

Op t ion....Size.. . . .Awareness. . .. . . .Defiance. . .

C oM u l

Quir. . . D e fi a r

PlayStation.^ ;

R R □ R E

PRISONER DF LJURRiver the East Fence and sneak In underhe hole in the wall blocked by thelarked van. Stand behind the pile of/res and Catapult a stone to smash theearchllghts. The guard will move away'om his position, enabling you to getito the Post Room. Use the openwindow to fire stones outside, when the:uard moves away from his positionnake your way back to the Barracks toiform the EC of your recent discovery,he next mission requires you to sneakito the High-Tech Facility. There's now aLinnel available to sneak through fromlarrack 2 to the back of the Storage:ompound. Kit yourself up with thelamera, the Lock-Pick and the Uniform,bu have to collect Papers andihotograph the Rocket. In order to havenore time, we think ifs a good Idea tolo each mission on separate nights.

Come out of the tunnel, and headD where there's a climbable wall.Irouch down and take the light out/ith the Catapult. Then move round theack of the building There's a ladder onle wall for you to scoot up. Head leftn the top of the building and walkDund to the ladder When you're at theDp, move to the east edge andhotograph the Rocket.

The second part of the missionrequires you to go into the hatchway onthe roof into the Facility. From the toplevel, wait until the guard's back isturned and head down the stairs.There's one Lieutenant so the Uniformwon't matter Follow his route till hemoves to the back of the Rocket andhide in the little nook available. On hisway back you can carry on furtherround to the safe in the room. Makesure he doesnt spot you through thewindow. Return to the EC.

Put on the guard's Uniform andtake the newly extended Tunnel throughto the German Compound. You canacquire a Lieutenant's Uniform bytaking the IRON KEY off the interior wallin the centre of the German Compound.You can gain access to the Lieutenant'sRoom around the corner and put onthe Uniform. The best way to gainaccess to the Radio is to wait untilmealtime to broadcast Get there beforedinner and the guard will leave his post.Make your BROADCAST then head backthrough the tunnel to the EC.

Now it's time to stop Jerty. Theother prisoners escape and you have toget to the High-Tech Facility within fiveminutes to stop the Rocket launching.Get into the High-Tech Facility the sameway you did before. The CARD you needIs on the left wall, so crouch-walkbehind the patrolling guard to get It andfollow him round to the console. Stickthe Card in and head downstairs. TheKommandant Is patrolling as well, butthe tactic remains much the same.Follow him and crouch behind theRocket area, then when he and theguard cnDss over follow him again, hideIn the nook so he can pass back and

get Into the room. As long no-one'snear you, you can run the rest of theway and not risk getting spotted - ofcourse, once the Card is In the slot theleve l i s ove r

UNIllnSHEb BUSINESSObject ives1. Uncover the SOE's Secret Pro]ect2. Discover and photograph the Spy3. Complete the Glider and destroythe Laboratory4. Escapel

You're back at Colditz. The layout haschanged slightly, and you're now in theopposite Barracks. You have toinvestigate what HanJIng was doing Inthe Attic before he was locked up, butneed the BRASS KEY from the AdminRoom. Collect STONES after morningRoll-Call and during breakfast, head intothe Mess Hall and crouch-walk throughthe top-left doorway (do so behind theguard's back) that leads Into theGuard's Mess Hall. There are twopatrolling guards. They'll take a route tothe far left of the screen, so run to thetable on the right and get under it Waitfor them to repeat the patrol route.Head out to the top-right comer wheret h e d o o r i s .

If you need to, use the stones onthe suit of armour to create furtherdistraction. The BRASS KEY Is on a tablein the middle of the next room. Now getback to the Mess Hall with the key asfast as you can.

It's best to try the Library attemptin the morning After Roll Call, stand atthe front door to Prisoner Barracks One,but don't go in. Wait for the patrollingguard to pass out of view and runtowards the thinj door on the leftcrouch as you go in and stand behindthe pillar There's a guaret patrolling thestairs. Crouch behind him as he patrolsback up the flight of stairs and when hetums head straight Into the cupboartl.When he starts back down the stairs,get out of the cupboard and Into theLibrary. This part is tricky. Look throughthe keyhole and use the radar to judgewhen the guards in the room haveturned their backs. You have to get tothe top-right of the room. If they dontsee you when you enter the room, headright and up, collecting the CATAPULTfrom the table as you go. If they seeyou, crouch-walk around the cases, outof their sight Do It long enough andthey'll give up. Stop midway up thestairs as there's a guard at the top. Lethim turn his back and run up. There's atable to take a breather under

From there, walk out in to thecorridor on the left where a short cut-scene will play. Walk to the corridorwindows and one will open, enablingyou to move to the rope on the bottomof a grappling hook Climb and take theGRAPPLING HOOK with you. You'll findanother window to open. Go through todiscover that Harding was building aGlider You now have to report to theEC, so leave via the right-hand door anduse the Crov»bar you find In the nextroom on the other door. This takes youinto the Bell-Tower, attach the hook andclimb down. Leave through the door onthe left, through the Sickbay and downinto the Laundry where you can get apatrol guard Uniform and put it on. Nowyou can Infonn the EC of yourdiscovery. Access the Gilder Room fromthe Bell Tower in the Prisoner Courtyard.The Spy Is causing trouble. All the EC'splans are failing, so it's up to you todiscover who It is. You'll need tophotograph him and the Kommandanttogether This Is a night-time activity, butfirst retrieve the grappling hook fromthe Tower, as you'll need it to get inposition to take the photograph. Makesure you buy some Boot Polish off theScrounger during the day and darl^enyour face. Crouch at the outer door to

T A C T I C A L L Y A W A R EThe overall motif is steaKh, but sometimes that isn't enough. You can run,crawl and hide throughout the game. It's not ali about sneaking. Plan youractions carefully and it's like the guards aren't even there.O n e G u a r dThe easiest situation is going one-on-one against a guard. They'll always ahave a set pattern that they patrol.Look long enough and you'll notice it'sdesigned to leave an opening or ablind spot you can exploit Much of thetime you may have to do It In steps,moving when their back's turned, thencontinuing when another blind spotcrops up. Keep your eye out formoment when he can't see you. Therew i l l b e o n e .

Multiple GuardsThe vision cones on the radar are veryhandy indeed at these moments.Choose your path from what thatscreen tells you. It's possible to walkyour way through the very edges oftheir sight If they spot you don't panic,turn away from the person who startsfollowing you, and try curve around theouter edge of their view cone. Goslowly unless they're on to you.

T W O G u a r d sOnce again, the patterns are there ifyou know where to look. Somepatrolling guards like to stop and havea quick wort with each other beforemoving on. Usually the part wheretheir paths cross is a good time tomake a move, as the game seemsdesigned to enable you to move att h o s e t i m e s .

Guard TowersFrom high above the camp, they canspot an errant POW from a distance. Ifthe tower Is In the camp the guard willbe checking all four sides, so 75 percent of the time he's not looking atyou. That's usually plenty of time tomake your move If he's on the edge ofthe camp, he'll be looking at threesides, so you've got plenty of time.

Spotted!If you are seen It's worth throwing ailpretence of stealth out of the windowand pegging it Dotted around theencampment are wood piles, smallsheds, tables, cupboards, beds andbuildings that you can crawl under. Ifyou can make It to one of these youmight get away without being caughtRemember If the guards only glance atyou you'll have least five seconds toreact and get away

your Barracks and watch for the guardsoutside to tum their backs. You havetwo choices, you can either run for thedoor or move to the small hutch andhide In it Now, move through bothMess Halls and the Admin Office to theKommandant's Building and out intothe German Compound. Stand on thestairs and hit the air cylinders besidethe door with a stone. The noise willcause the guard to move from hisposition and you can run behind himunder the Kommandant's balcony Withthe Grappling Hook, climb up Using theHook is tricky, so use the bottom of thescreen as your aiming device and you'llhook up. Once up, select the Cameraand another cut-scene will play.After this, return the Hook to the BellTower so you can climb to the Glider alittle later on. You've uncovered the Spy,now It's time to complete the GliderThree items are required: a Sheet, anElectrical Wire and Light Wood. TheSheet's the hardest item to grab.

At night put your guard Uniformon and make your way to theKommandant's Building. There's acupboard sat the bottom of the stairsthat you need to leave open. Go to thetop of the stairs and open the door onthe character's left The room is full ofsleeping guanjs who'll wake as soon asyou pick up the SHEETS. Do It, anyway.Now run down the stairs and into thecupboard. You should be able to avoidthe hunting guards. Sneak back to BellTower through the Mess Halls. TheUGHT WOOD and STEEL KEY are foundIn the Chapel, accessible from PrisonerCourtyard West Put your guard Uniformon and stroll in. There's a guart inside,so make sure he doesn't spot you whenyou collect the goods.

F r o m t h e d o o r o u t t o t h e

courtyard, make sure the guard outsidehas his back turned before go Into theBell Tower Use the Steel Key to openthe door Get to the Glider Room litdoesn't matter what time, as long asyou don't miss Roll Call] and take thedoor on the left side heading away fromthe first door you used. The room you'rein has the Wire In the bottom cornerCollect the ELECTRIC WIRE andcomplete the Glider.

Now you have to sabotage theKommandant's Rocket once again. Getback to his building in your guardUniform, and open the door beside thecupboard. This leads to the Lieutenantpopulated sewers. The first one Is easyenough to evade - duck Into the alcoveand move when his back is turned.Crouch-walk through the doors. Thereare two Lieutenants patrolling here.Their patrol routes will split eventuallyenabling you to sneak up the middlecorridor Go through the door on the farleft in the back wall. When you passyou'll get to the opening of the RocketControls. There's a Lieutenant below,patrolling in a figure-of-eight aroundtwo boxes. Use these to sneak past andinto the rear of the room. A RocketSection blocks you from the otherLieutenant, so let him patrol round oneside and you can go round the other

When you make it to the Consolea cut-scene will play with youdestroying the Rocket After that, youhave five minutes to get to the Bell-To w e r Yo u ' r e I n t h e K o m m a n d a n t ' s

building. You still have the uniform, socasually stroll back to the Bell Towerand up Into the Glider room. A cut-scene plays, showing you that you havefinished the game. □

28 PlayStation ^

G R R N T U R B m O E D N E E P T :E 0 0 E T D K y n - G E N E X J RNew to the GT scene? Then GT Concept is the game for you. It's a streannlined drive that's designed to ease youinto the motoring mania of SCEE's epic series. This beginner's guide should tell you everything you need to knowin order to win races, unlock cars and make the step-up to /\-Spec!D R I V E T Y P E STo fully tame your beast,you have to know wherethe power Is comingf r o m i n o r d e r t o h a r n e s sit to good effect. Here'st h e l o w d o w n o n t h edrive types,

4 W D

Four-wheel drive cars do,as the name suggests,deliver power to all fourwheels. The greatestbenefit of a 4WD car isthe provision of goodtraction and control,making 4WD the mostcommon type of rally car.

F RFront engine, rear-wheeld r i v e c a r s d i s t r i b u t e t h e

weight of a vehicle evenly,which allow the rear lyresand suspension to workmore efficiently. This, inturn, Improves corneringand stopping capabilities.Most of the fastest cars inthe game are FR drivetypes. Their high topspeeds can offset thehandling when not drivenwith good technique.

F FFront engine, front-wheeldrive cars offer increasedt r a c t i o n d u e t o aconsiderable proportion ofthe vehicles' weight beingover the drive wheelsM o s t o f t h e s l o w e s t b u tbest handling cars In thegame are FF drive types

M R

Mid-engine, rear-wheeld r i v e c a r s - w i t h t h e

engine situated behind thedriver, but in front of therear axle - have excellentweight distribution and isa popular configuration forracing sports cars. Someof the game's fastest carsare MR drive types and,due to its rear-wheel drivedynamic, this can maket h e m d i f fi c u l t t o h a n d l ewith a tendency to slide.

R RThe RUF RGT car (foundin the New Cats Pacificcategory) is the onlyplayable rear engine, rear-w h e e l d r i v e c a r i n t h e

game. With the weight ofthe engine on the rearaxle, there's a greaterprovision of traction to thedriven rear wheels Theextra weight to the rear ofthe car means It has atendency to oversteer Onlyt h e m o s t s k i l l e d d r i v e r scan handle it.

E X m A SAside from the extra cars, here's what else you canunlock by winning those races.

Japanese Opening MovieOnce all the Normal Level stages have been completed,the Japanese opening movie of the Japanese GT Conceptshow can be viewed by selecting the left-hand prize onthe Game Status screen. So sit back in a comly chair, puton your very best smug look and enjoyl

Toyota Pod RaceOnce a good portion of the game has been completedand you've unlocked the Toyota Pod car by winning onTahiti Maze II, you unlock the Pod race as well. You canenter via the Status Screen. Frankly, It's a bit dull, butheck, it's a freebie.

View End CreditsOnce 100 percent of the game has been racked up, theend credits will roll - again allowing you to sit back, wellsatisfied. To show off to your mates, the credits can beviewed at any time by selecting the second prize fromt h e l e f t o n t h e G a m e S t a t u s s c r e e n .

Extra Money For Gr3; A-SpecOnce all the Normal Level stages have been completed,players can add 10 million credits to their GT3: A-Specgame data. To transfer the money, select the second prizefrom the right on the Game Status screen and follow theo n - s c r e e n i n s t r u c t i o n s .

A c e M o d eOnce all the Professional Level stages have beencompleted, you will be told how to open the Ace Leveldifficulty setting Go to the Level Selection screen andhold down m and cd. You can unlock the Ace Leveldifficulty setting by executing this procedure at any time.Be warned - It ain't easy and there's nothing more tounlock by completing it

D R I V I N G U N EFollow the leader and learn those optimum routes.

The driving line refers to the optimum route around acourse, including the best braking points and corneringlines. If you've previously played other Gron Turismogames with any degree of success, you'll already have anexcellent concept of the driving line and will soon bezipping around the courses with ease. If you're unfamiliarwith GT land racing games In general! then you canmaster the driving line through either trial and error, oryou can simply study the route the pace car takes asyou follow It around a circuit in the Course Licence tests.Who needs track guides when the game has a perfectIn-built guide to follow?

T C S A N D A S MA brief insight into how to set-up your vehicle.

As their names suggest, the TCS fTraction ControlSystem! and ASM (Antl Skid Management) systemsenhance vehicle control. For a greater challenge, and totruly master each of the cars, we suggest turning TCSand ASM off. However, if you are having trouble with aparticularly slippery automobile - like the Ford GT40 LMEdition, for example - then using TCS and ASM cancertainly help you get to grips with a car's handling.Remember that TCS and ASM are only driving aids andwon't guarantee a perfect drive; that's still down to yourskills behind the wheel! After all, F1 drivers have loads ofaids and they often crash out

T H E C O M P L E T E C A R U S TClear the forecourt, there are some new meanm a c h i n e s i n t o w n .

Below is a complete list of all the playable cars featuredIn Gran Turismo Concept They are divided into theirrelevant categories with the type of course they can raceon Indicated in brackets. Cars followed with anabbreviation in bold are only available once they havebeen unlocked. For definition of abbreviations see the key.

KeyMR and MRU; Mid-field Raceway and Mid-field Raceway IITR246 and TR246II; Tokyo R246 and Tokyo R246 IISA and SAIl; Swiss Alps and Swiss Alps IITM and TMII; Tahiti Maze and Tahiti Maze IIAR and ARII: Autumn Ring and Autumn Ring 11

New Cars (Pacific)F o r d K A ( R o a d / R a l l y )H o n d a J a z z ( R o a d )H y u n d a i C o u p e ( R o a d )M a z d a 6 . . . . . ( R o a d )L e x u s I S 3 0 0 ( R o a d )N i s s a n P r l m e r a . . . . . . ( R o a d )T o y o t a W i l l V S . . . . ( R o a d )M i t s u b i s h i A l r t r e k T u r b o ( R o a d / R a l l y )L e x u s S C 4 3 0 . . . . ( R o a d )I n fi n i t i G 3 5 I R o a d )N i s s a n S k y l i n e 3 0 0 G T ( R o a d )H o n d a C i v i c T y p e R ( R o a d )H o n d a I n t e g r a T y p e R ( R o a d )Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Vil GT-A (Road/Rally)H o n d a S 2 0 0 0 . . . . ( R o a d )F o r d F o c u s R S ( R o a d / R a l l y ! S AN i s s a n S k y l i n e G T - R M - S p e c I R o a d lSubaru Impreza WRX STI Prodrive Style (Road/Rally!M a z d a R X - 7 S p i r i t A T y p e A ( R o a d !M a z d a R X - 7 Ty p e R B a t h u r s t R ( R o a d !C h e v r o l e t C o r e e t t e Z 0 6 ( R o a d )

New Cars (Europe!V W G o i f G T IVW Lupo GTIMini Cooper S ...Renault Clio SportMercedes-Benz SL 500L o t u s E l l s eLotus Ellse Type 72Va u x h a l l V X 2 2 0

Jaguar S-Type RJaguar XKRAudi RS 4A u d i R S 6Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG .,A u d i R S 6 Av a n tAston Martin VanquishRUF RGTTVR Tuscan Speed Six

...(Road/Rally!...(Road!

....IRoad/Rally! MFR(Road/Rally!

....(Road)

....(Road!....(Road! SA

....(Road)(Road)

IRoad) TM(Road)

...iRoad) TR246il(Road) TMII

...(Road!

...(Road!....IRoad)

(Road)

Concept Car^Daihatsu CopenToyota PodN i s s a n m m

Chrysler CrossfireP o n t i a c S o l s t i c e

Hyundai HCD6M i t s u b i s h i C Z - 3 Ta r m a c

Toyota RSCN i s s a n 3 5 0 Z . . .Honda V6 IMA Mid DualnoteASL GaralyaH o n d a N S X - RI n fi n i t i F X 4 5

Hyundai ClixM a z d a R X - 8N i s s a n 3 5 G Z G r a n Tu r i s m o A e r o .Suzuki GSX-R/4Nissan GT R ConceptNissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec .

IRoad! TMII(Road! TMII

(Road)(Road) TR246II

(Road! SA(Road) TR246

(Road)....(Road/Rally) MFRII

(Road)(Road) AR

(Road)(Road) TR246

(Road/Rally) TM(Road) ARil

(Road)...IRoad) SAIl

Dodge Different Viper GTS R Concept...Spyker C8 LavrolettePaganl Zonda-S 73V W W 1 2F o r d G T 4 0C a d i l l a c C i e n .

D r e a m C a r s

Toyota RSC Rally CarMitsubishi CZ-3 Tarmac Rally CarMini Cooper S Rally CarM a z d a 6 L M E d i t i o nHonda NSX-R LM EditionHonda Integra Type R LM EditionHonda NSX-R LM Edition Road VersionNissan GTR Concept LM EditionNissan 350Z LM EditionMazda RX-8 LM EditionF o r d G T 4 0 L M E d i t i o n

....(Road/Rally) SAIl(Road) MFRII

....(Road/Rally) ARII(Road)

(Road) MFRiRoad)

(Road) ARII(Road! TM(Road) AR

(Road/Rally) TMII...(Road/Rally) AR

...(Road/Rally) MFRII(Road/Rally) TR246

(Road) TR246(Road/Rally) SA

(Road) MFR(Road) AR

IRoad) TR246il(Road) SAIl(Road) ARII

Racing CarsN i s s a n m m - RN i s s a n 3 5 0 Z R A Z O Ve r s i o n .

Hyundai Accent Rally Car..

....(Road)

....(Road)

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII Rally Car..Subaru Impreza Rally CarPeugeot 206 Rally CarHonda Loctite Mugen NSXHonda Mobil 1 NSX .H o n d a A R TA N S X

Honda Raybrig NSXNissan Pennzoil nism GT-RNissan Calsonlc SkylineNissan Xanavl Hiroto GT-RNissan Pennzoil Zexel GT-RToyota au Cerumo SupraToyota Castrol Tom's SupraToyota Castrol Tom's SupraToyota ESSO Ultrafio SupraAud i ABT TT-RTickford Falcon XR8 Race CarChevrolet Corvette C5RMitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Rally CarSubaru Impreza Rally Car

...(Road/Rally)

...(Road/Rally)

...(Road/Rally)

..(Road/Rally)....(Road)

(Road) TM(Road)

..(Road)

..(Road)

..(Road)...(Road)

(Road) MFR(Road)(Road)

(Road) MFRII..(Road) TR246II

(Road) SAIl[Roadl(Road)(Rally)(Rally)

R G G R E S E N E I N L I N E M E N I N B L A C K I I :A U E N E S C A P E

S T U N T M A N

Looking even better fort h o s e c a m e r a s . . .

Enter the following codesa s c a s e - s e n s i t i v e d r i v e r ' snames at the 'New Game'menu. (Please note that thelast letter of the first codeis an upper-case T.)

Unlocl< everything...All toysA l l t r a i l e r s

A l l c a r s

. . .Bindl. . . .MeFf.....fellA

...sptDER

There are bags of codes for this betting roiler-bladingsim. Save yourself a lot of aggro with this lot!

The secret codes listed below will enable you to tame theTa m i a c a n d u n l o c l < u n t o l d s e c r e t s i n a m a t t e r o f s e c o n d sTo enter tfiem, simply go to the Cheats screen in theOptions menu and type them in on the keyboard. Thedirection arrow/s refer to the arrow buttons on the bottomrow of the keyboard.

InvulnerabilityE leva to r Wa l l r i des . . .Have All Keys..

....K H U F U. > < - •,,..B A K A B A K A. . . . B I G U P Y A S E L F

A B A B S

P e r f e c t G r i n d s . . .Perfect Handplants J USTINBAILEYPerfect Manual Balance .Q UEZDONTSLEEP

Unlock All Characters. 4^Unlock All Levels,P a r k E d i t o r T h e m e s t t 4 ^ 4 ^ < - - ) ^ < - ^ B A B AU n l o c k L e v e l K e y s ^

Hidden CharactersTo unlock the hidden characters, you have to complete allobjectives (including the hidden ones) for each level. Hereare the freakish characters who await on each stage...

Stage 1: Movie LotStage 2: Civic Center....Stage 3: Industrial..Stage 4: Boardwalk..Stage 5: CanneryStage 6: AirfieldStage 7: Museum

..„ .T t ie Br ideG o d d e s s

. . . . Junk i eCaptainD i v e r

. . . . B o m b s h e l l

....Mummy

SMASH COURT ■ \|_RP|_|_H □TENNIS: PRO ■ ^TOURNAMENT ■

A hat-trick of acesecrets, all part oft h e s e r v i c e !

Unlock Red AceAll you have to do is winthe game in Arcade modeunder the Hard difficultysetting as any malecharacter without losing orusing any continues. RedAce will then be unlockedand ready as a playablecharacter in Exhibitionmode. To access thisplayer, just move past PatRafter on the CharacterS e l e c t s c r e e n .

Unlock Hitomi YoshinoJust win the game inArcade mode under theHard difficulty setting,playing as any femalecharacter without losing orusing any continues.Tough, but possible, Hitomiwill the be unlocked andavailable to chose inExhibition mode, just movepast Pat Rafter on theCharacter Select screen.

Unlock Ultimate ModeSuccessfully completeTime Attack mode underthe Hard difficulty settingto in order to unlock thisdevilishly hard mode.

Win yourself some hot new motors and licences tod r i v e r e a l f a s t !

A stack of new motors are there for the taking in thischallenging rally game, but you'll have to prove yourselfwhere it really matters - on the track - to unlock them.Here's how you do it

C a r

Toyota Corolla V-Rally,...

Subaru Impreza 2000...

T a s k. .Set a record t ime ina l l c i r c u i t sW i n t h e 2 . 0 L

ChampionshipMitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI .Win the 1.6L

ChampionshipSEAT Cordoba Repsol Successfully complete

Challenge mode

L e v e l 2 L i c e n c eWin the 2.0L Championship twice to unlock the 'Level 2'licence which allows you to drive at performance leveltwo in Single Race mode.

L e v e l 3 L i c e n c eWin the 2,0L Championship four times to unlock the'Level 3' licence which allows you to drive at performancelevel three in Single Race mode.

□□ L U N F D R C E

win everything without even racing!

Enter these codes on the main menu, unlock new modesand never prang again. If only Senna could have enjoyeds u c h l u x u r i e s .

Invincibility..Unlock Intemiedlate mode..vl,,@,t,(B),^,^,«-Unlock Expert modeWin Beginner mode _...,^,-»,ni,®,®,ai,-»W i n I n t e r m e d i a t e m o d eWin Expert modeU n l o c k C r a s h A r e n a

(one-player)....U n l o c k C r a s h A r e n a

(two-player)

i \ l l■C

Prepare to eat excrement, ETl

Protecting the Earth from alien scum Is nuch easierwith meatier weapons, cosmic power-ups and, ahem,a Making Of video. Enter the codes on t'le Press Startscreen - the lettering will flash for confitmatlon.

I n v i n c l b l l l l y i i i , ® , ® . C BAll weapons.„t.J'.®,@,ai,®,®,«-, g),iii,ai, -»Level select. CB,®,«-,@,@,iB,«-,t ®,4',ib,@F u l l b o l t . .Full spread iB.co.©,(g,<|/,t,ai,-»,«-,®F u l l h o m i n g . @ , « -F u l l b e a m 0 1 , 0 1 , ®Fu l l a rea

e f fec t • t - ,® ,® , t ,® ,4 ' ,@. iB , e - .CDNo power-up drops 4, , t ,®,@,>l ' , t ,®,®,0 ' , iB,®,@Boss mode ai,®,4,,4,,®,iD,«-,®, ^,®,cb.iiiTrainingmissions @,t.<B,<-,®,®,tD,@ -»,cn,@,@Agent data..._....t,4.,®,CB,«-,iH,-»,®,(B,®,t,iiDAlien data ®,ni,@,iD,<|,,®,iiD,-» ®,«-,ib,®Making Of @,ib, ib,®,®,4.,®,® -»,oi,®.t

M E D A L O F H O N O R : F R O N T U N E

W a t c h t h e s k i e s !

A very strange sighting can be witnessed in thisWWII epic. During the 'On Track' level, vhen youreach Sturmgeist's train right at the en.l, a UFO canbe seen for a tew seconds in the night sky above,although It is easier to miss than it Is t j spot Whenyou arrive out on the platform, turn 90 to the rightand look up to the skies at a 45" angle You shouldsee a fleet of bombers flying In from th 3 right. Lookslightly to the right of them and you sh 3uld see theUFO fly over your head from behind, th ;n disappearover the horizon. Strange, but very true

n i R T H D F F m R N B P R O S m X 2

Hoff-off-the-press secrets!

We've been shredding the streets with The Condor' all month and Inbetween perfecting our 'Elephant Pinky Squeaks to Cliffhangers'and 'Whiplash Halfhiker Barflips', we managed to uncover thesesaucy secrefe...

Oklahoma City■ From the starting ramp, grind the beam all the way over to thefar wall and jump over to the red wall rail. Grind this rail around tothe Warehouse switch and jump to the wall rail above it to get thee x t r a m u s i c t r a c k .

■ Once you're inside the Warehouse, follow the central conveyorbelt that leads across to the wall and you should eventually see agreen hatch on the wall it runs Into. Use this green hatch as a rampto propel yourself up and over and you'll hit a switch that opens upt h e s e c r e t a r e a .

■ Go to the secret area and use the far ramps to get onto thestructure in the middle of the area. Grind either side of the top railsand It will open out Into a large half-pipe.

■ Get onto the new half-pipe and get some air to obtain the extragear hovering above It.

■ Rnaiiy grind any lip of the half-pipe facing the picture of the bullon the wall and then jump over to grind the hom-shaped rail. Asyou're grinding hop up Into the raom above the rail and you'llunlock Day Smith as an extra rider

Chicago■ Locate the tour bus (Ifs big and yellow - you can't miss itl) and ashort way beyond It to the left of the main road heading down to theraised bridge, you'll find a discarded bike on the pavement Ride IntoI t t o c o l l e c t i t

B o s t o n■ When you have caught the pelican, it will drop a key that opens upa doonway to the right Inside the main building. Head through it andyou'll be able to jump across to the ship.

■ Once you're on the ship, use the rear take-off ramp to release theramp - meaning you can grind to the ship from the shore.

■ Use the vert ramps beyond the pier benches and jump betweenthem to unlock a new song for your playllst

■ When you defeat the squid, it will unleash a treasure chest that willbe flung onto the shore near your starting position. Get to It and you'llget an extra, solid-gold bikel

Las Vegas■ Head towards the Tickets' office under the roller coaster (thebuilding surrounded by yellow flashing lights) and head around theback to the slot machine. Ride into this machine a few times andyou'll be rewanjed with 10,000 points and a new costume when thewheels come up trumpsi

P o r t l a n d■ From your starting position, turn left and head towards the takeoff ramp straight ahead. Hit It then glide over to the right landinginto a grind on the ledge. Keep grinding and get ready to jump whenthe ledge runs out With enough air, you should be aljle to grab thee x t r a m u s i c t r a c k

Los Angeles■ As you approach the money tree around the comer on the mainroad, you will scare some poodles that belong to the woman In thecall box. We really dont understand why this is a secret but it Isregistered as suchi

■ From your startling position, head back up the hill and then gothrough the alley between Dave's Rave's and Juice Caboose. Hit thetake-off ramp and you should be able to get enough air to grab thee x t r a m u s i c t r a c k .

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32 Play5tation.2

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HERFS A HANDY TIP COURTESY OFOFFICIAL PLAYS1AT10N®2 MAGAZINE

Always read the small print

If you're reading this, youVe just bought an issue of Official PtayStation 2Magazine. You've no doubt checked out the cover game, you've 1

PlayStation E

you ve flicked through Spy to see what new games have been

c o d ^ I n M e n t e r i n g t h a topen up an the skaters i

Toiv Ha«rk'8 3 or somethine However before you do allthat, you're probably going to fIrB up your PS2 and efMturprnt covermounted DVDfeatures playable demos of the best new games for PS2.Most of the time, the demos am of pmes that arnt in theShops yet, we ran the demo of Metal Gear Solid 2 six weeks

« L o r t h e M e d a lOf Honor rromilBe and Gran TUrismo 3 demos. If you're a new

PlayStation.2" a

PlayStaiion.2ownl and more.

« s

S S

s s

w £

Subscribe to 0PS2 and your issue will be delivered direct to yourdoor hot off the presses! Want to guarantee delivery of the onlyPS2 magazine with playable demos? Subscribe now!

Call our hotline0870 444 8656OFFICIAL MAGAZINE-U

This month: bad language, caught short in conflict, cheel tributes and a dubious Concept

Got something you want to get off your chest? Then cough upand win a prize! The author of every letter printed this Issue gets acopy of Codemasters' brilliant 7DCA Race Driver and the Star Utteralso receives the magnificent stack of FS2 games pictured below.Send your letters to The Editor c/o Postal, Offlc/o/ PlayStation 2Magazine, Future Publishing 30 Monmoutti Street Batii BAl 2BW.Email us at our Postal address PS2postat@ftjtureneLco.uk or textus your stream-of-consclousness rants and rambiings on the newnumber of 86188. Each message MUST begin wttti the letters0PS2_, and each text will cost 25p.

R m n m m

SIAR LETIER: PORN OR PROFANnY?While reading through OPS2#023 I came across the Freekstyle review. At the bottom of thepage we are treated to a graphical interpretation of L£ann Tweeden, the motocross riderand stupelyingiy fit undenwear mistress, with the text, and i quote, "Being a family mag wecan't reaiiy print a picture of her in the semi-buff." So why, when i tum to the Sieevenoteson page 125, does the end of the withering Morcheeba verdict dearly state, "Mine's af **ing glass of Chablis"?

Now i can remember my schoolboy days and having many scantily clad females of theday adorning my bedroom wails without any complaints from the olds, but I was given ahealthy dose of Moming Fresh washing up liquid for even attempting to say that' word!

Now i dont mind the language or the lasses but if i was given the option of one or theother.. So come on boys, prioritiesiAndy McGinn, via email

We know that swearing is neither big nor clever; but it seems that our music reviewersnapped when recalling the many hours of torture he has suffered when unwittinglyInvited to the houses of people with only three CDs In their collection (Inevitably Dido,Moby and Morcheebal and forced to make polite conversation while trip-hop muzakdribbled from the speakers like Chinese water torture We've put him on a TimeSplitters 2rehabilitation course and he's okay again now. Anyway, have yourself a stack ofCodemasters games for enduring the soapy gob treatment at the hands of your mildlyhypocritical parents, Andy

ON THE BLINKHow come, even though gamescompanies are always trying to mai^egames more realistic, the heroes in n=Sgames never seem to blink. Surely thiswould make a game a lot more realisticand true to life? And another thing whydoes Jimmy Patterson never need to takea leak like the rest of us? Surely a bit ofblinking and a few biological processesevery once in a while would give a gamethe edge over its competition?Sam Brunt, via email

Real soldiers never bilnk, and as fornipping off to the bogs, ever wonderedwhy combat pants are green?

TRIBUTE RIGHT ONi was delighted to be one of the luckywinners of the TrmeSpiltters 2 demo disc.I just wondered if anyone else had noticedthe fact that part of the music on thedemo Is recognisabiy a slowed-downversion of the Metal Gear Solid 2

ort;hestral score? it's good to see that FreeRadical is still making sly and humorous

Snake proves that there is more substance to his character than we originaiiy thoughtas he pulis some seriousiy phat air and demonstrates the 'steaith oiiie'.

tributes' to other games. In a fine traditionbegun in the original TImeSpiltters game.The most obvious references I've spottedso far are to Metal Gear Solid 2 (melons!),GoldenEye (the dam setting) and ResidentEvil Ibiohazard 'zombies' and thecontainment chamber holding whatappears to be a Tyrant).

Loved the new flame and heat hazeeffects from the flamethrower and theburning zombies lurching around likedemented BBC stuntmeni Thanks onceagain. Really looking forward to the fullgame now!Peter Ward, Kent

For everyone who wasnt lucky enough towin one of the limited editionTimeSplitters 2 demos, you can seeexactly what Peter Is talking about byloading up this issue's demo DVD - as Ifyou haven't done that already Fans ofclever movie referencing will be pleased tolearn there's plenty more where that camefrom in the full game.

WHY ARE WE WAITING?I usually have to wait for four or five daysafter your stated on sale date before 0PS2is available in any of the shops in my area,is this because 1 live in the northeast ofScotland or is it the same for everybody inthe UK? Please enlighten me. Would I beable to get hold of 0PS2 nearer the stateddate if 1 subscribe?Steven Mann, via email

OPS2#023 appeared five days late on saleeverywhere in the UK thanks to that oldfavourite, 'circumstances beyond ourcontrDi'. We con only apologise for theInconvenience. However: we're not aware

that this has happened with any otherrecent issues - unless the deliverydonkeys are suffering from frostbite upthere near the orct/c circle. If yousubscribe, you'll always get your Issue onthe very day the mag hits the shops. If nota few days before, so we'd definitelyrecommend checking out our money andtime-saving offer on page 132.

SNAKE OILNow I love Metal Gear Solid, however; toput it bluntly I was more than a littlepissed off when I read in OPS2#023 thatthe new Substance game from Konamiwill come with Sons Of Liberty and all theextras! 1 understand that this represents anamazing deal for those out there whodont already own Sons Of Liberty, butyou'd think that Konami could make adifferent disc with Just Substance on it formaybe around £20, for all those dedicatedfans who have already played the originalgame to death. I for one cant wait to playas Snake on a skateboard but I simplycant afford another £45 for a game Ialready own.Tom Moore, Leicestershire

Konami has been keen to stress that theamount of gameplay provided irySubstance alone will be equal to that ofmost other full-price PS2 games.Therefore, the Inclusion of the originalSons Of Liberty In the package should beviewed as a bonus. We'll have to wait untilwe receive review code to verity thoseclaims, but If you're not convinced, whynot trade In Sons Of Liberty now while It'sstill valuable property knowing that youcan buy it back along with the release ofSubstance In March?

14 PlayStation.E

CONCEPTUAL FL^WWhat has happened to GT Concept? I'msure many readers and fellow GT veteranswill agree with me that £25 for GTConcept is extremely overpriced. Thegame delivers just five tracks (and thereverse of each track) and a range ofabout 100 cars, many of which appearedon GTS. How disappointing

Can you remember GT2? it had about20 tracks, 300+ cars and so many racesthe iife span was Incredible linciuding tenendurance races that took hours to finish).Even GT3 ilved up to the reputation thatthe original Gran Turismo and GT2 hadbulit. I can't understand why the producersdldnt just make GT4 and create a newmilestone for racing games. Instead theyhave screwed It up making a patheticgame designed soleiy to keep youoccupied until GT4 does come out Whichieads me to my next question: when wllithe coloured PS2s be on sale?John Carter, Chesterfieid

Our GT Concept review didnt tell it anyother way, John. We explained that foranyone hooked on the engrossing 'RPG'elements of previous Gran Turismogames, Concept might represent adisappointment, in essence, the titlerepresented a bit of an indulgence forPoiyphony Digital who wanted to pushtheir physics engine to be able to includecars that dont even exist yet Plenty of

gamers out there have been happy topart with £25 to share in this indulgence,but no-one has been pretending that GTConcept is a deep game, or any kind ofsubstitute for GT4. That will come in time

As for the coloured PS2s, they will onlybe available via ukplaystation.com Instrictly limited quantities Keep checkingthe s i te fo r an announcement

DUMB AND DUMBERIt seems to me that what was once a

forward-moving entertainment medium isnow dumbing down for the morons. It'sapparent that neariy everything beingreleased on PS2 is either a simplified portof a PC game or yet another racing,fighting, footbali or shoot-'em-up sequei.

It seems developers and magazinesare convinced that ali of us buying PS2titles are a bit on the stupid side. Sureiy Itis not true that we all need to be held bythe hand and ied gently through ourgaming experience as if incapable ofdealing with any form of complexity?l

Why, when a perfectly good strategygame is converted to Sony's box of tricks.Is all depth and cerebrai challengeremoved? The preview of Conflict: DesertStorm is a good example of this. In yourarticle, the second and third paragraphsdeal Immediately with any fear peoplemay have that this game could requireactual thought. This is obviously for thebenefit of people who get scared of wordswith more than three syiiabies or have anattention span measured In nano-seconds.

Having talked about this with friends itappears that mine is not an uncommonfeeiing As a result, many people are nowgoing back to the PC for their gamingpleasure as It seems to be the onlyplatform offering any reai depth or

longevity. Someone who works for awell-known video chain store told me

C o d e m a s t e r s 'T O C > \ R a c e

Driver is out noi(£39.99 RRP).

ATTENTION ALL TXT PEOPLE! The number to send your text messages to has changed.From now on, text all your messages about PS2 and this magazine to 86188. You MUSTbegin the message with 0PS2_ before tapping out your words of wisdom so that theyreach us intact. With 0PS2's shiny new text service you'll soon be able to:□ WIN STUFF! Enter competitions to win great prizes□ BE IN THE MAG! Vote in our mag polls for your favourite games□ INSIDER KNOWLEDGE! Find out what's new for PS2 in the next issue of 0PS2*rhe cost of sending your message to us will be 25p per text, cheaper than a first-das:stamp and quicker than wrinkly old snail mail. If you wish to stop receiving PS2information, just text OPS2 STOP to the number above.

TELL l€ HOU 2 I3ET 4TH UEAPONS ON BYNftSTYUARRIDRS 3 TELL it OR I WILL SHAVE OFF HYEYEBROUS UITH SHflHE !!! _ After plaving vourHIB2 DEMO, Bv '3CCMJ«it' it got .iestroved intte .icrOMve! _ ONE BY »E T)C LEPRICHAUNSSTEAL NY SANITY, IWLE THE PENGUINS EAT MYSOUL - ROLLY _ Hip me pise, cant firid tetrisanvuJtiere,(Bissus tuants it ,ive got eareche _MOHIFL helped ue SET A At on tv historvassi»«nt! JACK _ KEUL MAG! ITS DA BESTAROUND! KEEP UF' DA GOOD HORK! AJ _ CAN PEOPLEPLEASE STOP SAYING DA, I HATE TEXT LANGUAGE

YOU LAZY BASTARDS _ Ttt GETAUAY LOOKS SO COOLI CANT UAIT TO SPEQ DOUN OXFORD STREET ATtOOH>H _ I think I need to 30 to rehab, I'MHOOKED ON re2. Snake Fi Scotland _ WHY CAN ALESS POWERFUL BEAT ME? AI CHEATS, GT (CAN_ Hello I cant Uait4 Vice CITv KYLE _ DO Ueve Wonder iho wod »in In a fite? SOLIDSNAKE tMGS2) OR DANTE (DMIL MAY CRY) HMMH,,.?_ Fireblade is da tfOfflb! Lonj-Live Ainuolflkouminfcova in saash court, all »e wnt tokno« is do thev bounce? _ ROLL ON FIFA2003 . . , SPURS 4 THE T ITLE ! ! !

recently that game rental has gonethrough the roof over the last year Couldthis be because many people are findingthat they can pay £3.50 for a game thencomplete the thing in a couple of daysbefore returning smugly having saved overIt30? This Is all well and good but quickfixes get dull after a while and you findyourself craving something more engaging

Maybe I've outgrown consoles, maybemost people playing PS2 games really doneed things to be simple There must beother people out there who crave gameswith reai challenge but the PS2 is capableof so much more and deserves betterStewart Lucas, Nonwlch

Sure, there's a frightening amount ofgeneric dross out there. But think for aminute about how snobbish you sound.Just because a game doesn't come witha manual the size of the Tokyo phonebook (hello most PC strategy gomesj

Warning: this game may require actualthought! Please approach with care.

doesn't mean It must be for thickos.Games with simple contexts can oftenturn out to be the most varied andenjoyable experiences, especially Inmultlplayer And many players dontnecessarily want a game that takes overtheir lives - they just wanna have fun.

To be eligible for a prize, remember toinclude your full name and address.0PS2 reserves the right to edit lettersfor clarity and style.

Coloured PS2s will not be easy to find.Keep your eyes on uk.playstation.com.

I !

PlayStation E

#021: Exclusive UK Spidey review,Tekken 4, Deus Ex tips, plus nineplayable demos including MOH:Fmntiine, Frequency and RedCord.

Want to get your hands on the issues people are discussing in Postal? Come raidour warehouse for issues you've missed. All issues feature playable demo discs.

M A S S I V E €3 R E P O R T i N S P C i

#022: Exclusive feature on DevilMay Cry 2, plus Winning Eleven 6.V'Raily 3 and playable demos of Fl2002, Time Crisis 2 and more.

#023: Full Stuntmon review andplayable demo, exclusive MrTinterview. Also on ttie disc; MJB H.Fireblade and Project ZERO.

PlayStation 2/ o m c w i m c u w t t w

R R C eO R I U E R

#024: Payable demo and reviewof TOCA Race Driver, Also on theDVD: Confl/ct Desert Storm,Downforce and Need For Speed 2.

To order back Issues of 0PS2, write to Official PlayStation 2 Back Issues, Future Publishing, Gary 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 World). Supplies limited.

Play5tation.E ]

□ £0PS2's Dr Paul Fitzpatrick cracks open your gaming rib cage and gets to the lieart of tlie matter

1. How do you beat the Fortinbras at theend of Onlmusho: Warlords?A n o n

1. The easiest way to defeat old demonfeatures Is to get hold of the BIshamonSword before you head in for theshowdown. To get this you'll first need tohave battled through all 20 levels of thedark realm (watched over by the funnylittle caterpillar guy remember hlm?l. Thiswill give you the BIshamon flute needed toaccess the mighty sword from the antechamber to Fortinbras's loir

This said you don't need theBIshamon sword to bring the boss down.As long as you have your weaponscharged up with magic and a few pots ofmedicine you'll be fine. Fortinbras' lasergaze is pretty predictable so just keepmoving ahead of It The same is true ofhis fire breath. Providing you block andkeep right back you'll never get toastedThe Lightning is harder to dodge but notimpossible In fact, when the pink lightsstart moving out towards you It's a prettygood time to get In close and hitFortinbras with everything you've got.When your magic's exhausted, use thebow and the matchlock Be patient anddon't lose your nerve. It will take a whilebut you will bring him down

1. I've unlocked nearly everything in StarWars: Racer Revenge, but I cant seem toget Darth Iviaui, Darth Vader or Watto'spodracers. is it possible? How do I do it?Alexander Hutchinson, Ivianchester

1. Yes It is possible. To get Watto, youneed to get the top three best lap timesfor every track To unlock Darth Maul you'llhave to get the top KO score In all races.And to get your hands on Mr D Vader youhave to unlock Watto, Darth Maul and

Episode I Anakin (you should have himalreadyl and then complete theTournament mode with one of thesecharacters. Bob's your Lord of the Sith.

1.1 recently bought Maximo and am nowcompletely stuck on the third boss(Captain Cadaver), How do 1 kill him tocontinue with the game?David Lloyd, Clw/yd

1. What you need to do is knock theCaptain's peg leg into one of the grateson the floor where it'll get stuck andrender him vulnerable To be honest, hisattacks arent that strong, so if you blockyou should be able to get pretty close tohim. Then crouch Ipress ml and hit thatpeg leg like there's no tomorrow. You'llsoon wear h im down.

1. Will there be Command & Conquer,Sim City, Parasite Eve or Thrill Kill gameson PS2?2. Do you have any Information on Aliens:Colonia l Mar ines?

3. Got any cheats for Army Men: RTS! Ikeep running out of plastic on some ofthe later levels.

Brad Spours, Sunderland

1. There are currently no plans for theCommand & Conquer series to come toPS2. That said, 7 Studios (comprisingex-Westwood's team members! Is themaker of Arthurian action RTS, Ijegion:Legend Of Excaiibur Check out the reviewon page 108 to see If any of the C&Cspirit has made It through. No sign of SimCity as yet, although Maxis is releasingThe Sims through EA You can see what'sIn store in our feature on page 80. As forParasite Eve ond Thrill Kill, no sightings2. All things xenomorphic and glass-fanged have gone a bit quiet recently

SURGERY; A CUP OF HOT GAMING LEMSIPQuick-fix DIY doctrine with a twist of citrus.

Who's first for the acidic paracetamol suspension?^ Ttils month it's Pippa Sargent asking If buying a PS2

game while on holiday in France will mean she'llhave to brush up on her French. It does depend onthe individual game developer, but a good deal ofPAL region games have subtitle/language options tocover the major European countries so you shouldbe okay Who's next? Simon Dixon would like to

.know how to unlock Lu Bu in Dynasty Warriors 2.

S T ' " . t ' r r . T ' "level 2 iHu Lao Gatel, We say 'just' but this task isdefinitely easier said than done Last up is Ross Sivems who'd like to know where thehidden power cell is in the Volcano hub in Jak And Daxter Well, it's hidden in a toughenedcrate found in the rock face near the entrance to the spider cave Now you need to findsome Yellow Eco. Don't foiiget to pick up your prescription on the way out!

Officially the game Is still in developmentbut we're beginning to wonder If theproject isn't in trouble Perhaps someoneshould visit the developer and make surethe team Isn't gurrimed up with eggssitting In front of them...3. To get 5000 plastic, hold cb and press

That should help youwin the war

L Since my PS2 was a month old It hasbeen making irritating creaking andcracking noises which continue to sounda few seconds after the machine Isswitched off, 1 have a feeling this is entirelyharmless, but can you please reassure methat my PS2 Is okay?Karl Savage, Barnsley

1. Is your beloved PS2 getting enoughventilation around the back? Do you playIt for very long periods of time? It soundslike the creaking noises could just beyour machine cooling down after a heavysesh Ithe warm casing contracts as Itcoolsl. However; let your Instincts be yourguide If the cracking sounds mechanicalor your PS2 is showing signs of notworking as well as it used to when youplay it may be worth getting It seen toby a professional.

1. I've played Shadow Of Memories twiceand i can only access a C rating. What amI doing wrong?2. Can you tell me how to access the fourother endings?Graham Haughton, Co Durham

1. There are eight different endings toShadow Of Memories and you need toexperience all of them In order to get aperfect rating.2. We don't have enough space to go intodetail here, but the endings can all beinfluenced by a combination of actions atfive key moments in the game. These are:Chapter 5 Margarete The AncestressChapter 8 Returning DanaChapter 8 Finding HomunculusChapter 8 The Fortuneteller's IdentityChapter 8 The Destroyed LabTrnker with these and you'll eventually seeall eight possible endings.

1. I'm quite stuck near the beginning ofIco. Having come off the rail track andsuccessfully negotiated the crane withYorda, ico Is unable to proceed with Yordain any of the obvious directions. Sherefuses to descend the chain which willlead to the magic doors. Can you help?John Pring Battersea

1. Make your way to the upper level of theMonastery. Ignore the dangling chain andJump up on to the window sills Climb upand then take the ladder up to the beam.Run to the chandelier and drop downonto it It will fall down onto the bridgeand damage the column supporting it.Now head to the lower level where thebombs are situated Pick up one of thebombs and place it by the crackedcolumn. Now head to the piece of thechandelier and press @ to light the emof your stick Light the bomb, stand wellback and the bridge will collapse, givingyou and your pasty friend a way to get tothe Idol Gate. Job done

1. If you complete 100 per cent of GTAIII,do you get a fourth island?2. Can I use the PSone G-Con 45 withVampire Night on PS2?Evin Power, Ireland

1. No.2. Yes,

1. Grand Theft Auto III is one of the bestgames I've ever played, 1 am now playingit for the second time, but I still can'tfigure out how to fly the Dodo. Is therea way to do it?lain Simpson, Angus

1. Yes there Is Get yourself lined up onone of the runways at FrancisInternational Airport (you can use thesame one as the big Jets - they'll gostraight through the Dodo], Now rev upthe engine while holding down mRelease oi and push t on the analoguestick to keep the Dodo's nose down as Itpicks up speed (remember we're flying, sot will make the Dodo dip and i willmake its nose rise]. As soon as sparksstart flying from the underside, you can letgo of the analogue stick briefly and, witha bit of luck you'll take off. But be careful.The Dodo Is very unstable. Do not raise itsnose. It'll climb rapidly, you'll stall andcrash. If you can't tell whether you're flyingstraight, use m or cb to get a helpfulside view. Likewise, when steering, use thelightest of taps to change your directionor you will crash With a little bit ofpractice you'll be able to discover all sortsof goodies you never knew existed. Enjoy

Send all your game and technicalqueries to: Sutgery, Official PlayStationMagazine, Future Publishing, 30Monmouth Street, Bath BAl 2BW.Or email PS2postal@iuturenet.co.uk,marldng it 'Surger/. Get writing now!

Play5tation.2

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4 00

WargamesIs it a game or is it real?

What the military is doing with your pastimeE 1 1 4 : o n s a l e n o w

Edge is a i^gistered trcdemark of EDGE irtsracfive f/edta. Used uid

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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 sonne more. Want thedefinitive verdicts on the 308 PS2 games available right now? Then welcome to me Shortlist.

0 P S 2 A W A R D STo filter out the pearis fromthe swine, OPS^s reviewsincorporate a colour-codedratings system.

PlayStation.E

G O L DOnly awarded togames that score(he full 10/10.

PlayStaUoQig

S I LV E Rh . Awarded to tit les

that score 9/10.

' PlayStatigmE

vV BRONZEM Awarded to titles

that score 8/10.

4 X 4 E V O L U T I O N(Take 2/Termlnal Reality]Flash but slack off-road 4x4 racerRev iewed 0ps2#06/0vera l l 05

7 B L A D E S(Konami/KCEJ)NInja-styled adventure game.Reviewed 0ps2#05/0vera l l 06

1 8 W H E E L E R(Acclaim/Sega/Acclaim Cheltenham)Chunky and colourful truck racerReviewed OPS2#14/Overall 06

2 0 0 2 H F A W O R L D C U P(EA Sports/EA Canada)The latest footy offering from FIFAReviewed OPS2#21/Overal l 06

A C E C O M B A T:D I S TA N T T H U N D E R(SCEE/Namco)Graphically-polished flight sim.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overal i 07

AGE OF EMPIRES 11:T H E A G E O F K I N G S(Konami/Microsof t /Ensemble Studios/KCET)Real-time in-depth strategy game.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overal l 07

^AGGRESSIVE INUNE(Acclalm/Z-Axis)Highly addictive skate game.Reviewed OPS2#23/OveraH 0«

VVAIRBLADElA (SCEE/Criterion)Extreme hoverboarding action.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overai l 06

A L L - S TA RB A S E B A L L 2 0 0 2(Acclaim/AcclaimStudios Austin)Baseball game with loads of depth.Rev iewed 0p$2#07/0vera i i 07

A L L - S TA R B A S E B A L L2 0 0 3 : F E AT U R I N GD E R E K J E T E R(Acclaim/Acclaim)Highly detailed, very playable.Rev iewed 0ps2#20 /0vera l 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)Survival horror that fai ls to scare.Reviewed OPS2#13/OveraH 06

AQUA AQUA; WETRDC 2.0(SCi/Zed TWO)Update of the N64 puzzler Wetr/xRev iewed 0ps2#01 /0vera i l 07

A R C T I C T H U N D E R(Midway/Midway/Inland Productions)Fast and furious but crude visuals.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal i 07

A R M O R E D C O R E 2(Ubi Soft/From Software)First-person mech shooter.Rev iewed 0ps2#04 /0vera l l 07

A R M O R E D C O R E 2 :A N O T H E R A G E(Metro3D/From Software)Frenet ic robot act ion.Reviewed OPS2#23/Overai i 07

A R M Y M E N A I R AT TA C K :B L A D E ' S R E V E N G E{3DO/3DO)Dullsville helicopter gameReviewed OF»S2#09/Overail 02

A R M Y M E N :G R E E N R O G U E(3DO/3DO)Shooter starring little plastic men.Reviewed OF»S2#08/Overali 01

A R M Y M E N : R T S(3D0/Pandemlc Studios)Fun and playable wargame.Reviewed OPS2#22/Overal l 06

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 shooterReviewed OPS2#07/Over3l l 03

AT L A N T I S I I I :T H E N E W W O R L D(Cryo/Cryo)Tedious first-person adventure.Rev iewed 0ps2#20 /0vera l l 02

AT V O F F R O A D(SCEE/Rainbow Studios)Quad bike stunt racerReviewed 0ps2#10/0vera l i 06

☆BALDUR'S GATE:D A R K A L L I A N C E(Interplay/Black Isle Studios)RPG that does PS2 great Justice.Reviewed OPS2#15/Overa1i 08

B A R B A R I A N(VIE/Saffire)Fast-paced, multi-fighter action.Reviewed OPS2#23/Overai l 06

B A S S S T R I K E(THQ/PAI Corporation Ltd)Fishing? Get out and do It for real!Reviewed: OPS2#15/Overal i 04

B A T M A N V E N G E A N C E(Ubi Soft/Ubi Soft)Coo l comic book adven tu re .Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 06

B L O O D O M E N 2(Eidos/Crystal Dynamics)Arcade-style adventure game.Reviewed OPS2#20/Overai l 06

B L O O D Y R O A R 3(Virgin/Hudsonsoft)Fur F?ghters meets mVFRev iewed 0ps2#09 /0vera l l 06

B R T T N E T S D A N C E B E AT(T>1Q/Metro Graphics)Rhythm action dance auditioningReviewed OPS2#22/Overai l 06

VVBURNOUTVa [Acclaim/Criterion Studios)Thrilling, edgy race action that willthreaten your no-claims bonus.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overal l 08

☆CAPCOMV S S N K 2(Capcom Eurosoft/Capcom)Superb 2D beat-'em-up.Reviewed OPS2#15/Overaii 08

C A R T F U R YC H A M P I O N S H I P R A C I N G[Midway/Midway)Arcade racer with crazy physics.Rev iewed 0ps2#10 /0vera l l 06

C A S P E R ; S P I R I TD I M E N S I O N S(TDK/Luclqr Chicken)H a l f - d e c e n t c a r t o o n l i c e n c eReviewed OPS2#20/Overai l 04

C E N T R E C O U R T:H A R D H I T T E R(Midas Interactive/Magical Company)Cheap, arcade-style tennis game.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overai l 04

C I R C U S M A X I M U S :C H A R I O T W A R S(THQ/Kodiak)Race and stab in this chariot sIm.Reviewed OPS2#23/Overal l 06

C I T Y C R I S I S(Take 2/Syscom)Innovative helicopter adventure.Reviewed OPS2#10/Overall 06

^COMMANDOS 2:, . M E N O F C O U R A G E

(Eidos/Pyro)Rewarding WWII strategy game.Huge levels and bonus missions.Reviewed OPS2#21/Overall 08

☆s

☆ !

7CONFUCT:. D E S E RT S TO R M

(SCi/Ph^otal)Third-person Gulf War shooterwith a team-based spin.Reviewed OPS2#24/Overal l 08

C O N F U C T Z O N E(Ubi Soft/MASA)Solid, functional RTS. Nothing new.Rev iewed 0ps2#20 /0vera l l 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/Traveller's Tales)Crash spins onto PS2.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal i 06

^CRAZYTAXIM (Acclaim/Sega/Acclaim)Arcade thrills aplenty in this no-holds-barred city-smashing racerReviewed OPS2#07/Overa» 08

☆CRICKET 2002(EA Sports/EA Sports)Fantas t ic lea ther -on-wi l low s im.Reviewed OPS2#15/Overal i 08

D A R K C L O U D(SCEE/Level 5)An Innovative, atmospheric RPG.Rev iewed 0PS2# l l /0veraH 07

D A R K S U M M I T(THQ/Radical Entertainment)Snowboarding with a bizarre story.Reviewed OPS2#19/Overall 05

D AV E M I R R AFREESTYLE BMX 2(Acclaim/Z-Axis)BMX Sim with an array of tricks.Reviewed OPS2#12/Overai l 07

D A V I D B E C K H A MS O C C E R(Rage/Rage)Not golden, just balls.Reviewed OPS2#22/Overal i 04

D E A D O R A U V E 2(SCEE/Tecmo)A blistering, buxom beat-'em-up.Reviewed OPS2#02/Overal l 07

^ . .DEUS EX(Eidos/lon Storm)

A triumphant multi-genre fusionthat breeds new FPS intelligence.Rev iewed 0ps2#20 /0vera l l 09

D E V I L M AY C R Y(Capcom Eurosoft/Capcom)

Rip-roaring battling and a superbgothic atmosphere.Reviewed 0PS2#14/0verar{ 09

D I N O S TA L K E R(Capcom/Capcom)Enjoyable Gun Surv/vorgame.Reviewed OPS2#24/Overai l 07

D I S N E Y ' S D I N O S A U R(Ubi Soft/Ubi Soft)Below average movie spin-off.Reviewed OPS2#03/Overai l 04

D N A(Virgin Interactive/Hudsonsoft)Gene warfare manga adventure.Reviewed OPS2#l4/Overa l l 06

D O N A L D D U C K :QUACK ATTACK(Ubi Soft/Disney Interactive)First generation platfomierRev iewed 0ps2#04 /0vera l l 04

D O W N F O R C E(Virgin Interactive/Smartdog)Pretty decent spin on Fl racingReviewed OPS2#21/Overal i 06

D R A G O N ' S L A I R(Digital Leisure/Cinematronlcs)Ret ro adventure .Rev iewed 0ps2#03 /0vera l l 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/C>veraii 01

D R A K E N : T H EA N C I E N T S ' G AT E S(SCEE/Surreal Software)Medieva l ac t ion adventure .Reviewed OPS2#18/Overal l 07

D R I V E N(BAM! Entertainment/BAM! Studios Europe)Dodgy film-inspired racerReviewed: 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)B land and unemo t i ona l r ace rReviewed OPS2#05/Overai l 04

^DROPSHIP: UNITEDM P E A C E F O R C E

(SCEE/Studio Camden)Combat Sim that rewards pacedand varied gameplay.Reviewed OPS2#16/OveraH 08

D Y N A S T Y W A R R I O R S 2(Midas Interactive/KOEI)Epic battler mixing strategy, swonjslashing and horse ridingReviewed OPS2#02/Overal l 07

^DYNASTYM W A R R I O R S 3

(KOEI/Omega Force)Beat-'em-up combined with thestrategy of wargames.Reviewed OPS2#19/Overail 08

☆ECCO THED O L P H I N :D E F E N D E R O FT W E F U T U R E

(SCEE/Sega/Appaloosa)Relax in the New /^e calm of thisunderwater adventure .Reviewed OPS2#16/Overall 08

☆EJAY CLUBWORLD(Empire Interactive/EJay Corporation)Rewarding music creation game.Reviewed OPS2#24/Overatl OS

E N D G A M E(Empire Interactive/Cunning Developments)Half-arsed llghtgun shooterReviewed OPS2#23/Overal l 03

EOE; EVE OFE X H N C n O N(Eidos/Yuke's)Puzzles, action, adventure.Rev iewed 0ps2#20 /0vera l l 05

E P H E M E R A L F A N TA S I A(Konami/KCEJ East)Bemani-style RPG.Reviewed OPS2#10/Overall 07

^ESCAPE FROMM O N K E Y I S L A N D

(Activision/LucasArts)Enthralling adventure with wfttyscript and challenging puzzles.Reviewed OPS2#09/Overal l 08

E S P N I N T E R N AT I O N A LT R A C K & H E L D(Konami/KCEOjGraphically Impressive athletics sim.Reviewed OPS2#01/Overall OS

E S P N I N T E R N A T I O N A LW I N T E R S P O R T S|Konaml/KCEO|Event-based winter sports sim.Reviewed OPS2#18/Overal l 05

E S P N N A T I O N A LH O C K E Y N I G H T(Konami/KCEO)Other hockey sims with bettergameplay put this in the sin bin.Reviewed OPS2#05/OveraH 06

E S P N N B A 2 N I G H T(Konami/KCEO)For basketball heads onlyRev iewed 0ps2#05 /0vera i l 06

E S P N N B A2 N I G H T 2 0 0 2(Konami/KCET)Dry but tight NBA basketball sim,Reviewed OPS2#22/Overal l 05

E S P N X G A M E SS K A T E B O A R D I N G(Konami/KCEO)Not-vety-extreme 'boarding sim.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overal 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 snowboanjer, ruined bya dist inct lack of exci tement.Rev iewed 0ps2#01 /0vera l l 06

E S P N X G A M E SS N O W B O A R D I N G 2 0 0 2(Konami/KCEO)A rather poor snowboard sim.Reviewed OPS2#18/Overai i 04

E T E R N A L R I N G(Ubi Soft/From Software)Japanese RPG. As painful as Its title.Rev iewed 0ps2#05 /0vera l l 03

E V E R B L U E(Capcom/Arika)Undersea diving RPG adventure.Reviewed OPS2#22/Overal l 03

E V E R G R A C E(Ubi Soft/CraveEntertainment/From Software)A no-less-than-depressing RPG.Rev iewed 0ps2#06 /0vera l l 02

E V I L T W I N(Ubi Soft/ln-Utero)Dark adventure platformerReviewed OPS2#17/Overaii 05

E X T E R M I N A T I O N(SCEE/Deep Space)A//en-insplred survival horror-fest.Reviewed OPS2#08/Overal l 07

xA-EXTREME-G 3(Acclaim/Acclaim)

A neon beast of a future bikeracer that requires skill and brains.R e v i e w e d 0 P S 2 # l l / 0 v e r a l I 0 8

F l 2 0 0 1(EA Sports/EA Sports)Another solid PS2 Fl title, buta little soulless with it.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overai l 07

F l 2 0 0 2(EA Sports/EA Sports)Tuned In interpretation of the sportReviewed OPS2#22/Overal l 07

F l 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)Too easy for hardcore Fl fans.Reviewed OPS2#03/Overal l 06

F l R A C I N GC H A M P I O N S H I P(Video System/Ubi Soft)A lot less fun than its competitors.Reviewed OPS2#06/Overal i 05

F A N T A V I S I O N(SCEE/SCEI)The world's first fireworks game.Reviewed OPS2#01/Overai l 07

R F A 2 0 0 1(EA Sports/EA Sports Canada)Premier League graphics,Second Division gameplayRev iewed 0ps2#02 /0vera l l 06

H F A 2 0 0 2(EA Sports/EA Sports Canada)Another year, another F/FAReviewed 0PS2#14/0ver3H 07

38 PlayStation,?

S I X o pb h e b e s bPLATINUM GAMES

i h e s h a r - c z l i s t

1 . S S XSSXTricky may have since claimed itsforerunner's ctcwn, but for many the originalholds the happier memories. Atradesnowboarding like you've never seen before:obscenely OTT tricks, neverending pistes, akiller soundtrack and bags of attitude.*SSX fs out now from EA Sports

2 . CT3: A-SPECThis now-legendarydriving simulation wonthe affection of scoresof PS2 owners withthe first truly next-gengraphics and quiteliterally years ofgameplay potential,*Gr3:A-spec )S outnow from SCEE

3 . T I M E S P L n T E R SThe single-playeroption of this FPSmight have been a bitof a let down, but theMultlplayer mode stillremains one of thebest on PS2. Until'Splitters 2, of course.mrneSplittetB Is outnow from E/dos

4 . T O N Y H A W K ' SP R O S K AT E R 3A huge success onPSone, this bestsellingskateboardingfranchise Is evenbigger and bolder onthe PS2 - and it'splayable online too.*Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3Is out now from Activfslon

5 . W O R L D R A L LYC H A M P I O N S H I PThe game that set thestandard for rallygames to follow. Fewcompetitors havemanaged to live up toits sweeping vistasand realistic handling.*Wotid Rally Championship/s out now from SCEE

6 . RED FACTIONAn engrossing Mat^-based first-persons h o o t e r m o s tmemorable for itsGeo Mod technologythat enabled you toshoot through walls,*Red Faction Is out nowfrom TWO

^FINAL FANTASY XW (SCEE/Square)The best-looking RPG on PS2.Challenging, captivating and huge.Reviewed OPS2#20/Overal l 08

H R E B L A D E(Midway/Kuju)Arcade-style helicopter game.Reviewed OPS2#22/Overal i 07

^FORMULA, O N E 2 0 0 1

(SCEE/Studlo Uverpool)Load it up and feel the speed.Rev iewed ops2#07 /0vera l l 08

F R A N K H E R B E R r SD U N E(Cryo/Wide)Poor bookish act ion adventure.Reviewed OPS2#20/Overall 03

F R E A K O U T(Swingl/lheasure)Unique cartoon action-adventurewith a kooky japanese twist.Reviewed OF»S2#12/Overal 07

F R E E K S T Y L E(EA Sports/Page 44)Motocross Sim. SSX on bilges.Reviewed OPS2#23/Overal l 06

^FREQUENCYM (SCEE/SCEA)

Hypnotic rhythm action game.Wildly addictive and original.Reviewed OPS2#21/Overa!l 08

F R O G G E R : T H EGREAT QUEST(Konami/KCEA)3D makeover of the 2D coin-op.Reviewed OPS2#21/Overail 02

^ F U RW F I G H T E R S

(Acclaim/Bizarre Creations)Cute flufly creatures with guns.Rev iewed 0ps2#08/0vera l l 08

G 1 J O C K E Y(KOEI/KOEI)Horse racing comes to PS2.Reviewed OPS2#20/Overal l 05

G A U N T L E T:D A R K L E G A C Y(Midway/Midway East Games)Linear RPG that's a paie imitationof its coin-op ancestor.Reviewed OPS2#08/Overal l 05

G I A N T S :C m Z E N K A B U T O(Interplay/Planet Moon)Port of a complex PC battle game.Reviewed: OPS2#15/Overal l 06

G I F T(Cryo Interactive/Ekosystem)New take on the 3D platformerReviewed OPS2#10/Overal l 06

^GITAROO MANM (KOEI/KOEI)Perfectly silly musical guitar-playing cartoon adventure.Reviewed OPS2#21/Overali 08

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)Racing Sim with short courses,Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 07

G O D A l :E L E M E N TA L F O R C E(3DO/3DO)Martial arts parody beat-'em-up.Reviewed OPS2#18/Overal l 02

G R A D I U S I I I & I V(Konami/KCET)Dull 2D arcade shooter.Reviewed 0PS2#01/Overal l 02

G R A N D I A I I(Ubi Soft/GameArts)Big but ugly RPG game.Reviewed OPS2#20/Overal i 05

^GRAND THEFTM AUTO III

(Rockstar Games/DMA Design)Nothing else quite as sick andfunny on the shelves. Buy it.Reviewed OPS2#13/OveraH 08

, O R A N T U R I S M O3 : A - S P E C

(SCEE/Polyphony Digital)GT3 Is the greatest driving gamein the world. Buy it now.Reviewed OPS2#09/Overal! 09

G - S U R F E R S(Midas Interactive/Blade Interactive)Futuristic racer that's improved byan innovat ive t rack ed i to rReviewed OPS2#13/OveraH 07

G T C O N C E P T: 2 0 0 2T O K Y O - G E N E V A(SCEE/Polyphony Digital)GT3 lite'. Dream car driving sImwith 85% style, 15% game,Reviewed OPS2#23/Overal l 06

^GUILTY. G E A R X

(Vit^in/Sammy)The start of a new wave ofnext-gen 2D fighters.Reviewed OPS2#16/OveraH 08

G U N G R I F F O N B L A Z E(Swingl/GameArts)A mech shooter for nDbot fans.Reviewed OPS2#03/Overal i 07

H 3 0 S U R H N G(Take 2/ASCII)Inadequate surf sim.Reviewed OPS2#02/Overal l 04

H A L F - U F E(Vivendi Universal/Valve/Gearbox)

The award-winning PC FPS arriveson PS2 In resplendent form.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overai! 09

H E A D H U N T E R(SCEE/Amuze)An action adventure where DirtyHarty meets MGS2.Reviewed OPS2#16/OveralI 07

^HERDY GERDYM (Eidos/Core Design)Quirky herding 3D adventure.Reviewed OPS2#18/OveraH 08

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.Reviewed OPS2#08/Overal l 03

H I G H H E AT B A S E B A L L(3DO/3DO)Flexible, dirty-knee baseball game.Reviewed OPS2#22/Overal l 06

H O L O G R A MT I M E T R AV E L L E R(Digital Leisure/Sega)Avoid this like the plague.Reviewed OPS2#03/Overal l 00

.-.A^ICO' ' (SCEE/SCEI)For those looking for somethingdeeper in an adventure game.Reviewed 0PS2#18/0ver3H 09

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 Di alEntertainment/Tai to)Easily one of the worst footysims ever to grace PS2.Reviewed 0PS2#10/Overal l 02

^INTERNATIONALW SUPERSTAR

S O C C E R(Konami/KCEO)Taking ISS up to PS2 level. Thisfooty Sim will take over your life.Reviewed 0PS2#01/0vGfal i 08

I R O N A C E S 2 :B I R D S O F P R E Y(Xlcat/Xicat)Flight Sim in which you fly yourway through aviation history.Reviewed OPS2#18/Overal l 04

I S S 2(Konami/KCE OSA]Cheesy arcade football gameRev iewed ops2#20 /0vera l l 07

J A D E C O C O O N 2(Ubi Soft/Genki)'Adul t Pokimon' RPG with a twist .Reviewed OPS2#19/Ovcral l 07

J A K A N D; D A X T E R : T H E

P R E C U R S O RL E G A C Y

(SCEE/Naughty Dog)Brilliant platformer from themakers of Crush Bandicoot :Reviewed OPS2#15/Ovcral l 09

J A M E S B O N DM 007 IN... AGENT

U N D E R F I R E(EA/EA Redwood Shores)A Single-player Bond experience,with a great four-player mode.Reviewed OPS2#15/Overall OS

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)Motocross minus the thr i l l .Reviewed OPS2#16/Overal l 03

J E T S K I R I D E R S(Eidos/Opus Coiporation)Great water effects and let-skis.Reviewed: OPS2#15/Overall OS

J E T I O N G P(Ubi Soft/Crave Entertainment)A poor WipEout anti-grav clone.Reviewed 0PS2#21/0veral l 01

J O N N Y M O S E L YM A D T R I X(3DO/3DO)Tricks on skis. Offers nothing new.Reviewed OPS2#18/Overal l 04

☆ l

☆li

K E N G O : M A S T E RO F B U S H I D O(Ubi Soft/UghtWeight)Rather limited Ninja fighterReviewed OPS2#07/Overal l 06

K E S S E N(Electronic Arts/KOEI)RTS set in feudal Japan.Reviewed OPS2#04/Overai l 07

K E S S E N I I(KOEI/KOEI)3D strategy wafgame.Reviewed OPS2#18/Overall 07

K I N G ' S H E L D ;T H E A N C I E N T C I T Y(From Software/Agetec)Below standard RPG.Reviewed OPS2#23/Overal l 03

^KLONOA 2:, LUNATEA'S VEIL

(SCEE/Namco)Cute and cheerful platformerReviewed OPS2#13/Overal l 08

K N O C K O U TK I N G S 2 0 0 1(EA Sports/EA Sports)A competent boxing sim.Reviewed OPS2#05/Overal l 06

K N O C K O U T K I N G S 2 0 0 2(EA Sports/EA Sports)The four th insta lment o f thewell-established boxing sim.Reviewed OPS2#19/Overall 07

K U R l K U R I M I X(Empire/From Software)Cutesy platfomierReviewed OPS2#07/Overal l 07

L A K E M A S T E R S E X(Midas Interactive/Dazz Corporation)Dull fishing game. Very dull.Reviewed OPS2#20/Overal l 02

L E G E N D S O FW R E S T U N G(Acclaim/Acclaim)Violent ballet' with a shortage ofmodes and options.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overal l 05

L E G O R A C E R S 2(Lego Software/ATD)Average. Give us more bricks!Reviewed OPS2#14/Overall 05

, . L E M A N S^ 2 4 H O U R S

(Infogrames/Melbourne House)Depth and thrills in abundance.Reviewed OPS2#09/Overal l 08

LE TOUR DE FRANCE(Konami/KCE Osaka)Cycling game that adds newslants to the racing genre.Reviewed OPS2#23/Overal l 06

; rLMA, .MANAGER 2002

(Codemasters/Codemasters)Very slick footy management sim.Reviewed OPS2#20/OveraH 08

L O T U S C H A L L E N G E(Virgin Interactive/Kuju)A t^tus fan's dream. Just a shamethe speed Isn't conveyed.Reviewed OPS2#14/OveraH 05

^ M A D D E NM N F L 2 0 0 1(EA Sports/EA Sports)A rewarding NFL game. Couldeven conver t non-bel ievers.Reviewed OPS2#Ol/Overat} 08

M A D D E NN F L 2 0 0 2

(EA Sports/EA Sports)Exemplary American football titlewith a pristine pedigree.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overa« 09

M A D M A E S T R O l(Eidos (Fr^sh Games)/SCEI)A very welcome addition to thertiythm action familyReviewed OPS2#20/Overal l 06

M A G I X M U S I C M A K E R(Fast Trak/Magix)Music creation game with loads ofsounds and a freai^ Video mode.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overal! 06

M A X P A Y N E(Rockstar/Remedy)Classy shooter with a dark storyline and Motr/x-styie Bullet Time.Reviewed OPS2#18/Overai l 07

M A X I M OVvi (Capcom Eurosoft/

Capcom Digital Studios)Plat form adventure fun wi thswords and young men in pants.Reviewed OPS2#18/Overai l 08

☆MDK2A R M A G E D D O N(Interplay/BioWare)This third-person action shooterhas lost nothing in translation.Reviewed OPS2#07/OveraH 08

. OF HONOR:

(EA/EA U)Experience war at its rawest inthis brilliantly executed FPS.Reviewed OPS2#21/Ov«ral l 09

MEN IN BLACK I I ;A U E N E S C A P E(Infogrames/Melbourne House)Mindless bug-blasting shooterReviewed OPS2#24/Overall 04 l±J

PlayStation.? 1

c z n e s n a r I S

B M E T A L G E A R S O L I D2 ; S O N S O F U B E R T

(Konami/KCEJ)A mus t -own , s ta te -o f - t he -a r tTactical Espionage action game,A benchmark for PS2.Reviewed OPS2#l7/CK'r>

M I D N I G H T C L U B(Rockstar/Angel Studios)Urban racing with action-packedNew York and lJ)ndon locat ions.Rev iewed 0ps2#01 /0vera l l 04

M I K E T Y S O NH E AV Y W E I G H T B O X I N G(Codemasters/Codemasters)A decent, entertaining box-'em-up.Reviewed OPS2#21/Overai i 07

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(Ubt Soft/Moderngroove)Dance album, lightshow generator.R e v i e w e d 0 P S 2 # l l / 0 v e r a i l 0 6

MONSTERS, INC(SCEE/Disney Interactive)Film-based Disney platform gameReviewed OPS2#17/Overal l 04

M O T D G P(SCEE/Namco)Gran Turismo on two wheels? Ish.Rev iewed 0ps2#03/0vera l ! 07

M O T O G P 2(SCEE/Namco)Repetitive but fast and realistic.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overai i 07

M O T O R M A Y H E M(Infogrames/Beyond Games)Deathmatch-based vehicle blastingR e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 1 3 / O v e r a l i O S

M R M O S K E E T O(Eidos (Fresh Games)/SCEI)Addictive insect-'em-up sim.Reviewed OPS2#20/Overal i 06

A MTV MUSICG E N E R AT O R 2

(Codemasters/Jester)Home DJ sample/mixer musicmaker Become a bedroom DJ .Reviewed OPS2#08/0>/^. r;iii 09

M X 2 0 0 2 F E A T U R I N GR I C K Y C A R M I C H A E L(THQ/Pacific Coast Power)Engaging motorcross sim.Reviewed: OPS2#12/Overai l 07

M X R I D E R(Infogrames/Paradigm)Motocross/supercross sim thatlacks the true grit of the sport.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overai i 06

M X S U P E R F LY(THQ/Pacific CoastPower And Light)H i -oc tane Mo toc ross ac t i on .Reviewed OPS2#24/Overal l 07

N B A H O O P Z(Midway/Eurocom)Arcade-styled hoops sim.Reviewed: OPS2#06/Overal i 06

N B A U V E 2 0 0 1(EA Sports/EA Sports Canada)Solid and playable. Ttirills are thinon the ground, though.Rev iewed ; 0ps2#05 /0vera i t 06

N B A U V E 2 0 0 2(EA Sports/EA Sports Canada)An update of NBA Live 2001.R e v i e w e d : O P S 2 # 1 5 / O v e r a l l 0 6

N B A S T R E E T(EA Sports Big/EA Sports)Great looks, great to play, butdoesnt quite hit the mark.R e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 1 0 / O v e r a l i 0 6

N E X T G E N E R AT I O NT E N N I S(Wanadoo/Carapace)Tennis game with poor controls.R e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 2 3 / O v e r a l i 0 4

NFLQUARTERBACKC L U f f

(Acclaim/AcclaimStudios Austin)American football game withsome unique features.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overai l 08

^ N H L 2 0 0 1> (EA Sports/EA Sports Canada)EA Sports' perennial ice hockeylicence that hi ts the mark.Reviewed OPS2#02/OveraH 08

^NHL 2002(EA Sports/

EA Sports Canada)A marked improvement on NHL2001. PS2 ice hockey at Its best.R e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 1 4 / O v e r a H 0 8

N H L H f T Z 2 0 0 2(Midway/Black Box)Arcade-style Ice hockey game.R e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 1 4 / O v e r a i i 0 6

N O - O N E U V E S F O R E V E R(Vivendi/Sierra/Monolith)Bond vs Austin Powers FPS.R e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 1 9 / O v e r a i i 0 7

N Y R A C E(Wanadoo/Kalisto)Racer, based on The F/fth ElementReviewed OPS2#14/Overal i 05

O N I(Rockstar/Bungie Software)Enjoyable third-person sct-fl romp.Reviewed OPS2#05/OveraH 07

O N I M U S H A :W A R L O R D S

(Capcom/Capcom)impressive survival horror.Reviewed OPS2#09/Overal t 08

, r i

(E

O P E R A T I O N W I N B A C K(Midas Interactive/KOEI)An enjoyable stealth shooterReviewed OPS2#07/Overal i 06

O R P H E N(Activision/Shade Inc)Anime-insplred Japanese RPG.Reviewed 0ps2#01/0verat l 04

PA R A P PA T H ER A P P E R 2(SCEE/NanaOn-sha)Rhythm action with a rapping dog.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overaii 07

PA R I S - D A K A R R A L LY(Acclaim/Broadsword Interactive)This Sim does little to inspire.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overai i 05

P E N N Y R A C E R S(Midas/Takara)A hal f-baked and underfed GT3.Reviewed 0PS2#14/0veral l 04

P E T E R PA N : R E T U R NT O N E V E R L A N D(SCEE/Disney Interactive)Platformer that never grew up.Reviewed OPS2#19/Overaii 02

P IRATES; THE LEGENDO F B L A C K K AT[EA/Westwood)An RPG with unique sea battles.Reviewed OPS2#19/Overall 03

P O L A R O I D P E T E(JVC/lrem)Crazy side-scrolling photo sim.R e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 1 6 / O v e r a l i 0 7

P O U C E 2 4 / 7(Konaml/KCET)Lightgun-esque shoot-'em-up.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overal l 05

P O O L M A S T E R(Take 2/Ask)Dull pool sim. Keep it in the pubwhere it belongs.Reviewed OPS2#02/Overal i 05

P O R TA L R U N N E R(3DO/3DO)Army Men spin-off platformer.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overal l 05P R I S O N E R O F WA R(Codemasters/Wide Games)Stealthy WWII 3D adventure.R e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 2 2 / O v e r a l l 0 7

P R O E V O L U T I O NS O C C E R

(Konami/Konami TYO)Update of ISS Pro Evolution. Thebest PS2 football sim yet.Reviewed OPS2#14/OvefaH 09

P R O J E C T E D E N(Eidos/Core Design)

Complex, satisfying FPS/adventure.Reviewed OP$2#12/OveraH 08

g l o s s a r yJust got your PS2? Itsyour first console everand you've bought thebest magazine to giveyou the latest and mostup-to-date Information?But you don't have aclue what we're goingon about? Well, withoutwanting to patronisethose gamers who'veb e e n a r o u n d s i n c e t h eZX Spectrum by spellingout the meaning ofgaming terms andacronyms in the reviewsand previews, here'syour 'at a glance'guide to all thingsP S 2 a n d t e c h n i c a l .

Afterbum: An extra kickof power In flight sIms.Al: Artificial Intelligence.Analogue: Registeringdegrees of input asopposed to digital'so n / o f f s t a t u s .Boarders: Snowboardersor games featuring thealpine sportCoin-op: Coin-operatedarcade videogames.Cut-scene: Explanatory,non-playable scene Invideogame (also 'FMV).CWJ: Central ProcessorU n i t B r a i n s o f P S 2 .Dev kits: ProgrammablePS2s used by developers.EH>dcl: Direction pad onP S 2 c o n t r o l l e r .

Dual Shock controiler:C 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.E3: ElectronicEntertainment Expo (US).F r a m e r a t e : N u m b e r o f

images drawn persecond in games. Higherframe rate » smoothera n i m a t i o n .F P S : R r s t - P e r s o nShooter (eg Quake fillHack 'n' slash: Refersto game (usually fantasy)featuring blade combatHigh res: Highresolution [graphicsl.

P R O J E C T Z E R O(Wanadoo/Tecmo)

Particularly scary horror gamewith original story and gameplayR e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 2 4 / O v e r a i t 0 8

P R O R A L LY 2 0 0 2(Ubi Soft/Ubi Soft)Mildly engaging rally title.Reviewed OPS2#21/Overal l 05

QUAKE III(EA/id & Bullfrog)

Cool first-person shooter up therewith Half-Ufe and 7/meSpMers.R e v i e w e d 0 p s 2 # 0 6 / 0 v e r a l l 0 9

R A L LY C H A M P I O N S H I P(SCi/Warthog)Fast-paced, playable rally racerR e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 2 2 / O v e r a l l 0 6

R A Y M A N M(Ubi Soft/Ubi Studios France)TTie gameplay is nothing new.Reviewed: OPS2#15/Overal l 06

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

(Ubi Soft/Ubi Soft)Classic platformer In PS2 style.Rev iewed 0ps2#02 /0vera l i 08

R C R E V E N G E P R O(Acclaim/Acciaim Cheltenham)An avoidable kar t racer.Reviewed 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)Marvellous, arcade-based boxingRev iewed 0ps2#01 /0vera l l 07

R E D C A R D(Midway/Midway)Brutal arcade footy action.Reviewed 0PS2#21/0ver3 l l 06

R E D FA C T I O N(THO/Violition|

Ace FPS that melds MGS-styletactics and the blasting of Quake.Reviewed OPS2#08/Overai i 08

R E S I D E N TE V I L C O D E ;V E R O N I C A X

(Capcom Eurosoft/Capcom)Brilliant story, atmosphere, frights,thr i l ls and blood.Reviewed 0PS2#10/OveraH 09

R E S I D E N T E V I LS U R V I V O R 2C O D E : V E R O N I C A(Capcom Eurosoft/Capcom)Poor offshoot of the Res/ brand.Reviewed OPS2#18/Overal l 04

R E Z(SCEE/Sega (UGA))

Explore sound and colour in thistechno shooter Pure gameplayReviewed OPS2#16/Ovi5raB 09

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 poorquality graphics.L3: Pressing down onthe PS2 controller'sleft joystick.Mini-games: Bonus,playable games found inlarger titles.MultiTap: With one,have up to four players;with two, up to eiglitPolygon: Building blockof videogame graphics.PSone: The precursor toPlayStation 2.

Real-time: When onesecond of game timeequals one second inthe real world.RPG: Role-playing gameRTS: Real-time strategyR3: Pressing down onthe PS2 controller'sright Joystick.Sim: Simulation.Strafe: Move sidewayswhite looking straightU S B : P o r t t o c o n n e c tperipherals such askeyboard to PS2.

Off there's a term, wordor phrase that's stilltaxing your brain cells,l e t u s k n o w a n d w e ' l lI n c l u d e i t h e r e .

R I D G E R A C E R V(SCEE/Namco)It's a popular racer but It's ratherlimited in size.R e v i e w e d 0 p s 2 # 0 1 / 0 v e r a i l 0 7

R ING OF RED(Konami/KCE)

A must-buy for the robo-fetishistwho's after something differentReviewed 0PS2#07/Overal i 08

R O B O T W A R L O R D S(Midas Interactive/DaZZ)Superior mech games make thisredundant in a minority genre.Rev iewed 0ps2#06 /0ve ra i i 04

R O B O T W A R S(BBC Multimedia/Climax)Could have been so much bet ter.R e v i e w e d 0 P S 2 # 1 4 / 0 v e r a i i 0 5

R U G B Y(EA Sports/

Creative Assembly)A very enjoyable and refinedtake on the sport.R e v i e w e d 0 P S 2 # 0 8 / O v e r a l f 0 8

R U M B L E R A C I N G(EA/EA)

Fast and fur ious arcade stuntracer that's full of insane courses.Reviewed DPS2#08/Overai i 08

R U N E :V I K I N G W A R L O R D(Take 2/Human Head)Viking slash-'em-up.R e v i e w e d 0 P S 2 # l l / 0 v e r a l i 0 4

S A LT L A K E 2 0 0 2(Eidos/Attention To Detail)Winter Olympics game with notmuch variety and limited life span.Reviewed OPS2#17/Overai i 05

S C O O B Y- D O O ! N I G H TO F 1 0 0 F R I G H T S(THQ/Heavy Iron)Family orientated platform fun.Reviewed OPS2#23/Overal l 06

S H A D O W H E A R T S(Midway/Sacnoth)An enjoyable Japanese RPG.Reviewed OPS2#19/Overal l 07

S H A D O W M A N :2 E C 0 N D C O M I N G(Acclaim/AcclaimStudio Teesside)Adventure t i t le with a sombre twist.Reviewed OPS2#l8/Overa i l 07

. S H A D O W^ OF MEMORIES

(Konami/KCET)Fi lmic adventure wi th aserpentine plot.Reviewed OPS2#05/OveraH 08

S H A U N P A L M E R ' SP R O S N O W B O A R D E R(Activision/Dearsoft)An exciting sport, butunimaginative gameplayReviewed: OPS2#15/Overal l 06

S I L E N T H I L L 2(Konami/KCETTeam Silent)

One of the most atmosphericand frightening titles on PS2.Reviewed OPS2#X3/Overa1l 08

S l U N T S C O P E(Konami/KCEO)

Slick shooting gallery-style gamewhere you play a police sniperRev iewed 0ps2#01 /0vera l l 08

S I L E N T S C O P E 2(Konami/KonamI TYO)A worthwhile update of thearcade sniper sim.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overalt 07

S I L P H E E D : T H EL O S T P L A N E T(Swing'/Treasure/GameArts)Tedious top-down shooterReviewed OPS2#03/Overal l 03

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|Footy management sim.Reviewed OPS2#12/Overal l 0«

S K Y O D Y S S E YK* (SCEE/Cross for SCEI)

Mission-based flight sim.Rev iewed 0ps2#06 /0ve ra l l 08

S K Y S U R F E R(Virgin Interactive/Idea Factory)Jump out of a plane and surf theskies with a board on your feet.Reviewed OPS2#04/Overai i 03

S L A M T E N N I S(Infogrames/Infogrames Sheffield)Sl ick tennis s im.Reviewed OPS2#23/Overal i 07

^SLED STORM. . (EA Sports Big/

EA Canada)A motorised version of SSX Tricky.A fine arcade racing title.Reviewed OPS2#20/Overai t 08

. S M A S H C O U R T: TENNIS PRO

T O U R N A M E N T(SCEE/Namco)PS2 tennis at its best. Playsalmost flawlessly and looks ace!R e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 2 1 / O v e r a H 0 8

S M U G G L E R ' S R U N(Rockstar/Angel Studios)Escape from the cops with atrunkload of booty.R e v i e w e d O P S 2 # 0 1 / O v e r a i i 0 7

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 T O R I E S(Rockstar/Angel Studios)Impressively big and frantic.Reviewed: OPS2#15/OveraH 07

S O L D I E R O F F O R T U N E :G O L D E D I T I O N(Codemasters/RavenSoftware/Pipedream)No-brainer FPS gorefest.Reviewed OPS2#22/Overal l 05

S O U L R E AV E R 2(Eidos Interactive/Crystal Dynamics)Soul-sucking fantasy adventure.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 07

S PA C E A C E(Digital Leisure/Cinematronics)Horrific and ancient arcade port.R e v i e w e d 0 p s 2 # 0 4 / 0 v e r a i i 0 1

S PA C E C H A N N E L 5 V I(SCEE/Sega UnitedGame Artists)A stylish rhythm action game.Reviewed OPS2#18/Overal i 07

S PA C E R A C E(infogrames/Melboume House)Simple cartoon kart racerReviewed OPS2#17/Overall 05

S P I D E R - M A N(Activislon/Treyarch)Stylish, level-based supertieroaction adventure game.Reviewed OP$2#21/Overal i 07

S P L A S H D O W N(Infogrames/Rainbow Studios)Sea-Doo racer with Impressivewater e f fec ts .R e v i e w e d 0 P S 2 # 1 4 / 0 v e r 3 i i 0 7

S P Y H U N T E R(Midway/Paradigm)

Pretend to be James Bond andrace around in smart cars.Reviewed OPS2#l2/Overa i i 08

^ ^ - .SSX^ (EA Sports Big/EA Sports Canada)

inventive rainbow-coloured highspeed snowboard game.Reviewed OPS2#01/0¥»^jall 09

40 Play5tation,E

d a t a b a s eCant 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.

S S X T R I C K Y(EA Sports Big/EA Sports Canada)

PS2's sleepertiit, bigger and better.Rev iewed 0PS2# lS /0yera i i 09

S TA R W A R S ;R A C E R R E V E N G E(Activision/LucasArts)Pod racing with fast gameplay.Reviewed OPS2#19/Overal l 07

^STAR WARS:M J E D I S I A R F I G H T E R

(Activision/LucasArts)Storfig/iter returns with a feww e l c o m e i n n o v a t i o n s .Reviewed OPS2#19/OveraH 08

S TA R W A R S :S I A I ^ G K T E R

(Activision/LucasArts)Cooi Episode I spin-off that putsyou in the pilot seat.Reviewed OPS2#06/Overal i 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)Banal car toon l^ar t racerReviewed OPS2#08/Overal l 05

S TA R T R E K V O YA G E R :E U T E F O R C E(Codemasters/Raven Software/Pipedream Interactive)FPS for Trekkies only.Reviewed OPS2#23/Overal l 04

S TAT E O F E M E R G E N C Y(Rockstar/VIS)A r iot Sim with Molotov cocktai ls.Reviewed OPS2#19/Overal l 07

S T R E E T H G H T I R E X 3(Capcom Eurosoft/Arika)2D/3D fighter for fans only.Reviewed OPS2#03/Overal l 06

S T U N T G P(Virgin Interactive/Team 17)Pract ise car s tunts wi th remote-contro l led cars.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 03

^WSTUNTMAN(Infogrames/Reflections)Car-flipping, bus-skidding, bike-crashing movie mayhem.Reviewed OPS2#23/Overal l 08

☆SUMMONER(THO/Volltion)An RPG that's an entertainingspectacle with expert storytelling.Reviewed OPS2#04/Overal l 08

S U N N Y G A R C I AS U R H N G(Ubi Soft/Krome Studio)Surfs up in this wave sim.Reviewed OPS2#19/Overal l 03

S U P E R B U S T - A - M O V E(Acclaim/Taito)Rhythm action game update.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)Arcade races around barren c i t ies.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 04

S U P E R T R U C K S(Kester Interactive/JesterInteractive)Average truck racing sim,Rev iewed 0ps2#20 /0ve ra l l 04

S V E N - G D R A NE R I K S S O N ' S W O R L DC H A L L E N G E(3DO/Anco)The worst football game everReviewed OPS2#23/Overal l 01

S V E N - G D R A NE R I K S S O N ' S W O R L DM A N A G E R(3DO/Anco)Shallow footy management game,Reviewed OPS2#24/Overal l 05

S W I N G A W A Y G O L F(EA Sports/T&E Soft)Cutesy PSone golf sim that's letdown by a poor PS2 conversion.Reviewed OPS2#02/OveraH 03

TA R Z A N F R E E R I D E(Ubi Soft/Disney Interactive)Based on the Disney film, this triesto be different, but It doesnt work.Reviewed OPS2#16/Overal l 04

T D O V E R D R I V E(Infogrames/The PitbullSyndicate)Enjoyable, formulaic arcade racerReviewed OPS2#21/Overal l 06

^TEKKEN TAGM T O U R N A M E N T

(SCEE/Namco)Hugely playable and graphicallyspectacular beat-'em-up.Reviewed OPS2#01/Overal l 08

T E S T D R I V E :O F F R O A D W I D E O P E N(Infogrames/Angel Studios)A tidy offroad racerReviewed 0PS2#14/Overa l l 06

T E T R I S W O R L D S(THQ/Blue Planet Software)Tetr/s addicts, beware: this retrogame could take over your life.Reviewed 0PS2#21/Overal l 07

T G D A R E D E V I L(Kemco/Papaya Studios)Mission-based retro car racer.Rev iewed 0p$2#02/0vera l l 05

T H E B O U N C E R(SCEE/Squaresoft)Fairly limited, fun brawlerReviewed OPS2#09/Overal l 06

T H E S H A D O WO F Z O R R O(Cryo/ln Utero)Steaith-'em-up adventure.Reviewed OPS2#18/Overal l 03

T H E F U M T S T O N E S I NV I VA R O C K V E G A S(Swing! Entertainment/Toka)Stone Age karting action. Yabbadabba... Actually, don't. Ever.Rev iewed 0PS2#11/Overa l l 02

T H E M U M M Y R E T U R N S(Vivendi Universal/Blitz Games)Adven tu re -based mov ie t i e - i n .Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 05

T H E S I M P S O N S :R O A D R A G E(EA/Radlcal Entertainment)it's Crazy Taxi, but with Bart andHomer behind the wheel .Reviewed; OPS2#15/Overal l 06

T H E W E A K E S T U N K(Activision/Activision)Watch the TV show instead,Reviewed 0PS2#14/Overal l 04

T H E M E P A R K W O R L D(EA/Bullfrog)Take on the role of a theme parktycoon in this god sim.Reviewed OPS2#03/Overal l 07

THIS ISF O O T B A L L 2 0 0 2(SCEE/Team SoHo)An atmospheric and playableaddition to a revived series.Reviewed OPS2#12/Overal l 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 blend arcadeand Sim with choppers.Reviewed OPS2#12/Overal l 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, underminedby a random control system.Reviewed OPS2#06/Overal l 06

T I G E R W O O D SP G A T O U R 2 0 0 2(EA Sports/EA Sports)Golf game branded by the big cathimself. Great multiplayer mode.Reviewed 0PS2# 19/Overall 07

^TIME CRISIS 2(SCEE/Namco)

PS2's first on-rails llghtgun titlesets a high standard to follow.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overal l 08

T I M E S P U T T E R S(Eidos/Free

Radical Design)Fun, fast, frantic and inventive FPSwith multiplayer madness.Rev iewed 0ps2#01/0vera l l 09

TOCA RACE DRIVERM (Codemasters/Codemasters)Touring car racing sim with anevolving story line.Reviewed OPS2#24/Overal l 08

T O K Y OX T R E M E R A C E R(Crave/Ubi Soft/GenkI)Sedate, and thus dull, racerReviewed 0PS2#11/Overal l 04

T O N Y H A W K ' SP R O S K AT E R 3

(Activision/Neversoft)Skate Sim that's perfect to playany time The first PAL game tohave online network play.Reviewed 0PS2#15/0v8r«t l l 09

T O P A N G L E R 2(Xicat/Sims)The best fishing game on PS2.Reviewed OPS2#20/Overal l 05

T O P G U N(yit^n Interactive/Digital integrations)Below average flight sim.Reviewed OPS2#14/Overal l 04

T R A N S W O R L D S U R F(Infogrames/Angel Studios)Not-too shabby surf sim.Reviewed OPS2#23/Overal l 06

V v t w i s t e d1A METAL: BLACK(SCEE/lncognito)Drive around a post-nuclear-warplanet in complete frenziedv e h i c l e - b a s e d h e d o n i s m .Reviewed OPS2#12/Overal l 08

U E FA C H A L L E N G E(Infogrames/lnfogrames)Everything that could go wrong Ina football game is here.Reviewed OPS2#10/Overal 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)A good solid effort with niceanimation, but no Pro Evo.Reviewed OPS2#16/Overal l 07

^UNREALr TOURNAMENT(Infogrames/Epic Games)A gory, totally over-the-top andimmensely playable FPS.Reviewed OPS2#04/Overal l 08

VA M P I R E N I G H T(SCEE/Namco/Sega Wow Entertainment)Lightgun shoot-'em-up - TimeCrisis meets From Dusk Til l Dawn.Reviewed OPS2#19/Overal l 06

V I C T O R I O U S B O X E R S(Empire Interactive/ESP)Story-based Japanese boxing title.Reviewed 0PS2#11/Overal l 04

V I R T U A R G H T E R 4H (SCEE/Sega AM2|

A complex beat-'em-up. Requirespatience, but rewards well. Offersa lengthy single-player challenge.Reviewed OPS2#19/Overal i 08

^yV-RALLY2^ (Infogrammes/Eden Studios)A worthy addition to the V-family.Reviewed OPS2#22/Overal l oa

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)Wacky fans wili love the visuals.Reviewed OPS2#09/Overal l 0«

W A LT D I S N E Y ' S J U N G L EB O O K G R O O V E PA R T Y(Ubi Soft/Disney Interactive)Guaranteed to get you dancing.Rev iewed 0PS2#08/Overa l l 04

W A R R I O R S O FM I G H T A N D M A G I CI3DO/3DO)Dread fu l non -adven tu re /RPG.Rev iewed 0ps2#07 /0ve ra l l 03

W H O W A N T S T OB E A M I L U 0 N A I R E 72 N D E D I T I O N(Eidos/Revoiution)Scary animation of Tarrant andeasy questions make this a chore.Reviewed: 0PS2#15/Overa l l 04

W I L D W I L D R A C I N G(Rage/Rage)Off-road buggy-racing game.Reviewed 0PS2#01/Overa l l 06

W I P E O U TF U S I O N

(SCEE/Studio Uverpool)The best WipEout ride yet.Reviewed 0PS2#16/0»(; ra l l 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 P A R K(Cryo Interactive/Ekosystem)Duii cartoon piatform adventure.Reviewed 0PS2#17/0vera l l 03

e W o r l d, CHAMPIONSHIP

S N O O K E R 2 0 0 2(Codemasters/Biade)Incredlbiy playable snooiier sim.Reviewed 0PS2#11/Overal l 08

W O R L D D E S T R U C T I O Nl £ A G U E : T H U N D E RT A N K S(3DO/3DO)Arcade tanl( sim with an ace four-piayer Deathmatch mode.Reviewed OPS2#05/Overal 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 ZI3DO/3DO)Plane-based future war game.Rev iewed OPS2flO/Overa l 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)Still the best raiiy game on PS2,and now out on platinum.Reviewed 0PS2#14/0vera l i 03

☆WORMS BLAST(Ubi Soft/Team 17)Bust-A-Move gamepiay but withall the favourite Worms weaponry.Rev iewed 0PS2#19/Overa l l 08

VVWWFV Ts m a c k d o w n i' J U S T B R I N G m '

(THQ/Yuke's)The most realistic representationof the WWF experience to date.Reviewed OPS2#13/Overal l 08

X-SQUAO(EA/EA Square)Team-based third-person shooter.Reviewed OPS2#02/Overal l 05

- A ZONE OFT H E E N D E R S

(Konami/KCEJ)Cool mech thr i l le r f rom Meta lGear's Hideo Kojima.Reviewed OPS2#06/OveraH 09

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Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and i WantOne OfThose.com are giving away three great digital camerabinoculars, plus copies of Behina Enemy lines on DVD.WHETHER YOU'RE ON THE U>OK OUT for rare birds, Bigtoot, or even ^a glimpse of the saucepot across the street, this pair of digital camerabinoculars made by Meade allow you to zoom in ard take photoswithout being spotted and we've got three to give away It's the sortof equipment you'd expect to find in the cat-and-mousethriller Behind Enemy Lines - out to buy on DVD and VHS.

Starring Owen Wilson (Meet The Parents] and the ^legendary Gene Hackman (Enemy Of The Stotel,Behind Enemy Lines is the feature film debut ofacclaimed commercial Director John Moore, Servingthe US in Bosnia, maverick Navy Pilot Chris Burnett(Wilson) is looking for more action than he's getting . ^from the simple recon missions he's flying. However ^during one of these routine missions, Burnett is shotdown and soon finds that he must outrun pursuing Serbianforces in ortter to stay alive. Meanwhile, Bumett's commandingofficer (Hackmanl Is caught up in a battle of his own and has todecide whether to comply with orders and stand back, or disobey NATO and tryto return his pilot to safety To get your hands on a copy of the film and a fantasticpair of digital camera binoculars, send us your answer the easy question below.

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OWEN WILSON PLAYS A TOPNAVAL AVIATOR IN THE FILMBEHIND ENEMY UNES, BUT INWHICH FILM DOES HE PLAY AH I P P Y M A L E M O D E L ?

A HighlanderB Z u i u

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L44 PlayStation E

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m m

Bam! Entertainment is celebrating the upcoming releaseof Riding Spirits in spectacular style.

CARL FOGARIY, BARRY SHEEN, andetm... ttevid Essex. The history of motorbll<eracing is littered with big names and evenbigger bilges. And yet, when it comes tovirtual tBcing of the leather-clad, two-wheeled variety there has, before now,been only one PS2 competitor In theshape of the Moto GP series. Bam!Entertainment Is primed to change all thatwith R/ding Spirits. Already being describedby some as 'GT on bikes', this Is shaping upto be the definitive motorbii^e experience,allowing gamers unprecedented freedomto fine tune their engine and equipment Itpromises to be one hell of a ride.

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Competition RulesNo purchase necessary Entrants must live in the UK. Nocorrespondence will be entered into. No employees of FuturePublishing, Bam! Entertainment or any affiliated company mayenter No cash alternative is offered to these prizes. Closingdate is 3 October 2002. If any prize becomes unavailable,

chance to win one of five copies of thegame. But one ludicrously lucky winner Isgoing to be on the receiving end of aKawasaki ZX636-A1P Ninja ZX-6Rmotorbike worth almost £9,000, A real one.Of course, calling the Ninja a 'motorbike' islike calling Beluga caviar 'fish eggs'. This Isno souped-up moped with go-fasterstripes, but a genuine, rubber-burningbreath-taking monster '/ou want It? Ofcourse you want It. All you have to do tobe in with a chance of winning thisgorgeous hunk of hardware Is to correctlyanswer the question on the right. If youranswer Is the first to be plucked from ourshiny helmet you'll be the proud owner ofyour very own lime green Ninja.

Future Publishing and Baml Entertainment reserve the ri^t toreplace it with another of equal value. Multiple entries will bedisreganjed. This competition will also run in PSM2. TheEditor's decision is final. Ail normal competition ruies apply. Bigthanks to Bam! Entertainment. Prize doesn't include insurance,

THE PRIZEKawasaki ZX636-A1P Ninja ZX-6R■ Engine; 636cc, liquid cooied, 16 valves,

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R I W K f t S P I R I T C

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WHICH JAPANESE COMPANY ISd e v e l j o p i n g r i d i n g s p i r i t s ?

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H O W T O E N T E R1. Send your answer on a postcard to Two WheelsAre Better Than None', 0PS2, Future Publishing, 30ivionmouth Street, Bath BAl 2BW.2. Email the answer to PS2compos@futurenet.co.uk -put Two Wheels Are Better Than None' as the subject.3. Please Include your name, address, age and phonenumber on all competition entries.

'If you do not wish your name to be used for furthermarketing information, please state so on your entry.*You must declare that you hold a valid UK licencefor this category of mototcycle. If you fail to state thison your entry you will only be entered for the game.

PlayStation-^ 145

UJHRT IF. . .T H E R R m y U S E D U I D E D G R m E S F D R T R R I N I N G PWith PS2 owners becoming battle-hardenedmilitary experts from the comfort of their sofas,it wasnt long before Generals saw the potentialto use videogame experience in warW 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 U A M B A R R A S

This excerpt is token from Polygoners: The 3rd PlaceRegiment Story published by WHkie Goodyear Thanks to

the Authoi; Lt Jeff Pegasus, retired

It was a proud moment when, on 14 August 2002, thefirst intake of recruits arrived at the newiy opened Third

Piace Regiment headquarters In Bowbum, CountryDurtiam to start their basic training. Uttie did the press or

dignitaries present that brooding November day know, that withintwo short years this state-of-the-art faciilty wouid be boarded upand the soidiers who trained there either dead or deeply resentful.

Brainchild of Brigadier Charlie Geiato, himseif an avid gamer,the new regiment made videogames a central element of trainingPuzzle games would sharpen mental acuity, first-person shooterswould nurture the killer instinct, fishing games wouid heighten painthresholds of recruits faced with psychological torture and so on.The theory was sound. If a six-year-old with a PS2 could tell aHeckler & Koch MP5K PDW and MP5N apart purely from theirhandling characteristics, imagine what a professional soldier couldlearn with a Dual Shock 2, a pile of new releases and a mug of tea.

However Geiato and his staff drastically miscalculated the needfor traditional, hands-on soldiering skills to complement the newVirtual' element of the training When the fonmer Soviet republic ofDaggnabbitstan invaded the isle Of Wight on 2 May 2003 (citing an800-year-old claim to the territory by Vlad The Unhinged asJustiflcation) the UK's armed forces were mobilised, and the ThirdPlace Regiment got Its first, and only taste of combat.

Problems arose even before the 'Polygoners' faced the enemyon the battlefield. Charged with flying comrades in a 'real' plane forthe first time after 300 hours of training on Dropship, Officer TobySchloshberg took off, performed three barrel rolls at 250 feet beforeattempting an inverse loop through a train tunnel. Nobody survived.

At the front line, things weren't much better As the battle ofShanklln raged, disorientated 'Polygoners' were found askingregulars where the health packs were hidden, and why the enemysoidiers were ail attacking together rather than one or two at atime. Elsewhere, Private (First Class) Raymond 'Chopper' Chalmers -a couch veteran of Quake Hi and Unreal Tournament - took it uponhimseif to storm a machine gun nest armed with three rifles, ahunting knife and a bazooka Seliotaped to a battery-poweredcircular saw. More by pure idiotic luck than Judgement Chalmersreached the crest of the hill without a scratch, surprising 12

Daggnabbitstanian soldiers in their bunker Then, with one fluidmovement, he raised the bazooka, fired a shell backwards,destroyed the entire British command post and sawed his rightarm clean off at the shoulder

By the time the Daggnabbitstanians surrendered to the UK'sconventional troops, the Ttiird Place Regiment was in disarray.105 of the 320-strong regiment had gone AWOL (they were laterarrested at the Emsworth Uttle Chefl while 151 had been killed orhospitalised following flreflghts with their own comrades/Inanimateobjects/livestock. As for the remaining 64, they had surrendered toa Danish exchange student called Jesper Pedersen as he sat in theSandown Tea Rooms waiting for a hot, buttered crumpet □

/^After 300 hours traininon Dmpship. Toby flew'rear plane for the firsttime. Nobody sun/ived/^

l U l U E S m R C K O O U J N !SHUT aOUR %m O U T H ^Lay the SmackDown inWWE's la tes t wres t leruckus - wor ld exc lus i verev iew nex t mon th ! I :

; II

i - S

A

NEXT MONTH IN THE NOVEMBER ISSUE Of

PlayStation®^/ OFFICIAL MAGAZINE-UK

□ Tomb Raider Angel Of Darkness - can Lara sti(( cut It?□ We playtest The Getaway, Devil May Cry 2, MGS2:

Substance, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter and more .□ XIII leads the cel-shaded style chargePlus! Full reviews of Ratchet & Clank, Burnout 2 andHitman 2, plus another HUGE demo disc Including playabledemos of Colin McRae Rally 3 and Ratchet & Clank!

DFHCIAL PLAYS1AT10N 2 MAGAZINE: ISSUE 26/ON SALE: FRIDAY 4 OCTOBER

.46 PlayStation-E

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I = 0 9I c oIn Cold BloodInt. Super SoccerInt. Superstar Soccer 2Int. Track & FieldInt. Winter Sports 2002ISS Pro Evolution

J = 1 0J McGrath's S'cross WoridJ. Moseley's Mad TrixJ.Bond: Agent Under FireJ a d e C o c o o n 2Jak & DaxterJedi Star FighterJekyll & HydeJikkyou WoHd Soccer '00Jikkyou World Soccer '01Jojo's Bizarre Adventure 2Just Bring It

K = 1 1Kengo: M. of BushidoK e s s e nK e s s e n 2K i n e t i c aK l o n o a 2Knockout Kings 2001Knockout Kings 2002

1 = 1 2L. of Kain: Blood Omen 2L . o f K a I n : S o u l R e a v e r 2Last Blade 2L e M a n s 2 4 H o u r s

Legend of Black KatLegends of WrestlingLego Racers 2UWA MdnoflttrLotus Challenge

M = 1 3M a d d e n N F L 2 0 0 1Madden NFL 2002Major Lgue Baseball '02Major Lgue Baseball '03Mark of KriMa r t i an Go th i cMaster of BushidoMaxPdy l i ^M a x i m oMcGrath's S'cross WorldM D K 2

Mummy ReturnsMX 2002MX RiderMX SuperflN a m c o M u s e u mN a s c a r 2 0 0 1N a s c a r H e a t 2 0 0 2NASCAR Thunder 2002N B A 2 K 2NBA HoopzNBA Live 2001NBA Live 2002NBA Shootout 2001N B A S t r e e tNBA Tonight 2002NBA Tonight, ESPNNCAA Footbal l 2002NCAA Footbal l 2003NFL 2001NFL 2002NFL Blitz 2002NFL Gameday 2002N F L P r i m e t i m e 2 0 0 2NFL Q'back Club 2002N H L 2 0 0 1N H L 2 0 0 2N H L H I t z 2 0 0 2No-One Lives Forever

O = 1 5Off Road FuryOff Road Wide OpenOkage: Shadow KingO n iO n i m u s h a 2O n i m u s h a : Wa r l o r d s007 Agent Under FireOperation WinbackOperative (N.O.L.F)Orphen

P = 1 6Pac-Man Worfd 2Parappa the Rapper 2Parasite Eve 2Paris-Dakar RallyPenny RacersPirates: Leg. of Black KatPlayer Manager 2001Player Manager 2002Poloroid PetePolice 24/7Pool Master: Q-BallPortal RunnerP r i sone r o f WarPro Evolution SoccerPro Evolution Soccer 2Pro Rally 2002Project Eden

o f H m i o r F i ^ P r o j e c t Z e r oMen In Black 2: Alien Escape Q = 1 7M e t a lMidnight ClubMight & MagicMike Tyson BoxingM i l l i o n a i r eMLB Slugfest2003M o b i l e S u i t G u n . : Z . F r o n tMobi le Sui t GundamMonkey Island (Escape)Monster Jam Max. Destr.M o n s t e r s I n cM o t o G PM o t o G P 2Motor MayhemMr Moskee toMTV Music Generator 2MTV Skateboard ing

Q-Bal l : Bi l l iards MasterQuack A t tackQuake 3 Revolut ionQuest for Dragon B. Staff

R = 1 8R Carmichael's MX 2002Racer RevengeRaging BreatnRayman 2Rayman MRC Revenge ProReady 2 Rumble 2Real Robot RegimentRed Card Soccer 2003rW FodionRes. Evil Gun Survivor 2

Ve r d h i i M %

Return to C. WolfensteinRevolution: Quake 3R e zRidge Racer 5Ring of RedRoad RageR o b o t W a r sRomance of 3 Kingdom 7Rumble RacingRune; Viking Warlord

S = 1 9S Palmer's SnowboarderSarge's Heroes 2Savage SkiesScoobyDoo; 100 FrightsSeven BladesShadow Hear tsShadow Man 2Shadow of Memor iesShadow Of ZorroSilent Hil lS M e h t H i l l ^Silent ScopeSilent Scope 2Silpheed: Lost PlanetSimpsons: Road RageSky GunnerSky OdysseySky SurferS l e d S t o r mSmackdownl 3: J. Bring ItSmash Court TennisSmugglers RunSmugglers Run 2Soccer America: Int. CupSoldier of FortuneSoul Reaver 2Space Channel 5 Part 2Spidermon 2Spidermari th# Mbvl#SplashdownSprint Cars 2002Spy HunterSSa - SnowboardingSSX TrickyStar Trek: Elite ForceStar Wars Jedi StarfighterStar Wars: Racer RevengeStar Wars: Star FighterStat# of Einero^rkyStreet Fighter Ex 3Street, NBAS t u n t m a nS u m m o n e rSunny Garcia: SurfingSuper Bombad RacingSuper Bust A MoveSuper TrucksSupercarSt. ChallengeSupercross WorldSurfing H30Swing Away GolfSyphon Filter 3

1 = 2 0T Woods PGA Tour 2001Tarzan FreerideTD Overdr iveT e k k e n 4Tekken Tag TournamentTe s t D r i v eTest Drive: Wide OpenThe BouncerThe Legend of Black KatThe Mark of KriThe Mummy ReturnsThe New NightmareThe Operative (N.O.L.F)

The Simpsons: Road RageThe Weakest LinkThe World is not EnoughTheme Park WorldThis is Football 2002Throwdown : UFCThunderhawk: Op.Tiger Woods Golt 2002T i m e C r i s i s 2Time SplittersTokyo Extreme RacerTomb Raider 4Tomb Raider 5Tony Hawk's 2Tony Hawk's 3Top Gear: Dare DevilTop Gun: Combat ZonesTrack and FieldTranswor ld SurfTriple Play 2002Triple Play BaseballTwisted Metal BlackType-S: Driving Emotion

U = 2 1UEFA Champion LeagueUH.FChamp.: ThrowdownUnrea l Tournament

V = 2 2

Vampire ApocalypseVampire NightV i c t o r i o u s B o x e r sVirtua Fighter 4Voyager elite ForceV-Rally 3

W = 2 3W Games SnowboardingWacky RacesWarlords (Onimusha)Warriors of M & MWay of the SamuraiW D L : W a r J e t zWeakest LinkW e t r i x 2Who Wants 2BA Mil l ion.2Wild Wild RacingW i n b a c kWinning Eleven 6Winter Iports 2002Wipeout FusionWorld Cup 2002World is not EnoughWor ld Out lav^ ; S.Cars '02WW2: Prisoner of WarWorms BlastW r a t h o f C o r t e xWRC; WoHd Rally ChampWWF Smackdown 3 J.B.I.

X = 2 4X Games: SkateboardingX Games: SnowboardingX-SquadX t r e m e G 3

Y = 2 5

Yanya Caballista: SkaterYuGiOhl Dual Monsters 2

Z = 2 6Z e o n i c F r o n tZone of the Enders

0 - 9 = 2 7007 Agent Under Fire1 0 2 D a l m a t i a n s18 Wheeler2002 FIFA World Cup4x4 Evolut ion7 B l a d e s

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fORTH AND MULTI-PLAYSTUNTMANYoure at the wheel on the edge of a cliff. You gunyour engine quietly, waiting for the signal. When itcomes, do you have what it tal es to burn yourtyres and head over the edge? Welcome to theworld of Stuntman. where youfe a Hollywoodstunt professional looking to malte it. Fromsimple rolls in low-budget flicks to blockbusterspins and plunges, you learn as you go.acquiring skills as you move up in the world.Taking place on movie sets in six differentcountries, you must complete a series ofobjectives to win your bonus items for use inyour very own Stunt arena - including atleast 70 vehicles. 17 of which you can driveto absolute destruction. Unless, of course,

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DINO STALKER

As a downed fighter pilot, the worstplace to find yourself would be strandedon a dinosaur-infested island- but that's exactly where you are. Your

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