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Tel: 01225 442244 Email: [email protected] EDITORIAL Only two issues ago we gave you Rogue Leader, and Editor Tim Weaver now we're returning to the Star Wars universe to take
News Editor Gera r.i Evans the world's first look at the up-and-coming Clone Wars. Reviews Editor Martin Kites How come? Production Editor Dan Geary Quite simply, we were hugely impressed by what Art Editor Justin Webb we saw of the game, having not seen it at last month's Deputy Art Editor Paul Edwards E3 (it wasn't anywhere near the show, which probably CONTRIBUTORS explains it). The mix of ground battles and flight is bold and brilliantly done, and to round things off it looks Sarah Kennett, Kieran MacDonald, Phillip absolutely startling. Remember how you felt when Mylnar. Louise Parker, Sammy T. Dog, Rob right into the Scott, Laura Sheppard, Mark Walbank Rogue Leader chucked you the mixer on Battle of Hoth and you could make out thousands of
PRODUCTION tiny Stormtroopers pelting it across the ice? Well, now Senior Prod Co-ordinator Kirsty Bell you can get the same view - and you can get down Production Manager Rose Griffiths there in the thick of it. Unless something goes wrong in CIRCULATION development, Clone Wars should be very good indeed. Product manager James Greenwood Circulation manager Regina Erak DVD SPECTACULAR ADVERTISING -4)LDDKDUT As you'll probably have already noticed, we've brought ' Senior Sales Executive Phil (ones © FDR THIS! you a second edition of NBC TV! Since our first new- Classified Sales Executive Tom Farrer See this logo next to a look issue, we've had over 6,000 emails alone - that's Deputy Advertising Director Jayne Caple game and you'll know you not counting the reams and reams of letters and texts.
can see footage of it on this And, almost without exception, you were telling us you Senior Editor sean Auuns it is: to month's exclusive DVD. . wanted another DVD. So here packed the Croup Art Editor Ian Miter rafters with great stuff, including your first sighting of Publisher \
Tel: 01458 271184 world-first shots and new gameplay impressions. It
Distributed through the newstrade UK by: really is outstanding, so stashed with Seymour Distribution. 86 Newman Street. London Wl P 3LD. even from the let 020 7907 6000 ©TURN TD brilliance that, OrcrseasdrSrixAon by PAGE IDA... opening level, it's obvious it's future Put«»g lid fcfc 0T22S 4422*4 ... for the chance to win a going to be yet another killer Printed in the UK by Cnxfley Prim ltd trip for two to New York! Nintendo franchise. And if all Future Pubfishing Ltd 2002 * that isn't enough, get a load ©SUBSCRIBE of what else we've got in ABC TDDAY! store in the list below... Turn to page 90 and save a bucketload when you Tim Weaver Editor PAGE! Media with passion piece, the best subscribe to NGC! [email protected] For five of this monthsf SENIOR MANAGEMENT action from Non-executive Chairman Roger Parry space-traversing Chief Executive Greg Ingham NBC COO & Managing Director Colin Morrison
Future Publishing b part of the Future Network pic NEWS Page The Future Network produces carefuty targeted specialist WHAT'S Is Gamecube Nintendo's last console? 40 magazines and websites for groups of peccfe who share a passion. We aim to satisfy their passion by creating t^Jes that Wavebird - we've got one! 42 offer superb value for money, trustworthy rirorrnabon Nintendo vs Square: It's back on 45 multiple ways to save time and money, and are a pleasure to THE MAG? Ideas Factory Special: Mario Kart GC 48 read or visit. Today we publish more than 80 magazines and over 30 magazine websites and networks from offices in fhw PREVIEWS Page countries. The company also licenses 32 of its titles, resulting REVIEWS Page in over 60 iocal editions in 23 other countries. Star Wars: The Clone Wars James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire 54 Metroid Prime The Future Network pic is a public company quoted on the Lost Kingdoms 60 London Stock Exchange (symbol: FNET). Timesplitters 2 Game Boy Advance round-up 64 FwCvrt Games: The First Choice For Gamers The legend of Zelda i.inpfe WWE Wrestlemania X8 66 The magazine Nintendo 64. N64. GCN, Wolverine's Revenge Nintendo Gamecube, Gamecube and the associated NGC Compendium 106 logos Reign of Fire are trademarks of Nintendo Co Ltd. Gaming Planet 108 Freekstyle EndBC 110 AH images © Nintendo Project BG&E
AUGUST 2DD2 NGC 3 '''•;':"'" . , BBfiSlH,-:..,-.. ppHK
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1ETR0ID PRIME (WARS fHE CLONE WARS GUIDE TO WHAT'S T . i:L Jkk-f^^i; THIS ISSUE! Mill ^7TFT7717 Bug-off! Gamecube's CLDNE WARS Turok-bea ter comes of 7 Get the skinny on Gamecube's age, and we've got the
spectacular second Lucas-Fes* shots to prove it... PSi l
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MEETENJiKi m^T| When it comes + M down to who *^^ we'd rather have J gu/de l/s through an issue j o/ NGC ft con only be mam one of two candidates:
Kittsy's mum and Enjiki. Unfortunately, Kittsy's mum's currently taking delivery of a new batch of ALL FETTS ARE OFF!
skin suits for her son, so it falls to the bee-yoo-tiful - Enjiki to pop up at important War is hell? Rubbish mi WW intervals to ease you through the magazine. we've played the unofficial sequel IIP to Rogue Leader, and its the best thing
since slicedJedi. . §gg2wn|n0 gP^H^ 6NGC ISSUE 7D -:...-;..;, Ssnrai si mm "^
AUGUST 2DD2 NGC 5 .
YDUR GUIDE TD WHAT'S DN THE DISC
Where it is A Taste of E3 NGCatE3 Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem New games Legend oF Zelda New games Mario nutter NBC at E3 Mario Party A New games Metroid Prime New games Nintendo and Sega show off F-Zero NEC Project BG&E New games Rayman 3 New games Resident Evil New games Shigsy demos Zelda NGCatE3 Shigsy demos Zelda CBA NGC Super Smash Bros compo Extras Top Gun: Combat Zones New games XIII New games
^ ik
SEE IT IN ACTION! You wont believe your eyes as we give you stunning new footage of Nintendo's incredible sequel!
:^.
SUPER MARID SUNSHINE METRDID PRIME NBCATE3
Bingo! It's the Footage you wanted of Mazza's Corking video of Samus' super-sequel: incredible See Shigsy demoing his new projects, plus the sizzling-hot adventure - see the new universe, levels, bug-decapitating laser fights, plus that all- great man playing four-player Zelda GBA with his brand-new characters, Mazza s water backpack important visor view. Like the look of our preview mates from Namco, Sega and Capcom. You won't
and some awesome visual treats. Get to it. . on page 14? Well, you've got to see it in action! see this footage anywhere else!
PROBLEM WITH YOUR DISC? Cet writing to the following address, quoting ref: NIN70/08/02: Future Publishing Disc Department, 3B Athena Avenue. Elgin Industrial Estate, Swindon, SN2 8HF. B NGC ISSUE 7D _&*rr"
ch***™™ PlayStation^ f gamecube, X X€3C=)X Vs/ww.acclaim.com yKCIaim
are registered trademarks of 'cclaim ® & © 2002 Acclaim Entertainment Ltd. Ail Rights Reserved. All Rights Reserved. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos ' marks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and /or in other countries and .
NUMBER ONE! 'HSCistheonlyplacetobeforthj A The icy wasteland of Rhen Var forms the backdrop for several of the game's 16-plus missions. of exclusive shots hottest info and ^o ^SLtestStarWarsti^on Nintendo Camecvbe. George Lucas' STAR WAR m
,, THE CLONE WARS
hen Gamecube was ledi obtaining a Sith weapon that will I Taken apart for your pleasure J released in the States give his side an unassailable
\ 1 / I ' ast November, the advantage in the conflict, helping tilt and previewed first in NBC, ^ excellent Rogue Leader the balance of the Force very much became the first third- back in favour oF the Dark Side.
party title to outsell a console It's surely a hint of what to expect this Clone War has been. . manufacturer's own launch games. in Episode III, and since Episode IV has That's reason enough to be very been out for a quarter of a century
excited about future Star Wars titles every Star Wars fan will have a pretty on Gamecube, and now LucasArts good idea of the ultimate outcome.
are hoping to repeat their success But The Clone Wars will let you score
with Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a at least a minor victory in the war kind of 'unofficial sequel' to Factor 5's against Dooku's Confederacy of impressive Cube debut. Independent Systems. Developed by Pandemic Studios, Playing as Episode N's Jedi heroes the company responsible for the PC Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu and
action-strategy title Battlezone, The Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're placed right Clone Wars picks up the story at the at the front line of the Republic's
end of the Episode II movie. It follows army, as both a soldier and the starships packed with the Clone commanding officer. Computer- Troopers of the Republic as they set controlled clone troopers will support
off to battle Count Dooku's droid you in battle, accepting direct orders army and prevent the rogue former and following your lead whenever
BNBC ISSUE 7D The biggest Star Wars game ever made
A Most of the big battle missions let you switch vehicles at key points as the fight progresses.
A A listening outpost, bristling with communications gear (and guns, too).
necessary, giving portions of the highlights of
game a tactical flavour, but mostly it's previous titles, it's
all about putting you right in the thick more like a of the action, just like the )edi in the conventional war, or a movie's climactic clones vs droids game composed
scene. In fact, the first three levels are almost entirely of actually based around that epic scrap scenes like the Battle of ARMIES DF FDDT SOLDIERS AND VEHICLES STAGE EPIC ASSAULTS AGAINST ENEMY INSTALLATIONS
There's a selection of multiplayer games for up to four Republic or on Ceonosis (including scene-setting Hoth level from Rogue Leader. Confederacy contestants. The basic missions where you prepare the area The combat takes place on a huge Duel mode is a deathmatch-style for the )edi invasion forces), and form scale, featuring battlefields that teem skirmish using the vehicles from a stunning recreation of the movie. with activity. Armies of foot soldiers the one-player game, while The Clone Wars is unique among and vehicles stage epic assaults Conquest throws in a strategy console Star Wars games in that it against enemy installations, element, with a headquarters to combat. while squadrons of fighters, i defend/capture and an army of focuses on ground-based clones or droids to build and Instead of the spectacular space bombers and transport maintain. The developers promise battles that have often been the ships provide aerial support. plenty of additional options too, including a King of the Hill mode and other surprises.
DID VOU KNOW? The war machines in the Geonosis battle scene were designed to bridge
the gap between the 'clean tech' look of Episode I, and the 'used universe' look of Episode IV. "Clone Warshas massive battles involving hundreds of combatants"
casualties, reinforcements
are brought in by dropship, along with new instruments of warfare such as tanks and walkers.
With all this chaotic action
happening on the battlefield it could
be all too easy to lose track of the ultimate aim of the conflict, so the developers have split much of the game into easily digestible missions. Large-scale assaults on the enemy and massive battles involving hundreds of combatants are linked by smaller, scene-setting missions such as speeder bike chases and reconnaissance patrols. There are seven vehicles to control, ranging from the basic speeder bike and STAP (Single Trooper Aerial Platform) to the massive assault
A Scoping out a droid patrol. Sometimes it's better to keep your distance. A The Jedi transport from the movie. walker that is the precursor to the
10 NBC ISSUE 7D . .
The biggest Starr Wars aamegame ever made
ome with the A computer-controlled Clone er, which makes Trooper provides support, picking supp
short work of these battle droids. off the droids at the back. . deflecting lasers with such A Enemy tanks patrolling the A ...And getting shot to pieces on wreckage of a Republic starship. their way back to Count Dooku's place.
legendary AT-ATs from The Empire you'll need to make the most of them overwhelming odds against
Strikes Back. A Republic gunship lets because each of the five main levels you, and it's possible to
take the fight to the air, strafing (including TARGET! enlist the help of the you a moon around Kashyyyk, ground troops and bombing enemy homeworld of the Wookiees) is over Clone Troopers as you installations, while the Armoured 60 square miles in area. . wade into a platoon of
Assault Tank provides the opportunity In certain missions you'll have to droids, deflecting laser to drive one oF the toughest and most fight on foot, in bone-crunching battle shots and dispensing annoying enemies from the N64 scenes that are the equal of gritty, Jedi justice. Since all three characters are particularly
powerful Jedi, they have no THROW A LIGHT SABER. GUIDE problems dealing with the basic IT THROUGH ENEMIES. AND droids. It's possible to throw a lightsaber, guide it on its deadly path
CATCH IT USING THE F^DRCE If you through a group of enemies, and
structure like this without having catch it neatly as it emerges on the game Battle ForNaboo. realistic games like Medal of Honor: to send in waves of ground troops other side, using the power of the you'll need target its It's possible to change vehicles at Frontline- the clouds of dirt and to weak Force (or the analogue stick). points. In this case the fuel tanks various points in the missions, and debris thrown into the air by missile Like Rogue Leader the game uses around the outside are obvious you can also hop on the back of a explosions definitely have the look of the D-pad to issue commands to your design Haws (Dooku must have two-legged creature called a Maru EA's forthcoming WWII shooter. allies, but because so much bought that droid foundry on the when you need something more You also have access to a range of cheap) and a well-placed volley of happens during the course discreet. The selection of transports Jedi powers, which should go some shots will bring it down in flames. of a level, the computer Al varies depending on the location, and way towards taming the Other enemies conceal their has been specifically © weaknesses with more guile, and will take a heavier pounding before succumbing.
DID YOU KNOW? Episode II was filmed on the same - | stage as Moulin Rouge also starring Ewan McGregor. AUGUST ZDD2 NGC 11 "Rescue the captured Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme Amidala"
A The arrows at the sides oF the screen indicate there's important stuff happening to the left and right. All over the place really, since the battles spread everywhere.
A Attacking one of the Confederacy's giant spherical starships. When it falls, it'll squash all those droids below.
A These were great in the film - kind of like Star Wars versions of Vietnam-era Hueys, except packed with Jedi Knights rather than men who were n-n-n-nineteen. NSCVERDICT
It's definitely an ambitious project, and one that we're very keen to see A Spectacular stuff, right? Here, an army of Clone Troopers A Very moody, and very foggy too. Let's hope they can fix realised to its fullest has been sent in to clean up the droids left in that starship. the game's draw distance in time for its release. potential. The battle at
the end of Episode II had us yelling and . developed to allow the an important role to play in telling the applauding in the hundreds of other units story. To begin with you play as Mace cinema (and almost roaming the battlefield to Windu, setting up the rescue of the getting thrown out follow their own course of captured Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme because the movie action, and play a more prominent Amidala as they await ritual execution hadn't actually role in the outcome of the war. in the arena on Geonosis. Success in finished), so the chance The Clone Wars is essentially built this mission brings with it the to take part in it and US •JAPAN on the rock-solid foundations laid possibility of controlling any of the influence its events is AUTUMN TBA too to up. down in the critically acclaimed three Jedi during the subsequent rout good mess Pandemic's previous Battlezone (on PC), with a heavier bias of Dooku's forces, and in the levels SEE INCLUDED game, Battlezone, was WHAT WE WANT TO towards action and a much lighter after that the trio will sometimes go also very, very good on load on the strategy front. There are their separate ways to fight on Worlds with a little more scenery to PC, so that's got to be a no tasks like building units or mining different planets, and at other times them. The ones we've seen so far are a favourable omen. If little barren - which presumably has resources to spoil the intensity of the meet up to take part in a major we're a little worried something to do with keeping the game fighting. One of the multiplayer ground battle together. about anything in running at a decent frame-rate. modes. Conquest, includes bases that After seeing the movie we know particular, it's that the You should have the opportunity to go troops, and has an that the Clone Wars are a pivotal scale of the battles will spawn new monkey hunting on Kashyyyk and gun have a major impact on element of terrain-capturing about it, event in the Star Wars saga, to which down Chewbacca's mother, thus changing the graphics. It looks but that's about as close as it gets to LucasArts are obviously keen to do the course of Star Wars history. nice, especially when being an actual RTS-style game. justice as a videogame. With any luck you're down among the three characters don't this will prove to be a worthy follow- The fedi troops, but at the ANTICIPATION RATING appear to vary much in terms of their up to Rogue Leader (but don't count moment there's a lot of
skills and abilities, but they each have on it outselling Mario this time). fogging to disguise the limited draw distance. We'll keep you posted. nan
DID YOU KNOW? The original movie was going to j be called Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Starkiller. 12 NSC ISSUE 70 WWW.RED-CARD.NET .
p to Super Metroid on the SNES, being put together in the States by developers Retro. First-person shooter, with unique in-helmet perspective. Curl up into a ball in order to access secret areas and tunnels. Brand-new storyline.
THIS LOT ALSO DID...
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (NBC/1) A few members of the Metroid
team worked on the N64 classic. Half-Life (PC, Dreamcast) Again, some team members
came up with this PC stunner.
A Bugs come in all shapes and sizes: some crawl, some leap, some run. They've got one thing in common, though: they're all going to Feel some red-hot death. Yeah! METROID PRIME
hile you just knew Mario with Nintendo, release date slippage, but now there are extra bits bolted WORLD EXCLUSIVE! Amazing J and Zeldo would be redundancies and walkouts, is going on, and intriguing new directions, not It i J I superb in their new to be one of Camecube's very best. least the inclusion of the much- new details and 44 incredible I Camecube guises, An exaggeration? Forget that! vaunted helmet view. This alone gives things weren't so clear- Metroid is superb, so laden with great the game a unique and distinctive
cut with Metroid Prime. Early shots bits that there's almost too much to slant, but it's how it's actually direct the . new shots from US. and videos suggested a game that looked the part, but the big question
was whether it could live up to the EVERYTHING IN METRDID REEKS \> standard of the SNES original (one of DF QUALITY FRDM THE TINIEST the best side-scrolling platformers
ever made), whether it could make TEXTURE TD THE BIGGEST BOSS
the switch to 3D, and whether it could 11** - .^shsSbow* match its sparkling textures and level squeeze into the following six pages. implemented that really amazes > construction with inventive missions Everything reeks of quality, from the breath on the visor, facial reflections, and smooth, rapid-Fire gunnery. Last smallest texture to the biggest boss, blood dripping down as you blast a PLAYTEST month's E3 gave us the answer - a but even more impressive is the work bug to bits, and that's just for very definite yes - and now further Retro have done on remodelling the starters. Everything in Metroid Prime playtesting has revealed even more: first-person shooter. The blueprint starts from the visor: from here, you that this game, so long weighed that the likes of Half-Life. Turok and control everything Samus does, from
down by team problems, problems ColdenEye worked from is still intact, rolling up into a ball, to firing off
14NGC ISSUE 7D .
=4T l : i I =4\\ Nintendo shooter smashed to bits
_ The helmet's thermal option has _ Switch to X-ray and things go
yet to be really seen, but plainly it purple. Whereas infra-red picks out
will give you the chance to humans, X-ray is likely to aid you pinpoint enemies beyond walls. with more structural details.
weapons, to seeing through doors probably will be the beginning. For into other rooms, to scanning corpses example, in order to get you used to For causes of death. This aspect alone targeting, you're required to turn off
is worth turning up for but, two force fields. Each force field has predictably, there's more too. four switches - target the switches to
turn off the force field. Once done, DEEP SPACE FINE you can enter the interior complex. helmet works. The key features - Right from the off, things are lovely: The internal locations are brilliant: beyond the X-ray and thermal, which the menu screens feature bugs under textures are detailed, music rumbles you'll only use occasionally - are the an electron microscope - it's superbly in the background, while sound scanner and lock-on. Once you scan TURN done. Move into the game and you're effects, far off and ghostly, suggest something, you can immediately lock VER presented with the sight of Samus things aren't quite as they seem. You on to it, and it's this element, more
rolling onto a space station, floating soon realise why: they're not. If you than any other, which is likely to For an exclusive of somewhere in deep space. want to see what happens next, turn divide fans of the first-person shooter. walkthrough Metroid Prime's Many areas of the game are still and interference will adorn the the page to find out - our exclusive Because the game automatically locks opening level - shrouded in secrecy (including the inside of your helmet. Move back level walkthrough takes you from the on, and doesn't 'unlock' until the you won't see plot), so whether this section will out and it'll disappear. Eh? Well, it's first first corridor to the space pirate. enemy is dead, you no longer have to these shots actually not clear from the sections we mark the start of the finished circle strafe, a common anywhere else. played why this happens exactly, game remains to be seen, but it's CIRCLE DF FIENDS feature among other games ANYWHERE! but it seems some enemies have littered with simple puzzles, almost It's really after the first round of of the genre. Admittedly, you the ability to fuzz up your hi-tech like a training level, suggesting that it battles that you start to see how the have to move to avoid the body suit, perhaps through mind
magic. . . or could it be that the helmet goes awry when Samus is running low on juice? We'll see...
DID YOU KNOW? Samus might not be the only besuited beauty on Gamecube this year. Titus are rumoured to be bringing Robocop to the Cube before the end of 2002. Bob Morton made a mistake. AUGUST 2UD2 NSC 15 IjMMJMFJpMf
M0MHMH
T 4' y 3 r J =4 J 1 "Metroid Prime is going to be one of Gamecube's very best"
START use* 4VMMMMNMr
,, m
A The locations and enemies in Metroid Prime are many and varied. This space station on the right is where your adventure starts. A real looker, eh?
IS METRDID A SIMPLIFIED SHDDTER? SDRT DF - BUT IT BRINGS ITS DWN IDEAS
A Use the Scan Visor to check out areas that can be interacted with and used. A Unleash the laser and the effects are superb - just look at it!
fiery death being projected although we found it quite refreshing,
from your foes, but you but it undoubtedly strips away some never have to re-target, even of the tactics involved in taking down when you take your eyes off them. enemies. The same mechanics work
The result is a game that's much for bosses too. as you'll see if you just easier to pick up than the likes of slide your eyes across to the left here.
ColdenEye-a trait that's always So, is Metroid a stripped down and marked out Nintendo games. But. simplified shooter? Sort of - but, as
unlike other Nintendo specials, like mentioned earlier, it also brings a few
Mario. Zelda and Smash Bros, you of its own ideas to the party. The
don't really uncover any hidden helmet is chief among these, and the
depths in Metroid. What you see is way the visor works, switching what you get: there aren't any sneaky between modes and allowing you to enemy attacks that attempt to get The bosses in Hietroia will nave you perform more tasks than a Swiss around the lock-on feature, and you bricking it good and proper, but Army Knife. But the biggest, they all have very definite weak don't need to discover any additional and most unusual feature, points. Scanning is king, as once moves yourself because the lock-on has to be the way Samus can you've done that, you'll find the works efficiently and quickly. It's odd. roll up into a ball in order to weak point and you'll immediately be offered a lock-on, enabling you to concentrate your fire on one particular section of the boss. Neat.
IE NGC ISSUE 70 . ND ORDINARY BUG HUNT There are five first-person shooters out before Christmas, but only one gives you extra-
terrestrial terror. Revel in the brilliance ofitietroid'm our exclusive level walkthrough. .
SLIDING DDDRS Metroid Prime most definitely isn't about 'Find a key, open a door'. New areas and secret sections are accessed via Samus' ball-rolling or, alternatively, just plain-old laser. Shooting doors opens them, simple as that, but if they don't open, you're required to use your scanner, a process that will identify why. From what we saw, most locked doors were opened in adjacent areas.
AUGUST 2DD2 NSC 17 negotiate tubular corridors. another. In practice, this process isn't Push X and you'll whizz back particularly exciting as the space THE MEAT DF THE GAME ISN'T out of the in-helmet view to you're restricted to really just means THE BALL OR THE VISDR BUT a third-person perspective, where you're pushing left or right, but you BUG-OBLITERATING VIDLENCE Samus will then roll up into a ball. soon discover that her ball-rolling
Most likely you will use this feature comes in useful in more open areas of where appropriately shaped corridors the game too. Laying bombs flips her areas and goodies awaited. and Samus rolls back out of a ball. No
appear - however, many of them are up, and this can be used to negotiate But that's not all: her ball-rolling first-person shooter has ever really
blocked off. Which is where her otherwise inaccessible platform can be used for more practical perplexed players with clever puzzles,
handy collection of bombs come in: sections. This idea also extends to purposes too. At one point, you're and Metroid isn't about to start. But it
press A and you'll lay a bomb which'll other areas of the game: there are trapped in an airlock; it's not does make you think, and it uses its then explode, opening up the countless half-pipes dotted about,' for immediately obvious how you get unique features cleverly throughout. previously closed-off section. Handy. example - one we played, covered in out. fhen you realise the switch for
a layer of snow, required you to roll the airlock is weight-sensitive and, in GUNNING FDR GDRY TUNNEL OF SHOVE up and down the U-bend in order to order to get out, you need to roll into The real meat of the game, though, Launch Samus into one of these gain speed. Once you had the a ball and position yourself on the tip isn't the ball-rolling, or the functions tunnels and you can then direct her necessary speed, you could launch of a bump in the middle of the floor. of the visor, or the puzzles, but the from one section of the level to yourself to a higher level where new Once done, you open up the airlock bug-obliterating violence. And there's
IOKE! Samus walks into .; bar and bumps into an old friend of hers. He says: "You look great in that chrome suit.
That must have set you back a bit." Samus nods. "Yeah, it did," she says. "It cost an armour'n leg." No r Anyone? IB NGC ISSUE 7D j r .
I w i * I ^m * Ill 1 / 1 1 1 Nintendo shooter smashed to bits You've seen what her visor can do, now get the rest.
tXi i f 1 Hi llVsif falil ere are Dugs - nit after; pressing A will fire it. Yo charged-up body blow and they'll kindly scatter themselves over a pleasingly wide area.
A The suit really is the key area in Metroid- everything unfolds From there. hVi'M'JIil iujZTVTl H'/Ei 5 jT-mfl JTTTJM i msl* 1 ! A 1 il 7T77*} 1 1 ivT^H H UTT? iTIi T *P.«7ii v% iTJal !» iiwl;! Iri MnubliT it*&v«iII missiles, one after the other, or (like the more then traverse corridors like the one above, which traditional gun) hold down Y and charge 'em up. often link different parts of the same level. Neato! NSC VERDICT We've seen and played a hell of a lot of Metroid already and what
we're seeing is brilliant: the influence of
Nintendo is obvious, but Retro must take heaps oF credit for the way they're slowly turning A At the beginning of the game, Samus (left) rises from a ball in this funky cut-scene, strutting her armour-plated stuff. The this into a choice piece first level (centre) is the space station. Once you've negotiated this, you're on to the interior (right) and these skin-crawlers... of blasting. The visor
view is inspired, adding plenty of it. After a slow start, you're Retro can handle their graphics, and unique and challenging soon working your way through a at points we were having to see off a new directions to the •JAPAN world packed with enemies. The first whole army of insect evil-doers. gameplay, while the 2DD3 level features bugs with head cavities level structure and the enemies that fill them full of rat turd: you can out-gun and SCREAM TDD TO SEE INCLUDED are incredible. One or WHAT WE WANT out-think them even if you have no There's certainly a stack more to do two features need to be gaming skills whatsoever, but the on Metroid before it hits US shores Blood. Okay, it's not the be-all-and-end- addressed, notably the further get into the game, the around November, but what we've all, but a bit of claret wouldn't go amiss. you amount of assistance Human enemies. We've been playing harder they become until, about seen and played really is superb. It's the lock-on gives you, Metroid for ages, but there's no sign of any halfway through, the space pirates scary, atmospheric, inventive and but otherwise we can humans foes... yet. Keep 'em crossed. are ducking, diving and even chasing unique, and although we've certainly confidently predict that, An end-of-game twist. We reckon this is this after you. The latter, in particular, is a got some tiny 'issues' with some of come Christmas, in the offing, anyway, but it can't do any will be top of your really distressing experience: not only the game's features (most notably the harm to let Retro know - we want to see a shopping list. The brave does it send the willies down your lock-on) there's no doubt this is going similar surprise to the SNES original. being step from 2D to 3D has spine, but your lock-on becomes less to be a thrill-a-minute ride, packed to already paid off - we're effective because you're can't lock on the rafters with standout moments planning a twist to echo the SNES keeping our fingers ANTICIPATION RATING original - but what's certain is that to them they're moving so fast. The only Nintendo can deliver. crossed that this will what Samus finds on Tallon IV ain't bugs also get noticeably larger - We'll be keeping you up to date. continue to get better nice and it ain't human. Nintendo and better. You'll find have described the end as "big, a out for sure in NBC. . big surprise". Interesting. nnnn
AUGUST 20D2 NSC IS Sequel to best-selling PS2 title, coded by Free Radical Design, whose members previously worked on GoldenEye. First-person shooter action. Came sees you taking on foes at different points in time. A Mapmaker mode letting you design your own levels. Multiplayer mode includes ith adversarial and co- rative modes for up to four.
THIS LOT ALSO DID
~ GoldenEye (NBC/9)
Genius first-person shooter
that's brilliant even now.
I Timesplitters
(PlayStation 2) Great multiplayer game, wafer
thin one-player option. You've got yourself a gun, now get yourself fun: A As the violence and gunplay spills over outside the club, A some notice the rain spitting down to add to the hectic vibe. don't be Fooled into thinking these smart foes want to chat. TIMESPLITTERS 2 that shooters of the genre having plied their trade on Travel through time with the Iowfirst person variety are arguably the outfit's greatest more ubiquitous than achievement: GoldenEye. And surely first-person shooter that's very annoying Big Brother there's no better pedigree for housemates, you could producing a Gamecube first-person much the grandson of forgive us For being just a tad cynical shooter than that unmitigated classic. when we had the chance to play Timesplitters 2s plot isn't anything GoldenEye... another at last month's E3. Within to write home about, but as Free Rad seconds of picking up a joypad and are keen to point out, plot isn't really
entering the world of Timesplitters 2, that important in a shooter. Instead,
though, we were forced to chow the time-traversing back story is
down on some very large slices of really just an excuse to let you jump humble pie. From the get-go things between nine different eras, including just felt right- not surprising, tumbleweed-strewn Wild West towns tMSCWWTtMBB perhaps, when you consider most of are content to populate their levels and soulless Cold War-style bunkers, ffftHttSr the coders housed in Free Radical with an endless stream of faceless blasting everything in sight to bits. goons, Timesplitters 2 raises the Sanson? Design's Nottingham HQ are veterans Not only does this time-specific eye stakes with a superb array of of Rare's mighty N64 empire; and, candy ensure a real sense of progress characters. As well as the besuited more importantly, old hands at this as you journey through the game - gangsters, we were especially taken by this buxom girl here. Vou know, because of her personality.
20 NSC ISSUE 7D T :i 4 i I 47 Gamecube debut from the team behind GoldenEye
HOLD AS ICE As a sly nod to their past achievements, the team behind Timesplitters 2 have included a Siberian level very reminiscent o/XoldenEye. However, to
show that it's not just a rehash, check out the improved sniper system shown below. Zooming in for head shots has never been this much fun...
• Take a moment to watch your victims after you've just increased the lead intake in their daily diet and you'll see them go through some very slick animation
sequences. This is due to the use of 'inverse kinetics'. Erm. we think. To be
honest, we couldn 't give a rat 'swhat it s called - it looks absolutely startling.
there are no environments made up personalise your attacks with head, of endless warehouses here - but it knee, or even excrutiatingly painful
has allowed the designers to instil a groin shots, Timesplitters 2 similarly
real sense oF character in the game. takes things up a notch on a number Mingling with shady besuited types in of levels. As you tip-toe around the a 1930s Chicago club one minute and nine different game episodes, you' then experiencing the claustrophobia be witness to an incredible level of THERE'S AN INCREDIBLE LEVEL
DF DETAIL: LIQUIDS BDIL r STRAY SHOTS CAUSE SPARKS TD FLY our Turok Evolution of an underground tunnel network background detail: liquids boil, flames preview on page 34, then you'll
the next really delivers a sense of flicker, snow falls softly and know how impressed we were fire effects. Well, these individuality and invention to the title. stray shots cause sparks to with those are pretty good too - especially Just as GoldenEye raised the bar for fly when they graze past the way your enemies curl up into this type of game by allowing you to metal. Of course, you can a ball... like that's going to be any use when you're warmer than a chicken tandoori. Beautiful.
AUGUST 2DD2 NSC 21 .
The co-operative mode promises to be a real bonus" TURN BACK TIME As if you hadn't guessed from its name, Timesplitters 2 sees you travelling through time to take on the bad guys. Much like Quantum Leap, lust without that Al guy.
A We love a party with a happy atmosphere. And double-barret shotguns. And you've got to admit, it sure beats small talk over a plate of smoked-salmon crepes.
A See the monkey? We're not sure how integral to the plot the cheeky little chap is, but ifs always nice to know that it's not just humans you can torch. Eh, Kittsy? NSCVERDICT Having spent some time with the multiplayer mode,
it looks like Timesplitters 2 could be the finest four-player
shooter of them all. GoldenEye was, and still .*# is, one of the finest examples of four- player gaming, and *&&** a game influenced spray in also bullet holes a brilliant addition to the standard From our playtest ' by this - but with just about anything too. modes. Hopefully, you'll still be able to it's obvious this I Gamecube's Along with the now 'accidentally' shoot your compadre in feels a lot like Rare's - I greater power •JAPAN standard four-player split- the back for top comic effect, too. Bond masterpiece, has got to be UNLIKELY brilliant. But, screen mode, there's also the chance IF that's not enough to satiate your both in terms of •"emory^V^Ser unlike the first to team up with your best pal - or a creative appetite, the Mapmaker will control (using the C- WHAT WE WANT SEE INCLUDED game, this has TO stick to aim) and much more to offer general interface. Some How about speech that includes slang than just a top-notch IE DF THE BEST FEATURES IS of the levels are remarkably terms relevant to the time of the level? multiplayer: the solo- Body sensitive animations, so that similar too, but that's hardly a player mode - which THE MAPMAKER WHERE YDU shoulder shots see the victim wince in a bad thing. In fact, even if Timesplitters was ludicrously easy in different manner to leg shots. CAN CREATE YDUR DWN LEVELS demerged as nothing more than a the first game - has Multiple routes through the nine levels to 'tribute' to GoldenEye - which it won't been beefed up too, tie in with the option of either shooting with more challenge talented enemy - and travel through enable to create your levels. - it be difficult to complain. As you own would your way through a level or completing it and more freedom, and time together in the co-operative This was a superb Function in the it is, though, you can rest assured this in a stealth-like manner. the inclusion of the co- mode. This promises to be a real original - you could create a massive, super-sequel has enough party tricks operative mode will bonus: co-operative modes are rarely playable arena in a couple of minutes and clever touches of its own tacked make a superb addition ANTICIPATION RATING - done well, but when they are pulled and with new pieces and added on to aid it in its quest to be number too. Chuck in the - in - off such as Perfect Dark they're textures, promises to be even better. one come September. More soon. . Mapmaker and you've got a potentially dazzling all-rounder... nnnran
22 NSC ISSUE 70 SKIDMARKS GUARANTEED
"Keeps you on your toes at all times" Official Nintendo Magazine
.«*&3SJii
NINTENDO I GAMECUBE www.midway.com
- -S. LLC. Used rjy pern ana afe used under he . .
Link returns in another free- roaming adventure - this time
there's no Ganondorf (or is there?) and he's out to save his sister. And the world, plainly. Jaw-dropping eel-shaded visuals and some truly gob- smacking animation. Slick, intuitive control system for instantly accessible play. Sail boats from island to island, interacting with characters and exploring frightening dungeons. Loads of minigames, A That lovely grass can be chopped down in seconds, thanks to Link's improved spin attack. It's doubtful Mr Angry here is taken with the idea, mind. including barrel jumping and, um, pig chasing. Cheeky homages to Metal Gear Solid, including sneaking through tunnels.
THIS LOT ALSO DID. Zelda: Ocarina of Time (NGC/23) THE LEGEND Awesome adventure game - probably Nintendo's best ever. \, Zelda: Majora's Mask (NBC/49) NSC Genius follow-up with little Link DNTHE battling the evil Skull Kid. OF ZELDA >*m
air play to Shigsy. We DVD. If you have you'll be aware that game's real triumph is the way the From best game ever to the hate to say we were you rea//y have to see this game in character models and environments right in NGC/68. but, motion before you can fully interact with each other. Thanks to best-/oo/c/nggame ever! well, we were. Not only appreciate just how delightful The Nintendo's decision to shy away from J
did we predict that he'd Legend of Zelda actually is. Despite its the 'realistic' approach to Zelda, Nintendo go from strength to put a stop to all the whinging and seemingly simple design. Link's latest everything in the game has a whining about 'Celda', but we also adventure truly excels itself in terms consistent sense of belonging in reckoned he'd create a brilliant new strength once again. . adventure. And so he has, sticking LINK'S LATEST ADVENTURE two fingers up at anyone who thought that Nintendo had lost the TRULY EXCELS ITSELF IN plot in the process. Him and his team TERMS DF VISUAL QUALITY have, in no uncertain terms, created the first 'proper', fully interactive of sheer visual polish. The overall relation to each other. The way Link
cartoon. Forget Dragon's Lair, this is design is super-sharp, unbelievably strikes enemies, the way the boat something else - a brave new era. crisp and clean, and stylised to the leaves gorgeous, pulsing eel-shaded
Chances are you'll already have point that it takes the series into ripples in its wake and the way Link gawped at the footage of Nintendo's hitherto unseen realms of beauty. sidles along walls before peeking into latest masterpiece on our exclusive But, as we've so often said, the the gloomy three-tone darkness,
DID VOU KNOW? This wasn't the only Zelda game that courted controversy. Zelda: The Adventure of Link was also unpopular because of its side-on perspective. Plus ca change. 24 NBC ISSUE 7D Exclusive shots of Nintendo's new adventure
everything is remarkably convincing the lock-on circle-strafing function way through anything in when it comes to conveying that (accessed by clicking the left his path. Best of all, he can sense that you're temporarily shoulder-button). Link's basic be guided around as he inhabiting a magical new landscape. attacking moves also seem does so. The only
Anyway, enough gushing over the surprisingly similar to both N64 disadvantage we can see is
graphics - you can see all that for games, with his vertical, horizontal that by charging himself up as
yourself in the screenshots and DVD and jump-in strikes all remaining far as he'll go, he gets all dizzy
footage. It's the way the game plays essentially the same as before - at once the move ends, and has to stay - that Shigsy really wanted to least in terms of the way they look still while he regains his breath demonstrate, and who are we to and their effectiveness in combat. The making him vulnerable in the process.
argue with the man himself? biggest change to Link's 'familiar' Of course, it's not just a rehashing
Firstly, all that stuff about The attacks is the beefing up of his of all the old skills. Link also has a
Legend of Zeldo playing like a well- charged sword attack. Now, instead clutch of new moves at his disposal, oiled and superbly refined evolution of just swooshing round with a and no doubt many more that have One of first things Shigsy changed of Ocarina of Time is perfectly after Spaceworld was Link's eyes - glowing trail, Link charges up before yet to be revealed. The first one we justified. In many ways, guiding Link they were pretty darn good going what can only described as witnessed was revealed around the environments feels very before, but the range of expression 'ape'. Once fully charged, he has courtesy of Shigsy himself similar to the N64 classic. The auto- and movement in them now is about five seconds' worth of crazy at Nintendo's pre-E3 press simply awesome. Leave Link idle jump, For example, is still intact, as is spinning time as he tornadoes his conference (even if he did for a while and you'll be alarmed at how much character his face shows - the little charmer.
AUGUST 2DD2 NSC 25 .
' The Legend ofZelda has silenced the naysayers" YOUR ZELDA FADS AT A GLANCE
Your mail's been flooding in since E3 so, just For you, we'll answer the top questions oP the month. .
» I 1WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THE 2 HOW IS THE GAME HEARD YOU CAN CHOOSE WILL NAVI BE MAKING AN CEL-SHADING MAKE TO THE STRUCTURED? WILL IT BE =3 THE PICK-UPS YOU GET FROM APPEARANCE?
CAMEPLAY? TOTALLY FREE-ROAMING? FALLEN ENEMIES... Not from what we saw, unfortunately. But it Honestly? Not much. It feels very much like Nintendo weren't giving much away where the You can, but it's not as simple as that. When you seems Link will have a guide of sorts in the form Ocarina of Time, the way Link runs, jumps and actual structure was concerned. From what we can defeat an enemy they can leave spheres that cycle of a gem that bestows him with hints and tips as attacks isn't exactly the same, but it's all very gather, rather than having a huge expanse such as through different colours. To get the pick-up you he progresses. One of the best uses Navi had was familiar. It's also worth remembering that there Hyrule Field to traverse, Link will travel between need you have to strike the sphere with your her ability to draw your attention to interesting
were only five levels on offer at E3 and so it's islands by boat and each island will be pretty large sword at the right time. If you're good enough objects and environmental features. It's unclear highly likely that there's plenty left to surprise us. with plenty of caves and dungeons to explore. you'll be able to get hearts when you need them. whether anything else will take Navi's place.
5 WHAT ABOUT EPONA? WILL H WILL WE GET FULL IN-GAME IT'S NOT GOING TO BE HOW DOES ALL THIS STEALTH- WE GET TO RIDE HER AGAIN? SPEECH IN GAME THIS TIME? ANOTHER SHORT GAME IS IT? BASED PLAY WORK, THEN?
Again, we didn't see her turn up in the E3 demo - No. It's entirely text based, peppered with the odd Extremely unlikely. Many areas we played in the You can hide in shadows, tiptoe around, sidle up a likely reason could be because Link's longer sample here and there. As far as we're concerned demo were quite large, though judging from their against walls and peek round corners to check the journeys take him across the ocean between this is a good thing, as there's nothing worse than difficulty it would be fair to assume they were coast is clear. You can also hide under barrels and
islands, rather than over land, so it's unlikely that having your involvement in the game's overall earlier sections of the game. With this in mind, it's move around Solid Snake-style, but be aware if
she'll actually be needed as much as in previous atmosphere ruined by some idiot with poor voice- highly probable that there are some huge any guards are looking your way - if they catch
adventures. Still, anything': possible, of course, acting skills. Anyone who's played the English expanses of land and sprawling dungeons further the barrel moving, they'll come over, smash it and it'd be a real shame for her to left out of the version of Shenmue, or Rare's Starfox Adventures through the game. And anyway, when was the open and throw you in jail. You'll also have game altogether. (well, the E3 version, anyway) will testify to that. last time you played a painfully short Zeida game? searchlights to contend with.
fluff it towards the end, to take into account when attempting bless him). After defeating to progress through dungeons. On
certain enemies, Link can top of this. Link can now shimmy pick up dropped weapons across any ledges too precarious to that have functions otherwise walk across, or sidle against walls unavailable to him. In the case of before peeking around them for extra
Shigsy's example, Link picked up a stealth. Aside from this, he now has LINK CAN NDW SHIMMY ACROSS ANY LEDGES THAT LDDK TDD PRECARIOUS TD WALK ACROSS
heavy club-type implement that he the ability to swing on ropes to reach
needed to utilise in order to smash faraway platforms and hide under through a wooden blockade that his barrels to avoid detection. sword was unable to break. Furthermore, Link's swimming
A As you can see From the light, despite the eel-shaded A Every time Link strikes the bird, feathers explode out and What this means is that there's abilities have been tweaked. Now, visuals, Zelda loses nothing in its atmospheric intensity. float gently down. Definitely one of the sweeter animations. another dimension of puzzle solving when he enters the water he can only
DID YOU KNOW? That, not counting those awful, awful CD-i adventures and blasphemous cartoons, this will in fact Link's ninth adventure. ] be ZBNQC ISSUE 70 =4T U z\ i I =47 Exclusive shots of Nintendo's new adventure
A Get caught by the guards and you'll have to escape through the tunnels.
A If you must dip your piles in lava, expect eye-watering butt-pain.
A "And when you're done mowing the lawn, you can practice your Ocarina!"
<®aa
A This bird here seems to like snatching away young ladies. A He might be a world-saving hero, but a bufty quiff like that ain't gonna help him with the ladies - unless they want their tiles polished. NSCVERDICT Our opinion has changed little from
last month. This is
still number one on our Gamecube must- %**£
have list, and the more co
AUGUST 2DD2 NGC 27 The world's First eel-shaded first-person shooter. Apparently. Complex, involving story based on the classic comic book by Belgian writer lean Van Hamme.
Uses the Unreal II engine. A massive arsenal including shotguns, sniper rifles and 'stealth weapons', like knives. Interactive scenery - you can pick up things that are lying around and use them on foes. Enemies are blessed with some 'incredible' artificial intelligence.
A The visuals are plainly the standout feature of XIII, but the gameplay promises some interesting innovations too. Xlll's sixth sense - that's XIII the man, not XIII the game - THIS LOT should help distance this from the likes of ColdenEye, while Xllf s interactable scenery - that's XIII the game, not. . . oh, who cares - will provide some interesting deaths. ALSO DID...
Disney's Tarzan Freeride (NBC/67)
Actually okay third-person adventure with the ape boy. dayman 2 (NEC/34) Popular platForm pap with rubbish French cartoon buffoon.
A Broken bottles. Brings new meaning to the word 'jaggies'.
Soft claim XIII is the number XIII tattooed on your left The First oP Its kind: a eel-shaded Ibionly eel-shaded first- shoulder. You don't remember your person shooter in the name, you don't remember anything - first-person shooter. But will world. But this ain't no about your previous life however, it one-trick pony. Along soon becomes apparent that you X///make a bang in '03? with the startling look of the game, match the description of a man the the French coders are promising a CIA are looking for in connection with raft of innovative new features, the assassination of the US President. - including the ability to pick up The comics the game is based on inanimate objects that are lying about providing you spoke French - threw and use them as weapons, and an up more twists and turns than a interesting 'sixth sense', which mountain pass, and the plot of the enables the main character to predict game, lifted directly from Belgian NBO when and where enemies will attack. scribbler Jean Van Hamme's original The beginning of the game sees storyline, promises to do the same, HANKU* you washed up on a beach with the eventually revealing the hows and all the loose ends together, such as who the hell you are. You can even control your character during the flashback sequences. Intriguing.
28 NBC ISSUE 7D .
4il| 9 Cel-shaded gunnery in Ubi Soft's fab-looking shooter
A He won't be waking up from this. Like ColdenEye, plugging poor unsuspecting A The sleek M16 is reminiscent of A They've spotted you! Fortunately, you're grenaded up - one pull of that pin and fools in the back of the head will give you a headstart when infiltrating compounds. the fantastic AR33 in ColdenEye. these fools will be recovering vital limbs from the other side of the world.
A BLAM! Feel the force of what looks suspiciously A The plot's deep and like a DD44 Dostovoi. Nice-looking locations too. involving. Like Kittsy... NSCVERDICT
Visually, XIII is a unique experience, bringing the feel and structure of a
comic book to life more impressively than any game previously. The
story too is superb, like 24 crossed with The X- Fites, and there's some interesting ideas at
A "Hello, McFly! Anyone there?" Icing stupid guards looks to be as much of a staple in XIII as it was in ColdenEye and Perfect work, including the Dark - of course, this time around, the Al's bound to be slightly more 'cunning'... opportunity to pick up and use as weapons items that are lying IS UK HUS • JAPAN the whys and the do-you-mind-if-l- most heavily, but the rest of the game flips the idea of the standard radar on about the place. FEB 2DD3 FEB 2DD3 UNLIKELY don'ts in an explosive - and probably was up for general consumption at its head and makes scouting for Whether this will be enough to see off the pretty bloody, and deadly - climax. last month's E3 games show in LA. enemies a lot more tense. Plus, like in SEE likes of Metroid Prime WHAT WE WANT TO INCLUDED Unsurprisingly, the Paris-based Although plainly in its early stages, Die Hard, you can use bullet-riddled and Die Hard remains to corpses to shield yourself from fire. We like the fact that you can use be seen - see page 14 The only worry is that XIII might inanimate objects - but more should be for more on Metroid, made of it. How about being able to smash LIKE DIE HARD, YDU CAN GRAB arrive too late in the day: when it while Die Hard- windows then use the leftover shards of appears early in 2003, Metroid, Turok, another Gamecube BULLET-RIDDLED CORPSES glass as a makeshift knife? Timesplitters 2. Die Hard and Nightfire exclusive - introduces a A huge range of guns - rocket launchers AND USE THEM TD SHIELD YDU will have already been and gone, and, wealth of new ideas and homing missiles should make an that XIIFs going to have in its current guise, beyond the eel- appearance somewhere. to be pretty smart to development team are keen to to XIII: XIII keep there was plenty admire about shading and story, might not quite Blood and guts. It's a must, really. see off. That said, we the story under wraps, especially as - picking up broken bottles and chairs be different enough to stand out should get a real idea of due to the relatively late arrival of the and using them as makeshift among some very impressive, and how this is shaping up ANTICIPATION RATING - game it's likely to be, alongside the weapons added an interesting largely similar, competition. between now and the eel-shading, the Feature they push dimension, while your 'sixth sense' We shall, as they say, see. . autumn as the game is being pencilled in for early 2003. More soon. on
AUGUST 2D02 NBC 23 .
Mario's long overdue return to his rightful place as the world's
platforming king. Good ol' Maz. Incredible visual and gameplay evolution of the groundwork laid down by Super Mario 64. All-new Mazza abilities, such as spin-jumping and water- spraying, plus many others. Rideable Yoshi! You heard: the dino makes a welcome return. Quite simply, the most fun you can have with pronged, vibrating plastic instruments. Until Zelda. A Mazza uses this tightrope as a makeshift trampoline - jump high and you can see the whole level for miles around. THIS LOT ALSO DID..
I Super Mario 64 (NBC/I)
A revolution in 3D gaming - one
of the finest games ever made. Zelda: Ocarina of Time I™ (NBC/24) Shigsy's masterpiece. This could
just be the Best Game Ever.
A Yoshi won't be looking so smug A Just look at him! Riding Yoshi is A Yoshi will come in nice and handy A YEE-HA! Watch him! Now if only we when Mazza clambers aboard. Nope. what Mario games are aaaaaall about. for those hard-to-get sun emblems. could kick his babies off precipices... SUPER MARIO SUNSHINE
way from the manic we love Sunshine so much is that it's Mario Sunshine is, without question, Mario shines on. Join us as we insanity of Los Angeles' got one pure attribute that very few the most fun you'll have in a long,
E3 show last month, games can boast - it's non-stop fun. long time. Simply, it's outstanding. delve deeper into Weeding at there are three titles Don't get us wrong, Nintendo's Instantly accessible (even to those that remain deeply other main attractions were all superb without any previous Mario 64 the Windmill (Sunshine's action- etched in our minds. Zelda, Metroid (and hugely entertaining) - in fact experience) and instantly appealing, and Mario's next-gen updates proved they were better than superb; almost thanks to its stark, eye-melting to be Nintendo's most intensely to a game, they were sublime - but primary colours, hummable music packed opener) and more. . enjoyable titles - with Mario a game Marios timely return just seemed to and almost dreamlike qualities,
that continues to bring a smile to our feel so special. Of course, side by side Sunshine excels in the one area the face as we habitually re-run the with the likes of the gorgeously Mario games always have done - footage, even the tenth and eleventh animated Zelda. Marios visuals - bar simple, addictive and excruciatingly time over, thanks in no small part to a handful of standout graphical compelling payability. Let's take the
its genius marriage of structure and highlights - seemed to pale into very first playable level From E3 hilarious comedy timing. Mmm. insignificance, but once you wrapped (Weeding at the Windmill) as an
We're not forgetting Zelda or your hands around the Gamecube's example. At first glance, it doesn't Metroid, but one of the main reasons joypad, everything became clear: seem particularly spectacular. There's
3D NGC ISSUE 70 .
Fat-plumber's holiday game! New shots to eat!
n^| TLIE? I ET"%#^?I The E3 demo was divided into six parts, but not all six were individual levels - some of them ^JIMI lUn La^aVELL direct links to the bosses. Here's what was served up at the Nintendo stand...
MUDDY PORT MY PESKY PEST AND THE JUNIOR'S PLAYROOM
Complex and sprawling, this level is SHAKY MIRROR The most disappointing of all the stages,
- mainly because it feels like a bonus described as Meccano gone mad. Girders, This is the beach level with the mirrors on i one
grating, wire fences and cranes are the order of are in fact solar panels that need to be salvaged of some sort. All you have to do is navigate
the day here. This is the level where you have the from the enemies rampaging all over them. Mario around sets of giant multicoloured cubes. punchable swinging gates, and the octopus-thing Looking to the peak of this level, you'll see Old A little dull - but no doubt there's more too it that's spewing black oil everywhere. Wiggler - the caterpillar from the Forest of Illusion. than we saw at E3.
A More modes of transport. Is this A No prizes for guessing what's in how Mario first arrives? here, then - smash it Mazza!
A We love this. Let's hope it doesn't get 'corrected' in the English version.. A Never turn your back on an old Toad, Mario. We're betting he's pretty nifty with that big gnarly stick of his.
minimal texturing on the floors and instinctive that it's almost as if Mario shallow stream bridged by a thick walls, the grass doesn't look very is an extension of your thumb. A few elastic band stretched between two convincing, and there's that short steps into the level and you posts - and it's here that you get your unshakable feeling that you've bump into the natives of the island, first full hit of fun. Shimmy or jump onto the rubbery tightrope and you'll find yourself being propelled high INSTANTLY APPEALING. MARIO into the air, giving you a brief yet SUNSHINE IS ADDICTIVE AND tantalising glimpse of the Technicolor - madness taking place over the high COMPELLING IT'S DREAMLIKE wall. After you've got the bouncing
hilarity out of your system, it's time to already been here plenty of times who give you tips on how to execute mosey on over to a quaint little batch before. Of course, such trivial worries some of Mario's new moves, such as of houses, populated by a are dispelled from the second you put his super-useful high spinning jump. e run comes rrom riguring handful of friendly (and not- you can combine his skills your thumb to the analogue pad. Once you feel you've got the gist how so-friendly) villagers who, with each other or areas of interest because the control is so tight, and so of things, the path leads you to a again, gently feed you in the level. The more you experiment the more you discover, such as Mario's ability to throw
water around like a sprinkler. .
AUGUST 2DU2 NGC 31 The effect of the gooey mess is astounding" MARIO'S MAD SKILLS Don't Fancy spending the whole time clearing up mess just because some prissy, pampered ari: displeased? Dinnae worry - there's plenty of mindless hilarity to be had in Mario Sunshine...
91 A The sun emblems are the new stars A This is great. Only Nintendo could in Mario Sunshine - gotta catch 'em all. do a proper 30ft caterpillar fight.
A There she is, the tease. He's had 20 years of it, the glutton for punishment.
jr*re ai& SWING! Crab hold of the elastic bands stretched between posts and Mario uses it as a makeshift u very much like the bars found in Sonic Adventure 2, and timing your release carefully will fling you miles away.
SLIDE! If Mario jumps into the JET-PACK! Mario's backpack's SURF! An extention of his /Mono
sludge he can slide around on his second function. Tap X to point the 64 skill. This time the plumber can
belly for ages. Not the most useFul nozzle down and Mario can use it to keep surfing at high speed for ages,
skill, but it's certainly good fun. push himself into the air. negotiating floating walls as he goes. A See that windmill over there? Spray it with your hose to send it spinning.
titbits of information. Like the huge wall that things really kick leaving messy trails wherever they
how to operate your off. Once you've bounced or jet- go. Whipping out your front-facing backpack, the kind of packed your way into the equally nozzle by tapping X and squeezing
situations it can be used in, gorgeous adjacent area, you'll be the right shoulder-trigger to spray and interesting environmental bombarded with bustling activity. you can start cleaning the mess up -
features that you may want to check What looks like a bubbling and it's here that the first of the big
out - and check them out you will. chocolate volcano is the first thing surprises comes into play. Clean up Even in this very small preview that catches your eye. The effect of enough mess and coins spring from
version of the level, there seems to be the gooey mess is simply astounding the ground. Saplings pop up briefly an inordinate amount of senseless - closely resembling marbled before ballooning into full-size trees ****'»* fun to be had. The rubber bands can chocolate. As Mario slips and slides M and, rather confusingly, whole walls be used as trapezes for a swinging over the oFfending brown stuff, the rumble out of the earth in anticipation Mario. Windmills can be sent twirling streaks of white are disturbed and of your spring cleaning. Furthermore,
at high speed before spewing coins mixed in a gorgeous silky-smooth With the right-shoulde those rolling balls of goo can be
from their mountings, and a huge layering effect. As compelling as it is you can determine the strength of washed off, revealing piranha plants Mario's jet. In order to shoot the wooden cog can be rolled up and to just mess about in the muck, it's that you can fill with water until they water out, Mario has to pump the down its housing with a hefty spray not exactly the safest place to play, eventually explode. handles with his stubby little arms, from Mario's front-facing nozzle. But though, as giant balls of brown goo Sounds mental, doesn't it? And you making the concertina at the top of it's not until you make your way over are spewed towards your position, couldn't be closer to the truth. The his pack force the water out. Just a
small thing, but it gives you an idea of the attention to detail in this brilliant, brilliant game.
32 NBC ISSUE 7D 1 6 irf Fat-plumber holiday game! New shots to eat!
A Look at it - it's completely insane! OF the levels we saw, this was definitely the most complicated and intriguing. A Most enemies can be dispatched with a well-aimed squirt of the water cannon.
A Mario can now swing hand-over-hand A Just over this wall is your under this mesh... first encounter with the slime. NSC VERDICT A month after coming back from E3 and Geraint's
still buzzing like a toddler after six cans of Tizer, and who can blame him. Just check out the DVD on the cover of this very issue to see for yourself. This game has Nintendo magic oozing A Looks lovely, doesn't it? We still have no idea what this boat does, though. A way to another island, perhaps? from every pore. Mario's Gamecube level of activity and amount of things around - and that's without actually With each new level we tried, the makeover gives his US • JAPAN cheeky personality even to see and do is incredible. With each playing the level properly. This is overall experience was slightly AUGUST I9TH JULY more weight, with loads visit to Nintendo's stand we perhaps Mario Sunshine's biggest different (the design of Muddy Port of animations, moves discovered more and more stuff to strength - it's enjoyable no matter Mystery, for example, is very TO SEE INCLUDED and sound effects to WHAT WE WANT complicated indeed, with fences and accompany his every girders swinging all over the place Plenty of variation in the locations, movement. It mightn't THE LEVEL DF ACTIVITY AND and thin, crisscrossing gantries for please, Mr Shigsy. If the whole thing looks be as revolutionary as one factor like Benidorm we won't be best pleased. THE AMOUNT DF THINGS TO SEE you to navigate), but Mario 64 was back in its An enormous quest of Super Mario 64 remains throughout - that day, but this is an proportions, with a stupid amount of DD IN MARID IS INCREDIBLE immensely vivid and AND unparalleled, tactile joy of putting extras to seek out, dynamic evolution of Mario through his paces. In case you Sweet minigames, such as Peach's slide the series that has play with. The hidden 'M' graffiti what you do. Simply controlling Mario hadn't guessed, we simply cannot and the Koopa Race. exceeded our dotted around the levels: the floating again was enough to bring a smile to praise Mario Sunshine enough. The return of the star slide! expectations in about leaf that via faces, and just being in the Unashamedly biased towards the could be propelled the our game every possible way. - little but there's use of your water cannon; those is entertainment in itself a boast fella we may be, no Rest assured, you'll ANTICIPATION RATING strangely addictive elastic tightropes that only a small, elite clutch of titles denying it - Mario will be one of the be in heaven from the and the many windmills dotted can lay claim to. greatest games of all time. Really. second you fit the tiny disk into your Cube. Next month: review... OB
AUGUST 2DD2 NSC 33 30 new weapons, including a Gravity Disrupter Beam, the interesting-sounding Swarm Bore and the 'Baby' Nuke.
(Baby still means big explosion). Destructible scenery: anything you see can be destroyed -
trees, passive dinosaurs, fish... Over 30 different types of 'organism', including brilliantly realised dinosaurs such as triceratops and diplod
I Fly a missile-carrying
queczalcoatlus through single- A Feel it! Watch people get hot under A Cuts. Nice to see some claret player and multiplayer missions the collar with the new flame-thrower. spilling - thafs what Turoki all about. in a first for the Turok games. 'Reworked' deathmatch. Hyper-intelligent enemies that hunt in packs, hide from you and try to pick you off from New story.
THIS LOT ALSO DID
I Turok Dinosaur Hunter (NBC/1)
The best Turok of the lot . . . so
far. Bloody and brilliant,
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (NBC/21)
Bigger and better-looking, but jerky and staggeringly hard. EVOLUTION got five first-person stuff. Witness the game's all-new (but Bigger weapons, bigger Ie'veshooters scheduled to still largely unnamed) weapons, for arrive on Gamecube TEAMS! example: the nuclear weapon whose dinosaurs: what more do you before Christmas, and explosion slices your enemies in half
Turok is set to steal a on its way back, sending them flying need Prom the fourth Turokl march on them all with its rapidly off into the air for good measure, approaching 6th September release. leaving a trail of claret on their way Whether it'll actually hit that date up; the gun that fires off a group of is up for discussion as the latest purple spheres that hunt down and version NBC played suggested explode your enemies; the Quake-\ike there was still a fair amount of fine railgun; the grenade launcher that tuning to be done before the code also doubles up as a proximity mine could be boxed up and shipped off. layer. . . and that's where things get However, one thing's for sure: if even more interesting. Each gun has AUCI the likes of Metroid Prime and Die called Squad Dynamics, enabling a twin function, such as the standard Hard think they've SSSBsgf got themselves a troops of dinosaurs, or squads of shotgun, which can fire six bullets, foes, to work in teams rather free run, they clearly haven't banked than but can also discharge them in one individually. It makes gameplay on The 'Rok. He's not a Nintendo supremely vicious round. Or the pretty interesting: you hardly ever exclusive anymore, but he's still hot pistol, which has a handy sniper encounter solitary enemies, and when you do, they just squawk for the other members of their troop, or radio for back-up. Clever stuff.
34 NSC ISSUE 7D Fourquel dinosaur hunting - and this time it's personal
I After a rigorous playtest of Turok Evolution, we were intrigued to ' find some new features in the game. Here's the info you need...
4 T" „; 1 A Kittsy's happy: Turok can now gun down unsuspecting monkeys. Nice.
/ 1 1 +£ ££ +
We all knew that you get to fly on the back of Chief dino-programmer David Dienstbier Even your basic hand arsenal like clubs and a quetzalcoatlus, but have you seen the claimed you could destroy anything in the game arrows pack a punch now, but it's the double
: beautiful cityscapes you can soar through later - and he's just about right. Dinosaurs aren't the unction of the guns that makes shooting a in the game? This one's like Cloud City. only thing - how about plants and fish? pleasure, lust try the head-removing sniper.
A Store up all of the shotgun's shells and fire them off in one painful go.
A The environments are brilliantly detailed - and A One of Evolution's enemies feels the unlike previous Turok games aren't fogged up. full force of the flamethrower. NSCVERDICT
If, like us, you were a big Fan of the original Turok, you'll be rejoicing at the sight of Evolution, a fourquel that takes the
series back to its roots. You'll be pleased to hear the weapons are A Destroy everything! You can knock down trees, remove dinosaur legs and kill marine life. Huzzah! outstanding: inventive and bloody, they'll keep you entertained from function on it. Or the tiny little bow grass textures we've ever seen. Add stone temples to cavernous alien the first minute to the - - and arrow normally a last resort in the fact that you can affect and ships. The latter certainly worked a last. This time round, which now comes equipped with a change the shape of the jungle by treat in the first game, but let's hope even basics such as the •JAPAN posion arrows, allowing you to watch knocking down trees, and shoot holes there's not too much reliance on knives and the bow and UNLIKELY in glee as enemies tumble to their through thick shrubbery in order to extra-terrestrial locales as the second arrow have undergone an overhaul, offering knees, prehistoric toxins coursing progress through the level and you've and, particularly, third Turok's WHAT WE WANT TO SEE INCLUDED far more than just a last through their veins. Of the weapons resort. Equally great currently available in the latest More save points. Turok 2 spaced them are the environments, version oF the game, though, the TURDK EVDLUTIDN FEATURES A out so much you could complete three- sporting a look that's most eye-blistering has to be the quarters of the level before finding one. NUKE WHDSE EXPLDSIDN reminiscent of the first Less flying, more dying: the Flying flamethrower. Stick it in the direction game but plainly far, sections are great, but we don't want to IN HALF... far detailed. of a foe and fill them full of yellow SLICES YOUR ENEMIES more see them taking over Turok Evolution. death and they'll run off screaming Enemies are intelligent Not all the weapons have been unveiled and this works well in into the jungles, their high-pitched got one of the most complete and suffered because the brilliant Jurassic yet but one thing's for sure: a return For the context of a battle, wail drifting foliage. interactable there. jungle squeezed out in favour of through the play areas out was the Cerebral Bore is a must. forcing you to use your And that's another area in which The levels we've seen so far seem great-looking, but dull, otherworlds. head and gut instinct, Evolution is shaping up superbly: the to work in much the same way as the Providing there's no coding cock- and also ensuring that ANTICIPATION RATING jungles are phenomenal, packed with first Turok, starting off in the jungle ups, we should have our hands on a each battle feels much detail and the most unbelievable and progressing through ancient copy of this next month. Excited? different to the last. More on this soon... nnnran
AUGUST 2DD2 NGC 35 .
2' "Gameplay improvements have been made in key areas in Hoffman MAT HOFFMAN'S PRO BMX 2 Mirra's nemesis turns up the heat.
f Tony Hawk's is your
idea of a good night in, Mat Hoffman, From the
stable, will | same most likely prove an equally enticing prospect, making the switch to BMX, but continuing the reliance
on 'big' air, manuals and grinding.
You might have missed the first
game, a PSOne exclusive - luckily, the sequel promises to deliver even more A Hoffman was a treat on PSOne, of what made its predecessor great. outdoing Dave Mirra's with a wealth of Graphically this isn't going to win any clever features and solid stunt work. prizes, but gameplay improvements
have been made in key areas: the main game tosses out time limits, leaving you to bike around the eight
parks for as long as you like; there's an improved photographic option, allowing you to collate a monster scrapbook of your best stunts; and
the First game's remarkable course
editor is back, bigger and better. We'll
have a review in the issue after next.
GODZILLA NSC DESTROY ALL SWEARING MONSTERS MELEE Besides the great name, this fighter WNUDITY! promises to offer you 14 characters (including Mechagodzilla and King Chidorah), ten playable arenas to X-rated BMX action. Intrigued? smash to bits (yep, including Tokyo), and a 'robust' combo system. If you've played Godzilla Generations on DC, n what must be one of you'll be familiar with what depths the most radical this kind of game can plumb, but with changes of direction of the steadying hand of Infogrames
any game ever, Dave behind it, we're hoping this does
MirraXXX\s still going to justice to a pretty fab licence. Expect
be a BMX stunt game, but it's also things to 'get prehistoric' in Autumn. going to feature objectives based around women with their, er, 'things' out, blokes removing their cacks and peeing into swimming pools, dogs laying 'eggs' on the sidewalk, lorries THE SUM DF crushing passers-by, and liberal use ALL FEARS of the f-word. Why? Who knows, but one thing's for sure, Dave Mirra XXXis Based on the forthcoming Ben Affleck
a dead-cert 18. Interested, are you? movie, this latest Tom Clancy outing is built around the engine developers Red Storm created for their top PC
shooter, Ghost Recon. If you've ever played a Rainbow Six game, you'll be well up to speed with how this one's likely to work: teams are created, waypoints plotted, and terrorists taken down using super-stealth, gadgets and plenty of ammo. Described as a techno-thriller, the game sees you facing off against neo-
Nazis in over ten international locales.
It's pencilled in for autumn here. .
36 NSC ISSUE 7D 'Wolverine's Revenge is an intriguing marriage of styles"
INVASION NBC This sci-fi-themed beat-'em-up sees you playing a member of the Special PICS! Forces, sent in to investigate "a NEW strange and sinister alien threat". Which means gratuitous third-person 2Sars=a= release m Tod of this 2003 violence, both of the fist and gun our action with variety. In appearance this bears exclusive shots! . some resemblance to Core's awFul N64 scrapper, Fighting Force, but atmon of the Future; whereas the excitement level in that Superman; Spider- flatlined somewhere around the Man; Spider-Man; opening cut-scene, Hidden Invasion The Movie; Batman
coders Toka are promising stacks of Vengeance - it's
bloodstained action. Review soon. i mixed bag for superheroes
on Nintendo consoles lately. But
Wolverine's Revenge is hoping to
change all that with its startling DONALD DUCK half-cel-shaded. half-realistic look and an intriguing marriage of the WHO IS PK? beat-'em-up and Metal Gear-style stealth moments. Very interesting. At the risk of spoiling everything for Wolverine's claws will form the you, PK is Donald Duck's superhero focal point of fights, but the alter-ego and it's him you play as in athletic adamantium-plated nutter this eel-shaded third-person shindig. will also be able to make use of
Developers Ubi Soft are promising the people he's decking. If he four massive worlds to explore, while thumps someone in the stomach,
PK has, at his disposal, all manner oF when they double-up he can leap ''"'' : ' gadgets: rocket packs, the PK car and ante ' ' - them as a the interesting-sounding Rex-Swing. launch pad to the next enemy.
From what we've seen so far, this Few other gameplay details have certainly looks the part, but then emerged yet, but there's going to
Donald Duck Coin ' Quackers looked be plenty of foes (Juggernaut and alright, yet had all the subtlety and Colossus) as well as the voices of in-game enjoyment of a breeze block. Mark Hamill and Patrick Stewart.
Stick with us to follow its progress.
AGGRESSIVE INUNE SKATING
This newie from the Dave Mirra team, is going to do for skating what Tony Hawk's did for skateboarding. Or, at least, that's the plan. Ten licensed skaters, stacks of tricks and the "best visuals" ever created for an extreme sports game. Apparently. Intriguing.
AUGUST 2UG2 NSC 37 Reign of Fire sees you using vehicles to hunt down dragons" DFFIRE
illed as a third-person vehicle combat game, Reign of Fire sees you jumping into a selection
of heavily-armed all- terrain vehicles and hunting down dragons. Why? Because the sole aim
of these huge beasts is to, er, wipe out the entire human race. Including you. Thankfully though, those of you
with sociopathic tendencies can flip A The dragons are fearsome fiends, the script and play things from a scaly modelled in menacing shades of grey. beast's point of view. While the main
game is structured around completing certain missions, such as rescuing farmers or defending some livestock from getting barbecued, there are enough open-ended sections to keep things interesting - taking over a gun tower isn't vital for early progress, but do so and you'll
be able to use it later. Impressive at E3 - look for more soon. U 4*i I =4\ y A Even more new Gamecube games
Fromr ' the creators of Rayman
^f f you've ever gawped in awe at French films like The City of Lost Children then Project BCRE will be right up your street. The new game from Michel Ancel, the
guy who created Rayman, Project is a delicious-looking 3D adventure, which marries Body Harvest and Pokemon Snap, as you use vehicles and take photos of animals in a bid to uncover a dastardly plot. Very promising... FREEKSTYLE
This latest entry in EA Sports' (cough) Motoplex, a less colourful but equally
Big range is a two-wheeled take on devilish take on S5X Tricky's Tokyo 5SX Tricky, combining real(ish) physics Megaplex, while EA are promising with distinctly unreal stunts. Just take over 80 stunts, marrying regular a gander at what that fool is doing in grinds with irregular manoeuvres like the screenshot on the bottom left. the Helicopter. This wasn't playable at There's eight courses to choose E3 on GC, but the PS2 version was from, including Monumental looking pretty interesting. More soon.
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5" TITUS and the titus logo are regis! fUS.AIl rights reserved TV and g m am IS GAMECUBE NINTZ^DD'S LAST CONSOLE? FF BIRD 1 AS NINTENDD JAPAN PRESIDENT HIRDSHI YAMAUCHI CALLS IT A DAY ARE AWlRE THE CDMPANY ABOUT TD ANNDUNCE THEIR HARDWARE RETIREMENT? BY BERAINT EVANS TD, en DAMAXt"|* fter 52 years in charge of the company, charismatic President Hiroshi Yamauchi,
finally relinquished his grasp on Nintendo, the company he steered from humble card-manufacturer to global-games giant. The announcement sparked some interesting comments from the retiring president as well as Satoru Iwata, the former General Manager of Nintendo )apan and the man chosen to replace Yamauchi - including the suggestion that Gamecube would be W^.T. nCAfl Th Nintendo's last-ever console. At a recent press conference, Iwata HERE reiterated Nintendo's focus over the GDSS coming years, and placed the emphasis on quality, innovative software over needlessly increasing the power of hardware - a sure sign that they're not looking to start researching Gamecube's successor any time soon. For Iwata and
Nintendo, the bottom line is that the
current level of technology is perfectly
adequate. In a climate where higher polygon counts and faster processing
speed is becoming a preoccupation with UNKRGHTS developers, it's easy to forget that it's inventive gaming that's carried Nintendo since the NES, not Memory Bus CALIBURZ7_ Bandwidths, Pixel Configurations and 3D CG Geometric Transformation. Whatever PUAYTUROW they are when they're at home. THE COMPETITION HERE In a dig at both Sony and Microsoft GET IT during his first press conference since taking on his new role, Iwata was taking
ISAost Wanted NTSC games DDSHIN REACHES EUROPE shores, and much sooner than you Nintendo's toe in the icy waters of stranger game offerings, If all goes Play The gangly armed yelloui giant may think/ too. Due for- release in European gaming/ to check whether or well/ maybe Aniffl3l Leader will make mell make his way over to these September/ it mill serve as not we'll be receptive to Japan's it/ too. Here's hoping. SMDRE!
WHO ARE WE? This month's news is researched and written by Tim Weaver, Martin Kitts and Geraint | Evans. Or, The Weavernator, Kittsy Litter and The Boy From Vergon 6 to give them their real names. The best sources, the biggest news ITS SDFTWARE DVER HARDWARE IN THE BIG N'S FIVE-YEAR PLAN... SHORT instalment of Pokemon. The fact that as we speak. Add Retro's Metroid and CUTS their workload has been freed up also Rare's Starfox and these - the means they can concentrate on creating companies Nintendo have a financial
brand-new titles with brand-new stake in - will prove essential. characters, as well as introducing
Nintendo have built better relationships further innovations alongside the Came in the nine months since Camecube Boy Advance. Instead of better KEYTHIRD PARTIES
launched in japan than at any time hardware, this is what really interests Sega now have F-Zero, Namco are during the N64's troubled existence them. Recently, Shigeru Miyamoto told coding Starfox, Capcom have already (Toshihiro Nagoshi of Sega, above, being NEC: "Nintendo doesn't believe that completed development duties on a
just one) - all with a view to offering the improvements in hardware and series of Zelda games for the GBA, and
players not just more polygons and technology per se can gain its game still there's more to come. Nintendo see better lighting, but better games. creator more opportunity as far as this process of dividing out some of gameplay goes. That's why we're now their best-loved franchises as an ideal
aggressively connecting each different opportunity to (a) breathe new life into IN-HDUSE platform... because that's the best way some of their oldest gaming series', and Although Nintendo have handed out to make unique games." (b) help cultivate greater relations with
many of their most cherished companies they previously had little
franchises, they're keeping key titles in- dealings with. If these tie-ups prove to
house at their R&D teams in Kyoto. SECOND-PARTIES be a success, there's little doubt that From here you'll see Mario Sun^' US-based NST have already delivered Nintendo will attempt to continue this
The Legend of Zelda, 1080° 2and .... Wave Race: Blue Storm, while Silicon approach. TW emerging, as well as the Camecube Knights are finishing Eternal Darkness
a tough stance. "Using their game attacking his rivals - he was sending out machines, they seek to control the a grave warning to the industry as a distribution of all types of whole: "We can't be too optimistic about entertainment," he said - a statement of the games market. No matter what
intent by Nintendo that they will not great products you come up with, easily be drawn to hopping on board the people get bored". A sentiment mirrored online/hard-drive bandwagon. Indeed, by Yamauchi himself: "The element of
their strategy is markedly different: "We surprise is critical, but this is becoming want to make games that are extremely difficult - game developers over- interesting. We'd be happy to work with are fast running out of new ideas." reaction? any company that has new ideas for Maybe not. gaming". And that's an area where LACK DF INVENTION Developers Nintendo are certainly practising what There was more than enough evidence need to stop looking
they're preaching - their collaborations for this at E3. Nintendo's stand aside, the to new platforms to fulfil with Capcom, Sega and Namco are majority of the show was saturated with their dreams. The hardware
testament to this. relentless clones of already well- available now is more than established gaming styles. There was a sufficient to support interesting, new, IT'S ND BATTLEZDNE staggering amount of third-person inventive, high-quality gaming
It's been clear for a while that Nintendo adventures, platformers and cartoon experiences - if your idea is good are determined to distance themselves licences, all almost identical beyond the enough, it's good enough for
from Sony and Microsoft and the battle visuals and front end. If this is already now. It's a message that certainly
isn't without its merits. So will Nintendo follow Sega HE ELEMENT DF SURPRISE IS into a software-only existence? RITICAL BUT DEVELOPERS ARE Who knows - rumblings coming out of Japan seem to suggest FAST RUNNING DUT DF IDEAS that the company are a little disillusioned with the switch to that currently rages between the two the case, at the beginning of the current multimedia and the importance placed
multimedia machines, and this was an generation of consoles, it beggars belief on features other than games by Sony
idea Iwata was quick to press again. "No that Sony are already making noises and Microsoft. What is safe to say,
matter how many consoles Sony sells towards a third, more powerful console. though, is that Gamecube will definitely
and whatever Microsoft does, it is Suffice to say, Nintendo won't be so be around a lot longer than the
important for us to make our software quick to follow suit. "The effort to traditional five-year life-cycle of past attractive enough to drive consumers to produce machines with better console generations, and that there'll be
buy our hardware." A reFerence to technology has reached its limit," says more of an emphasis placed on games
Sony's research into PlayStation 3, Iwata. "If things continue, they may lead than at any time before. certainly, but Iwata wasn't simply to the decline of the entire industry". An And thank jiminy for that.
MYSTERY NINTENDO GAME? across the strangely titled Giftpia blag some footage [we'll try and tell what's going on exactly, but affair* with an emphasis on After flicking through a stack of from Nintendo, After a little get some shots for you next month) early indications suggest that it's communication with the local
new Japanese games mags we came investigation sue managed to even Unfortunately/ it's very hard to some kind of Animal Forest-esque townsfolk . Intr i gu i rig,..
AUGUST 2DD2 NSC 41 . .
"WaveBird is brilliant - and it's genuinely useful"
SETTLE DOWN Rayman coders Ubi Soft have revealed that PC A Kittsy tests the Wavebird from outside. Note the green square- it's receiving! A The beautiful Wavebird. Just look at it, you! strategy game The
Settlers is coming to Gamecube. Excited? No? CAP A LDAD! Well, maybe it's time you Mario might have appeared in well had a rethink. NBC's over 20 games in his time, but he's very own Dan reckons it's still got a long way to go if he's going an absolute hoot: "It's a to oust the Street Fighter series the strategy game where you BIRD OFF WIRE as A undisputed sequel king. This month, have to tap the area developers Capcom revealed that their around you for new We've got one in! Get the first verdict on Nintendo's wireless pad. . original Street Fighter arcade game resources in order to build has spawned an incredible 60 sequels, a bigger, better society. he WaveBird had slipped to pad is still stupidly small, and the Z- on the receiver to the same channel on selling 25 million copies in the process. It's a bit like Civilisation, And that's just the start: blue-suited but there's not so much the back of our minds after button is still hard to get to. The only the WaveBird via a discreet little wheel. platform king, {Mega in reliance on war." So there Nintendo stopped giving out major difference (apart from the missing Rockman Man the West) has spawned a slightly more we have it. Expect it 2003. info pretty much as soon as cord) is an on/off switch to the right of FROM A DISTANCE staggering 62 sequels, although it has it was announced. But, since E3, our love the D-pad, the chunky battery-holding The best bit of all, though, is just how shifted fewer copies - still a far-from- for the peripheral has been rekindled, bit and the lack of a rumble function well it works. Kittsy, for example, walked disappointing 15.3 million. (The latest and after its recent release in the US we out of our office, up the stairs and down Japanese Top 30 reveals the newest couldn't get one in fast enough. RUMBLE SACK the other side (quite a long way) while GBA incarnation in the franchise, the
So what's it like? Of course, the reason the rumble has smacking all the buttons, and Smash creatively titled Rockman Zero, is at
Brilliant. It really is. And the best part gone is so that it doesn't drain the Bros on the telly in our office still number five, keeping the bank balance ticking over nicely, is that it's genuinely useful. Inside the power from the two AA batteries showed that the pad was functioning very thanks very muchly.) Interestingly, the package you get a WaveBird, the housed inside the casing. Unlike we properly - very impressive indeed. Resident Evil series is third on their list receiver you plug into your Gamecube initially thought, the battery casing Unfortunately, we still don't know of successes, with 22 different GREEN controller port, and a couple of batteries (which sits behind the D-pad and C-stick) exactly when the unit will make it over versions of the games on various all (unless nicker GAMECUBE for the WaveBird itself. Being an official doesn't get in the way at you here, and at a whopping 50 to consoles, but has sold more than 20 After the success of X- Nintendo product, quality-wise, this is have fingers like a gorilla), so it's no less import it, we'd think long and hard million 'units' - favourable indeed Men and Spider-Man it top notch. The analogue feels just as it comfortable to hold than the original about sending away For one. when compared to the other two. Just seems every man and his should, all the buttons are placed exactly controller. As for operating it, it's simple. Hopefully though, it should be goes to prove - sequels pay. TW ferret wants to stick as they are on the 'normal' pad, the D- All you have to do is change the channel available here by the Autumn. GE comic book heroes on the silver screen - this year we're getting Daredevil,
and next year it's The Hulk. And - wouldn't you
know it - developers Universal Interactive aren't going to hang
about in replicating all the fun of the glare with the IT! scary-eyed Hulkster IMPORT? FORGET hitting Gamecube in some kind of third-person Play NTSC games on potential of your games by allowing you don't mind forking out for the cost of adventure early next to cheat like the talentless piece of crud importing them. year. We'll have more as your PAL Gamecube, you really are, giving you extra lives, Not only that, but should you find this develops. unlimited ammo, invincibility and the cheating to be the most deplorable courtesy of Datel. . like, as well as creating all kinds of gaming act known to man, Datel are
bizarre in game effects, too - but that's also releasing a disc that can be used
t was only a matter of time, not where it ends. The new Gamecube solely for playing import games. Called
really. Those clever third- Action Replay disc will also allow you to the Freeloader, it will cost around about party-peripheral-making play Japanese and American games on 20 of the old quid, a good tenner less monkeys at Datel are set to your PAL Gamecube, which means that than the Action Replay disc.
release a Gamecube version of their you'll be able to get your paws on all the Both versions will be released this popular Action Replay cartridges. As latest Gamecube games before they summer - just in time for Mario
usual, the gaming gizmo will unlock the arrive over here. Obviously, that's if you Sunshine then .. . GE
DIRTY DANCING titles of the US Super Mario star in the Legends of Wrestling SPACEU0RLD 2002 CANCELLED? August's Spaceworld is Nintendo's press and public to try out. | v cartoon show (.see NGC/40 for more sequel. Let's hope he gets to do' of otun show, where they bring out Unfortunately/ it's looking likely Kep-razy ex-rassler Lou Albano, mho i One our favourite events of the danced around as Mario in the on his crazy ''moves') is set to the 'Mario', Uhdt a treat. i year is rumoured to be cancelled. their forthcoming titles for both that it won't go ahead.
42 NSC ISSUE 7D "
L
One of our most reliable sources in the industry - who has close ties with Rare - says he's certain they're not going anywhere. At E3, he told us he'd been speaking to
A Kameo was actually at E3 2001 - so where was it at this year's show? A Donkey Kong Racing - nothing more has been seen other than intro shots like this. management at the Twycross funsters and they were becoming frustrated with the he best kind of information an interview earlier in the year that Rare us it was only a matter of time before it rumours surrounding the is, soberly or not, most often were going to be publishing many of happened. This was just another delay. company, particularly that divulged with a cheeky wink their forthcoming projects, pointing So, question is, if Rare go - and they they were in discussions - here and a furtive nod there. towards greater self-sufficiency. More most likely will at some point how with Activision. Another
And nowhere is there more winking and significant was the mysterious absence much would Nintendo really miss them? developer told us: "I just nodding than at the E3 games show in of Kameo and Donkey Kong Racing from don't see any reason for LA, a trade show so stashed with this year's E3, despite Kameo being SLOW BURNERS them to move. What haven't they got at the hearsay and rumour it's often difficult to present at the previous year's show. Toss Rare are immensely talented and any moment? They make a lot determine what's real and what's made in the absolute refusal by Nintendo to machine blessed with their genius is of money, they're left to up. That was certainly the case when it answer any questions relating to their going to have a significant advantage get on with their games, the subject of Rare, relationship with Rare at this year's E3 over its competitors. But, at the same came to and they're one of the few the whispers that they were press conference and suddenly things time, their productivity is painfully low. Nintendo-affiliated about to announce a decision are looking to be heading one way. The Having them on board mattered companies that Nintendo
to go multi-format. reality is less conclusive, of course. Rare massively during the software droughts aren't calling every two - So, are we any clearer as to have always been fond of a joke or two of the N64's life cycle - games such as seconds and Nintendo put up with their delays. what's going on up at and Nintendo refusing to say anything is Jet Force Gemini, DK64 and Perfect Dark Activision wouldn't put up B, Twycross? No. Amid all the hardly anything new. However, the lack kept the console ticking over with high- with Sfarfox's delay. gossip, all the Chinese whispers, of anything other than Starfox at this quality gaming when no one else could
one thing became abundantly clear year's E3 is not so easily written off. deliver - including Nintendo. But there to us: despite many claiming they was a price to pay - sometimes a price knew what was going on, most actually HDTEL CALIFORNIA of up to 15 months between titles.
didn't have the foggiest . Even NGC's Which brings us onto California-based With Gamecube, Nintendo have own best sources couldn't agree - Activision, the company behind the Tony woken up: third parties are arriving left, every one we asked gave us Hawk's Pro Skater games. Most recently right and centre, and Capcom, Sega,
conflicting information. NGC spies spotted Rare staff attending Namco and Square are all set to make
Still, the evidence is, an ultra-exclusive Activision party at E3. potentially groundbreaking games for
nonetheless, compelling. It could, of course, mean nothing. But Gamecube, leaving Rare in a different, what about sightings of Activision staff less enviable, perhaps less attractive DDYDU ACCEPT bunking up in hotels in and around position from their point of view. CARDS? Twycross? This, plainly, is of much more Importantly, punters won't have to
It all started with that interest. . . and there's no smoke without rely on Rare to provide them with their
Christmas card, a cheeky little fire. Rumours persist, particularly with next premium-quality gaming hit - far
piece of fun that seemed to regard to Activision - only last month a from it. And maybe that's why only
point to a multi-format new year key UK source emailed us to reveal that Starfox is coming out of Rare any time
with its suggestion of Xbox and Rare's switch from Nintendo to Activision soon - and why the likes of Kameo and
PS2-shaped presents under the was signed, sealed and delivered. As it Donkey Kong Racing have disappeared.
tree. Also, Nintendo admitted in turned out, he was wrong - but he told We'll keep you informed. TW/CE
GC'S FIRST TRADITIONAL RP6 Gamecube. Evolution Worlds will Device and Evolution 2: Far-Off ' CALIBUR GETS CLEVER attack patterns/ forcing you to - Ubi Soft are bringing out a fact combine two RPGs in one Promise - both of which appeared on In SC's Conquest' mode/ the CPU change your behaviour and creating I ( greater challenge, Intriguing. compilation RPG adventure to Evolution: The World of Sacred the Dreamc3St. i will precisely mimic your player's
AUGUST 2DD2 NSC 43 BMPRBBB MBEp I ^Jr "You can only marvel at what Retro have done with Metroid' DISAGREE WITH MOST WANTED? Then email us at [email protected] or write to us at NBC, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2BW and tell us the three games you're most looking
forward to. Every month, we'll tally up the scores on the doors and change the list accordingly.
fc-ija tssa tasaa igSMta tifii » K Quite simply, the 25 most anticipated games on the Cube in your opinion... MARIO SUNSHINE LEGEND OFZELDA SEPT 27TH AUG I5TH JULY Although the team is relatively small - and told you: it's been a We proceedings unlikely to stretch gamers past the ten- month since the new hour mark - this already looks immaculate and, as Zelda was unveiled to with anything Mario, it plays immaculately. Best of the world and we're all, it's being lined up for a too-good-to-be-true still recovering From September release here. Check out Mazza on 30. the fallout. Cynics will **•;•* argue that its only undergone a visual MARIO KART G change, that, at its heart, beats the same ART MAN! 2QU3/D4 2rJD3/U4 2DD3/D4 game we played in w Last issue we asked for your Ocarina of Time. But *^^ Still a way off, and disappointingly absent at E3 ideas - and we got them in « • even in video form, Mario Karl's Cube debut exists they're wrong. This'll , w their thousands. What did deliver the brilliance of only as video so far - at least outside of Nintendo of you want to see in the new the N64 Zeldas lus a Japan. Inside, Miyamoto's minions are busy building ' P yius 'AN - Mario KorO Check out our -i rj wealth of new genius. a sequel to the N64 outing a game we're still Ideas Factory on 48 to 2DD3 2DD3 2DD3 office. page See it on page 24. playing in the See Ideas Factory on page 48. see what weapons Mario should have, how the Battle Mode should change, and PERFECT DARK ZERO METROID PRIME why Bowser needs to be an - SnR Li W tt^m Uj t «JS EJ end-of-level boss... 2DD3/D4 2DU3/04 ZDD; AS NDV 2DD3 As-yet unconfirmed super-sequel Rare exists deny I , You can only marvel at what Retro have done with but which we all know is taking shape at their Metroid Prime. Six months ago, the brilliance that Twycross HQ. Rumours of reported problems have we saw at E3 would have hardly seemed possible -
been quashed by those in the know, and if this first- now this is shaping up as the key FPS for Gamecube. person shooter is even half as good as Perfect Dark fi Massive, gorgeous worlds, big bugs, bigger guns jflfVJSfrS- on N64 this'll be the premier Gamecube gun game. and a real mean streak - get to page 14 for more. SOUL CALIBUR 2 SJARFOX ADVENTURES JAPAN 2DD3 2DD3 2DD3 2UD2 iSTTJGT 2DQ3 The original Soul Calibur on Dreamcast was Rare's ages-in-development 3D adventure features probably the best 3D beat-'em-up ever - which the original crew from Starfox - minus Falco - in a bodes well for this sequel, coming to Gamecube I Zelda-esquo 3D world inhabited by skyscraper-sized early next year. Early versions look incredible, while dinos. Looked and moved incredibly at E3, nicking
the arcade version is exceptional. shots i And coming VIM Zeldds battle system and improving upon it, as well out of Namco suggest things are about to get better. as dealing us in with some top-notch space battles. RESIDENT EVIL ZERO F-ZERO GC -- hHus a JAPAN El PAN 2DD3 NDV SEPT 2DD3 2DD3 Like the look of the newly jazzed-up Resident EviR Developed by Daytona coders Amusement Vision, F- Well, start weeping at the sight of the Gamecube- Zero CC is another in a long line of titles Nintendo only Resident Evil Zero, built from scratch on have shifted to third parties. Fortunately, Sega Nintendo's dazzling purple wonderbox. A prequel to know how to handle a racing game, and - through the original Resident Evil, this includes new features, unique compatibility with F-Zero Arcade - this will new characters and resolves Umbrella's origins... offer a new, exciting direction for the series.
fT7| FINAL FANTASY AUTO MODELLISTA COLIN MCRAE RALLY 3 WWEX8 LkiJ Way-offay-off all-new FFFFacadventure. Capcom's top eel-shaded racer. PlayStation favourite hits Cube. New smackdown. See page 66. «l IB JAPAN sB JAPAN ZDD3 2DD3 2DD3 2DD2/D3 2DD2/D3 2DD2/D3 NDV 2DD2 DUTNDW " " ~| TUROK EVOLUTION TONY HAWK'S SKATER 4 ~ JAMES BOND: NICHTFIRE DIE HARD VENDETTA
Sequel-saurus. More on page 34. i~~m Same tricks, no time limits. Eurocom deliver more Bondage. . This time it's personnel mines. ,mus a iapan diUS a JAPAN MUK :*JS (J JAPAN .« a APAN FJTH SEPT FJTH SEPT ZDD3 XMAS NDV UNLIKELY NDV NDV 2DD3 NDV NDV 2DD3 ~\ SUPER MONKEY BALL 2 ra TIMESPLITTERS 2 1080° 2 MARIO GOLF More monkeys, more minigames. J New shooter from GoldenEye bods. m*md Powder-Filled 'boarding sequel. Fairway magic with Mazza. ,MUS U APAN U m U APAN a! (J .APAN XMAS NDV DCT 'T UNLIKELY 2DD3 2DD3 2DD3 2DD3 2DD3 2DD3 WARIO WORLD [CI ETERNAL DARKNESS Rl KAMEO E"P1 PHANTASY STAR ONLINE Wazza-only side-scroller. Unusual. UM Scare-fest. Review next month. Ul Change into animals, Rare-style. hfiJ Premier online outing for GC. 44NBC ISSUE 7D TraVKH The best Nintendo gaming news, first © "& MARIO BEEN J0^ * ^ MENTIONED IN EASTENDERS? SEEN A COPY OF NBC IN CORRIE? LET .& MSI. LAKITU KNOW... ZELDA FIGHTER Is Link a secret character in Soul CaliburZ? The rumour factory has been going supposedly have the Adult Link seen in crazy over this one, with US websites the original Spaceworld 2000 Zelda 'revealing' that Namco's forthcoming footage. Namco have strenuously Soul Calibur 2 (which Sony claimed at E3 denied the rumour, but the company's was a PlayStation 2 exclusive - yak) will involvement with the Triforce arcade feature Link as a playable character. And system means they now have very close not just any old Link - the game will ties with Nintendo... MK A Nintendo have wasted no time in putting a warning shot over Square's bows. BOY DONE GOOD "Did any of you see Channel 4 sitcom The Book Group? on Friday 17th May?" asks Stuart FANTASTIC Forbes from Berkshire. "Reason being, Rab and "Wee" Jackie were involved in a heated confrontation on ace N64 football game, FAILURE ISS '98 "Wee" )ackie won 5-0, much to Rab's Nintendo boss pulls no punches in reminding disgust... although neither of them seemed Squaresoft that Final Fantasy is a costly Flop. to be holding their controllers properly. Anyway, I've enclosed intendo president Satoru owners Sony allows them to bring FFXI some pictorial proof." Iwata gave new friends to Gamecube, and ff creator Hironobu Squaresoft a sharp verbal Sakaguchi has previously stated that the WRITE TO kick to the kumquats with a game must appear on multiple formats LAKITU'S LENS, NGC, stinging criticism of Final Fantasy XI. in order to be a success. 30 MONMOUTH Speaking at a company conference, But Iwata may well have put paid to STREET, BATH, Iwata laid the boot into Square's long- any plans for a Gamecube version of BA1 2BW awaited, hugely expensive online RPG, FFXI or similar online titles. Entries sent with picture after early Japanese sales figures Shocked Square president Youichi evidence will win a suggested the game would fail to Wada responded: "Players have been Gamecube game... recoup its massive development costs. satisfied with FFXI, and we hope "While the popularity of online games Nintendo's comments don't dissuade is undeniable, Final Fantasy XI has been future players from experiencing the a failure," Iwata told delegates. game for themselves." "Square have been unable to attain half the number oF users they GROUND-BREAKING anticipated, due to the management of Square's forthcoming offline Final their online servers." Fantasy title for Gamecube is still Players must buy or rent a PS2 hard expected to be released later this year, drive and keyboard, as well as pay a and Nintendo's departing ex-boss monthly subscription. The expense is a Hiroshi Yamauchi said that he believes major factor in the game's poor sales. the game, which links up with the GBA, will be ground-breaking. FALLING OUT AGAIN? As for online titles in general on The recently rekindled relationship Gamecube, Iwata told delegates: "We're between Nintendo and Square makes paying particular attention to the online Iwata's statement particularly environment to ensure the success of unexpected. Square's deal with part- future network games." MK DID YOU KNOW? Final Fantasy first appeared pn the NES in 1987. and had five sequels, all exclusive tp cpnsples, befpre tp Dark Side in the mid-90s. j Nintendp Square turned the . Travel across to the States and play Turok Evolution" THIS MONTH WIN!! PLAY TUROK EVOLUTION FIRST! Ifs the last month of our exclusive Turok compo! And, to celebrate, MARIO KARTGC TIE BREAKER The things you really want we're giving you the sixth and Final jigsaw piece 'free'. Kind of us, eh? Completed your to see in the sequel. Are card? Got all six you watching, Nintendo? pieces of the ay back in NGC/65, we kicked off one Heck, of course you jigsaw? Then all our most exciting compos ever. In a (fl&k IL No correspondence will be entered into. you need to do is world-exclusive tie-up with Turok are, you scamps. \Mf 12. The winner of the trip (and their brains Acclaim, we gave one lucky answer the RULES parent/guardian/friend) must be available to fly following tie NGC reader and a friend the opportunity to travel within three weeks of the closing date. Travel must be t The closing date for all entries is 1st August 2002. completed by 8th September. across to the US and play Turok Evolution at coders breaker on a 2. The competition ?s open to all UK and Republic, of 13. The winner will be responsible for ensuring that Ireland residents except employees of the Future separate piece of Acclaim before anyone else got a sniff of it. he or she (and their parent/guardian/fnend) has a Publishing, Acclaim, any of its wholly owned passport and - if necessary - a visa valid for the trip Sound good? Damn straight. subsidiaries, marketing services agencies, handling paper... as well as appropriate travel insurance. houses or other companies involved directly with the But, we weren't about to make it easy. In issue administration of this competition. IA. Except where caused by their negligence. Future 65 we provided you with an airline ticket that had Publishing and Acclaim accept no responsibility for 3. All entries must be sent to: 'I want Turok 'n' roll!', any loss or delay caused by the airline, hotel or other six gaps on it: the six gaps could be filled pieces NGC, 30 Monmouth Street. Bath. BA1 2BW. All PERIPHERAL WAS by third party or any other loss or damage suffered by entries must be sent by prepaid post and received by the winner (or their parent/guardian/ friend) as a of a jigsaw... and there's been a in piece each of 1 st August, irrespective of the date of posting. Proof TUROK 2: SEEDS result of winning the trip. OF Em THE the issues between 65 and this one, hidden away of posting won't be deemed to be proof of delivery. 15. The promoter of this competition is Future A. Any entry that is incomplete, illegible, late or difficult. somewhere, ooooooh, devilishly Publishing. A big thanks to Acclaim for providing the FIRST CAME TO otherwise does not comply with the rules may be funds for the prize - and time at the development If you've picked up the last six issues of NBC, deemed invalid by the terrifying good looking Editor. MAKE USE OF? studio. These rules shall be governed by English law. you'll know that all you need to do is stick the six 5. All entries will be examined, pieces of the jigsaw onto your air ticket and send it EL A winner will be chosen on or around 1 st August 007 AGENT UNDER FIRE 2002. The winner will be notified by telephone. in to stand a chance of winning a dream trip to the Please include a telephone number. We all knew he'd return States. If you've missed an issue, then you better is alternative prize. 7. There no cash to the eventually, but has get onto our back issues hotline (although we've 8. The Editors decision on all matters affecting this competition is final. 007 left his payability reprinted the ticket below in case you've lost it). ffk B. If the prize becomes unavailable for any reason, Call 0870 444 8653 without hesitation! in Twycross? HAS HE? %T Future Publishing and Acclaim reserve the right to The closing date for entries is Thursday 1st replace it with another of equal value. August. All you have to do once you've completed ID. If an entrant is under the age of 18. he or she must get the signed permission of a parent or your air ticket is answer our tie breaker up to the guardian before entering. Also, if the winner is under 18, he or she must be accompanied on the trip by a left here. We'll contact the winner shortly after - parent/guardian. Get the a-okay from your folks and then you'll be off, with a friend, to Austin to before entering. SE- play the unbelievably good Turok Evolution. . cordially Invito yon to enter the competi a lifetime. One lucky winner will be whis„ away to Acclaim's top-secret HQ in Austin, Texas to exclusively play Gamecube super- sequel Turok 4, months before anyone else gets their hands on it. Additionally, as part of this uicrcdible prise, we will also fly you and a friend on to LA for two fun-packed days afterwards. For all the details, including the rules, see page 80 of this month's NCC h ""»*•»' taft»mM of rotor. 5LJ°" ^ "°H^! m»u „ „„„, f, DC you cvmnUy »ubscrib« to NGC 418841S67-— 18689876 1317-0000 46 NBC ISSUE 7D E3HHPBB1 nT£ •T i IiJ li !=fll PIKITOUT! The guys at nice 'n' cheap website www. play.com have it i done STAR WARS: RDGUE LEADER 10 again - this time they're 1 £45 • 87 • NGC issue ( Factor 5/Activision offering you Pikmin for 35 quid! That's a fiver cheaper than you'll find in it LUIGI'S the shops, and even MANSIDN 10 CAUGHT IN includes postage and £40 • 90 • NGC issue 67 • Nintendo packaging. Man alive! THE WEB Get onto the world wide f After the staggering web and have a gander. amount of film marketing We can ZW'i SSX TRICKY 2 that's whizzed across our HS^ hardly £40 • 87 • NGC issue 69 • EA Big/EA TV screens in the. past believe month, it's little wonder ths gaming incarnation of LEGENDS DF WRESTLING Spidey's big screen £40 • 47 • NGC issue 69 • Acclaim adventure is doing well. (Coming out on every format under the sun probably helps Does SDNIC ADVENTURE 2 BATTLE 10 too.) it deserve it? Just about. j £40 • 70 • NGC issue 67 • Sega/lnfogrames Will it continue? Almost certainly. Expect a SUPER MONKEY BALL similarly strong showing 10 from Spider-Man next £40 • 88 • NGC issue 67 • Sega/lnfogrames month - and if you want to see Spidey's hunting ground for yourself, nip ISS2 10 along to our Spider- £40 • 84 • NGC issue 68 • Major A/Konami Compo on page 104. 2002 FIFA WDRLD CUP 10 £40 • 30 • NGC issue 69 • EA Sports WAVE RACE: BLUE STORM 10 TRICK £40 • 91 • NGC issue 67 • NST/Nintendo BITE FEVER An impressive opening BURNOUT 10 month's business for SSX £40 • 86 • NGC issue 67 • Criterion/Acclaim Tricky as it storms in at number six - pretty nifty when you consider what TONY HAWKS PRO SKATER 3 it's up against in the top 10 £40 • 87 • NGC issue 68 • Treyarch/Activision five. Early indications are that people haven't been too put off by the fact FREERIDE that this is a PS2 TARZAN 15 conversion. In fact, at our £40 • 59 • NGC issue 67 • Disney/Ubi Soft local EB, we were told this has been selling steadily, suggesting SSX may hold its position right the way through until next month. DID YOU KNOW? Tony Hawk, the greying skate-maniac fronting this month's good-to-moderate performer Tony Hawk's Pro Skater J, has made £4 million in royalties from the game series. AUGUST 2DD2 NSC 47 . IDEAS FACTORY It's an Ideas Factory Special! Your thoughts on the new Mario Kart. . . LAST MONTH WE ASKED YOU Well, it didn't make the expected appearance at last month's E3 - not even on video - but that hasn't stopped you From sending in mountains of ideas for Mario Kart CC So, here they are: NGC reader brainwaves that Shigsy and the boys should be looking to take on board right away. . UNLQCKABLE EXTRAS Mario Kart 64 might have been just about untouchable as a multiplayer game, but as a one- player experience it was a doddle. Which, presumably, is why you want more incentive to stick at the single-player in the MULTIPLAYER-DNLY CREATE FUNCTIONS Cube version - and that COURSES Remember F-Zero Xs brilliant, brilliant incentive is unlockable tracks and It was the best part of Mario Kart 64 - and random track generator? Well, you want one secret characters. you want more. Much more. As well as being of those in the new Mario Kart, making the able to access all single-player courses, you game infinitely replayable, but you also want want the opportunity to belt around a Create-a-Kart mode, where you can lay multiplayer-exclusive levels, built specifically down the blueprint for your very own kart for the enjoyment of you and up to three and then race the blighter. other mates. AUGUST 2DD2 NSC 43 . IDEAS FACTORY It's an Ideas Factory Special! Your thoughts on the new Mario Kart. . the person currently at the top of the leaderboard. It would add a greater degree RIO KART MOUTHPIEC of tactics to the game." Niall Sherry, Dublin Twenty-five ideas direct from your brains.. "The new Mario Kart should into opponents eyes, temporarily blinding have planes and submarines as well as them. Wouldn't that be great?" karts. But, instead of having players Stuart Flint, Margate choosing different vehicles for the same race (I hated this feature in Diddy Kong BRAIN Racing) to for boats, planes or SHIGSY you'd have go 1 iXM/A "How about, instead of power-ups sledges on certain levels." M like mushrooms and lightning, you Matthew McWhinnie, via email collected pokeballs? When you picked one up it would bestow you with the powers of SPECIFIC VEHICLES the pokemon inside. So, pick up Pikachu and "Nintendo should include a you could fire off lightning bolts; grab Track; Editor in Mario Kart QC. "As well as their karts, each character 1 should have a second vehicle: Mario Squirtle and you could drop slippy water You could adjust the default courses as well should ride around on Yoshi's back, Link bubbles; while picking up a Jigglypuff ball as edit the frequency of the power-ups and could gallop along on Epona and Fox would enable you to send other drivers off the length of the tracks." would be in the Arwing or Landmaster. You could to sleep, temporarily locking control of the David Taylor, London also have unlockable characters, such as Magikoopa kart! You could even have rare, unlockable on a broomstick, Captain Falcon in his Blue Falcon, balls, such as Koffing, where you could Lakitu on a cloud, Bowser in his clown's-face thing launch huge great lingering black clouds." "Once a character has collected from Mario World, and Ash and Pika on Charizard's Will McConnell, Belfas enough coins, they should be back! Come on, you know it would be great." able to access a secret weapon." Gary Wells, Northern Ireland Ryan Hubbard, Leicester Let us know your address and we'll send out a prize. "There should be a fair few courses set in the Mushroom Kingdom, but there should also be some set elsewhere - maybe one could be inside Luigi's mansion. 'Mario Kart GC should nick the Or how about real-life locations? Imagine up morphing Mewtwo idea from Super Smash RELAY LMIIhiMViVid' to 16 karts flying around a high-speed Bros Melee. Once you pick up a Mewtwo "As well as the normal Battle Mode motorway, charging into a city at night..." pokeball, parts of the track could change - games, you should have one where ? to complete laps then Peter Hignett, via email from rocks to streams, and so on - making each kart Is in a sphere - a bit like Monkey pass on a 'baton' - a flag in this case. the drive more exciting and unpredictable. Ball. The arenas would be circular, with no There'd be two teams made up of two Whoever picks up the Mewtwo power-up barriers, and the object of the game would players each, and each player would have to "You should be able to jump has the advantage, though, as an arrow be to bash into other players and knock complete two laps. The change over would onto an opponent's back and appears to guide them through the new them off the arena." require precise manoeuvring, while you briefly control their kart." sections of the track." Aaron Wade, Chester could use sneaky shortcuts in the race." Ross Rankin, Cambridgeie David Crice, West Bromwich Steven Riley, Nottingham "What about if, once you'd clocked up "The Poltergust 3000 should be a hhere should be an adventure L! a truly world-beating time in Time "The characters should be divided hidden weapon. Characters mode, and the hub should be Trial, you unlocked the Ghost as a playable into Grand Prix teams: Team Mario could use any of its functions: the normal set outside and inside Peach's castle." character? The Ghost would be different would have Mario, Luigi, Peach and Yoshi, hoover would act like a magnet, dragging Careth Thomas, Solihull depending on what character you played as, while Team Zelda would have Link, Zelda, people towards you; the water function and he'd be the ultimate racer, with a Ganon and Sheik. You could even have an would have people slipping all over the perfect racing line." evil Team Mario with Wario, Waluigi, Bowser place; fire would make other karters lose Joseph Sammarco, Surrey and Magikoopa. Each team would have a set control of their kart; and ice would freeze "The coins you collect in races of scenarios like in Super Smash Bros, where the wheels, sending them sliding." can be tallied up and then spent on only some of the drivers can compete; for Will Prendergast, Bracknell upgrading your kart in the areas where example, Mario would have to stop Bowser there are deficiencies. So, Bowser could "The one-player should have an from shunting Peach off the side of a track." crank up the speed on his." Adventure Mode, where you get to Jak Livesey, Berkshire Mikey Lland, Strathclyde race big boss characters such as Bowser. MrA."I'd like to see a few more uses One you'd beaten them, you'd unlock them for the same weapon: for example, if you WER and be able to race as them." "Toad's specific weapon would be to picked up a shell, you could choose whether "One of the new weaijum Chris Wetherly, Northampton cry hard, salty tears that arrow off to pick off the leader of the current race, or should be a swarm of pikmin. Thanks to everyone who wrote in with their ideas - the response was phenomenal. You included: Morgan Morris. Powys; lames Castleton, Norwich; C-Dude, via email: Neale McGeever. Tyne K Wear; Pierre Hyde. Welwyn Garden City; Grant Liddell, Scotland; Matthew Payne, Glasgow; Ed Day. Swindon: Steve Soar, Pilling; Andrew Keagle, Solihull; Tony Jenkins, via email; Ben Davey. Bristol; Oily Parry-Jones, via email; Lee Machin, Manchester; Alex Cavey, via email; David Stazicker, Wigan; Fraz Handzel, Wembley; Derek Welbeck, London; William Purvis, via email; Pete Millwood, via email; Fiona Loxton, Milton Keynes; Peter Jewson, Bromsgrove; Chris Tabor, Stockport; Brian Chant, Southampton; Michael Murphy, Ireland; Ray, Stoke; Sam Majerski, London; Kevin Hume, Orkney; Neil Holmes, Doncaster; Thomas Armstrong, via email. 50 NSC ISSUE 7D You could shoot them off at your nearest opponent and they would dismantle their kart, piece by piece, setting your Foe back vital seconds." Joe Baldock, Essex A How about an earthquake weapon? You collect it and then set it off and the ground starts to crack, resulting in the play area becoming multi- levelled! It'd be brilliant: like on Wario Stadium on Mario Kart M where the lightning forced players to fall down the gap on that final jump. Michael Cyder, Birmingham ^m jM Wouldn't it be brilliant if there was some kind of differentiation between good and evil weapons in Mario Kart CO For example, when Wario and Bowser picked up a homing shell it would be black and spiky, but when Mario, Luigi and Yoshi picked up the same weapon, it would be super-smooth and brightly coloured. Good and evil characters could also have different weapons: Wazza could have lightning bolts and homing Boos, and Mazza could have rainbow oil slicks. Matt Mathers, Rochester "Dropup the bombs onc the track for others to drive over, banana-style - once they have, it sets off a ten-second timer, and you have to find the defuser before the bomb explodes." Paul Garratt, via email LABLE "These would be a bit like the homing missiles in Perfect Dark. The CPU would take over the driving once you'd fired off the shell, and leave you to direct it, first- person, into a foe." Jonathan Melton, via email know that karts don't have them, but it would be great if you could operate a gear system. L could act as your clutch, while the C-stick would enable you to move through from first to sixth - the notches on the stick match up perfectly. It would be great to select a high gear for straight track, or shift down to take a really tight corner - it'd add a bit of thinking too." Carl Peters, Merseyside "What about if you could get out of your car and wander around, like in an RPC?" Joe Bonfiglio, Crewe . ** „fc A | THE VERDICT YOU *&&>++* V DESERVE - FIRST! P» s- ,,,,>« ©op J mS* T ^ €3 -' Wl'!'* ii'iimT -. w*m i FDRCES FWENDS JAMES BOND SbIdrddpXJs AGENT UNDER FIRE WHAT IS PAL? on! First-person OO-heaven or another rubbish GoldenEye Whe"V Bang standard. ou clone? We give you the straight answer on EA's newie. . the - reason ^ arnes . are NTbl.s( 9 Import games " " . " " , " BET INTD THE GAME THE SCORE BA HOW IT WORKS The quickest and smartest way to get started... The verdict explained for you... Our reviews are the biggest, most comprehensive on Planet Earth. We devote more pages to the games you want to know about, and give PROS AND Four serial killers to choose. Great dialogue. you more detail than anyone else. And in the new NBC things have CDNS Grisly deaths aplenty. Create-a-skin-suit mode. ' just got a whole lot better: our Field of Play and Event-o-meter regulars Because we think it's will pinpoint exactly when and where games get good, and yet our important to provide you with balanced reviews, we'll I verdicts remain the most honest and most stringent around. i Too few skin-suit options. sum up the game simply Not enough violence. \ not enough violence. with plus and minus points. 'Just Why can't you kill monkeys? IFYDULIKE THIS... FIELD DF PLAY Not all games are good ' The game's best bit taken apart and analysed. (unsurprisingly) - so you'll be wanting to know what I the alternative is. We'll \ provide suggestions here. Gorgeous locales - the Pi Despair is very realistic, VISUALS AND the Tenement of Terror. SOUNDS Camecube sends PS2 it sound effects For every packing. Do the visuals and "~death - possibly could have done with more squelchiness. sounds show this? S MASTERY MASTERY A superb mastery of what it takes to become a serial killer. How well does the game LDST Oh, and good graphics too. make use of the Cube's II EVENT-D-METER startling hardware? I I The bits, bits - ; graph. good the bad handy You'll be disappointed once you've clocked up your 1000th - LIFESPAN victim as the game ends. Card-based RPG that might just surprise you QFTHEBDNDS S BONO nD7: MMMT UNDER FWE Will it last you a lifetime or we give you the first review on PBD a couple of minutes? Here VERDICT \ you'll find out for sure. . Kittsy's Killer Kollection will appeal to anyone who's fancied the idea oF stalking and maiming innocent people. Come on, everybody wants to. . . er, don't they? VERDICT We don 't throw scores around - we give a game ' what it deserves. Here you will find the definitive I verdict on whether you \ should purchase a game. 87 ©) OUR SCORING SYSTEM 1 What those scores mean to you D-24 25-43 9D+ rushingly awful, sppointing, stashed Some great bits, some Great fun, brilliantly Rarely awarded, massively dull. Rest with faults and likely to not-so-great bits. Decent programmed at times, you'll know a 90+ is WWEX8 assured, this is crud. be short of any quality. but definitely problems. but probably flawed. absolutely essential. Import review! We grab hold of the US version of the latest rassle-fest and drain every last detail out of its sweaty pants. . . PBB As any superspy knows, gadgets mean glory and MEET THE NSCTEAM disguises mean distinguish. . . er. . . ment. Ahem. §1 mk TIM JUDFREY KITTSY GERAINT PAUL DAN JES PHILLIP MARK So... 99p rainbow More M- 16 than MI6, A dracula costume, Thanks to the unique "Yeah, yeah, I'm a "I've got one thing to New recruit Phillip is a "No chessboard - glasses. "Wrong, " says Jud's identity has been Kittsy? This better be moisture in the Welsh camp Hitler ha ha say to you: face fur. quiet man - quiet but sweater to confuse . . flamin' ha. You lot are MI6's Tim. "MI6 call them concealed due to the good. "It is. You can 't valleys, Ceraint is able beepbeepbeep foes crumble at deadly. Like dog turd. 'em this time," says ultra-polarisers. graphic nature of his tell it's me and now to restructure his face going to feel the back the merest touch of "I'm glad you made Mark, "just oodles of Cough. "Or, enjust... loft space. And the I'm called Mr Kiss Kiss using only the hands of my hand. If my limp my 'beard'. Touch it. that dog turd analogy. comedy hair and a . wrist can support it. Goon, IT!" 99p rainbow glasses. fact that he's a nutter. Fang Fang!" (Silence). of Leek Children. TOUCH No, wait a second. . Gerry Adams beard. AUGUST 2D02 NGC 53 INFD BURST DEVELOPER EA PUBLISHER EA PLAYERS 1-4 JAMES BDND QD7 MEMORY CARD PAGES 3 RUMBLE FUNCTION YES CBA LINK-UP NO DISCS ONLINE PLAY YES AGENT UNDER FIRE WHEN'S IT OUT? A weak Bond? A timely return to the days of GoldenEye or another Agent Under Fire is out now on PAL, or on stinker of a 007 licence with guns that fire ping-pong balls? US import if you prefer. t seems strangely fitting that COST: £40 GET INTO THE GAME the first first-person shooter to appear on Gamecube Being a superspy isn't as hard as you'd think.. should be a Bond game, but let us crush from the start any TRAINING MODE hopes you might have had for this latest Agent Under Fire Is ridiculously easy attempt at ousting Rare's world-conquering to get to grips with. Right From the N64 classic: Agent Under Fire isn't the new word go you'll have either QorM GoldenEye. But, then, what is? EA's (and CDMES IN wittering in your ear every step of developer Eurocom's) last attempt to put us the way. and telling you exactly what BEIGE in Bond's shoes in TWINEwas the perfect to do. So much for being the world's For some inexplicable example - it was excellent, solid, enjoyable most respected superspy. reason, EA have decided to but nowhere near as good as you-know- make Bond's default what. And, sadly, EA's second attempt, weapon the Golden Gun - DIFFICULTY LEVELS Agent Under Fire, is much the same story. or at least, a golden gun. Still, if you're having trouble getting Well, actually it's more a to grips with the game's finer points, MISSION FAILURE? beige gun. What we want there are plenty of difficulty levels to to know is why in the Still, if you don't go into it expecting help you get used to things. name of Desmond GoldenEye - and you won't if you've already Llewelyn doesn't it offer - played the rather lacklustre P52 version one-shot kills like it's supposed to? Why didn't they just give Bond his proper PPK? Idiots. SU NBC ISSUE 7D . JAMES BOND DD7: AGENT UNDER FIRE EA try their hand at ColdenEye. . . and fail INSPECTOR GADGET Where would Bond be without toys? Right in the dwang most likely - in AuF, most are concealed within a whiz-bang new multifunctional device called a 'mobile phone'. . Download Q-CLAW Q-REMDTE Q-DECRYPTDR '$ Look around for a suitable grappling point and activate it. Hit the right When you see one of these spirally green lights you can download data to Pretty basic. If there a door with a combination lock you can use the spot, and you'll propel yourself over chasms and up walls. remotely control anything from room temperature to Harrier jump jets. decoder to get into places you otherwise wouldn't be able to reach. a-Laeer Q-LASER Q-SPECS Q-CAMERA Want to go skulking through air ducts? Then you want the Q-Laser. Whip it We love this one. Put on these natty shades and seek out any secret On some levels you'll be required to seek out sensitive documentation out and burn the locks off of whatever it is you want to crawl through. rooms with their X-ray capabilities. Don't seem to work on ladies' skirts. that has been carelessly strewn around the level. Snap them with this. you'll find that its many problems are, for the most part, easily forgiven. And, after VARIETY, AS THEY SAY, IS THE SPICE that, /WFbecomes pretty enjoyable stuff. DF LIFE - IN AGENT UNDER FIRES Variety, as they say, is the spice of life, CASE, IT'S WHAT'S SAVED ITS LIFE... and in AuFs case, it's what's saved its life. When you're faced with a main game of varying quality, it's always helpful to paper that you bought the game in the first place. over the cracks of mediocrity by giving the Everything you'd expect from a Bond player something different to chew on every shooter is included. Each scenario is broken couple of missions - and this is exactly what down into a number of objectives, Bond has EA have done. You see, AuFhas three main a healthy selection of gadgets, from lasers gaming 'styles' to get to grips with: the to decoders, and there's a fairly decent standard run, strafe and shoot FP5 sections, selection of weapons to choose from, too. Virtua Cop-style on-rails episodes and (best The mission objectives are all pretty of all) the free-roaming driving missions, all uninspired as a rule - stealthy data retrieval; of which serve to keep you on your and find documents and return them; rescue toes :\ - are still largely good fun in their own right hostages; infiltrate heavily armed while they last. What you'll spend most of installation through the 'back your time on, of course, are the FPS door' and so on and so forth - •£'« sections, and it's probably for this reason nothing particularly inventive. . Most of the guns seem to fire low-velocity ping-pong balls" BDNDY BONUS In order to get the top ranking on each level you'll need to indulge in proper Bond-style action. Defeat enemies with chilling, Connery-like efficiency or pull off some death-defying Brosnan-style superspy stuntage and you'll be rewarded handsomely. . Check the surroundings and use anything you find to your advantage - in Roadblocks getting in your way? Try flying over them in your posh motor. This one's dead smart. Download the data for the Harrier and you can this case, you can drop crates onto the heads of unsuspecting enemies. Do it right and that all-important gold medal is yours for keeps. activate the engines to fry any enemies that are causing you bother. A Not too shabby looking is it? It runs very smoothly too, but unfortunately it never really excels in any area, either. Shame. AuF is rubbish. A lack of inspiration is one Fortunately, there's more to AuF than just thing; feeling about as meaty as a kipper is gunnery and the welcome diversion of some something else entirely different. There are driving action steps in at just the right time. certainly plenty of guns to get to grips with, but - how can we put it? - they're just so EASY DRIVER dull to use. They have more in common with The on-rails sections are technically under potato-spraying feather dusters than kick- the 'driving' banner as you're always in a ass harbingers of doom and destruction. it's WATER vehicle of some sort, but the free- There's no meaty rumble to accompany the roaming driving bits that really do it for us. bursts of fire, the targets you hit don't jolt SURPRI Playing a little like a cross between Spy about in pain sufficiently to satisfy your After Golden Eye 's twin Hunter and Crazy Taxi, you're required to Facility of urinals death-lust and, just to add insult to injury, combo drive around bustling city streets, going and bullets, no Bond game most of the guns fire what appear to be from location to location destroying enemy would be complete low-velocity ping-pong balls, which travel vehicles and racing to mission-critical without at least a little slowly enough for enemies to dodge. You checkpoints. Most impressive of all is the bathroom action. In this don't actual want to see the bullets, you just instance Bond appears to fact that, sub-sections though they are, want to watch them hurt enemies for crying be creeping up on a these missions are actually extremely in a bucket! Even GoldenEye's crappy Klobb Bucharest beauty taking a accomplished in their own right and make would look like the world's most deadly shower. Little does he supposedly dedicated driving games such as know that it is in fact R weapon amongst the arsenal on offer here. Spy Hunter look dreadful in comparison. The playing tricks on him with some holo-imaging. The cheeky, balding old coot. A Just look at all that lovely grille- and pipe-work. The A These guys are the toughest you'll face in AuF. Not background detail in AuF'is certainly commendable. only are they strong but they have nasty rapid-Fire guns. FIELD OF PLAY Find out why Bond s s to first-person gunishment ... SNIPE ACTION You mightn't be able to zoom in and out like in GoldenEye, but picking off faraway guards with a well-placed headshot is still as much fun as you'd expect. In this instance there are groups of them sweeping the level below using laser-sights. If you don't shoot well you'll never make it across the level olive. handling itself is very simple, allowing you cart - you have to simply move your sight knots, there's plenty of opportunity for to power-slide round tight corners with around the screen wasting bad guys as sneaking about and sniping folk in the head, ease, giving you plenty of opportunity to quickly as possible until the ride is over (or and the level design is sufficiently varied to concentrate on the more important stuff, you get a bullet in the face). Thankfully, stop you getting that feeling of deja-vu like turning the streets into a raging, rocket- these sections are few and far between and further through the adventure. fuelled inferno - we never thought we'd say so never become intrusive or tedious. Their but these driving sections work a treat. purpose is simple: they offer a welcome MISSION COMPLETE Ignore the fact - if you can - that this isn't GoldenEye. and that the guns are crushingly THE FREE-ROAMING DRIVING BITS disappointing and Agent Under Fire is largely ARE VERY ACCOMPLISHED - MAYBE Unfortunately, there's not good fun to play first time round. It's much scope For taking a certainly on a par with anything N64 Bond quick diversion in Agent EVEN THE BEST BITS DF THE GAME game TWINE had to offer - though probably Under Fire. There are lacks the invention and surprise of that invisible walls and locked Despite being the of all the break all the frustration game, the reason TWINE would arguably still weakest from madness and doors aplenty that keep playing styles, the on-rails sections are still of the first-person shooting sections. any kind of spontaneous score higher than this. Certainly, it's difficult fairly enjoyable in their own right (well, the Visually speaking, there's nothing to exploration down to a to say there's anything particularly first time round at any rate). They're Virtua complain about. While the locations hardly minimum. It also helps offensive about AuF- though the Cop-style missions where you're in a vehicle boast a wealth of texture detail, the levels reinforce that feeling that guns are far from satisfying - it's you're always being led by of some sort, such as a tank or a monorail run smoothly and at an impressive rate of just that it doesn't really try hard the hand at every turn - the exact opposite of the classy GoldenEye. AUGUST 2DD2 NSC 57 BATTLE DF THE BDNDS Okay, silencers on, Polks - it's comparison time. Despite being over five years old, ColdenEye has held its place as the world's Finest 007 game. So, how do the two match up? OPENING ENEMIES iiwm MMiV COLDENEYE GOLDENEYE Inspired. Giving you the sniper rifle You get to sneak in right at the start, Kindly let you shoot their helmets oFF Graphically more advanced (obviously) within the First 30 seconds was a stroke which is Fairly Bond-like, we suppose, but before reacting to you. They also but not the sharpest tools in the box. Not or genius, making you Feel like you were having Q wittering in your ear and leading possessed a number oF routines enough death animations either - and, oF Filling Bond's shoes right From the start. you by the hand certainly isn't. depending on where you blasted them. course, there's no Jaws or Coltrane to kill. THE LADIES ARSENAL GOLDENEYE AGENT UNDER Fl AGENT UNDER! Natalya, Mayday and Xenia. Xenia wasn't Thanks to the power oF GC, the ladies RCP-90! AR33! Magnum! The rip-roaring, Weak at best. Feels like you're spraying bad but the other two looked like they'd scrub up quite well, and this Bond spends palm-numbing violence was enough to Murray Mints at enemies, who just get been attacked by a trowel. The N64 more time 'getting to know' the girls than satisfy even jud's normally insatiable slightly irritated rather than die in a hail certainly wasn't ideal For lady physique. the steely, Frigid one From ColdenEye. taste For bloody, lead-pumping justice. oF lead like they're supposed to. Rubbish. MULTIPLAYER VEHICLES GOLDEN i FIRE No contest here. It might have been an It's smooth and passable - nothing more. ColdenEye Falls Flat on its Face here. It AuFs Finest achievement. A couple oF afterthought on Rare's part but it still The arenas don't stand up as well, but the had the tank, but they were hardly the Beemers, an Aston Martin, a tank (on- stands up as one oF the Finest multiplayer poor range oF weapons unwittingly most enjoyable levels, and there was no rails) and a monorail cart to give you experiences ever. Simple as that. increases the longevity oF the experience. insane Bond-car action in there at all. those essential, high-speed Bond thrills. LOCATIONS FINALE C I GOLDENEYE AGENT UNDER FIRE AGENT UNDER FIRE Not the most exotic, but the internal Pretty damn good, actually. The streets oF The Cradle was pretty rubbish, really, Has everything you'd expect From a Bond levels are still wildly different in design. Bucharest are yours to wreak havock in, and Trevelyan could take multiple bullets end-level. Sniping, rescuing world leaders, Did a remarkable job oF making you Feel there's an aircraft carrier, a secret to the Face without dying. But, you also all taking place in missile silos high in like a jet-setting secret agent. underwater base and a towering oil rig. got the breathtaking Aztec level after. some snowcapped mountains at sunset. JAMES BDND DD7: AGENT UNDER FIRE EA try their hand at GoldenEye. . . and Pail B MASTERY Runs smoothly enough - but it's hardly pushing the boat out. LIFESPAN Can be tough on harder settings but simply not enough - everything peaks at acceptable to play on, as they unlock further treats for interesting enough. and rarely goes beyond. All the ingredients the competent multiplayerist. However, if are there, but EA haven't really tried to go you find yourself disinterested after an hour that extra mile. They haven't tightened up or so, chances are you won't return to AuF. VERDICT the visuals, the enemy Al, the weapons or An inspiring, and engaging first-person the level design, so all you're left with is shooter in the mould of Rare's classic this Punctuated with some something that looks okay, sounds okay and ain't, and, more relevantly, come this smart moments, as well as the excellent driving sections - but Here it is then. The EVERYTHING PEAKS AT ACCEPTABLE too often let down by only weapon worth GOES BEYDND. IT LDDKS a lack of invention. wielding in Agent Under BUT RARELY Fire. The main reason OKAY, SOUNDS OKAY PLAYS OKAY being that it's the only gun that makes guards took isn't September when Turok and Timesplitters 2 like they've been shot. plays okay. And okay good enough. While under fire from any If you're a massive Bond fan and you hit the shelves this will be all but forgotten. other piece in your found 7W//VFenjoyable, then you'll still get But it's still good enough to keep you going arsenal, they simply stand quite a lot out of this. The addition of if you can accept it for its many problems. gawp at you as you and multiple skill levels and score-based medal It'll stir a bit, but it won't be shaking you. pump them full of lumps rankings, for example, offer some incentive GERAINT EVANS of hot lead. You've got to say that it's very disappointing indeed. AUGUST 2DD2 NSC 59 . "Lost Kingdoms is so addictive you'll play through it in a few sittings" HEALTH BAR The blue gauge shows how many hit points you have remaining. Energy can restored at health points, or by using special healing cards. CARD SHARPS These are the cards you have in play. Simply press the appropriate button to put your creature into battle. Unwanted cards can be discarded by pressing R and the corresponding button. LOST KING III Pick a card - any card. Oh, so that'll be a +3 Beelzebub with elemental neutralising abilities. Obviously. op Trumps. Uno. Peaknuckle. infdI GET INTO THE GAME Canasta. Besides the silly BURST 1 names, all these games have Cut the deck and deal yourself the best hand. . something in common: DEVELOPER FROM they all require a deck of cards PUBLISHER ACTIVISION to PLAYERS 1-2 DECK BUILDING master. From Tarot to Pokemon, the almost ; iV i ii u "i MEMORY CARD PAGES 2 Make sure you have a variety of magical quality of cards has been tapped by RUMBLE FUNCTION YES cards to get you through the early game creators for hundreds of years. CBA LINK-UP NO levels. Trap as many creatures as you - But Lost Kingdoms does something M illjvl -it • ,, mbb MASTER DISCS 1 can to build up your collection. incredible: it takes all the elements that ONLINE PLAY NO CARD ; make the best card games tick and deftly LAZYBONES ^r $n %c Katia meets the scholarly m ^ m | • incentive, if you needed it. 6DMSC ISSUE 70 LOST KINGDOMS Magic: The Gathering for Gamecube? No, wait - it's good! A Cards won can be added to the deck at health points A Random encounters are not loved by all gamers, but in Lost Kingdoms they at least give you the chance of gaining new cards. A Look for enemy elemental symbols A Graveyards - always a good place for a spot of Top Trumps. A Some creatures have rubbish attacks. Avoid at all costs. so you can beat it with the best card. right at home with Lost Kingdoms. Each card TAKES - LOST KINGDOMS ELEMENTS is also classified as an elemental type THAT MAKE THE BEST CARD GAMES either Earth, Water, Wood or Fire. As tradition decrees, water-based creatures wi TICK AND DEFTLY INCORPORATES be more powerful against fire-based ones, THEM INTO A SUPERB VIDEOGAME and so on. As more cards are collected - either by searching chests or from Katia is heir to the throne of Alanjeh and ease you into the action and act as mini benevolent characters - the combination of must set out on a quest to discover the tutorials on how to use cards effectively. GURD attacks and strategies becomes mind- source of a mysterious fog that threatens to Essentially, there are three types of card: ADVICE boggling. There are over 100 cards to collect engulf the Five Kingdoms. with just those that slash enemies with a single in the and, as in Pokemon. of Armed Curd is an old crone who game many three magical cards, Katia must search for attack; those that summon powerful helps Katia out From time them can be evolved into more powerful the powerful Runestones, build up her card demons; and independent cards that can to time. She also owns a versions. A deck of 30 cards can be taken on collection and defeat the source of the evil. perform many different kinds of marvellous strange apothecary near each mission, and you should choose wisely feats. The cards are assigned randomly to the border of Alanjeh, before your quest. Favourite decks can be where Katia can boost her MISSION YDU ALREADY the four main controller buttons - simply stored, copied and edited. card collection. Here cards The game is mission-based, so it's perfect press Y, X, A or B to unleash the card Shrewd deck-building is can be bought, sold and for quick sessions. Thing is, Lost Kingdoms is designated to the given button. important because once a card is powered up. Curd may so addictive you'll likely play through right Anyone familiar with the depth and also suggest new locations used, it will no longer be available to the end in just few sittings. Early brilliance of Magic: Gathering will for the rest of the level. Your a quests The be For Katia to visit. Hot just a deck © pretty Face, then. Well, not much oF a pretty Face at all, to be honest. AUGUST 2DD2 NSC Bl UK Shrewd deck-building is important" HDUSE DF CARDS There are over 100 cards to collect but you can only have thirty in one deck. Amazing cards. Lots of creatures to collect. Deep gameplay. Could be too taxing for some. Random battles. Control niggles. IF YOU LIKE THIS. Pokemon Nintendo NGC/33 92% One of the best creature-collecting LYCANTHROPE -LANTERN STONE HEAD CHIMERA The werewolf is one of the first cards you will Jack-O-Lantern has a devastating instant A trap creature, Stone Head will hover above Strongest against wood-based creatures, the receive in the game. He can be summoned attack - he will pluck off his pumpkin-head the battlefield until an unsuspecting enemy mighty Chimera will charge into enemies quickly and will swipe out at any enemy and throw it into the fray. Any enemy nearby walks underneath him. Expect some either killing them or stunning them in the unlucky enough to be standing nearby. A will receive a massive amount of damage devastating casualties when he comes process. If that fails, it can also place a nasty VISUALS good card for early missions. from the ensuing explosion. crashing down... curse on survivors. Gorgeous locations and graphics, though there's some fogging. Limited, but the spot FX suit the environments really well. MASTERY The combinations of cards to choose are nearly endless. Getting to the end may A There are over a hundred enemies to Fight. A The Necromancer was once a foe - now he's a close Friend! A A Few switch puzzles spice proceedings things up. take 20 hours - and that's just finishing it... will deplete quickly, especially against some of the more LOST KINGDOMS OFFERS A LEVEL powerful bosses in the game. DF DEPTH MISSING FROM MDST VERDICT Fortunately, there are several NARRATIVE-BASED ROLE-PLAYERS. ways of keeping the deck healthy. A brilliantly addictive, Weakened enemy creatures can AND IT'S EXCELLENT FUN TO BOOT highly original slice of be trapped with existing cards card-collecting by pressing R and throwing the The genius of Lost Kingdoms is that it has may find yourself trapped between game entertainment. This is card in the direction of your foe. the addictive collecting qualities of the furniture and creatures with nowhere to Top Trumps for the This is a good tactic if one of Pokemon games, but also offers a level of run. Getting battered because you can't get 21st century. your creatures is about to die depth missing from most narrative-based out of the way can become frustrating. anyway and you want to replace RPGs. And it's excellent fun to boot. There Yet these flaws are mere blemishes on it with an enemy. Also, evoke are, however, minor criticisms that prevent it what is otherwise a sublime, engrossing and certain creatures (such as the from teetering over the edge into the realms deep videogame experience. Believe us - Mind Flayer) and a number of of true genius. Firstly, the effect generated get hooked on Lost Kingdoms and you'll cards already used will be put back whenever a random battle occurs is overly soon be a fan of what is hopefully going to into your deck. Cards collected from long and unnecessary. Secondly, Katia's be a burgeoning sub-genre of game. chests can also be added to your movement is not the speediest or most fluid A genuinely pleasant surprise. deck at given health points. of any videogame character, and often you MARK WALBANK B2NSC ISSUE 7D « 3k Also available from THQ. www.gclub.net www.thq.com nti Softw are trademarks ai commercially available outside of Japan. All Rights Resen > nisney/Pixar. ^r VD^MMM:W€HiiMM dicated. All rights reserved. Used under autho Dl THQ Inc. All Rights Re WBIE LOGO, WB SHIELD: Bros. (S02) IKLt^tXirTSLF "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones is spectacularly underwhelming" [23* £JtV\JlLJ A Renegade F1 driversWNFDRCEsnub The Man' by hosting their own races - Feel the excitement! choing the feelings of many a disgruntled gamer, this INFD bunch of crazy rebel drivers have split from the BURST official F1 championship to set up their own competition where pure is of the essence. Er, FORMAT GBA speed FROM TITUS hurrah! Certainly, on the speed front Downforce PLAYERS 1 comes up smelling of burnt rubber and sweet-smelling roses (You SINGLE-CART LINK UP NO what? - Ed). As you zoom around the seedy streets of Las Vegas, A Part of the 'fun' is dispatching crap robots with your Lucas-patented Light-Wand™. Zzzzzzzz SAVE PASSWORD the treacherous twists of Geneva or any of the other ten tracks, OUT NOW battling with as many other on-track cars, you don't need to worry COST £30 about braking much as you can simply spin full-circle out of any trackside collisions. Nice. Admittedly, there is some pop-up, but if you're staring at the background all the time you're not likely to win many championships. But as a GBA speed-fest this is top trumps and a real-life (well, you know) alternative to the superior F-Zero. Thirty notes pretty well spent, we'd say. A Yawnsome driving bits? Count 'em in! A Anyone round here remember Epic? No? STAR WARS: ATTACK DF THE CLONES INFD Film-licence-used-badly shocker! BURST ho'd have thought that Anakin would grow up to be AOoh, scary! Better get out your forked stick... A One of the manly men gets his manly bumps. FORMAT GBA Darth Vader. eh? Likewise, who'd have thought that FROM RADICAL the officially-licensed game of the film would be PLAYERS 1 nothing but a disappointment? Well, we would. SINGLE CART LINK-UP NO Being nothing more than a mix of side-scrolling 2D SAVE PASSWORD levels interspersed with pedestrian 3D races. Star Wars: Episode II OUT NOW smacks of something that has had more time and effort spent on its COST £40 presentation than more minor things such as, you know, gameplay. auded as the world's most manly men - although our INFD - The main platform levels are stiflingly linear, not even allowing BURST money's still on Alf Stewart from Summer Bay the you to move up and down in ye olde Double Dragon fashion, while Ripping Friends are on a mission to save the world - the assorted enemies do little more than walk towards you going FORMAT GBA from well, lots of bad guys, whose names allude to through the motions of their pre-set movement patterns. Your FROM THQ various fart jokes. Which means seven levels of lightsaber attacks are cumbersome, and the special moves - PLAYERS 1-4 scrolling along, picking up weapons and using them on said generated by collecting enough energy orbs from deceased foes - SINGLE-CART LINK UP NO baddies, occasionally powering up your Manly rating to unleash a are spectacularly underwhelming. And don't even think of jumping, SAVE ON CART suitably macho special move on those pesky foes. OUT NOW as it's a lottery as to whether the sluggish controls will allow you to Hardly revolutionary, sure, but the cartoon-style graphics COST £30 leap to where the game wants you to go. (complete with black outlines on the Sure, the whole thing is presented in a characters), do work, and there's a nice way that will no doubt wow impressionable variation in the level locations, with the | youngsters and cash-happy parents with preliminary one seeing you on top of a its digitised cut-scenes and familiar giant moving bomb. And to offset the fact orchestral theme music. However, even the that the solo-player mode is ludicrously most hardcore of Star Wars completists easy, there's both co-operative and would be hard-pressed to keep it for deathmatch four-player modes to bump anything other than 'collection' purposes. up the longevity factor. GA NSC ISSUE 7D . Hi UK A bulging nosebag of GBA goodness to stick your face in A Jud loves the sniping levels. Obviously. A Stupid heroics are also an option. I «inLn i i ii *? ft t A Look at Droopy. Look at his stupid face. Turd. A The controls are surprisingly sophisticated. INFD 4 BURST III Y'S FORMAT GBA FROM LSP PLAYERS 1-4 OPEN TENNIS SINCLE-CART LINK UP YES SAVE PASSWORD fter seeing everyone from Snoopy to Mario and Luigi OUT NOW centre tranquilised, COST £30 prancing around on court, depressed hound Droopy is now looking to become top tennis dog himself, serving up this surprisingly good toon licence. And of course, being set in the land of Tex Avery, you'll be playing on courts set in the Wild West, a junkyard alley, and even a penitentiary yard. Pleasingly, the controls offer enough scope to pull off drop-shots and smashes, A You can dish out gunishment in the guise of a para, a Huey pilot, or (if you're a psycho), a sniper. while longevity is provided through the four-player and tournament modes (complete with training games). There's COUNTER TERRORISM also a 'cartoon' option, where props like bear-traps and dynamite litter the court. More than just enough to tide you over SPECIAL until the release of Sega's Virtua Tennis. FORCES INFD Top Metal 5/ivg-style action. . BURST nfortunately. CT Special Forces doesn't let you curb FORMAT GBA the threat of world terrorism by blowing up Osama FROM LSP Bin Laden and scattering his beard across six different PLAYERS 1-2 continents, but this fantastic piece of armchair action SINGLE-CART LINK UP NO does let you do just about everything else: play as SAVE PASSWORDS three different characters; fly Apache helicopters; shoot sniper rifles A Zoiks! Is that an evil robot Vinny in the corner? A Speccy monger Velma strokes her hairy chin. OUT NOW - all done in a delicious Metal Slug stylee. You'll love a bit of it. COST £30 Utilising the triple prowess of a paratrooper, a helicopter pilot (for some top-down blasting) and a sniper, you toil through the usual INFD - army game locations (developers LSP call them 'hot spots' BURST ii although can't imagine Marxist nutters in the South American SCDDBY we jungle make the most welcoming of travel reps), such as deserts, FORMAT GBA FROM HEAVY IRON jungles, cities and mountains, 'taking down' the enemy and PLAYERS 1 THE MOVIE increasing your arsenal as you go. SINGLE CART LINK-UP NO The whole thing is carried out with real aplomb, melding SAVE ON CART together the three different game styles without any nasty bumps OUT NOW ander through numerous isometric 3D environments or scratches - other than the ones inflicted in battles. The option to COST £30 on Spooky Island looking for clues to complete small increase the firepower and effectiveness of your weapons is a mysteries, which in turn bring you closer to the one superb one, though the game doesn't beat about the bush in terms big giant mystery behind it all. You start at the of difficulty - even when you're 'tooled up' to your staring, Spooky Hotel, where it's a case of talking to the bloodshot eyeballs, this game is going to test even the brawniest of residents to gain hints to progress. For instance, a concierge informs gaming mettle and the stiffest of upper lips. you that they've lost a key, which leads you With fine sprites and background detail, a to a woman who tells you she saw j two-player speed challenge (just as long as someone throw it in the pool. Get there, you've got a link cable, obviously) and, though, and the Scoobster won't go in the thankfully, no continues, Special Forces pool 'cos it's too cold, so you have to find succeeds, mainly on good old-fashioned Velma, who knows how to. . . oh, yawn. gaming values alone. Which is good to see. It's slow, it's (mostly) boring, and it never This really is great stuff - your very own gets more taxing than walking around and real old stinker. handheld war on terror. Get in it pronto. pressing the A-button. A 44 AUGUST 2DD2 NGC B5 . =4T El i 1 3VJUS "One slick-meister oP a grappling game A Lita feels the full force of Trish Stratus' fist. Nice pair of girls. A She's mighty alright, but she's a real minger, too. Still, team Molly up with her mate Hurricane and suddenly you've got a reeeeal pairing. INFD is Or, least, the F is. Fortunately, everything else is BURST WWF dead! at DEVELOPER: YUKE'S very much as per for The Rock and co's First Gamecube outing. . PUBLISHER: THQ PLAYERS: 1-4 irst off: Wrestlemania X8 isn't MEMORY CARD PACES 12 the best wrestling game in RUMBLE FUNCTION: YES the world. Far from it, in fact. GBA LINK-UP: NO Those expecting to revisit the DISCS: 1 ONLINE PLAY: NO heady heights of the N64's ONE-OFF EXHIBITION classy WWF No /Mercy will be disappointed WHEN'SITOUT? The intricacies of the wrestling world just about from the moment their first fight is in now, may be confusing to the novice, so WWEX8 out the US kicks off. However, it is the best wrestling and is likely to hit British your best bet is to select a one-off game available on Nintendo's purple box of WALK shores some exhibition match and experiment to pretty little tricks so far - though, with the THIS WAY time later in your heart's content. As a quick-fix rubbish Legends of Wrestling forming the Dedicated WWE fans will the year - starter guide, you can get a long way competition that's perhaps surprising. be delighted to know that probably by following up the 8 -button s attack not so all the characters' November. function with the A-button's Indeed, compared to Acclaim's Legends signature ring-entrances altogether more meaty grapple mode. Of Wrestling (or Legends of Rasslin ' as we are present and correct - Oh, you'll wanting to that COST: and be use soon dubbed it), this, Yuke's officially if you actually get the dinky little Z-button to pin down your $50(05) licensed effort, is a veritable slick-meister of chance to listen to them. hapless opponent for a three-count a grappling game. The animation of the See, once your character once you've pummelled them into the steroid-enhanced bods is smoother, the has done their little dance canvas a few times. camera zooms in smartly as you lock horns the game cuts straight to at close quarters, there's finer detail in the ringside, thereby skipping out on much of the walk down the aisle. Shame - that's part of the fun. BE NSC ISSUE 70 WWE WRESTLEMANIA XB The first UK review oF the game that's just hit the States Things can sure get a bit hectic when there are Tour players battling it out Tor supremacy in a Royal Rumble, but thanks to these handy circle and arrow devices you'll always know in which direction your wrestler is going to attack - vital to make sure you gang up on the right Toe. '.....^ ...... »-.fc »; GOLDEN RINGS j 4 jj\ ^j^ Wrestling's no longer just about beating each other's i i faces in on a square bit of plywood. Cages, ladder matches, table bouts and, our favourite, the Iron Man Match (Tor real men oT iron) all offer something different - and they're all present and correct in the new WWE. Booyahi pointless, and the game also falls foul of the IT SEEMS STRANGE THAT THE LACK central flaw with many games oF this type - bouts simply drag on for far too long. DF PACE HASN'T BEEN BALANCED Fifteen minutes of amateur dramatics with CUT WITH MORE COMPLEX COMBOS all the glitz and glamour of daytime AND THROWS, LIKE WWF ND MERCY television is one thing, but a quarter of an hour of watching sluggish, robotic meatheads shuffle from one end of the ring wrestler's garments, and all scrappers enter Unfortunately, though, strip away the to the other is something altogether less the ring in their renowned signature style. favourable context and it reveals itself to be appealing. Put simply, the basic formula of Like previous versions of The crowd may be made up of the nasty 2D far from the real deal. For starters, the throwing a few straightforward punches the game, you can get digitised fans from the N64 outings, but this relatively pedestrian pace which the game and kicks (press B) followed by a throw or your grapple hands on time they're holding some varied and bout- insists on running at jars with the arcade- hold soon grows extremely tiresome. members of the rogue ranging from the attempted style controls. When your choices are limited Which, of course, begs the question: why specific signs, NWO outfit - including the this all been changed since No post-modern irony of look At Me', to the to a scarce five face-on and five rear grapple man himself, 'Hollywood' has WWF more straightforward. 'Screw Hayman'. moves, it seems curious that the lack of pace Hulk Hogan. Er, even Mercy? Developers Yuke's have recreated hasn't been balanced out with more though he's no longer part the game from scratch, but the PACE YOURSELF complex combos and throws. of the NWO. Anyway, the result is a grapple-fest much more roster of fighters is In comparison to its limited competition, The switch between this and No Mercy's in line with the WWF Smackdown - impressive and, as is games on PlayStation than the then, WWEX8 initially comes up trumps. more intricate alternative is alarming and © normal, you can unlock other characters as you complete different modes. GOT AN AMERICAN GAMECUBE? You can nab yourself a copy of WWEX8- if you're Into' this sort of thing - from our good Scottish pals at CA Games. Give 'em a call on 0141 334 3901. AUGUST 2DD2 NBC B7 "Why has everything been changed since WWFNo Mercy?" A Before you get a look at in-game Irish, you get to ogle at the real-life version. Neat. irritating omissions. Sure, all the competitors have their full and proper names but some f with I5S, they code vastly different of the detail has been left half-finished, games for the two systems - call including signature tunes. us biased but the Nintendo incarnations If the fighting had been better, you could have always offered far more varied and have forgiven this, but the relative exciting gameplay options than PlayStation. disappointment of the rumbles makes the Leading on from that, it seems surprising lack of additional to detail all the more plain that, although Yuke's have made the - especially as it's fine attention to detail necessary changes to the banners and flags that has always set WWF games apart from sporting the logo of the WWE (as it is now), their competitors. And, on TV, it's the little there seem to be some more obvious, more things that matter, the small fabrications WWE X8 IS THE BEST WRESTLING- FEST AVAILABLE ON NINTENDO'S PURPLE BOX OF PRETTY TRICKS. AND BY A FAIRLY DECENT DISTANCE DID VOU KNOW? Former WWE wrestler Road Dogg fought in Desert Storm, the BS NSC ISSUE 7D renowned war starring Saddam Hussein and "Stormin" Norman Schwarzkopf. WWE WRESTLEMANIA XB The first UK review of the game that's just hit the States EVENT-O-METER How long will WWEX8 keep you pulling on the nylons and hopping over the ropes? CNSC HIGH POINT Stacks of wrestlers to Belting! play as, plus secrets. Jesting your skills against 51 Multiplayer is a hoot. scenarios to win a Superb play modes. haul of belts is an H- addictive task - like tf" v Z pokemon, you've T u just gotta collect a 'em all! *r S3 Lacks attention to There are no two ways u detail all over the place. Limited combo system. about it - picking up and H- hurling large metal or LOW POINT Pedestrian pace. wooden objects across u No movement the ring at an opponent x It soon becomes IFYDU is a hugely satisfying apparent that LIKE THIS. way to waste time. Our u there are a limited No Mercy favourite? Let rip with number of ways to WWF THQ the enormous metal succeed in the - NGC/49 92% stepladder... clang! game a real A superior N64 crusher after WWF No Mercy. 3 A 5 6 7 a cleverer, better. UFESPAN(HDURS) VISUALS All-round, a performance of disappointments, especially the clipping. No trash-talkin', no commentary, and every reason to turn it down. MASTERY It's smooth, but it's so slow- not really a next-gen offering. LIFESPAN Ignore the game's it. of success in the world of wrestling. A The Rock attempts to deal out some pain in the game's Cage option. Lita's not having any of A Climb the ladder WWE flaws and this will run and run and run. that go to make wrestling great. Here, collision detection - and, indeed, its all- appropriate style of fighting, whether it's however, important corners have been cut. round accuracy in terms of visuals. Iron Man, Hell In A Cell - which, by the way, Popping our positive hats back on, we is fantastic- or a TLC match you're after. VERDICT DETAILMANIA! should tell you that there's a great range of And that's TLC as in table, ladder and chair. And the lack of attention to detail doesn't options, and the inclusion of ladder and But all the options can't help alleviate the It'll tide you over until stop there: even the most devout zealot will table matches (where defeating your foe is fact that WWE X8 comes over as something something better admit that real-life wrestling is far from not just a case of wearing down their of a rushed title, with incomplete comes along (like a authentic, but some of the clipping energy) help to add a sense of urgency and presentation and a tendency to instruct CPU sequel) but it's still Far problems in IWFXSgive new meaning to FREAK variety to the bouts. Additionally, the Battle players to gang up on you as a cheap way from the heights of - the term 'acting out blows'. If a taller player PDWER for the Belts mode which sees you to increase the title's longevity. the N64's finest. attempts to elbow-drop a less lofty foe (all WWE comes with attempting to collect belts by facing off As usual, the multiplayer mode ups the the characters are modelled to scale), then the obligatory Create-a- against various rasslers (or mates who've ante, with the battles more enjoyable when - you will often witness the elbow hitting the Wrestler mode this time already won them) - is a far more another human foe is dealing with the same things are even crazier canvas instead due to the shorter victim. entertaining prospect than labouring handicaps, and if you've no experience of with more costumes, more However, it still registers damage, and through the usual career mode. previous WWFgames on N64, you'll find this hairstyles and. . . well, just coupled with the times when hands and The game allows you to customise nearly pretty enjoyable. But if you have more. It would be nice to legs pop through other wrestlers or everything about a bout, from creating your (specifically, with No Mercy) you'll probably see the next entry into this - what could have been. weapons are half-concealed in the floor, it series include an option to own wrestlers, to updating existing ones to wonder why and makes you question the merits of WWE X8s use Nintendo's imminent keep up with the times, to selecting the PHILLIP MYLNAR Came Bye - the new GB camera For Came Boy Advance. Ooooh yes. AUGUST 2D02 NGC S3 Hudson have wisely returned to the 2D, flat-as-a-pancake roots" INFD BURST DEVELOPER HUDSON MAJESCO PLAYERS MEMORY CARD PACES RUMBLE FUNCTION GBA LINK-UP DISCS ONLINE PLAY WHEN'S IT GENERATION OUT? Out now in the States, no A high-explosive treat for four players but rather less satisfying if confirmed UK release date. you're obliged to play alone. That's the Bomberman way. COST: $50 <«S) nless you've been playing the action that made the earlier editions explode, and picking the perfect moment to Nintendo games for ten years some of the best party games ever. thump it over the wall so it lands on the or more, you might not The aim is simply to detonate your mates head of a rival. Too early, and you'll get it remember the days when by placing bombs at strategic locations knocked right back - too late and it'll Bomberman was actually any around a single-screen maze. The bombs explode in your face. Not what you want. good. A couple of diabolical N64 'updates' produce flames that light up the corridors in went a long way towards ruining the four directions, with the length oF the flames 2D DR NDT 2D? reputation established by the brilliant Super governed by the number of fire icons you've It's beautifully balanced, and never unfair. Bomberman series on the SNES, and picked up during each round. Bigger bombs GETYDUR The rules can be tweaked according to taste, seemed to prove that Hudson's star can be as dangerous to you as they are to LEVEL UP with many different permutations and a character simply wasn't cut out for any sort your opponents - one lick of heat is enough Choroboms are strange selection of specialised arenas - although pokemon-style creatures of three-dimensional gaming. to vaporise any bomberman it touches. the plain-vanilla one is by far the best. that enhance your Fortunately, it's not the end of the line for Very, very basic stuff, and especially Of course if you played any of the SNES bombing abilities. Equip the explosive little guy. Bomberman hilarious to play when things start to get versions, you'll know that Bomberman one on the main screen Generation shows that even in a eel-shaded spicy, thanks to the addition of power-ups Generation is almost identical to the original. and you'll be able to throw world there's still room for a spot of TNT- that allow to kick, punch and you throw the higher, slide longer, or use Having made a terrible mess of their packed multiplayer fun. And this is the first bombs around the arena. any one of 12 upgraded previous attempts to give the battle mode Bomberman to come along in ages that You can move bombs laid by opponents moves. The Charaboms three dimensions, Hudson have wisely manages to recapture the essence of the as well as your own - there's definitely a themselves can also be returned it to its 2D, flat-as-a-pancake roots. improved by giving them classic four-player mode, chucking around knack to judging when one is about to Which is fine by us, although it's probably the 'food', which you'll find scattered around about the levels. 70 NSC ISSUE 7D . ' BDMBERMAN GENERATION The never-ending blow-'em-up gets revived for Gamecube ; :*-S'GO #2300 I1IT570 Wt890 111 ziffc- . ,, Excellent range oF ft,' multiplayer modes. You can play against the computer. S^^^K^jJtJtfw ^^^ME^tfMtt' ^^^uy|| ' 4^^^^^^^^.' StttfEiilfetili , ^»PP» *fiS PPi ; &>HPT,- |;%PP» k%Wm, , ^ . . fhvfffii W One-player mode is big but very simple. »w Weak minigames and m MM other extras. IFYDU LIKE THIS. Super Monkey Ball Sega NGC/67 88% Four-player minigan with rollable monkeys. Absolutely brilliant. » Ride the bubbles GfolStlli 05000 I I to move forward! r 'rTJV#WT1 *&&'; A Four Revenge Bombermen bounce bombs onto the heads of mutant potato moles. ADVENTURE VISUALS The hits and misses of the somewhat redundant solo game.. Clean, bold, and rather short of detail, special effects or animation. cVp» • Features a soundtrack • so bland, you'll forget it w even exists. :« MASTERY e'j6 |©a0 $nfl 5 THE WANDER STUFF SUPER POWERS THE BIG BOMB CHIN-SCRATCHING A technically sound Being a 3D game, enemies can (and do) Luckily there are plenty of power-up items Holding on to a bomb mokes it swell The game's puzzles fall into two categories, update of a classically wander wherever they please. This can make scattered around the levels. After a little alarmingly. The longer you hold it, the more Some are solved by dropping bombs, while retro concept. hitting them with the basic weedy explosions searching and bombing you II be able to drop powerful it gets, ultimately transforming into others are solved by... dropping more a tedious and frustrating task. six bombs at once and run like the wind. The Big Bomb - a real nuke of a weapon. bombs. Okay, just the one category, then. 7 LIFESPAN It's something you'll always want to dig out not what most Cube owners bought the area, so you'll need to search everywhere to can also collect animals called Charaboms to for a quick battle game. console for, certainly in purely visual terms. find the power-ups -needed to take them on. enhance certain abilities, but apart from the The one-player game is where the Few poor battle games where you win them changes to the formula have occurred, but BANG SDLD they're just part of the standard power-up VERDICT as in almost every previous instalment in the Because the 3D explosions are circular and system. So too the attribute bombs, which series, it's lame when compared to the the levels very open, you can't employ any give your bombs new powers. For example, While the one-player battle mode - the one and only reason solid tactics to clear the way ahead. Enemies Aqua bombs can put out fires, or Ice bombs mode is below can be used to freeze impassable rivers. average, Bomberman SPECIAL Finally, there are four minigames that Ceneration is a THE BATTLE MODE IS BEAUTIFULLY When you need a bring to mind Mario Party or, worryingly. the genuinely addictive BALANCED, NEVER UNFAIR AND CAN break from the standard obscure Bomberman B-Daman (which multiplayer game. Battle mode, the options scored an impressive 23 back in NEC/20). include contests to collect BE TWEAKED ACCORDING TD TASTE The one-player looks and plays like it's coins; mark tiles with your aimed solely at the very young, and the only bomberman's colour; Bomberman has lasted as long as it has. can be avoided by simply walking away thing likely to stop you zipping through it on dodge bombs that rain This time it's a 3D puzzle-adventure in from them, but making them blunder into From the sky; and bounce your first go is the sheer tedium of it all. which you guide Bomberman around six explosions is often a matter of pure luck. bombs off the heads of Invite some mates round for a Few games, themed worlds, chucking plenty of bombs Waiting to see if an enemy will stand still moles. Scores can be though, and Bomberman Ceneration to unlock doors and obliterate enemies. A long enough for you to blast him just carried between each becomes an altogether different prospect. boss waits at the end of each four-stage doesn't make for entertaining gameplay. You game type, so you can MARTIN KITTS keep track of the tally in a session of bombing, Smash Bros -style. AUGUST 2DU2 71 A round-up of the latest Cubular toys you can play with The latest third-party gimcracks and gewgaws tested and tested. . . until they die ofpainl MOBILE MONITOR 5.4 FROM INTERACT £115 If you've got pockets with no bottoms, and quite fancy the idea of playing Camecube games on the go, the snappily named Mobile Monitor 5.4 could be just the thing. Hooking it up takes a matter of seconds, but once the initial 'wow' i factor of quasi-portable Camecube gaming has passed 1 (remember, you still have to have your Cube plugged in), you'll be a tad disappointed to find that, for some reason, the colours appear to be washed out, while the sound is loud and proud but tends to distort rather INTEGRAL 3 annoyingly at the higher end of the volume scale. On the plus side, it doesn't require an external LCD MONITOR power adaptor, and will quite happily run off the juice From your purple wonder-box, but FROM THRUSTMASTER £115 for 100 quid you could get a small TV that's ultimately about as portable and offers Oh dear. While the other two monitors reviewed this month are pretty ropey in superior, wider, easier-to-view picture quality. the washed-out colour stakes, this one really takes the biscuit. No matter how much we fiddled with it we could barely get an acceptable picture. Basically, the NSC VERDICT ED screen is just rubbish. Rogue Leader is impossible to play on it. Wave Race is an even bigger nightmare - in fact, anything is a chore. If you really want a mobile monitor, take our advice and wait for a decent screen that takes advantage of Gamecube's digital output before splashing out. NSC VERDICT 30 FLIGHT STICK FROM 4CAMERS £29.99 This is actually pretty smart, but the only GTZ 500 RACING WHEEL problem is there's only one game you can really use it for at the moment, and that's FROM SAITEK £30 Rogue Leader. Unfortunately though, the stick actually makes Factor 5's shooter It used to be just the rich kid at school no-one liked who that much harder to play. Still, that's not could afford stuff like steering wheel controllers. Now, not a really the stick's fault, and when it comes week goes by without the postman dropping off another down to it the build quality is actually ten, and this, the GTZ 500, is suitably beefy, and even very good. All the buttons feel right, both comes with a manly clamping device. But how does it in their quality and positioning, while the fare with, say, Crazy Taxi or Burnout! Quite well, actually. stick's housing is robust with plenty of Sure, the buttons and paddles are more afterthoughts resistance to stop it from feeling too than anything else, but in turning corners and putting cheap. Definitely worth a look - but your 'pedal' to the 'metal', it comes up just fine. And with definitely only when some more a steering wheel, that's what counts. suitable games emerge. NQC VERDICT 78 NSC VERDICT 79 GAMESTER PRO RACER FROM RADICA £19.99 This Gamester joypad is a novel idea, woefully implemented. The idea is to cross-breed the charms of a joypad with the simulation advantages of a steering wheel, but the outcome is a hybrid that fails on all counts. You never feel in complete control, and it has a habit of disorienting you as you struggle to remember which way you're meant to shuffle the pad, not to mention that it has a uselessly narrow turning circle. Apart from Burnout, Extreme 3 and, er. Driven, what will this possibly come in useful for? NSC VERDICT 28 CUBE SOUNDSYSTEM FROM 4GAMERS £39.99 We like the idea of pumping out the original Mario Bros theme tune at 150 decibels while playing Super Smash Bros as much as the next man, but we can't help but wonder at the wisdom of all these sound systems. Surely you'd still be better off just running your TV through your existing hi-fi? But, whatever, here's another one, and truth be told it's not bad at all. The addition of a separate bass control is thoughtful (although in practice you only really use it to prevent those lower frequencies from distorting should you pump it up too loud). Oh, and if you're as simple-minded as us then you can have literally minutes of fun by pushing the fancy LED button on. And off. And on. And off. NQC VERDICT 74 5" LCD GAME SCREEN FROM 4CAMERS £99.99 Pretty much the same as Interact's screen quality-wise, which means GAMMA GAMEPAD that the washed-out colours and distorted sound remain integral features. Unfortunately though, it also has a number of additional FROM SAITEK £15 issues' which let the side down even more. For starters, you need an extra power supply to get it working (although you Looking suspiciously like a bigger version of Sony's original PlayStation pad, can power both console and screen using the in-car first impressions of the Gamma controlling device are not good. And using it adaptor), it doesn't quite fit as ergonomically as isn't much better. The main analogue stick acts more like a digital pad, which Interact's effort, and the screen is tiny. On the is great for dashing in Smash Bros, but about as subtle as Stan Boardman at a plus side however, it does have headphone jacks race relations conference with other games. The C-stick is worse, being so for two players while the price is lower than the loose it slips straight to extremes if you so much as brush against it. The competition. Even so, we'd still be hard- shoulder buttons fail to distinguish between being used gradually and a full- pushed to recommend it. on press, and the A-button feels sticky and nasty. The D-pad's okay, but it hardly makes up for the woeful inadequacies found elsewhere. NQC VERDICT 55 NSC VERDICT AD \- AUGUST ZDDZ NGC 73 TH£ VIDEDCOmE EVENT •' . ' , 7 r\ / \&SffiL$ w «****£&site* '^ ^(JUT v corS I % Sea1 e* S* 4 MiLSfA«5 x : gMjm tB c i ^S^5Gfc® * sdfc u v^es **A mK 9a » Al iX $&»s» r ' ^ if .. i ^Q?f T in re bdcIr ran with t^fi 3-6 -" October £P^ 2002 . . Earls Court, London Box Office 0870 902 0444 The Games Matrix in association with gamesradar.com is part of the Stuff LIVE 2002 exhibition. IStu LIVE 002 I I—it—llll Jl I The Gadgets, Gear & Technology Show EXPERT TIPS, HUGE FEATURES, TRIVIA AND MORE 1 I I INSIGHT.. TIPS FDR... ^~i SUPER SMASH BROS Essential tips for hitting those targets, plus the start of our unmissable trophy-winning Smash Bros compo! P7B mrm GAMING PLANET This month: Tottoko Hamutaro. What's it about, CONTENTS I How to... Super Smash Bros Melee 76 How to... Pikmin 80 Tips Extra 82 I'm The Best 86 Mailbox 94 ^m* I NBC Essential 98 v Life's A Came Spider-Man competition NGC Compendium ii> fis Gaming Planet EndBC characters battle it out in an impossibly fast cartoon beat-'em-up that has just as much depth as any of its more 'serious' competitors. Features stacks of customisable options and an incredible amount of unlockable extras - the NBC office copy has racked up well over 100 hours of playing time, but there are still a few bits and pieces left to finish. The biggest and best thing on Camecube right now. WHAT WE SAID IN ISSUE 68 PEACH NBC TIME: D'47 FALCD NBC TIME: D3B' 'Super Smash Bros is a vibrant celebration of everything that makes BEimEICID Nintendo so much more R@mg P*5H interesting than any - UP + B other software ! \jn company. .. It's a I different class. The DRDI Nintendo difference, if DDN'r you like." 1 FLD/lT 1 '"*- ft -V- "fl^lM : •' -"'' -•'" • :> ' 1 UP + B 1 wa? w $ ? \Bmm Hi ® 4~~@ ^ m~*± —— FT"—* [7 Na Mitai taBBH .1 'T i\ LAST TARGET BASEBALL VOLLEYBALL SMASH SPORTS ITEMS Home run bat and Mr Saturn ITEMS Mr Saturn only The indestructible Mr Saturn means STAGE Any STAGE Any Fairly large one you can come up with lots of RULES Two to Four players. One grabs a RULES This works best with two teams strange and different sports using bat while another throws Mr Saturn. oF two players. The aim is to knock a Mr him as a ball. Here are a couple The player with the bat must whack Mr Saturn between the two teams, keeping for starters - try playing around Saturn as far as possible - the others it in the air at all times. You get three with different stages, items compete to get him 'out' by pressing A hits per team, and if Mr Saturn touches and rules, such as slow motion to catch him. If Mr Saturn isn't caught, the ground then it's a point For the 1 and sudden death, to create it's a point For the batter. Swap roles other players. Play in slow-motion new variations. after an agreed number oF turns. mode to make things a little easier. ' SUPER SMASH BROS MELEE Have the single-player stages For breakfast FOX NEC TIME: D'39 NEC TIME: Of THE INCENTIVE Target Test records from the one-player Classic mode all count towards the unlockable goodies you'll get by finishing them all... Complete the Target Test with the first 24 characters and Mr Game 8. Watch will challenge you. Beat him and he's yours to keep (if you fail, he'll keep popping up after every subsequent Target Test). Complete all 25 Target Tests to unlock Kirby's stage from the N64 version KIRBY NBC TIME: IDT SAMUS NEC TIME: D'35' of Smash Bros. Complete all 25 with a total time of under 25 minutes and you'll get the Lon Lon Milk trophy. Complete all 25 with a total time of under 1230" and you'll get the Sheriff's Badge trophy. NBC TIME: l'25 NBC TIME: DAI' 00:02 g^BBnnnn SEND US YOUR TIMES! We've included our own rather pitiful times as a starting point, but we know you can obliterate every one of them. In fact it's possible to get below 20 seconds with every single character. If you have a decent selection of times you'd like to show off to other readers, turn to I'm The Best on page 86 to find out how to do it. We'll be running a Target Test league there in a couple of months, so get DROP THROUGH smashing and send us DOUBLE JUMP AND your records. TELEPDRT BACK AUGUST 2DD2 NGC 77 © NSC TELLS YOU BANONDORF T1ME:0'44'' YDSHI NBC TIME: V\ NBC TIME: D'37' MEWTWD NBC TIME: Id" BOWSER NBC TIME: D23" DK NBC TIME: DAB- CAPTAIN FALCON SWATCH NBC TIME O'SB" NEC TIME: 0'55' NBC TIME: O' 78 NSC ISSUE 7D . SUPER SMASH BROS MELEE Have all the single-player stages for breakfast YDUNB UNK NBC TIME: 112' PICHU NBC TIME: D'52' THE NBC LUNCHTIME SMASH BROS STAKES There's some footage of a typically intense NBC Smash Bros battle on the DVD, but we've mislaid a crucial part of the match - the results. If you can tell us what happened then there could be a game in it for you. Use your Smash Bros knowledge (and last month's Gamecube Companion PIKACHU NBC TIME: IW JIBBLYPUFF NBC TIME: D'25' book) to figure out: 1. Who won the match? 2. Who got the First Strike award? 3. Who got the Carrier KO award? 4. Who got the Button Masher award? 5. Who got the Item Catcher award? Email [email protected] .uk with your answers, using "Super! Smashing! Great!" as the subject line. First correct entry wins a new GC game! WIN! YOUR OWN CUSTOM SMASH BROS TROPHY Collected enough trophies in the game? MARTH NBC TIME: IDE' RDY NBC TIME: D'2S' Then maybe you'd like your own hand-made Smash Bros trophy. . Vup - we're giving away a one-off piece of Smash Bros art, and we want you to design it. But not with a pencil and paper - oh no. We want you to set up a scene in the Camera Mode and take a snapshot. The best will be made into a trophy! So, save your fave snapshots, tape or photograph them and send them to: Smash Bros Trophy Contest, NBC, 30 Monmouth St, Bath BA1 ZBW. We've included a gallery of our own efforts on the DUD to provide you with some 'inspiration'. Happy snapping! AUGUST 2DD2 NSC 73 " WHAT'S IT FLOWERS OR LEAVES? Flower Pikmin are tougher and faster than Falling somewhere their leafy cousins, but they take a long between Command R time to grow, so if you're going for a fast Conquer and Gardener's time you should ignore them completely. World, Pikmin was one Harvest the Pikmin as soon as they sprout, project that Shigsy was growing them into flowers whenever you personally involved with, spot a patch of nectar-giving grass. If and it shows. Captain you're playing at a more leisurely pace Olimar has crash-landed you'll find the game easier if you leave the on an alien planet Pikmin to grow before harvesting. populated by strange plant-men called Pikmin - to find the parts of his destroyed ship and get home, you need to enlist the help of Oiimar's new vegetable friends... mmPIKMIN WHAT WE SAID IN ISSUE 69 "Resource management SLEEPING DUMAR move the herd around, (3) ensuring a water is incredibly annoying and isn't a term normally There's no real point to it, but if you press constant supply of Pikmin. It's a useful tactic costly. You've got a few seconds to associated with down on the D-pad any time after the first when you're fighting against bosses. save them before they die, so Nintendo games, but level, Olimar will lie down and wriggle on dismiss your remaining you can forget tired, the floor. He's actually invincible in this state, Pikmin and drag out the stodgy stockpiling - KNOW YDUR DNIDNS but unable to control the Pikmin. Any Pikmin In case you hadn't noticed, taking coloured non-swimmers one by Pikmin is so captivating you won't realise you're nearby will rush over and try to pick him up pellets back to the corresponding Onion one, using the A button. playing an RTS, albeit a (I), and if there are four or more they'll generates more seeds than you'd get by If you've got any blue very warped one. gently carry him back to an Onion and beam taking them to the 'wrong' Onions. You can Pikmin with you then him up for a quick fireworks display. (2) let any colour Pikmin carry them back to the take them into the base (4), then dismiss them and assign the water - they're adept at THROW FASTER correct colour for the last few steps into the saving drowners, and Olimar can only throw Pikmin that are Onion. Makes building an army a much will help get yellows and within range of his stubby arms, so there's a faster chore. reds back on dry land. slight delay between throws as the Pikmin Run them using the C-stick shuffle around to get close to him. You can LIFEGUARDS or simply take them into the parts. speed things up loads by using the C-stick to Having Pikmin accidentally stumble into the water, and leave them to get on 8D NSC ISSUE 7D S ENEMIES As well as the more common enemies and bosses there are three 'bonus' enemies to find, each awarding a large number of Pikmin seeds upon its defeat. oojj/oi-/,/ o« MAMUTA To find Mamuta, head back to the Impact Site on even-numbered days from day eight onwards. It's located on the tree stump next to the cardboard box. GOOLIX SMOKY PROGG The watery Coolix can be found at the You'll have to be pretty good to see the Impact Site on odd-numbered days from vile Smoky Progg. If you can make it to day nine onwards, and in the same the Distant Spring before day 15, it's tocation as Mamuta. inside the egg in the lake. with rescuing the non-swimmers. (5) Jf trying to MULTI-TASKING ^0^' get Olimar, While it's fairly easy to collect all the DISTRACT ENEMIES and will ignore ship parts in 30 days, expert players Unless you've already cleared the route the Pikmin. Put Olimar can finish the game in ten back to the base camp (which is to sleep if he's running out of energy. days or less. Around 15 to definitely the sensible thing to do), 17 days is a more realistic any Pikmin transporting ship FASTER FERRYING target, and the only way to parts or carcasses (Ba) will be The more Pikmin you assign to ferrying back do that is by making groups eaten on their way back home. carcasses, pellets and ship parts, the faster of Pikmin perform different I So, one You can protect them by ] the job will be completed (V). But if you're tasks simultaneously. when following them back ' going to be doing some multi-tasking then group is making a bridge (B), another and attacking the you won't want to waste extra Pikmin on a could be harvesting pellets, and yet predators directly, single effort. If that's the case then separate another could be bringing back a using the A-button (Bh). As the Pikmin and use the strongest ones ship part. It means a lot of running * long as you keep moving (flower-heads) to carry heavy items. They'll around for Olimar, as it's and hitting, the predators drag things back considerably faster than impossible to issue new orders to Pikmin will run themselves ragged lesser Pikmin can. that are out of range. AUGUST 2QD2 NGC B1 SUPER Marth Get a full house by beating the one-player mode with all 14 original SMASH BROS characters to unlock this one. Roy Beat the one-player mode with MELEE Marth for the commonly-named Roy. Ganondorf To play as this super-villain, MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES complete event match 29. Take those heady first steps along the road Mewtwo Stay glued to the screen for 20 to acquiring numerous personality disorders hours in Vs mode to unlock this character. KICK IN THE DOOR by unlocking the following hidden Pichu Beat event match 37 or complete When destroying gates or walls, throw characters in GCs smash 'em up: the one-player mode with Mewtwo. yellow Pikmin and bombs three or four at a Falco Beat 100-man melee. time. This is a markedly quicker way to JigglypufF Complete the one-player mode Mr Game & Watch After completing the destroy structures. (either classic or adventure) with any one-player mode with every single character character, on any difficulty level. (including the hidden ones above) this retro- Dr Mario Play as Mario and beat the one- fiend will be yours. He's a real winner, he is. player mode without continuing. SUPER Luigi Complete the Mushroom Kingdom stage, ensuring that the timer ends between MDNKEY 3:32:99 and 3:32:00. Get it right, and you'll BALL face off against the green-suited plumber. Beat him and he's yours to select. SUPER STRENGTH Young Link Complete the one-player Everyone knows there CO BANANAS mode with ten of the original characters are three stages KNOWLEDGE' The easiest way to get a (including Link and Zelda) to unlock this planted Pikmin decent banana rating on feisty tyke. grow through, the end sequence is to Point hog the side of the track your Came Bo Ho until the bananas appear, at which point you '« to the main hall in should start to bounce l «"9i's Mansion. back and forth until the letters start dropping JoeKaleth, Brighton down. Then head back towards the sides to minimise your chances of hitting them. Keep doing this and you'll soon be hitting the heady heights of a Siamang gibbon, a chimpanzee, or even a really ugly mandrill. EXTRA FLOORS To snap up some tidy little extra floors on beginner and advanced levels, all you need to do is complete the relevant set of levels. Without dying. Even once. Easy, huh? tMJ^MfcOxWnte1 82 N-SC ISSUE 7D . . . . UPS EXTRA Before he counts to ten, your gaming problems will be 'asleep' With a filing cabinet Pull of gin and a cold, cold stethoscope, Dr Kitts is in diagnosis. Dr Kitts, For the life of me I just cannot manage to get a decent score when hitting home runs on Super Smash Bros. Have you got any tips on improving my swing? Don Isley, Crystal Palace Dr Kitts disputes the very existence of the metatarsal bone. . For maximum smackage, you're best to play as that rogue Bowser. After grabbing the bat, dash right until you're next to the bag. Now juggle it five times in the air by using Smash Up and A. Once you've reached the magic number of five juggles, simply take a step back and smack the darn thing with the edge of your bat. You should now be looking at a distance of over WOO feet. Should be. itself. Towards the left of it you should see a Dr Kitts, LUIGI'S in little it's I to the front of the pack hangar, with the upgrade carelessly left I'm love with those Pikmin, but headache. can get MANSION lying around within. breaking my heart to see them get easily enough, but I'm having difficulty To acquire the homing cluster missiles, demolished by that nasty final boss. Any staying there. Any advice? play through the Battle of Endor until you've clues as to how I save the little fellas? Michael Grant, London BOO POWER destroyed all the TIE bombers. After the cut- Katherine Mansfield, via email To successfully hoover up boos, such as the scene, simply stay where you are and look Dr Kitts declines an invitation to speak puntastically named Gameboo Advance, between the star destroyer and the planet Dr Kitts conducts his own Big Brother about his unwanted ginger back hair on Taboo and our favourite, Mr Boojangles, it's for a shimmering light. That's your upgrade. experiment with midgets. . a daytime TV show. . better to leave the C-stick alone and instead For an Advanced Targeting Computer Ah, I see Emperor Bulbax is giving you some As crashing into immovable objects can gently guide them away from walls so that you'll need to be on the Strike at the Core problems. What you need to do is take 25 quickly relegate you from first to last place, they can't escape. mission. Fly low and to the right when the yellow and 75 red of your best Pikmin along it's best for beginners to avoid speeding off reactor core appears - under the last set of to the battle. Gather bombrocks with the and out of control under the influence of pipes bracketing the route is the upgrade. yellows, then wake the beast up and throw a turbos throughout the race. Rather, keep yellow Pikmin with a bombrock into the one in store for any unfortunate meetings arena. After Emperor Bulbax eats it up, you have with scenery, and then use it to throw your red Pikmin on his face. Now rinse boost yourself back into contention. LEADER and repeat if required. Dr Kitts, UPGRADES Dr Kitts, I am totally flummoxed on floor 15 of the For advanced shields, turn slightly to the BABB Wave Race is giving me an absolute advanced set in Super Monkey Ball. Help right on Death Star Attack after the cut- me! Please? scene with the TIEs is shown. See that Vicky Anderson, Bristol shiny silver thing up ahead? Grab it. For some beefed-up lasers, play the Dr Kitts spots an old Flame in an issue of Battle of Hoth level and, after the cut- Hairy Bikini Women With Rifles... scene where the AT-AT obliterates the ZlrZleyourooostpove, Ah yes, Super Monkey Ball. Why, it reminds Echo Base's shield generator, return back me of an experiment I once carried out with Devon to where the shield generator used to be Scott Callard, some spare chimps I had lying around. - there's your upgrade. Anyway, what you need to do on this To snag some exceedingly tasty brown-coloured floor is to make extremely enhanced proton bombs you'll need to play tight turns. The wider your turning circle, through the Imperial Academy Heist the lower down you'll slip and the harder it scenario until you approach the Academy . will be to get back on course. AUGUST 2DD2 NSC B3 Take the expressway to success with these cheats. SPIDER-MAN ORGANICWEBBING gives you an unlimited supply of webbing. THE MDVIE HERMANSCHULTZ lets you play as the aptly named Shocker. Enter these codes in the cheat menu for a CIRLNEXTDOOR allows you to play as fun-filled array of effects: the lovely Mary-Jane. CHILLOUT ensures that the Green Goblin's glider will never overheat. ROMITAS activates a Next Level SUPER option when you're on the in-game pause screen. SMASH BROS WAVE RACE ROGUE IMIARMAS unlocks all To fight as a random character, unlock all the levels. characters and press A in the space to the BLUE STORM LEADER KNOW-EDGE! UNDERTHEMASK left of Pikachu and beneath Falco. gives you a first- To select a random character in a Winner Access the password screen by To play the Endurance level, enter person mode. or Lose Out tournament, hold down L + R simultaneously holding down Start, Z and Y 7WCYBRTC then ??MBC??? on the moves an FREAKOUT and press A. on the options screen, and then entering password screen. Tnaet all power makes you walk Peach can play dressed as Daisy (Luigi's MJV8LKL6 to unlock the La Razza Canal in To open Ace mode, enter U!?!VWZC then like a 70s disco beau) by holding down X or Y. Time Attack mode. GIVEITUP on the password screen. icon. Or lets you Mario can dress up as Wario by using X or To fly in Darth Vader's TIE fighter, R, L, R. enter play in a lovely Y to change his attire. NYMIUUOK then BLKHLMT! on the Mowbray Goblin suit. Captain Falcon sports an alternative logo password screen. Max Gray, KOALA unlocks if you press X or Y until his shirt turns a SSX TRICKY To play in a car, enter IZUVIEL! and then all of the secret hazy shade of magenta. Zoom in with the The cheat menu is accessed by unlocking IBENZIN! as passwords. combo controls. camera to check it out. all the characters, and then completing the To start any mission quickly in the default Press X or Y when choosing Ice Climbers world circuit in the following order: JP; Mac: ship, hold L + R when selecting it. until the one with the fly-catching open Psymon: Zoe; Eddie: Mike: Brodi: Kaori: mouth, Nana, is at the front. Now if Popo is Luther; Marisol. Once complete, there should hit too hard. Nana will still be left to fight on. then be a Cheats option in the Single Event screen, from which you can select a whole SUPER host of cheats. To play as Mix Master Mike - a man who MONKEY BURNOUT comes equipped with a pair of decks on his all - BALL To gain access to the racers, press X + back and a board made of vinyl hold down Y + B on the options screen. L + R on the title screen and then press X, You can skip the lengthy end credits by Extra va-va vooom! For a even quicker X, R, X, X, Down, X, X, Left, X, X, Up. Now holding down L + R and then repeatedly start, jam your hoof on the accelerator when you choose a boarder they will be hitting the A-button when they appear. immediately before the number T fades out replaced by emcee Mike. Re-enter the code In a monkey race, press L + R + A + X + on the pre-race countdown. to disable the effect. Y at any time to instantly finish the race. YDUR TDP TIPS Share the knowledge and bag yourself a prize. Found an interesting cheat, Name. tip, secret or quirky HERE'S MY TDP TIP. thing in one oF your games? Want to IT'S FOR Address . share it with others? Then send it into us immediately! Each month we'll AND THIS IS HOW IT WORKS stick the best into our new Readers' Postcode Tips section - In return, if your tip is Send to: the numero uno TIPS EXTRA, NBC, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, readers' tip we'll BA1 2BW, ore-mail [email protected] send you a Gamecube game of your choice. Sound IF you don't want to cut up your magazine, send a photocopy good? Then don't instead, and continue on another bit of paper iF you run out of room. hesitate - do it! CHATLINE Eighteen Wheeler . Spiderman The Movie 1. Sex survey - how randy are they? Int. 2. Millionaire gameshow - they're the chosen one! ESPN Winter Sports'02 Spy Hunter 3. Pregnant daughter - who's been a naughty boy? Extreme G 3 SSX Tricky 4. Big Brother TV interview - only this time it's hardcore! FIFA 2002 Star Wars: Rogue Leader 5. Random drug test - what have they been up to? 6. Minor offences bureau - they've been caught red handed! Fifa World Cup 2002 Super Monkey Ball 7. It's the VAT man - don't call him names! Gauntlet: Dark Legacy Super Smash Bros Melee + MANY MORE Int. Winter Sports 2002 Tarzan Freeride J McGrath's S'cross World The Simpsons: Road Rage Luigi's Mansion Tony Hawk's 3 NBA2K2 Wave Race: Blue Storm NBA Courtside 2002 World Cup 2002 PERSONS AGED 1 6 OR OVER MAY ©0000 ©£*3 000 JNDER 1 6 MAY C*' ' thi - 333EEHEEG -- ..-.>. CALLS TO THE ABOVE NUMBERS COST ONLY 60p PER MINUTE can NON-UK CALLERS: + 44 700 590 7575 Calls cost El/rnln. We Please ensure you have permission from the bill payer before calling. Each call to the under 16's number will cost no more than £3.00, and will end at 5 DREAM CONSOLES minutes. Mobile phone call charges may vary. Please put any comments oi Intex £235.00 questions in writing to Interactive Telcom Ltd, 8 Grants Walk, PI25 5AA, oi Games G.C FOR ALL YOUR GAMING REQUIREMENTS CONTACT: email: [email protected], or call our Games £5 1 .99 02392268888 [email protected] TEL: 01 1 5 95661 71 24hr Customer Service: (Freephone) 0800 081 6000 Game Solutions UK King Entertainment Payments to: WWW. GAMEFROMT. CO. UK Cat King Cat www.gamesolutions.com TEL: 0700 2020020 FAX: 0700 2030020 SPECIALISTS IN VIDEO GAME ACCESSORIES Call: 020 8972 94.94«4*«, PO Box 24363 01642 280555 Mon-Sat 11am/7pm LONDON SW17 9FF www.yorvik-consoles.co.uk secure online ordering USA GAMES £49.99 ~E2> FREE UK DELIVERY ON EVERYTHING £E£Effl33 Tckkcn Advance Street Fighter Alpha 3 /. *'* Golden Sun Sonic Advance J$w . Breath of Fire 2 Dark Arena $£?'f~i ^ Crash Bandicoot Mario Advance 2 Yu-Gi-'bh! i animal Forest Robopon: Cross Version Scorpion King Robopon: Ring Version '' more... < i if Broken Sword and Win! Wint— Or DBZ^Games PS2 or GameCube 0906 S77 SSS I 0906 577 S 5 Si I Win! 0906 557 5551 Win! •o win-. Choice—o{ " ^emon DBZ Box Set \ DBZ Mobile^ Phoneys* • -t or- 1 o o Gundam JlEigures. Panasonic PowerPuft Microsoft C " ilormoi X X N !° ^09O6 577 5552 0906 577 5552 INDEPENDENT NINTENDO GAMING Call to prize tines cost £1 .50 per min. Average call 2 mins. Calls from mobiles may vary. Ask bill payers permission before calling. For rules go online or write to us. . n association with 1 f YOU AIN'T NUTHIN' TIL YER IN THE BESTEST, HOT- megastores it DANG DIGGITY GAMES LEAGUES EVER! YEEHAH! T S! HDWTD PROVE ,© STAR PERFORMANCE ®. YDUR ACHIEVEMENT When sending us evidence of your gaming achievements, it's useful to follow these steps. . PHOTOGRAPHS If you're sending us photographic evidence: 1. Turn off the camera's flash (or cover it up) to prevent it from reflecting off the screen. 2. Make sure there's no sunlight coming into the room. link you're pretty 3. Use a fast film (a 200 or 400 ASA). iod? At games? Then look ©It was open season A. If you're using a digicam then use a t these pages hard. HARD. to beat Paul slower shutter speed. Do they Fill you with intense, Roger's score of 5. Point at the screen and click away. unadulterated scorn and 117,035.000 Gs in PLEASE NOTE: In the past we've had experience of icempt for the pond-scrapings Luigi's Mansion last month - and by jiffy did you give it who certain scamps 'Piddling' with their photographic currently grace the tops of these a drubbing in your droves! Just cast your eyeballs to the image above to evidence, so this time round we're being extra-specially hallowed tables, not knowing how see the awful evidence of East Sussex's Jamie Butters' stupefyingly big (is that right?) careful. We would, in fact, welcome video evidence over photographic evidence. If, however, you can utterly, utterly worthless their pathetic total of 184,060,000Gs. Not bad? Well, no doubt some self-satisfied wag only send photos, be warned: any doubts over the legality will in miserable entries are, how they shrivel with thumbs and an ego the size of melons write next week with of your entry will lead to instant disqualification, and in comparison with your mighty an even bigger amount of coinage under their belt, but for the moment this is jeering. Harsh but fair, we feel. achievements? How they dance in the definitely 'Da Boss'. We even rang Mark "Greener 24/7" Green with the news that fast-fading light of their own dim his newly-rubbish 'score' had been left weeping in the dust, but he just started VIDEO glory? How much they suck? shouting at us in a strange, German-sounding voice and slammed the phone If you're going to be sending us the Well, if that's your thinking, we can down very, very hard. Anyway, it's a joypad and a 'special' certificate for Jamie, evidence that comes on a tape, follow these only suggest you put your cash where and a non-Luigi's Star Performance next month (hopefully). instructions carefully: your crack is (your mouth-crack, that 1. Plug the TV lead from the Gamecube into is) and send in your efforts. After a few the Signal In socket of your video. false starts the leagues are nicely oiled- 2. Connect the Signal Out socket on your up and running at full-steam, like a big video to your TV. gaming Virgin train. Well, a regular 3. Once everything is switched on, find a train, anyway. Whatever - it's time to spare channel on the video and search for get on board! Er, yes! And don't forget the signal. to keep an eye out for new leagues A. After completing and recording the over the coming months... challenge, send us the tape (rewound back to the beginning if you please). fi& Send to: I'M THE BEST, NBC Magazine, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2BW IF you don't want to cut up your magazine, send a photocopy nstead, and continue on another bit of paper if you run out of room. Or just write with something other than finger-paints. LUIGI'S MANSION STAR WARS: RDGUE LEADER TDNY HAWK'S 3 See how many Cs you can notch Most kills on Battle on Endor (you Highest point score on up at the end of the game. must win at least a Bronze medal). The Foundry level. 1 Jamie Butters, East Sussex 184,060,000G 1 Daniel Ashmore, Cheshire 86 1 David Peacock, Co Durham 3,886,325 2 Lee Mclntyre, Exeter 173,33O,00OG 2 Mark Spencer, Galloway 79 2 Francis Gover, London 1,530,200 3 Andrew Foster, llkley 163,080,OOOG 3 Ben Fitch, Carlisle 72 3 Alex Costello, Coventry 962,243 4 Christopher Collins, Hampshire 147,54O,00OG 4 Ian Scart, Manchester 68 4 Calvin McDonald, Troon 934,980 5 Sean Hinton, Kidderminster 140,100,000G 5 Jan Dolby, Denmark 65 5 Robert Kilpatrick, Switzerland 467,992 I I See how long it takes you Highest accuracy on Death Star Attack. Highest trick combo on the Canada to dispose of the Final boss. level. 1 Grover Mitchell, Newport 139 sees 1 Ashley Coe, Middlesex 69% 1 David Peacock, Co Durham 3,886,325 2 Alex Gough, Rochdale 142 sees 2 Reece Croft, Pontefract 63% 2 Gary Lord, Hull 2,173,200 3 Jonathan Bisaby, Leicester 144 sees 3 Daniel Ashmore, Cheshire 62% 3 Michael Ejih, Netherlands 1,264,190 4 Kelvin Murphy, Taunton 151 sees 4 James McCabe, Derry 60% 4 James Bergerac, Richmond 900,334 5 Dave Badcock, Nuneaton 153 sees 5 Ian Scart, Manchester 59% 5 Trevor Carnaby, London 732,460 We'll need cast-iron proof of Fastest time achieved taking out the both of these in either Highest score on the Rio level. Star Destroyer in Razor Rendezvous. photographic or video form - and for the boss 1 Daniel Ashmore, Cheshire 0:52 1 David Peacock, Co Durham 2,574,133 encounter, we'll only actually accept videos. 2 Jeff Baker, Newport 0:53 2 Richard McCord, Norwich 2,478,920 Jake a look over at 3 Richard Tee, Ayr 0:52 3 Conor Shea, Cork 1,936,700 the previous page for tips 4 Michael Carson, York 1:00 4 Gary Lord, Hull 1,921,333 on how to 5 Marco Llewelyn, Wales 1:02 5 Alvin, Dundee 1,110,754 record your triumphs. Hey! Travelling through hyperspace ain't like dustin' Remember, Tony Hawk's 3 is blinkin' hard, so you'll crops, boy. Whatever relevance that has to anything at need to put in the hours - once you have, get us your all, ever. A photo of your scores at the end of the level proof of the end screen in either photographic or, will just about do - but video is, as ever, preferable. preferably, videographic form. Ta very much. SEND YOUR ENTRIES TO: I'M THE BEST. NGC MAGAZINE, 3D MDNMDUTH STREET. BATH. BA1 2BW AUGUST 2002 WAVE RACE: BLUE STORM CRAZY TAXI SDNIC ADVENTURE 2 Your best race time on r How much money you can How many rings you can get at the end Aspen Lake in easy mode. nab in the Ten Minute Mode. of the Juggernaut chase section. 1 Martin McManus, Edinburgh 1'26"381 1 Alistair Kendall, Bristol $12,340 1 Jason Roberts, Stockport 87 2 Justin Spacek, Aberystwyth 1'39"130 2 Billy Keach, Essex $11,693 2 Tim Johnson, Bucks 85 3 Carl Miller, Isle of Wight 1 '41 "222 3 Karl Davies, Lanarkshire $9,520 3 David Nielson, Yeovil 83 4 Charles Napier, Birmingham 1'47"398 4 Sam Carr, Newport $9,462 4 James Coleridge, N Yorks 78 5 Richard Teignmouth, Leicestershire 1'50"002 5 Calvin McDonald, Troon $9,014 5 Nicholas Gill, Exeter 77 Your best stunt score What your longest jump in Crazy What time you can notch up on © on Lost Temple Lagoon. Jump is. Escape from the Military Base. 1 Paul Beesley, Leeds 1'03'143 1 Alistair Kendall, Bristol 351.63 1 Nicholas Gill, Exeter 01:47:59 2 Sam Carr, Newport 1'04"894 2 Jonny Elstree, Nottingham 346.98 2 Jason Roberts, Stockport 01:51:43 3 Jon Grey, Newport 1'04"910 3 Billy Keach, Essex 339.81 3 Alan Farrier, Plymouth 01:51:48 4 Justin Space, Aberystwyth 1'05"324 4 Nicky Day, Chester 339.73 4 Tim Johnson, Bucks 01:55:32 5 Gary Lord, Hull 1'08"597 5 Gary Lord, Hull 328.91 5 Richard Hood, Ayr ,_ 02:02:46 Only the fastest need Island your highest Your best lap time on Southern What's apply for in easy mode. Crazy Drift combo? <2 this challenge. 1 Martin McManus, Edinburgh 0'25"446 1 Billy Keach, Essex 19 And we'll 2 David Spackman, Kent 0'32"120 2 Nicky Day, Chester 17 need video evidence for 3 Adam Stone, Chichester 0'36"980 3 Alistair Kendall, Bristol 15 both of these 4 Stephen Biake, Brighton 0'37"683 4 David Spence, Rochester 14 beauties, too. 5 Jon Grey, Newport 0'39"110 5 lain Hansen, Tewkesbury 13 Fancy some? Again, we II need cast-iron proof of your For this one, we'll accept photographic or video achievements - video is our choice medium, although evidence, but we won 't accept 'fiddled-with ' photos we may also accept some photographic evidence, and we won't accept bribes, either. You know who you provided - of course - that it hasn't been altered or are... Well, on second thoughts, it depends how much messed with in some way. you're offering. SEND YOUR ENTRIES TD: I'M THE BEST, NBC MAGAZINE, 2D MDNMDUTH STREET, BATH, BA1 2BW 88 NBC ISSUE 7D THE DEFINITIVE VERDICT ONLINE: 23/07/2002 DEM ^J HH n fA] r — b » J§& i.V/»«'- ' PCS i hi IIP WP Irani Buke h22j£ i ! KB EBB HP m R PI Hi US"k BESS In £9. BKPBB BH»i9SSI urn HIM E^oc^sbB iMfflBrraH FROM THE PlayStation MAKERS OE. Pl^yStatior^ ffinmER PllyStatJpn I , We have " HU3I-WkMmf SUBSCRIPTION BEST WRITERS, INDEPENDENT NINTENDO GAMING ORDER FORM the best sources, and the YOUR DETAILS Title Initials Surname best, most in-depth Address reviews in the world Postcode Country Tel No (inc STD) EXCLUSIVES Email address and provide you with the most exhaustive tips Please start/extend my subscription with the next available issue at the rate ticked below: • By Direct Debit (UK only) £15.75 every 6 months for 13 issues during the next 12 months > By cheque or credit card Please choose your method of payment 1. O Direct Debit (UK only) I understand I will be paying £15.75 every 6 months. 2. 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STAR Mr N, East Sussex 'Pronounced' , Crush them in a In NGC/68, you made me the bloody massacre, happiest man on Earth when more like. Ed / revealed that XIII LETTER be you would M^. WIN YOURSELF A BRAND WIN YOURSELF A BRAND- coming to Gamecube. I've read I won't take up any NEW CAMECUBE CAME! more of your or my all the books and have never time with found myself immersed in such my fantasies. an amazing plot. It's got more Tom Kinch, twists and turns than a... well, A Episode I Racer making an appearance in Attack of the Northampton 'Secure the likes' it's got a lot of twists and turns, let's Clones was almost as surprising as the film being good. (Traumattsed So Nintendo have secured six Resident Evil games just leave it at that. Here's a summary of silence.) Ed - forGamecube and, in doing so, captured that the storyline: a man is washed up (Snip! elusive 'mature market' in one fell swoop, right? Ed) most of the series. Oh, and to answer 'Anakin walk' Even my dad plays Wrong. Did anyone else notice that, in Star Wars Episode II: Mario and he's - your question, it's pronounced 'Thirteen'. I'm not criticising the Resi games as such, but Attack of the Clones, when Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin pffff - old. I seriously recommend you try and get Nintendo are failing, firstly, to distinguish between walk into that bar after chasing down the assassin, Star William Coleman, these books as they're definitely worth a via 'mature' and 'gory'. If Nintendo want developers to Wars: Episode I Racer is playing on the television screens email read. Though you have to be able to read That's pretty old. Ed deliver truly mature games, they need to let those behind them? French to understand them. developers get on with making games and get on Joe Bayley, Surrey Luke Talbot, via email In NBC/68, you said Jes is with being creative. But, whether it's Body Harvest the world's baldest man. or Metroid Prime, The Big N just can't help but get We certainly did. We also noticed that it wasn't Mmm... That's tossed something of a My PE teacher is balder. involved. This has, as we've seen with both games, Ceraint in thejango Fett suit, after all. Strange. Ed Mark Nisbet, Ayrshire spanner in the works. A big French a really detrimental effect on their development. Doubt it. Ed spanner, no less. Ed Secondly, and following on from this, if they want to corner a new audience, they need to do more 'Mario's boot' The traitor returns. Tim Weaverman is a traitor. than just secure the likes of Shinji Mikami and I read last month's Star Letter with interest, and it Luke Richards, via email Hideo Kojima. Those particular designers represent reminded me of something. Quote, issue 68, page 8: Nutjob. Ed a fraction of all the codeshops out there who are "We promise not to ruin your enjoyment of forthcoming making truly mature videogames. Target them, games by giving away major details, plot twists or And that Enjiki. She needs don't just port the PlayStation's greatest hits over. surprises. How's that for you?" Well, it's great. Except on to be more naked... Will McConnell, Belfast pages 60, 61 and 63, you showed a secret Tom Enderby, via email character from Smash Bros. Luckily I'd One for the ladies. Ed Unfortunately we had to cut some of this seen him before and can't wait to fill monster letter due to space limitations his face full of Mario's boot. . . but but the points you make, Will, are just be careful, you know? fll ps2 excellent. Don't underestimate how iee Sanders, via email aint been touched important Evil brand is, the Resident since i s?ot though. You might not personally be a Oh, you mean Pichu? Don't tfamecube n^e the fan, but it's sold millions and millions worry, we won't tell you that, r«ew looK 3 '-<>'z ben A The old Cube adverts. Got a good soundtrack too. A of PlayStations for Sony - if it can to get him, you have to beat c ' shissy mix of jungle, drum and bass. Erin, we're told. do the same for Nintendo then Event Match 37 and then beat doll is Kmda weird they'll be very happy. We take him to win.. . oh. Ed dont your point about Nintendo °'-< think? 'Drum and bass' sometimes being overbearing as This probably sounds a bit weird, but do you know who far as their developers are 'Big time' does the music for the Gamecube adverts? I think it's concerned, but the end product Just thought I'd share this peach with you. pretty good - a mix of jungle, drum and bass. is more often than not worth Recently, in the magazine Disney's Big Time, they ran a Adrian O'Connor, via email it. You only have to see the piece on Gamecube, where they previewed Star Wars: transformation Metroid has Rogue Leader. Except they called it Rogue Trader. Right. Jungle. Anyway, after extensive research it undergone to realise that Sounds like this could be an interesting new direction seems the track was created by a guy called Vince Nintendo, however heavy-handed for the Star Wars games, don't you think? Pope, who works for Beetroot Music, a company they can be, really do know how to Carta Hodge, Ipswich based in London that creates 'bangin' choons' for TV make a game. And if it means adverts. But we checked out their website and treading on a few toes then so be it. Rogue Trader, eh? Never realised Nick Leeson made couldn't see any mention of them doing the Compare and contrast Nintendo the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs. Ed Gamecube ads. Odd. Ed and Sony at E3 to see it in black and white: Nintendo's external studios had Metroid and HONOURABLE You included: Ian Padley, via email; Banbury; Teik Wang Khow, via email; Jordan. Bromsgrove; Kael Morgan, Paddy Hynes. via email; David rt -rfox. Sony had The MENTIONS James Sherry, via email; David Russell Davies, via email; Ed via email; Nicolas Masset, via email; Grieve, Edinburgh; Ian Kilpatrick, Thanks to everyone else Jacques, via email; Andries Willems, Peckham, via email; Paul Rutter, Alec Griffiths, via email; Switzerland; Duncan Franklin, via taway, a £7 million Jason who wrote, emailed and Belgium; Daniel Smith, West King's Lynn; Daniel Harris, via email; Asante. via email; Grant, via text; email: Ben Millwood, via email; Nigel project that's total crud. Ed texted us this month. Midlands; Jonathan Wilkinson, Robert Taylor, West Sussex; Ben Thomas Worthington, via email; Martin, via text; Paul Adams, via . ' Paper rounds = new Cube so annoying seeing all my mates just get given one by their parents, and there I was working my cheeks off for mine. Still, I can safely say that I'll now appreciate it so much more. Won't I? Er, won't I? Stephen Myers, Newcastle Oh, definitely. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. Ed 'Exact same' I swear I have the exact same shirt as Tim in issue 68's Virtual Reality. Did he get it from M&S? £22 was it? Andrew McCoolshirt, via email A The new Zelda is possibly the most fantastic-looking game we've ever seen. So, who round here reckoned it would be rubbish? Anyone? No? No-one? What a surprise. I asked myself and the answer is inconclusive. Ed to the printers - too late to change things round, in Bonus the office, we prefer using Scart and, fortunately, Letters there isn't any probtems with that. Ed You guys are quite stuped. Will Schaller. via email Too perfect. Ed QRREET1G Is there anybody I could email that would pass on a message to the rest of the 'Insult them' media and governments? Paul Ardis, via email Okay, I'm puzzled. In issue 68, on EndCC's Shigsy Doll, it Br, Tony Blair? Ed You! shows what looks like Japanese on the left-hand side of Sprechen sie the box. But hang on - a closer look reveals that it isn't I'll have a lock of Paul's Deutsch? Oh, Japanese at all! I can make out what looks to be some finest hair. Hiragana, some Katakana, and then some Kanji that's Challinor, Stafford Jon that's wrong, is it? upside down. Just because the majority of people don't Paul says: "Sounds good. speak Japanese doesn't mean you have to insult them My place or yours?" Ed by putting down random characters. Can you get Dr Kitts to go Disney's Magical Mirror. It looks nice enough, but does 77m McLiden, Australia A and threaten them with a anybody actually CARE about it in the slightest? couple of rusty nails or a Listen up, barbie boy: get hold of issue 68 and look dog with rabies? closely at the side of the packaging. That's Kanji, Andrew Bunting, Ayrshire 'Disney games' right? Or is it Katakana? Or is it FRICKIN' ENGLISH? Didn't have to ask. Ed Although I was pleased with what Nintendo wheeled till 'Flathead' Fisher this. . out at E3 (apart from Disney's Magical Mirror), I was Here's Wait hears about Ed one: on page 111 of issue Will they go bust in a the lack third-party offerings. disappointed to see of 68, you say "Sprechen sie few mouths? Take, for example, Konami: instead of bringing across Deutsch?" That's wrong. 'Sie' Mathew Cooper, via email (with 'The inevitable' their excellent PlayStation titles such as Metal Gear, ZOE, a small s) means either No. In a does. 'they' or few Ed - Zelda Wow. If it had been anyone else, they would have Silent Hill or - stop me if I'm just being stupid 'she' although, to be honest, in just been resting on their laurels, but not Shigsy. His something entirely new, we get snowboarding and the context Knowing my luck, it you had it, it could relentless pursuit of excellence and courage in giving skateboarding, Disney games and Frogger. Does only won't be the one you're mean 'they' (because of verb the most successful franchise in history a facelift has looking for. anybody actually care about these? agreement) and it would have to Paul Ellis, Birmingham proven him to be the best, most talented games "Nippon Ya", via email be 'spricht' to match the German It wasn't the one we were I for designer in the world. await the inevitable 'I always 'she', i.e. "Spricht sie Deutsch?" looking for. Ed liked Celda' comments with baited breath when Disney probably do. But we know what you mean. Hence, you're saying: "Do they everyone gets a load of it in gobsmacking action. Konami look like they're playing a bit of a 'wait and speak German?" It makes me - Russell Mehrad, via email see' game with Gamecube a stark contrast to their wonder who 'they' are - and 'jump right in' stance on the N64. And odd when you where do 'they' come from? And I liked Celda. Ed consider everyone else is the total opposite. Ed why always are 'they' plaguing my very existence! the Er, anyhoo, it should cube is be the "Sprechen Sie fa{? st thins Deutsch", with a 'Happy about it' Wl earth 'Table' capital S. In case you are 4 hopfcins On page 113 of NGC/68, you talk about connecting I I Damn you, NGC. There I was, reading your review wondering the how I know all new this, I the Gamecube to a TV via an S-Video cable. One look is I of Rogue Leader at the breakfast table when my have been *r6 - 'doing' German for six , like slight problem - PAL S- tfie eight-year-old brother started twitching his neck and years. Gamecubes don't output looK If I hadn't spotted of >'ou all. J this it like tell lot Since seeing Attack Video. Sadly, looks Nintendo forgot to a xxx - can mumbling about "using the force". mistake I would have considered - u feel of third-party peripheral manufacturers I spotted of the Clones, he only eats when referred to as 'Mace myself a failure and demanded it hittsv to three different types of S-Video lead on sale in Windu, senior member of the Jedi Council' and after be shot, at point blank range, Gamestation, Dixons and HMV. I emailed SpectraVideo pulling a 'made you look!' trick, mocks me for my lack perhaps with a gun from Jud's who do the Logic 3 cables and I got the impression they of Jedi mind-control techniques. Damn you, NBC! own collection. Once done, I weren't happy. Mike Yin, Sheffield would.have expected my corpse Andy Collins, via email to be fired off in a monkey ball. We can see how it's our fault. Ed Steven Ansell, via email No doubt. To be honest, Nintendo made no mention of this little party trick at any time prior to 6/10. Must try harder. Ed Camecube's launch in the UK - indeed, the first we 'Lost count' heard of it was when we plugged an S-Video lead What can I say? I love it! I finally bought a Gamecube into the telly a couple of days after we sent issue 68 and a copy of Rogue Leader and it's absolutely brilliant. I lost count of how many papers I delivered to get one... 6am every morning... six days a week... ten email; Dan Mason, via email; text; Alex O'Connell, West Sussex; quid a week. Don't you think you appreciate something Graeme Staff, via email; Daniel Aamir llyas, via email; Ryan so much more when you've had to work for it? It was Ericcson, Stoning ton; Stephen Hemper, Dursley; Bonny Qvistorff, Kilgannon, Widnes; Chris McAleer, Denmark; Alex Biddle, via email; via email; Barry, via email; Ant, via Liam Murphy, Bishop's Stortford. AUGUST 2DD2 NGC 95 We've been talking about a budget label in the office for months. It would be great, wouldn't it? But it's unlikely to come about for a while. Don't discount the possibility of an Advance-TV compatible box, mind. Ed view mak Interesting. We've had a couple of more duds. ch , emails about this but it's not a y 'Through six' ™ takin da | problem we're aware of, and miK I Fact: less than ten per cent of the UK ' *er f°r Nintendo seem unaware of it too. e °J bein I has access to broadband. Another iew Are there any other NEC readers selda fact: none of Ireland has. So, why is who have had similar problems? If credible, everyone so preoccupied with you have, let us know and we'll torn- Nintendo's online plans? Why is it so investigate further. Ed important? I have a 56K modem and have gone through six monitors in the past year A Monkey Ball crashing on your Cube? Give us a shout if you're experiencing problems with games freezing up. due to the incredible amount of damage caused to 'Invincible' them with my well-aimed fist. 56K modems are slow- There's two crucial things missing as far as the Cube is at times even unplayable. Nintendo see the problem 'Faulty 130' concerned. One: an instant budget label with old N64 and are kindly letting other companies test the water After purchasing my shiny new purple Cube, it seems to classics like ColdenEye, Perfect Dark, Paper Mario, Zelda: for them. It would be uneconomical to push millions have developed a nasty problem: it keeps locking up Majora's Mask, Donkey Kong and F-Zero X. And two: a into the internet even if we had broadband here, but it and crashing! This has happened on no less than four shiny little piece of kit that allows you to play Advance just seems ludicrous to do it when most of us haven't. occasions in the past two days - once playing Rogue games through your TV. Nintendo would be invincible. What they are doing instead - investing money in the Leader and three times on Monkey Ball. Do you reckon Brian Jackson, via email CC-GBA compatibility side of things - makes much more sense and, in fact, I'd rather be playing games that made use of this feature than ones that chug along and break up on my modem. Evan Heneghan, Ireland QflTI71 1 MPTIJ 1 ^J Your spec ific gaming Qs answered 1 1 I^Shmb by The Big Friendly Colon... yu EILL MC Couldn't agree more. However, if something like Quake III or Counter-Strike ever came to the Cube as an online game, we'd be willing to give it a go. Ed - So 1 see Konami have announced 2. Out in June in Japan. No news looking increasingly likely 1. Have you got a release date for Metal Gear Substance For PS2 - any on a release here, though we'd whoever buys them might Eternal Darkness and Starfox chance of Camecube getting a hazard a guess on it appearing consider guiding Crofty onto Adventures over here yet? 'Picking' Metal Gear game any time soon? later on in the year or early next. another format. But we wouldn't 2. What's the story with Kameol Stop picking on the Welsh. Did you know that if Wales James Lawson, via email bet on it happening for a while. Alex Cavey, via email flat it have a greater surface area than your Will there ever be a device for was would 1. is 'country' England? Not likely. Metal Gear looks like Gamecube that lets us play DVDs? 1. 1 am a massive motorbike fan. Eternal Darkness October it's in for the long haul on a Ross Arnott, via email What's the chance of games like and Starfox Adventures Is Russell Davies, Wales PlayStation format. However, a MotoCP and World Superbike November. Should make for a run to Christmas. We'll Hideo Kojima project on Cube No. The disc tray is too small and coming to a Gamecube near us? good up Proud Englishman Martin Kitts says: "And did you isn't out of the question - him there's no DVD software in the 2. Any chance of Blast Corps have a US review of Eternal know that if we detached Wales from England, it and Shigsy have a hefty amount chips. You're only hope is that making a return on the Cube? Darkness For you next issue. would immediately sink into the Irish Sea, sheep, of mutual respect for each other. Nintendo decide to release the Q Tony Jenkins, via email 2. Good question. No one really leeks and all?" I must confess, I never realised that. over here. Which they won't. wants to comment on it, though Amazing what you find out. Ed 1. I've heard that a silver-coloured 1. Unfortunately not. The nearest sources tell us it's still on for the Cube may be coming out in With Eidos now doing games for you're going to get to powering Camecube, probably in 2003. America. Is this true? And, if so, the Gamecube, what are the about on a bike is when Mat Hoffman the chances of Predator when will it be coming out here? chances of a Tomb Raider sequel? Pro BMX 2 comes out What's a 'That Shigsy' course. coming to Camecube, then? 2. What's the news on the higher Marcus Myers, via email on Camecube. But, of game By the way, was that Shigsy doll real? capacity memory card? there's no engines in that. Luke Burman, via email Gamecube Matt Jonas, via email S Orbell, via email Not great - like Metal Gear, Lara 2. Wouldn't have thought so. The is very much PlayStation first Blast Corps was a real Unlikely for the time being, we're As real asjud's love for guns. Ed 1. Lies. There's a silver-coloured property. However, if Eidos end stinker in terms of sales - not a afraid - but it would make a CBA coming out soon, though. up being bought - which is great reason to do a follow-up. cracking licence, wouldn't it? BRITflin S BIGGEST SELLinG mULTI-FORmflT ITIRG! .';*.. (RWMT^Si YdEpMUST drive this! The biggest bargain of the «ar reviewed! PLUS How to unlock everything! • • • ttttt • Kaytes™ TIMESPLITTERS 2 • LORD OF THE RINGS • MARIO SUNSHINE MM*miUiaKiimliraii!W On SRLE TUESDRV 16TH JULV THE BEST CUBE GAMES MONEY CAN BUY FIVE GAMES SUPER MONKEY BALL TO MAKE YOUR MIND SEGA NGC/B7 SB EXPLODE Ingenious update of Marble Madness, with simians rolling around strange landscapes trying to collect 'nanas. Chuck in a monkey Rogue Leader and Tony Howk's are all version of Mario Kart, pool, golf and a very well, but Nintendo games have some tilting boxing ring with springy always been at their best when it boxing comes to crozy games of controlled *<" gloves and you've got the weirdest, most mayhem that make your brain hurt. wonderful Camecube game out. ^ STAR WARS: RDGUE LEADER R? ACTIVISIDN NBC/B8 87 Without a doubt, the best-looking console game ever made, Rogue Leader also PIKMIN happens to be one of the slickest, most memorable Star Wars games of all time, bolting eye-popping renditions of the Battle of Hoth and the Trench Run onto silky I F 1. H ^ TJiV] smooth space battles. Get it in now. -j ii -j j - cj jjati ^u^ TDNY HAWK'S PRD SKATER 3 (<- NINTENDO NBC/B8 95 Eye-singeing multiplayer battles, ingenious power- ACTIVISIDN NGC/B7 87 SUPER SMASH BRDS ups and moves, brilliant cameo appearances It's clearly a no-brainer of a PS2 conversion, from just about every Nintendo character ever but Tony Hawk's Sis so good it hardly to set Foot inside a cartridge, plus some of the seems to matter. Packed with unbelievable sweetest looks yet squeezed from the Cube - grinds and stunts, backed up by a mountain Smash Bros is everything you went purple for and of hidden extras, and benefiting from vast more. If people are telling you this is a game skate parks, if you haven't tried Hawk's on for kids then the fools plainly haven't played it. for size before, now's the time. SUPER MONKEY WAVE RACE: BLUE STORMI I SSX TRICKY BALL ® NINTENDO NBC/87 81 EA SPORTS NBC/B8 87 In PAL form this sodden sequel might suffer from some tiny frame-rate problems, but it's all over it in big, fat neon letters, but it still ... ^rj^: still a fabulous racer, replete with manages to perform wonders with your the most incredible water effects Cube. Fast, spectacular courses, brilliant ever. Fast, dynamic, accessible shortcuts and secrets and some timely mid- PHOM9-1 and sublime to control, Wave Lvwj piste scrappage make this conversion Race is absolute magic. brilliant, brilliant entertainment. ANIMAL LEADER IMPORT LUIGI'S MANSION BURNOUT NINTENDO NBC/B7 80 ACCLAIM NBC/B7 88 Mazza might have been late to the party On the N64, we had to wait three years for this time round, but brother Luigi managed a driving game. Now we've got a killer to ease the pain with this racer from day one: with lightning-fast, «*-*«» fantastically playable spectacular crashes, inch-perfect handling RAVE: THE GROOVE combination of Super Mario l and one of the smoothest, most impressive ' ADVENTURE IMPORT World and Ghostbusters. It's engines around, Burnout is a dream of a maybe a bit short, but still ace. game, even if it's over a bit quickly. I NSC ISSUE 70 VsSai HMD PIKMIN CRAZY TAXI EVERY NINTENDO NGC/BS 85 SEGA/ACCLAIM NEC/B7 7D It's mm Dreamily created using textures from as good as it was on Dreamcast and PS2, Shigsy's own garden, Pikmin is a genius but that's just the point: Crazy Taxi\s old, .RATED! real-time strategy with multi-coloured and nothing's been done to update it for its vegetables, beautifully simple controls and Gamecube release. Shame, because with a expansive, tactile worlds. It's over a bit bit of polish this could have found a new quickly if truth be told, but don't let that lease of life - as it is, it's still excellent fun, if put you off: this is Nintendo brilliance. a little elderly. ISS2 O ,B NBA CDURTSIDE 2DD2 KDNAMI NGC/BS 83 NINTENDO NGC/BS 78 SPY HUNTER This once-untouchable football giant makes j Well, Nintendo might have called a day on its debut on Gamecube sporting a few nasty Left Field, but the US developers have cuts and bruises, including a lack of pace, certainly gone out with a bang - shame it's huge turning circles and 'sweet spots'. Even basketball, really. If you're 'into' sport, it still you'll appreciate the gameplay parallels i so, rates as a majestic example of : • H I footie in a disc, even though an 155 with ~ between this and 155, otherwise it'll just '— m faults is hard to stomach. seem like another boring hoop game. EXTREME G 3 NHLHITZ2D-D2 GEL DAMAGE I, ACCLAIM NBC/87 85 , MIDWAY NBC/87 73 A bit of an underrated gem, Extreme C 3 Ice hockey is probably the most acceptable 20-02 | offers pulse-shattering speed, huge, ^J of American sports, and NHL Hitz I sprawling, well-designed tracks, some proves to be genuine fun in places, with ingenious - and surprisingly tactical - super-slick, fast-paced puck action. Behind .„- weaponry and eye-spanking visuals. It's a the scenes, this is great as well, with trade- tiny bit soulless, and the multiplayer's a bit ins, player creation and a neat behind-the- rank, but this is good stuff. scenes documentary. Good stuff. DRIVEN rl BLDDDY ROAR: PRIMAL FURY DAVEMIRRABMX2 IRSSe^ ACTIVISIDN NBC/E8 74 ACCLAIM NEC/E7 75 Okay, so Smash Bros pummels it so hard it's The problem with Dave Mirra 2 is that it's PlayStation :• mm v,mr W about ten feet into the canvas, but Bloody simply not as good as favourite is II Hit" 1 1 1 ! Roar still manages to offer some quick, Mat Hoffman. Which a shame, because at exciting punch play, and comes with the its heart beats a decent game, packed with TARZANFREERIDE added bonus of some dual-action stunts and tricks, expansive arenas and a characters. One of which changes into a great soundtrack. But none of that is quite 399 Cel Damage NBC/68. 60 . rabbit. And another into a Gecko. enough to make this a real must-buy. Tarzan Freeride NBC/ 67, 59 Spy Hunter NBC/68, 55 The Simpsons Road Rage SPIDER-MAN: THE MDVIE BATMAN: VENGEANCE NBC/68, 52 Dark Summit NBC/69, 51 Virtua Striker 3 v2002 jjHBH ACTIVISIDN NEC/E3 72 UBI SDFT NEC/E7 7D NBC/69, 50 A brain-bendingly terrible camera threatens You could find yourself pleasantly surprised Legends of Wrestling this beat-'em-up featuring Bats I to do more than make your Spidey sense „ j by 3D and NBD69, 47 The Joker. In fact, you won't just find tingle, but this 3D adventure grows on you j ESPN Winter Sports 2002 I the more you play it, and for fans of the yourself surprised, you'll find yourself well NBC/67, 37 comics there are some really neat little entertained thanks to a clunk-free control Donald Duck Coin' Quackers ;* \ &.€^ touches, as well as timely comebacks for system, some tidy graphics and plenty of NBC/68, 32 the likes of Scorpion and The Vulture. corny voice acting from Mark Hamill. 2002 FIFA World Cup NBC/69, 30 Gauntlet: Dark Legacy 3 SONIC ADVENTURE 2: BATTLE DRIVEN NBC/68, 25 a* Universal Studios NBC/67, 24 Jeremy McGrath ^ SEGA/INFDBRAMES BAM! NBC/BS ED Supercross World NBC/69, 20 P NGC/B7B7D Sneaking in at number 20 is this solid effort It moves like greased weasel-turd, it looks from BAM! - though don't expect to see it - , beautiful, it's solid enough but this sequel hanging round for very long. While the <* / " are around ! is underwhelming, dressed in next-gen gear software numbers somewhere but sporting Mega Drive-era ideas. It offers the 30 mark, you might want to give this some intriguing GBA connectivity - shame street racer a go - especially for its decent | more isn't made of this part of it. New York track. Otherwise, forget it. AUGUST 2DD2 NSC SB "THERE HE 15! LOOK! OUR VERZ OWN MENTALLY UNHINGED WELSHMAN, DREAMING HI5 PERVERTED NINTENDO DREAMS. LOOKS HAPPY, DOESN'T HE? BUT WHAT HE DOESN'T KNOW IS THAT, B/ THE CRUEL HAND OF ROBOTIC EUROPE/AN PR DESPOT LORD C30SEN, THE NEXT 24 HOURS WILL BE PURE P^ NINTENDO HELL..." D NSC ISSUE 7D . . AUGUST 20D2 NSC 101 1D2NSC ISSUE 7D . .../AND TA DA! WE, THIS SECRET ER... CRAWL OUT ROOM BETTER OF THE BOS! BE IMPRESSIVE, EVANS - THIS EVENING .PLACE REEKS... "FEARLESSLY CRAWLING THROUGH THREE FOOTBALL FIELDS' WORTH OF UNSPEAKABLE FILTH IN AN ATTEMPT TO (SET TO WORK ON TIME (OR, AT LEAST, GET TO WORK AT ALL) EVANS STARTS TO THINK ABOUT ASKING FOR A RISE..." GENIUS. PURE GENIUS. 3naal TRUST /VIE, JUST A LITTLE FURTHER... WAAHAAy, THAT SNIPER RIFLE'LL OH JUST SHUT DO NICELX CAREFUL NOW, UP AND BLOW THEIR HEADS risht you OFF. PONT LET ARE.' THEM SEE US. ci /iy\ WHAT ABOUT Him? HE LOOKS RIPE FOP. A HEAD-SHOT... "NICE, EVANS, YOU J LEEK-EATING FOOL... LOOK! THERE! IT'S THE DOOR TO THE MONSTER'S LAIR..." youR CHEAP-ASS NAH, I'LL NEVER SET /VlULTIPLAyER THE CHANCE TACTICS /MAKE /ME SICK! TO DO 7~M/S ASAIN... BEST STOCK UP ON HEALTH THEN. WHO KNOWS WHAT HIDEOUSLY OBEi CREATURE LIES WITHIN THE BELLY/ ^oushtor WELL WE'VE see ya'i /HADE IT... SUESS THAT THERE ROOM, SOUl( hagar, its THE BOSS MUST SOOD ENOUSH I'm OUTTA BE IN HERE. for me. HERE... GOOD POINT, SORRy, BUT WHy HAVE FORCE OF yOU STARTED HABIT. TALKING LIKE AN WHAT ARE RPS IMBECILE? you DOINS NOW? K^y^fl ior Platidiurn Editorfc ring cake-1 LOOKINS FOR EXTRA HEALTH... NICE ONE! THAT'LL AND WITH THAT, EVANS FACED . sort me RISHT . OFF ASAINST HIS NEMESIS FOR OUT... THE FINAL SHOWDOWN... SINCE WHEN Sfi OOH! THAT SOT ^ WJ^T^ ME RISHT IN THE EAT LEAD! NIPPLE... AND IT /«S^/X HURTS! ALRIGHT LITTLE FELLAS... TAKINS HIM BACK TO OLIMAR ARE you? "0*r, &YAAA, IT'S ' ALL PAPERy... yEUCH... ALL... THE... MOISTURE... SCREW OLIMAR, LOOKEE BEING SUCKED OUT OF THAT'S MATE. WE'RE OFF HERE - JUD'S My... VOCAL CORDS! IT'S TO VEGAS... SECRET GUN My CUE, SUCKINS ME DR/.. STASH! THEN... BLAAAAARGH!!! AUGUST 2DQ2 NSC 103 . GRAB A BREAK FOR TWO TO NEW YORK, COURTESY OF ACTIVISION'S... T WHATYDU NEED TODD.. down' the Green Coblin. Fair enough. Kittsy roams Che streets of Bath doing much the same. If by the Green Goblin, you mean tramps. And if, by 'take down', you mean torturing. Question is, if you - like Spider- Man and, er, Kittsy - were a superhero, what superhero would you be, and what would be your stomping ground? Would you parade the mean streets of Dudley as The Curry Crusader, a sweaty mess of lager- smelling foulness who uses the Power of Vindaloo to defeat his enemies? Or would you be Tractor-Man, a pig- wrestling, BSE-defeating farmer who protects rural Norfolk from housing developments and porcine cruelty? We want to see - and we want to see pictorial evidence. Yep, that's Everything you need to know about right - it's a dignity-free zone here: so get your costumes on, show us your powers, and the best, funniest, most what you could be winning. . outrageous one wins a trip for two to the world's most exciting city. Nicely. hopping, eating, drinking, nice you're not the lucky recipient of a super- parks, skyscrapers, pretzels, duper trip for two to The City That Never toy shops, art galleries - New Sleeps™, you can still win one of five copies r" York is absolutely magic. If of the Spider-Man : The Movie game, which you've never been, then we reviewed last issue you've got a serious problem. Fortunately, That's reeeeeeal nice. NBC and Activision - the folks behind last But, as is our usual policy, we don't just month's Spider-Man™: The Movie game - go and give our prizes away. Nope. We make are on hand to lend a, er, hand with this you work. And, similarly, we're going to steaming-good compo, giving you and a make you work this time around - work for 1/0 mate a chance to jet across the pond, every inch of that plane ticket! EVERY INCH! live it up in a swanky hotel for Want to know how? And why? Then cast three nights, and flit about NYC your eyes up to the left there. Now. with 300 bucks in yer pocket. Yep, this has got to SEND YOUR DELIGHTFUL rate as about the best ENTRIES INTD THIS ADDRESS: compo we've ever This Is My Father, Norman Osborn', NGC, run. Especially as, if 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2BW. CDMPETITID Win a trip for two to the City That Never Sleeps! YOU LIKED N\B IN RIGHT? YOU LIKED /1A£ FOP, /V\Y MORALS, DIDN'T YOU? 7 D\DN'T yOUr , a *• *• : #• -" >v ..•>> & : £»*:. : *-Jlf »T? THE (YAWN) RULES closing date for all entries is 21st age of 18. he or she must get the signed „ 3 uardian before entering. Also, if the 2. The competition is cpen to all UK and RepubS of Ireland reside winner is under 18, he or she must be actor except employee of Future Publishing Limited. Activision. any/of parent/guardian, Get the a-okay from your f their wholly owned subsidiaries, or parent companies, marketing '•= [Services agencies, handling houses or other companies involved IM.. 1 1 IC 1V1I " ICI Ul LI U oi 16. The winner will be responsible or ensuring th; (and their parent/guardian/friend) nas a passport necessary «&visa valid for the trip "opnate travel in ; may be deemed invalid, in the • Except where caused by their negligence. im, obviously. You know, Tim Weaver. You know, ™ jblishing Limited and Activision i io responsibility for any less or delay aused by the airline, hotel or other third ' 3rty or any other loss or damage suffered r (or their parent/guardian/ le judging will take pface on 22nd August 2002 nd) as a result of winning the trip. utified by telephone. Please include a telephone i the competition prize. ihing Limited. A big thank providing the funds for on on all matters affecting this competition rules shall goverr •*V*v be final and no correspondence will be enter*"* inh" ->-. « ! prize becomes unavailable for any reason. Future Publishing > the right to replace it with another of ID. The winner agrees to permit Activision to use photograph and/or likeness for any future marketing pur . A 'HILARIOUS' JUMBLE SALE OF GAMES TRIVIA AND STALKING NQC COMPENDIUM TALK TIME Want to find out what it's really like to work in games development? We give one of GCs top developers an NGC mobile and stalk them for a day, S.3SAM Yeah, probably. So, one more thing to think Hi there Patrick. Can we call you 'Rick? about won't make much difference. No. I'm not sure if I'm genuinely multi-tasking or just Not 'Rick. Right. So, you're hard at work at showing the strain of a short attention span. the moment, right? Htnm, quite. While we've got you, any Well, I'm kind of considering the idea of working. chance we could discuss this 'Rick thing? Do you want some time to mull it over? (Click) Wo, that's okay. Actually I was just doing my morning search of the internet for pictures of 5.D5PM Natalie Portman and Liv Tyler. Hi Patrick. Are you still busy? Together? No, I'm done. Just a few things to finish up. Oh, in an ideal world. . Like... Heh. We'll get our Paul to mock some up For Like watering the plants on my desk. I've got you in Photoshop if you like. He's an expert four of them. at that sort of thing. Very nice. (Silence) 'Art books', eh? Yeah, it is. The plants last a lot longer since we 'Rick? Yes. They're very educational. I've also been moved offices. The air quality round here is (Silence) having a conversation about the Top Gun sequel. much better. Er, I mean, Patrick? Interesting. How's that coming along? That's nice. Our offices smell of dead dogs. (Click) It's still in its early stages. I was discussing the Especially in the summer when Geraint usual frustrations - you know, like team size and wears his warm weather after shave. 1D.5BAM deadlines, that sort of thing. Hi! Made any progress? We'll leave you to it. s.ddpm With what? Cheers. I'm off for lunch anyway. Hi. You back yet? The internet. Or the game. Out to lunch, you mean. Yes. I've just been making some tea. It's Super I'm doing the game. I'm in full-on testing mode. Yes. Noodles tonight. Patrick is a You mean searching for bugs and stuff? Ooh! designer at Digital Yeah. You're pretty sharp this morning. 145PM On bread. Integration, the Thanks! Hello. Did you have a pleasant break? A two- That's livin', alright. - Farn borough-based Funnily enough, I've just found out that I didn 't mile jog around the park and a fresh green Yes it's highly nutritious. Anyway, my need to spend the last few weeks roaming the salad, perhaps? housemate Adam is having a pizza and Andy is combat Flight-sim building to speak to coders and artists. I could Not quite. It was more like a couple of thrashings eating what looks like lumps of meat. I think I specialists behind have saved loads of time by using Microsoft at ISS Pro Evolution, followed by a Slim-a-Soup got the best deal. the Forthcoming Messenger instead. out of a packet. So are you going to be doing work from Top Cun Combat Or the phone, for that matter. The healthy option! home tonight? Zones. He's Yes. Or the phone. Absolutely. I have to keep my strength up. I've Nope. I might read a book or maybe I'll see currently working Talk to you later then. got a busy afternoon ahead. what's on TV. I might even do a bit of drawing on on the Camecube Yeah? What's in store, then? the rather nice AO drawing board that I nicked version of that 12.3DPM I'm juggling the script for the sequel, the mock- from the office. happening? terrain generation for the sequel, and the testing You don't actually seem to do much work. game as well as its Hey there. What's You caught on eBay duty. I'm checking to see and controller adjustments for the current (Silence) sequel, making him me if I've won any auctions or owe any money. version of the game. The original - the one Er, so does your boss read our mag? a prime candidate What are you bidding on? that's coming to the Camecube. (Silence) for stalking. Oh, you know - the usual stuff. . . Japanese art Anything else? Patrick? books, mostly. Isn't that enough? (Click) A NEW GC GAME! Send your solutions to: Solve my Maze, NBC, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 ZBW OR EMAIL: [email protected] ¥: * TOM CLANCY DF... GAMES COMING EVOLUTION ir i THE wi That we've made up. Tom Clancy's and . Dartboard Death PEACHJ* "** Q TATntnan royal family Fire scud missiles at a selection of dartboards with the names of terrorists in the bullseye. iiei uu n SUPERsuper PWH55 Tom Clancy's 3 MARIO Learn with Clancy 2 SUPER BROS 3 MARIO Appearance Kids edutainment. A is for AR-15 Rock River M4 Tactical, Witb Mr BROS Kidnapped as Appearance she A X h Appearance but B is for BRNO N1 Semtex, C is... name usual, quick the sense (Peach m with change to Tom Clancy's of humour uncanny ability Japan, Princess accept her Korea Centre get kidnapped to and Pauline became recurring fate every five everywhere else) RTS. Select a nation, ie North But back r Korea. Start a bombing minutes. Wtoa e orMari0at was campaign. Never stop. Ever. then she ove A°sSppy^^ , - 7m called Lady Mario's expense. later renamed Tom Clancy's Co Pauline. Co Death Bomb Special move MAW°*SSandladyness Appearance Bizarre Japanese role-player Yelling for help fi character. Jumpman _ O that Clancy had nothing to do ' ^ from King*i<= with and doesn't understand. the carpenter. where fa S?er,Peach isslow^d P Liaimove Tom Clancy's Watching TV, | Tom Clancy panting and Se^P^^tiUpwitbMa.io.as wheezing Create your own Clancy and turkey. brown this SKES after getting fight him. Accessories include she donned a to "ggrog, I to fetch tanks, guns and long knives. pretended*" up W1&wig ando-J- 1^ _ slab I another her never-before be butter Tom Clancy's sister, Daisy. | of seen the move from It's-a-me Clancy! Special fridge. Engineering her Unique tie-up with Nintendo in own kidnap to which Clancy, dressed in Mario Italian rekindle an gear, guns down and kills Wario. passion. Stallion's 9525KKKS— Tom Clancy's Nuclear Board vegetables . . „o -Pulling Board-game fun. Work your inside 5SK3£3£S5« way round the world killing terrorists in nuclear bunkers. Peach a dress. Toadstool -with 1 her Tom Clancy's '* 8MABIOGOLF 4^ Red Card Soccer Appearance Dainty | little It's the US vs Iraq in the World lady golfer with a power or skill, but Cup Final! Destroy the enemy devastating line m using any means necessary. Golf sarcastic put-downs. the sport of Tom Clancy's is obviously losers. royalty and bad Dog Inside-Out moves Special Tour Clancymon Island taking Yelling photos of dogs you've blown shotl" "Nice to bits. Features Prof Oak. whenever Mario shoes WTW Wrestling yet another Worldwide Terrorist drive into the y© bunker. Wrestling. Give Bin Laden the clothesline he deserves in this spandex fight. AUGUST 2DD2 NSC 1D7 . GAMING PLANET game ISJOKO HAMUTARO T/Jtb FACTS FOR connoisseurs of THE oriental esoterica are TRAVELLER surely numbered. ET Hamutaro l0°sely translates HEREUKresidents as fh as Trn^Trotting Hamsters', shouldU^7hold on for a title which official travel speaks volumes packages about the primary available next year focus of We m the area. The CURRENCY ¥4,800 rodents lead (approx £26) leisurely, pampered LANGUAGE Hamu-Hal lives, and are granted unlimited ELECTRICITY 3V DC freedom to explore power and roam as they supply x please. They often (2 1.5V AA cells) embark on adventures which POPULATION 50 companies seem to ast for weeks but 2000+ are in fact rarely any SIS"* licensed products longer HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT than 22 minutes. As global recognition Ritsuko Kawai beckons the resort's authorities are set DEVELOPMENT Nintendo to drop the traditional Tottoko HEALTH RISKS Empty in favour of the wallets vaguely westernised title Hamtaro, and many residents will be obliged to adopt new names in the interests of The number one international trade. destination for EVENTS A daily cartoon animal lovers. show captures the Ham J;^rnu life in animated urges STform, and°l should| and turn on one HISTORY be the first another- with port of call nilanous Members of the group An established for curious potential consequences. also provided fixture in the visitors voices for Japanese The show a four-piece hamster band traveller's itinerary for tells legends in the last two years based on the themovieHarnuhamuRandono exploits of the area's ATTRACTIONS dayS as most celebrated Da'boken a ch ^shed' The latest (Adventure in andand^r^^well-kept S, e ts the must-see attraction Hamham Land) secret among western ^iquitous Hamutaro and is which smashed ^hB manym; h Nintendo's Tottoko box-office records hamster friends -the Hamutaro 3 when Hamu- featuring S d Ub,e - Typically, the widest range headerwith the Jan-^. the legends of hamster 25rrw25 ,f ^ tend to ™ Godzilla film in revolve around activities yet devised. December 2001 doing good But if the deeds for bamer languageg human owner Ryuko ,s a problem, wait or dressing in until the amusing costumes holiday season before CULTURE (again, for the planning your visit, Tottoko n Ryuk° as the deployment of Hamutaro's increasing %Few Pe°P'e over the Aml£ on influence alage of English-speaking popular culture can S12 are able to withstand guides to certain only bfcome the of parts ™ re intensity of Hamu-Hamu is secant. Since the an entire episode expected to area was first described commence in by its discoverer EL T ' P H St6rS October Ritsuko exhibit ^is sort Kawa, The popular in a 1997 edition rS rly beat combo Morning of Shoguku '" Ham^Hamu Land. Ninensei IfIfconZTconfined T Musume (an all-girl magazine, more m large groups anywhere Japanese equivalent than seven of All Stars) million pieces of aS 8 Sh0e can often be heard Hamutaro-related box ""derneath a bed,h,H theyIt \? performing literature have been will develop traditional songs for snapped up by cannibalistic the youthful benefit of both travellers in Japan. humans and hamsters. Hamu Hamu officials confidently predict that GAMING PLANET Essential travelling advice for brave importers nuHi the area will soon be an even more popular No v,s, to attraction than Kanto • Hamu-Hamu Land would and be complete tS0r l realriva| without experiencing ! y s as a leisure one destinationcSn'J; US for young people P hamster costu parades m whichl T° ™ In terms of owners dress their revenue, hamster-related rodents in a variety of tourism ,s currently neck-and-neckS stylish fashions he cash •Le n 'ng the local generated from dialect is both Nintendo's swriplef regular excursions and rewarding. to Pokemon Island. Most visitors m a firSt 6XCursion t0 th e world of Tn^°Tottok u ACTIVITIES ° Hamutaro with a vocabulary of • Comparing more than 80 hamster love hamster phrases (see ratings is a 'Useful favourite pastime Phrases' side panel) among the locals and something every •Visitors are encouraged touristfhouldS once to help the Don t forget hamsters collect and to pack a link cable, polish small rocks m?n d a time-consuming task that sometimes reveals precious gemstones. FURTHER READING •Visit the highly detailed official websiteatwww.hamutaro.com •TheAsahishimbunwasasourceof useful information in compiling this guide. See www.asahi.com/english •News and travel information fan be found at My Tottoko Hamutaro Visit www.geocities.com/totoko_hamutao- r ma 110 NSC ISSUE 7D " '-yf.>h fj&i-iKi^vie, -'.'"nssR I r>J rvi Chart Hits Addicted To Bass Pureione Always on Time -Jafiu/e Formula One Sunglasses at Night • Tiga S Zyntfien'us What About Us? -Brandy Red Dwarf Attitude -MenM Farm Ever So Lonely Jakalta Ghostbusters 09069 182299 To Get Down - Trmo Maas Captain Scarlett Moi. Loiita - - zee Monty Python A Mind Of Its Own • V Sedcfom The Terminator Crazy Rap • Ataman Batman The Hindu Times • Oasis HOTTEST TUNES Blow Your Whistle -DJ Alligator) Pinky And The B Country Road Hermes K'se Band Star Wars • C; Without Me- Eminem 111952 Freak Like Me - Sugabades 111896 Can't Get UOuta My Head -Kylie Star Wars -Mi Make It Good - At Kiss Kiss - Ho//y Va/ance 111898 Dreamer • OzzyOsbourne 111980 More Than A Woman -Aalryafi The Flintslones Just A Little -IMvX Hero • Ennrwe Ig/esias • Dance The Logical Song Scooter 111965 Boom Anastacia 111951 We Are All Made Of Stars • Moby 2001 - 2002 Hits Rock The Boat Aaliyah Shooting Star -Sang Future Breeze 111953 Hero- Chad Kroeger 111966 Temple Of Dreams Resurrection • PPK Its Ok- Atomic Kitten Hum LaP It Takes More -Ms Dynamite 111967 La La Land- Green met 111954 111955 Smooth Criminal • Alien Art F3rm Stop Crying Your Heart Out Oasis 111968 Love At First Sight -Kyfe Ride Wit Us -So Solid Cot Rapture • wo • Ellis In Here -Nelly 111977 Get Over You Sophie Bextor 111969 Hot Teenage Dirtbag • Wtetus How You Remind He • Nictelback Is Halfpipe - OPM • Heaven A Unchained Melody Gareth Gates 111684 Evergreen Will Young 111659 Aint It Funny (Remix)- J Lo In The End Lintoi Pa* Fire -Cosmic Oi More Fire Cre* Wire Gate Julie- Shaggy & AH G 111666 \m- Luck and MC Neat 111956 In Too Deep • Sum 41 Airwave Rank Tainted Love • Marilyn Manson Set You Free -N Ira Blurry -Puddle Of Uudd 111974 Little Less Conversation • Bvisv JXL 111957 i My People- Missy FJIrtt Themes • Rur Shake UR Body Sfty-FX* FPower Big Brother Touch Me Da s;( Ball and Dec 111958 Ftoi Whenever Wherever -Shakira 111661 Were On The -M Mission Impossible Universal Nation Only Fools And Horses The Prophet -CJBofad Light My Fire -W Young 111414 Tranzy State Of Mind -Push 111959 • Lovers Harry Potter Starlight Supermen Cafe Del M- =— Be Cool -Paffendorf 111962 Roll Out -Ludachs 111979 A World Of Our Own rtfesflrfe Axel F Beverley Hills Cop Shoulda Woulda Coulda = ' r Match of the Day HideU-K. - Dove -Moony 111978 All 1 Want Be//er7re 111960 Somethin Stupid Rotoe Warns Indiana Jones Out Of Con., „ The Launch -DJ Jean Don't Let Me Get Me -Pink 111930 In My Eyes -Mine. 111940 Gotta Get Through D Bedingteld The A Team On The Move -Bartheu Because I Got- High Afroman James Bond At Night -Shakedown 111963 Bop Bop Baby -Westlife 111941 Hey Baby (Uhh,Ahh)-DJCto Spiderman This Is Russian Trance • PPK -Pragma Insatiable • Darren Hayes The Good, The Bad S The Ugly You Are Alive - Tiveef 111932 Heartless Theme Heartless Crew 111942 Oops Oh My Quicksilver Different Point Of View -DB Boil Rocky Belissima-DJ " Camels Santos w Da Leader -Nigel and Marvin 111943 True Love Never Dies • Flip And fill Scooby Doo Mil*! CR PIUZC f in a Nokia B310 Be the first to own this futur- istic phone! Ultra modern amecube Win features include: Win PSB Win an X box E150 a .'.' Plus top game Plus a top game It Wap; fm radio and voice facil- PlayStation worth of Game? i one you've been waiting Win the all new Super-console, ities, all packed into an amaz- Plus a top game 11 Choose a dream games forfWin Nintendo's brand new from Microsoft which boasts Comes with a great game. bundle For the Console ing tiny body. Superconsole, which boasts amaz- stunning Graphics, Superb & Memory Card. of your choice! Graphics. Sound and Gameplay. 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