Q1 2007 8 Table of The Punch Line Contents 4 On the Grand Master’s Stage 34 Persona Visits the Wii Line Strider–ARC AnIllustratedCampoutfortheWii 6 Goading ‘n Gouging 42 Christmas Morning at the Ghouls‘nGoblinsseries Leukemia Ward TokyoGameShow2006 12 That Spiky-Haired Lawyer is All Talk PhoenixWright:AceAttorney–NDS 50 A Retrospective Survival Guide to Tokyo Game Show 14 Shinji Mikami and the Lost Art of WithExtra-SpecialBlueDragon Game Design Preview ResidentEvil-PS1;P.N.03,Resident Evil4-NGC;GodHand-PS2 54 You’ve Won a Prize! Deplayability 18 Secrets and Save Points SecretofMana–SNES 56 Knee-Deep in Legend Doom–PC 22 Giving Up the Ghost MetroidII:ReturnofSamus–NGB 58 Killing Dad and Getting it Right ShadowHearts–PS2 25 I Came Wearing a Full Suit of Armour But I Left Wearing 60 The Sound of Horns and Motors Only My Pants Falloutseries Comic 64 The Punch Line 26 Militia II is Machinima RuleofRose-PS2 MilitiaII–AVI 68 Untold Tales of the Arcade 30 Mega Microcosms KillingDragonsHasNever Wariowareseries BeenSoMuchFun! 76 Why Game? Reason#7:WhyNot!? Table Of Contents 1 From the Editor’s Desk Staff Keep On Keeping On Asatrustedfriendsaidtome,“Aslong By Matthew Williamson asyoukeepwritingandcreating,that’s Editor In Chief: Staff Artists: Matthew“ShaperMC”Williamson Mariel“Kinuko”Cartwright allIcareabout.”Andthat’swhatI’lldo, [email protected] [email protected] It’sbeenalittlewhilesinceourlast andwhatI’llhelpotherstodoaswell. Associate Editor: Jonathan“Persona-Sama”Kim issuecameout;Ihopeyouenjoyedthe Butdon’tworryaboutThe Gamer’s Ancil“dessgeega”Anthropy [email protected] anticipation.Timeissomethingstrange, Quarter;wehavebigplans.Wewillbe [email protected] Benjamin“Lestrade”Rivers though.Hasitreallybeenovertwo shiftingfromastrictquarterlysched- Assistant Editor: [email protected] yearsnow?Itgoessofast. uletosomethingmorefree-form,still M.“dhex”O’Connor Contributing Artists: [email protected] Inthepasttwentyninemonths,I aimingtopublishfourissuesayear. TroyBoyle haveattemptedmanythingswiththis Weareworkingtodevelopourwebsite, Managing Editor: MatthewCollier magazineandhavealwaysaimedat andsoonwehopetoseesomeofour “Super”WesEhrlichman ChrisHarback givingthereaderthehighestquality earlierarticlesfinallyinprint. [email protected] JamesHarvey MissusRaroo product.Indoingthis,Isacrificedmuch Themagazinehasbeenagigantic Copy Chief: ofmyfreetime—timewithmywife, undertaking,andtherehavebeenmany Tony“Tablesaw”Delgado Cover Art: [email protected] Benjamin“Lestrade”Rivers timewithmypets,timewithmyfamily, peopleatmysideforthesepastyears [email protected] andeventimewithmygames.Idon’t whoIwouldliketothank.Notjustthe regretasecondofit.Allthefights,all spectacularwritersandeditors,but Editorial Staff: thesleeplessnights(andmornings), theirfamilyandfriendswhoIknow Heather“Faithless”Campbell Contributing Writers: [email protected] JustinBoley evenallthemicrowavedcoffee. havebeenputtothesideonceortwice JonathanKim Butit’salmosttimetomoveon.The forthesakeofTGQ.Yoursacrifice J.R.“Mr.Mechanical”Freeman [email protected] BrendanLee magazinewillcontinue,butIpersonally meansmoretomeandthismagazine RudieOverton amatapointinmylifewhereIhave thanyoumayeverknow. Amandeep“ajutla”Jutla MisterRaroo [email protected] lessandlesstimetodedicatetoit.And Iwouldalsoliketothankthereaders. StevenSchkolne JonathanSimpson soon,I’mgoingtobemakingalarge Manyofyou,fromallovertheworld, Tim“Swimmy”McGowan [email protected] changeinmylife:I’mgoingbackto havebeenwithussinceourfirstissue. school. Thesupportyouhaveshown,inyour Jeremy“ApM”Penner Art Director: [email protected] Unfortunately,thecriticismofgames mailandonourforums,isoutstanding. Benjamin“Lestrade”Rivers hasn’treallyprogressedmuchsince Itmeansalot,notonlytomebutto Sergei“Seryogin”Servianov Page Layout & Design: issueone,eventhoughtheranksof therestoftheGamer’s Quarterteam. [email protected] Ancil“dessgeega”Anthropy Matthew“ShaperMC”Williamson thosecriticalofgameshavegrown. Withoutyouwewouldn’tbewherewe Andrew“Mister”Toups So,I’llbestudyingFilmandEnglishin- arenow. [email protected] Website Design & Layout: “Super”WesEhrlichman stead.Hopefully,intime,Icanreturnto Keepreading,andwe’llkeepwriting Francesco-Alessio“Randorama”Ursini thegamescenemorefullyandhelpex- andcreating. [email protected] pandtheperceptionofgamesfurther. All content © The Gamer’s Quarter 2007. All images and characters are retained by original company holding. 2 The Gamer’s Quarter Issue #8 Staff 3 thatrobotgliderwingsitswaybackinto thenight,Hiryuconfrontsadoped-up Russianstrongman,battlesaswarm ofmosquito-likerobotsontheroofof thecapital,dodgesreflectinglasers inatinyoniondome,andfightsan enormoushammer-and-sickle-wield- On the Grand ingcentipede.Inlaterstageshe’llleap betweenhelicopters,dodgebombs fromabove,battlethemechanicalheart Master’s Stage ofanairshipinzerogravity,andride dinosaursalongthefloorofanAmazo- Strider—ARC (C64, NES, SMS, faltersandisconsumedbyfear.ACold nianjungle. GEN, T16, PS1) Wartonepervades,remindingusthat Thediscourseofgamedesignbor- By Ancil Anthropy thisisa1989gamesetinRussia.When rowsyetanothertermfromthetheater Art By Chris Harback StriderHiryu,instage2,climbsoutof todescribetheseexquisitelychoreo- abooby-trappedwarehouseintothe grapheddramaticmoments:setpieces. Capcom’sStrideropenswithafigure brightlightofaSiberianmountainside, Striderhasmanysuchmomentsand sailingonarobotichang-gliderthrough avictoriousfanfareringsbutisalmost stringsthemtogethersoseamlessly anightlitbysearchlights.Alatticeof immediatelyswallowedbydoubtas thattheydonotfeelstagedatall.At citylightstwinklesinthedistance;in amechanizedbountyhunterswoops onepoint,Hiryufightsaroboticgorilla, theforeground,gold,onion-domed downfromthesky. whichexplodeswhendefeated,setting towersloom,theirnarrowwindows Thestagescontainjustasmuch firetothefloor,forcingHiryutoclimb glowingred.“KazakhstanCCP,”reads detail.Thefirststage,Kazakhstan—a upaventintheceilingleadingtoa astylizedCyrillicsubtitle,“2048.”The once-proudSovietrepublicthathas mountaintop,wherethemechanized figuredismountsontoarooftop,and sincebecomelittlemorethantheseat bountyhunterSolowaits.Athisdeath, theglidercontinuesintothenight fromwhichGrandMasterMeioruleshis Solodetonatesaseriesofexplosives alone. empire—containstherecurringimage onthemountainside,forcingHiryuto Strideristheater. ofaredstarmissingoneofitspoints. sprintdowntheslopeandleaptothe Agreatdealofdetailandcare TheyareemblazonedontheRoman- nextpeak,wherehefindsatowering hasbeenpaidtoeveryelementof columnedStatebuildingsthatHiryu electricalgridtoexplore. thegame.Thecharacters—aweary passesinhisbattleswithgreen-uni- Thefires,theambushes,theexplo- Russianminister,atroupeoftriplet formedRussiansoldierswho,through sionsarethetranslucenthandofthe acrobats,abattleshipcaptainwho thecourseofthestage,areincreasingly developersdirectingyou--who,indeed, dressesinnearpirateregalia(asifto replacedbymechanicalautomatons.At aremerelyplayingoutapart--tothe addromancetohisroleaslittlemore thestage’send,HiryuconfrontsthePo- nextsceneinthescript.Itisaperfor- thanalapdogforaninvaderfromthe litburothathasfaileditspeople,retain- mance.Andeachtimeyouplaythe stars)—havedetailetchedintotheir ingpoweronlyasadeadhuskinthe game,youbetterlearnyourpart.Inthe sprites.Inthebetween-stagedialogue, pocketofanextraterrestrialconqueror. theaterofthegame,itistheaudience eachspeakshisorherownlanguage— ItsapparatchiksattackHiryuwitha whohastheleadrole. Russian,Japanese,English.Their wearyresignation. Striderisabeautifulplay.Itisrife threatsof“TheMaster’s”strengthcarry Thesethingsgivethegameasense withtension,passion,dangeranddra- analmostpleadingtone,onewhich ofdepthandafeelingofhistory—but ma.Anditisallthemorerealbecauseit hintsatexperience.“Youcan’tgoup they’reincidental,apaintedbackdrop. doesnottakeplaceinacutscenemov- againstTheMaster.He’stoostrong.He Aplayrequiresaplayer,andthedrama ie,aparagraphofscripteddialogue,or controlseverything.” iswhatunfoldsuponthestages.The anyelementliftedfromanon-partica- Themusicisalsostrong,settinga narrative,asopposedtothestory,is patorymedium.Thedramathatoccurs moodbothproudandwary;itisby thatwhichtheplayerherselfenacts. onStrider’sstageshastheplayeratthe turnsheroicandbrash,darkandbrood- Thosestagesbristlewithlife.After heartofit. ing.Thereisachimingfuturismwhich 4 The Gamer’s Quarter Issue #8 On the Grand Master’s Stage 5 wearingasuitofarmor;ifhegetshit towaittoplaythegame.WhenIfinally once,thearmorshattersanddisap- did,Ihatedit. pears,andsuddenlyhe’srunning IfIhadtopinpointwhatIthought aroundinhisboxersagain.Butthere’s waswrongwithitthen,I’dsayitwas nothingfunnyabouttheboxer-clad thatSuper Ghouls ’n Ghostsintroduced Arthurtakingablindleapintoanenemy adouble-jump.Eventhoughmany orabottomlesspitandaccidentallydy- platformgameshavedouble-jumping, ing.Thatshitisjustfrustrating;thoughI andthemechanicfeelsprettyridiculous supposetheoddnessofthejuxtaposi- inmostofthem,itreachesakindof Goading ‘n Gouging tionwascompellingenoughtokeepme zenithofunforeseenabsurditywiththis playing,eventhoughthegamebrutally game.Thedouble-jumpallowsArthur crushedmetimeandtimeagain. toadjusthimself,orcorrecthimselfin Ghosts ’n Goblins, Ghouls ’n Ghosts, havedifficultyplayingthesegames. Thisisbecause,whileGhosts midair,usingastrangeanimationthat Super Ghouls ’n Ghosts, Ultimate Theygetfrustrated.Theycurseand ’n Goblinsispainful,maybeeven featuresArthurpumpinghislegsand Ghosts ’n Goblins—ARC, NES, GEN, throwcontrollersatwalls.Theythink