BestBuy_36pages 6/24/03 5:55 PM Page 1 FREE! & ® SUMMER BUYER’SBUYER’S GUIDE The Best Video Games from the 2003 “Electronic“Electronic EntertainmentEntertainment Expo”Expo” Over 50 games previewed! HotHot peripherals!peripherals! Top Picks! PlayStation 2 Greatest Hits! Xbox Platinum! From The Editors of ® BestBuy_36pages 6/24/03 5:55 PM Page 2 BestBuy_36pages 6/24/03 5:55 PM Page 1 BestBuy_36pages 6/24/03 5:55 PM Page 2 ® & The ESRB Ratings Guide The interactive electronic entertainment industry SUMMER BUYER’SBUYER’S GUIDE utilizes a voluntary rating The Best Video Games from the 2003 “Electronic“Electronic EntertainmentEntertainment Expo”Expo” system developed by an independent organization— elcome to Best Buy & GamePro’s Summer the Entertainment Software Buyer’s Guide! Video games have become Rating Board (ESRB)— W so consumers know what big business, and store aisles are packed with to expect before buying more choices than ever before. No longer “just a video or PC game. The following is a quick key to for kids,” video games appeal to all ages and the most common ratings; interests, and this buyer’s guide will steer you for a complete description, check out the ESRB’s toward gaming’s newest stars. website at www.esrb.org Each year, the entire video game industry or call 800/771-3772 for more information. convenes in Los Angeles for a couple days for the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Here, Titles rated companies showcase all the latest and greatest Everyone (E) have content suit- games that will be released throughout the rest able for persons of the year. Unfortunately, this is an industry- ages six and older. These titles will appeal to people only event, but we’ve got you covered. The of many ages and tastes. editors of GamePro magazine, the world’s They may contain minimal largest independent multiplatform gaming magazine, have violence, comic mischief, or crude language. scoured the show floors to give you an insider’s look at the top titles for each game system plus the hottest, most useful peripherals to enhance your gaming experience. Games rated Teen (T) are We hope you’ll use this guide to help you make all your video-game-buying decisions suitable for ages at Best Buy this summer (and influence those who might be buying for you by checking 13 and up. These off boxes on the handy Wish List). For the most up-to-date video-game news, reviews, games could have violent content, strong language, previews, and codes, be sure to pick up GamePro wherever magazines are sold and visit and/or suggestive themes. BestBuy.com and GamePro.com regularly. Game on! Games rated Mature (M) are appropriate for Table of Contents older gamers, generally 17 and up. 4 PlayStation 2 Mature-rated games may contain more in- 12 Xbox tense depictions of vio- 20 GameCube lence, stronger language, and, on rare occasions, 24 Game Boy Advance sexual themes. 30 PS2 and Xbox Bargain Hits The Rating 32 Wish List Pending (RP) icon may appear in early reviews Produced by GamePro—world’s largest of soon-to-be-released independent multiplatform gaming products. Look for the magazine! For up-to-date video-game actual ESRB rating icon on the game’s package, news, reviews, and game codes, visit: check the ESRB’s web- site, or call its toll-free Entire contents copyright 2003 by IDG Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without prior written permission by the publisher is prohibited. The GAMEPRO ® name and logo are phone number for up- Registered Trademarks of International Data Group, Inc. Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, and the 3D “N” logo are Trademarks of Nintendo of America, Inc. PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and the PlayStation logo are Registered Trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The Xbox name and logo are either Trademarks or Registered Trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of dated rating information. their respective owners. All products and the characters contained therein are owned by the respective trademark and copyright owners. GamePro does not claim any copyright in the screen shots herein. Copyright in all screen shots contained within this publication are owned by their respective companies. All materials listed in this guide are subject to change and the publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. Printed in the U.S.A. BestBuy_36pages 6/24/03 5:55 PM Page 3 BestBuy_36pages 6/24/03 5:55 PM Page 4 Be sure to check out GamePro.com for more great video-game coupons redeemable at Best Buy! True Crime: Streets of L.A. Final Fantasy Published by Activision Available September Also on Xbox, GameCube ESRB: MATURE X-2 True Crime: Streets of L.A. Published by Square Enix U.S.A. shoots from the cinematic hip, Available November ESRB: Teen placing gamers in the filmic The time is two years after Titus persona of Nick Kang, a ren- and Yuna went on their fateful egade ex-cop who’s been re- journey in Final Fantasy X; and cruited as a member of the with Sin all taken care of in the Elite Operations Division. last game, Yuna’s dropped the Loose cannon Kang (think a summoning racket and is currently young Chow Fun Fat playing searching for her old blitzball- Martin Riggs) battles Asian playing flame from the last FF and Russian crime organiza- sequel. As a result, the plot’s less tions using martial-arts techniques, RPG-like and more like Yuna and expert marksmanship, and a lead Rikku going on a Thelma and foot to restore law and order in Louise–style road trip across the the City of Angels. world. FFX-2 introduces a number Any time the phrases “mission- of new features to the renowned based driving” and “wasting criminals RPG series, including switchable PLAYSTATION 2 in a huge 3D city” are breathed in job classes like Gunner, Mascot, the same sentence, it’s hard not to Gambler, and even Pop Star, all it!… think of a certain series by Rockstar. accessed using the game’s new But it’s not fair to write off True Dress-Up system. There’s also sim- Crime as “Grand Theft genre”— plified world travel and a return to there’s a branching story structure the active-time battle system from (the outcome of a mission can vary previous Final Fantasy games. the resulting events wildly) as well as a strong RPG-style character- improvement element to let players choose how they progress. Gamers can also learn 10 different martial-arts styles, all of which were motion-captured using professionals. The game will also feature plenty of twin-pistol combat with a flexible targeting system and some cool Max Payne–style slow-motion dodging attacks. The action takes place in a huge, realistically modeled chunk of Los Angeles, roughly 300 come out in 1995? Then again, it in 2004, can have if we we’ll take square miles, from downtown to the beach and system, the PSP, in 2004 honor of the 10th anniversary is being released from LAX to Sunset Boulevard. Big-name Holly- wood talent like Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, and Michael Madsen are among the voice cast. And with three types of gameplay wrapped in a Hong Kong–style package, it certainly sounds like True Crime will feature plenty to, er, woo eager gamers. Sony announced that its handheld Sony of the PlayStation. Um, didn’t that 4 BestBuy_36pages 6/24/03 5:55 PM Page 5 ! BestBuy_36pages 6/24/03 5:55 PM Page 6 Be sure to check out GamePro.com for more great video-game coupons redeemable at Best Buy! Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Gran Turismo 4 The Angel of Darkness Published by Sony Available Winter 2003 ESRB: Everyone Published by Eidos Available now ESRB: Teen Sony is pulling out She’s raided tombs, fought all the stop signs dinosaurs, uncovered hid- for Gran Turismo 4, den conspiracies, and saved promising an even the world, but when Lara’s more exciting ride framed for murder, can she where realism over- save herself? Core and Eidos shadows everything will be asking that question else. Improvements in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: to the game include The Angel of Darkness. advanced A.I. opponents, Billed as “Lara Croft as more refined physics, and you’ve never seen her be- much more detail for each fore,” this new Tomb Raider car. You can now choose promises to be something from over 500 vehicles that newer and darker, wrapped up with the good ol’ range from historical clas- platform-hopping, impossible-gorge-leaping gameplay sics to tomorrow’s concepts, that Lara’s fans have come to crave. And if her two then race on up to 100 PLAYSTATION 2 trademark pistols aren’t courses like the streets of enough, then a new suite New York or the dirt paths of stealth-based moves and of the Grand Canyon. Even a second playable character better, you can now test named Kurtis should help your prized hotrods against out a bit. up to six players online. Resident Evil: Dead Aim Madden NFL 2004 what a tease! Fans of the first Published by Capcom Available now ESRB: MATURE Published by EA Sports Available August Also on Xbox, GameCube, GBA — ESRB: Everyone 3 Resident Evil: Dead Aim takes place aboard Now entering its 14th season, the Madden series is a cruise ship that’s been overrun by a plethora one of the all-time best, and Madden NFL 2004 beefs of monstrous Umbrella creations—zombies, mutant up its already formidable frogs, tyrants, and more.