OPS2 Staff Roll

                                                                    OPS2 Staff Roll

Here I am again, with one final post. What better one to end on, than a credits roll for the core team members from throughout the magazine’s run? It’s in alphabetical order according to surnames, and also includes the issues each team member worked on. I would like to wish a big thank you to all of these people for working on the magazine, as well as all other contributors who worked on it on a less permanent basis.

Cat Channon (2-10)
Tim Clark (22-76)
Graham Dalzell (1-48)
Nathan "Nate Dogg" Ditum (49-52)
Niki Earp (1-14, 27-72)
Nick "Nellis" Ellis (79-94)
Paul "Fitz" Fitzpatrick (1-41)
Michael "Prof Frenchipus" French (50-63)
Mike Goldsmith (1-33)
Simon Green (40-41)
Daniel Griffiths (11-33)
Andy Hartup (69-100)
Claire Howlett (34-41)
Leon Hurley (55-78)
Richard Keith (34-56)
Sarah Kennet (2-7)
Ben Lawrence (1-8)
Adrian Lawton (11-27)
Sean Malyon (35-38, 40, 42)
Sophie Mason (82-98)
Simon "Wednesday" Middleweek (49-82)
Mark Mitchell (83-100)
Dean Mortlock (39, 41-42)
Nick Moyle (1-33)
Stephen Pierce (33-64)
Kim Richards (85-100)
Sam Richards (1-33)
"Gentle" Ben Richardson (44-66)
Jamie Sefton (1-14)
Mike Sterry (84-97)
John Strike (83-92)
"Gorgeous" George Walter (1-81)
"Gangsta" Al Wardle (74-78)
Louise "Lou" Wells (1-6, 12-40)
Iain White (7-10)
Ben "Babus" Wilson (67-80)
Helen "Hels" Woodey/Prior (18-78)
Mark Wyatt (23-43)

I found while putting this together that there were four distinct team eras: 2000-2001, which had the starting team; 2002-2003, which retained half of the original team, and half newcomers; 2004-2006, which retained the newcomers half of the 2002-2003 team and George Walter, and half newcomers again; and finally 2007-2008, which was almost entirely new, with Andy Hartup being the only remaining team member from the previous iteration.

Other fun facts: George Walter was the longest serving team member, working on the magazine for 6 years. Niki Earp and Helen Woodey are tied for second place with 4 and a half years each (Helen did it in one period, while Niki took a year break after her first year, before returning to do the rest). Tim Clark is in third place. He was on the team for four years, and was editor for a year and a half of that time.

Demo Contents

                                                                    Demo Contents

Tomb Raider: Legend – 9 (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 81, 82, 85, 100)

Juiced – 6 (58, 59, 63, 83, 89, 98)
Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast – 6 (72, 73, 75, 81, 94, 98)
Black – 6 (69, 72, 76, 81, 94, 99)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – 6 (57, 58, 76, 87, 94, 100)
Okami – 6 (81, 82, 89, 93, 97, 100)

Singstar Rocks! – 5 (74, 75, 76, 82, 94)
Jak 3 – 5 (53, 58, 75, 81, 95)
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King – 5 (71, 73, 75, 81, 95)
Sonic Riders – 5 (72, 73, 75, 82, 96)
Ico – 5 (19, 35, 69, 84, 96)
Bionicle Heroes – 5 (77, 78, 79, 96, 97)
Mashed – 5 (48, 49, 55, 84, 98)
Killzone – 5 (52, 55, 59, 91, 99)
24 – 5 (69, 72, 86, 95, 99)

Wipeout Fusion – 4 (14, 16, 17, 34)
FIFA Street 2 – 4 (71, 73, 75, 82)
Fight Night Round 3 – 4 (71, 74, 81, 82)
World Rally Championship 4 – 4 (53, 58, 83, 88)
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy – 4 (76, 77, 79, 94)
Ratchet: Gladiator – 4 (66, 75, 86, 95)
Tomb Raider: Anniversary – 4 (90, 91, 93, 96)
We Heart Katamari – 4 (70, 72, 81, 97)
The Simpsons Hit and Run – 4 (41, 83, 91, 97)
Crash of the Titans – 4 (90, 91, 94, 97)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – 4 (93, 94, 95, 97)
Micro Machines V4 – 4 (73, 74, 75, 98)
TOCA Race Driver 3 – 4 (68, 72, 81, 98)
Moto GP 3 – 4 (33, 56, 90, 98)
Need for Speed Carbon – 4 (77, 78, 94, 98)
Final Fantasy X – 4 (20, 36, 89, 100)
Rogue Galaxy – 4 (89, 90, 93, 100)
Timesplitters 2 – 4 (25, 31, 99, 100)

Moto GP – 3 (4, 8, 20)
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy – 3 (15, 24, 35)
Zone of the Enders – 3 (6, 32, 36)
Dynasty Warriors 3 – 3 (18, 33, 37)
Ratchet and Clank – 3 (26, 35, 37)
World Rally Championship 2 Extreme – 3 (27, 33, 37)
Ape Escape 2 – 3 (29, 32, 37)
Splinter Cell – 3 (31, 32, 37)
Pro Evolution Soccer 4 – 3 (52, 55, 61)
Driver: Parallel Lines – 3 (70, 72, 74)
Hitman: Blood Money – 3 (72, 73, 75)
B-Boy – 3 (75, 76, 77)
Lego Star Wars – 3 (59, 62, 79)
Pro Evolution Soccer 6 – 3 (79, 80, 82)
FIFA 2007 – 3 (79, 81, 82)
God of War – 3 (62, 63, 84)
Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution – 3 (34, 80, 84)
Primal – 3 (30, 33, 85)
Transformers – 3 (46, 56, 85)
Fahrenheit – 3 (64, 69, 86)
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin – 3 (26, 35, 87)
Destroy All Humans 2 – 3 (78, 79, 87)
Forbidden Siren 2 – 3 (74, 76, 89)
Project Eden – 3 (15, 33, 90)
Yakuza – 3 (76, 77, 90)
Beyond Good and Evil – 3 (39, 85, 91)
Freedom Fighters – 3 (38, 89, 91)
Soul Calibur 2 – 3 (38, 42, 92)
Ratchet and Clank 3 – 3 (51, 58, 92)
Destroy All Humans! – 3 (61, 62, 92)
Everybody’s Tennis – 3 (84, 86, 93)
God of War II – 3 (85, 87, 93)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – 3 (39, 56, 95)
Rise to Honour – 3 (46, 84, 95)
Rocky Legends – 3 (52, 83, 96)
From Russia with Love – 3 (67, 86, 96)
The Incredibles – 3 (53, 89, 96)
Dark Cloud – 3 (14, 86, 97)
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit – 3 (65, 91, 97)
Arthur and the Invisibles – 3 (81, 96, 97)
Formula One 2006 – 3 (76, 77, 98)
Ferrari F355 Challenge – 3 (26, 83, 98)
Stuntman Ignition – 3 (91, 93, 98)
Conflict: Desert Storm – 3 (24, 33, 99)
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 – 3 (60, 62, 99)
Second Sight – 3 (50, 86, 99)
Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm – 3 (41, 87, 99)
Rez – 3 (17, 91, 99)
Return to Castle Wolfenstein – 3 (37, 92, 99)
Shadow of the Colossus – 3 (69, 96, 100)
Burnout Revenge – 3 (64, 98, 100)

ISS – 2 (1, 4)
Wild Wild Racing – 2 (1, 4)
Dynasty Warriors 2 – 2 (3, 4)
NHL 2001 – 2 (3, 4)
Lotus Challenge – 2 (11, 15)
Dropship: United Peace Force – 2 (15, 16)
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 – 2 (12, 17)
Dead or Alive 2 – 2 (6, 19)
Formula One 2001 – 2 (9, 19)
This is Football 2002 – 2 (12, 21)
MTV Music Generator 2 – 2 (8, 22)
Time Crisis 2 – 2 (13, 22)
World Rally Championship – 2 (14, 24)
WWF Smackdown! Just Bring It! – 2 (14, 25)
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex – 2 (17, 26)
Spyhunter – 2 (12, 32)
Silent Hill 2 – 2 (14, 32)
Herdy Gerdy – 2 (18, 33)
Airblade – 2 (14, 34)
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance – 2 (14, 34)
Burnout 2: Point of Impact – 2 (26, 34)
Twisted Metal: Black – 2 (16, 35)
WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth – 2 (30, 35)
Headhunter – 2 (16, 36)
This is Football 2003 – 2 (25, 36)
Tekken 4 – 2 (26, 36)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 – 2 (30, 36)
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – 2 (17, 37)
Alter Echo – 2 (35, 37)
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs – 2 (35, 42)
Starsky and Hutch – 2 (36, 42)
007: Everything or Nothing – 2 (40, 44)
Arc: Twilight of the Spirits – 2 (43, 46)
World War Zero: Ironstorm – 2 (39, 47)
This is Football 2004 – 2 (45, 48)
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow – 2 (49, 55)
Burnout 3: Takedown – 2 (50, 55)
Frenz-E – 2 (54, 55)
Athens 2004 – 2 (48, 56)
Ace Combat: Squadron Leader – 2 (56, 57)
The Getaway: Black Monday – 2 (54, 58)
Full Spectrum Warrior – 2 (57, 59)
Area 51 – 2 (58, 62)
Fight Night Round 2 – 2 (59, 62)
Tekken 5 – 2 (61, 63)
Sensible Soccer – 2 (73, 74)
FIFA 2006 – 2 (66, 76)
The Sims 2 – 2 (66, 78)
Lemmings – 2 (77, 78)
Made Man – 2 (78, 79)
Silent Hill 3 – 2 (34, 80)
Final Fantasy X2 – 2 (45, 80)
LMA Manager 2007 – 2 (79, 80)
Rugby 2006 – 2 (71, 82)
Suikoden Tactics – 2 (71, 82)
Eyetoy Play Sports – 2 (74, 82)
Stuntman – 2 (23, 83)
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2 – 2 (24, 83)
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – 2 (38, 83)
Kill.Switch – 2 (44, 83)
Formula One 2004 – 2 (49, 83)
Dancing Stage Fusion – 2 (54, 83)
Maximo VS Army of Zin – 2 (43, 84)
Soul Calibur III – 2 (65, 84)
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness – 2 (70, 84)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds – 2 (41, 85)
Cy Girls – 2 (46, 85)
Alias – 2 (47, 85)
Mercenaries – 2 (55, 85)
Enthusia Professional Racing – 2 (59, 86)
Crash Tag Team Racing – 2 (64, 86)
Everybody’s Golf – 2 (64, 86)
Reign of Fire – 2 (27, 87)
War of the Monsters – 2 (31, 87)
Dog’s Life – 2 (40, 87)
Ford Racing 2 – 2 (43, 87)
Buzz Junior: Jungle Party – 2 (79, 87)
Project Zero – 2 (23, 88)
Micro Machines – 2 (26, 88)
V Rally 3 – 2 (28, 88)
Ghosthunter – 2 (40, 88)
Worms 3D – 2 (43, 88)
Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon – 2 (45, 88)
Sly 2: Band of Thieves – 2 (52, 88)
Finding Nemo – 2 (38, 89)
Firefighter FD18 – 2 (45, 89)
Obscure 2 – 2 (87, 89)
Crash Nitro Kart – 2 (44, 90)
Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain – 2 (48, 90)
Spartan: Total Warrior – 2 (66, 90)
Shrek Super Slam – 2 (66, 90)
Amplitude – 2 (38, 91)
Space Channel 5 2 – 2 (30, 92)
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven – 2 (32, 92)
Whiplash – 2 (44, 92)
Need for Speed Most Wanted – 2 (65, 92)
Heatseeker – 2 (83, 93)
Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 – 2 (84, 93)
FIFA 2008 – 2 (92, 93)
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe – 2 (92, 93)
Timesplitters: Future Perfect – 2 (56, 94)
Lumines Plus – 2 (87, 94)
Spyro: A Hero’s Tail – 2 (51, 95)
Sega Superstars – 2 (53, 95)
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood – 2 (65, 95)
Hulk – 2 (41, 96)
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within – 2 (54, 96)
Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil – 2 (13, 97)
Tak and the Power of Juju – 2 (42, 97)
The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer – 2 (67, 97)
WRC Rally Evolved – 2 (65, 98)
Medal of Honor: Frontline – 2 (21, 99)
Metal Slug 3 – 2 (56, 99)
Rainbow Six: Lockdown – 2 (65, 99)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 – 2 (92, 100)

Tekken Tag Tournament – 1 (2)
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec – 1 (5)
Star Wars: Starfighter – 1 (7)
Sky Odyssey – 1 (7)
Warriors of Might and Magic – 1 (7)
Rugby – 1 (9)
Wacky Races – 1 (9)
Le Mans 24 Hours – 1 (10)
Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing – 1 (10)
Gauntlet: Dark Legacy – 1 (10)
World Championship Snooker 2002 – 1 (11)
MX Rider – 1 (12)
Portal Runner – 1 (12)
NBA Street – 1 (13)
Rayman M – 1 (13)
Silent Scope 2 – 1 (13)
MX 2002 – 1 (13)
Driven – 1 (13)
Tarzan Freeride – 1 (14)
Burnout – 1 (15)
F1 2001 – 1 (15)
Extreme G3 – 1 (15)
Thunderhawk: Operation Phoenix – 1 (15)
Global Touring Challenge: Africa – 1 (15)
Top Gun: Combat Zones – 1 (15)
ESPN X Games Skateboarding – 1 (15)
G Surfers – 1 (15)
Pro Evolution Soccer – 1 (16)
FIFA 2002 – 1 (16)
Ace Combat: Distant Thunder – 1 (16)
Moto GP 2 – 1 (16)
Shaun Palmer’s Pro Snowboarder – 1 (16)
Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future – 1 (16)
Parappa the Rapper 2 – 1 (17)
Robot Wars: Arenas of Destruction – 1 (17)
Half Life – 1 (18)
Maximo – 1 (18)
Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates – 1 (18)
Godai: Elemental Force – 1 (18)
Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing – 1 (19)
Vampire Night – 1 (19)
Rally Championship – 1 (20)
Space Race – 1 (20)
Taz Wanted – 1 (20)
Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament – 1 (21)
Red Card – 1 (21)
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter – 1 (21)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002 – 1 (21)
Frequency – 1 (21)
Super Trucks – 1 (21)
Peter Pan: Return to Neverland – 1 (21)
F1 2002 – 1 (22)
Britney’s Dance Beat – 1 (22)
2002 FIFA World Cup – 1 (22)
Gitaroo Man – 1 (22)
Men in Black 2: Alien Escape – 1 (23)
Fireblade – 1 (23)
Army Men RTS – 1 (23)
TOCA Race Driver – 1 (24)
Downforce – 1 (24)
Aggressive Inline – 1 (24)
Ninja Assault – 1 (25)
Stitch: Experiment 626 – 1 (25)
X-Men: Next Dimension – 1 (25)
Red Faction 2 – 1 (26)
Superman: Shadow of Apokalips – 1 (26)
Summoner 2 – 1 (26)
Colin McRae Rally 3 – 1 (27)
Alpine Racer 3 – 1 (27)
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger – 1 (27)
Haven: Call of the King – 1 (27)
Twin Caliber – 1 (27)
The Getaway – 1 (28)
Battle Engine Aquila – 1 (28)
Treasure Planet – 1 (28)
MX Superfly – 1 (28)
FIFA 2003 – 1 (29)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2 – 1 (29)
Rocky – 1 (29)
Formula One 2002 – 1 (29)
Eggo Mania – 1 (29)
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance – 1 (30)
Sly Cooper – 1 (30)
NBA Live 2003 – 1 (30)
ATV 2 Quad Power Racing – 1 (30)
Crashed – 1 (30)
Ghost Recon – 1 (30)
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc – 1 (31)
Dr. Muto – 1 (31)
The Mark of Kri – 1 (31)
Zapper – 1 (31)
Wakeboarding Unleashed – 1 (31)
Grand Prix Challenge – 1 (31)
Vexx – 1 (32)
Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation VS Zeon – 1 (32)
Dakar 2 – 1 (32)
The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian – 1 (32)
Shinobi – 1 (33)
Pride FC – 1 (33)
Evolution Skateboarding – 1 (33)
Def Jam Vendetta – 1 (34)
Rygar: The Legendary Adventure – 1 (34)
Gunfighter 2: The Revenge of Jesse James – 1 (35)
Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter – 1 (36)
Futurama – 1 (36)
The Great Escape – 1 (37)
Die Hard: Vendetta – 1 (37)
Splashdown 2: Rides Gone Wild – 1 (37)
Colin McRae Rally 4 – 1 (38)
True Crime: Streets of LA – 1 (38)
Summer Heat Beach Volleyball – 1 (38)
Chaos Legion – 1 (38)
Perfect Ace Pro Tennis Tournament – 1 (38)
Rugby 2004 – 1 (38)
Formula One 2003 – 1 (38)
Warhammer 40k: Fire Warrior – 1 (38)
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy – 1 (38)
Jak 2: Renegade – (39)
Conflict: Desert Storm 2 – 1 (39)
Judge Dredd: Dredd VS Death – 1 (39)
My Street – 1 (39)
The Italian Job: LA Heist – 1 (39)
Freestyle Metal X – 1 (39)
Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure – 1 (39)
Rolling – 1 (39)
Ratchet and Clank 2: Locked and Loaded – 1 (40)
Time Crisis 3 – 1 (40)
Destruction Derby Arenas – 1 (40)
Gladius – 1 (40)
Wallace and Gromit: Project Zoo – 1 (40)
Need for Speed Underground – 1 (40)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 – 1 (40)
Freaky Flyers – 1 (40)
Pro Evolution Soccer 3 – 1 (41)
NHL Hitz Pro – 1 (41)
Dancing Stage Fever – 1 (41)
Kao the Kangaroo: Round 2 – 1 (41)
Jimmy Neutron: Jet Fusion – 1 (41)
Scooby Doo: Mystery Mayhem – 1 (41)
Super Farm – 1 (41)
XIII – 1 (42)
World Rally Championship 3 – 1 (42)
FIFA 2004 – 1 (42)
Pop Idol – 1 (42)
Grooverider: Slot Car Racing – 1 (42)
R-Type Final – 1 (42)
SSX 3 – 1 (43)
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence – 1 (43)
I-Ninja – 1 (43)
Metal Arms: Glitch in the System – 1 (43)
Rogue Ops – 1 (43)
Rainbow Six 3 – 1 (44)
Downhill Domination – 1 (44)
Urban Freestyle Soccer – 1 (44)
Nightshade – 1 (44)
SOCOM 2: US Navy SEALs – 1 (45)
R: Racing Evolution – 1 (45)
Forbidden Siren – 1 (45)
Kya: Dark Lineage – 1 (45)
NFL Street – 1 (46)
Fight Night 2004 – 1 (46)
MX Unleashed – 1 (46)
Sonic Heroes – 1 (46)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – 1 (46)
Richard Burns Rally – 1 (46)
Champions of Norrath – 1 (47)
Deadly Skies 3 – 1 (47)
Pool Paradise – 1 (47)
Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde – 1 (47)
Mega Man X7 – 1 (47)
MTV Music Generator 3 – 1 (48)
Serious Sam: Next Encounter – 1 (48)
Hitman: Contracts – 1 (49)
Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 – 1 (49)
Silent Hill 4: The Room – 1 (50)
Star Wars Battlefront – 1 (50)
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy – 1 (50)
Crash Twinsanity – 1 (50)
Van Helsing – 1 (50)
Ribbit King – 1 (50)
Colin McRae Rally 2005 – 1 (51)
DJ: Decks and FX – 1 (51)
Crisis Zone – 1 (51)
Obscure – 1 (52)
Need for Speed Underground 2 – 1 (53)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 – 1 (53)
TOCA Race Driver 2 – 1 (53)
This is Football 2005 – 1 (53)
Driv3r – 1 (53)
Jackie Chan Adventures – 1 (53)
Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone – 1 (54)
Eyetoy Play 2 – 1 (54)
Rumble Roses – 1 (55)
Nanobreaker – 1 (56)
Eyetoy Chat – 1 (56)
Death by Degrees – 1 (57)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus – 1 (57)
Mega Man X8 – 1 (57)
Legend of Kay – 1 (57)
King of Fighters: Maximum Impact – 1 (57)
Eyetoy Antigrav – 1 (58)
Cold Winter – 1 (58)
Constantine – 1 (58)
The Spongebob Squarepants Movie – 1 (59)
Rugby 2005 – 1 (59)
SRS: Street Racing Syndicate – 1 (60)
Singstar Popworld – 1 (60)
Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer – 1 (60)
CT Special Forces: Fire for Effect – 1 (60)
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe – 1 (60)
Stolen – 1 (60)
Robots – 1 (60)
Ys: The Ark of Napishtim – 1 (61)
Worms 4: Mayhem – 1 (61)
Formula One 2005 – 1 (62)
Madagascar – 1 (62)
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction – 1 (63)
187 Ride or Die – 1 (63)
Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 – 1 (63)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006 – 1 (63)
Musashi Samurai Legend – 1 (63)
Conflict: Global Storm – 1 (64)
SLAI: Steel Lancer Arena International – 1 (64)
Wild Water Adrenaline – 1 (64)
Pro Evolution Soccer 5 – 1 (65)
Darkwatch – 1 (65)
Delta Force: Black Hawk Down – 1 (65)
NHL 2006 – 1 (65)
Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance – 1 (65)
King Kong – 1 (66)
Genji – 1 (66)
Evil Dead: Regeneration – 1 (66)
LA Rush – 1 (66)
Asterix and Obelix XXL 2 – 1 (66)
Dancing Stage Max – 1 (66)
Sly 3: Honour Among Thieves – 1 (66)
Spytoy – 1 (66)
The Matrix: Path of Neo – 1 (67)
Singstar 80s – 1 (67)
Jak X – 1 (67)
Without Warning – 1 (67)
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat – 1 (68)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – 1 (68)
Urban Reign – 1 (68)
Pilot Down: Behind Enemy Lines – 1 (68)
Commandos Strike Force – 1 (70)
Drakengard 2 – 1 (70)
The Sword of Etheria – 1 (70)
Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure – 1 (71)
Super Monkey Ball Adventure – 1 (73)
Ape Escape 3 – 1 (73)
Earache Extreme Metal Racing – 1 (74)
Shinobido: Way of the Ninja – 1 (76)
Ace Combat: The Belkan War – 1 (77)
Prostroke Golf World Tour 2007 – 1 (77)
Eragon – 1 (80)
UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 – 1 (85)
King of Clubs – 1 (88)
Viewtiful Joe 2 – 1 (88)
PDC World Championship Darts 2008 – 1 (93)
Asterix at the Olympic Games – 1 (94)
High School Musical: Sing It! – 1 (95)

Trivia
* Issue 38 has the most exclusive demos, with 9.
* 25 discs have no exclusive demos.
* Tomb Raider: Legend has the longest appearance streak, appearing on 5 consecutive discs.
* Klonoa 2 has the biggest gap between appearances, with 84 issues.

Score Breakdown

                                                                    Score Breakdown

10/10 – 17 (First – Metal Gear Solid 2, Issue 17) (Last – Persona 3, Issue 95)
9/10 – 103 (First – Timesplitters, Issue 1) (Last – UEFA Euro 2008, Issue 98)
8/10 – 254 (First – Tekken Tag Tournament, Issue 1) (Last – Lego Indiana Jones, Issue 100)
7/10 – 331 (First – Ridge Racer V, Issue 1) (Last – SBK-08 Superbike World Championship, Issue 100)
6/10 – 299 (First – ESPN X-Games Winter Snowboarding, Issue 1) (Last – Buzz! The Pop Quiz, Issue 97)
5/10 – 212 (First – TG Daredevil, Issue 2) (Last – Doctor Who Top Trumps, Issue 99)
4/10 – 160 (First – Orphen: Scion of Sorcery, Issue 1) (Last – El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Riviera, Issue 97)
3/10 – 111 (First – Swing Away Golf, Issue 2) (Last – Ultimate Board Game Collection, Issue 99)
2/10 – 62 (First – Gradius III and IV, Issue 1) (Last – Realplay Puzzlesphere, Issue 94)
1/10 – 18 (First – Dragon’s Lair 2: Timewarp, Issue 3) (Last – Torrente 3: El Protector, Issue 93)
0/10 – 2 (First – Hologram Time Traveller, Issue 3) (Last – 21 Card Games, Issue 76)

Total PS2 Games Reviewed - 1569

The OPS2 Hot 295 of Fame

                                                                The OPS2 Hot 295* of Fame

* I hope I counted correctly.
This is a full list of all the games that were in the Hot 100 or Hall of Fame, along with which issues they were on the list for.

Ace Combat: Squadron Leader (57 – 100)
Airblade (40, 42 – 47)
Alien Hominid (60 – 67)
Amplitude (41, 60 – 100)
Ape Escape 2 (40 – 43)
Area 51 (61 – 89)
Armored Core 3 (40 – 58)
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance (40)
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (66 – 100)
Beyond Good and Evil (41 – 100)
Black (70 – 100)
Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 (63 – 81)
Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon (45 – 64)
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 (60 – 100)
Burnout 2: Point of Impact (40 – 51)
Burnout 3: Takedown (52 – 64)
Burnout Revenge (65 – 100)
Burnout Dominator (84 – 100)
Buzz: The Big Quiz (72 – 84)
Buzz: The Mega Quiz (85 – 100)
Call of Duty: Finest Hour (56 – 67)
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (68 – 81)
Call of Duty 3 (83 – 100)
Canis Canem Edit (80 – 100)
Capcom VS SNK 2 (40 – 58)
Chaos Legion (40 – 52)
Cold Fear (60 – 64)
Cold Winter (60 – 69)
Colin McRae Rally 3 (40)
Colin McRae Rally 4 (41 – 51)
Colin McRae Rally 2005 (52 – 100)
Commandos 2: Men of Courage (40 – 58)
Conflict Desert Storm 2 (40 – 64)
Conflict Global Storm (65 – 72)
Crazy Taxi (40 – 45)
Cricket 2005 (62)
Cricket 2007 (83 – 97)
Dancing Stage Megamix (40 – 67)
Dark Chronicle (40 – 58, 90 – 100)
Darkwatch (66 – 75)
Dead or Alive 2 (40 – 66)
Def Jam: Fight for New York (53 – 71)
Destroy All Humans! (62 – 78)
Destroy All Humans 2 (79 – 100)
Deus Ex (40 – 69, 90 – 100)
Devil May Cry (40 – 58)
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening (60 – 89)
Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition (90 – 100)
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (90 – 100)
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (72 – 100)
Dropship: United Peace Force (40)
Dynasty Warriors 4 (40 – 43)
Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends (44 – 71)
Enter the Matrix (40 – 49)
Enthusia Professional Racing (60 – 67)
ESPN NHL 2K5 (58 – 79)
Everquest Online Adventures (40 – 58)
Everybody’s Golf (66 – 100)
Everybody’s Tennis (86 – 89)
Extermination (40)
Eyetoy Play (40 – 53)
Eyetoy Play 2 (54 – 100)
Eyetoy Antigrav (60 – 83)
Fahrenheit (65 – 100)
FIFA 2004 (41 – 52)
FIFA 2005 (53 – 73)
FIFA World Cup 2006 (74 – 77)
FIFA 2007 (78 – 91)
FIFA 2008 (92 – 100)
50 Cent: Bulletproof (68 – 71)
Fight Night Round 3 (72 – 100)
Final Fantasy X (40 – 43)
Final Fantasy X2 (44 – 81)
Final Fantasy XII (83 – 100)
Forbidden Siren (45 – 65)
Freedom Fighters (40 – 100)
Frequency (40 – 67)
Full Spectrum Warrior (60 – 72)
Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers (73 – 100)
Ghosthunter (41 – 44)
Gitaroo Man (40 – 65)
God of War (61 – 100)
God of War 2 (84 – 100)
Grand Theft Auto 3 (40 – 41)
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (40 – 41, 90 – 100)
Grand Theft Auto Double Pack (42 – 89)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (55 – 100)
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (76 – 84)
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (85 – 89)
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (40 – 66)
Gran Turismo 4 (58 – 100)
Guitar Hero (72 – 81)
Guitar Hero 2 (83 – 93)
Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock (94 – 100)
Gun (68 – 100)
Half Life (40 – 60)
Hardware Online Arena (40)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (88 – 100)
Haven: Call of the King (40 – 47)
Headhunter (40 – 52)
Herdy Gerdy (40 – 57)
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (40 – 46)
Hitman Contracts (47 – 73)
Hitman: Blood Money (74 – 89)
Hitman Triple Pack (90 – 100)
Ico (40 – 100)
Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb (40)
I-Ninja (44 – 57)
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (40 – 66)
Jak 2: Renegade (40 – 58)
Jak 3 (60 – 100)
James Bond: Agent Under Fire (40 – 43)
James Bond: Everything or Nothing (44 – 78)
James Bond: From Russia With Love (67 – 100)
Juiced (60 – 66)
Just Cause (78 – 100)
Kessen 2 (40)
Kill.Switch (44 – 65)
Killer 7 (62 – 100)
Killzone (52 – 81, 90 – 100)
Kingdom Hearts (40 – 78)
Kingdom Hearts II (79 – 100)
King Kong (67 – 89)
Legacy of Kain: Defiance (42 – 65)
Lego Star Wars (60 – 77)
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (78 – 100)
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (40)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (41 – 77)
Madden NFL 2004 (40 – 52)
Madden NFL 2005 (53 – 64)
Madden NFL 2006 (65 – 77)
Madden NFL 2007 (78 – 90)
Madden NFL 2008 (91 – 100)
Manhunt (43 – 100)
Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (70 – 87)
Mashed (49 – 100)
Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX 2 (40 – 46)
Maximo (40 – 43)
Maximo VS Army of Zin (44 – 71)
Max Payne (40 – 61)
Medal of Honor: Frontline (40 – 57)
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun (40 – 55)
Mercenaries (56 – 100)
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (40 – 89)
Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance (90 – 100)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (58 – 78)
Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence (79 – 100)
Midnight Club 2 (40 – 58)
Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition (60 – 73)
Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition Remix (74 – 100)
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (40 – 58)
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (66 – 95)
Moto GP 3 (40 – 60)
Moto GP 4 (61 – 91)
Moto GP 2007 (92 – 95)
Music 3000 (40 – 100)
MX VS ATV Unleashed (60 – 65)
NBA Ballers (51 – 68)
NBA Street 2 (40 – 50)
NBA Street 3 (60 – 79)
NBA 2K7 (80 – 100)
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2 (40 – 41)
Need for Speed Underground (42 – 53)
Need for Speed Underground 2 (54 – 79)
Need for Speed Most Wanted (68 – 81)
Need for Speed Carbon (80 – 100)
NFL Street 2 (57 – 69)
NHL 2003 (40)
NHL 2004 (41 – 56)
NHL 2007 (80 – 86)
Obscure (53 – 71)
Odin Sphere (98 – 100)
Okami (83 – 100)
Onimusha 2 (40 – 48)
Onimusha 3 (49 – 100)
Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast (71 – 89)
Parappa the Rapper 2 (40 – 58)
Persona 3 (96 – 100)
Primal (40 – 54)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (41 – 56, 90 – 95)
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (55 – 67, 96 – 100)
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (68 – 89)
Prisoner of War (40 – 43)
Pro Evolution Soccer 3 (40 – 52)
Pro Evolution Soccer 4 (53 – 64)
Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (65 – 79)
Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (80 – 92)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (93 – 100)
Project Snowblind (58 – 65)
Project Zero (40 – 89)
Project Zero 2: Crimson Butterfly (90 – 100)
Psychonauts (66 – 69, 90 – 100)
Quake 3: Revolution (90 – 100)
Rainbow Six 3 (46 – 89)
Ratchet and Clank (40, 90 – 100)
Ratchet and Clank 2: Locked and Loaded (41 – 53)
Ratchet and Clank 3 (54 – 100)
Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters (98 – 100)
Rayman Revolution (40 – 44)
Red Dead Revolver (48 – 100)
Red Faction 2 (40 – 55)
Resident Evil: Code Veronica X (40 – 58)
Resident Evil 4 (66 – 100)
Rez (40 – 51, 60 – 100)
Rocky (40 – 65)
Rogue Galaxy (87 – 100)
Scarface: The World is Yours (79 – 100)
Second Sight (51 – 100)
Shadow of Rome (57 – 64, 68 – 100)
Shadow of the Colossus (69 – 100)
Shellshock: Nam 67 (50 – 58)
Silent Hill 3 (40 – 89)
Silent Hill Collection (90 – 100)
Singstar (47 – 58)
Singstar Popworld (60 – 72)
Singstar Rocks! (73 – 100)
Sly Cooper (40 – 42)
Sly 3: Honour Among Thieves (67 – 100)
Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament (40 – 47)
Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 (48 – 85)
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs (40 – 43)
SOCOM 2: US Navy SEALs (44 – 100)
Sonic Heroes (45 – 65)
Soul Calibur 2 (40 – 66)
Soul Calibur 3 (67 – 100)
Spartan: Total Warrior (65 – 100)
Spider-Man (40 – 49)
Spider-Man 2 (50 – 79, 90 – 100)
Splinter Cell (40 – 57)
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (58)
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (60 – 81)
Splinter Cell: Double Agent (83 – 100)
SSX Tricky (40)
SSX 3 (41 – 100)
Starsky and Hutch (40 – 61)
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter (40 – 56)
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (67 – 100)
State of Emergency (40 – 44)
Stuntman (40 – 57)
SWAT: Global Strike Team (41 – 57)
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe (60 – 100)
Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain (48 – 58)
Tekken 4 (40 – 58)
Tekken 5 (62 – 100)
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (40 – 57)
The Getaway (40 – 53)
The Getaway: Black Monday (54 – 58)
The Great Escape (40 – 50)
The Mark of Kri (40 – 61)
The Sims (40 – 41)
The Sims: Bustin’ Out (42 – 58)
The Sims 2 (83 – 92)
The Sims 2 Castaway (93 – 100)
The Suffering: Ties That Bind (65 – 89)
The Thing (40 – 67, 90 – 100)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 (40)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 (41 – 51)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 (52 – 65)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006 (66 – 89)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 (90 – 100)
Time Crisis 2 (40 – 54)
Timsplitters 2 (40 – 100)
Timesplitters: Future Perfect (58 – 89)
TOCA Race Driver (40 – 52)
TOCA Race Driver 2 (53 – 69)
TOCA Race Driver 3 (70 – 100)
Tomb Raider: Legend (72 – 85, 90 – 100)
Tomb Raider: Anniversary (86 – 100)
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 (40)
Tony Hawk’s Underground (41 – 53, 90 – 100)
Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 (54 – 66)
Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland (67 – 83)
Total Overdose (66 – 89)
True Crime: New York City (68 – 70)
24 (70 – 89)
Urban Chaos: Riot Response (73 – 89)
Viewtiful Joe (53 – 60, 90 – 100)
Viewtiful Joe 2 (58 – 89)
Virtua Fighter 4 (40 – 65)
Virtua Tennis 2 (40 – 61)
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (66 – 100)
War of the Monsters (40 – 58)
We Heart Katamari (70 – 100)
Wipeout Fusion (40 – 48)
World Rally Championship 2 Extreme (40)
World Rally Championship 3 (41 – 53)
WRC 4 (54 – 66)
WRC: Rally Evolved (66 – 100)
Worms: Forts Under Siege (96 – 97)
WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth (40 – 41)
WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain (42 – 52)
WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2006 (67 – 100)
XIII (41 – 100)
Zone of the Enders (40)
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (41 – 100)

Trivia
* 14 games managed two separate periods on the list.
* 4 games were on the list from beginning to end. (Freedom Fighters, Ico, Music 3000 and Timesplitters 2)
* 16 games were on the list for only one issue. 2 of these (Cricket 2005 and Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow) were not added in Issue 40.
* 3 games were on the list for one issue, but returned for a second period later on. (Airblade, Amplitude and Ratchet and Clank)
* Grand Theft Auto and Ratchet and Clank are tied for most games on the list concurrently, with 3 each. GTA managed this feat from Issues 76-89, and Ratchet and Clank managed it for Issues 98-100.
* Grand Theft Auto also has the record for most individual games on the list, with a total of 6.

Cover Count

                                                                    Cover Count

This is a list of all the franchises that made the cover of the magazine, in descending order of appearances. Issues with variant covers are only counted once, the back covers of issues 78 and 79 also count. 71 franchises appeared on the cover, 14 of which appeared more than once.

WWE – 7 (13, 26, 50, 62, 72, 79 Back, 88)
Grand Theft Auto – 5 (3, 27, 48, 61, 67)
The Getaway – 4 (5, 28, 42, 53)
Metal Gear Solid – 4 (2, 17, 57, 73)
Tomb Raider – 4 (35, 68, 71, 85)
Star Wars – 3 (6, 45, 59)
Pro Evolution Soccer – 3 (52, 64, 79 Front)
Final Fantasy – 3 (12, 20, 81)
Devil May Cry – 2 (14, 22)
The Matrix – 2 (31, 34)
Splinter Cell – 2 (32, 58)
Resident Evil – 2 (10, 65)
FIFA – 2 (63, 76)
Mercenaries – 2 (55, 84)
Tekken – 1 (1)
Unreal Tournament – 1 (4)
Crazy Taxi – 1 (7)
Red Faction – 1 (8)
Gran Turismo – 1 (9)
Deus Ex – 1 (11)
Jak – 1 (15)
Headhunter – 1 (16)
Herdy Gerdy – 1 (18)
Virtua Fighter – 1 (19)
Spider-Man – 1 (21)
Stuntman – 1 (23)
TOCA Race Driver – 1 (24)
Timesplitters – 1 (25)
Mortal Kombat – 1 (29)
Primal – 1 (30)
Silent Hill – 1 (33)
Tony Hawk – 1 (36)
Soul Calibur – 1 (37)
Colin McRae Rally – 1 (38)
Medal of Honor – 1 (39)
Lord of the Rings – 1 (40)
The Sims – 1 (41)
SOCOM – 1 (43)
Burnout – 1 (44)
Hitman – 1 (46)
Need for Speed – 1 (47)
James Bond – 1 (49)
Killzone – 1 (51)
Batman – 1 (54)
The Godfather – 1 (56)
Black – 1 (60)
King Kong – 1 (66)
24 – 1 (69)
Driver – 1 (70)
Assassin’s Creed – 1 (74)
Call of Duty – 1 (75)
Just Cause – 1 (77)
Scarface – 1 (78 Front)
Kingdom Hearts – 1 (78 Back)
Superman – 1 (80)
Ghost Rider – 1 (82)
God of War – 1 (83)
Transformers – 1 (86)
Harry Potter – 1 (87)
Syphon Filter – 1 (89)
The Simpsons – 1 (90)
Crash Bandicoot – 1 (91)
Sega Superstars – 1 (92)
Ghostbusters – 1 (93)
Alone in the Dark – 1 (94)
Ferrari Challenge – 1 (95)
Spiderwick – 1 (96)
Ratchet and Clank – 1 (97)
Lego – 1 (98)
Hulk – 1 (99)
Sonic – 1 (100)

So that this isn’t entirely a dry list, here’s my Top 5 franchises that never made the cover, and which Issues I would have put them on the cover. I tried to replace franchises with multiple cover appearances whenever possible:

5 – Shadow of the Colossus (Issue 68 is the only option for this.)
4 – Destroy All Humans! (This would have been the cover for Issue 96 had Big Willy Unleashed not been cancelled. As it was, I would put this on the cover of Issue 61.)
3 – Onimusha (I would put this on Issue 48’s cover, and move San Andreas onto Issue 54’s cover.)
2 – Prince of Persia (Either one of Issues 40 and 67 would work for this cover. Issue 67 would be my first choice, then 40 which has lots of good cover options. San Andreas takes priority for Issue 54.)
1 – Guitar Hero (Issue 80 would be ideal for this, but Issue 93 would also work. Tomb Raider takes priority for Issue 71)

Honourable mentions: Persona, SSX, Beyond Good and Evil, Okami, Rogue Galaxy

Issue 100 (July 2008)

                                                            Issue 100, July 2008

Editor’s letter
       I’ve got some good news and some bad news for you this month. You want to hear the bad news first? Ok. This will be the last ever issue of Official PS2 Magazine.
       Yup, with 100 issues under its belt and over 12.2 million copies sold, the biggest and best selling games mag the UK has ever seen is coming to an end. It’s a sad day for us all.
       Now the good news. It’s our 100th issue, and as a big send off for you – our loyal readers who have stuck with us through thick and thin – we’ve put together a seriously special mag.
       Sonic Unleashed, Guitar Hero World Tour, Lego Indy, Harry Potter: they’re all in these centennial pages.
       Plus, we’ve got a whole host of retrospective features, including a look back at the greatest OPS2 moments, to help you remember the good times gone by.
       It’s been a fantastic 100 issues. We hope you’ve had as much fun reading them as we have making them.
                                                            Andy Hartup, Acting Editor

Features
OPS2 is 100! – Replacing the News section this month is this retrospective feature, in which the team name their favourite covers (Issues 35, 45, 52, 57, 58 and 98), and issues (2, 32, 59, 65 and 81), and more.

It’s a Kind of Magic – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

He’s Back – Sonic Unleashed

Monthly Articles
Your Game in Lights – Readers submit their own game ideas. This month, The Selected Force, in which killer robots take over a school, Plague, in which Florida falls victim to a zombie outbreak, Blades of Creation, an RPG with a character creation mode, and King Drummer, a music game where you play the drums.

The PS2 Games you Should Own – PS2 cult classics. This month, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

The Greatest – This month, OPS2 moments to celebrate the 100th issue.

OPS2-O-Meter – Measuring games along a certain theme. This month, ladyboys, or androgynous to use a more politically correct term.

Scene Stealer – PS2’s best scenes. This month, shunting a rival into oncoming traffic in Burnout Revenge.

Where the Hell is? – Honourable mentions for the Hall of Fame. This month, Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy.

Brief History – This month, Need for Speed.

Collector’s Item – Gaming merchandise. This month, the Resident Evil chainsaw controller.

Great Game Ingredients – What goes into the best games? This month, The Sims.

Top 10 – This month, OPS2 conversation topics.

Playstation Workout – Get into a gaming genre through four games of increasing difficulty. This month, horror. Easy – Obscure II. Medium – Silent Hill 2. Hard – Resident Evil 4. Killer – Forbidden Siren 2.

Top Chumps – PS2’s worst characters. This month, Lance Vance from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

The Year in Playstation – This month, 2005. The Best – Resident Evil 4. The Worst – Crazy Frog Racer. Underrated – Soul Calibur III. Overhyped – Tenchu: Fatal Shadows. Forgotten – Everybody’s Golf. Never Again! – Pink Pong.

Playstation Education – Demonstrating various examples of a certain item in PS2 games. This month, gadgets.

Split Screen – No games for the last one. Instead, how we wish OPS2 was made (parties and recreational alcoholism) VS how it’s actually made (lots of hard work and waiting on publishers).

Previews
Guitar Hero World Tour
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Crash: Mind Over Mutant
Killzone 2
Lord of the Rings: Conquest
This is Vegas
R-Type Command
Endwar
N+

PS2 Reviews
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures – “It’s not perfect – but the humour, drama and pure fun of Lego Indy will keep you hooked to the end.” 8/10

Aline in the Dark – “Flawed, scruffy and inconsistent, but the small moments of magic go some way to make up for the lack of overall polish.” 7/10

SBK-08 Superbike World Championship – “Functional and deep but wrapped in a package inaccessible to all but the most ardent petrol heads.” 7/10

Guitar Hero Rocks the 80s – 7/10

PSP Reviews
Warriors Orochi – “Hopelessly repetitive and only offers the same amount of cheap thrills as every other Dynasty Warriors type game.” 6/10

Boulder Dash Rocks! – “There’s little here except nostalgia and a chance to use your favourite swear words.” 5/10

Dungeon Explorer – “A repetitive RPG-by-numbers. Only grind veterans will find a vague sense of enjoyment.” 5/10

Iron Man – 5/10

PS3 Reviews
Haze – “No amount of sharp gunplay can redeem Haze’s cliched script and patchy execution.” 6/10

Overlord: Raising Hell – “A non-offensive god-sim packed full of laughs and originality. Buy it.” 7/10

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars – “Ugly as sin, with clunky mechanics to boot. Not great value compared to other PS3 shooters.” 5/10

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Burnout Revenge
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
Rogue Galaxy
Tomb Raider: Legend
Final Fantasy X
Timesplitters 2
Shadow of the Colossus
Okami

Trivia
* Sonic is holding a copy of the magazine on the cover, which has a picture of Sonic holding the magazine, which has a picture of Sonic holding the magazine… Oh lord, it’s one of those images that goes on forever! I’m sure there’s a name for this, but I couldn’t for the life of me tell you what it is.
* The Gaydar pings for the last time as Daniel expresses interest in playing as characters from diverse backgrounds.
* Big well done to Freedom Fighters, Ico, Music 3000 and Timesplitters 2 for being the only four games to appear in the Hot 100 and Hall of Fame without missing a single month.
* There is actually one last demo disc, which was released alongside Issue 80 of the Official PS2 Magazine Netherlands. That disc has 16 playable demos, finally beating the record set by Issue 38’s disc, and seems to have a theme of hidden gems and cult classics.
* The biggest selling issue is Issue 29, which sold 260,000 copies.
* If I had to guess, the magazine ended with this issue partly due to sales (not that I can find any sales figures to back this up), and partly due to wanting to consolidate everything in the new Official Playstation Magazine. Looking at the upcoming schedules, there are still enough worthwhile games being released that, under different circumstances, the magazine could have lasted to the end of 2008. 2009 would have been tricky though, with Persona 4 as the only notable release.
* Despite ending 8 issues sooner than the old Official Playstation Magazine, OPS2 hadn’t yet gotten to the point where there was absolutely nothing left to write about, which meant the magazine was given free rein to do whatever it wanted because hardly anyone was reading anyway, until Future Publishing noticed they’d forgotten to shut it down. That description sums up the last 18 months or so of OPM, which ran until 2004 despite PSOne releases having dwindled to virtually nothing by the middle of 2002. The continued growth of gaming news websites ensured such a scenario could not happen again.
* I’m glad that OPS2 reached its 100th issue, but I’m also sad that it ended on a celebratory milestone. It gives the issue a bittersweet feeling.

Quote of the Month: “Have you got a favourite mission you’d like us to feature here? Well, to be honest, you’ve left it a little late to tell us about it. These are the last few words in the mag, so from all the team: thanks for everything. We’ve been great… Next issue on sale NEVER.” What better choice than the final paragraph of the magazine?

Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 98

On that note, this project is finally complete! Thank you to everyone who has read along, and gotten in touch with words of encouragement. I hope that I’ve been able to reawaken some fond memories for you, or taught you a little something new for those of you who didn’t read the magazine during its run. This project may have had a niche audience, but I am honoured to have any audience at all.

                                                                This is good, isn't it?

Issue 99 (June 2008)

                                                                Issue 99, June 2008

Editor’s letter
       So here we are – the awkward 99th issue. With so much activity focused on delivering a cracking centenary mag here at OPS2 towers, you’d be forgiven for thinking we’d decide to take it easy the month before.
       But with Hulk, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Harry Potter, Star Wars and Alone in the Dark all stuffed into one issue, we’ve set the bar high for ourselves. Topping all this PS2 goodness with an even better Issue 100 is going to be a real challenge.
       One thing that’s going to be particularly tricky to top is our enormous Incredible Hulk feature. We had to get real angry with Sega for the skinny on that game.
       Similarly, Atari was reluctant to let us go hands on with Alone in the Dark, but after we threatened them with a flaming chair (For ‘flaming chair’ read ‘stern email’) they relented. You’ll find an in-depth report on p20.
       So, onwards to Issue 100, via an action packed Issue 99!
                                                            Andy Hartup, Acting Editor

Feature
You’ll only like him when he’s angry… – The Incredible Hulk

Monthly Articles
Google Fight – This month, King Kong beats King Arthur, with 13,700,000 hits to 6,620,000.

Mouth Piece – A staff member gives their view on a particular topic. This month, Kim explains why we need unlockables.

The World According to Playstation – Various locations around a specific theme. This month, chases.

Reader Reviews – This month, SSX 3 and Scarface: The World is Yours.

Your Game in Lights – Readers submit their own game ideas. This month, Worldwide City Circuit. Despite what the name might suggest, you actually race around Europe.

The PS2 Games you Should Own – PS2 cult classics. This month, Shadow of the Colossus.

The Greatest – This month, battles.

OPS2-O-Meter – Measuring games along a certain theme. This month, the undead.

Quit or Retry? – This month, can games teach us anything? – Andy says yes, freelance writer Dave Harrison says no.

Scene Stealer – PS2’s best scenes. This month, Travis remembers his dad in Silent Hill Origins.

Where the Hell is? – Honourable mentions for the Hall of Fame. This month, Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome.

Brief History – This month, Tomb Raider.

Collector’s Item – Gaming merchandise. This month, Viewtiful Joe action figures.

Great Game Ingredients – What goes into the best games? This month, Guitar Hero.

Top 10 – This month, OPS2 Facebook group discussions.

Playstation Workout – Get into a gaming genre through four games of increasing difficulty. This month, god sims. Easy – Thrillville: Off the Rails. Medium – The Sims 2 Castaway. Hard – LMA Manager 2007. Killer – Age of Empires 2: Age of Kings.

Top Chumps – PS2’s worst characters. This month, Tidus from Final Fantasy X. In case you’re wondering, the laughing scene isn’t mentioned once.

The Year in Playstation – This month, 2004. The Best – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. The Worst – Miami Vice. Underrated – Silent Hill 4: The Room. Overhyped – Mortal Kombat: Deception. Forgotten – Final Fantasy XI. Never Again! – Catwoman.

Playstation Education – Demonstrating various examples of a certain item in PS2 games. This month, robots.

Split Screen – Playing a game two different ways. This month, the first act of Tomb Raider, circa 1996 and 2007.

Previews
Alone in the Dark
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
TNA Impact
Dancing Stage Supernova 2
Guitar Hero Aerosmith
Williams Pinball Classics
Cid the Dummy
Dead Space
Mafia II
Ferrari Challenge
Everybody’s Golf 2
Secret Agent Clank
Buzz! The Master Quiz

PS2 Reviews
Iron Man – “One of the poorest movie tie-ins to date, Iron Man is ugly, tedious, boring and broken. No, we didn’t like it very much, and neither will you.” 5/10

Ultimate Board Games Collection – “An uninspiring collection that’s poorly presented and underwhelming to play. You have been warned…” 3/10

Doctor Who Top Trumps – “While we always enjoy a good Trump, we reckon there are more exciting ways to make a Doctor Who game.” 5/10

Soul Nomad and the World Eaters – “Far from the best effort from the NI stable but still a serious treat for fans of this plucky yet obscure Japanese dev. Worth a rental, at least.” 7/10

PSP Reviews
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core – “FFVII convinced many people to buy a PS1, and Crisis Core is the game that will spur you on to buy a PSP.” 9/10

Coded Arms: Contagion – “Simple, repetitive gaming, that offers immediate fun, but very little real substance.” 6/10

Bomberman Land – “Although once a trusty friend, Bomberman is too old and tired to compete on PSP.” 4/10

PS3 Reviews
Grand Theft Auto IV – “The most involving, witty, well-rounded and goddamn exciting GTA ever.” 10/10

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue – “Needs to make serious progress if Gran isn’t to become an indication of age.” 7/10

Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan – “Japanese or no, the lush 17th century looks and stunning sword play will kiss your eyes.” 8/10

Rainbow Six Vegas 2 – 8/10

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Black
Timesplitters 2
Rainbow Six: Lockdown
Second Sight
Medal of Honor: Frontline
Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
Metal Slug 3
Killzone
24
Conflict: Desert Storm
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Rez

Trivia
* The page count is reduced again for the final two issues, this time down to 98 pages.
* Rez and Wolfenstein are two bonus demos, not listed on the demo page or sleeve.
* Gaydar: This month, Daniel Gay is in favour of video game movies, and also writes another poem.
* When the Dalek uses its special ability, it screeches “Exterminate! Exterminate!”, whereas the other characters let the robotic announcer handle it. That’s got to be worth an extra point, surely?
* Although Metal Gear Solid 3 was released in 2005 in Europe, it was released in November 2004 in America and December 2004 in Japan, so I’ll give it a pass.
* This must have been a quiet month for PS3, as Gran Turismo 5 Prologue was already reviewed in Issue 95, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan is a Japan-only import review (and also referred to as Yakuza 3 throughout.)

Quote of the Month: “The day you stop being able to have a giggle by messing around inside videogames, then sir, you may as well stop playing them all together.” Wise words indeed!

Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 98