Issue 15, Christmas 2001
Editor’s letter
It’s always fun writing these letters in real time,
I think. “Gives the reader a chance to see what else we’ve been up to while we’ve
been putting the issue together,” goes the logic. And thus, I bid you welcome
to the first and probably last chance to read the blockbuster I shall call What
We’ve Been Doing In The Two Days It’s Taken Lou To Persuade Me That I’ve Got To
Write My Editor’s Letter Now!
Fitz has been swearing. Mostly at the office telly, to
be honest, as he tries to master what can only be described as a bitch of a
double jump leap while reviewing this issue’s cover game, Jak and Daxter.
He made it, he finished it (it’s huge!) and now he’s swearing ‘cos he’s got to
play it all over again for screenshot purposes. Share his pain by giving our
cover demo a spin.
George? George is a lucky man because George has
spent days playing through the final US code of Metal Gear Solid 2,
previewed on page 12. He’s legally bound not to reveal certain secrets and
spends his days muttering “I wish I could tell you what I’ve seen. I’ve seen
the truth and it scares me. Everything, everything is different now.”
Fine in theory, but not so fine when he’s sat alone at a bus stop at 4am.
Sam too has been muttering. Not of snakes but of
having to cover for yours truly who’s been off sorting a secret thing due to
roll out in OPS2 early next year. Can’t say just yet, but it’ll be worth
the wait. Oh, and he’s also been playing the gubbins out of SSX Tricky,
James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? 2nd
Edition (all reviewed this issue) so don’t feel too sorry for him.
And the rest of the team? Well, our art bods have
been cooing over the early artwork for next issue’s cool Headhunter cover,
the disc team have been sorting out this issue’s astonishing covermounted DVD
(like, how many playable demos?) while production have been moaning at everyone
to stop playing Pro Evolution Soccer (tipped over in Hardcore, page 147)
and start writing. Right, like they didn’t spend the other afternoon playing Bravo
Music (see Spy, page 56). Oh, and Amos might be based in Japan but we
managed to persuade him to track down and play Gran Turismo Concept for
our lead news story. Didn’t take much persuading…
And me? Oh, nothing much, thanks for asking. Bit of
Christmas shopping, spot of tea early afternoon, getting home early, playing a
bit of PS2…
Guess who can do the double jump leap in Jak and
Daxter better than Fitz?
Mike Goldsmith, Senior Editor
Features
OPS2 Interview: Ken Kutaragi
Call the Cops! – Dekavoice, a voice-controlled detective noir
game that was sadly never released outside Japan. You can give orders to a
police dog and everything! There’s also a bit about Yoake No Mariko, another
Japan-only voice-controlled game based around a bizarre karaoke competition.
To Play Is Human – A feature on Namco’s upcoming releases, similar to
the ones dedicated to Sega and Midway in previous issues. This one focuses on Tekken
4, Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament, Moto GP 2 and Soul Calibur 2, among
others.
Talking Balls – Developers from PS2’s many football games come together
to discuss the future of PS2 football, and pit their games against each other
while they’re at it. The Pro Evo rep is conspicuous by their absence,
partly because they’re in Japan, and partly because the others wouldn’t stand a
chance otherwise.
Monthly Articles
Character Assassination – Creating Frankenstein’s Monster as a
videogame character. This month, the ultimate footballer: He has five hands, an
enormous foot, and looks a bit like the blue Monstar from Space Jam.
Pocket Heroes – This month’s cards are Maximo, and Samanosuke from Onimusha.
30 Days in Tokyo – This month, a Resident Evil themed attraction
at Tokyo Zoo.
The Burning Question – Asking 5 questions to 3 industry figures. This
month’s theme: Will the Hard Disc Drive add-on improve PS2?
Designer Genes – Readers write in with their game ideas and pitches.
This month, Rave, a DJ management sim, where you’re tasked with setting
up the ultimate party while avoiding noise complaints from the police.
What If? – This month, what if the Third Place was discovered? All game
characters live together in Playstation City, Wreck-It Ralph style.
Previews
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – “Whatever gets said of this game
in the next few months (and more importantly, what doesn’t) one thing is
paramount: it’s one of a kind.”
Headhunter – “Headhunter may not be a MGS2 beater, but it’s
a fine and well thought-out stealth ‘n’ gunplay alternative in its own right.”
Rez – “After giving preview code an extensive play, we can safely say Rez
is looking every bit as spectacular as we’d hoped.”
Resident Evil: Gun Survivor 2 – “Not a convincing effort so far and not
in-keeping with the sheer quality of the rest of the series. Still, fun for a
while.”
Herdy Gerdy – “Stretching a simple concept to fit a game of epic
proportions, Herdy Gerdy should be one of the games of 2002.”
Ico – “Can its cute puzzles and touching fairytale atmospherics win a
place in the hearts of hardened Half-Life fanatics saturated in gore and
noir?”
Ace Combat: Distant Thunder – “Top-of-the-range graphics, friendly
handling and an involving story line. Ace Combat 4 looks likely to score
a direct hit.”
Centre Court: Hard Hitter – “Serving up the aces, biting the chalk dust…
but is Centre Court: Hard Hitter an unseeded nobody or Grand Slam contender?”
Police 24/7 – “One of the year’s finest arcade games makes it onto PS2.
But how does it fare in transition to the home?
Reviews
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy – “A true PS2 original. Confident
and utterly accomplished. This is, above all, a supremely enjoyable videogame.
Get it. Get it now.” 9/10
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 – “A stunning PS2 debut that will hook
newcomers and Hawk’s veterans alike. THPS3 is everything a great
game should be – addictive, fun and veined with longevity. Buy it.” 9/10
SSX Tricky – “An instantly playable, brilliantly designed game with a
perfect difficulty curve. SSX owners might find it over-familiar, but
that’s no reason not to buy it.” 9/10
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? 2nd Edition – “Buy the board game, play
online or attend your local pub quiz to avoid supporting this rush-developed
cash cow.” 4/10
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance – “Sustains the reputation of the series
for quality and epic drama, but does so in a way that is resolutely suited to a
PS2 audience, delivering beguiling hack ‘n’ slash on the way.” 8/10
Rayman M – “Some good ideas but the finished article just doesn’t
really come up to scratch in both gameplay areas.” 6/10
James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire – “This great exploration of the Bond
universe offers a thrilling single-player experience – if you can cope with the
rather complex controls.” 8/10
Shawn Palmer’s Pro Snowboarder – “A disappointment when contrasted with
either SSX Tricky or stablemate Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3. Proof,
indeed, that four wheels are definitely better than none.” 6/10
Smuggler’s Run 2: Hostile Territory – “Impressively big and
entertaining, fast and frantic, but hardly the greatest ever game to grace PS2.”
7/10
Giants: Citizen Kabuto – “A great deal of humour and imagination has been
injected into this title. It’s worth a look, but horrific loading times will
frustrate even the most patient gamer.” 6/10
Jet Ski Riders – “Another passable jet ski game that breaks no new
ground. Opt for Splashdown instead.” 6/10
Cricket 2002 – “Quite simply the best leather-on-willow sim on
any console ever, Cricket 2002 catches the heart and soul of cricket
with sweet perfection.” 8/10
Capcom VS SNK 2 – “Slick, quick and slightly rough around the edges, it’s
everything you’d expect from Capcom, the master of the genre.” 8/10
The Simpsons: Road Rage – “A frenetic helping of wanton arcade driving,
but it’s a shame such a great licence can’t be put to a more original use than
this.” 6/10
Driven – “Straight to bargain bin release at best.” 4/10
Bass Strike – “A competent stab at competition fishing, but in the
final analysis: why?” 4/10
NBA Live 2002 – “There’s nothing massively wrong and there’s nothing
massively right. It’s just, well, mediocre.” 6/10
PSOne Reviews
Syphon Filter 3 – “Damn it all to hell, this counter-terrorism stuff is
fantastic virtual fun.” 9/10
Worms World Party – “Wickedly addictive wormy mayhem, and only a tenner
to boot? Bargain! Guaranteed to provide months of worm-battering fun.” 8/10
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – “The simplicity will be a
letdown for hardened gamers, but this is still an immensely varied platform
adventure for Potter fans.” 7/10
Hidden and Dangerous – “Great in places, but awful controls and lack of
precision drag it down.” 6/10
Hardcore
Part one of a Devil May Cry walkthrough, plus Grand Theft
Auto 3, Pro Evolution Soccer, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, This is Football 2002, Silent
Scope 2 and Arctic Thunder.
Disc Content
Playable Demos
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Dropship: United Peace Force
Project Eden
Burnout
F1 2001
Extreme G3
Thunderhawk: Operation Phoenix
Global Touring Challenge: Africa
Top Gun: Combat Zones
ESPN X Games Skateboarding
Lotus Challenge
G Surfers
Footage
Headhunter
Rez
SSX Tricky
Shadowman 2: 2econd Coming
Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within film trailer
Trivia
·
The last couple issues had bigger demo discs
than before, but this one takes it up to the next level, with 12 (count ‘em!)
playable demos, making it one of the biggest discs of the magazine’s entire run.
·
A surreal advertisement for Devil May Cry shows
a man’s head being used as a blender. I’m not sure what kitchen utensils have
to do with Devil May Cry, but it’s certainly memorable.
·
Apparently, Ico is Japanese for “Let’s
Go.” Considering that it’s a game based around escorting and protecting another
character, it’s a fitting title.
·
This issue looks to Sony’s future, with the first
hints towards the PSP, as Sony president Ken Kutaragi expresses interest in
entering the handheld market in the next 2-3 years. Speculation suggests a
focus on media besides games, such as music and film playback, which ended up being
accurate. It is also revealed that PS2 designer Teiyu Goto had already started
brainstorming ideas for Playstation 3.
·
Hot take: I would prefer Capcom VS SNK 3
over Marvel VS Capcom 5, but Capcom VS Capcom would be even
better!
·
I’m surprised that Syphon Filter and Harry
Potter, as well as the odd major game from the last couple of issues were
on PSOne rather than PS2, as some of the older console’s last major releases.
Not having a PS2 version of Harry Potter in particular to tie in with
the film must have left a lot of money on the table. EA eventually noticed and
ported it to PS2 later.
·
The DVD reviews include a Farquaad-approved negative
review of Shrek, stating that it was hugely overrated on account of
being the year’s least worst summer blockbuster, and Eddie Murphy’s performance
as Donkey is the only thing that makes the film at all watchable. Once Shrek finds
the reviewer in question, he will transform into the Dark Ogrelord and use his
Mighty Ogre Roar to ensure that their time in his world is ogre!
Quote of the Month: “American Hard Gigolo: He is good at playing the
lady’s enemy like marriage fraud.” Just one of the Engrish character bios from Yoake
No Mariko. I had a tough time choosing between this and the Sexy Bisexual
one, but this one is less likely to get me into trouble.
Cover price: £4.99
Page Count: 162
