Issue 13 (November 2001)

Issue 13, November 2001

Editor’s letter

“As Playstation 2 prepares to snowball into a winter of top game releases, interest from the mainstream press is sure to come. We’ve seen the beginnings of this with the furore around the massive sales of Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec and the talk was inevitably of the “Bloody hell, that looks like the real thing” variety. Naturally, members of the OPS2 team have said much the same thing as the latest games bundle into the office. Cars that look like cars. People that look like people. Buildings that look like buildings. Bloody hell, it really does look like the real thing – and with Team SoHo’s The Getaway joyriding onto PS2 next summer, it’s going to get even more so.

So what have we done at OPS2 to celebrate the Playstation 2’s astonishing ability to replicate the world around us? We’ve crammed our issue with cartoon games. We’ve got a rapping 2D dog in the PS2 debut of Parappa the Rapper. We’ve got a medieval knight in the japanimated shape of Maximo. And in our news stories on Knights, Seaman and Dinoz in this month’s ever-rammed Spy section, we’ve got a vertically-challenged reject from Monty Python, a depressed fish and a Pokemon-flavoured dinosaur. Gran Turismo this ain’t.

The reason behind our animated antics? None, to tell you the truth – sometimes, it just works out like that. But what this happy coincidence does show is that while reality is all well and good, the Playstation 2 is more than just a tool to recreate what’s outside your window. A PC can do that. An IMac can do that. Hell, a really big mirror can do that. What Playstation 2 can do is take this level of technological power as given and concentrate on making a game out of it. It might look like a Formula One replay or it might look like a day-glo landscape from your most tripped-out dreams (and I’m talking to you, Parappa), but the experience is the same. You’re playing a game, not staring impassively at a screen.

Which brings me on to our cover feature – the world exclusive review of WWF Smackdown!: Just Bring It!. Here is a game that has the real world ‘wow-factor’ of photo-realistic wrestlers, but drapes it on a subject matter that is more of a cartoon than Parappa and Maximo put together. The WWF is a bizarre, laugh-out-loud, passionate melodrama of a sport and Yuke’s has developed a game that perfectly captures its essence. It’s real, it’s a cartoon, and most importantly, it’s a completely ace game as our review shows. You won’t read that in the mainstream press (or anywhere else, for that matter) but then that’s why you’re here. For real.

That’s all folks.”

Mike Goldsmith, Senior Editor

Features

OPS2 Interview: Bruce McMillan

Tha Dogfather – Parappa the Rapper 2

The Max Factor – Maximo

Monthly Articles

Character Assassination – Replacing the Beautiful Game, this is basically the same thing, but with characters instead of games. This month, the last action hero.

Pocket Heroes – This month’s cards, featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series and Bryan Fury from Tekken.

30 Days in Tokyo – This month, a visit to a Sega-owned theme park.

The Burning Question – Asking 5 questions to 3 industry figures. This month’s theme: Do bigger budgets mean better games?

Designer Genes – Readers write in with their game ideas and pitches. This month, Blood Money, a game where you play as a hitman and collect bounties from assassinating criminals. Sounds familiar…

What If? – This month, what if games were played at the Olympics? Given the advent of e-sports, this one’s basically come true.

Previews

Devil May Cry – “Undoubtedly another winner from Capcom’s Resident Evil stable. Is it on your Christmas list too?”

World Rally Championship – “WRC truly conveys the rough and tumble feel of a rallying event without sacrificing the instant gratification of a decent driving game.”

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 – “Chances are you’re still playing THPS2, so surely a PS2 incarnation with more tricks, more skaters, better arenas and network play can’t fail.”

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex – “It’s still the Crash Bandicoot of old, but with a much brighter veneer. Will that be enough to hang onto fans of old though?”

Wipeout Fusion – “Everything feels just right about Wipeout Fusion. Time can only tell how much of a game it offers, but with thrills like these will we really care?”

Global Touring Challenge: Africa – “Tons of tracks, gorgeous visuals and spot-on handling could well make GTC a surprise winter hit.”

Half-Life – “One of the biggest ever games on PC but will it rattle Playstation 2 cages in the same way?”

Pro Evolution Soccer – “Konami’s flagship footy game could soon have the world falling off its feet (and OPS2 drooling on its Dual Shocks.)

Batman: Vengeance – “Bruce Wayne may want to forget his previous digital disguises but how does Batman: Vengeance shape up?”

Shaun Palmer’s Pro Snowboarder – “Pummelling the powder, grinding out the tricks… But does SPPS have the Tony Hawk’s or SSX x-factor?”

Endgame – “Light gun game with a girl at the trigger and a variety in plot structure. Deadeye police marksman or water-pistol-wielding toddler?”

Capcom VS SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium – “Are the 2D charms of Capcom VS SNK 2 capable of dealing a Hadouken body blow to the 3D beat-‘em-up?”

DNA – “Dark Native Apostle has the manga looks and the nano-technology, but does it have the gameplay to match?”

Reviews

WWF Smackdown! Just Bring It! – “If you didn’t go for Smackdown 2 this won’t float your boat. But if you have any inclination to grapple, this is as close to taking part in the real WWF as you can get.” 8/10

Grand Theft Auto 3 – “DMA delivers on its promise to bring GTA into the 3D era. The game has its flaws, but there’s nothing quite as sick, funny and inventive as this on the shelves.” 8/10

Silent Hill 2 – “An utterly relentless journey into the heart of someone else’s nightmare. How could you possibly refuse?” 8/10

Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil – “A fitting testament to platformers of old, Klonoa 2 is a title with all the elements we love from the genre.” 8/10

Madden NFL 2002 – “Madden NFL 2002 captures every ounce of detail and spoils the player with a glutton of modes and features. Undeniably the best ever!” 9/10

G-Surfers – “Not perfect, but it’s impressively fast, and the excellent editing software compensates for its technical shortcomings.” 7/10

Burnout – “The combination of fast motors and oncoming traffic makes for a thrilling driving game. Hold on for an exasperating ride.” 8/10

Motor Mayhem – “Effectively a non-starter. Too many other games exist like this, and Motor Mayhem just doesn’t do enough to lift itself above the pack.” 5/10

Time Crisis 2 – “Shooting things is fun, especially when the things look as nice as they do here. A real serial killer of a light gun game.” 8/10

Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare – “Undeniably scary and atmospheric but far too cumbersome to fully terrify. Ultimately a waste of what could have been an epic comeback.” 6/10

ESPN X-Games Skateboarding – “A fair enough stab at a skateboarding sim, but many annoying glitches detract from any real enjoyment.” 5/10

F1 2001 – “F1 2001 is pretty, natty, but ultimately soulless. It gives us neither obsessive attention to detail or the full arcade treatment.” 7/10

Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings – “Of limited appeal to non-believers but if you ignore the lack of visceral thrills this is an excellent port of the definitive PC real-time strategy game.” 7/10

MX Rider – “A totally playable, mud-caked speed fest marred by a lack of detail. The MX hardcore will crave a little more.” 6/10

Paris-Dakar Rally – “Given a tighter focus this could have been a fresh-faced contender. As it is, WRC and GTC: Africa still look to be the ones to watch for rally thrills.” 5/10

NFL Quarterback Club 2002 – “Definitely worth a look, but it’s not as polished as Madden.” 8/10

Portal Runner – “The best of a bad bunch, but still does little to thrill.” 5/10

PSOne Reviews

Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro – “A cracking sequel to one of the best ever PSOne games, this ain’t no mission pack or Spidey Lite.” 9/10

X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 – “Superior beat-‘em-up that looks sharper than Wolverine’s adamantium claws.” 8/10

The Land Before Time Racing Adventure – “Flatulent, overly-simplistic kids’ racer that quickly gets repetitive.” 4/10

Castlevania Chronicles – “Despite looking distinctly out of place on PSOne, Chronicles remains a playable game and is also an incredibly tough challenge.” 6/10

Hardcore

Part 2 of the walkthrough for Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, part 3 of the Red Faction and Escape From Monkey Island walkthroughs, plus Extreme G-3, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2, Rumble Racing, City Crisis and Le Mans 24 Hours.

Disc Content

Playable Demos

Time Crisis 2

NBA Street

Rayman M

Silent Scope 2

MX 2002

Driven

Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil

Footage

Airblade

Burnout

Dropship

Herdy Gerdy

Wipeout Fusion

Soul Reaver 2

Splashdown

This is Football 2002

World Rally Championship

Robot Wars: Arenas of Destruction

I am the Wolfman – Not a game, but a PS2 trailer. Unlike the Voyage of Emotion series from previous discs, this one is animated instead of using game clips. You can (and should) watch it here.

Trivia

·         This issue is the first one to have variant covers. There are four WWF superstars to choose from. As you see from the photo, my copy has the Lita cover. The other three have Triple H, The Rock and Kane.

·         This issue also depicts the contributors on the team introduction page drawn in the Parappa the Rapper art style instead of the usual photographs.

·         Another first for this issue – with the number of new game releases starting to increase, this issue is the first one to have half-page reviews for some games.

·         The Crash Bandicoot preview mentions “the usual pre-final code laborious loading times.” If only! If you’ve ever played The Wrath of Cortex, I guarantee you’re suffering Vietnam flashbacks to the loading screen of Crash falling down a seemingly endless light show with that futuristic whooshy noise you will never unhear now that I have reminded you of it.

·         A statement that aged like milk left in the sun: “According to Take 2, Duke Nukem Forever, the long-anticipated next instalment in the Arnie-style first-person-shooter series is still on course for a 2002 release on PS2.”

·         This month’s cancelled games: Knights, which sounded like the closest we’ll get to a Monty Python and the Holy Grail game, and Dinoz, a dinosaur breeding game. Given the Pokemon comparisons made in the article, I’m not entirely convinced it’s a coincidence that one of the dinosaurs looks like Agumon from the other monster series, Digimon.

·         Grand Theft Auto 3 getting ‘only’ 8/10 became a bit of an old shame for the magazine, and they would poke fun at themselves over it a few times later. To be fair, it may not always be immediately obvious when you’ve got something revolutionary on your hands. This may be one of those cases where it took a little bit (but only a little, mind you) for it to sink in just how influential this game would end up being.

·         The demo disc is also getting bigger, with this month’s haul of 7 playable demos being the biggest one yet. We’re now coming into Phase 2 of the demo disc lifecycle – the golden era, with lots of new demos every month, and the occasional repeat for competitions or Platinum re-releases. Enjoy it, because this phase is the longest one!

Quote of the Month: “He preaches love, spiritual harmony and an end to suffering, but he also isn’t afraid to boast about his glamorous lifestyle or his numerous female admirers. A bit like Prince.” The philosophy of Guru Ant from Parappa the Rapper 2.

Cover price: £4.99

Page Count: 146