Issue 15 (Christmas 2001)

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