Issue 75 (August 2006)

                                                                Issue 75, August 2006

Editor’s letter
       One of the first things I wrote after joining OPS2 (when I was a considerably angrier young man) was an opinion piece debating the morality of WW2 games. I’ll spare you the details, but the gist was that if you went back in time to June 1944, and told a terrified soldier with his face pressed into the sand of Omaha beach that in two generations’ time people would be recreating his experience for kicks… well, he’d probably be slightly annoyed. I also took issue with the fact that most shooters treated German soldiers as no better than zombies or aliens – just walking targets. The editor at the time decided not to run the piece, but the idea stuck with me. About a year later I was interviewing Medal of Honor’s producer and put the same line of questioning to him. His inevitable line of defence was that movies and books use real life war as rich source material, so why shouldn’t games? (Although you don’t get to pull the trigger yourself in a movie.) We ended up agreeing that the question would only really become relevant in the next round of hardware, when near-photorealistic graphics would make the morality of shooters much more thorny. Which brings us to now, and our Call of Duty 3 cover. Visually, it’s an astonishing game – but what’s most interesting, as Leon Hurley points out in his excellent feature, is how the increased graphical fidelity changes the way you feel about your own actions. Watching a German soldier’s face change from confidence to terror as he realises what you’re about to do is particularly chilling. Remember Sony’s talk about ‘fourth dimensional gaming’ on PS3? Perhaps, on next-gen, it will be all about the moral dimension.
                                                                    Tim Clark, Editor

Features
Is this the sexiest shooter on PS3? – Call of Duty 3

Join Up Now – Haze

The good news: World War 2 never happened. The bad news: we got invaded by sabre-toothed aliens… – Resistance: Fall of Man

Everything you wanted to know about PS3 but were afraid to ask – This feature goes over some of the PS3’s features, like the system specs and the controller’s motion sensing.

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, what’s your weapon of choice?

Could be a Classic – This month, Traxion. This PSP music game had 20 minigames, whose difficulty would be determined by the music saved on your system’s memory stick.

A Brief History – Retrospectives of some of PS2’s most popular franchises. This month, Star Wars.

Replay – Online reviews for Rogue Trooper, SOCOM 3: US Navy SEALs, Urban Chaos: Riot Response and Me and My Katamari, and what the other mags said about Super Monkey Ball Adventure, X-Men: The Official Game, Forbidden Siren 2 and The Da Vinci Code.

OPS2 Investigates – This month, Guns for HIre. OPS2 interview mercenaries who work for PMCs (private military companies).

Endgame – Game endings. This month, Ico.

                                                            This month's Save Point.

Monitor
Reservoir Dogs – “The idea still seems ludicrous to us, and despite some clever touches – like threatening the hostages – Reservoir Dogs is a small-time crook with a ‘born to lose’ tattoo on his arm.” Warm

Gitaroo Man Lives! – “This isn’t startlingly new but it is a superb opportunity for PSP owners to rediscover a genuine classic. An entrancing mix of testing gameplay and brilliantly deranged music.” Hot

Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy – “This is brilliantly addictive platform action, and is actually based on the good films this time. The Original Trilogy could be another classic in the making for the plastic fantastics.” Meltdown

Superbikes Riding Challenge – “An accessible bike sim that’s a surprisingly good ride.” Hot

Every Extend Extra – “A simple idea with a mesmeric blend of glowing visuals, strong beats and twitchy gameplay, there’s every reason to think this, like its predecessor Lumines, will be a minor classic.” Boiling

Splinter Cell: Double Agent – “Double Agent looks like being a welcome change of direction for the Splinter Cell series. The core gameplay isn’t in question, but much will depend on how deep the moral choice system actually runs.” Hot

Destroy All Humans 2 – “Right now this feels more like Destroy All Humans 1.5 than a true sequel, but the original was such a blast, we can’t help but be excited. Roll on autumn, so we can crash the Summer of Love.” Boiling

Thrillville – “Shaping up to be a surprise hit on both PS2 and PSP.” Hot

Justice League Heroes – “This is an enjoyable, if basic, superhero-themed RPG. We need to see more variety in the action before we start making our costumes though.” Hot

Rainbow Six: Vegas – “Rainbow Six has been rebuilt for the next-generation, and although the series was never a serious wallet-opener on PS2, we’re tipping this to be a highlight in the PS3 launch line-up.” Boiling

Battlezone – “Pointless exhumation of yet another yesteryear ‘classic’.” Tepid

WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2007 – “Shaping up to be one of the PS3’s finest looking games, and guaranteed to be authentic – but right now we’re struggling to adapt to the new control system, and that’s a concern.” Hot

Superman Returns – “You’ve guessed right – it’s still looking super, man.” Boiling

Hot Pixel – “It’s obviously ‘borrowed’ from Nintendo’s equally twitchy Wario Ware, but who cares when the fun’s this deranged. Hot Pixel is a great addition to PSP, and great for on-the-move gaming.” Hot

God Hand – “Given developer Clover’s track record on Viewtiful Joe and Okami, we expected this to be ace. And God Hand is a laugh, but right now a question mark dangles over its ability to provide lasting appeal.” Hot

PS2 Reviews
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories – “You still can’t beat a dose of GTA, and even though this is a strange backward step on PS2, the £19.99 price point softens the blow.” 8/10

Formula One 2006 – “Likeable licensed racer that boasts excellent presentation, a wealth of options, and an idiot-simple (yet well designed) set of controls.” 7/10

Sensible Soccer 2006 – “A needless, exploitative ‘update’ of a fondly remembered classic. Compared to PES or even FIFA Street, this is an embarrassment.” 4/10

Jaws Unleashed – “Jaws is genuinely witty, outrageously violent and top fun but – wait for it – slightly lacking in depth.” 7/10

Soccer Life 2 – “A unique football game with some innovative stuff contained within – but one that has its priorities all wrong.” 5/10

Shinobido: Way of the Ninja – “Archaic, leaden stealth that mixes bland, unchallenging environments and clunky controls to plumb new gaming lows.” 3/10

The Ultimate World Cup Quiz – “Get on Google and make up your own football quiz parlour game with paper and pens. Easier, cheaper, and more fun.” 2/10

Super Dragon Ball Z – “Its colourful looks may appeal to younger gamers, but Super DBZ is too limited in every department to attract interest from anyone else.” 5/10

AND1 Streetball – “AND1 borrows from the best hoop sims the PS2 has to offer, and the result is a playable, yet unexceptional, sports title. There are better b-ball games out there though.” 7/10

10,000 Bullets – “Dull action-adventure which combines sub-standard bullet-time combat, badly synched cut-scenes, and a waif-like plot. Not even hardcore masochists should touch it.” 2/10

WWII Tank Battles – “You could offer us 15 quid to play this again and we’d still flatly refuse, but it does score an extra point for being so unintentionally hilarious.” 2/10

Leaderboard Golf – “Shouting ‘world’s most lavish golfing challenge’ on the box might dupe granny when she’s rummaging through the Tesco bargain bin, but not us.” 4/10

Armored Core: Nexus – “An Armored Core nut’s wet dream, if such a deranged breed exists. Otherwise a dull mech-‘em-up that lacks thrills and originality.” 5/10

Over the Hedge – “Repetitive platform action. It’s playable, just, but staggeringly uninventive, uninspiring and instantly forgettable.” 5/10

Daemon Summoner – “Sometimes you fire at enemies from point-blank range and do no damage at all. That’s how much this horror sucks.” 3/10

Stock Car Crash – “Uninspired tracks and clunky physics make this one to avoid. Burnout on Platinum renders the existence of this totally pointless.” 3/10

PSP Reviews
Astonishia Story – “A basic RPG with no redeeming qualities, this is a relic from the past that’s inexplicably managed to find its way onto PSP.” 3/10

Tenchu: Time of the Assassins – “As a bloody beat-‘em-up this is fine, but as the stealth-driven outing it wants to be, it’s a long way off top form.” 6/10

Miami Vice – “What could have been a great game is hurt by a lack of depth and variety, but this is still one of the best PSP shooters out there.” 7/10

Field Commander – “Field Commander taxes the brain more than the trigger finger, so it’s ideal for anyone hankering after a tactical time waster.” 8/10

World Tour Soccer 2 – “A likeable addition to the PSP’s footy ranks that successfully offers something very different to the latest FIFA and PES.” 7/10

Micro Machines V4 – “Hollow in comparison to the mighty, beautifully designed Mashed and the superior PS2 version of this game. An opportunity badly missed.” 5/10

Def Jam: The Takeover – “A versatile and immersive fighter with individual characters, top tunes, and bone-breaking aplenty.” 8/10

Super Monkey Ball Adventure – “Like the PS2 version, this is a needlessly complex and frustrating barrel of monkey malarkey. Only the mini-games rescue it.” 6/10

Spongebob Squarepants: The Yellow Avenger – “You can’t condense cartoon genius like the ‘Pants into a 2.5D platformer – especially if you don’t even bother with voice acting. Pretty, but dull.” 4/10

Infected – “An uninspired but likeable-in-places arcade shooter whose few good ideas are hamstrung by shoddy design and weak AI.” 6/10

Disc Content
Playable Demos
B-Boy
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Tomb Raider: Legend
Hitman: Blood Money
Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast
Singstar Rocks!
Micro Machines V4
FIFA Street 2
Sonic Riders
Ratchet: Gladiator
Jak 3

Footage
Platinum Promo (Includes WRC 4, Moto GP 4, Ratchet and Clank 3, Jak 3 and Tekken 5)

Trivia
* The Editor’s Letter this month is the most serious one in a while, and raises an interesting ethical and moral question. It feels like a throwback to the ones from the earliest issues. Something else comes to mind about the rejected WW2 article. Could Tim Clark have been the true identity of The Butcher? I’ve narrowed it down to either him or Bruce Wayne.
* In Issue 68, a reader wrote in about his girlfriend leaving him and taking his PSP with her. This month, the girlfriend gives her side of the story, explaining that she paid for the PSP in full, therefore it was hers (the couple had intended to go halves on it, but the boyfriend forgot his wallet on the day).
* This issue has the last appearance of model Lisa Ralph, for real this time. I’ve had to edit this bit out of two previous posts already. That’ll teach me for going off of memory and not checking ahead!
* Tomb Raider: Anniversary is announced this month, but there’s also a story on a previous PSP remake of the first Tomb Raider by original series developer Core Design, which was cancelled shortly before Anniversary was announced. I wonder how that came about. Did both Core Design and Crystal Dynamics work on separate remakes, with the latter being chosen to continue into full development, or was Core’s remake a secret project they hadn’t gotten approval for?
* Helen gets a touch of stardom this month, as she performs at Download Festival 2006.
* Save Point has had the odd two-parter before, but this month sees the start of a four-part arc.
* Fun fact for the ¾ stage, of the 100 games in the inaugural Hot 100, only 8 still remain on the list: Freedom Fighters, Ico, Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid 2, Music 3000, Project Zero, Silent Hill 3 and Timesplitters 2. The other 92 have been removed entirely or replaced by their sequels. Speaking of which, Kingdom Hearts won’t be around much longer…

Quote of the Month: “According to Western law, corporations are defined as people. And if a corporation were a person it would fit all the World Health Organisation’s criteria for psychopaths, including reckless disregard for others, repeated lying and inability to question themselves.” Bet you didn’t know this little tidbit!

Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 130

Issue 74 (July 2006)

                                                                     Issue 74, July 2006

Editor’s letter
       This is the hardest one of these columns I’ve had to write since being handed the skipper’s armband. Mainly because I’ve spilled Coke on my keyboard twice this month, and the buttons are now sticking together like childhood friends. There’s also the small matter of Playstation 3, which since we last spoke, now has a firm UK release date (17 November), a brand new pad (Motion-sensing in! Vibration out!) and a confirmed price (£425 for the full-fat, 60GB version). Let’s start with the price. The line from Sony top brass has always been that PS3 would be more expensive than previous console launches – so it’s odd to find people now throwing their hands up in surprise. Here’s what you get for your money: the most advanced games console in the world, complete with whopping hard drive, new ‘network platform’ online service, and built-in Blu-ray movie player. Nervousness over which high-definition movie format will triumph is understandable (HD-DVD being the rival standard) but Blu-ray already has the support of five out of six of the major Hollywood studios. And the fact is, it’s not a matter of if you’re going to go high def, but when. Having seen films running in glorious 1080p, we can’t wait for Blu-ray’s arrival. Now consider that initially, standalone Blu-ray players are likely to cost upwards of £600, and those Sony execs describing PS3 as a bargain don’t sound quite so mental. Of course, ultimately it’s all about the games – and we defy anyone to say that the first wave of software heading for PS3 isn’t much stronger than the equivalent line-ups for PSOne or PS2. This month you can see the lot, starting on page 41 with the incredible Assassin’s Creed and climaxing on page 68 with the second of our massive world exclusives, Need for Speed Carbon. Placed your pre-order yet?
                                                                    Tim Clark, Editor

Features
You’ve just killed a man. Everyone saw you. What do you do next? – Assassin’s Creed

Playstation 3 Games: Fully Exposed – A look at a number of Playstation 3 games, headlined by Heavenly Sword, Uncharted, and Final Fantasy XIII.

Need for PS3ed – Need for Speed Carbon

The Future of Football – Pro Evolution Soccer 6

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, which game character would you like to assassinate?

Could be a Classic – This month, The Dog: Happy Life. Nintendogs gets a rival, as Sony ask “Why should Nintendo get to have all the fun?”

A Brief History – Retrospectives of some of PS2’s most popular franchises. This month, Bond, James Bond.

Replay – Online reviews for FIFA World Cup 2006, Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows, World Poker Tour and Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, and what the other mags said about Hitman: Blood Money, FIFA World Cup 2006, Tomb Raider: Legend and Rogue Trooper.

OPS2 Investigates – This month, Worst. Levels. Ever. God of War’s rotating spiked pillar, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City’s Death Row, the first boss of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the tutorial of Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness and more are named and shamed.

Endgame – Game endings. This month, Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.

                                                            This month's Save Point.

Monitor
Kingdom Hearts II – “Kingdom Hearts II is less a game, more a big friendly hug. It’s absolutely packed with adventure and there’s a level for pretty much every great Disney film going. It’s pure sunshine gaming.” Boiling

Gangs of London – “It doesn’t matter how many extras and options Gangs of London throws at us, if the controls aren’t seriously improved it’ll be less fun than a dip in the Thames.” Warm

B-Boy – “Great idea and a fantastic hip-hop and funk soundtrack.” Boiling

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War – “The addition of a two-player mode excites us, but the visuals and gameplay haven’t advanced much since Squadron Leader. This still exudes quality, but new ideas wouldn’t go amiss” Hot

Guitar Hero II – “It isn’t a blow-the-amps reinvention, but Guitar Hero II improves one of the best party games ever. If you aren’t looking forward to this game, then you really need to have a look at your priorities.” Meltdown

God of War II – “For the most part this ticks all the right boxes for a sequel. Everything that made the original great is back, but improved and refined. Really not sure about the flying horse though.” Meltdown

PS2 Reviews
Super Monkey Ball Adventure – “Certainly nothing to go ape for. The adventure slips on a banana peel, but the classic mode and mini-games redeem the package.” 6/10

Forbidden Siren 2 – “So solid it will utterly break the weak, but fight through the frustration and you’ll find an engrossing, terrifying ghost story.” 7/10

Flatout 2 – “Flatout 2 is brilliantly chaotic, relentlessly quick and rammed with gaming modes to keep you at it. Fasten your seat belts.” 7/10

Micro Machines V4 – “Offering a commendably laid-back and tongue-in-cheek driving experience, slick multiplayer races make V4 well worth a spin.” 7/10

X-Men: The Official Game – “Uninspired missions, laughable cinematics and repetitive action make this the summer blockbuster tie-in to avoid.” 3/10

Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires – “We’re tired of the senseless bloodshed, so the core action drags – the tactical elements are definitely improving though.” 6/10

Street Fighter Alpha Anthology – “Despite its pedigree, there’s not enough here to prise open our wallets. We’re sticking with Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max on PSP, thanks.” 6/10

Winback 2: Project Poseidon – “A poor cut-and-shut of other (far better) titles, guaranteed to fall to bits on your first drive. Avoid Winback 2: Project Poseidon as you would a bullet.” 3/10

The Da Vinci Code – “A pain to control and not that rewarding if you persist, this should have been a top puzzle-strewn adventure. It isn’t.” 5/10

PSP Reviews
FIFA World Cup 2006 – “Stacked with licences and serving up a great game of footy, this is PSP’s best football offering yet. Over to you, Konami.” 8/10

Loco Roco – “A beautifully blended oddball collage of colour, sound and playability. Original and inventive – it’s PSP gaming at its best.” 9/10

Capcom Classics Collection Remixed – “Even if you never play half the games on offer (and you won’t), the inclusion of genuine classics means this lives up to its billing.” 7/10

Talkman – “Competent effort at an electro-translator, but not quite as revolutionary as its creators would have you believe.” 6/10

Pac-Man World 3 – “Mildly entertaining for a while, but it’s very hard to recommend Pac-Man World 3 as a platformer when the excellent Daxter is waiting on a shelf near you.” 6/10

Juiced: Eliminator – “A decent effort that, even with its excellent pimping options, struggles to provide lasting appeal in this competitive genre.” 7/10

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Singstar Rocks!
Forbidden Siren 2
Eyetoy Play Sports
Earache Extreme Metal Racing
Sensible Soccer 2006
Tomb Raider: Legend
Micro Machines V4
Driver: Parallel Lines
Fight Night Round 3

Footage
Suikoden V
Tourist Trophy

Trivia
* References to 599 US dollars and the Giant Enemy Crab are both accounted for in this month’s PS3 coverage. Sadly, there's no Ridge Racer reference.
* X-Men: The Official Game is such a silly title. It’s not as if there are any unofficial X-Men games out there to confuse this one with.
* Incoming is expanded to two pages starting with month, with the addition of PS3 games.
* “For every 1,000 people who had to do Death Row 26 times, one smarmy twat did it first go because the AI blew itself up or got wedged in a bush.” Yeah, that was me. Apologies to 1,000 other Vice City players out there.

Quote of the Month: “I found blood in my urine.” Talkman is thorough in the phrases it provides.

Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 130

Issue 73 (June 2006)

                                                                     Issue 73, June 2006

Editor’s letter
       This page always gets done last. Not because I’m work-shy. No sir. It gets left to the end because I like to take stock before presenting you with our latest meisterwerk. As I survey Team OPS2 today, this is what I find: Ben is in hospital, Helen is on the verge of tears, Andy is outside arguing with his girlfriend, Leon is racing back from Sony HQ and George… well, George is still being George. It’s been that kind of month. Why? Because we’ve spent every waking hour securing you the most exclusive Playstation coverage anywhere on the planet. That meant flying to Japan to bring you new Metal Gear Solid 4 info and shots before anyone else. It also meant securing the first ever Indiana Jones shots, flying to Japan (again) to see Sonic the Hedgehog in action and squeezing in the new Tony Hawk’s at the very last second. Those games are all on PS3, and they’re all blown wide open this month. They’re merely the high notes in what’s an absurdly strong issue. Nestling right at the centre of the magazine you’ll see a 24-page splurge on the most secretive games on PS2, PS3 and PSP. It all kicks off with that incredible MGS4 scoop on page 52. Before you head off though, a word from Metal Gear’s legendary creator, Hideo Kojima. He had hoped to guest edit the issue, but had to bow out due to his insane workload. However, during my time with him in Tokyo he did ask me to pass on this message. Over to you Mr Kojima: “I love the UK and really want to live in London. I hope you all like the look of Metal Gear Solid 4. My aim is to get the game out in Japan, America and Europe around the same time.” What a guy.
Tim Clark, Editor

Features
We Can Rebuild Him – Tony Hawk’s Project 8

Secret Games Special – A massive feature with all sorts of upcoming games – mostly PS3 titles such as Metal Gear Solid 4, Bioshock and Sonic 2006, but there are a few PS2 and PSP games included too.

Baby you can Drive my Cars – Cars. Wow, etc…

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, where would you most like to hide?

Could be a Classic – This month, Let’s Make a Soccer Team! Yes, let’s! SEGA try their hand at a football management game that’s a little less strait-laced than Football Manager.

A Brief History – Retrospectives of some of PS2’s most popular franchises. This month, Timesplitters, with a special guest appearance from Free Radical Design’s other PS2 game, Second Sight.

Replay – Online reviews for Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, Commandos Strike Force and Splinter Cell: Essentials, and what the other mags said about Urban Chaos: Riot Response, The Godfather, Tourist Trophy and Pro Evolution Soccer Management.

OPS2 Investigates – This month, The Games You Never Played. OPS2 visit the gaming morgue to run post-mortems on cancelled games such as Fear and Respect, Starcraft: Ghost, Lamborghini and more, while a Deep-Throat-esque industry insider explains some of the reasons behind game cancellations on condition of anonymity.

Endgame – Game endings. This month, Haven: Call of the King. It takes confidence to end a new IP on a downer cliffhanger, but on this occasion that confidence was sadly misplaced.

                                                                This month's Save Point.

Monitor
Yakuza – “Now we know what’s actually going on, we’re even more excited. The fighting, exploring and gambling is enjoyable in any language, but knowing you’re doing it for epic reasons helps no end.” Hot

Juiced: Eliminator – “Small, but currently far from perfectly reformed.” Warm

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – “We’re unconvinced by the single-player mode but the multiplayer is an entirely different chest of gold – it’s got originality and engaging AI. Played against your mates, this should be a blast.” Hot

B-Boy – “Despite its limited appeal (‘what, break-dancing’s still cool?), you’d have to be a 40-stone couch potato not to be at least a little curious about this. Done right, it could be da proverbial bomb.” Hot

Scarface: The World is Yours – “With six months of polishing to be done, Scarface is looking very solid. Whether it relies on its licence rather than its gameplay is yet to be seen, but the belated inclusion of Pacino is a big plus.” Boiling

Just Cause – “The scale of the game may sound daunting, but Avalanche Studios has done a commendable job of keeping things simple where they need to be. Just Cause is shaping up to be a thriller.” Meltdown

Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus – “There are good ideas here and there, but they’re obscured by a half-hearted smokescreen of shoddy design and opportunistic references to an eight-year-old PSOne game.” Warm

Raw Danger! – “This is shaping up to be a truly unique addition to the survival horror ranks, even with its virtually homebrew visuals. Christmas this year promises to be wet, and frankly we can’t wait.” Hot

PS2 Reviews
Hitman: Blood Money – “Blood Money is without question the best Hitman yet, and although it can be punishing at times, it’s also hugely compelling and stylish.” 9/10

FIFA World Cup 2006 – “As well as being a great way to re-live the World Cup, this is a positive step for the FIFA series as a whole. PS3 beckons.” 8/10

Evolution GT – “Minor niggles prevent this being a serious challenger to Gran Turismo and TOCA, but the features that do work make it work a spin.” 7/10

Rogue Trooper – “Intuitive controls make Rogue Trooper easy to pick up, but a ‘meh’ storyline and dull surroundings make it easy to put down, too.” 7/10

Aeon Flux – “Passable in places, but if you want to play in the ‘watch a girl’s arse’ arena, get the new Tomb Raider and see a master at work.” 5/10

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga – “A commendably original RPG which throws up plenty of surprises and improves substantially on previous outing, Lucifer’s Call.” 7/10

Noble Racing – “Not awful by any means, but deficient in every important menu-related respect, Noble Racing feels like the auto equivalent of a tin of Tesco no-frills beans.” 4/10

Heracles: Battle of the Gods – “If you’re hankering for arch-jumping action, you’d be better off playing Rainbow Islands on the Taito Legends compilation. Leave this well alone.” 4/10

PSP Reviews
Metal Gear Acid 2 – “Predictably high production values, but those enticed by previous Snake adventures will find a hollow, confusing game.” 6/10

Puyo Pop Fever – “The gameplay’s hardly moved on in more than a decade, but simplicity is the key to Puyo Pop’s appeal. An absorbing if not original addition to the handheld ranks.” 7/10

Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai – “Simple and satisfying combat with a control system that’s well mapped to handheld – the only drawback is that it’s shallow like a garden pond in August.” 7/10

Me and my Katamari – “It may not add much new to the Katamari universe, but this is a very welcome addition to handheld gaming.” 8/10

Untold Legends: The Warrior’s Code – “A frustratingly patchy RPG – at once unpleasant to play and creepingly addictive – that doesn’t deliver on its significant potential.” 6/10

Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror – “An incredibly addictive, satisfying and inventive stealth shooter that’s packed with character, style and replay value.” 9/10

Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble – “Absolute chaos but brilliant fun, this fast and furious fighter is exactly the type of adrenaline-rich game PSP was made for.” 8/10

Tomb Raider: Legend – “Lara’s PSP debut is a captivating adventure that only falls down on the back of a frustratingly awkward set of controls.” 7/10

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Sensible Soccer
Super Monkey Ball Adventure
Micro Machines V4
Ape Escape 3
Hitman: Blood Money
Tomb Raider: Legend
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast
FIFA Street 2
Sonic Riders

Footage
Mesal Gear Solid
Singstar Rocks!

Trivia
* I’m in this issue! Specifically, I’m in this issue’s Reader Face-Off, arguing against videogame movies. This month’s subject was inspired by the team’s visit to the cinema to watch the Silent Hill movie (Tim and Andy liked it, Leon and Helen didn’t). This is the only time the Reader Face-Off ended in a tie, giving me a small part of Playstation history. Pretty cool, huh?
* Gaydar: Inspired by Games for Tat, Daniel Gay sends in assorted bits and bobs, including some matches, a tissue (unused, thankfully) and a receipt, in the hope of receiving a free game. He was printed, so his plan worked.
* The joke about an illuminated house-of-PS2-cases in Issue 70 gets its pay-off this month.
* There’s good news and bad news for PSP this month. The good news, the system gets a price cut and a new white version. The bad news, UMD movies are on their way out, with several film studios cancelling planned releases or abandoning the format entirely due to poor sales.
* Heracles may be more wholesome than that nasty Kratos fellow, but he’s not a patch on Best Hercules!
* I’ve highlighted good game adverts before, and some bad ones, but here I’ll highlight a mixed one: Hitman: Blood Money. The advert shows a glamorous woman with a bullet hole in her head, and the tagline ‘beautifully executed’. While this campaign was predictably controversial, it does at least get across the tone of the series as being more sophisticated than your typical shooter.

Quote of the Month: “In other words, The Warrior’s Code eats toenails.” See, I could put this in context for you, but it’s honestly funnier for me to leave you hanging, wondering just what the hell the context could possibly be.

Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 130

Issue 72 (May 2006)

                                                                   Issue 72, May 2006

Editor’s letter
       On the day Sony revealed its plans to launch across the world this November we took calls from newspapers, TV stations and radio shows. All with the same question: “What’s your reaction to the delay?” Sorry? Delay? A quick glance around the office found the team wearing party hats, high fiving each other and trying to work out the code for sparkling wine on the vending machine. Up until this point, the accepted wisdom had been that regardless of whatever happened in Japan and America, European gamers would be forced to wait, patiently drumming their fingers, until next March. So forgive us for being close to ecstatic when it turned out that wasn’t the case, and we weren’t going to have to stand in the cold with our faces pressed against the glass for four months. We celebrate this issue with a deluge of new PS3 titles, led by the mighty Smackdown VS Raw 2007. (Grapplefans, you’ve never had it so shiny.) That’s joined by the new Brothers in Arms, grisly comic adaptation The Darkness and stylish shooter Resistance: Fall of Man plus many more. And things are still looking bullish on the PS2 front. This month we’ve got the world’s first hands-on with the latest incarnation of Pro Evo, an exclusive review of riot-‘em-up Urban Chaos, plus God of War II looking sexier than an Aphrodite upskirt shot. It’s also a strong month for PSP owners, thanks to the surprisingly brilliant Daxter, a welcome price cut and the ever-expanding range of inventive things you can do with your machine – like making your own comic. All in all, then, a great time to be a man, or indeed lady, of Playstation. But you knew that already, yes?
                                                                           Tim Clark, Editor

Features
OH MY GOD! – God of War II

Embrace the Pain – WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2007

Stop! – Okami

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, what’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever worn?

Could be a Classic – This month, Steambot Chronicles. Part RPG, part mech sim, with a dash of rhythm action in there too.

A Brief History – Retrospectives of some of PS2’s most popular franchises. This month, Gran Turismo. There’s also an interview with Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of the series.

Replay – Online reviews for Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition Remix, NBA 2K6, NHL 2K6 and From Russia With Love, and what the other mags said about Tomb Raider: Legend, Guitar Hero, Fight Night Round 3 and Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams.

OPS2 Investigates – This month, Cult Fiction. Diving into the world of fan fiction, with excerpts. My favourite involves Lara Croft in a homicidal chocolate factory. Another highlight of this feature!

Endgame – Game endings. This month, Killer 7.

                                                              This month's Save Point.

Monitor
Rogue Trooper – “Some work still to do, but Rogue is coming along nicely with some great gameplay ideas. Making them all gel together is the key now. We’ll know whether this future war is worth fighting with next month’s review.” Hot

The Con – “It’ll be over in the first round if the fighting’s not fixed.” Warm

X-Men: The Official Game – “We like playing as different X-Men and The Official Game has great looks and enjoyable powers. Unfortunately, inconsistent quality between characters creates some wildly unbalanced levels, which is worrying.” Warm

Sensible Soccer – “Whether anyone will choose to buy this over PES or FIFA, particularly with its lack of licences, remains to be seen. But there’s no doubt that Sensi is shaping up to be a unique alternative.” Hot

Loco Roco – “Ignore the hyper-bright, kiddie-sweet looks. Simple controls and realistic momentum hide a deviously addictive, oddball platformer that could outweird We Heart Katamari.” Boiling

Flatout 2 – “It’s a car crash of a racer, but in a good way for once.” Hot

Lego Star Wars II – “The first game was a brilliant romp through the Lucasverse, and the sequel will benefit from even better source material. Expect the inevitable Sarlacc Pit sequence to be an absolute classic.” Meltdown

Rogue Galaxy – “The language barrier means we’ve barely scratched the surface of Rogue Galaxy. As it is, we predict it will be every bit as compelling as the excellent Dark Chronicle – ambitious in scope and scale and almost painfully pretty.” Boiling

Infected – “Chaining combos of exploding zombies? A genius idea.” Hot

PS2 Reviews
Urban Chaos: Riot Response – “Great shooting, epic set-pieces, regrettable sewer level. This is a satirical, heartfelt love letter to the kind of police force we’d like to join.” 8/10

Tourist Trophy – “Gran Turismo’s flaws plus imperfect handling make this hard to love. As a glossy bike catalogue, it’s lush. As a game, it’s not quite right.” 7/10

State of Emergency 2 – “Wildly derivative and shamelessly exploitative, SOE2 neither challenges nor entertains. Thug gaming at the very lowest level.” 3/10

Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter – “Laziness of the worst kind, this is a charmless shadow of the next-gen version. There are plenty of better shooters available on PS2.” 4/10

The Bible Game – “Hallowed be thy game? No, actually. However much you love the man upstairs, you aren’t going to like this.” 4/10

Final Fight: Streetwise – “Disposable urban nonsense. The barbaric combat may entertain for a while, but it’s not long until tedium sets in.” 5/10

Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers – “Entertaining and absorbing. This is an intelligent, testing mix of action and strategy spoilt only by its motor-mouthed characters.” 8/10

Championship Manager 2006 – “Fun at first, but quickly descends into an empty experience. The club benefactor feature is good – it’s just a shame the rest is so soulless.” 5/10

Magna Carta: Tears of Blood – “Decent blend of traditional RPG elements and innovative additions, let down by some confusing execution. Don’t touch it until you’ve clocked Dragon Quest.” 6/10

Rampage: Total Destruction – “Repetitive and dull retread of a once okay game. Even if you have £15 in your pocket and simply have to buy a new game, we strongly suggest you look elsewhere.” 4/10

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare – “Although better than Mutant Melee, this is another sub-standard beat-‘em-up that won’t test your brain, but might have you dipping your thumbs in TCP afterwards.” 3/10

SOCOM 3: US Navy SEALs – “SOCOM 3 is a schizoid game. Close to brilliant online, but very much less than offline. Whether or not to buy depends on how you play.” 7/10

Ape Escape 3 – “Not much new for Ape Escape veterans, but if you want to get a youngster a game that’s actually good, this is the monkey business.” 7/10

Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition Remix – “There’s enough here to tempt owners of the original, let alone those who blinked and missed Dub Edition on its first lap.” 8/10

Singstar Rocks! – “The name is a little misleading, but it’s still probably our favourite Singstar setlist so far. Next: Singstar Miserable Indie! please.” 8/10

Rhythmic Star – “Want some gainful employment for your Eyetoy? Then don’t even think about touching this. You’ll enjoy a single Eyetoy Play 2 mini-game infinitely more.” 3/10

Spongebob Squarepants and Friends Unite! – “We like Spongebob, but teaming him up with his Nickelodeon pals has resulted in a generic platformer with precious little originality or energy.” 4/10

Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity – “Starts off well and features some decent strategizing, but is ultimately stifled by a poor script and some uninspired character design.” 6/10

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown – “Lovely-looking if unadventurous platform fare that does the bare minimum to keep its pre-school audience quiet.” 5/10

Eagle Eye Golf – “It mightn’t be licensed but this still serves up a cracking round of golf. Time to start quaking in your over-polished Nikes, Mr Woods?” 8/10

The Ultimate Trivia Quiz – “Trivial in every sense. Still, it’ll make a nice surprise for your binman among the cat sick and cold pizza.” 2/10

PSP Reviews
Street Riders – “This is 50% racer, 50% shooter, 100% embarrassment. A cheesy, worn out take on gang culture and cars.” 5/10

Daxter – “This makes you realise how much Jak has been holding Daxter back all these years. It also shows just how good PSP gaming can get.” 9/10

NBA Ballers: Rebound – “You need to be an NBA aficionado to get the most out of Rebound, but for those who aren’t this still delivers slick and feature-packed balling.” 7/10

Monster Hunter Freedom – “It may have a pouch full of original ideas, but Freedom makes too many basic errors to be a serious PSP predator.” 6/10

Popolocrois – “It may be cuter than a kitten kissing a baby, but this offers nothing more than tired, old RPG gameplay in a world that’s custom built for younger players.” 5/10

Championship Manager 2006 – “An improvement on the version released before Christmas, CM2006 nonetheless gets repeatedly kicked in the shins by the superior Football Manager Handheld.” 6/10

PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient – “It’s no Lumines, but accept that PQ will occasionally make your blood boil and you’ll find an engaging and rewarding puzzle game.” 7/10

MX VS ATV Unleashed: On the Edge – “On the edge? Off the boil, more like. This extreme racer may be competent, but it’s about as much fun as wading through marshland in your socks.” 5/10

SOCOM US Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo – “Simplified PSP controls do dial down SOCOM’s complexity, but impressive options both on and offline make this shine.” 7/10

Gottlieb Pinball Classics – “Brilliant in short bursts and great looking to boot; only question marks about its longevity prevent Gottlieb earning a higher score.” 7/10

Armored Core: Formula Front – “With highly customisable mechs, smooth controls, and lots of really big explosions, this is great mech action on the move.” 7/10

Fight Night Round 3 – “Look beyond the somewhat crude control system and there’s plenty of life in this deep and handsome boxing game.” 7/10

World Poker Tour – “Poker makes marginally more sense in the portable format – still, no Royal Flush.” 5/10

World Series of Poker – “Being cheaper than WPT is WSOP’s only real advantage. Even so, if you want to play PSP poker, the pricier title is your best bet.” 4/10

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Hitman: Blood Money
Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast
Sonic Riders
Black
Tomb Raider: Legend
Driver: Parallel Lines
24
TOCA Race Driver 3
We Heart Katamari

Footage
Rogue Galaxy

Trivia
* As you can see if scroll down a little further, the page count is permanently reduced from 146 pages to 130 starting with this issue. There’s still 2 years left to go, but this is the first sign of the magazine slowly starting to wrap things up.
* The second sign also comes this month, and it involves the demo disc. You see, we’re now into stage 3 of the demo disc life cycle: new demos are starting to slow down as development focus shifts to Playstation 3, although there are still a decent amount of new demos for the time being. The same thing happened with the PSOne magazine, but whereas that simply had fewer demos on each disc, here we have the same amount as before, but demos stay on the disc for around 2 or 3 months before being rotated out to make room for new ones.
* The Editor’s Letter is an unfortunate time capsule, as though it wasn’t the original intention, we did end up having to wait until 2007 for PS3 in the UK anyway due to parts shortages. Not only that, but WWE had its PS3 debut delayed by a year, with WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2008 being the first one to get a PS3 release.
* Sad news this month, as after 12 years and over 100 million units sold, the PSOne is finally discontinued. On a brighter note, there is the announcement of PSOne games being playable on PS3 and PSP via downloading them from the Playstation Store. The system may die, but its games live on!
* This month’s intriguing unreleased game: Truth or Dare, an Eyetoy game aimed at a slightly older audience, with some risqué challenges and questions. It would have even remembered which players were paired together for dares and try to pair them up more often.
* Jason Rubin, co-creator of Crash Bandicoot, is mentioned as working on an independent comic called Iron and the Maiden. The name was later changed to The Iron Saint after Iron Maiden launched a copyright infringement lawsuit.
* Games that would never be made today #13: Urban Chaos: Riot Response. Why not? The potential for police brutality against the anarchist gang, the Burners wouldn’t go down at all well today. Heck, the police being the good guys may well be pushing it for some. The game has a satirical, ultra-authoritarian tone in the vein of Robocop or Starship Troopers, right down to the live-action news reports between levels. Said news reports even have their own subplot via the scrolling ticker of a bleeding-heart liberal senator running a smear campaign against the authorities in the hope that the Urban Chaos task force is dismantled before they uncover his gun-running operation – it’s basically a Republican’s wet dream! Great game, though, with plenty of originality in your ability to give orders to other emergency workers, and the inspired riot shield mechanic which offers protection at the cost of reducing your visibility if you overuse it. It’s one of my favourite lesser-known PS2 games, and you can see in it some of the elements of the Batman Arkham games. I would like it if Rocksteady got to make another non-DC game someday.

Quote of the Month: “God of War II is the kid that rocks up late to the exam, scribbles furiously for a couple of minutes and then hands his paper in saying “I’m done, dude.” And you just know the cocky bastard’s aced it.” God of War is one of those games that is effortlessly cool.

Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 130

ABC sales figures: Only a slight drop from the last six month period, likely thanks to big blockbusters such as Resident Evil 4 releasing in the second half of the year.

Jan-Jun 2005 – 133,242
Jul-Dec 2005 – 132,069 (Down 1173)

Issue 71 (April 2006)

                                                                    Issue 71, April 2006

Editor’s letter
       We make no apologies for our continued love affair with Lara, and not just because there are few girls willing to let you look at their arses for nine hours straight. However, after the last game even we thought it might be time to call it all off. (“It’s not you darling… well, actually, it is”.) Angel of Darkness stunk the joint up so bad that its developer had Lara yanked out of its calloused hands. But now she’s back, having spent the last few years recuperating in the States. Is she better? You’d better believe it. As ever, the proof is in the playing, and on this month’s DVD you can sample a sizable chunk of Lara’s latest. Tomb Raider: Legend is a glorious return to form. Short, but oh so sweet. It’s not going to reinvent adventure gaming in the way that her PSOne debut did, but what it definitely will do is restore Lara to her rightful place at gaming’s top table. More than anything, it’s just good to have her back. She’s an icon – and the world of Playstation wouldn’t be the same without her. Soppy letters to LC aside, elsewhere we examine the latest shockers heading your way, a thorough investigation into the potentially massive Da Vinci Code game and the first shots of Rainbow Six: Vegas on PS3. Elsewhere, you can prove your gaming supremacy by passing the OPS2 Diploma and meet the smallest Cockneys ever. Biggest achievement this month: writing all this without mentioning Lara’s arse once. What?
                                                                Tim Clark, Editor

Features
The OPS2 Diploma – This fiendish gaming quiz has 40 tough questions. You must answer them all correctly to earn your diploma!

Can you crack The Da Vinci Code’s brain-bending blockbusting conspiracy? – The Da Vinci Code

Want to see something really scary? –  A Horror special, including the likes of Forbidden Siren 2, Rule of Rose and the Silent Hill movie.

A-Z of Gangs of London – Gangs of London

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, what would you like to steal?

Could be a Classic – This month, PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient. Solve puzzles to discover how clever you are in real life! Or look up the answers on GameFAQs, I won’t judge. Much.

A Brief History – Retrospectives of some of PS2’s most popular franchises. This month, Silent Hill.

Replay – Online reviews for TOCA Race Driver 3, Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland, Rugby League 2 and Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max, and what the other mags said about Black, Commandos Strike Force, Project Zero 3: The Tormented and The Plan.

OPS2 Investigates – This month, OPS2 Perfect 10s. Revisiting every game to have scored a coveted 10/10 so far… as well as, for good measure, the 1/10s and Hologram Time Traveller, the only game to date to score 0/10. I promised way back in Issue 3 that there was another one, and you won’t have to wait much longer now.

Endgame – Game endings. This month, Manhunt.

                                                            This month's Save Point.

Monitor
Hitman: Blood Money – “The perfect hit is hard work. But slipping through a mission, bagging the target and getting out without anyone realising is one hell of a rush. There’s also tons of different ways to do each level.” Boiling

Flatout 2 – “Aside from the novelty of watching your driver fly through the air, this is shaping up to be a seriously speedy and satisfying racer. Sharp looks plus a wealth of modes mean there’s plenty of chassis-dinging fun.” Hot

Championship Manager 2006 – “Looks like the classic franchise is back on form.” Hot

Daxter – “Everything you’d expect from a Jak adventure, except Jak. The linear mission setup lets you explore between jobs and there’s loads of variety. And it looks great too. Seems Daxter didn’t waste his gap year.” Hot

Super Monkey Ball Adventure – “We’re embarrassingly excited about this. The visuals are strong, there’s a vast amount of modes, and even the platforming stuff sounds solid. Only a total gameplay disaster can spoil it… [kisses lucky monkey’s paw.]” Meltdown

Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble – “Total madness, and not necessarily in a good way.” Warm

Spyhunter: Nowhere to Run – “Banish all memories of previous Spyhunters to the back of your mind. Woo and the Rock are kicking, smashing and exploding new life into this once-great arcade series.” Boiling

Metal Gear Acid 2 – “Still struggling to get your head round the whole turn-based card-flipping Metal Gear thing? Get over it. This is shaping up to be quality stealth action. Get involved.” Hot

Final Fantasy XII – “The finished game will need a fighting system with more depth and strategy. Right now it’s like a playground bundle as you shout orders from the sidelines with no guarantee that anyone’s listening.” Hot

Sega Rally 2006 – “We’ll be searching for four-leaved clovers, collecting rabbit’s feet, and praying to the great oil-smeared god of racing that Sega Rally 2006 gets fixed before anyone even starts to consider releasing it here.” Tepid

PS2 Reviews
Tomb Raider: Legend – “Legend is a largely tremendous update of the classic Raider template, only let down by the short lifespan and lack of challenge.” 8/10

The Godfather – “An extremely average crime sim bolted onto a much-loved licence, this just proves that you can’t buy class. Not horrific, just freakin’ dull.” 6/10

Fight Night Round 3 – “No massive innovations, but a neat fine-tuning job confirms Fight Night as the uncontested heavyweight champion of boxing games.” 9/10

Pro Evolution Soccer Management – “A reasonable management sim that’s hindered by its parent game’s success and a glaring lack of licences. Stick with the real thing.” 6/10

Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams – “Will appeal to first timers, but the changes made will alienate many of Onimusha’s staunchest fans. A grower, but vintage ‘musha it ain’t.” 7/10

Armored Core: Nine Breaker – “As accessible as a David Lynch film dubbed into Russian and probably about half as much fun, Nine Breaker might keep mech lovers happy, but it’ll leave everyone else cold.” 4/10

The Sword of Etheria – “A playable hack-‘em-up that delivers big on colourful enemy kills, but loses out because you’re so reliant on dumbass AI teammates to aid you along the way.” 6/10

G1 Jockey 4 – “An unorthodox, immersive sports game that requires some hard graft, but will provide you with plenty of enjoyment in exchange.” 7/10

Panzer Front AUSF.B – “Substandard for a PSOne game – there’s almost zero presentation, excitement, action, graphical flourish or indeed point. We could go on, but it’s too depressing.” 2/10

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King – “Dragon Quest looks sensational, plays tightly and lasts like a marathon-running robot. Not for casuals but a hardcore delight.” 9/10

Sonic Riders – “An undercooked cartoon racer that once again blemishes the once-great Sonic name. Only the sense of speed prevents total unplayability.” 5/10

Knights of the Temple II – “With more loose ends than a fistful of hair, the missions could be tighter. But the action and exploration make this a quality budget title.” 7/10

World Series of Poker – “Another attempt to cash in on poker’s current online renaissance. But with no cash and terrible graphics it’s a bum-deal.” 5/10

Shamu’s Deep Sea Adventures – “An enjoyable underwater escapade with plenty of nice touches. It’s aimed at youngsters, but even the over-nines will get some enjoyment out of it.” 7/10

Family Board Games – “They’re called ‘board games’ for a reason – they should be played on a piece of wood, against real people – not solo on your PS2. End of.” 3/10

World Racing 2 – “World Racing 2 offers loads of cars to try out, shortcuts to find, and career options to play, but you won’t bother because the racing itself just isn’t up to scratch.” 5/10

Guitar Hero – “An absolute classic. Simple to play but hugely rewarding, challenging and entertaining like nothing else on PS2. You need this game.” 9/10

Buzz: The Big Quiz – “The PS2’s premier quiz show party game gets a decent new set of questions? That’s the right answer!” 8/10

Gene Troopers – “Rubbish. Oh, and you can’t play at all without a memory card; when you die your options are ‘reload’ or ‘return to death screen’. What? WHAT?” 3/10

Winx Club – “Impressively colourful and absolutely faithful to the TV show, there’s nothing particularly wrong about this; but the spoon-fed levels lack any serious challenge.” 6/10

Chicken Little – “Fine, if slightly soulless. The corporate sheen makes us feel queasy, but there’s no denying it’s a playable, if simple, tie-in.” 7/10

Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk – “Brilliantly average; surprisingly enjoyable flying, wrapped in a no-expense-at-all package.” 5/10

Truck Racing 2 – “A perfect recreation of the thrill-less experience that is road haulage: slow, cumbersome and ugly. Avoid this.” 2/10

PSP Reviews
Football Manager Handheld – “Slick like Ronaldinho tip-toeing his way across Camp Nou’s immaculate turf, this addictive sim gives its rivals an emphatic thrashing.” 8/10

Splinter Cell Essentials – “The classic series has been lovingly translated for PSP. It’s a great stealth fix, although you do want to switch the lights on sometimes.” 8/10

Ape Escape P – “Hideo Kojima might love it, but first-time monkey-wranglers will wonder what all the fuss is about. The original games are better.” 6/10

Samurai Warriors: State of War – “Tasty combat and a fresh strategy system make this a rare beast indeed: a Samurai Warriors game that surprises and excites.” 7/10

Mega Man Powered Up – “There’s little skill, speed or urgency to any of the platforming/shooting action – making this another ignominious entry in Mega Man’s CV.” 4/10

From Russia With Love – “It looks good, it plays good, and it does handheld multiplayer as well as anything out there. Bond and PSP make perfect bedfellows.” 8/10

Bust-a-Move Ghost – “Behind the new name and smattering of fresh features rests a creaky old game that can’t compete against its obviously-better-in-every-department rival.” 5/10

Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast – “Bright, highly polished, massively desirable and built to impress. Outrun 2006 shows the same class as the Ferraris it lets you race.” 9/10

Koloomn – “The new rotation mechanic takes some getting used to, but Koloomn proves complex, satisfying and horribly addictive. Good stuff.” 8/10

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Tomb Raider: Legend
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
FIFA Street 2
Rugby 2006
Fight Night Round 3
Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure
Suikoden Tactics

Footage
24

Trivia
* New additions to the Spy section this month include Snapped!, a section for new screenshot updates and trivia that wouldn’t quite go anywhere else, and Kerr-ching!, where readers send in the receipts of games they bought at ludicrously low prices.
* There’s also a story on an early version of Resident Evil 4, in which Leon fought hook-handed ghosts and bloody dolls in a haunted castle. This version of the game was rejected for being too much like Devil May Cry. Fittingly, Devil May Cry started out as Resident Evil 4, but was retooled into its own game for deviating too much from the standard Resi style, so this is effectively going full circle.
* Sega Rally 2006 was only released in Japan and South Korea. Maybe that scathing preview put Sega off releasing it here?
* The Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams review seems a bit too generous to me, considering that it’s mostly negative, with only the final paragraph leaning slightly more positive. Emphasis on slightly.
* Knights of the Temple II is a rarity: a budget game sequel that really is a sequel, as opposed to putting a number in the title to grasp at legitimacy (Looking at you, Anubis 2.) Go to the blog post for Issue 47, and you will find the review for the first game there. Buy them both and you too can drive the Saracens out of the Holy Land. Deus Vult!
* Francis Ford Coppola and the estate of Mario Puzo were very unhappy with The Godfather game, believing that the film was cheapened by the game. As a result, the game (and its sequel too) is considered non-canon.

                                            I imagine this was Coppola's reaction to the game.

Quote of the Month: “Balancing the speed and control correctly is difficult like finding the setting on your shower dial exactly halfway between ‘liquid nitrogen’ and ‘magma’.” It’s so frustrating having to get the shower settings just right.

Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 146

Issue 70 (March 2006)

                                                                Issue 70, March 2006

Editor’s letter
       You don’t often get a second chance in this business. (Well, that’s what HR keep telling me.) So it was with some trepidation that we took delivery of this month’s cover game Driver: Parallel Lines. After the Driv3r debacle, nothing less than a ballsy return to form would do. Our unflinching verdict starts on page 74, but of course you can also sample the game for yourself thanks to the shiny majesty of this month’s disc. For my money, Parallel Lines is a significant improvement on its predecessor – but the problem is that the open-world crime genre is now so competitive, that it inevitably struggles to feel truly special. For a real reinvention, perhaps we’ll have to wait for PS3. Which segues us nicely into this month’s ‘Phoenix from the Flames’ feature. We drew up a list of the forgotten PSOne classics we’d like to see rebirthed on next-gen. But rather than just speculating wildly, we tracked down the original development teams to find out what they wanted to see. The imminent (and long overdue) release of Dragon Quest has also forced us to rethink our position on the stats-‘n’-swords scene. From page 38 we detail the most exciting RPGs heading to PS2 in what promises to be a bumper year for orc fans. Elsewhere you’ll find exclusive reviews of Commandos Strike Force and Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast, the first ever shots of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon and hard info on Reservoir Dogs. Oh, and if you simply can’t wait, spin to page 22 where we reveal who’s really voicing Lara in Tomb Raider: Legend. (It’s not who you think.) Exclusive review and massive demo next month. We’ll call it a date, shall we?
                                                                Tim Clark, Editor

Features
We Heart RPGs – A feature on the RPGs coming to PS2 in 2006, including Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, Kingdom Hearts II, Final Fantasy XII and plenty more.

Playstation Phoenix from the Flames! – OPS2 return to some dormant PSOne franchises such as Colony Wars, Nightmare Creatures and Fear Effect to assess the possibility of a PS3 revival, as well as asking members of the original development teams how they would like to see the games use more powerful hardware. There’s even a look at some of the PS2’s more obscure games too.

First you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the women – Scarface: The World is Yours

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, what era would you most like to visit?

Could be a Classic – This month, Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked, the tie-in game to the popular anime. Cult favourite SUDA51 was involved in its development.

A Brief History – Retrospectives of some of PS2’s most popular franchises. This month, WWE.

Replay – Online reviews for Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, Ratchet: Gladiator and Star Wars Battlefront 2 and what the other mags said about 24, TOCA Race Driver 3, We Heart Katamari and Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.

OPS2 Investigates – This month, “Okay... so you want me to hang from a bridge for longer than Solid Snake?” OPS2 writer Joel Snape is tasked with a series of tests to beat PS2 characters at their own game, including carrying a body up flights of stairs, hanging from a bridge by his fingertips, and competitive pizza eating. This is one of my favourite instalments of this feature!

Endgame – Game endings. This month, all three endings for Fahrenheit.

                                                                This month's Save Point.

Monitor
Fight Night Round 3 – “The best boxing game around has gone up a level. Superior graphics, more realistic action, a bile-spitting new rivalry mode and, as if all that isn’t enough, this time it’s online.” Boiling

Field Commander – “It might sound like chess with tanks but this is compulsive, brainy stuff. Word is the game will miss its March release date, which should give time to fix the few niggles with the presentation.” Hot

Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams – “Onimusha reborn has thrown away the series’ appeal.” Tepid

Football Manager Handheld – “Sports Interactive tells us that it’s trying to make Football Manager Handheld ‘The perfect game to play while having a dump.’ If what we’ve played is anything to go by, it’s time to stock up on the Andrex.” Boiling

Splinter Cell Essentials – “This is deep, satisfying and perfectly adapted. It’s so well designed it feels like it was always meant to be this small. We haven’t been this excited about a PSP game since Liberty City Stories.” Boiling

Dance Factory – “A dance game with an unlimited track listing sounds incredible. In practice, though, we fear the PS2’s memory may be stretched too far. There’s still a little time to perfect the recognition software though…” Warm

Talkman – “Embarrassing factor aside, Talkman’s an amazing achievement and surprisingly fun to mess about on. It won’t beat a phrasebook, but we’re looking forward to having a go on the Euro version.” Hot

Ape Escape 3 – “Entertaining but familiar ape-chasing action.” Warm

Pilot Academy – “It’s always interesting to see a new genre on PSP, and Pilot Academy delivers enough variety and depth to keep planespotters sated. An injection of personality wouldn’t go amiss, though.” Warm

Urban Chaos: Riot Response – “It might have a made-for-TV feel compared to Black’s triple-A Hollywood sheen, but this is still shaping up to be a quality shooter. Its fast, rewarding gunplay and sharp looks mean you have the right to get excited.” Boiling

Yakuza – “Sega’s latest has the looks and the action to match. We’re just hoping that the game doesn’t lose any of its appeal in translation, because it could end up being a real corker.” Boiling

PS2 Reviews
Driver: Parallel Lines – “Improves on its predecessor, but still marred by frustrating design. A strong second half showing prevents it from being a write-off.” 7/10

Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast – “A handsome looking and crazily addictive arcade racer remake that’s only limited by its overly faithful take on the ‘80s original.” 8/10

Zathura – “A charmless adventure that’ll make little Jimmy more violent than a 20-hour San Andreas session. Avoid like Truth or Dare with the in-laws.” 3/10

Sega Classics Collection – “A shoddy collection of oldies that could have been so much better. It’s only rescued by Space Harrier and the still-superb Columns.” 5/10

Jacked – “The fact it’s a budget title doesn’t excuse Jacked’s dated graphics and tired gameplay. Motorbikes shouldn’t feel this tame.” 4/10

Karaoke Stage 2 – “You can probably pick up a couple of Singstars for the same price, and they let you ogle Beyonce when you’re hungover.” 6/10

Commandos Strike Force – “Commandos has greatness in its sights, but it can’t overcome the strong opposition offered by Call of Duty 2 and Black.” 7/10

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows – “Enjoyably frantic, brief and basic. Gauntlet is showing its age but still offers a decent few hours of mindless maiming.” 6/10

Drakengard 2 – “Repetitive and just plain boring, this is the gaming equivalent of writing your weekly shopping list. Put us down for some dragon burgers please…” 4/10

Devil Kings – “A poor man’s Dynasty Warriors. The hacking and slashing remains the same from the first minute in and never introduces any real variety.” 5/10

Trapt – “A kinky maiden luring unsuspecting men into her vicious trap? It’s exactly what mother warned us about, and wisely avoided.” 4/10

FIFA Street 2 – “You can produce flashier football in PES and FIFA without having to hit ten buttons. Think about that before buying Street 2.” 6/10

Rugby 2006 – “Don’t bother if you own the last edition of Rugby, but give it a try if you don’t – you’ll be scrumming like a pro in no time at all.” 7/10

Tak: The Great Juju Challenge – “This platformer should be applauded for trying something original. There’s plenty of crossover with previous Taks, and enough new features to keep the series fresh.” 7/10

Dora the Explorer: Journey to the Purple Planet – “Its flaws prevent it from being anything special, but Dora’s inoffensiveness and general charm means Mum can pick a copy for a couple of hours’ peace.” 5/10

The Plan – “A half-hearted approach, crap graphics, terrible speech and soul-destroying repetition sully what should have been a quality game.” 4/10

Project Zero 3: The Tormented – “It’s not perfect but it is creepy. The mix of investigation and scares easily outweighs the clunky controls and occasional lulls in the action.” 7/10

King of Fighters 2003 – “Up against the likes of Soul Calibur III and Tekken 5, KOF 2003 is like a pensioner furiously waving a walking stick, telling you to get away from his bins.” 4/10

Pac-Man World 3 – “Not an awful game by any means, but one totally devoid of anything to recommend it. You’d have more fun with the super-addictive original Pac-romp.” 4/10

Namco Museum 50th Anniversary – “A decent retro package for folks who like that sort of thing. 14 games is a bit stingy but at least six of them remain endlessly playable, especially the timeless Pac-Man.” 5/10

Ford Street Racing – “One of the best budget driving games available, offering comprehensive options and quality racing. You’re still better off with a second-hand Burnout, mind.” 6/10

PSP Reviews
Tokobot – “It’s good to see developers trying something new but this is more of a solid template for a sequel than a top game in its own right.” 6/10

Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max – “Swamped with characters and modes, Alpha is a fine example of how good golden oldies can be when revived in miniature.” 8/10

Mega Man X: Maverick Hunter – “Mega Man’s slow, limited range of movement and attacks make this a frustrating play that never comes close to being fun.” 4/10

Breath of Fire 3 – “An archaic yet charming RPG, Breath of Fire III is the sort of gaming popcorn that tastes plain but keeps you munching anyway.” 6/10

Exit – “A stylish puzzler, whose slightly unwieldy control system and inevitable repetition are the only minor spanners in the works.” 7/10

Lemmings – “A puzzle game that ranks alongside Bust-a-Move and Tetris, Lemmings is ideal for PSP play. One reservation? It’s an old game and should really be a budget title.” 8/10

Key of Heaven – “Key of Heaven is an action RPG with a couple of genuinely good ideas, but they’re lost in a flurry of game-hobbling annoyances.” 5/10

Frogger: Helmet Chaos – “A frustrating, repetitive adventure. The unforgiving controls are the only reason the simple action is any challenge at all.” 5/10

FIFA Street 2 – “If you’re looking for a new football game on PSP, then Street is the friendliest option. Cane it past the urban stylings, and it’s a blast.” 7/10

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Driver: Parallel Lines
We Heart Katamari
Commandos Strike Force
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Drakengard 2
The Sword of Etheria

Footage
Key of Heaven
Sly Cooper and the Gang in: Goodbye My Sweet, Part 2

Trivia
* There are two variant covers this month, one 1970’s themed cover and the other is set in the present day.
* It may have taken a while, but this month Tim Clark is finally promoted to Editor.
* A photo of PS2 spelled in game boxes is met with derision: “Why don’t you try a house of cards-style construction? But it must be at least waist high to impress us. Preferably illuminated, too.” In a later issue, a photo was sent in of exactly this.
* As well as the games mentioned earlier, the RPGs feature also includes Grandia III and Radiata Stories, two games that weren’t released in Europe, and Code Age Commanders, which never left Japan.
* Sadly, Fear Effect is to date the only dormant series from the Phoenix from the Flames feature to have since gotten a revival. Technically, Doom and Duke Nukem did as well, but those franchises were still active at the time, even if they weren’t on PS2.

Quote of the Month: “The end result feels like arriving at a sumptuous restaurant only to discover the key ingredient in the Lobster Bisque is the chef’s piss.” Was not researching the menu first part of The Plan?

Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 146

Issue 69 (February 2006)

                                                                Issue 69, February 2006

Editor’s letter
       Here’s the good news. You hold in your hands what may just be the greatest edition of Official Playstation 2 Magazine to date. Certainly, it’s the finest one since I clambered into the big chair. And the reason is a double whammy of world exclusives – 24 and Black – both reviewed first here, and both playable on your disc. Now this is just a hunch, but I’m guessing you like blowing stuff up, saving the free world and generally acting the big man. Yes? Good. This is your month. Aside from our sensational review/demo double-header, we’ve also got an embarrassment of other riches to offer. In what’s doubtless being written off as a ‘quiet news month’ (by less rigorous periodicals) our Spy section bristles with insider info. Like the first shots from Killzone: Liberation, Super Monkey Ball Adventure and The Da Vinci Code. Naturally, we’ve also got all the latest PS3 intel. This month, that means blowouts on three massive games heading to Sony’s superconsole – the resurgent Medal of Honor: Airborne, pin-sharp shooter Unreal Tournament 2007 and inspired ‘be-the-zombie’ actioner Possession. Back in the now, it’s all about the smell of showroom leather. Our motoring experts have been caning TOCA 3 for the exclusive review, and we’ve also got the first screens and impressions of Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast. (We thought you’d prefer seeing the real thing as opposed to unrepresentative arcade shots.) And the bad news? Turns out there isn’t any… Just as well, no room anyway.
                                                             Tim Clark, Associate Editor

Features
Red Ferrari, Blonde Girl, Blue Sky – Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast

Flying Without Wings – Medal of Honor: Airborne, with an interview from the game’s executive producer, Patrick Gilmore.

Space Marines… Cyber Suits… Science Fiction Guns… – Unreal Tournament 2007

Band of the Dead – Possession. This unreleased horror game had you playing as a mutant zombie that built an army of zombies to destroy a city. It sounds a bit like Prototype, but with a team-based approach instead of that game’s one-man army.

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, what are you concealing?

Could be a Classic – This month, Byte Hell 2000, a PSP party game that seems to be WarioWare with the weirdness turned up to 11. Minigames include chopping wood with an axe attached to Pinocchio’s nose, kicking footballs at UFOs and setting a baby’s head on fire. Yes, that last one’s real.

A Brief History – A new feature introduced in this issue, OPS2 look back at some of PS2’s most popular series, as the PS2 era slowly starts to wind down and focus shifts towards PS3. This month, Pro Evolution Soccer.

Replay – Online reviews for Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood, Burnout Revenge and WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2006, and what the other mags said about Shadow of the Colossus, WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2006, Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2005 Adventures and Championship Manager.

OPS2 Investigates – This month, The Top 35 UMD Movies. The cream of the film crop available to watch on PSP.

Endgame – Game endings. This month, King Kong, both the regular ending, and the unlockable Kong-friendly alternate ending.

                                                                This month's Save Point.

Monitor
Project Zero 3: The Tormented – “It may be more of the same for Project Zero 3, but since that means stylish, bowel-loosening Japan-o-horror, we’re happy. Terrified, but happy.” Hot

Jacked – “Not original but energy and a budget price helps.” Warm

Driver: Parallel Lines – “This is the Driver we used to know – less about wandering around, more speeding down back alleys. It needs some tidying up, but could be the best time-skipper since Back to the Future 2.” Hot

The Godfather – “We enjoy inhabiting The Godfather’s lavish world more than, say, True Crime: NYC, but we can’t shake the feeling that it strays too far from the source. But will anyone under 25 care?” Hot

Monster Hunter: Freedom – “It looks good. We just hope the camera gets sorted.” Hot

FIFA Street 2 – “Everything we liked about the first game is back for FIFA Street 2, with some new odds and sods strapped on for good measure. This round of arcade footy should be even more fulfilling than the last.” Hot

Jaws Unleashed – “We’ve been converted from ‘don’t mess with classics’ cynics to feeding-frenzied enthusiasts. Unleashed is original and funny – which, like the Great White, is a rare thing indeed.” Hot

Daxter – “The loss of Jak 3’s free-roaming shenanigans is a shame, but the classic-though-linear action should suit gaming on the go.” Hot

Rugby 2006 – “The Rugby franchise has always been the black sheep of EA Sports’ lineup, but times are changing. We can’t wait to give the England side a much-needed kick up the jacksie.” Hot

Aeon Flux – “We thought the tide was turning for movie tie-ins. Unfortunately, so far, this is generic, unimaginative combat vaguely inspired by the film. Which we now also assume to be pump.” Tepid

Tokobot – “The teamwork mechanic is promising. If the later challenges provide a decent test and your robots develop a flexible set of skills then this could be a very imaginative and different puzzler.” Hot

PS2 Reviews
24 – “No doubt about it, 24: The Game has flaws. That said, it’s a quality recreation of the show and is lots of fun to play.” 8/10

Black – “Black is what all shooters should be. An all-out assault on the senses. You can’t afford to miss out.” 10/10

TOCA Race Driver 3 – “When it comes to realism, TOCA is now hot on Gran Turismo’s heels. As for variety, accessibility and heart, it’s already way ahead.” 9/10

Ico – “Persevere to the bittersweet conclusion and Sony’s uniquely atmospheric puzzle adventure will hold a place in your heart forever.” 9/10

Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life – “Ripe with early frustration, but put in a bit of hard work and Harvest Moon does deliver a bumper crop of fun.” 7/10

Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana – “A cookie-cutter RPG lifted by characterisation and sustained exploration vibe, but hurt by sub-PSOne visuals.” 6/10

Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends – “Same old Dynasty Warriors. New modes can’t disguise the almost criminal lack of progress in this hack-‘n’-slash relic.” 4/10

Torino 2006 – “Without any surprise inclusions – where’s the ‘naked luge’ event? – this is just a standard set of okay-ish winter sports.” 5/10

Rugby League 2 – “PS2 is still lacking a perfect rugby sim, but look past the crude graphics and this is a decent piece of egg-shaped action.” 6/10

Guilty Gear Isuka – “An honest stab at genuine change which, unfortunately, dilutes what Guilty Gear does best but should still appeal to die-hards at this bargain price.” 6/10

Suikoden Tactics – “Some nice ideas that could have made this effort stand out from the crowd were it not so chock-full of cliche.” 6/10

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness – “Ambitious gameplay is marred by lazy design, leaving this wallowing in mere decency when it could have been devilishly enjoyable.” 7/10

Flow: Urban Dance Uprising – “Literally minutes of entertainment. There’s nothing really wrong with it but matching symbols feels more like a medical reaction test rather than a must-play game.” 5/10

Gaelic Games: Football – “You’d have more fun trying to play the sport for real while handcuffed and blindfolded than you will here. Avoid it like The Corrs.” 2/10

Metal Slug 5 – “Not big, but quite clever – this is ‘classic’ gaming at its best, but tarnished slightly by the decision to help us all complete it so quickly.” 7/10

Samurai Shodown V – “An apparently faithful port of the arcade version, which says a lot about why arcades are dying on their arse.” 2/10

We Heart Katamari – “A genius piece of eccentric gaming that’s a hair’s breadth from being indispensable. Utterly entertaining from start to finish.” 8/10

Urban Reign – “Apparently, monks chant the same phrase hundreds of times to reach a meditative state. This is like that, but with punching.” 6/10

Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure – “This is a baseball bat in the face of anyone who reckons original games are dead. Buy it and unleash the Rolf Harris in you.” 8/10

PSP Reviews
King Kong – “An ambitious attempt to shoehorn the epic PS2 game into the PSP, ruined by editing, unfriendly controls and gloomy graphics.” 5/10

Prince of Persia: Revelations – “Abundant faults make it impossible to recommend this over the original. Save your money and get Warrior Within second-hand on PS2 instead.” 6/10

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Black
24
Shadow of the Colossus
Ico
Fahrenheit

Trivia
* New team member Andy Hartup joins this month.
* This issue has three variant covers. Mine has a group shot of the CTU team, while the other two show Jack Bauer alone.
* On the letters page, someone asks “When, if ever, will there be a game released based on animals in war?” Worms and Hogs of War come to mind. There’s also a pretty sad letter from someone suffering with game addiction, which is having a negative effect on their relationships and employment.
* Two re-reviews this month. First up, Ico, which is due to the game being reissued to tie in with its spiritual successor, Shadow of the Colossus. Second is Guilty Gear Isuka, but I don’t know why this is re-reviewed.
* Considering Rolf Harris is better known nowadays as a disgraced sex offender than as a renaissance man with talents as varied as art, music and TV presenting, that Marc Ecko review quote really hasn’t aged well.
* The Pro Evo retrospective has a section dedicated to commentator quotes. They’re all rubbish, and therefore brilliant. In case you’re wondering why one of these isn’t Quote of the Month, there were so many great choices that it didn’t feel right singling one out, and I knew I would regret not going with another one if I did.

Quote of the Month: “Limonka!” This is what the enemies in Black yell when you throw a grenade at them.

Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 146