Official Xbox Magazine 02 5c6k60

OFFICIAL. PLAYABLE. FIRST! THE ULTIMATE BUYER’S GUIDE

EVERY XBOX GAME RATED

Official Xbox Magazine

TOTAL REALISM The next wave of Xbox games deliver on the promise

1 2 3 4

LORD

ONLY ON

XBOX

AND ONLY IN THIS MAGAZINE!

Test Drive Maximum Chase Enclave Malice and we deliver the stunning details

OF THE

RINGS

The movie rocks... The game is even better!

SAVE

61 HOURS!

SKIP STRAIGHT TO THE GOOD STUFF WITHOUT ALL THE WORK

XBOX ONLINE IT'S COMING,

ARE YOU READY?

February 2002 Issue #3

$7.99US $9.99CAN

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Contents

10 First Look Eye-bleeding detail on the hottest new games

66 Reviews

If you buy a game before reading our reviews, then we can’t be held responsible.

prepared just the way you like ‘em.

10

TRANSWORLD SNOWBOARDING

12

TEST DRIVE

66 68 70 73 74 75 76 78 80

Some fresh powder on the mountain of Xbox snowboarding games. Muscle cars and cop chases take to the streets of Xbox.

16 All Access

Xbox online: what we know so far ■ Ode to a tree ■ Visible panty lines ■ Robot/Monkey love ■ Defending the Xbox ■ Cable guy ■ and more!

Features

82 Extended Play

30 FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

Middle Earth, brought to you by the power of Xbox. See Tolkien’s vision come to beautifully bump-mapped three-dimensional life.

Letters, dirty cheats, useful tips, and reader rants.

82 AN ODD STRATEGY

40 A LONELY GAMER’S GUIDE TO LAN GAMING

Find the Fuzzles, find the Scrubs, and get good Quarma.

The most fun you’ll ever have with an Xbox.

84 TONY TIPS

46 Previews How about seven of the biggest, most detailed

An exclusive Xbox strategy for the Xboxexclusive levels.

84 DIRTY CHEATS

previews in the history of previews?

46 MAXIMUM CHASE 51

91

Minimum jaggies. Car chases, big explosions – what else do you want?

MALICE: KAT’S TALE

RING-TASTIC! LORD OF THE RINGS

Six exclusive demos, tons of video features, and our best disc ever!

96 What, That’s It?

The Xbox answer to Rogue Leader 2. Or you might be more familiar with it as International Superstar Soccer.

Six packed pages on the Tolkien-based RPG that’s set to storm the Xbox. Page 30

The richest man in the world steps up to the ridiculously tough 10 Ridiculously Tough Questions... can he make the grade? The only way to find out is to read it... so, read it already.

64 HUNTER: THE RECKONING

Issue 03

Prove you are the best Xbox gamer in the world. If you can.

94 ON THE DISC

Some more juicy details on one of the best-looking Xbox games.

63 ESPN MLS: EXTRA TIME

Official Xbox Magazine

THE XBOX CHALLENGE

You’ve got questions... we make up some answers.

60 YAGER

Official

Codes that are guaranteed to make your life more complete.

92 BAG O’ MAIL

A touching tale of a little girl and her very large hammer.

54 ENCLAVE

04

Max Payne Mad Dash Racing Batman Vengeance MX 2002 Featuring Ricky Carmichael Azurik: Rise of Perathia NBA Live 2002 F1 2001 Star Wars Obi-Wan Review Haiku

We reckon you’ll be interested in this zombie-killing gore-fest.

GameFinder

Having trouble reading left to right? Quickly zip directly to your game of choice: 80, 86 80, 90 80, 89 80, 94 74, 94 70 21 26 80 80, 86 80, 84 26, 80 54 63 76 80 80 64 26, 80 68, 94 80 51 66 46 24 73 26 26

4X4 EVO 2 Amped Arctic Thunder Air Force Delta Storm Azurik: Rise of Perathia Batman Vengeance Blood Wake Brute Force Cel Damage Dark Summit Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 Dead or Alive 3 Enclave ESPN MLS: Extra Time F1 2001 Fuzion Frenzy Halo Hunter: The Reckoning Kabuki Warriors Mad Dash Racing Madden 2002 Malice: Kat’s Tale Max Payne Maximum Chase Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing MX 2002 Featuring Ricky Carmichael NBA2K2 NBA Inside Drive

75 24 80, 80 80, 80, 80, 26, 18 20 80 21 80 26, 22 78 80 18 22 12 80 80 80, 10 80 20 22 60

89, 94 94 86 94 82

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NBA Live 2002 NFL2K2 NFL Fever 2002 NHL 2002 NHL Hitz 20-02 NASCAR Heat NASCAR Thunder 2002 Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee Pirates: LOBK Pro Race Driver Project Gotham Racing SSX Tricky Shrek Silent Hill 2 Soul Calibur 2 Star Wars Obi-Wan Star Wars Starfighter SE Street Hoops SWAT Test Drive Test Drive Off Road The Simpsons Road Rage Tony Hawk 2x TW Snowboarding TW Surf WWF Raw is War Wreckless Yager

Publisher’s statement: Official Xbox Magazine (ISSN 1534-7850) is published monthly by Imagine Media, Inc., 150 North Hill Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005. Application to mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is pending at Brisbane CA and additional mailing offices. Newsstand distribution is handled by the Curtis Circulation Company. Subscriptions: One year basic rate (12 issues + 12 game discs): US: $39.95; Canada $49.95; Foreign: $69.95. Canadian and foreign orders must be pre-paid, US funds only. Canadian price includes postage and GST (GST# R128220688). POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Official Xbox Magazine, P.O. Box 5156, Harlan, IA 51593-0656. Printed in the United States. Ride-along enclosure in the following edition(s): C1, D1, D2.

Magazine

February 2002

MAXIMUM CHASE PREVIEW

VROOM Page 46

MEOW MALICE The first Xbox game ever shown to the public makes a triumphant return to the mighty Xbox. Page 51

■ ABSOLUTE, UNDENIABLE, SCIENTIFIC FACT: According to an independent study, reading the bottoms of magazine pages makes you 33.3% smarter.

RATED!

REVIEW BONANZA

How about a review of every single Xbox game ever made... so far. Page 66

PLUG IT IN!

TASTE XBOX ONLINE Make friends, play games. Page 16

■ MAGAZINE MEMO: As much as I appreciate you buying me, I have a few requests. Would you please stop rolling me up and taking me to the bathroom. It hurts my spine and tarnishes my new-magazine smell. Thanks, Magazine #250,123.

N

BEAT ’EM DOW

TIPS & TRICKS Be a better gamer. Page 82 February 2002

Official

Magazine

05

Editor’s Letter It was almost a sonnet

To compete is divine � And it’s more fun online

Games are all about competition. Ever since cavemen created Rock, Flat Rock, Pointy Rock (now known as Rock, Paper, Scissors), humans have been playing games and competing. In this sense the Xbox certainly isn’t inventing something new, it’s just perfecting it. Unlike any system before it, the Xbox is built for competition. Every single unit comes with four controller ports and includes a LAN connection for multiplayer gaming. And that’s just the start. Before long, you’ll be playing Xbox games online in a way that you’ve never seen before. And that’s where things get interesting. See, in the past, consoles were made for “social competition,” which is a bunch of people sitting in front of a TV shouting obscenities and using elbows for competitive advantage. Meanwhile, PCs were for “solo competition,” which is one person logging on anonymously and playing against anyone in the world while eating Chili Cheese Fritos, Funyuns, and Corn Nuts without fear of social ostracism. Of course, both scenarios have their weaknesses. It’s not always practical to gather four people together, and you just can’t capture the same sense of shared social experience via short bursts of typing on your PC. On the Xbox, we just might have the best of both worlds. Because the system is built for broadband connections and all online games will the Xbox Communicator, you’ll enjoy the party-atmosphere gaming without forsaking the Funyuns. So. We’ve got the first official details of the biggest revolution since the advent of 3D on page 16 – read for yourself why it is shaping up to forever change the way we play games. But why wait for the experience when you can get a taste of the future right now with our in-depth (and tragic) tale of the most fun you’ll ever have with your Xbox (our feature on LAN parties, page 40)? Trust me, until you’ve played four-on-four Halo over a LAN, you haven’t experienced the Xbox at its best. Also, to celebrate the glory of competition (and the agony of defeat), we’ve launched a brand-new section of the magazine called Challenges where we aim to determine who’s the best Xbox gamer in the world. : it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game... and who you play it with.

Issue 03 � February, 2002 WORDS AND PICTURES Mike Salmon � Editor-in-Chief Frank O’Connor � Executive Editor Sarah Ellerman � Managing Editor Dan Egger � Features Editor sca Reyes � Senior Editor Dave Rees � DVD Editor Mike Wilmoth � Art Director Juliann Brown � Associate Art Director Editorial Contributors: William Harms, Steve Klett, Noah Massey, Christian Nutt, Chuck Osborn, Jim Preston, George Shaheen, Rob Smolka Contributing Art & Photography: Corbis

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS Karen Quilantang � Publisher [email protected] David Barrow

� Global Brand Manager [email protected]

Stacy Bremmer

� National Sales Manager [email protected]

Michelle Torrey

� Sales Consultant [email protected]

Anika Cunningham � Marketing Manager [email protected] Megan Fischer

Meet the team

Frank O’Connor

Mike Salmon What was your first car? An upside-down convertible Honda Civic. It was a 1977 rust-colored hatchback. The doors froze both shut and open – democratic, in a way. I once got locked inside it in my own parking lot. What was your first accident? I was hit by a driverless truck – no, not a haunted truck with a ghost driver, just an empty truck that slipped gear. Once, I crashed my car while dressed as a Road Warrior. I had shoulder pads and feathers and spikes. They asked if I was drunk – I said yes because I didn’t want to it I dressed that way sober.

[email protected]

Dan Egger

managing editor

What was your first car? A 1991 Audi 90. I bought it used, but it was super-reliable and I loved it dearly. My girlfriend hated it. She said it smelled of decay and evil. It had leather everything, and power everything. Even the leather was powered. What was your first accident? That beautiful Audi, I called it Howdy Audi, was smashed to bits by a Pacific Gas and Electricity truck. They itted responsibility, but they were going bankrupt at the time and they’ve yet to pay my deductible. I now have a Mazda Protege.

[email protected]

sca Reyes

features editor

[email protected]

What was your first car? A 1982 Honda Civic hatchback. Apparently there were a lot of them. It was super-reliable, and I would still be driving it to this day if it weren’t for the following story... What was your first accident? ...My first and only accident – I was in high school when I found out why it’s illegal to make a U-Turn on certain residential streets. I was instantly broadsided by a Plymouth Voyager, which as it turns out has the same kind of displacement as the USS Nimitz. The Civic was toast.

[email protected]

What was your first car? It was a 1967 turquoise Camaro. There is a lot of Camaro-talk in this issue, but this one didn’t have a spoiler, so chill. The interior was snow white and it got dirty really easy. The seat was so reclined that to this day I have to set my seats waaaay back so I look super-chillaxed. I miss that Camaro. What was your first accident? I wasn’t in the car. Does that count? Some drunk woman drove into my car and three others. I was sitting on the hood of one of the cars and I was knocked off by the booze-fuelled loser.

[email protected]

Magazine

[email protected] jitney pilot

What was your first car? A 1982 Cheverolet Citation. It was gold-colored. I lost two transmissions on that car, both on the highway, both with disastrous results. I once let the brakes go down so low that I ground the rotors to dust. It cost my father a lot of money. I knew for months that I should do something, but never got around to it. What was your first accident? I was waiting at a red light and a guy smashed into me from behind. Car was totalled, I got loads of cash and bought a Mazda MX6.

[email protected]

February 2002

What was your first car? A 1973 Chevy Vega. It had a big white racing stripe down the center, and since the engine block was aluminum, it got literally bent out of shape and would spew oil like Old Faithful at a bulimia retreat. I had to carry around quarts of oil in the trunk for two years. I’d pull over once a week and top that baby up so she didn’t seize on me and fly apart in a ball of flames. What was your first accident? I am immensely proud to say that I have never been in an accident. Touch wood.

Grandma Dixie

DVD editor

associate art director

PRODUCTION Richie Lesovoy � Production Director Jose Urrutia � Production Coordinator CIRCULATION Kate Bailey Mimi Hall Peggy Mores Mary Nicklin

� � � �

Group Circulation Director Newsstand Marketing Manager Fulfillment Manager Direct Marketing Specialist

INTERNATIONAL LICENSING Simon Wear � Int’l Licensing Manager [email protected] art director

Dave Rees

Juliann Brown

What was your first car? A Mitsubishi Cordia. I ruined it because I didn’t know just how important that oil warning light really is. That was my first and last car. Since then, I have relied on the kindness of strangers. I am currently driving a borrowed Camry. (Thanks, Lara.) What was your first accident? Somebody drove into me while rubbernecking another accident, one of the stupidest acts in the whole of humanity. I wasn’t injured, but the lady’s door was jammed and her car burst into flames. I tried to save her but she didn’t need saving.

Mike Wilmoth

senior editor

What was your first car? A Dodge D50 pick-up named Babe. It lasted me all the way through college. I drove Babe across the US twice, and then the engine caught fire one day after a trans-America trip. I was going to the store to buy biscuits and Red Hots. What was your first accident? The very first time I ever drove Babe, I did a 720 (before it was trendy) in the middle of a rainy street. Knocked two tires off the rims when I hit the curb. My friend yelled the now-famous line, “This is it!” in his girliest voice. His name is John.

Official

Sarah Ellerman

executive editor

editor-in-chief

08

Meet our team of elite drivers – fast, furious and a little bi-curious. Curious about bi-cycles, that is.

� Ad. Services Manager [email protected]

What was your first car? My first ride was a bitchin’ 1887 Packard-Victoria Velociprude Steam Jitney. She may not have been the lightest car on the block, but her sheer mass meant that nobody short of an express train would dare mess with Grandma Dixie during her drag-racing years. What was your first accident? I once rear-ended Oscar Wilde outside the Baltimore Opera House. That was the historic day that “The Finger” was invented. By me. Oscar Wilde was speechless for the first time ever.

Write a nice old-fashioned paper letter.

� CAR, 5:1: The world’s first Dolby Surround Pro Logic system for a car, a Volvo, was launched at the Detroit Motor Show in 1997. It was phat.

IMAGINE MEDIA, INC. 150 North Hill Drive Brisbane, CA 94005 Imagine Media is a part of THE FUTURE NETWORK PLC. Greg Ingham Jonathan Simpson-Bint Matt Firme Tom Valentino Holly Klingel Steve Leibman Charles Schug

� � � � � � �

Worldwide CEO President VP/Editorial Director VP/CFO VP/Circulation VP/Human Resources General Counsel

THE FUTURE NETWORK 30 Monmouth Street Bath, BA1 2BW, United Kingdom + 44 1225 442244 www.thefuturenetwork.plc.uk The Future Network plc serves the information needs of groups of people who share a ion. We aim to satisfy their ion by creating magazines and websites that offer superb value for money, trustworthy information, multiple ways to save time and money, and are a pleasure to read or visit. This simple strategy has helped create one of the fastest-growing media companies in the world: we publish more than 100 magazines, 20 magazine websites, and a number of web networks from offices in four countries. The company also licenses 42 magazines in 30 countries. The Future Network is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FNET).

MEDIA WITH ION San Francisco, London, Bath, Milan, Paris

First Look

Official Xbox

First Look

magazine

Vicarious Vertigo

MASTER THE MOUNTAIN DEVELOPER: Housemarque PUBLISHER: Infogrames

RELEASE DATE: Q2 2002

TransWorld

Snowboarding

The daily grind takes on a whole new meaning... Vertiginous views, and the biggest drawdistance ever!

Strap on your board, pick a mountain, and make it your bee-otch!

■ If you thought Microsoft’s Amped drew a lot of the mountain, prepare to gasp.

Cool boarders The game will include the accurate likenesses of hot boarder pros including Tina Basich, Barrett Christy, Andrew Crawford, Kevin Jones, Peter Line, Jussi Oksanen, Todd Richards, Willie Yli-Luoma, and lots more.

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Official

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February 2002

■ HOUSEMARQUE NOMENCLATURE: The name Housemarque is a mangling of two smaller company names, Bloodhouse and Terramarque. They merged (in Finland) in 1995.

T

ransWorld Surfing showed that you can do a surfing game successfully, and that the Xbox makes it a little easier to do. TransWorld Snowboarding is about to show us that you can make snow look both powdery and cold, while simultaneously rendering the most expansive mountainscapes the sport has ever seen. TransWorld might be the franchise to watch. Fully licensed and featuring top-ranked snowboarders from around the world, TransWorld is definitely authentic-looking in term of boarders, clothes, and lifestyle – but it’s the in-game graphics that sent chills down our spine. With bump-mapped snow, for Xbox high-resolution modes, and gape-jawed expanses of mountain rendered so far into the distance you’ll need air miles to play through it, TransWorld Snowboarding is a looker. The game has been designed from the get-go with Xbox and its immense graphical power in mind, and that means full-scene anti-aliasing and particle effects – and let’s face it, very few sports demand particle effects quite like snowboarding does, since it’s all about powder in the first place. Housemarque, however, promises that it’s gameplay you’ll be writing home about. Twenty massive multi-tiered locations that span the globe should keep you busy, while modes including Free Ride, FreeStyle, Straight Jump, Pipe, Boarder X (yes!), and the ubiquitous Career mode extend the longevity and variety. And it wouldn’t be a game if there weren’t secret levels to unlock. A fourplayer split-screen mode doesn’t hurt either. A cute extra that’s become a trademark of the TransWorld license is the inclusion of a photographer. Do something especially cool while he’s watching and snap! You make it to the cover of the magazine, although nobody will recognize you behind your licensed duds and shades from extreme trendsetters Oakley, Hurley, and Quicksilver.

You’ll be treated to gape-jawed expanses of mountain rendered so far into the distance that you’ll need air miles just to play through the game.

■ Since the advent of Tony Hawk, every game in this vein has included modified grab tricks. TransWorld is no exception.

COMING SOON... Next month, we’ll give you more in-depth coverage of what promises already to be an Amped-busting, SSX-smacking snowboarding odyssey.

■ THE PONG OF POWER: TransWorld Snowboarding’s magazine HQ has a ping-pong table, but the sport is banned except during the noon hour, thanks to a crotchety manager. So much for the radical lifestyle of a magazine editor.

February 2002

Official

Magazine

11

First Look

Official Xbox

First Look

magazine

San Francisco daze

DRIVING THIS CRAZY DEVELOPER: Pitbull Syndicate

Test Drive PUBLISHER: Infogrames

Although this is the fastest way to get to the Marina, we should say that this Frisco street is one-way in real life.

RELEASE DATE: Q2 2002

What’s your poison? Muscle car? Supercar or highly-tuned import?

Old or new? Not only can you tool around town in a chopped, lowered, channeled, and grooved GTO, you can also zip around in a tweaked Nissan Skyline GTR. Supercar more your speed? Take your pick from the latest exotic F1-derived monstrosities.

■ The Golden Gate Bridge, completely missing in Project Gotham, is here in all its glory.

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Official

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February 2002

■ Wind and weather make driving conditions treacherous.

■ GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE CLUB: Here’s a fascinating fact – on weekends, the western side of the bridge is open to bicyclists, but during the week, it’s only for pedestrians. Why? The view to the East is prettier.

■ Being chased by cops is a Test Drive tradition, present since the first horrible-looking monstrosity chugged along on the Commodore Amiga.

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est Drive is an old franchise and an oldfashioned racing game, plain and simple. It doesn’t sport a futuristic look or a massively ambitious off-road setting. The game simply plops you down in an urban landscape and asks you to race your heart out. Although the game won’t have the encyclopedic selection of cars found in Gran Turismo 3 (PS2), there will be plenty of vehicles to choose from, including everything from the meat and muscle of the Dodge Viper GTS to the technology showcase that is the Lotus Esprit V8. Classics like the Ford Mustang or the muscle-car powerhouse Plymouth ’Cuda will keep hot-rod fans happy. While Europhiles can cruise around in the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage or the Jaguar XK-R. And of course it wouldn’t be a racing game without a Nissan Skyline. The game will feature at least four cities, including San Francisco and London, so naturally comparisons will be made with Project Gotham, but there the similarities cease (well, apart from the driving and the vehicles that is). This is classic Test Drive, and that means shortcuts, cop chases, and big wrecks. Graphically, the game has been given a very clean, sharp look. It includes not only huge draw distances, but detailed niceties like animated drivers. Texture maps are so far every bit as good as those in Gotham, and weather effects beef things up visually. The fact that the cities are pretty densely populated with cars and trucks also ups the ante – this is no Wreckless, but it’s too busy for comfort at speeds in excess of 130mph. The plot, which is some bunk about a Fast and the Furious-style underground racing league (Surely you mean Cannonball Run, sonny – Ed.) takes a back seat to the ultra-quick, stunt-filled arcade gameplay. This is not a simulation.

Cities are populated with trucks, autos, buses, and cop cars –this is no Wreckless, but it’s too busy for comfort at speeds in excess of 130mph

COMING SOON... We’re working on getting a playable demo on the disc in two months’ time, but next month we’ll be all with the big in-depth preview. Because we love you. You and pie.

■ SKY HIGH: The legendary Nissan Skyline will finally go on sale in the US in 2002, but sadly it looks like the monkeys in charge will call it an Infiniti and remove the Skyline branding. The auto press’ complaints may change that, though.

February 2002

Official

Magazine

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All Access Connecting you to the world of Xbox

Cable guy

Want to get the most out of your Xbox? Without the right cable, you’re screwed.

24 Defending the Xbox Tired of PS2 fanboys ripping on your box?

In The News

20

Xbox online

How will it work? When will it happen? Why should you care?

18 GameWatch

If it’s a game and it’s on the Xbox, you’ll know about it. 16

Official

Magazine

February 2002

All Access

Ominous Online Overtures

Xbox Communicator OTHER USES

What else can this little headset do? Well, we’ve heard some rumors, and then we made some things up…

F

rom the ground up, the Xbox was designed to deliver the ultimate gaming experience, and the final piece of the puzzle will fall into place when Microsoft launches its broadband-only gaming network this summer. The service will only be available in the U.S.; there are currently no official plans to extend it to other parts of the world. When the as-yet-unnamedservice launches (for the sake of this article, we’re going to call it Xbox Online), there should be five to six games available. By the 2002 holiday season, there should be 15-20 games available, such as the only confirmed titles Ghost Recon and Unreal Championship. In addition, all games that are designed for use on Xbox Online will be required to include for Microsoft’s Xbox Communicator voice software and hardware. Microsoft is currently working on the infrastructure required to such a service, although you should still be able to use your current broadband provider. No details regarding possible partnerships are currently available, but according to J. Allard, the General Manager of the Xbox, Microsoft has more people working on the creation and of Xbox Online than they had working on the development of the Xbox itself. And since Xbox Online will be broadband only, it will be able to offer a host of services and benefits that would never be possible with narrowband connections. As Allard explains it, Xbox Online could be structured like DirecTV, where subscribers get basic services for a flat fee (the fee structure hasn’t been announced, but we’re guessing it will be somewhere between ten

■ INTO THE ETHER: Although you’d think that Microsoft’s System Link Cable is just an Ethernet cord, it is in fact what’s known as a crossover cable, where the pin outs twist to reverse for Null-Modem stuff. Yes, it’s complicated.

Voice control – Use your mouth to move, shoot, and duck in game. Perfect for the handless gamer or those with inexcusably inept hand-eye coordination.

One of the most unusual and exciting details of Microsoft’s Xbox Online strategy is that the company requires that all online games the Xbox Communicator. This means that you’ll be able to talk to opposing players and teammates while playing, no matter where they are. Imagine telling a teammate to cover you in Ghost Recon, taunting a fallen opponent in Unreal Championship, or calling for an open in a basketball game. It’s a simple peripheral, but because every online game will it, it could drastically change online gaming.

and fifteen dollars a month), and they can add additional packages for a fee. For example, EA Sports might run a sports channel and Microsoft could do revenue sharing with EA for the profit generated by that channel. In addition to offering genrespecific channels, Microsoft is promising many other services, including episodic games, addons, and able content for existing games (like extra cars in a racing game), which can be saved directly to the Xbox’s hard-drive. There will also be

Voice modulation – Software allows you to change your voice on the fly. Presumably this is designed for those of us with a voice for TV and a face for radio and is also a protection against creepy stalker-types who like to hear the innocent voices of children. Our bet is that the James Earl Jones and Arnold Schwarzenegger modulations will be an instant hit – and annoying as hell after one week. Chat rooms – Pregame boasting and post-game taunting take on an entirely new realm when you are able to hear the screechy 13-year-old voice of the little punk who just killed you 45 separate times. Voice codes – Say the right thing during a game and unlock a special bonus. Just listening to people trying to guess the code would be hilarious.

matchmaking services and instant messaging that will take place directly within a game and could all be done by voice using the Xbox Communicator. To keep things simple, all services and features will be accessible with the controller or the Xbox Communicator – no need for clumsy virtual keyboards. One of the largest hurdles facing Microsoft is the broadband industry itself. Although Jupiter Research has estimated that broadband will be in 10 million US households by the end of

Sega chats up

Xbox Online US: Is it possible for both console makers and third-party developers to make money with online gaming? HIM: There are a host of different business models that we expect will be explored by both console makers and developers when it comes to the online console-gaming market over the next year. A few of those scenarios could include an enclosed network run by the

2001, the industry is suffering tough fiscal times and Microsoft could find the going hard. The broadband industry’s woes could translate into slower growth for Xbox Online, and force Microsoft to spend money just to keep broadband providers above water. Additional revenue could be generated by online events, such as basketball tournaments complete with sponsors. There is also talk of creating Xbox units that have a cable TV attachment. that could serve as both game system and cable box, which would open up yet another opportunity for Microsoft – but this isn’t a confirmed plan, just another possibility. Microsoft is determined to stay the course and make Xbox Online a long-standing reality. This attitude is reinforced by Allard, who says, “Online gaming is the next 3D. People no longer ask if games are going to be 3D, they simply assume that they will be. The same will be the case with online; it will be assumed that every game can be played online.”

Microsoft isn’t the only console maker with online plans... here’s what the other guys are doing:

PlayStation2

Sony is still planning to release a hybrid 56K modem and network adapter for $40 in the spring of 2002 (keep in mind, though, that they’ve delayed the device several times already). The company has inked a deal with AOL to be the service provider for both dial-up and broadband service. A special version of Netscape will be the browser. The good: The combination of a narrowband and broadband modem will be able to reach a large number of gamers. The bad: Peripherals are lucky if they sell up to five percent of the installed base, so don’t expect widespread game . Plus, the hybrid nature of the modem makes it difficult for developers to tap into its full potential, and you’ll need another $100 or so for the hard-drive add-on if you want what the Xbox already has built in.

GameCube

Nintendo has been rather standoffish lately about its plans for GameCube online . Although both broadband and narrowband modems have been built for the console, Nintendo is adamant that the company will only jump into the online arena when “the market is ready.” In non-PR , that means “when they can make a profit online.” The good: Nintendo has officially stated that it has online games in development already. The bad: Nintendo doesn’t seem to be nearly as ambitious as either Microsoft or Sony with its online plans; there are no plans for a hard-drive; and we’ve waited in vain for Nintendo to deliver before ( the 64DD?).

Gaming online… what can we expect?

■ Shoot, chat, all online in 2002.

Playing a game like Ghost Recon online is as natural as falling off of a log, but what other kind of games can we expect to see? Naturally, racing and other action games will make up a large part of the online catalog, along with persistent world games. However, the area where things could really get interesting is with sports games. Imagine playing a football or basketball game where every player on the team is controlled by a real person, and with another person acting as the coach, calling in plays and substituting players. Of course, it would suck to get benched in an online game, but the prize money possible in sponsored tournaments would make up for the shame.

With the Dreamcast, Sega became the first console maker to offer gamers for online gaming with a built-in modem. Unfortunately, the company was a bit ahead of its time and has since turned its focus to

hardware manufacturer where thirdparty games are hosted for a monthly fee. Other scenarios may be associated with the number of games available as part of an online gaming package or one-time offerings like tournaments. Given Sega’s history and experience in online console gaming, you can expect that we intend to be an integral part in continuing to shape this part of the industry. US: Do you believe in Microsoft’s broadband-only strategy?

The other guys

third-party development... including online titles for the Xbox. We talked with Charles Bellfield, VP of Strategic Planning for Sega of America, about Microsoft’s online plans for the Xbox.

HIM: As you know, the percentage of households that currently have access to broadband is extremely low, which is why we opted to go with a narrowband solution with Dreamcast and our SegaNet offering. We have proven that you can indeed have a great gameplay experience with narrowband. However, we all know that the future of gaming is broadband. It will probably take a while for broadband gaming to catch on, mainly because of the infrastructure. However, once it does take off, we believe the possibilities will be endless.

■ BATS IN THE BELFRY: Before his long stint at Sega, the buttery-smooth Charles Bellfield worked at NEC’s Power VR graphics division – developer of the Dreamcast’s graphics chip.

February 2002

Us: What single lesson did you learn about online gaming on the Dreamcast that you could along to Microsoft today? HIM: Gaming, whether online or offline, is always about the experience. The biggest challenge for any company is to find a business model that can be profitable while at the same time delivering a new and exciting experience to gamers.

Official

Magazine

17

All Access

Music, monkeys, and maritime marauders...

A bit of the old

And in this corner...

The news: Microsoft and the World Wrestling Federation have signed a marketing deal to promote the Xbox during WWF TV, pay per views, live events, and Internet sites. The deal will make the Xbox a major focus of the WWF marketing machine through March of 2002. Why it’s important: The WWF and Xbox both share the same key market demographic, and Microsoft wants to target the wrestling group’s young, male fans. The Official Xbox Magazine take: It was disconcerting watching The Rock and Bill Gates together at the Xbox introduction and the Xbox launch... guess we’d better get used to it.

this and that

If it’s important to the Xbox, you’ll read it here: Jacques is bacque

The news: Videogame composer Richard Jacques, who has scored games such as Headhunter, MSR, and Jet Set Radio, has signed on to make three tracks for Jet Set Radio Future. Jacques was formerly a composer/sound producer at Sega Europe. Why it’s important: Jet Grind Radio Future is all about the music, and this adds to an already extraordinary soundtrack. The Official Xbox Magazine take: The MSR soundtrack that he helped put together was very well received, but we still ed his Sonic R score... let’s hope this is more of the former and less of the latter.

Blockbuster backs the Box

The news: From December 1 through January 31, Blockbuster will provide a free five-day game rental to any customer who brings in a receipt for the purchase of an Xbox. The promotion will honor receipts from any retailer. Why it’s important: This is the perfect way to check out that game you’re not quite sure about, and it won’t cost you a dime. The Official Xbox Magazine take: The Constitution guarantees you free Xbox game rentals (it’s somewhere in the fine print), so we’re happy.

Robot/Monkey Apocalypse:

Episode IV

Forbidden Robot/ Monkey Love

Sony feels Xbox pressure

The news: Kunitake Ando, president and COO of Sony, said during a recent interview with The Financial Times that the Xbox could force his company to push forward its timeline for releasing the PS3. Ando said, “The biggest threat to the PlayStation2 is that the Xbox changes the industry’s life cycle.” He also hinted that Sony now views Microsoft’s game console as the prime competitor to the PS2, considering the sluggish launch of the GameCube in Japan. Why it’s important: Sony has, in the past, discounted the chances of the Xbox against the PlayStation2 juggernaut. But after seeing the Xbox launch lineup and the hardware firsthand, the company is now singing a different tune. The Official Xbox Magazine take: It’s good to see that the same company that said the Xbox had less of a chance than the 3D0 is now learning what we’ve known all along. This machine is here to stay.

Typically, in this column, we look for the most timely signs of the Robot/Monkey Apocalypse. In our research this month, though, we stumbled across one of the most frightening signs of the end of the world that we’ve ever seen. It’s from the past, but it needs to be discussed now. It’s Robot/Monkey Love.

GameWatch

Official

Magazine

Monkey count: 1 Robot count: 1 Death/injuries: None Apocalypse rating: 4 mushroom clouds

Ten titles intended to titillate and tease

Pirates: Legend of Black Kat

Street Hoops

have been boring at times, but you’ve got to it that sea battles had to be fun. That’s why we’re excited to play Pirates. Finally – a game that promises to capture the frenzy and devastation that happens when two massive war galleons trade shots of cannonballs, black powder kegs, and even magical weaponry in battle. The scary stuff: Magic weaponry? This seems like one time where reality is exciting enough.

about the heart of asphalt basketball. Which, if you’ve ever played a pickup game, you’ll know is really trash talking, throwing elbows, fouling – and if you are so inclined, schooling your opponents with a nasty dunk or two. Black Ops previously worked on the March Madness and Knockout Kings series... So there’s precedence for this kind of thing. The scary stuff: We love EA’s Hoopz... but let’s hope this isn’t just a clone.

Projected release: February 2002 The good stuff: The life of a pirate must

18

In November of 1997, scientists at Waseda University in Tokyo tried to get a 10-year-old monkey named Choromatsu to fall in love with a robot that mimicked simian mating rituals. Luckily for us (and the entire world), the test ended in failure... mercifully pushing back the Robot/Monkey Apocalypse a few more years.

February 2002

Projected release: TBA 2002 The good stuff: Street Hoops is all

■ CAUTION, SPOILER AHEAD: If you haven’t seen the Spielberg movie A.I. yet, we think it’s important to know that the alienshaped aliens at the end of the movie are not aliens at all, but evolved Earth-originating robots.

All Access

All Access

Get plugged into the best info

Slipping a length of news

Cable guy System Link

The Xbox is not a terribly complex beast. Plug it in, turn it on, and generally, you’re good to go. But there are a couple of exceptions. The most complicated exception is, of course, the System Link Cable. Now this kind of peer-to-peer connection is hardly unique – the original PlayStation had a link cable, but sadly it was never fully utilized, thanks to a combination of apathy and a near-total lack of from Sony. Microsoft’s system link is infinitely more useable, thanks to a neat combination of having both the technology and the games to exploit it. The cabling currently works in one of three ways:

When we talk about Xbox hardware, we usually talk about controllers, steering wheels, and other peripheral devices. This typically covers it, but it seems like we never have space to talk about cables. For most game machines, cables aren’t all that important, but in the case of the Xbox, cables are crucial because they unlock the features that separate this console from its competition. Here is a look at some of the most important cables you need to get the most out of your Xbox.

Price: 19.99

What it is: This is the AV pack of choice for serious tech-heads. It comes with a pack and a component video cord – all you need is an Xbox and a TV capable of accepting a component in. It also s digital or surround sound audio for your aural pleasure. What it does: Component Video splits the signal three ways, and also provides for higher resolutions (you must have this pack to enable HDTV features). Seeing an Xbox running DoA3 on an HDTV through component video cables will change your life. Regular TV looks common and dirty afterwards, like watching Etch-A-Sketch through Vaseline-smeared beer bottles. Exaggeration? Certainly not! Bottom line: If your TV s component in then you have a damn good TV and to not use the High Definition AV Pack makes you stupid. The pure quality of the signal and the color is huge. DVD movies look about 10 times better than with the standard composite AV connection (we know this from experience).

Using one of these hubs effectively creates a mini LAN in the safety and comfort of your living room. There are no technical issues to deal with, no IP addresses to enter – you simply plug each Xbox into the unit and start playing. This is going to be something of an obscure peripheral, given the unlikely concept of four Xbox consoles, four TVs, and a room big enough to deal with all that entails. But this will be a must for LAN parties (see our story on page 40).

■ On most Local Area Networks via Ethernet

This is the way we commonly play games here, although we it that there are going to be very few offices that tolerate employees whiling away their hours blasting Covenant troops in Halo. That said, it’s the easiest way to play multiplayer until broadband modem is enabled in 2002.

Projected release: TBA 2002 The good stuff: Tired of all those racing games without a strong storyline? Okay, neither are we, but we’re always open to games that try something new. Codemaster’s newest racing game does exactly that by weaving a story into the racing action. Can’t wait to see how it works. The scary stuff: The story is written by “professional script writers.” They get paid, so we know they’re good, but “they” also wrote Showgirls.

Magazine

■ Advanced AV Pack Price: 19.99

What it is: This pack comes with a hub which s S-Video input and optical digital audio input for Dolby Digital. What it does: S-Video simply splits the signal into two components, color and brightness, which means a clearer, better defined picture, with much sharper edges. And the optical digital input is the preferred input for all Dolby 5.1 systems. It also comes with a standard composite in, so you can hook up your Dolby 5.1 even if you don’t have an S-Video in. Bottom line: The picture is a bit brighter than with the standard but doesn’t come close to the component option. If this is as good as your system gets, then we definitely suggest getting it. Got a great Dolby set-up and some semi-ancient TV? This is the pack for you.

■ If you play on HDTV, you want this cable. It also includes optical audio.

■ Superior “regular” AV cable.

■ S-Video includes optical “dongle” too.

■ VGA Aah. The fabled VGA cable. Xbox doesn’t VGA in native resolutions in the way that PCs and Dreamcasts do, but there are a couple of VGA solutions that provide very respectable results. One custom solution from Key Digital Systems is expected in January. In the interim, they have a Component Video to VGA Adapter that should perform the job adequately. You can check it out at www.keydigital.com.

Race or wrestle? You decide

Pro Race Driver

Official

■ Monster Cable “fancy” power cord

If there’s a Rolls Royce of videogame AV cabling, then it’s got to be Monster. The company has been very successful in other audio/video areas, and its high-quality S-Video, Component, and regular AV cables are a must-have for audio- and videophiles. A combination of excellent materials, technology, and manufacturing processes ensure a tighter fit, a clearer transmission of signal and basically a better picture. Monster’s AV solutions, unlike Microsoft’s, don’t rely on AV packs, but simply plug directly into the rear of the Xbox, without the use of a cumbersome (or useful, depending on your viewpoint) extraneous box. Wondering how Monster deals with digital audio? The S-Video and Component cables have come complete with a digital dongle (don’t laugh) and a tiny Digital Optical adapter. It works perfectly, and does in fact provide a little flexibility for that mess of cords beginning to nest, snake-like, behind your AV set-up. Monster also produces a cool-looking digital optical audio cable, but in our experience, an optical signal is either perfectly on or perfectly off regardless of the cable’s quality. All of the cables perform perfectly, and we found the S-Video set to be the most compelling, but the Xbox hardcore will be as charmed by the black and green fishnet mesh around the cables as they are by the qualitative improvements. They’re expensive, but that won’t be an obstacle to an AV freak. In fact, it’s probably a psychological bonus.

■ High Definition AV Pack

■ Via a mini-LAN using standard Ethernet cables and a hub

■ Monster Cable Gamelink 100 X Fiber Optic Audio

■ MONSTER CABLES

Players weaned on the likes of PlayStation and Super NES will be familiar with the concept of custom AV cables (although the first PlayStations shipped with standard AV and S-Video ports), and as video signals and TV standards become more diverse, so does the need for new solutions. Microsoft’s AV set-up is simple – it ships with RCA-style AV cables. But if you want to see benefit from your system, and your TV s it, you’ll definitely want to invest in Advanced or High Definition AV packs. Microsoft’s AV Packs are also unique in that they come as extraneous boxes, which we actually find useful. The box contains the chosen high-end video connections (including redundant RCA AV connectors) and a port for Digital Optical out. The fact that you can move the thing around makes plugging and switching components much easier.

This is the most practical and likely to be the most popular way to link Xbox systems. Simply attach two systems (with two TVs, naturally) using the System Link Cable, and in games like Halo and Tony Hawk 2x, you can play head to head against an opponent. The Xbox automatically “sees” the connection and allows you to or create a game.

20

■ Monster Cable Gamelink 200 X AV Cable

■ Monster Cable Gamelink 400 X Component Video

AV Packs

■ Point to Point via System Link Cable

GameWatch

■ MONSTER-OSITIES

February 2002

WWF Raw is War

Projected release: January 2002 The good stuff: From what we’ve seen so far, this is by far the best-looking wrestling game ever made. The character models are almost frighteningly real and the motioncaptured animation is so good that you can tell which character you’re playing simply by the way they move. The scary stuff: This game has been pushed back from launch until the new year, and wrestling in general has been going through a slump lately.

■ WWF IS KNOWLEDGE: According to the latest WWF celebrity edition of The Weakest Link, the smartest wrestler is Triple H, followed by his “wife,” Stephanie McMahon. Although we don’t watch wrestling or The Weakest Link. Honest.

SSX Tricky

Blood Wake

Projected release: Out now The good stuff: SSX is, to this day, one of the best games ever made for the PS2. This year, the title has been upgraded, tweaked, enhanced, amplified, and all around embettered with new tricks, shortcuts, courses, and other good stuff. Let us at it. The scary stuff: It’s par for the EA course... same as the less-powerful PS2 version.

■ SCART IS SMART: European gamers will be able to play their Xbox games via a SCART cable connection, which is better than Composite, equivalent to S-Video, and not as good as Component. It also features a huge plug.

Projected release: January 2001 The good stuff: It’s all about the water... and no water looks better than Blood Wake’s. Plus, the gameplay on the top of the water looks well-refined. Much more than Twisted Metal on the high seas, Blood Wake has a huge variety of single-player missions on top of the addictive split-screen deathmatch. The scary stuff: Storms so realistic they could scare even the most grizzled sea captain off the high seas.

February 2002

Official

Magazine

21

Under the Radar The best Xbox games you haven’t heard of

Going back to K-PAX?

Get an X-PAK!

New game? What’s it called? SWAT: Global Strike Team

Who’s making it?

Argonaut – the guys who made Croc, Buck Bumble, and the Xbox platformer Malice (see preview, page 51).

What’s the game about?

With Halo, we’ve already got an excellent firstperson shooter for the Xbox that features short bursts of squad-based action, but we’re already hungry for more. Thankfully, SWAT should fill our needs nicely. This game lets you control a team of four heavily armed troopers and gives you full control of every tactical decision they might make. The success of your team’s raids and rescue missions will be determined by your leadership.

Why should we care?

Action games are commonplace on consoles, but we rarely get to enjoy the tactical gameplay that PC gamers seem to get all the time. Plus: SWAT was well received on the PC, and since the gameplay of the original has been improved with some intense action in this version, we might be in store for some unique gameplay.

Why haven’t we heard of it yet?

■ Like any good SWAT team member, you’ll be forced to yell “freeze” before you shoot the scumbag.

This game was previously under development as Kleaners – it has now been switched to the SWAT license.

THE IT THING Realistic trees

The old way: One sprite = one tree. The new way: John Muir would be proud.

For years, videogame makers have tried to convince us that it was nearimpossible to create realistic-looking trees. At best, they would slap together two tree-like sprites and call it a day. From some angles, that looked pretty good, but let’s be honest: they never really looked real. Now, gorgeous and incredibly realistic trees are sprouting up everywhere in Xbox games. And finally they look like real trees. In Dead or Alive 3 trees steal the show in their autumn glory, in Halo swaying trees diffuse sunrays with a brilliance that would make even the most advanced lens flare blush (if lens flares were prone to blushing), and these two games are just the first wave. Arbor Day next year should be sweet.

GameWatch

I thought that I would never see A videogame with lovely trees. Trees that aren’t a sprite-made mess Like bushes from an iron press; Trees with branches, limbs, and twigs, Filled with leaves and sprightly sprigs; I never thought I’d see the day When trees diffuse the sun’s harsh ray; But on the Xbox, these are common; Pardon me while I eat Top Ramen. Poems are made by fools like me, But only the Xbox can make a tree. —the sweet words of Dan Egger

Projected release: March 2002 The good stuff: If you haven’t heard of this game yet, you probably haven’t been paying attention. It’s one of the most technically impressive Xbox games in development, and now we’ve seen how this game looks in the later levels... The scary stuff: Driving around and smashing things up is fun for a bit, but will there be enough gameplay variety for the long haul?

Official

Magazine

February 2002

For a $39.99 videogame carrying case, this is pretty exciting stuff. It could have been the reinforced case walls or the cashmere-soft inner lining that first got our attention, or maybe it was the brushed aluminum zip-fasteners, complete with officially sanctioned Xbox logos. Or maybe it was the fact that thanks to customdesigned side vents and a teardown Velcro at the base, you can play your Xbox directly from the bag. And let’s face it, any bag that can hold an Xbox is a force to be reckoned with. Naki’s X-PAK Console Organizer and Travel Case is about the size of a laptop bag and has space for an Xbox, two controllers (no mean feat in itself), and all the cables you can carry. Little elastic pockets hold two memory cards, and an Xbox-monogrammed “library” holds up to 16 game discs or DVDs. Little nylon straps hold the “lid” up to showcase your game collection when it’s not stowed. A detachable carry strap comes with connecting hardware a colonial Marine could be proud of. This thing was obviously designed by a gamer, for gamers – and every feature on the case is functional, useful, and occasionally surprising. In short, it’s the best game carrying case we’ve ever laid eyes on, and worthy of its price and our recommendation. Hell, we’re using it right now.

Some very special Japanese blends

Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions

22

X-PAK Console Organizer and Travel Case Naki, www.nakiusa.com

Soul Calibur 2

Projected release: 2002 The good stuff: Soul Calibur was the first (and still the best) fighting game ever made for the Dreamcast, and its sequel promises to include the same great fighting system, depth of gameplay, and unique weaponbased combat. Plus, look for an Xbox-powered graphics overhaul. The scary stuff: The Xbox version is supposed to be exactly the same as the arcade, but we’d like to see real screens soon.

■ POETIC LICENSE: The English majors of the world will recognize the iambic tetrameter of Joyce Kilmer. We borrowed it out of respect, iration, and pure laziness. Thank you.

All Access A chart can be art

Defending

the Xbox

At Official Xbox Magazine, we like to think of ourselves as your buddy inside the Xbox world who tells you about what’s going on before anyone else knows. It’s important to have friends because right now, millions of gamers have chosen their game platform – unfortunately, some of them have chosen something other than the Xbox. The really bad news is that many of these gamers are already quite attached to their console… and a large number of them like to pick on innocent Xbox owners. So, what kind of buddy would we be if we didn’t prepare you for these kinds of unjustified personal attacks? So just memorize this handy guide and you’ll have a quick answer for any question that comes your way.

Attacker

PS2 Owner

GameCube Owner PC Owner

Non-gamer

The Game Attack

Metal Gear Solid 2, Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy X.

Luigi’s Mansion, Super Monkey Ball, Wave Race.

The Sims, Quake III, Diablo II.

Tag, Freeze Tag, TV Tag.

Response

“These are all great games, but Halo’s as good as any of them… and don’t forget DoA3, Project Gotham, NFL Fever, Munch, Amped, and a ton of others.”

“On any other modern system, these would be secondary titles. Or, on the Xbox, mere mini-games in a bigger, more fantastic, game.”

“You could have had Halo…”

Let them play Fuzion Frenzy… they’ll be hooked.

The Future Games Attack

There are more new games coming out for the PS2 than for any other console…

We’ve got Mario Sunshine and Zelda coming.

We’ll always have the best first-person shooters…

No videogame is going to interest me.

Response

“…and all but a few of them are coming for the Xbox as well.”

“Are you willing to bet money that they both ship in 2002?”

“Have you tried Halo?”

“Then use the Xbox Communicator and online Xbox games as a cheap alternative to your long-distance phone bills.”

The Controller Attack

The PS2 has the greatest pad ever… yours feels too large for my hands.

The GameCube has the greatest pad ever… your Xbox pad feels too large in my hands.

The mouse and the keyboard are the best controllers ever… you can’t play first-person shooters with a gamepad.

Why are there so many buttons?

Response

“You know what I’ve heard about guys with small hands?”

“You’re six years old, your hands will grow.”

“Here, try Halo.”

Punch person in stomach and run.

The Weight Attack

The Xbox is dangerous, it’s heavy, and it could fall on someone.

I can’t lift the Xbox.

Heavy? My PC has a huge hard drive, a dual CD R/W drive, a ruby-encrusted video card, and a solid uranium heat dissipater.

The Xbox is too heavy… it might crush small children.

Response

“At least they didn’t try to perilously balance it on its thinnest edge.”

“When puberty hits, you’ll grow some muscles.”

“That is pretty heavy. All that and you still can’t play Halo?”

“If you want to make an omelet, you’ve got to scramble some eggs.”

The Price Attack

The Xbox costs $299 dollars… that’s a whole lot of money.

The GameCube only costs $199.

Dude, can we just not talk about price?

If I had an extra $299 to throw around, I’d give it to the poor.

Response

(If Sony hasn’t dropped the PS2 price): “Ha.” (If Sony has dropped it): “Ha.” (Then run away.)

“What’s price matter? Your mom’s going to be the one who buys it for you anyway.”

“Cool, let’s play Halo.”

“How fortunate, I happen to be poor by that exact amount. Pay up or I’ll use this Xbox to make me a non-gamer omelet.”

The Online Gaming Attack

Microsoft is ing broadband, that’s a big mistake.

What’s the big deal? Nintendo has online plans too.

I’m already playing online – what more do I need?

Isn’t the Internet dead?

Response

Yeah, they should’ve done it the right way and ed a $40 modem and a $100 hard-drive add-on. That would have been so much smarter!”

“…and they are filed under ‘P’, right next to PLANS FOR 64DD – NEVER USED.”

“You need Halo on a LAN.”

See response for the Controller Attack.

GameWatch

Good old-fashioned hand-to-hand violence

Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing

Projected release: Spring 2002 The good stuff: the great Punch Out games? Codemasters does, and has brought back the addictive gameplay that made Nintendo’s boxing franchise a classic. It’s all about character building, collecting title belts, and fun. The scary stuff: Can real-life fighters like Larry Holmes, Frans Botha, and Tim Witherspoon fill the shoes of videogame boxing greats like King Hippo, Soda Popinski and Super Macho Man?

24

Official

Magazine

February 2002

NFL2K2

Projected release: Early 2002 The good stuff: We already have two fantastic football games for the Xbox; now we’re due one more. Sega’s football franchise started by upstaging Madden with its first incarnation, and this third version is better... much better than the original. Make sure you don’t miss the incredible instant replays. The scary stuff: Three great Xbox football games? Which one do we play?

■ MIKE TYSON’S PUNCH AND MUNCH: Now there’s a license with some teeth...

K

Trendspotter

All Access Unmentionables

Alternate Underpants Edition

The Rumor Mole Master of disguise • All-knowing Xbox insider • Blabber of secrets when I said:

Xbox ads would greatly minimize the use of the Microsoft name. And now: You saw the ads – do you seeing the word Microsoft? Didn’t think so.

when I said: EA was using its muscle to ensure NFL2K2 didn’t make it to Xbox until the holidays or after. And now: 2K2 mysteriously missed the launch window. Coincidence? As with any profession, Moles are held able. It’s my job to unearth every deep, dark Xbox secret and to be right as often as possible. So before I dig into the latest batch of sure-fire locks, let’s take a look at how the Mole has done thus far.

when I said:

Developers were bragging about their post-launch games really taking advantage of the Xbox hardware. And now: We’re already starting to see examples of this prophecy in games like Kakuto Choujin, Wreckless, and Brute Force, but the specific game I was referring to is still shrouded in secrecy.

when I said:

Sega was going to unleash some thought-tobe-dead classics on the Xbox. And now: No official announcement yet (but it is coming)… and read on for some more juicy Sega gossip.

when I said:

Microsoft’s online network would be up and running as early as Q1 2002, despite reports to the contrary. And now: Microsoft is confirming an early 2002 launch of online capabilities, just as I predicted. Muaahahahaha!

Now I’m no rocket scientist, but near as I can figure, that is four for four with one lock pending. As rumoring goes, even 50% accuracy gets you into the Mole Hall of Fame. It’s too soon to judge my last 10 rumors, but it’s looking like about a 85% success rate at the worst. Needless to say, I get to keep my job, and you get to keep getting the most accurate prognosticator in the biz, if I do say so myself.

01/15/02

that date. At that point, third parties will have to make decisions regarding 2002 planning. Among those decisions are which system to , and with which titles. A ton of third parties are waiting for holiday sales figures before determining which system gets the top priority (out first, developed for) and which systems get nothing. One such company is Activision, which is currently looking at about 15 titles for Xbox by the 2002 holiday season – that is, if they are happy with this year’s holiday returns on Xbox. The Mole hears they are very happy and ready to make PS2 and Xbox the key platforms. A lot of other companies are

scoring it pretty much the same way. This is great news for Xbox gamers.

Green alert

The Vegas-based developer of the treasured PC Command & Conquer franchise has received several shipments of XDKs. But what for? Surely they can’t be doing a realtime strategy game without keyboard and mouse? The way the Mole hears it, this is true and false. The first-person shooter Renegade (based in the C&C world) looks to be coming to the Xbox – exclusively, if my sources are to be believed (and they are – see above). But that’s not all: apparently Westwood has come up with an interface and control scheme that really works with the Xbox pad and the RTS genre. The stunning online plans for Xbox have turned a few heads in the Westwood offices and convinced folks that there is a place for a modified RTS in the console world. It’s still in discussion phase, but it looks like we might be getting a bit of Red Alert on Xbox after all.

Welcome, trendspotters, to yet another in-depth look at the fashion and fads of the Xbox world. This month’s trend is the sexiest yet... if you’re into polygon underpants. (Which, as it turns out, a significant number of you are.)

Yes, the denizens of the Xbox universe are extremely fashion conscious, and that includes their undergarments. Unlike our world, where visible panty lines are a source of shame and derision, Xbox inhabitants are proud of their underpants. They are so proud, in fact, that they’re willing to show them off at a drop of a hat. Here’s just a sampling.

Game: Dead or

Alive 3

Underwear type: Various

The game is like a Victoria’s Secret catalog... but with kicking.

Game: Kabuki

Warriors

Underwear type:

Linen boxers

Samurai need both and comfort.

Game: Silent Hill 2 Underwear type:

Thongs

Even undead monsters want to feel sexy once in a while.

Give up the dream

Many Dreamcast owners have been sitting quietly (and rather sadly) in their rooms waiting for the promised Sega games to be released. However, each time it looks as if Sega is definitely going to release a Dreamcast game, they turn around and announce it for another platform. First it happened with Shenmue II (now headed exclusively to Xbox), and now the Mole hears another Dreamcast game has been switched to the big black-and-green box. This classic franchise isn’t going to move any Xbox consoles, but the hardcore will definitely appreciate it.

Game: Munch’s

Oddysee

Underwear type:

Loincloth

The timeless classic that never gets old.

Game: Brute

Force

Underwear type:

Leather briefs

Except for the chafing, these are the preferred underpants for alien types.

GameWatch

Basketball is for short, uncoordinated people too NBA2K2

NBA Inside Drive

Projected release: February The good stuff: After the mighty impressive NFL Fever it’s obvious that Microsoft’s PC sports development was just a practice run at the Xbox. The power of the Xbox, plus the familiarity of the developer with the system might just give the 2K2s of this world a run for their money. The scary stuff: High Voltage Software is also developing Hunter: The Reckoning. Seven-foot zombies, now that’s scary.

26

Official

Magazine

February 2002

PS2 screen

Projected release: January 2K2 The good stuff: Over the last several years, NBA2K has become the top basketball franchise in videogames. Already, NBA2K2 is earning raves on the Dreamcast with its tight gameplay, beautiful graphics, and whip-smart AI – now let’s see what they can do with the Xbox. The scary stuff: Will this be the exact same game as the Dreamcast version, or will Visual Concepts tap into the potential of the Xbox?

■ BRIEFS OR BOXERS: In an highly confidential intra-office poll we determined that 3 of 3 women in the office prefer their men in boxer-briefs (otherwise known as gladiators) and exactly 0 of 5 men in the office wear gladiators. Probably better that way.

Cover Story

The l i fe and time s of

Fellowship of the Ring

JRR Tol k i e n

UNIVERSAL INTERACTIVE

WXP

Q2 2002

F EL LO W S HIP

BORN: January 3, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. DIED: September 2, 1973 in Bournemouth, Hampshire, England. JRR TOLKIEN was an English novelist and scholar who achieved fame with his richly inventive epic trilogy The Lord of the Rings. He was a professor of Anglo-Saxon (1925-45) and of English language and literature (1945-59) at Oxford University.

I

f we can safely assume that the next Star Wars movie is going to be a load of bonkers nonsense, and that The Matrix isn’t going to be sequeled until well into 2003, then movie fans have really only had one beacon of hope on the horizon, and that’s New Line’s epic re-creation of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings – which smashed into box offices a couple of weeks ago, knocking Harry Potter from his magical perch. What quality does the Lord of the Rings saga have that makes it so perfect for game conversion? Well, let’s see, shall we? The trilogy of books was the archetype for not only every RPG, but every single fantasy novel you’ve ever read. If the saga of wizards, little people, and magic seems desperately familiar, even clichéd, it’s only because so many other writers and movie directors have ripped off Rings in the first place.

OF T HE

R IN G Prior a r t

There have been a number of Tolkien games in the past, although perhaps fewer than you might expect. The epic nature of the game and the difficulty and expense of acquiring the license may have limited the number of games, but there were plenty of rip-offs and knock-offs too.

The Hobbit

Melbourne House

1985

Numero Uno. Before this, there were a number of amateur homages and attempts to make the universe into a game. This was the first to be endorsed by Tolkien’s estate. It was a text adventure with primitive illustrations available for Apple, Commodore, Oric, and even MSX computers.

Lord of the Rings: Game One

(aka The Fellowship of the Ring Software Adventure) Melbourne House

1985

The first officially sanctioned, widely released LOTR game seems to be the 1985 release of Lord of the Rings: Game One. This was a graphic/text adventure based on the first book, Fellowship of the Ring. It was (and is rarely still) available for the Macintosh, PC, Commodore 64, and loads of wacky British PCs from the Eighties, like the ZX-Spectrum, Amstrad C, and BBC Micro (yes, that BBC). Like Universal’s game – this was licensed from the Tolkien estate.

The Tolkien Trilogy Beau Jolly

1989

Actually a collection of three games that do not make up the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Basically it’s the two previously listed games with another text adventure, Shadows of Mordor, tagged on. Confused as to why the Rings trilogy wasn’t completed? So are we.

Only on

Xbox

This delicious little game won’t be appearing on any other console – so there.

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■ WHAT’S IN A NAME: The infamous initials of JRR Tolkien stand for J(ohn) R(onald) R(eul). Fortunately, his forward-thinking image consultant decided that JRR was “way more 20th century” – we assume.

The Lord of the Rings, Vol. 1 Interplay

1990

Released on PC and Amiga, this was the most ambitious game of its type, attempting to meld the worlds of Tolkien with a (then) high-resolution graphically rendered world. Naturally, it looked like Gauntlet. No wait, Gauntlet looked like Lord of the Rings. Whichever. There was a lot of similarity going on.

■ ONCE UPON A TIME: Early in its development cycle, Fellowship of the Ring was much more of an RPG, but in the course of creation, it took on many more action/adventure aspects.

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Cover Story

Then there were two

Fellowship of the Ring

There are two LOTR games headed our way – this one and the competing movie-based title from EA. Due to the movie’s surprising adherence to the novel, there are likely to be a lot of similarities and probably some confusion. This game (from Universal, developed by WXP) is coming exclusively to Xbox, while the EA LOTR game is going to appear on Xbox, PS2, and PC.

Cover Story Fellowship of the Ring

will, rather they become available and necessary as the game story progresses. In that way, this really is three games in one. Frodo must rely on stealth and cunning and actually a fair amount of Mario 64-style platform stuff. Aragorn, of course, is a capable swordsman, and Gandalf, hoary old mage that he is, must rely on

powerful spells. He simply can’t hop around on teetering rock platforms like Frodo. Graphically, this is a very lush and rich rendition of the world of Middle Earth. Each of the locations found in the book is here in reimagined glory, from the dark and weirdly welcoming confines of the Old Forest to the sinister depths of

Khazad-Dum. WXP describes its graphic style as “realistic,” but we think it has a graphic sensibility all its own. Grasses move in the fields, bulrushes sprout from marsh mists, and most importantly of all, the world is populated with detailed, convincing characters. The people and creatures you’ll play and encounter in the game,

including Gandalf, Shire Folk, and (unlike the movie) Tom Bombadil, are all lovingly crafted with details that bring them vividly to life, right down to individual teeth on a troll. We don’t advise getting close enough to count them. Every character

Link l ink

Throughout this piece, we make reference to the game and the book’s similarity to the Legend of Zelda series – and with good reason. Here’s a list of features.

■ Characters in Middle Earth will all feature facial animation and voices by professional actors.

If the ring fits... As the basis for an epic series of Xbox action RPGs, it couldn’t get any better. You have a band of travelers, each with a distinct personality, fighting ability, and plotline. You have a vast world, split into what are almost videogame cliché

environment classes, like a dark forest, a lava-spewing mountain, snowy heights, and treacherous river. And yes, there’s almost-but-not-quite a minecart level. Did we say level? We meant, of course, environment. Level is such a little word these days.

The game’s main protagonist is Frodo Baggins, a short, stout Hobbit of some repute. But you also get the chance to play as both Aragorn (a swift and deadly fighter) and Gandalf (a powerful wizard). You can’t pick and choose these characters at

■ The movie follows the book, right down to the scared little boys with perms – wait, Tolkien never mentioned perms.

o f Three

A Fellowship

■ Ahem. A troll. We imagine he’s about to do something very unpleasant to you, possibly involving jewelry.

To pare down the game into a playable epic rather than a meandering mess of characters, you only get to play one of three heroes at a time. But the character selection (which comes at appropriate game junctures) dramatically changes the pace and flow of play.

FR OD O

This is the first character you’ll play in the game. Frodo will have to rely on fleetness of foot, stealth, and platform skills to survive. He is armed with a magical dagger (that detects the presence of evil), but fighting isn’t his forte, being a hairy-footed midget and all.

A RA G O RN

Also known as Strider, he’s a displaced king with incredible skill in battle. Most of his scenes in the game are action-packed, and you’ll rely on his superior combat skill during melee.

■ The branches, bullrushes and ferns all wave convincingly in the breeze, adding life to an otherwise ordinary forest scene.

GAN DALF

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Universal has picked up the book license from Tolkien Enterprises and is planning on releasing its adaptation later this year, in fact. One big surprise revealed (a long time ago) at E3 was that they had chosen WXP, Inc., to develop the game – the company that produced the stunning (and in retrospect, Tolkien-esque) forest demo at the Nvidia GeForce 3 launch. Patrick Moynihan, co-founder of WXP, Inc, chatted with Official Xbox Magazine about his plans for the game:

Us: You have an amazing world to re-create – where do you begin? Him: Creating an interactive 3D version Middle Earth is a huge endeavor. Aside from the huge amount of work involved, there is the issue of people’s expectations.

Old and wise, he’s an occasionally grumpy wizard not a million miles removed from Merlin of Arthurian lore. Although Gandalf is famous throughout Middle Earth, he’s still a mystery to most. He can’t leap around like sprightly Frodo, but his magical abilities are to be respected.

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■ GEEK PATROL: LOTR has the highest geek-quotient of all time; just read this quote from Ain’t It Cool’s Harry Knowles: “But when his, ‘Myyyyyy PPPPRECiouSSSSSSSSSSSsssSSSsss’ came out of my computer surround sound.... It nearly caused a hershey waterfall.”

Millions of people have read the books and have their own unique vision of how Tolkien’s world looks. Fortunately for us, Tolkien is an extremely detailed writer, and describes absolutely everything in intricate detail. For example, we know that along the Withywindle Path in the Old Forest there are huge willow trees with gray bark and green moss, yellow leaves drifting in the breeze, and brownish water in the Withywindle River. By studying the text and taking inspiration from some of the great Tolkien artwork (including drawings by Tolkien himself) we have an excellent foundation for creating this amazing world. After we understand the details of the world, the concepts go through our production design process where a consistent style is developed to bring

■ LEGEND OF ZEL-DUH: One of our staff, while researching this article, finally figured out where the fourth bottle in Zelda: Link to the Past was. Five or six years too late.

LINK Diminutive hero on epic quest.

FRODO Diminutive hero on epic odyssey.

LINK Finds journey’s end at top of lavaspewing mountain.

FRODO Finds journey’s end at top of lava-spewing mountain.

LINK Encounters mysterious, charismatic, and seemingly pointless stranger in wilderness (Weird Bottle Guy).

FRODO Encounters mysterious, charismatic, and seemingly pointless stranger in wilderness (Tom Bombadil).

LINK Uses magic mirror to enter alternate dark world.

FRODO Wears magic ring to enter alternate dark world – and turn invisible.

LINK Attacked by rabid chickens in farm.

FRODO Okay, you’ve got us there.

cohesiveness to the look and feel of the world. WXP’s art team is doing an incredible job bringing the world to life and giving it a look that is just the right blend of fantasy and reality. After all, Middle Earth is, as Tolkien describes it, “a re-imagining of our own world.” Us: Frodo is the main protagonist, of course, but how are you planning to involve the rest of the Fellowship in actual gameplay? Him: Some would argue that Sam is the true protagonist in The Lord of the Rings, however, we felt that as a single-player game based on The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo was the natural choice as the [initial] player character. There are several ways the player will be able to interact with the Fellowship during gameplay. I think the coolest feature is the ability to call upon the help of a Fellowship member during combat – simply select a party member, press a button, and they’ll swoop in to

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Cover Story Fellowship of the Ring

WX P?

Who i s

The world of Middle Earth was first unveiled at an Nvidia press conference, although no one knew it at the time. The final demo used to display the power of Nvidia’s GeForce3 (technologically almost identical to the Xbox GPU) was actually a test scene from WXP’s work on Fellowship. The scene showed waving blades of grass, fall leaves fluttering amid utterly realistic trees, and a river running through it all, bubbling down a short waterfall and into a perfect, deep dark pool. Gasps of wonder filled the audience. WXP is a new company that develops interactive virtual worlds for entertainment platforms including motion-simulator attractions, next-generation game consoles, and 3D accelerated PCs. The company’s clients include Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal, Nvidia, and Softimage. The company is made up of former employees from Nintendo, Crave, Zombie, and Looking Glass. So they know their stuff, in other words.

■ Dark Riders show up at the most inopportune moments. The trick is to keep moving.

“The game has been designed from Day One as an Xbox title.” with whom you can interact in the game is able to speak; Universal is using professional actors to provide voice talent. There will also be a wide range of facial animations and even non-player characters will turn their

heads to watch you as you by. Narrative is advanced using a combination of in-game engine and FMV sequences. There’s also a rather unique “camping” mode. Nope, that doesn’t mean hiding behind a crate

and taking cheap shots at opponents. Rather, because the game must diverge occasionally from the Rings plotline, this mode allows characters to regroup and discuss what has happened to them. It all rather neatly

battle to help you out. Each Fellowship member has a different special ability or attack that will be useful in different situations.

create a more immersive game world, better special effects, smarter AI, improved physics, and all those other little details that make a great game.

Us: Is the game being designed for Xbox from the ground up, and does that affect the scale of your ambition for the project? Him: The game has been designed from Day One as an Xbox title. WXP’s technology and experience is especially suited for the Xbox, and everyone here is excited to be working with such a state-of-the-art piece of hardware. Targeting Xbox has definitely allowed us to do some things with the game that we couldn’t do on other platforms such as the PC. Aside from all the graphical tricks the Xbox can perform, developing for a fixed target platform allows us to maximize the potential of the hardware. We don’t have to worry about how it will run on different chipsets or processor speeds, and that frees us up to push the hardware to the limit. This allows us to

Us: The movies are being made back-to-back-toumm-back – how about the games? Him: At this point in time, WXP is only in development on Fellowship of the Ring. Of course we’re thinking about the next games – in The Two Towers and The Return of the King, there is much less of a focal point on Frodo as the storylines diverge, so it will be interesting to develop a design that works for those non-linear plot structures.

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Us: Why has it taken so long for an ambitious game to appear based on this, the most obvious of licenses? Him: There are several existing games based on The Lord of the Rings, though they’re quite dated. One thing I can say is that given the power of the Xbox, we’re excited to deliver the quality and attention to detail that

February 2002

ties together the otherwise disparate plot threads. Although the game won’t take advantage of the Xbox broadband connection (this is, after all, a strictly one-player game), the hard-drive will be used to make cut-scenes and level transitions as seamless as possible. Bump-mapping fans will

truly captures the spirit of Tolkien’s work. It’s both an honor and a great responsibility to work with “the preeminent fantasy work of our times.” I believe it will be worth the wait. Us: Who would win in a fight, Boromir or Faramir? Him: You have two brothers pitted against each other, Boromir being the “faithful” older son who has it all, while Faramir has continually had to prove himself. If the battle were merely based on brawn, I would say that Boromir would be victorious. However, Boromir’s character weakness is that he was rash and sought his own glory. If the battle were on a more cosmic scale within Tolkien’s universe, Faramir is the stronger character who has the will to resist the power of darkness. He did not seek glory or triumph through the domination of others. There’s a reason Tolkien killed off one and made the other ruler of a land (and gave him the girl, too).

■ GANDALF THE GRAY: The wise wizard will go through a transformation between now and the next game, but we can’t tell you why without ruining the plot.

Cover Story Fellowship of the Ring

■ Environments span a wide range of aesthetics, from willowy forest glade, to lava-filled underground nightmare.

What’s all the

fu s s about ?

Well, you should go read the books. If you can get past the appallingly tedious first few pages, you’ll find yourself wrapped up in the very basis of all modern fantasy, everything from Willow to The Legend of Zelda – and one of the most influential novels of all time. If at times it seems clichéd, just that Lord of the Rings invented those clichés, and when it first appeared, was pretty darned original. The games are planned to flesh out the world of Middle Earth revealed in the books, and show them off in lush Xbox 3D. Eat it, Zelda.

be pleased to hear that textures throughout the game feature the goose-flesh effect. This is a true RPG in every sense. You play the role of Frodo Baggins (more on him in the sidebar on page 32) an innocent Hobbit who finds himself involved in a quest not just to find, but also destroy a powerful magical talisman, known as The One Ring. Its abilities and power are manifold and arcane, but its most obvious effect is to make its wearer invisible. This and the Ring’s horrifying hold on those who desire it become integral parts of the plot and gameplay. Although the game’s mixture of exploration and puzzle-solving are reminiscent of Zelda-style adventure, there are a few conventional Japanese RPG elements in here, too. For example, simply hanging around doing nothing will almost invariably incur the wrathful arrival of the Dark Riders, not unlike the nasty battles that are sprung on dawdling Final Fantasy players. Also, although the main protagonist is indeed Frodo, he can call on other party (sorry, Fellowship) at any time, to use their respective strengths and abilities. If the early graphics are anything to go by, not only will Lord of the Rings help define the Xbox as an RPG system of choice, it’ll also help define WXP as a force to be reckoned with. Now if only they had a catchier name...

Us: Are you following the timeline of the book to the letter? How will you track the flow of the book in gaming ? Him: Aside from the Shire (where Frodo actually waits years for Gandalf to return), the timeline of the book is being followed fairly closely. The Regions of the book we are focusing on (Shire, Old Forest, Bree, Weathertop, Rivendell, Moria, Lothlorien, and River Anduin) will have non-linear gameplay, so this may allow a player to “stay” in some of these sections longer than Frodo actually did. However, since we know the player will have to enter new sections eventually to progress the story (through our use of checkpoints), we can “start” these sections at the relatively same times that Frodo does in the book. Additionally, since the Black Riders are a threat for the first half of the book (and thus the game), we can also ensure that if the player “lingers” or “strays” for too long or too often, then he will assuredly be found by the Black Riders!

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A Tolkien be s tia rY

Here’s a look at some of the nastier denizens you’ll encounter in Middle Earth.

O RC S

The footsoldiers of Sauron’s army, they swarm in vast numbers. Brutal, vicious, and aggressive, they even fight amongst themselves. These will be by far your most numerous opponents in the game.

BALR O G

How do you describe the indescribable horror that lurks at the Bridge of Khazad-Dum? This fiery, demonic monster is in some ways even more frightening than Sauron himself. We can’t reveal too much about the beast’s role in the game, but if you’ve seen the movie, then you probably already have a pretty good idea.

T HE DA RK R ID ER S

Sauron’s fearsome horsemen. Their origin is a blur of Sauron’s meddling in matters of witches, men, and unnamed horrors, their reputation enough to chill the bravest heart. Thundering through the Shire on horses black as the sin that spawned them, there is every chance they’ll kick your Hobbit ass should they catch you. The Riders will play a huge role in the first game, and show up far more often than you’d fear. Outwitting them is more than a matter of fleet foot.

TR OLL

The troll’s origin is in Scandinavian myth, and while occasionally portrayed as a diminutive mischievous creature more akin to an imp, it was also feared to be a huge and dangerous creature. Trolls live in the dank confines of caves, narrow mountain es, and under bridges. The game’s vision of a troll is a green-skinned, muscular demon possessed of tremendous strength and horrifying speed. In Tolkien’s vision, trolls have been enhanced by Sauron’s wiles and he has made them more intelligent and wicked, but they are to be considered as wild animals. They can speak (the same language as Orcs), but are just as apt to roar as chat. These guys are to be avoided. In fact, you should avoid anyone who has human skulls for earrings.

?

G OLLUM

(also known as Smeagol) Although he’s going to be one of the more horrifying surprises in the game, Gollum is a pathetic figure, and bizarrely was once a Hobbit himself. Gollum’s tale is a tale of the woe that befalls any who falls under the power of the one ring. To look into his platesized watery eyes is to see the rot that the ring will bring its owner. He wants it back though, very badly, and sees innocent lives as no obstacle to the reclamation of his preciousss.

Us: What requests or restrictions have been made by Tolkien Enterprises? Him: Tolkien Enterprises is providing assistance to the team, primarily in consistency management of the license and to ensure that the game is true to the spirit of Tolkien’s work. The primary guideline for the game’s design is that we can not contradict or negate Tolkien’s universe. For example, we can’t (and wouldn’t) invent our own key characters, or create a new location for Middle Earth! We are permitted to embellish and add game events to the regions that are plausible, or known to exist in the world. Tolkien Enterprises has approval of all game design, character, and location design. We are also working with Tolkien “experts” for highlevel art-, design-, and sound-consistency management. Us: Are you at all worried about comparisons with the movie – and is the “look” going to be affected by what the folks at New Line do?

February 2002

Him: The look of our game will not be affected by what Peter Jackson and New Line are doing with the movie. Our visual style is definitely grounded in reality, but we’re also blending in a unique fantasy look and feel. There will always be similarities, of course – we’re both based on the same source material, after all. WXP has always been very skilled at stylizing our worlds and making them unique while retaining a foundation in reality. Middle Earth is perfectly suited to the kind of work we do here. Us: Are you going to change the ending so that there’s an explosion? Him: We’ve changed the ending to include an invasion by an alien race which leads to the utter destruction of Middle Earth. Oh yeah, and giant killer robots – we felt there weren’t nearly enough giant killer robots in the game. I’m kidding, of course. We have to leave some surprises for the game!

■ MOVIE MADNESS: The movie versions of Lord of the Rings have been filmed – all three of them. As with Star Wars, most of the work is done digitally after the fact.

� What if you threw a LAN party and nobody came? Billy’s preparations, including Skittles, a napkin, and a fork, were to no avail, but there’s hope ahead...

r a e g l a i t n e s s E Although the idea of hosting a LAN party centered around a console seems strange, with the Xbox it’s surprisingly simple. Computers can be a nightmare to connect because of different protocols and conflicting IP addresses, but the Xbox doesn’t suffer from any of those issues. Each

1 2 3 4 5 6

LAN Party!

No more lonely nights

unit has its own unique IP address, and the built-in Ethernet adapter gives new meaning to the term “plug and play.” Before we get to the meat of setting up a LAN, here’s a list of essential hardware you’re going to need:

Xbox:

In simple , the more the better. To create a true LAN experience, it’s best to have numerous Xbox consoles scattered around the gaming area. Each Xbox will up to four players, although an ideal maximum is two people per unit. (This way the television is only split into two screens.)

s ’ r e m a G y l e n o L A e to g n d i i u m G ms r a a G liam H

N A L

il W By

YOU’RE INVITED!

Xbox = friends E veryone knows that the Xbox represents the latest and greatest in next-generation console gaming, but the Xbox’s true secret is that it’s the best social invention since the advent of dating services. (Not that we know anything at all about dating services.) If you’re feeling a little lonely, a little blue, or have discovered that people just don’t like you, the Xbox is ready help. Okay, so an Xbox won’t make you more

charming, better looking, or improve your body odor, but it can help you meet new and exciting people. Simply host an Xbox LAN party and people will flock in to see the greatness that is the Xbox. And though we can’t guarantee that the people who come to your LAN party will actually like you, or even speak to you, we do promise* that if you follow this handy-dandy guide they’ll at least show up. We’re afraid that the rest is up to you.

*

Promise is not valid in the continental United States. Except for maybe Alabama. Anything goes down there. 40

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Xbox LAN Party What: ______________________________ Billy’s House Where: _____________________________ February 15, 2002 When: ______________________________ Because I am horribly desperate for Why: _______________________________ friends. My life is pathetic and no one likes me. ___________________________________ Please come or I’ll hang myself; I mean it this ___________________________________ time. Really. I’ve got the rope. ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Oh, and we’ll be playing Halo and Tony Hawk 2x. ___________________________________ before January 15, 2002 to _______________________________ [email protected] ___________________________________ RSVP:

� Here’s a suggested format for your LAN invitations. If you’re a pariah of unimaginable depths, you might need to offer people a cash incentive.

� CROSS DRESSER: , a System Link Cable and an Ethernet cable are different, in spite of their identical appearance. System Link Cables are twisted on the inside to reverse the connection. For a good technical reason.

Television:

Each Xbox needs its own television. A simple 25-inch TV should do the trick; there’s no need for everyone to drag around their huge HDTVs. (Of course, as the host, you should make every effort to wow the crowd with your massive HDTV. And don’t hog it; share the love.)

Games:

Each Xbox will need to have a copy of the game being played.

Controllers:

The Xbox comes standard with one controller, so you’ll have to throw down for some extra pads. , it’s rude for a host to assume that people will have bought the required accessories.

Cables:

If you’re simply linking two Xbox consoles together, a System Link Cable is required. If you’re going to create a large LAN, you’ll want to have plenty of standard Ethernet cables on hand.

■ PARTY CENTRAL: Much like Sally Struther’s Save The Children efforts, we want to know how our children are doing. Send a picture of your wildly successful LAN party to [email protected] and we’ll compile the best for a future feature.

Network hub:

To create a large LAN experience, you’ll need to get a hub. Try to find one that offers lots of plug-ins; setting up one hub takes up a lot less space than setting up three or four.

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n o i t c e n n o c e m It’s i t

LAN Party! Bubonic Chronic

With the Xbox, there are three basic ways to create a LAN. Simply connect two Xbox consoles with a System Link Cable, create a true LAN with a networking hub, or use an existing LAN – like something you would find in an office. Here’s what you need to know to get each of these up and running.

1 2 3

Connecting an Xbox with another Xbox:

This is the no-brainer of all no-brainers – simply plop down two Xbox units (each with its own television, of course) and connect them with the System Link Cable. For games like Halo, Tony Hawk 2x, and NASCAR Heat, you can enjoy head-to-head gaming; just connect the two units and they’ll automatically sense the connection. Within seconds, you’re off and running. This set-up is an ideal situation if you don’t have a lot of space (or TVs, or friends).

Setting up a hub:

Anyone who has tried to create a LAN with computers knows that it can be a nightmare – every computer needs to have its own IP address, the games have to specific protocols, and everything that can go wrong will go wrong. With the Xbox, though, you simply plug each Xbox – using an Ethernet cable – into the hub. There are many quality hubs out there, but we recommend something from the LinkSys EtherFast family. The biggest problem you’ll face when setting up a LAN is having enough space to position all the televisions and chairs required for such an undertaking. We’ll leave the specifics up to you, but if you have the space, make sure that all of the televisions are back to back; after all, no one likes a cheater.

No friends? No problem!

Using an existing LAN:

Forget cleaning the house, you can host or participate in a Xbox LAN party online. All you need to do is convince the Internet that it is really a LAN. Here’s how:

This scenario isn’t particularly realistic (after all, how many offices are going to let their employees play games all day?), but if you’re fortunate enough to have a very understanding employer (or you can access the office for some late-night “work”), this is definitely the way to go. Just pull the Ethernet cable out of your PC and plug it into the Xbox.

Wireless all the way:

4

YOU’LL NEED: An Xbox, Windows PC, broadband Internet connection, LAN hub, and two Network Cables (RJ45).

For those folks who are feeling a little fancy, there is a fourth alternative – wireless. The big problem with most broadband set-ups is the logistical nightmare of having a TV, cable box, DSL modem, PC, and, of course, an Xbox all tied into the same grid, when they’re usually in separate rooms, or even different floors. One solution that’s both elegant and hip is wireless, and now it’s cheap to boot. LinkSys, maker of a $179 wireless router, has just announced a wireless Ethernet adapter that was designed with game systems in mind. As part of a wireless network, this would be the ideal solution – just plug the LinkSys WET11 into your Xbox Ethernet adapter, and assuming you have a wireless router, your Xbox should be online! No cables, no fuss, and no set-up.

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Have Xbox,

will travel Every LAN party needs guests, and let’s face facts, being a guest is far easier than being a host and requires almost no set-up or cleaning. While many claim that lugging around an Xbox can be outright deadly, those of us who are larger than a six-year-old shouldn’t have any problem. If you are planning on attending LAN parties, then you need to be ready.

What you need: � An Xbox (duh) � An Ethernet cable � Two controllers (it’s polite to bring a controller to ) � A copy of Halo (or game of choice) � A flask (never know what kind of party it’s going to be, and it’s best to be prepared)

� An X-Pak � Power cord � Composite cables

THE SET-UP: Connect your broadband feed directly into the network uplink port on your hub. Then connect both your PC and Xbox to the hub. Now and install both GameSpy Arcade and GameSpy Tunnel. Run GameSpy Arcade, the lobby, and find your game. HANDS-ON REPORT: This isn’t really online gaming, but it certainly does the trick until Xbox Online is a reality in Summer 2002 (see page 16 for the full story). � You can leave your Xbox in the X-Pak all the time and just drop the Velcro flap on the back for easy access. Kinda like Velcro sneakers or a front-snapping bra – kinda.

� WIRELESS WOES: , if you have a wireless LAN, lots of household items can interfere with the signal, from the TV to the fridge. Worst offender, however, is a cordless phone.

! g n i m a G t Ge LAN Party!

Halo

Halo comes with several multiplayer modes, and while they’re all fun, we’ve found that some of them are better than others. These games are guaranteed to enthrall and delight your guests.

Two to three people:

CTF is pointless with only three people, and straight deathmatch can get a little tedious, so we recommend that you play one of the rally games. In this game, a rally point is place on the map and the first person there gets a point; once the rally point is captured, a new one appears randomly on the map. Enable all vehicles for utmost mayhem. Another fun thing is the Race mode, where you must complete laps by touching a series of flags. Resist the urge to use the Warthog or the Ghost; instead, for maximum destruction, use only the Scorpion tank.

Four people or a higher, even number:

■ You snipe and protect your base while a buddy attacks their flag. Simple!

If you can get an even number of people, CTF is the way to go. Our preferred map is Blood Gulch with all of the vehicles enabled. To make it really interesting, enable all the vehicles but only enable short-range hand weapons; this will prevent people from sniping across the map.

Four people or a higher, odd number:

There’s only one way to go when you have an odd number of people, and that’s Oddball. In this game, each person fights to control a skull; the first person to control the skull for a specified amount of time wins. While you’re holding the skull you can only punch people attacking you, and although you can drive vehicles when you’re holding the skull, you don’t get credit for the time you’re in the vehicle. This game can get real nasty, real quick. ■ Split-screen horizontal two-player is the optimum use of a TV – room for two.

NASCAR Heat

In this game, one player is designated as “it” and they must tag another player. The twist is that all players must drive the wrong way on the track, against traffic. Since there are so many cars to keep track of, we recommend that each player choose a highly-visible car that is easy to find in a pack. The game ends when all the cars are destroyed.

Blocker:

This game works best with two people. One person is designated the blocker, and the other person is the driver. The driver will run the race as normal, with the goal of finishing first; the blocker’s goal is to destroy all the other cars on the track. The best way to accomplish this goal is to immediately turn around and race around the track in the opposite direction. The driver and the blocker will need to communicate with each other so they don’t hit, and the blocker should aim for the largest group of cars. However, instead of simply ramming head-on into the pack,

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Missing System Link

Tony Hawk 2x

Nothing says party like skateboarding, and Tony Hawk 2x will keep your guests entertained for hours. And since this game places emphasis on personal flash and style, you should make sure you’re really good at Tony Hawk, especially since this game could be your best – and possibly your last – chance to impress of the opposite sex.

Graffiti:

This gameplay mode is based around the idea of marking territory with tricks, with each person battling to control the largest amount of real estate. A nice twist on this is to team people up in pairs; one person does tricks, the other person interferes with the other teams.

Tag:

This is our favorite multiplayer mode. And unless you’re from Borovia, we don’t have to explain the rules to you. The twist in this game is that if you do big tricks, everyone else slows down for a few seconds. This can be enjoyed by hardcore fans and first-timers alike.

Have a theme Still having trouble getting people to your dark and dingy house? Ask any PR professional and they’ll tell you, “You have to have a theme, umm, and free alcohol.” We agree on both counts (and if you’re in the Bay Area, we’ll show up). Here are a couple of suggested LAN party themes.

Tournaments

Prizes for the winners, more drinks for the losers, and plenty of heated competition makes for a night of tension – and if you ask us, tension is fun.

On paper, getting 20 people together to play a NASCAR game might not seem that exciting. After all, it’s just a bunch of cars turning left, right? Wrong. We’ve come up with some games that will delight and amaze your guests. One word of warning, though – none of these games are endorsed or otherwise ed by NASCAR. Play these games at your own risk.

Tag:

LAN Party!

As of press time, there are only three games that LAN gaming – Halo, Tony Hawk 2x, and NASCAR Heat – but each of these games offers a plethora of gaming options. We sat down with each game and dreamt up exciting new games that should spice up your LAN party.

Game on

Horse – Our Version:

Even though we love competition, it’s fun every once in a while to push our skills to their outer limits. Our twist on the classic Horse game is to try to extend each challenge out as long as possible. So, the first guy tries to get the lowest score possible and the second guy tries to barely top it and then the next guy tries to barely top that score. It’s all about how long you can drag it out, and how much you can trust your buddies to beat the last score... but only by a little bit. ■ Making your own multiplayer challenges has been around since the days of Pong, but never has it been so fun or creatively challenging as now. Send us your own variations and we’ll let the world know.

■ Even in split-screen, the game looks as good as single-player on the PS2 version.

■ Classic games like “Tag” and “Horse” seemingly never get old.

Now that you have all the information you need to create the ultimate LAN-gaming experience, your social life should see a huge boost. Just to stay humble and realize that the only reason people like you is because of the Xbox – your popularity can vanish in a second if you’re not careful. And always be on the lookout for people trying to worm their way into your territory. You should be prepared to use any means necessary to stop them.

Massive: 16 TVs, 16 copies of Halo, 16 Xbox units (you’ll also need about a mile of cabling and a gymnasium), 32 controllers, and 32 contestants. 8v8 CTF (split screen on each unit) with all four setups going at one time. Double elimination until a champion is reached. You’ll need plenty of cooperation and a very large truck to make this work. Manageable: 4 TVs, 4 copies of Halo, 4 Xbox units, 8 controllers, and 8-32 participants. King of the CTF. Basically you take turns and have every single combination of teams possible. Each player on each winning team gets 3 points. Person with the most points wins. Kinda takes the team out of team gaming – and we like that.

Side-by-side:

February 2002

An old-school classic that’s perfect for a little bit of in-game trash talking and top-this gameplay.

Halo CTF

try to angle your hit so you can create a massive chain reaction of wrecking cars. Also, since the blocker will sustain serious damage, you will need to visit pit row a few times, so try to stay on the part of the track that is by the entrance to the pits. This will speed up the time it takes to get your car repaired. Playable with either two people or a group of people, the object of side-by-side is to prevent any of the AI-controlled cars from completing a lap. At the start of the race, all players should turn around and go the wrong way on the track. After going a short distance, the players line their cars up side-by-side (clever, eh?), so that their hoods are facing oncoming traffic. The cars should be spaced out a bit and if you have enough people, there should be one or two people hanging back, ready to take out any cars that manage to squeeze through. This game usually only lasts a few moments, but the ensuing carnage makes it all worthwhile.

Horse:

■ This game really benefits from each participant having his or her own screen. The graphics don’t really suit a smaller screen area, since they’re pretty bland to begin with. So, basically, get your own!

■ HALO HAPPINESS: No game on Earth has as many “stories” as Halo multiplayer. After a big LAN event, even the most jaded player has dewy-eyed war stories to tell his friends: “ when you blew up that one tank...”

NASCAR Season

Every Saturday, gather the same 32 people together and race another track until you’ve completed the whole season. As with real NASCAR drivers, this requires patience, dedication, Budweiser, and most likely a sponsor.

■ Bill shows that sometimes all the company you need is an alert mind, a baseball bat, and an awkward mix of booze, social inadequacy, and beanbags.

■ BILL MOSTLY HARMLESS: Feature author Bill once beat Mike Salmon in a cheeseburger-eating contest. Bill scarfed down five Ultimate Cheeseburgers in two hours. Salmon managed only three-and-a-half pathetic burgers.

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Previews

Preview Maximum Chase

Games coming into a living room near you

Maximum

Chase Your chance to BE Burt Reynolds (minus the girdle)

Smokey eats two kinds of dust. A desertderived silicate, and bitchin’ Camaro dust.

A

pparently the idea of racing around circuits for three laps to decide who’s the winner is a concept that has grown tired for developers. Games like Wreckless, Project Gotham, and Simpsons Road Rage all feature missionbased racing scenarios rather than the “prepare to qualify” mode that we’ve lived in since Namco first unleashed Pole Position. Maximum Chase is taking the familiar concept of stunt-based driving to the Xbox, and in some style. It’s your chance to be Burt Reynolds. Okay, so now that your mustache, open shirt, and Ford Mustangcredentials have been established, it’s time to put your pedal to the metal as you’re chased across the States by Smokey T. Pigg, as we interstate fugitives like to call “The Man.”

Ostensibly, you’re saving a mysterious girl from some mysterious pursuer. The action isn’t limited to some kind of vehicular Pac-Man chase, however, since the landscapes you race across are littered with things like, oh, tow trucks with their ramps deployed, or, you know, a Dumpster with planks leaning against it. As anyone who’s ever watched TV knows, these are for jumping, and occasionally for tipping up onto two wheels. The coppers in pursuit will blow it, of course – and possibly smash into a manure truck. Like Taito’s Chase HQ, there will also be shooting involved, but at time of going to press, the details of that aren’t really fleshed out. Suffice to say that some rounds involve you blasting bad guys with a joystick-controlled reticule, rather than a light gun. The

TRACK RECORD DEVELOPER: Genki

PUBLISHER: Microsoft

RELEASE DATE: 2002

WHO ARE THEY?: What do you mean, who’s Genki? Only the Japanese creator of Tokyo Extreme Racer (the nighttime oriented drift-racing car-tweaking series for Dreamcast, PSOne, and PS2), the recent Kabuki Warriors for Xbox, and old-school PlayStation robot favorite Kileak: The Blood (which, oddly, featured absolutely no blood).

Camaro SS

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It’s a well-known fact that if you’re 19 or 20, you can totally date seniors by cruising the high school in either a bitchin’ IROC or a cherry 1970 Camaro SS, thus dashing the hopes of dudes in high school who hoped to date Tiffany Windsor, or her best friend, Madison Vanderbilt. The Camaro SS, specifically featured in Maximum Chase, is in fact totally bitchin’. With a kerb weight of 3,313 pounds, it needed every ounce of its 415 lb-ft of torque to move its fat ass around. To go around corners at more than 15 mph, you had to gun it and throw it into a handbrake turn. On the upside, if anything went wrong with its 6.5 liter V8, you could fix it with a hammer.

■ OUR LATIN MOTTO: Omnis Solum Oportet Consisto Repletus. Although this motto is the most mangled, atrocious Latin of all time, it means “Every Bottom Must Be FIlled.” Our boss Matt Firme said it and it stuck.

■ Waypoints guide you clearly to your next stop – not unlike the Crazy Taxi system.

■ You’re shooting cops, but don’t worry, they’re the corrupt, crappy kind.

■ THE LONGEST YARD: Burt Reynolds’ greatest role, before Smokey and the Bandit, was as a prisoner/football player in The Longest Yard. In the UK, it was called The Mean Machine. Metric, you see.

■ An explosion is but a blossom of fire, to be plucked and savored like a rose.

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Preview

Preview

Maximum Ace-ness

Maximum Haste

Only on

■ Those cops are tenacious, and the shooting mode is tough. racing gameplay details have yet to be fully revealed, but the driving will feature semi-realistic physics, deforming vehicles (bet it wasn’t tough to get permission to smash up a Chevy Caprice), and environmental obstacles, like subway steam grates and particularly convincing dust clouds. When cars are damaged, they crumple and dent in an even more convincing manner than seen in Project Gotham.

■ Never mess up a man’s Camaro. At least 20 vehicles will be featured, from GM, Toyota, and Nissan, and there may be more to come. Graphically, the game is already shaping up to be a tour de force. For obvious reasons, many of the screenshots are taken from replay modes, but they do show off both the amazing car models and the cool

Freeze-Frame >>>>>

effects, like depth of field. And let’s not ignore the explosions – they look, well, real. But the replay mode will take a bigger role in the game, with the inclusion of camera and edit tools to help you achieve your Spielbergian fantasies. Some of the missions take place in the wide-open spaces of America, with dusty backroads, pursuing cops, and

Location: Downtown Los Angeles Time of Day: 2:30pm Objective: Get the hell out of downtown LA.

Although much of Maximum Chase takes place on the open highway, there’s a good chunk of the game set in more urban and bettertrafficked locations. That means you have to watch out for traffic. And parking sucks.

1

Vehicle AI is astonishing, and the other traffic behaves in usefully predictable fashion.

Xbox

Genki in Japan is creating quite a relationship with Microsoft, and indeed, this game will be published in the US by the Big M. With amazinglooking particle, lighting, and pixelshader effects, it’s a game that could only be created on Xbox. It’s believed that the title will make extensive use of hard-drive features for direct-ityourself replays and mini-movies. It’s also likely that the game will ship with online features, although these have yet to be revealed.

■ The Camaro tries to act casual as it heads away from some minor destruction. Replay modes will let you view your self-created chaos from virtually any angle.

The coppers in pursuit will of course blow it, and possibly smash into a manure truck. thundering freight trains, which we’re assuming you either get to jump, or have to beat to a crossroads – ideally, both. Others take place in realistically modeled cities, complete with traffic

WIRED You know, www.genki.co.jp is not only a very pretty website, but it offers you the chance to enjoy a “web lunch.”

patterns, taxicabs, and the omnipresent pursuing policemen. There will also be a bunch of shooting, as your pursuers open fire with impunity. It’s the variety of levels that will provide variety of gameplay, from the tight, difficult confines of the urban jungle, to faster, straighter chases through the countryside. – Frank O’Connor

GAME POTENTIAL LOOKS GOOD ■ ■ ■ ■

Stunning, movie-style replays. Classic American cars. Innovative stunt-based gameplay. Lots of explosions.

ODDS ARE...

That Maximum Chase and Wreckless will battle it out on the streets of Hong Kong for ultimate smashing supremacy.

NEEDS WORK

■ It’s not out yet. ■ Vehicle variety may be limited.

HYPE:

It crept out of nowhere at the Tokyo Game Show – a jewel in the rough, only it’s not so rough. Just a jewel, really. Microsoft is publishing it over here, and it might see a name change, so we’re keeping our eyes peeled.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Going on graphical appearance alone is a dangerous game. There have in the past been some graphically spectacular titles that didn’t satisfy in the play department, like Rascal, FFVIII, and most notably, The Bouncer. But we’re suckers for a pretty face, and given Genki’s recent racing efforts, this really ought to deliver. Basically, we’re psyched.

3

Oh yeah, sure, like there would ever be three available cabs at this time of day in LA. They’re all at the airport, dude.

2

Multi- texturing has meant that roads, and all game surfaces, look better.

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■ “It was like that when I got here, Officer. Shouldn’t you be out catching burglars?”

■ Hmmm. A ramped tow truck is parked in my way. What should I do...?

■ STAFF CARS: of the Official Xbox Magazine staff drive the following: a Jeep Wrangler, a Toyota pickup that says “Yo,” a Mazda Protege, a borrowed Camry, a Mazda 323, a borrowed Saturn, and – yes – a bitchin’ Camaro.

■ You’re obviously not limited to the Camaro, as this equally bitchin’ Vette shows.

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Preview

Names have been changed

■ The detailed use of light and shadow gives Malice a distinctive look – we think it’s kind of Gothic slapstick.

Malice: Kat’s Tale ■ Kat is standing in a puddle in protest. She’s no Julia “Butterfly” Hill, but it’s a statement, nonetheless.

TRACK RECORD DEVELOPER: Argonaut

PUBLISHER: Sierra

RELEASE DATE: Q3 2002

WHO ARE THEY?: Argonaut is a long-time publisher of technologically superior action and strategy games, including classics like Virus and Starglider, but it is perhaps better known for “inventing” the Super FX chip found in Nintendo’s Starfox SNES game.

What happens when launch games go missing? An Absence of Malice?

W

e’re not making this up: “In the strange backwaters of a dread forest, an unusual girl accidentally unleashes an ancient Fire Demon into the World. The giant molten hellhound is Malice Incarnate; all sharp teeth and smoldering eyes, his twisted nuclear insanity sparks chaos and threatens to set the entire world ablaze!“ So begins Argonaut’s own description of its colorful platform game. Since we can’t exaggerate or pontificate any more than they already did, what follows is a dry and rather technical preview of an otherwise exciting game. Malice is definitely a platform game, right down to the level designs, big-eyed protagonist, and collectable power-ups. The fact that it takes place

■ BUCK BUMBLE: Argonaut’s N64 shooter Buck Bumble featured the sung lyric: “Right about now it’s time to get down to the biggety-Buck-Bum-Ble.” You had to be there.

February 2002

Only on

Xbox

When it was first unveiled, way back at the 2000 Game Developer’s Conference in San Jose, Malice was destined to be an Xbox exclusive. The game was delayed, then eventually the name changed to Malice: Kat’s Tale, and now it’s going to be on PS2. Sniff. Anyhoo, the PS2 version won’t have half the cool effects the Xbox version will, including the most gratuitous use of bump-mapped textures we’ve ever seen. Even the smooth, polished surfaces are scratched and scarred for effect.

in the most crisply rendered environments yet makes it something of a standout… and, frankly, there aren’t any stellar platformers on the

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Preview

Preview

This object in the center is... well... your objective.

...to protect the innocent

Malice: Kat’s Tale

She can also get her little threefingered hands on a giant mace and the mysteriously named Quantum Tuning Fork. Should you knock out the generators? Or leap the beams?

Volumetric glowing gas? Whatever will they think of next?

■ Tremendous draw distances and high resolutions let you take in a lot of level at one time, giving you a chance to figure out strategies before rushing blindly into danger.

Us: Malice stunned audiences at the GDC. What have you done technically since then? Him: We’ve applied a few more rendering treats to the shadow caster engine and started to play with some cool wazzy special effects including cloth, bone overrides, screen warps, and filtered particle effects. Our engine guys done a superb job in giving our artist the means to create a graphical extravaganza… and I shouldn’t forget sound, as our guys have really gone

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Us: We know how the game looks, but can you tell us a little about the gameplay structure? Him: Our gameplay structure is based on quest and skill progression, general adventuring, and discovery as well as developing the overall evolution of our weird histories and timelines. There are lots of weird and wonderful characters and bosses. Kat explores expanding and branching worlds from a central hubto-hub structure, revisiting levels that evolve through time alongside our expanding story line. Multiple quests can be running at any given time. Each quest either directly or indirectly opens the path to explore deeper into the game and gain magic skills and weaponry. Us: What have you done to maximize use of the Xbox architecture? Him: The Malice team has spent a great deal of time getting to know the Xbox hardware inside-out.

Magazine

■ Cut scenes explain the plot using the actual game engine.

WIRED

We are exploiting a number of unique features of the Xbox to make Malice a really special game. The 64 MB of RAM in the Xbox allows us to use more detailed textures than ever before. Not so revolutionary, you might think, but when coupled with the pixel and vertex shaders we can combine multiple textures in lots of different ways to produce all sorts of special rendering effects that give Malice a rich visual feel that’s totally unique. Perhaps the most important single feature Microsoft has added to the Xbox is the hard-drive. Previous (and maybe current) console hard-drives have never really taken off, because they’ve always been after-sale optional extras. Few developers have used them because the market isn’t guaranteed. We’re planning on using the Xbox’s hard-drive in Malice to continually stream game data while play continues, so we can get rid of the “Loading, please wait...” message once and for all!

February 2002

It’s as simple as www.argonaut.com. Actually, this is one of the friendlier websites by a development studio. Usually, they’re boring and empty.

“We’ve started to play with some cool wazzy special effects.” – Jez San

We sat down with Argonaut boss and Malice-man Jez San to discuss his new creation. to town and delivered the goods, too.

We’ve actually played this, albeit briefly, and Kat is a remarkably nimble character, considering how big her weapon is. The game’s springy pace brings elements of Super Mario 64 to mind, so it’ll be interesting to see how the gameplay evolves. The graphics are already there, though: self-shadowing, bump-mapped, light-sourced, full-scene anti-aliased masterpieces of design. — Frank O’Connor

One of the many mighty weapons Kat collects throughout the game.

Developer speak Us: Why the name change? Him: We collectively agreed that the original modifier to Malice, “A Dark and Comic Fiery Tale,” described the mood, genre, and reflected the story of our game, but was too long. Many alternatives for the modifier were put in the pot with “Kat’s Tale” rising to the top as our prize title – it’s catchy, easily pronounceable, reveals our main character’s name, and last but not least, it’s a nice play on words.

sensitive, and while they can usually be used for smashing opponents to bits, occasionally they have another purpose, such as unlocking levels, or solving more complex puzzles. As she moves through the 25 levels, Kat evolves. You see, she’s destined to become a goddess, which is good, because she’s going to need some help in order to fight the aforementioned “twisted nuclear insanity.”

Xbox yet – Shrek looked great, but ultimately disappointed. So if Malice can provide even a hint of the Mario Magic™, then the gorgeous graphics will just be a bonus. The exploration and platform action is pretty standard stuff – jump over pools of lava, open locked doors

– you know the score. Malice tries to up the ante, however, with its use of weapons and power-ups. Our heroine Kat walks softly and carries a big hammer. She can also get her little three-fingered hands on a giant mace and the mysteriously named Quantum Tuning Fork. The weapons are context-

■ Platform-jumping puzzles! Quake players hate ‘em, Mario players can’t live without ‘em. We love ‘em.

■ SUPER FX FACT: When it was first introduced to boost the 3D abilities of the SNES in Argonaut/Nintendo’s Starfox, the Super FX chip became the world’s best selling DSP chip by default.

■ Kat makes her case before Judge Judy... sorry, before Death himself.

GAME POTENTIAL LOOKS GOOD

NEEDS WORK

ODDS ARE...

HYPE:

■ Even the bumps have bump-maps. ■ Startling level design. ■ Even more startling lighting.

People have been looking forward to Malice for a long time. As long as its newfound multiplatformness doesn’t get in the way, then this will at least be a looker.

■ Character designs impressive, but generic. ■ Name change – and “cat” is spelled with a “C,” y’all. The name change puts a little roadblock in the game’s otherwise unstoppable rampage to domination of the ittedly sparse Xbox platform-game scene.

FINAL THOUGHTS

We’ve been looking forward to this since (literally) Day One of Xbox, and see no reason why it shouldn’t emerge as an Xbox essential. The graphics are still mind-blowing and all it needs is good direction and gameplay design to avoid pulling a Shrek.

■ TERMINOLOGY: “Pulling a Shrek” is used to define any game that utilizes all of the wondrous abilities of Xbox but stupidly forgets any sort of gameplay. The opposite would be “pulling a Mirra.”

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Preview

Preview

It’s a Monster Mash!

It’s a graveyard smash!

Enclave Let’s see the PS2 or GameCube do this

“F

rom all directions, Vatar’s dark horde closed in on the nearly defeated army of Celenheim. But atop one of the ridges, a lone figure clad in a Wizard’s robe defiantly faced the demon. He lifted the staff high in the air and slammed it hard into the ground, unleashing the wrath of nature itself.” So Starbreeze introduces the plot of Enclave, and if you think that it bears more than a ing resemblance to, say, Tolkien, then just wait until you see the game world they have created. In fact, “Tolkien-esque” doesn’t even do the graphics justice. There are 25 very different levels, each featuring a multitude of buildings, trees, water, mountains, and creatures, which are so painstakingly assembled and textured that the effect is occasionally overwhelming. The world of Enclave straddles a literal rift, created by the wizard dude mentioned above. The rift was created to protect light from darkness, or somesuch, and the result is two distinct tribes, or enclaves, that have grown apart – one good, and one evil. The game ambitiously lets you choose which of these forces you’ll fight

■ A targeting reticule lets you lock on to an opponent and “track” them in combat.

■ Sometimes melee weapons are better than a sniping arsenal, as you’ll find in a tight corridor.

■ But then again, the sprawling outdoor environments mean taking long-distance shots can be fun.

■ The architecture is varied and attractive, as this Myst-like locale shows off to good effect.

“Oh, hello dear. Is your mommy home? I’d like to talk to her about Tupperware...”

TRACK RECORD DEVELOPER: Starbreeze

PUBLISHER: Conspiracy Games

RELEASE DATE: 2002

WHO ARE THEY?: Starbreeze is a relatively new Euro outfit based in , but it features a wide assortment of Nordic programmers, whose previous experience involved coding demos for PC. You can find out what the demo is, and what the point of that demo was, on the next page.

Demo-Gods The developer, Starbreeze, started life as a group of “demo” coders. What are “demo coders,” you might ask? Well, in the heyday of computers like Atari ST and Commodore Amiga, tons of European computer “gangs” would code demos. These were usually some kind of impressive graphic routine, like a spinning monkey, or an absurdly over-colored screensaver. Hilarious messages in mangled English would throw down challenges to rival demo coders and say things like, “Belgian Cracking Crew iz lamerz. They can’t even rasterbob their bitmaps. Hah!” Such statements are hilarious if you’re a teenage Dutch hacker.

■ Your character class, good or evil, will affect how quickly and violently (or otherwise) you make your way through Enclave.

Only on

Xbox

There are no plans for other versions of the game, which is hardly surprising considering how much horsepower this puppy requires. All the graphic effects are being written to take advantage of the Xbox GPU, and the hard-drive and broadband should be ed in some capacity, although you shouldn’t expect multiplayer online – LAN, however, is likely to be ed.

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■ Does the expression “Kiss My Axe” mean anything to you?

■ Lava monsters. Can’t live with them, can’t leave them near straw.

■ NOW HEAR THIS: Enclave HAS to be an online game. Just imagine 8-on-8 battles of good versus evil. Parties with wizards, knights, and archers working together while using the Xbox Communicator. To not make this online-ready would be a sin.

February 2002

■ Thanks to his leathery skin, the Ogre fears lava not a jot.

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Preview

Slave to the Enclave

Enclave

■ The environments are so pretty, there are paintings of them in the environments....

■ Moat, why did it have to be a moat. I hate moats. Or is it snakes?

■ Weather and time of day will also affect the atmosphere.

You’ll find walls that crumble at your onslaught of siege engine weaponry for. The problem is, as time es, the rift narrows, and sooner or later, these forces are going to clash once more. Enter you. Depending on which character you select, you’ll take part in a variety of campaigns, with a wide range of short-range weapons, magic abilities, and specific skills. Gameplay is a broad mixture of RPG and action elements, and it varies subtly depending on which character you play. For the most part you’ll be exploring, fighting, and interacting with the characters and situations scattered throughout the 25 levels. But there are bigger objectives, including some vast and ferocious level “bosses” that will take some planning to defeat. Starbreeze describes the game as a first-person shooter, but that’s a pretty disingenuous claim, given that it’s third-person and has heavy RPG elements blended into the action.

That’s good news for those craving a little more thought with their blasting. The game’s technologies include arrows that actually stick in the objects or villains you shoot, walls that crumble at your onslaught of siege engine weaponry, and weather effects that’ll chill you to your very bones. It’s quite a tech showcase. The character models often don’t quite match the quality of the backdrops (at this stage), but they are by turn impressive, sexy, and occasionally bizarre. All, however, are smoothly animated. Multiplayer modes are also available – ranging from simple splitscreen battles to complex cooperative play. No word yet on definitive LAN capabilities and no word at all on Internet play, but we are keeping our fingers crossed. The game ships “sometime in 2002.” — Frank O’Connor

■ Quake III fans may find this location somewhat familiar...

GAME POTENTIAL

Good vs. Evil: The Next Big Thing

LOOKS GOOD

This is a relatively new type of conflict. Normally, conflagrations only erupt between Izod Preppies and Echo and the Bunnymen wastoids, but apparently, there’s a new trend towards a conflict between forces of light and darkness. Cool. This could create some friction.

This will appeal to a broad spectrum of gamers, from Tomb Raider fanatics to RPG mavens.

ODDS ARE...

GOOD GUYS

BAD GUYS

KNIGHT Fast and flexible, a good hack-and-slasher.

OGRE Like a knight, but ugly.

ARCHER Deadly accurate. The sniper of Enclave.

ASSASSIN Like an archer, but mean.

WIZARD Relies on beautifully rendered magic for battle.

SORCERESS Like a wizard, but female and scantily clad.

DRUID May or may not smoke weed, but is sexy.

LICH Like a druid, but sneaky. BOMBARDIER Imagine a nasty engineer.

ENGINEER Need to knock down a castle? Use him.

NEEDS WORK

■ Starbreeze has a history of cancelled projects. ■ Themes are derivative.

Well, “the kids” are excited about this, but since the game is coming from two relatively small outfits, it’s up to us gamers to spread the word. It’s unlikely you’ll be seeing hours of TV campaign behind this, unless Microsoft spots its promise and backs it up.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The huge boss monsters, sprawling castles, and exploration elements give it the kind of classic arcade adventure feel that’s also being touted by Blood Omen 2 – only this one, incredibly, looks better. Until we see a version of Metal Gear Solid, we won’t have much in the way of sprawling, feature-filled explore-fests. This fits the bill quite nicely, however, and with lots of action too. If you’re looking for Mr. Goodbar, you may have come to the wrong place.

But as much effort has gone into weapons design as characters.

WOLF RIDER Oh, you get the picture by now…

BOAR RIDER Fast and mobile.

HYPE:

■ Elaborate architecture. ■ Vast, organic environs. ■ Cool fighting system.

Ogre flesh glistens and stretches realistically, and the animation rocks.

BEST OF THE BESTIARY Here’s a few of the freaks you’ll encounter in the Enclave universe.

■ Water – the true benchmark of any console’s performance. Xbox ups the ante again.

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■ Trees, the true benchmark of... hey, wait a minute, I thought there was some other benchmark.

February 2002

BANSHEE Looks a lot like death, howls appallingly at the slightest provocation… even a broken fingernail.

HARPY Disturbing naked flying freak. Try not to stare. STALKER To be played by Calista Flockhart in movie version.

DEMON Teased throughout high school for being “too demonic.” SEADRAGON Yes, there are water levels.

SKELETON Also to be played by Calista Flockhart.

WIRED Quite simply the single best developer website on Earth, complete with playable Asteroids/Space Invaders hybrid and a fairy guide. It’s at www.starbreeze.com.

BIRDIE Do not provoke the birdie.

■ AMIGA LINK: A group of ex-Amiga hardware engineers, working for Epyx, designed the hardware for the Atari Lynx portable console.

■ FOURTH TIME’S A CHARM: Three of the Starbreeze team’s previous… um… three games have been cancelled. Not likely to happen with Enclave.

February 2002

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Preview

Preview

...but not Goldschlager

Not Chuck Yeager

Get yourself a shot of Yager

Instantly, folks started thinking this had something to do with Chuck Yeager. Well, it doesn’t. The real Yeager, Charles Elwood Yeager, was born in 1923 in Myra, West Virginia, and grew up in the nearby village of Hamlin. During World War II, he shot down 13 enemy aircraft, and on one particularly efficient day, he got five

of ’em. He once took down a German jet while in a prop plane! After that, he went on to become a test pilot, and piloted the Bell X-1 to the first manned supersonic flight. A total bad-ass, in other words. Neither the game nor the man has anything to do with Jager(meister), the tar-like, opiate-laced, alcoholic drink.

■ Expansive locales are filled with yummy effects, including this oddly attractive and rippled lake.

■ Explosions factor large in the world of Yager, and if you play properly, you’ll be the cause of them – not the victim.

GAME POTENTIAL LOOKS GOOD

NEEDS WORK

ODDS ARE...

HYPE

■ Amazing landscapes and weather. ■ Huge, varied opponents. ■ Brilliant explosions and effects.

Yager will get a name change, and soak up some of the frustrated desire created by Rogue Leader on the GameCube…

Yager

■ The good thing about dystopian futures is that, while bleak, they’re packed with bad guys.

No, not that Chuck “Yager,” some other guy. Or place

N

obody at Microsoft seems to know what happened to the once-hinted-at Xbox version of Crimson Skies, so in the meantime you’ll have to satisfy yourself with THQ’s Yager, which may not be such a bad thing. The reason we draw the comparison is the obvious similarity in concept and universe. Both games take place in an

altered reality, Yager in the future, Crimson Skies in the past, but both take broad liberties with technology to create a unique universe. There’s also a pretty big emphasis on story, character, and intrigue. There are more than twenty different, fullyfleshed out characters for you to interact with – some friendly, some not-so-friendly. And all of this takes

TRACK RECORD DEVELOPER: THQ

PUBLISHER: THQ

RELEASE DATE: Q2 2002

WHO ARE THEY?: Yager, the German programming team behind the game, is brand new, with programmers and designers from a variety of backgrounds. It seems that they named themselves after the game… or vice versa. Or perhaps the game is programming itself and there are no humans involved at all – come on, you know it’s possible.

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February 2002

place (we’re told) in a living, breathing, evolving world that’s actually affected by your actions. Pretty impressive for a shoot-’em-up, huh? How far that idea stretches is yet to be revealed, but we do know that palm trees burn convincingly and stay charred. And we here at Official Xbox Magazine hate palm trees. In the end, though, Yager’s real innovation is right here on the page in front of you – it’s a glorious, richly detailed, and very atmospheric world, rendered in some of the prettiest graphics we’ve seen. Aircraft, ground installations, and landscapes are all very nice, but it’s the naturalistic weather effects, evocative lighting, and voluminous explosions that really

supply the eye-candy. Yager is quite a looker, to say the least. The air-ground attack missions look suspiciously like some of those found

Xbox

Connection Yager is, in fact, an Xbox exclusive at time of going to press, and that means lots of pixel shader effects, including some of the most convincing clouds we’ve ever laid eyes on – and believe us, this staff looks at a lot of clouds and water in an average day. Not to mention explosions, dragons, and spaceships. And then we have to go home, where we see less impressive things like dishwashers and microwaves.

■ WAR ’N’ BUFFET: One cute feature in early footage of the game was the fact that your ship is buffeted slightly by turbulence while the in-cockpit view is selected. Sounds straightforward, but looks cool.

Evocative lighting and voluminous explosions really supply the eye-candy. in Rogue Leader, although they have slightly better graphics. Sadly, they can’t rely on the amazing Star Wars environments, but haven’t you already done “the trench run” in a game about 100 million times? Our hero tools around in a nimble little craft, blasting anything that moves, as well as a fair number of giant stationary and hovering technological freakshows. And although there’s no Star Wars stuff, the wide range of environments you encounter certainly includes places that look Star Wars-y, like a Hothinspired ice level, and a Tatooine-esque desert scenario. There’s also a fair sprinkling of water – from sudden rainstorms to huge, glittering seas. – Frank O’Connor

WIRED You know, www.yager.de is the German website for the game, and it’s filled with coldly efficient information regarding dieser simulation auf das flügkombatten.

■ No word on online play yet. ■ Crazy German game name that translates poorly.

THQ US hasn’t picked this one up for a US release at time of going to press, but since it looks so nice, we imagine that will have changed by the time you read this.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Some of the early game footage really shows promise, with a wonderful mix of huge environments and hectic air and land battles. The explosions, weather effects, and the basic premise of flying and shooting are all deliciously evocative.

■ Yes, he’s a hundred feet across and totally pissed. And he’s pointing about a thousand lead-spewing guns at you.

■ BILL GATES’ SWIMMING POOL: In our interview, Bill Gates itted he had an underwater stereo system, and bagged on Frank for not having one. Which is kind of mean, since Frank only has a shower, with no tub.

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Preview

It’s the Buick of sports

ESPN MLS: Extra Time Konami’s soccer rocker kicks off

I

■ Use the onscreen radar to keep track of players.

WIRED Konami keeps changing the lead pic on its website – but it’s always a slightly creepy set of kids. Don’t believe us? Well, then, check out www.konami.com.

f you live in a city like San Jose, Los Angeles, or Washington, you may have noticed that the number of mullets, Audi TTs, and cologne-smelling athletes in weird Prada outfits has increased exponentially. You can blame the MLS (Major League Soccer), America’s latest and actually most successful attempt to reintroduce soccer as a spectator sport. The only problem is that it’s played primarily by Americans who aren’t good enough to play in Europe or South America, or Europeans who aren’t good (or young) enough to stay put. Hence the mullets and Eau de . Anyhoo, MLS is as close to a prestigious license as the US has, and

sports games need licenses. So it is with what appears to be a heavy heart that Konami has emblazoned the MLS logo all over its otherwise god-like ISS (International Superstar Soccer, as it’s known in places where fútbol is enjoyed) soccer series. And now it’s on Xbox. Huzzah! This game started life on the SNES and immediately became a classic. It’s always been the player’s game of choice thanks to an intuitive control scheme. The Xbox version of the game lets you practice techniques like ing, volleying, and striking skills, as well as dribbling. You can also skip the more tedious aspects of the MLS (there are only twelve teams) and opt to play an unsanctioned version of an international squad, like Brazil or , or even skip straight to the

Only on

Xbox

The Xbox version of the game is for all intents and purposes identical to the PS2 version, although there will be some minor enhancements to graphics and sound for the Xbox. It’s okay though, because soccer is about control and gameplay, not aesthetics.

Elizabeth Shue

is hot

Yessiree bob. That Elisabeth Shue (Adventures in Babysitting, Leaving Las Vegas – which is basically a remake of Adventures in Babysitting, but with booze) is hotter than Georgia asphalt. However, the MLS link is actually her brother, Andrew Shue, who played one season for the LA Galaxy before returning to his real gig on Melrose Place, which was canceled soon after. His skill on the field has been described variously as “handsome,” “totally hot,” and “dreamy.” Mostly by teenage girls, as opposed to soccer pundits.

MLS cup final for the closest thing the league has to a nail-biting finish. The game is dripping, dribbling even, with features. Now we keep making fun of the MLS, but don’t let that give you a bad impression of the series. MLS is destined to be a classic, and the early code we’ve played is as slick and smooth as anything in the series. Graphically, it’s basically a slight the handsome PS2 version, and apart from the addition of Dolby Surround, it’s sonically identical. One item of note is that the humongous Xbox controller actually works exceptionally well for soccer games – essential for sudden jukes and jives. – Frank O’Connor

GAME POTENTIAL ■ The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty is actually the name of a German existential movie.

LOOKS GOOD ■ ■ ■ ■

Best soccer game controls. Plenty of options and teams. The commentary is fun. Sharp graphics.

ODDS ARE...

That ESPN MLS Extra Time will kick boo-tay as much as it does leather-inflated bladders.

TRACK RECORD DEVELOPER: Konami

PUBLISHER: Konami

RELEASE DATE: 2002

WHO ARE THEY?: Only Frank’s favorite arcade company, thanks to a string of classics like Gradius, Salamander, Contra, and Super Contra. The fact that they’re also responsible for AirForce Delta, Metal Gear Solid, and Castlevania doesn’t hurt either.

NEEDS WORK ■ M. ■ L. ■ S.

HYPE:

The ESPN logo glams it up, but this isn’t so different from prior MLS franchises on inferior systems. Fans will probably have to own it anyway.

FINAL THOUGHTS

MLS has always had to go head to head with EA’s better-selling and more stylish FIFA. It comes down to what you really want from a game. FIFA has real players, better management stuff, and slightly more options, while MLS (ISS, really) has the far superior game with a crummy secondrate license.

■ BLOODY WRONG: Although the undeniably smug Brits take credit for the modern game of football/soccer, a similar game was actually practiced in China at least two thousand years ago.

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Preview

Hunter: The Reckoning O

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innocent citizens whose real purpose is to prey upon humans – and only hunters can see them for what they really are. At the start of the game, you and up to three friends can choose among several characters to blast your way through the game as (you can do it all solo as well). All of the playable characters, of course, have their own magic (called Edges) as well as skills and weaponry. You’ll gain experience points along the way, which are then used to boost your character’s different attributes including strength, accuracy, and speed. And you’ll need all the help you can get as many of the later levels (there are approximately 28 areas in all) get incredibly tough, with enemies as far as the virtual eye can see. Each character will come equipped with one range weapon (firearms,

February 2002

Oh, you mean THAT reckoning?

■ It’s all fun and games until some undead rat gets its eye poked out.

Only on

Xbox

You won’t find Hunter: The Reckoning anywhere else. You’re looking at an exclusive game for Xbox, folks. No PC. No PS2. No GameCube. At least not yet.

WIRED For online updates on everything that is Hunter: The Reckoning, you should take a minute to check out www.interplay.com/hunter for the latest goods.

What’s your type?

Hunt or be hunted ne of Xbox’s strongest features remains its ability to accommodate four competitive buddies who want to bond over a good multiplayer game – without having to buy a multitap. Whether that game is Halo, Fuzion Frenzy, or even Tony Hawk 2x, all you need are four controllers, one copy of the game, and your Xbox. It’s time to add another title to the list in the form of Interplay’s vampire-killer, Hunter: The Reckoning. Based on the pen-and-paper RPG of the same name published by White Wolf, the game puts you in the role of a “hunter.” You’re one of a small handful of humans cursed with the ability to recognize evil and charged with the responsibility of eradicating it at all costs. The only problem is that evil is now masquerading as your friends and coworkers, seemingly

Preview

■ What’s a hero to do when he stumbles across an undead dance party and the Macarena comes on?

Hunter: The Reckoning

In White Wolf Publishing’s player’s guide for the pen-and-paper version of Hunter: The Reckoning, there are outlines of all the different “types” of hunters in the game’s world. While not all of the types have found their way into virtual form for the videogame adaptation of the license, some have survived.

Defender: Usually drawn to jobs that require brave acts of heroism such as firefighter, cop, etc., defenders look to preserve and protect. ■ Magic spells and melee weapons are better against certain foes than simply blasting through the pack with a shotgun.

TRACK RECORD DEVELOPER: High Voltage Software

PUBLISHER: Interplay

RELEASE DATE: March

WHO ARE THEY?: No stranger to Microsoft (or the Xbox), the team at High Voltage Software was responsible for developing Microsoft’s NBA Inside Drive 2000 for PC. Now, with several other games like NFL Quarterback Club 2001 for N64, as well as Sierra’s Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy for PC under its belt, Hunter: The Reckoning is under way (not to mention NBA Inside Drive for the Xbox).

■ THEY STEAL: Evil beings in the bodies of normal people that can only be seen by a few chosen “hunters”? Ever seen John Carpenter’s Rowdy Roddy Piper vehicle, They Live? Apparently, so did the creators of Hunter: The Reckoning.

Martyr: Willing to go out on a limb

and sacrifice life, soul, and body to get the job done. But not without being a drama queen in between. Avenger: No-holds-barred vengeanceseeking bruisers with no time for any wishy-washy-ness. It’ll just get in the way of getting the job done. Judges: Smart, but often overly pragmatic, they’re more practical about the decisions they make and how they go about saving the world.

■ Each character has a special move to take out multiple targets.

■ With all sorts of weapons at your disposal, above and beyond the two you’re automatically assigned, you’ll come across stuff like flamethrowers.

Hunter hopes to achieve the same fast and furious multiplayer action found in Gauntlet and Loaded… mostly, that must be reloaded frequently) and one melee weapon (knives, swords, etc.). Depending on how close you are to the enemy or what type of fiend you’re fighting, you’ll have to choose which weapon will get the job done. Some of the magical creatures in the game won’t go down so easily under a rain of bullets, so you must unsheathe your blade to take care of business. You’ll also be able to pick up weapons along the way – those dropped by enemies, and some secret weapons that add much-needed power to your armory. But while the core of the game is full-throttle shooting action, Hunter also sports mission objectives. For example, we had a chance to play through a graveyard stage which puts you in charge of escorting a young toddler through from entrance to exit unharmed. Players must fend off the

waves of zombies, ghouls, and other beasties before they lay a finger on the child. If they manage to swipe the kid enough times, it’s game over.

Interplay hopes to achieve the same fast and furious multiplayer action found in arcade classics such as Gauntlet. While early versions still needed work in of pacing and design, we’re hoping that with enough TLC, Hunter will be molded into the lightning-quick action-fest it deserves to be. Look for it to hit shelves in March of this year. – sca Reyes

GAME POTENTIAL LOOKS GOOD

NEEDS WORK

ODDS ARE...

HYPE:

■ Four-player single-screen fastpaced arcade gameplay. ■ Easy, accessible controls for newbies. ■ Best blood effects yet on Xbox. A strong license and dark-themed zombie-killing antics are two great tastes that taste great together for most games. With some polishing and late nights, Hunter may be a great union of both.

■ May seem derivative of Gauntlet. ■ Camera needed work in early versions, but will be improved. ■ Is it survival horror or buttonmasher? Interplay is hoping for an arcadetype thrill ride for multiplayer fanatics with three friends and three controllers. Will it live up to past classics in the same genre?

FINAL THOUGHTS

A promising concept with well-worn and time proven mechanics, Hunter could be a hit as a fast and fun game aimed at those looking for a quickie.

■ RAPID EYE MOVEMENT: We’d like to take a moment to one of Atlanta, GA’s finest products, the alt-rock band REM, and one of their best albums, Reckoning. It came way before Shiny Happy People and Peter Buck’s airline Captain Insano impressions.

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Review

Reviews

Payne and simple

Max Payne

The definitive source for Xbox reviews

A heartwarming tale of love between a simple boy and his many, many guns

Who was it that once said that “games are just like people?” Think about it. Some games are wonderfully deep, with all sorts of interesting things bubbling below the surface, while some others are nice, fun, but shallow. Heck, you wouldn’t kick either out of bed for eating crackers, right? But, then again, there are the clunkers. Those that boil your blood and make you shake your head wondering why they exist in the first place. But which game fits into each category? Well, read on, and we’ll tell you.

How we score 10 – 8.5 Only the best and the brightest score in this range. If it scores 9.0 or above, then there’s no guessing involved. Buy it, love it, and watch as other games follow in its footsteps. 8.4 – 7.0 Just shy of greatness, but still an exceptional experience. 6.9 – 5.0 There’s a bit of

entertainment to be found, but something’s amiss.

4.9 – 2.0 Rushed, poorly

contents

So good, it’s scary?

executed, or maybe just tired. Only fools dare tread further.

DEVELOPER 3D REALMS/NEO PUBLISHER GODGAMES MULTIPLAYER NONE WEBSITE HTTP://MAXPAYNE.GODGAMES.COM/MAIN.HTML

L

Meet Max, our constipated hero of the hour.

78

Star Wars Obi-Wan

Melting pot

Read our full review! Now 100% free of gratuitous Jar-Jar Binks jokes!

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F1 2001

What racing sport is the most watched around the globe? Hint: You can make right AND left turns.

■ Combining violent imagery with cheesy, laughable dialogue is Max’s strong suit.

See if you can follow us on this one: Max Payne is an American-style videogame made by Finns heavily influenced by Hong Kong action movies which are films made by Chinese directors heavily influenced by American cinema. Got that?

1.9 – 0.0 Craptacular goodness

that is proud to call Fantastic Four (PSOne) or Superman (N64) its superiors.

Editor’s Choice Award Any game that scores 9.0 or higher will be stamped with our magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award. This mark guarantees a solid game to be had by all (all that have $50, of course). So buy it already.

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74 Azurik: Rise of Perathia

Finally... a Microsoft game that gives our ratings scale a bit of a workout.

February 2002

■ FACE TIME: You can credit Max Payne’s whacked expression and facial stylings to game writer, Sam Lake (the pen name for scenario writer, Sämi Järvi, from the original PC developer, Remedy), whose own face was the basis for Max’s. Go Sämi.

■ Bullet-time in Max Payne is simply what gameplay is all about.

egend has it that a New York minute is the time between when the light turns green and when that jackass behind you lays on his horn. In other words, it’s very short. It’s also about how long it will take you to get into Max Payne, an incredibly stylish and absorbing romp through New York City’s charming and oh-so-seamy underbelly. The PC version has garnered almost universal raves for its superb textures, unflagging action, and unique bullet-time gameplay. The Xbox version, which is a “File/Save As…” copy of the PC game, is just as beautiful and almost as playable with the Xbox gamepad. The controls are identical to Halo; move with the left stick, aim with the right. You can adjust the sensitivity on both the X- and the Y-axis and even change the reticule. There are several different button presets to suit your taste, and within a few minutes we were capping scumbags, left and right. In fact, said cappin’ is the entire appeal of Max Payne. The gameplay consists of little more than what you’d imagine in a Streets of Rage redux, with generic bad guys from central casting waiting around every corner. But going into bullet-time while you rip through some poor sap with double Ingrams is undeniably fun. Sure, it’s a ripoff of a John Woo film, but who cares? Because the game is played entirely in the third person, it can be difficult getting a bead on some of the mooks in the distance, except with the sniper scope. Yet during bullet-time the camera swings down low so you can spray lead with ease. There are a few jumping puzzles and mazes here and there, but most of the time, your trigger finger will do all your thinking for you. The rest of your time will be spent laughing at the game’s dialogue, delivered in comically bad voice-overs. Max Payne’s story is straight-up revenge fantasy with plenty of

■ WRITE OR WRONG?: Max Payne s a growing pantheon of games with laughable dialogue that just screams to be archived, along with Zero Wing’s “All your base is belong to us” and Resident Evil’s “master of unlocking.” We welcome more.

cop-gone-bad thrown in. The charitable might call the script overheated, but honest gamers realize that the writing in this game is “Max Payne-ful.” “Snow fell like ashes from post apocalyptic skies.” Ugh. You’ll either be laughing or groaning, but not bored. That’s because Max Payne looks (and sounds) just as good on your $300 Xbox as it does on a $2,000 high-end PC. The graphics engine does an amazing job with nearly photographic textures – you can practically smell the mildew and urine in the stairwells of some of NYC’s finest slums. But strangely, there are only very few interesting reflections or particle effects, and the character models are a little blocky. Yet Max Payne is a straightforward action game that never slows down. And that’s about the highest compliment we can give. It doesn’t have depth, brains, or complexity, but it does have killer looks and loads of style. And most nights, that’s all we really need. – Jim Preston

February 2002

THE VERDICT Graphics

Immersion

Sound

Design

Superb, hi-res textures and excellent lighting, but no reflections and blocky character models. The weapon sounds are nice and the score is energizing, but the voice acting is amateurish.

The graphic-novel style of the game is great, but the writing is supercraptacular. It’s simple. Turn corner, go into slow-mo, kill bad guys. Sounds repetitive until you’ve played it.

GOOD ( + ), BAD ( — ), PERPLEXING (?)

+ Excellent graphics. + Non-stop action-o-rama. + Bullet-time is a blast. — The writing is horrible. — Gameplay ain’t that deep. — Insultingly bad voice acting. ? What’s up with Max’s constipated expression?

Official Xbox

magazine verdict Official

8.8 10.0

Magazine

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Review

Mad Dash Racing, baby

It’s a platformer! It’s a combat racer! It’s animals on foot?! ON THE

GAME DISC Demo Want to take a trial run through Mad Dash? Pop in the Game Disc and try out the Tiki Village level!

■ Different terrain requires you to climb or swim by twirling the left analog stick repeatedly.

■ Mad Dash is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an easy game.

Mad Dash Racing DEVELOPER CRYSTAL DYNAMICS PUBLISHER EIDOS INTERACTIVE MULTIPLAYER 1-4 VIA SPLITSCREEN WEBSITE WWW.MADDASHRACING.COM

C

riticizing a game for being derivative is almost pointless. The limitations of today’s input devices almost guarantee that every new game will remind us of something that’s come before. And even in the wake of Running Wild on PlayStation, Mad Dash Racing still comes across as pretty original. The reason for Dash’s freshness is that it smoothly combines two existing genres

■ Seemingly shallow but really quite deep.

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EXTRAS 5.1 DOLBY DIGITAL SOUND

(platform adventure and racer) while adding its own set of rules. Credit should also be given to the bizarre creatures that you get to meet and control. Some gamers will be turned off by the furry cast’s “Xtreme” tendencies, and you may not like all of them (you’ll cringe at their voices, in particular), but they do have plenty of personality. What makes MD so interesting is the three varied abilities of the characters. Each is classified as a dasher, a glider, or a basher. These skills determine your route through the huge levels. For instance, bashers can find shortcuts by knocking down barriers, while a glider can simply fly right over a difficult spot. Dashers benefit by being fleet of foot. As in a typical platformer, power-ups provide extra powers, refresh your ability to use your powers, and give you weapons to thwart your opponents. And like any other racing game, you’ll have to memorize the tracks in order to maximize shortcuts. Though, in the end, it all comes down to crossing the finish line first (there are minigames that include performing stunts or

February 2002

collecting items), MD plays like more than a simple racer with weapons. It looks good – and once you get a feel for the controls, you’ll want to go back and explore, just like in a good platform game. Kids will love it, and adults may find plenty to like as well. – Rob Smolka

Mad dash... to the bathroom! Some gamers (like this reviewer, for one) have problems with motion sickness in certain games. Usually, it’s first-person shooters that cause the “3Ds” to set in (that’s Dizziness, being Drenched in sweat, and having the Distinct feeling you’re gonna hurl), but sometimes a third-person game can have the same effect. As a warning to the more “sensitive” readers, Mad Dash Racing fits into this category. You have been warned.

Pro tip:

Always keep Dramamine on hand – it alleviates the symptoms and allows you play games gag-reflex-free.

THE VERDICT Graphics

Bright, colorful, and they fit the game perfectly.

Immersion

It takes a while, but after you learn the controls and the tracks, things can get very Zen.

Sound

Surround sound is used to great effect. There’s a professional soundtrack, but characters’ voices can get a little annoying.

Design

Seamlessly combines two genres while adding new gameplay elements that make it more than a clone of either one.

( + ) Good, (—) Bad, ( ? ) Perplexing + Different character types add strategy.

+ Huge levels with

plenty to see. — Hard to get your bearings at times. — Character commentary is dopey. ? Why wasn’t Running Wild this good? Official Xbox

magazine verdict

7 .3

10.0

■ EASY QUEASY: What games have had us lunging for the Dramamine (gameplay quality aside)? Frank: Turok II (N64), Descent (PS); sca: Rascal (PS); Dave: Off-World Interceptor Extreme (PS); Dan: F-Zero 64 (N64); Mike: Vigilance (PC).

Review

Review

MX 2002 Featuring the Ricker

Batman Vengeance

Holy Bat-tastrophe!

Batman Vengeance DEVELOPER UBI SOFT PUBLISHER UBI SOFT MULTIPLAYER NO WEBSITE WWW.BATMANVENGEANCE.UBI.COM

A

■ The stylized graphics look uniquely cool, if a little odd. ■ Project Gotham, indeed.

new console hasn’t truly arrived until it gets a Batman game, so having one for the Xbox so soon is good news. The bad news is that Batman Vengeance seems to be taking its vengeance out on unsuspecting Xbox owners. Batman Vengeance is simply a direct port of the PS2 build, a third-person action/adventure set in the Art Deco style of the animated series. Unlike the caped crusader of the TV show, this Batman has all the crime-fighting skill of a ham-fisted Mexican wrestler and the control issues of an incontinent octogenarian at an all-you-caneat Sizzler buffet. The action begins with the Joker’s kidnapping of a young woman. (A set-up, you say? Why, give yourself a gold star!) Batman saves her, only for the Joker to accidentally fall to his death. But did he really? It’s up to Bats to discover the truth,

■ There’re all these freeze-coffins inside this frozen room. Whoever could be behind all this freezing?

and defeat guest villains Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy along the way. As Batman, you punch and kick bad guys, pick up shiny objects, and let nonplayable character Batgirl do most of the detective work. (Robin is nowhere to be seen; we suspect he ed after reading the snooze of a script.) A few irritating chase levels starring the Batwing and the Batmobile break up the action. Fighting is the best part of the game, and it’s only so-so. You can perform a handful of special moves and combos, yet they’re hardly needed due to the simplistic enemy AI (a.k.a. artificial idiocy.) Bat-gadgets – such as Batarangs, a Bat-grapple, and remote bombs – are also present but clumsily implemented. The biggest problem, though, is your lack of freedom. There’s only one solution to any obstacle, and it’s not necessarily the most obvious. The Bat-grapple works only when you’re told it can, and you can’t even select the utility belt load. Throw in rampant camera problems, touchy character control, and murky coloring, and you’ve got a bat out of hell. On the plus side, the series’ actors return to provide the voices, and the graphics, while not quite up to Xbox standards, are the best we’ve seen in a Bat-game. Unfortunately, it takes more than a pretty cape to impress us these days. – Chuck Osborn

THE VERDICT Graphics

Dark. Fans of the colors red, brown, gray, and black rejoice! Green cameos.

Immersion

Surprisingly unsatisfying. By the time you find out if the Joker is alive or not, you may not care.

Sound

Good. The music is ominously operatic, and all the original voice actors have returned to bat-duty.

Design

Limited. The game’s control scheme is cumbersome, and there’s not much freedom as to how you progress.

( + ) Good, (—) Bad, ( ? ) Perplexing + Mark Hamill gets another paycheck.

+ Any Bat-game is better than no Bat-game.

+ Batman’s flowing

cape flaps and shines real purty-like. — Could’ve been so much more than it is. — It’s a PS2 port. ’Nuff said. ? Why is it so hard to make a decent Batman game? Official Xbox

magazine verdict

4.6

Bat-tle of the Bulge Multiple choice: This man is happy because he’s A) just escaped from Arkham Asylum B) exceedingly proud of his Bat-package C) wearing a pair of the all-new Underoos for Adults from Fruit of the Loom? If you picked C) then you’re absolutely correct-a-mundo (as another ’70s throwback might say). Initially available in Batman and Superman flavors, adult Underoos will appear this spring in department stores – and on really lonely guys – everywhere.

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■ Hold down the right trigger, hit the A button three times, then rinse and repeat. If only it were that easy in real life, then we’d all be BMX stars.

■ BATMAN FOREVER SUCKED BUT: Darren Aronofsky, director of Requiem For A Dream and π, is hard at work turning the Batman: Year One graphic novel into a movie for late 2002.

10.0

■ Hope that seat has lots of extra padding.

MX 2002 Sure, this is fine for the PS2, but...

Featuring Ricky Carmichael DEVELOPER PACIFIC COAST POWER & LIGHT PUBLISHER THQ WEBSITE WWW.THQ.COM/MX2002/

W

e’re always a little nervous when one developer picks up the job of another, but give credit to Pacific Coast Power & Light for getting it done when Funcom couldn’t. MX 2002 Featuring Ricky Carmichael is in every way better than Championship Motocross, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be improved even further. The real strength of MX 2002 is its excellent control of the bike. In most secondrate MX games, pulling a wheelie or hitting a hole shot is simply a manner of jamming on a button. But MX 2002 forces you to realistically work the clutch as you’re powersliding through the hairpins. It handles gracefully over the game’s 14 distinct tracks. Unfortunately, the trick system isn’t as developed as the controls. While pulling off the crazy stunts is easier on the Xbox than on the PS2, the actual number of

MULTIPLAYER 1-2

stunts is rather meager, and executing them is pretty simple. Want to pull an insane Superman Indian, un-PC moniker and all? Get some air, hold down the right trigger, and hit the A button three times. That’s pretty much it – not exactly rocketbike science. Graphically, MX 2002 isn’t much more sophisticated than its trick system. The riders and bikes look nice, and most of the tracks are respectable. But nothing has been done to take advantage of the power of the Xbox (Only two players splitscreen? The Xbox has four ports, guys), leaving this game indistinguishable from its PS2 version. Likewise, the soundtrack features the same litter of halfwit noise-rock runts who shout about the evils of conformity – while licensing their music to every “xtreme” game they can. The din of the crowd is a thin, looping roar, but the engine whine and revving sounds are surprisingly spot-on.

■ THE “IT” THING: With the unveiling of Segway’s super-rad Human Transporter (aka Ginger, IT), we’re wondering just how long it’ll take before someone markets an “xtreme” version of it that does stunts. We’re guessing about four months.

THE VERDICT Graphics

Ordinary. The framerates never flag, but that’s because the Xbox is never taxed with demanding graphics.

Immersion

Okay. There’s a nice sense of speed, but some occasional clipping through trackside objects.

Sound

Not so hot. No 5.1 ; can’t play your tunes on the hard disk; same tiresome bands on the soundtrack.

Design Bottom line is, MX 2002 doesn’t do anything particularly new. But it does do motocross racing and crotch-smashing stunts better than the competition. It’s fine for the PlayStation2, but we would have liked a little more polish for the Xbox. – Jim Preston

Excellent. The controls are sophisticated and responsive. Nice selection of racing and freestyle tracks.

( + ) Good, (—) Bad, ( ? ) Perplexing + Great controls. + Fun tracks. + Good Career mode. — Trick system is facile. — Graphics are

merely ordinary. — No bells and whistles at all. ? If a crotch is smashed in the forest, does it make a sound? Official Xbox

magazine verdict

6.5

10.0

■ A four-player mode would’ve made this an

extra-special treat, but no such luck for Xbox.

February 2002

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Review

Review

Is it Live or is it Memorex?

Blue or Blew? You decide...

Clumsy execution creates an azure-wreck

Azurik:

ON THE

GAME DISC Demo Don’t agree with our review? Pop the Game Disc in and try out Azurik for yourself. (Good luck.)

Rise of Perathia

DEVELOPER ADRENIUM GAMES PUBLISHER MICROSOFT MULTIPLAYER NONE WEBSITE WWW.AZURIK.COM EXTRAS PAIN

■ Is that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 up there?

The heritage of a loser Azurik is blue and has spiky hair that looks not unlike foam. His unusual appearance led us to wonder about his parentage. What two mismatched creatures could have led to the birth of such a misbegotten hero as Azurik? Well, we dug and dug for his genealogical records for days, and then we came upon a startling discovery. Azurik’s the son of Smurfette and the guy from the Slim Jim ads. You heard it here first.

■ Slim Jim, pictured yesterday.

■ Smurfette: Blue movie star.

A

zurik is cut from a popular mold. If you have a taste for something not unlike Zelda or Soul Reaver, this game could be for you. Provided, that is, that you are totally unconcerned with an engaging story, fun gameplay, or impressive graphics. This game drops the ball in every conceivable way, providing a wholly lackluster experience. As the game begins you’re thrust into a story so hackneyed and predictable it’s almost like they set the computer on autopilot and this scenario spat itself out. Step into the shoes of Azurik, a staff-wielding elemental guardian in a mystical land called Perathia. Balthazar, the evil-looking and gravelly-voiced bad egg of the guardians, secretly lusts after world domination. He slays your mentor, steals an elemental disc, and scatters the rest; now it’s your job to scour Perathia hunting for them. Oh, and for some reason, Azurik is blue – literally blue. Your mentor is purple and Balthazar is a sickly cyan. It’s unclear why the characters in Perathia look like a series of Crayola crayons.

Hoops without all the sweat, swearing, and stinky sneakers

So you grab your Q-tip and head out into the Perathian hinterlands, encumbered by a camera control system that is either good for exploration or battle, but never both simultaneously. The game’s rudimentary combo system makes fighting a chore, and the fact that there’s no ostensible reason to kill enemies – no experience points or gold to collect – means that battle is best avoided whenever possible. The game’s one impressive feat is its expansive environments, made possible thanks to the bulging muscle of the Xbox. Unfortunately, they stutter in framey chunks whenever something remotely large appears on the screen, and they’re adorned in bland and boring textures. Thanks to an utter lack of design sensibilities, the graphics somehow manage to look both dull and tacky at the same time. Graphical effects are limited to tricks we saw used at Dreamcast launch. The elemental system is perhaps the gameplay’s one saving grace; holding down the L button and pushing combinations of the four face buttons lets you unleash the power of the elemental discs you have collected. This one facet does little to alleviate the dull routine of the rest of the game. With imprecise control, tedious fights and uninspired level design, Azurik is an adventure best avoided. Don’t even get this one if it’s free, your best friend worked on the development team, and you’re actually a light-blue Perathian named Azurik looking for an interactive version of the world you live in. Suckity, suck, suck! – Christian Nutt

THE VERDICT Graphics

Dull, featureless, but still manage to suffer serious framerate issues. The art staff was clearly asleep at the wheel, with garish color design throughout.

Immersion

If you consider games that will drive you to drink in order to alleviate the tedium “immersive,” then Azurik is pretty damn immersive.

Sound

The orchestral soundtrack is actually quite decent; unfortunately, it’s used far too infrequently (and quietly) to be effective. Sound effects sound cheap and basic.

Design

Aimless interlocked levels are exacerbated by lots of key-fetching and unclear goals. The game is not at all cohesive, suffering from the “what next?” syndrome far too often.

NBA Live 2002 DEVELOPER EA CANADA PUBLISHER EA WEBSITE WWW.EASPORTS.COM

Y

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ou know a hoop game’s got you hooked when you’re sitting in the living room, by yourself, talking trash and screaming at the virtual refs. NBA Live 2002 lives up to the brand’s “it’s in the game” moniker more than ever before – but still falls well short of greatness. Not only are the players more animated (on the courts, the benches, and even during pre-game introductions), but the crowd is as well – cheering loudly for spectacular plays, exhorting your defense during crucial stops, and letting you know when you’re not playing up to expectations. It’s also far easier to run set plays, but it doesn’t really matter since the game still allows vets of the series to do the old pumpfake drive to the hole move, over and over again without fail.

Visual touches, such as hair styles, accessories, tattoos, accurate body and head models, and some serious smack-talking animations, reflect the current “street” style that is rampant throughout the NBA right down to The Answer’s (that’s Allen Iverson for those that don’t keep up on the NBA) trademark tattoos and corn rows. A franchise mode is easily the biggest new feature and its inclusion allows you to try and create a dynasty for your favorite team over a 10-year span. (It’s about time, EA!) While identical in features to its PS2 kin (PS2’s eight-player excepted), NBA Live on Xbox looks exponentially prettier, with smoother textures, sparkling reflections and lighting effects, and sharper, crisper graphics overall. However, the PS2 version brings smoother animations to the court, which translates into more fluid gameplay

(players slow down when driving to the hoop on the Xbox version but not on the PS2, for example). There are a few additional nits to pick – such as the extremely repetitive play-by-play, frustrating rebounding, and the absence of any Xbox-specific features, such as the ability to save during a game. Still, NBA Live 2002 does a fantastic job of not only putting “it” in the game, but you as well. – Steve Klett

■ Azurik ponders the manifold problems of having a house with tentacles. It seems like something even Orkin might not deal with.

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■ Much like the NBA of the 21st century, there isn’t much defense played in Live.

( + ) Good, (—) Bad, ( ? ) Perplexing

THE VERDICT

+ The game loads! + You can move the

blue guy around! — The game loads! — The gameplay, graphics, and story. ? WHY IS HE BLUE? Someone explain why Azurik is blue. Please?

Graphics

Immersion

Sound

Design

The players look great, despite animations that are choppy at times. But the stadiums and crowds look fan-tastic. Stellar throughout, with the possible exception that more ambient sounds could be included.

Official Xbox

magazine verdict

3 .7

The raucous crowds, adrenaline-pumping tunes, and additional animations make it immersive. The rebounding is awful, but the Franchise mode almost made us forget about it… almost.

GOOD ( + ), BAD ( — ), PERPLEXING (?)

+ Fantastic new dunk and lay-up animations. + Awesome crowd effects. — Rebounding is way too hard. — No Xbox-specific features. ? Why can’t I jump this high in real life?

Although Azurik fails to the Xbox’s capability to replace the music in games, you can still easily replace its soundtrack. Since it plays nigh-inaudible 30-second bits of music approximately once every 10 minutes, if you turn off the sound and listen to a CD you’re not missing anything but grunts and thwacks. We recommend listening to songs like Fiona Apple’s “Get Gone” and Nirvana’s “I Hate Myself and Want to Die” to put you in the mood.

■ COLON: THE PUNCTUATION OF DEATH: Apparently, adding a colon and a subtitle imparts dramatic import to your game name, as seen in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Emperor: Battle For Dune, and Pac: Man.

The Man himself is back in the game, but he may not like the treatment he’s receiving. In our match-ups with the Wizards, MJ was actually called for fouls, and drove to the hoop several times and missed – without getting the whistle! Jordan is also much more of a jump shooter, and less of a dominating presence than in games past – yet another realism point scored by the game.

■ Old MJ would blow by his man and slam it home. New MJ will just brick a J.

10.0

A little blue music

Jordan rules axed?

Official Xbox

magazine verdict ■ PLAYER: the Jordan-less era of the mid-’90s when MJ didn’t appear in any B-ball games due to legal issues stemming from his appearance in the dreadful game Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City? He was always called Player.

February 2002

Official

7. 6 10.0

Magazine

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Review Formula Fun

Two billion people can’t be wrong

F1 2001 DEVELOPER EA SPORTS PUBLISHER EA SPORTS MULTIPLAYER 1-4 WEBSITE WWW.EASPORTS.COM

■ Spinouts happen, but flips do not.

■ You can switch to one of many ingame camera angles to suit yourself.

I

f you’re wondering why Formula One games are so popular and numerous, in spite of the sport’s relatively low profile in the US, then you can probably thank Namco’s Pole Position. That was the game that kicked off the idea of a 3D racing game with its big sprites, color-cycling trackside, and muddy sampled speech (“Feepare to Kfollifi!”). Twenty years down the road, we have F1 2001 from Electronic Arts on Xbox. After about ten minutes with F1 2001, you’ll forget that it’s an occasionally plainlooking PS2 port. The game’s sense of speed, attention to detail, and remarkably addictive single-player mode actually end up making you think this looks better than it really does. Sure, framerates are fine, and the weather effects are convincing enough, but

basically it’s not a pretty game. And like we said, it doesn’t need to be. This (as are most Formula One games) is all about speed, precision driving, and the thrill of progressing through a season of the world’s most glamorous (and watched) motorsport (it has about two billion viewers annually worldwide). The wealth of options keeps things interesting, right down to the initial, crazily addictive Training mode that puts you through the basics and eventually gets to advanced F1 driving techniques. Annoyingly, you can’t actually access the game’s main Grand Prix mode without first finishing this hour-long driving school. The split-screen multiplayer mode is just fine, although the already-drab graphics do take the expected hit. What makes it more interesting is the surprising range of options, from a straight-up head-to-head race, to a dumb-yet-addictive Last Man Standing mode, where the trailing racer is eliminated after every lap. Seventeen tracks, 11 teams, and 22 racers make for a huge variety of gameplay, but this is a game for the patient. Arcade junkies looking for a quick fix should stick to Project Gotham. But if you’re a Formula One fan, the sport has seldom been treated as well, and this might be a good time to invest in one of those steering wheel peripherals you’ve been dreaming about. – Frank O’Connor

THE VERDICT Graphics

Drab, except in the sport’s only really interesting-looking track at Monaco (Monte Carlo). Nice weather, though.

Immersion

It’s Formula One, complete with vehicle management, pit stops, and a pretty smart driving engine.

Sound

Good stuff, with great howling engine samples, good road noise, and a wide selection of tunes.

Design

Comprehensive as an F1 title, and surprisingly deep in extraneous and enjoyable options.

( + ) Good, (—) Bad, ( ? ) Perplexing + Tons of options. + Fun multiplayer racing.

+ Great sense of speed.

— Lousy loading times — Boring graphics. ? No LAN gameplay. Official Xbox

magazine verdict

8.7

10.0

F1 Vs NASCAR

■ The pit crews were actually motion-captured, and they’re uncannily realistic. Pit stops are naturally a vital element of gameplay.

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People who like F1 often complain that NASCAR is just a bunch of left turns, but a rival complaint against F1 could be that races almost invariably end with a finish lineup that looks identical to the original starting grid positions. This is because although the engines are all made by different manufacturers, the specs are so homologated (nice F1 word there, folks) that performance is identical. It comes down to driver ability and ruthless politics in the pits. Not unlike NASCAR, actually. So you have to decide what you like, lots of ing with no actual steering or lots of steering with no actual ing? Auto racing. Who knew it was so politicized.

■ FORMULA FUN: In the late Seventies, the largely unregulated sport included a six-wheeled Tyrrell car, the P34, which crushed most of its competition in 1976. Then the stupid rules showed up…

Review

Review

Because Ewan is Scottish...

Caber versus saber?

Help us, Obi-Wan! You’re our only hope! So far...

Star Wars Obi-Wan

ON THE

You can see Obi cartwheel, somersault, and smash droids and troopers to bits with his lightsaber on this month’s disc, thanks to BINK!

GAME DISC Movie

DEVELOPER LUCASARTS PUBLISHER LUCASARTS MULTIPLAYER 1-2 WEBSITE WWW.LUCASARTS.COM/PRODUCTS/OBIWAN/DEFAULT.HTM

Y

ou’ve seen Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and I’m sure you its devastatingly flat and lifeless dialogue. Keeping true to the film’s roots, the muchanticipated Star Wars Obi-Wan mirrors this flaw all too well. Thankfully, though, the gameplay manages to salvage what could’ve been yet another Star Wars-licensed videogame tragedy. The frenetic lightsaber combat and still-cool Jedi powers (though somewhat limited in comparison to Jedi Knight on PC ) almost made us completely forget about the

game’s cheesy cut scenes, plain awful voiceacting (for the main character), and forgettable dialogue… almost. As the game begins, players catch up with the young Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Qui-Gon Jinn just prior to where the movie starts. Throughout the rest of the adventure, you’ll follow the pair through a plot that’s loosely based on that of the film – flat, lifeless dialogue included. While it’s definitely cool to be put in ObiWan’s shoes at this juncture, his voice is just bad enough to make anyone’s Midichlorians boil. Obi-Wan comes off like the stuffiest,

■ Split-screen two-player combat is initially clumsy, then fun, as you start to abuse your Force powers and cartwheel around like a seven-year-old girl at summer camp.

■ ...but three soon-to-be-Imperial guards are more of a problem. Time to bust out your Force powers.

THE VERDICT

most uptight butler you’d ever want to meet, rather than a gung-ho Jedi-in-training he’s actually supposed to be. Plus, the dialogue often made us cringe at what were supposed to be climatic moments. Other than this egregious sin, the remaining sounds, animations, special effects, and music more than live up to the Star Wars franchise’s superior pre-Phantom-Menace heritage. The plot of the game unfolds over the course of 15 large levels, which – if you explore them fully – will uncover lots of extra

■ “All I’m saying is that we just pay for a window cleaner to come once a month to get the bugs off the glass.”

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Graphics

■ George Lucas never saw a guard-rail he actually liked.

■ LUCAS ART: The AT-ATs featured in The Empire Strikes Back and briefly in Return of the Jedi are inspired, it’s claimed, by the dog-shaped cranes in the Port of Oakland, California. Who said Oakland lacks any sort of inspiration?

Wonderful special effects, fluid animation, and colorful levels. Textures not as sharp as we’d like.

Immersion By level 5 or 6, we were Obi-Wan.

■ Imperial (well, not Imperial-yet, but going to be, should Palpatine have his way) guards are no match for a Jedi... goodies (such as badly needed grenades, sniper rifles, and ammunition). The level design in Coruscant is quite forgettable, but things get more interesting in Tatooine, and again in Theed. Even Naboo’s palace city is rendered in spectacularly colorful and detailed fashion. The game doesn’t sport the crisp textures we’ve grown accustomed to on Xbox, and at times unsightly seams between textures become visible during gameplay, but at least some of the more vibrant levels make it almost forgiveable. The third-person perspective works quite well, overall, and the game plays very much like an intergalactic Tomb Raider. The Force Powers (pull, defense, grab, jump, throw, and attack) are a blast to use, and together with Obi-Wan’s lightsaber skills, they really bring home the Jedi feel. Of course, it would’ve been nice to see Obi-Wan’s skills ramp up throughout the game, rather than start and end at the same basic level. The combat encounters become a bit repetitive as the game wears on – consisting

■ The game does involve an awful lot of running. More, even, than Tomb Raider.

Obi-Croft: A match made in heaven? Action/adventure fans will take note of ObiWan’s strange similarity to another virtual celebrity’s romp, Tomb Raider. The comparison also extends over into the land of colors, textures, and graphical styles, both sharing much of the same in common.

Sound

Stellar throughout, except for Obi-Wan’s voice – blearugh!

Design

Fits in nicely with – and adds to – the existing Star Wars universe. Jedi Powers are implemented well.

( + ) Good, (—) Bad, ( ? ) Perplexing + Theed is rendered in amazing detail.

+ The lightsaber toss is way cool.

+ Third-person

■ Obi-Wan

perspective works surprisingly well.

■ Tomb Raider

— Some glaring technical issues.

— A bit on the short

mainly of bouts with groups of battledroids with a few surprises (too few) thrown in along the way, which we won’t reveal here. However, it never really gets dull forcepulling a blaster out of a droid’s hands and then force-pushing it into a wall where it explodes gloriously into tiny bits. And, while a bit kludgy at first, the default control system – which makes use of every button on your Xbox controller – quickly becomes second nature.

■ MAY CONTAIN BRIEF NUDITY: Sharp-eyed viewers may be able to spot a brief flash of dirtyness in Return of the Jedi while the alien chick dances for Jabba. That’s why we need a DVD release...

The game is a bit on the short side (skilled players could burn through it in a weekend), but the Jedi Battle multiplayer option, which lets you take on a buddy in a lightsaber duel, extends the life of the game considerably. It’s obvious Obi-Wan would have benefited tremendously from more time at the polishing table. Nonetheless, it succeeds as a semi-enjoyable romp through the semienjoyable universe that is Episode I. – Steve Klett

February 2002

Official

side.

— Too few surprises. — It’s Episode I. ? Did we mention

Obi-Wan’s voice? We hate it. Official Xbox

magazine verdict

7 .0

10.0

Magazine

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Review

Game reviews, now and zen

A buyer’s guide in 5-7- 5

Review Haiku

Want the definitive opinion on every single Xbox game on the shelf? How about having it delivered within the Zen-like syllabic restrictions of the haiku? You’ve definitely come to the right place.

■ 4X4 EVO 2

■ Fuzion Frenzy

■ NHL Hitz 20-02

■ Star Wars Starfighter SE

Verdict: 5.5 +/- Average: - 2.0 An evolution? Not with the low-res textures From PlayStation2

Verdict: 7.8 +/- Average: + .3 Spell it with a Z So the kidz will be down, yo With four pads it’s cool

Verdict: 8.4 +/- Average: + .9 Puck you and puck me Take the gloves off, YOU’RE ON FIRE! Fun, but not a sim

Verdict: 7.0 +/- Average: - .5 The jaggies are gone The framerate is much faster Still no Rogue Leader

■ Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding

■ Halo

■ Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee

■ Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open

Verdict: 9.0 +/- Average: + 1.5 Save Fuzzles and Scrubs Find the last Gabbiar eggs Smart people play here

Verdict: 5.6 +/- Average: - 1.9 SUVs galore But other games are better Much, much, much better

Verdict: 8.4 +/- Average: + .9 It’s not SSX Snowboarders don’t like racing They crave snow ballet

Verdict: 9.5 +/- Average: + 2.0 The game of the year Surprises and amazes Killer app, indeed

■ Arctic Thunder

■ Project Gotham Racing

Verdict: 5.9 +/- Average: - 1.6 Shiver me timbers And rumble out of control Generic racer

■ AirForce Delta Storm Verdict: 7.1 +/- Average: - .4 Like Mav in Top Gun Shoot and fly up high above No multiplayer

■ Kabuki Warriors Verdict: 5.9 +/- Average: - 1.6 Coins from crowd rain down Men fight with brave abandon Some dress like dead chicks

■ Madden 2002 Verdict: 9.0 +/- Average: + 1.5 “Boom!” the fat guy said Trusted engine does the job Close but no cigar

■ Cel Damage Verdict: 6.0 +/- Average: - 1.5 Cut a car in half Punch a kitty in the grill Cel-shaded mayhem

■ NASCAR Heat Verdict: 8.2 +/- Average: + .7 Round and round the track Turn left and never look back Better than Thunder

■ NASCAR Thunder 2002

■ Dark Summit Verdict: 7.0 +/- Average: - .5 Snowboard detective Slippery slopes – high drama Pretty but contrived

Verdict: 6.9 +/- Average: - .6 Play through a season Sing Sweet Home Alabama Not purty but deep

■ Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2

■ NFL Fever 2002 Verdict: 9.1 +/- Average: + 1.6 Particle effects Immerse you in the smooth game Gameplay’s new – not lame

■ Dead or Alive 3

■ NHL 2002

Verdict: 9.5 +/- Average: + 2.0 New face of fighting Grabs hold and never lets go Bouncity, bounce, bounce

Verdict: 8.6 +/- Average: + 1.1 Skating war on ice Punches thrown, teeth land gently You’re safe on sofa

Official

Magazine

February 2002

Verdict: 6.2 +/- Average: - 1.3 Like Crazy Taxi But with Homer yelling d’oh Pink station wagon

■ Shrek

■ Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2x

Verdict: 5.3 +/- Average: - 2.2 Punch, Kick, Fart, Bad Breath Lovely textures everywhere But where’s the gameplay?

Verdict: 8.8 +/- Average: + 1.3 While we wait for Three One, Two, plus five new will do The ultimate Hawk

■ Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams

■ TransWorld Surf

Verdict: 8.9 +/- Average: + 1.4 Your wife’s mostly dead Who is that inside your bed? Things aren’t what they seem

Verdict: 8.2 +/- Average: + .7 Tripindicular! Radical rides on sweet waves Shallow but much fun

By the numbers We pride ourselves on being tough scorers, and the following statistics bear out a basic, undeniable truth: The Xbox had an astonishing launch. An Andrethe-Giant-size handful of good-to-great games and a Vern-Troyer-size handful of disappointments add up to many happy Xbox gamers.

Number of games reviewed (including this issue): 33 Average score: 7.5 Median: 8.0

Verdict: 8.7 +/- Average: + 1.2 I ride a red bike Jump twist spin flip 180 Tony Hawk, I ain’t

80

■ The Simpsons Road Rage

Verdict: 9.0 +/- Average: + 1.5 Earn Kudos for style Reflection-mapped resplendence GT3, eat it

Highest scoring game: (Tie) Halo (9.5) and Dead or Alive 3 (9.5) Lowest scoring game: Azurik (3.7) Average score of games using a colon in the title: 7.5 Average score of games based on a movie/comic license: 6.2 Average score of games featuring a blue character: 7.7 Average score of games starring a blue character: 3.7 Average score of games featuring the name of a real person: 8.8

■ HAIKU-TASTIC: For those not in the know, a haiku is an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines usually containing 5, 7, and 5 syllables, respectively. We rhymed a few for maximum hysterical effect.

Extended Play Strategy

■

Reader Interaction

■

The Disc

Beat ’em, berate ’em, and play ’em.

Extended Play Strategy

THE HARDEST SCRUBS TO FIND

For most of the game, Scrubs and Fuzzles are not very hard to find. (Getting them to safety is another story.) Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case in some of the later stages. We’ve managed to uncover some of the hidden Scrubs and Fuzzles, so you don’t have to.

Level: Splinterz Manufacturing

contents

84

Fly like a Hawk We’re handing out all the hottest tips on Tony Hawk!

95 Win big!

Midway is handing out one Spy Hunter coin-op!

Oddworld:

Munch’s Oddysee Get high with a little help from your friends

Having trouble with your Quarma? We’ve got the tips you need to make it through this amazing adventure with a clear conscience. We’ve got the lowdown on the hardest Scrubs and Fuzzles to find – and we’ll even tell you how to save them (if that’s your plan of action).

>>>> Good and Angelic Quarma If you want to see the Good ending and get to play the two bonus levels, you’ll have to have Good or Angelic Quarma by the end of the game. You don’t have to save everyone to get Good Quarma, but Angelic status is only reached if you only missed a few Scrubs, Fuzzles, or Labor Egg Crates. If you can manage to get Angelic Quarma by the end of the game, you get an extra newspaper page to view.

>>>> Don’t sacrifice the Fuzzles From the first Munch level (Fuzzle Testing) on, you’re responsible for protecting the Fuzzles you rescue and seeing that they make it to safety. When Munch comes under attack, you can order your

96 We grill Bill

Bill Gates is handing out answers to all our Xbox q’s!

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Fuzzles to do the fighting for you, but if you want to save them all, this is not advisable. If you see trouble on the path ahead, order your Fuzzles to stay put so you can scope out the danger and, if possible, take care of it yourself. If you plan to have the Fuzzles do some of your dirty work be sure that you have plenty of them. Too few Fuzzles in an attack won’t survive.

>>>> Raise the dead To ensure that you’ll end up with at least Good Quarma, be sure to resurrect any Mudokons killed in the line of duty before you leave a level. After all, they died trying to help you – it’s the least you can do.

WHERE: There’s a hidden Scrub high up on a ledge on the far, far side of the main room populated by the Armored Big Bro Slig and the six levers. You’ll need to clear the room by possessing the Big Bro Slig first. Afterward, use some Bounce (from the high platform with the “Call Security” lever) to reach him. You can safely throw him down once you’ve reached the ledge.

Level: Flubco Executive Office

WHERE: Once you clear the level of all enemies and you have saved the first batch of Scrubs, go about halfway back down the path from the Rescue Portal until you reach a balcony above on your left. You’ll find five more Scrubs waiting to be rescued. Safely throw them down to the lower platform by aiming for the bull’s-eyes.

Level: The Loading Dock

WHERE: The first hidden Scrub is in the room with the Escape Portal in it. Look up from the portal and you should spot him. Drink some Bounce juice and launch to the ledge where he is working, then throw him down and get him outta there.

Level: The Loading Dock

WHERE: The second hard-to-find Scrub in this level is high above the outer area. Drink more Bounce juice and head out onto the catwalk and find the bull’s-eye. Stand on the bull’s-eye and jump towards the corner to reach the ledge. Aim for the bull’s-eye when throwing the Scrub back down.

Level: The Loading Dock

WHERE: There are four more egg crates to the right on the high ledge with the Aquabounce drink when using the crane. Don’t forget about them!

Swinging the crane

Always blow up exploding crate walls

When using the crane to either drop bombs on enemies or to pick them up to drop them on explosive crates, it’s possible to swing the crane in order to build up momentum to get to hard-toreach areas. Just move the crane in the direction you want the object to fly in and when the crane reaches its limit, let go of the enemy or bomb and it will “fly” in that direction.

In a couple of different levels (the Boiler Room and Splinterz Manufacturing) you’ll find Scrubs hidden behind walls of exploding crates. So if you’re missing Scrubs at the end of any of these levels, that’s probably where you missed them – although there are a few tough Scrubs to find in the shadows as well.

■ This works great for reaching hard-to-get Sligs.

■ METAL GEAR CRANIUM: There’s also a crane in Metal Gear Solid 2, but you should note that you don’t need it to pick up the nudie-book. You can simply hop down and pick that up.

■ CRATE CREATOR: It’s possible that the very first crates to make a BIG appearance in video games are in the classic puzzler, Soko-Ban. You had to move ‘em around. It’s available for every computer system ever. S’like Lode Runner...

■ Bring that wall down, just don’t stand too close.

February 2002

Official

Magazine

83

Extended Play

DIRTY CHEATS

Strategy

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2x How to get the most out of the Xbox-exclusive levels

The new Xbox-exclusive levels found in Tony Hawk 2x are some of the coolest levels found in any Tony Hawk game. In the following guide, not only do we tell you how to unlock them, but we’ve got the goods on the hottest secrets and the best spots you’ll find within them.

HOW TO UNLOCK THE XBOX LEVELS The Club London level is open right from the start of the game. To unlock the 2x Career, you have to beat the Tony Hawk 2 Career. The 2x Career includes the Club London stage, the Construction Site in Dallas, Texas, and the Skate Park in Tampa, Florida. Get any medal in the Tampa competition and the Tony Hawk 1 Career will unlock. If you get gold in the Tampa competition, you will unlock the sick Skylines level in Detroit. Lastly, if you manage to grab gold in the Roswell competition, you will unlock the New York Subway level.

■ Don’t forget to pay the DJ a visit by getting up some speed and grinding up the thick pipes on either side of the raised DJ booth.

LONDON CLUB

The London Club level may seem devoid of people, but there’s a lot going on in this level. The music was custom made, and the laser light show dances along with it. In the main disco, be sure to check out the “Billie Jean” lighting on the dance floor that lights up as you skate over it. There is no secret tape to find in the level, but there are plenty of amazing gaps to find – there’s a secret room, even!

>>>> Staying Alive Gap To get up to the Crow’s Nest, use the large quarter pipe by the VIP room in the back left corner of the club to get up speed and then use the smaller quarter pipe attached to the bar to shoot up to the balcony. From there, use the quarterpipe in the back to get up speed and launch off the ramp over the dance floor to reach the Crow’s Nest. Now have a blast sessioning between the quarterpipes on the Crow’s Nest and to get the awesome Staying Alive Gap launch from the quarterpipe on the Crow’s Nest and land all the way down in the quarterpipe on the dance floor below. ■ High above the main dance floor is the Crow’s Nest.

All Your Bass (are belong to us) Gap The hidden room you perform the All Your Bass gap in is truly one of the coolest spots ever created for a Tony Hawk game. You enter the room by crashing through a glass wall on the balcony of the main club area. Once inside you’ll be faced with a series of half pipes going up either side of the room which is filled with speakers. In fact, the bass in the room will be booming so much your controller will vibrate. There are a ton of gaps to find in the room, but one of the coolest is the All Your Bass gap which is performed by getting up to the top halfpipe and then grinding the lip to the scaffolding, across the entrance to the ■ Grind the topmost scaffolding above the entrance to this cool spot for the All Your Bass gap. halfpipe on the other side.

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February 2002

That’s right, the very first Xbox codes in the world. We here at Official Xbox Magazine don’t condone cheating or the use of cheat codes, but who are we to deprive you (the cheaters out there, you know who you are) of your precious cheats.

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 Unlock everything

Enter the following at the Main Menu. You will hear a sound when each cheat is entered correctly.

Rider Competition Outfits

Dave Mirra Ryan Nyquist Troy McMurray Mike Laird Tim Mirra Kenan Harkin Leigh Ramsdell Joey Garcia Rick Moliterno Todd Lyons John Englebert Scott Wirch Colin Mackay Zach Shaw

All Bikes

Dave Mirra Ryan Nyquist Troy McMurray Mike Laird Tim Mirra Kenan Harkin Leigh Ramsdell Joey Garcia Rick Moliterno Todd Lyons John Englebert Scott Wirch Colin Mackay Zach Shaw

F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F,

F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F,

H, G, E, F, F, E, G, H, H, G, E, F, F, E,

F, G, H, H, G, G, E, G, H, E, F, H, E, E,

G, E, E, G, G, H, H, H, H, E, H, E, F, G,

G, H, E, G, F, E, G, F, F, H, H, E, H, G,

E, H, H, H, G, G, G, G, E, E, E, E, F, F,

E, G, E, F, H, G, E, F, H, G, E, F, H, G,

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G,

G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G,

H, G, E, F, F, E, G, H, H, G, E, F, F, E,

F, G, G, E, E, H, H, F, E, G, H, H, F, G,

H, G, F, G, G, G, E, E, F, E, E, G, F, H,

F, F, E, H, F, F, E, E, F, F, H, G, F, F,

H, H, H, H, G, G, G, G, E, E, E, E, F, F,

H, G, E, F, H, G, E, F, H, G, E, F, H, G,

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

F, G, H, G, G, E, H, H, G, H, G, H, E, F,

H, E, H, G, F, G, E, G, F, F, F, E, H, G,

E, F, F, F, E, H, G, G, F, F, G, E, F, G,

H, H, H, H, G, G, G, F, E, E, E, E, F, F,

H, G, E, F, H, G, E, X H, G, E, F, H, G,

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

H, G, E, F, H, G, E, F, H, G, E, F, H, G, E, H,

E, G, H, E, G, H, E, G, H, E, G, H, E, E, H, F,

F, H, G, F, H, G, F, H, G, F, H, G, F, H, E, G,

H, H, H, H, G, G, G, G, E, E, E, E, F, F, F, F,

H, G, E, F, H, G, E, F, H, G, E, F, H, G, E, F,

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

All Levels Unlocked

Dave Mirra Ryan Nyquist Troy McMurray Mike Laird Tim Mirra Kenan Harkin Leigh Ramsdell Joey Garcia Rick Moliterno Todd Lyons John Englebert Scott Wirch Colin Mackay Zach Shaw

H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H,

H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H,

H, G, E, F, F, E, G, H, H, G, E, F, F, E,

All Signature Tricks

Dave Mirra Ryan Nyquist Troy McMurray Mike Laird Tim Mirra Kenan Harkin Leigh Ramsdell Joey Garcia Rick Moliterno Todd Lyons John Englebert Scott Wirch Colin Mackay Zach Shaw Slim Jim Guy Amish Air

E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E,

F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F, F,

H, G, E, F, F, E, G, H, H, G, E, F, F, E, G, H,

■ TONY HAWK’S BACKYARD BOARD ROOM: Tony Hawk actually has a halfpipe in his backyard. Which proves, if proof were needed, that he really likes skateboarding.

Extended Play Strategy

CONSTRUCTION SITE, DALLAS

The Construction Site in Dallas is the tallest Tony Hawk level ever created. There is a lot to do in this level, but all of the really killer stuff is incredibly difficult to achieve. The building being constructed in the middle of the level can be climbed, but this is no easy task as you’ll have to nimbly jump from halfpipe to quarterpipe and carefully grind some girders to make it all the way to the top. Practice is the only way to do it, but keep in mind that there are multiple routes to the top. Great rewards can be found when you make it to the top, so the effort is worth it.

>>>> The secret tape You’ve probably already guessed that the secret tape for the level is found atop the large structure in the center of the level. The trick is that once you get up there (which is no easy task) you’ll have to operate the crane to get to the actual tape. Try using the scaffolding around the perimeter of the building to get to the top. ■ You will spend hours and hours trying to get to the top of the building under construction, but to get to the top will be something to brag about.

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Official

DIRTY CHEATS

4x4 EVO 2

NFL Fever 2002

Enter the following cheats at the Press Start screen you get when you first put in the game. As you enter the cheats, you will hear a sound. When you enter the game, their effects will be apparent.

There are loads of hidden teams and stadiums to unlock in NFL Fever 2002. Just look at the Unlocked Items screen reached through the Options Menu to see the complete listing. To make all these extras active, enter the following cheats as names in the Create Use Profile option found in the Profile option.

Cheater’s helpers

Effect

Loads Of Money Y, X, WHITE, Y, X, WHITE, X, X, Y, WHITE, X, Y Reputation Y, Y, WHITE, X, X, WHITE, Y, Y, Y, X, X, X Unlock All Missions X, X, WHITE, WHITE, Y, Y, WHITE, X, Y, Y, X, WHITE

Dark Summit

Unlock all extra riders

Go to the Choose Challenge menu reached by selecting the Play Dark Summit option from the Main Menu. Then press and hold both the START and BACK buttons while either the Continue Game or the New Game options are highlighted. Continue to hold the START and BACK buttons while you press Y, L-Trigger, X, B, R-Trigger, A, R-Trigger, B. You will hear a light chime noise when entered correctly and just scroll right or left to select any of the new riders. In game, press and hold the START and BACK buttons, then press Y, X, B, L Trigger. You will hear a chime noise when done correctly, and to activate slow-mo, press both the R and L triggers simultaneously while in the air. In game, press and hold the START and BACK buttons, then press Y, X, B, R Trigger. You will hear a chime noise when done correctly and to shoot a barrel out of the rider’s front, press the R-trigger while on the ground.

Nascar Heat 2002 Steaming hot cheats

Enter the following cheats in at the Main Menu. When entered correctly, the text on the Main menu will disappear and reappear.

Effect

■ Grind the fence around the periphery of the level and from there jump to and grind up the fire escape of one of the buildings to get up to the roof where you’ll find one of the switches that operates the crane.

Magazine

February 2002

Enable hornball H, G, E, F, WHITE, H, H (press up on D-pad while racing to fire snowballs) Play credits H, G, E, F, WHITE, E, E Small cars H, G, E, F, WHITE, G, H Raise suspension H, G, E, F, WHITE, E, F Wire frame vehicles H, G, E, F, WHITE, F, E By next beat the heat scenario H, G, E, F, WHITE, G, G (must play through last two scenarios of The King to unlock the Petty #43 car)

■ TONY CHEAT!: If all this is too hard, hold the L trigger and enter ‘SATURDAYBABY’ where S=Start, T=WHITE, and all the other buttons correspond to their letter or direction. And do this at the main menu of a saved career. Lightning shows success.

Strategy

SKATE PARK, TAMPA

Open all the goodies

Fantasy team Cows War Elephants Wildcats Hackers Crocs Skeletons Commandos DaRulahs Monks Pansies Gladiators Spies Tumbleweeds Chromides Samurai

Fantasy stadium

New Seattle Stadium Millennium Stadium Abyss Roman Coliseum Practice Stadium

Milk Horns Kitty Axemen Crikey Stone Camo Tut Robes Viola BigBack Target Dusty Regulate Slasher

Cheat

SeaTown Odyssey Odyssey2 LionPit Dome

Arctic Thunder Frosty codes

Enter all of the following in at the Main Menu. When entered correctly, a message will appear at the bottom of the page.

Effect

One of the incredible things about the virtual Skate Park in Tampa is the fact that it is an exact replica, to scale, of an actual skate park in Tampa. Every detail is the same, which will blow you away if you have ever visited the park in person. There are a couple of inside jokes built into the environment of the level. For example, there are posters of a lost dog, which sports a picture of an actual dog that lives at the park.

Cheat

Slow-mo cheat

Projectile cheat

>>>> Working the crane There are switch boxes located all over the level that will operate the large crane in the level. Some are found on top of the buildings surrounding the site and others are on top of the tall structure in the center. To get on top of the buildings around the periphery of the construction site, grind the fence that runs around the area. Once you access some of the switches you can move the crane into different positions to reach new areas.

DIRTY CHEATS

Extended Play

Missile mode X, X, X, WHITE, Y, START Grappling Hook mode Y, Y, L TRIGGER, Y, Y, WHITE, START Boost mode Y, BLACK, BLACK, Y, R TRIGGER, START Expert mode (catch-up turned off) Y, X, Y, Y, X, START No drones X, X, Y, Y, WHITE, BLACK, START Random power-ups BLACK, R TRIGGER, X, Y, BLACK, R TRIGGER, START Snow Bomb mode Y, Y, BLACK, R TRIGGER, START Rooster-tail mode BLACK, R TRIGGER, L TRIGGER, WHITE, X, START Clone mode (all drones are the same character as the player) WHITE, L TRIGGER, L TRIGGER, Y, WHITE, Y, START Player is invisible X, Y, X, R TRIGGER, Y, Y, START No power-up mode X, X, Y, X, R TRIGGER, X, START Super Wheelie mode Y, WHITE, X, R TRIGGER, X, L TRIGGER, START

■ Check out the body outline on the 360-loop ramp. It was put there to pay respect to a notorious bail that the owner of the park made one day on the ramp that broke several bones in his body.

>>>> Crazy lines Some of the best lines to uncover in this level are around the edge of the main room of the skate park. By using the railings and coping at the top of the quarterpipes and halfpipes, and with a creative use of the second floor bar and stage, you can link together an amazing string of tricks. In fact, it’s possible to actually grind around the entire room. There is a beam about fifteen feet above all the top decks of the pipes lining the room. You have to have great stats, but you can jump to it and grind around the entire room without stopping.

■ Use one of the pipes against the wall to jump to the beam and land in a grind.

■ GRINDAGE: that if you do the same grind too often, it loses its point value pretty dramatically. If anyone can figure the math out, send us the equation.

>>>> Head for the rafters Some of the deepest hidden lines to discover lie in the rafters of the building. Again, only maxed-out stats will give you the ability to launch high enough. There is even a door to go through at the top that will take you out to the roof. You can also get to another roof by using the roll in at the top of the 360-tube ramp, and then from there you can grind around the entire outdoor area. ■ Use the tops of fences and the bars holding the light fixtures to grind around the entire area.

February 2002

Official

Magazine

89

Extended Play

DIRTY CHEATS

Strategy

SKY LINES, DETROIT

X-Dash

Music to your eyes

This is one remarkable level. There are lines hidden so deep you may never find them, or so we’ve been told. You can jump from rooftop to rooftop and find all kinds of amazing spots to session. You can even grind the telephone wires to reach different areas.

One of the coolest lines to find is the Bird on a Wire Gap. The line starts up above and behind the rooftop pool. From the right side of the roof if you were looking down on the pool, ollie to and grind the right side railing. From there, ollie to the electrical wire and ollie again to the top of the large red neon billboard. Completing that sequence will get you the Bird on a Wire Gap, but you can keep going along the wires and billboards and grind all the way around all four buildings. You need to have maxed-out stats to pull it off, though. ■ The Bird on a Wire Gap.

When you’ve started playing music, just press the Y then X button and the trippy light show will go full screen. If you have the DVD remote, all you have to do is press the Info button.

This level is the smallest of the levels in the game with the exception of Crane Drop in Hawaii. Its obstacles and compact size makes it ideal for multiplayer games. It really shines when you get 16 players playing at once by linking four Xbox systems together. Everyone can take each other out so easily mid-trick that it can be hard to pull anything huge off. There are some great lines to be had in this level as well, so be sure to take some time to look for them, and don’t run over any bums.

AMPED

Put a music CD in the Xbox and select copy and press select all, when it prompts you to name your soundtrack name it <<Eggsßox>> and press done. Make sure you enter in the less thans and greater thans and be sure to use the ß character under Accents. Now you’ll see a special thank you and a long list of the people responsible for this fine piece of gaming kit.

Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding Raven Boarding

They don’t call ’em rails for nothing. Those railroad tracks are made for grinding. Jump back and forth, pulling flip tricks between them and hit the quick quarter-pipe at the back and come back the way you came.

Official

Magazine

February 2002

From the main menu go to Options and select Cheats (duh) Enter “RidinwRaven”. You’ll hear a sound confirming the entry. You can also enter “BigLeg” to get a super-jump – but you can’t save in that mode. Sniff.

■ DETROIT ROCK CLIMBER CITY: A sport common in depressed Detroit in the early Nineties was skyscraper-climbing. Folks would break into abandoned office blocks and climb the stairs to the top. Kinda spooky idn’t it?

Become a legend

Mad Kudos

Outta Canton

Gaming Quarma

HALO

PROJECT GOTHAM RACING

NFL FEVER 2002

ODDWORLD: MUNCH’S ODDYSEE

ELITE POINTS: 1,000 (1,000 bonus) DEADLINE: March 1, 2002 CHALLENGE:

ELITE POINTS: 1,000 (2,000 bonus) DEADLINE: March 1, 2002 CHALLENGE:

We’ve been playing a lot of Amped around the office and have had some mad runs, racking up serious points, but we have a magazine to make and other games to play, so we haven’t yet discovered if it’s possible to score 500,000 on any one run. We’re pretty sure it is, but until we’ve seen it done, we won’t believe it.

Playing through Halo on Normal or even Heroic is tough, but if you play through on Legendary, then you are the real deal. The designers at Bungie were kind enough to include a few surprises for those who were talented enough to beat their masterpiece on the hardest level.

PROOF: Picture (or video) of the post-run screen – and don’t even try using Photoshop. We are trained professionals.

>>>> Subway Rails

90

THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE CHALLENGE

The perfect run

■ Even our games have homeless living in them now. These are strange times.

■ Can you make it the whole way?

(much less our ability to explain) we aren’t allowed to give “prizes” for certain kinds of challenges. So what we’re doing is starting an Elite Gamer’s section in the magazine that will give mad props to the very best gamers out there. Are you one of them?

DEMO CHALLENGE

One of the best halfpipes in the whole game is in this level. The folks at Treyarch and Activision refer to it as the Mary Poppins halfpipe because of its English suburban rooftop design.

NEW YORK SUBWAY

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?

Eggs Box – get it?

>>>> Mary Poppins Halfpipe

■ Pull tricks over the chimneys for an extra thrill.

Challenges

Want to prove to the world that you have the gaming chops legends are made of? Well, here’s your chance. Official Xbox Magazine is running a series of challenges designed to find out who is the absolute best Xbox gamer in the world. Due to legal complications beyond our comprehension

■ There are lots of obstacles to run into, but they are laid out so that all kinds of cool lines will appear if you look hard enough.

>>>> The Bird on a Wire Gap and Line

Extended Play

EXTRA CREDIT: On the same run, how ’bout nailing 300,000 media points? It’ll be worth another 1,000 toward your status as an Elite Gamer.

PROOF: Take a picture of your TV, send us a video, or otherwise prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you finished Halo on Legendary, and you get 1,000 Elite Points. EXTRA CREDIT: The first person to prove this gets an extra 2,000 Elite Points for their promptness. Congratulations to Alex Tierney for being the very first to prove he finished Halo on Legendary.

ELITE POINTS: 1,000 (500 bonus) DEADLINE: March 1, 2002 CHALLENGE:

ELITE POINTS: 1,000 (500 bonus) DEADLINE: March 1, 2002 CHALLENGE:

ELITE POINTS: 2,000 (bonus 2,000) DEADLINE: March 1, 2002 CHALLENGE:

We’ve never seen a racing game with so much single-player replayability, and there are loads of challenges in this stunning game. We think of ourselves as experienced wheelmen and have pulled off numerous feats in Gotham – however, we’ve never managed to score 2,400 Kudos Points in Arcade Race, Very Hard level, on the New York track. If you can do it, then you are definitely driving the getaway car for our next lunch run.

Our editor in chief, Mike Salmon, fancies himself a bit of an athlete. In fact, if it weren’t for that (insert name of injury/bad coach here) he’d be in the bigs – or so he keeps telling us. In an effort to shut his fat mouth, we’d greatly appreciate it if you’d create a player in his likeness (only make him bigger, faster, and smarter) and get him into the Hall of Fame. You’ll get 1,000 points for it.

It takes a special kind of gamer just to get through the mentally challenging Munch, but it takes a gaming god to do it to perfection. Go through the game and save every single species to achieve Angelic Quarma – or even more enticingly, go through the game destroying every single creature to get Black Quarma.

PROOF: We want visual proof of the post-race screen.

PROOF: We want to see a picture of the Hall of Fame screen, and we want to see Mike Salmon (spelled right) in there.

EXTRA CREDIT: Pull this off with a Camaro and you get 500 more points and the iration of every girl with feathered hair.

EXTRA CREDIT: Get him in as a wimpy little field goal kicker and we’ll give you 500 more points for embarrassing him.

� UP TO THE CHALLENGE: Think this collection of gaming feats is child’s play? Call us a bunch of sissified sissies and send in your own challenge. We’ll still need proof in case you were thinking of lying.

PROOF: Take a picture of the newspaper screen for either. EXTRA CREDIT: Do it both ways and we’ll hit you with 4,000 points for your considerable efforts. We don’t really think anyone can pull off this double-whammy. Prove us wrong.

February 2002

We realize that you may not own all (or perhaps any) of the games we’re offering challenges on. That’s okay, we’ll even provide you with the game. Pop in this month’s playable Xbox Game Disc and prepare to duel it out with the rest of our readers in the monthly Demo Challenge.

Mad Dash Racing

ELITE POINTS: 1,000 DEADLINE: March 1, 2002 CHALLENGE: There is only one level to master, so it can’t be that difficult. Right? Just score a total time of 2:45 and we’ll give you 1000 points. It’s kinda like g your name on the SAT – basically a freebie. PROOF: Polaroids, digital photos, stills of a video, or anything that can quickly and easily prove you’ve done it.

Elite Gamers

Here is where the best of the best will receive their props in a mad-like way. We will list the top 10 each month because we want to publicly recognize the best Xbox gamers in the world. Expect the prizes to be lavish in theory, and non-existent in reality. There will be more challenges every issue.

PROVE IT

Send video or pictures (and include your full name and where you come from) to: I’m a Legend c/o Official Xbox Magazine 150 North Hill Drive Brisbane, CA 94005 Or send electronically with the header “I’m a Legend” to [email protected].

Official

Magazine

91

Extended Play

Extended Play

It’s about people, not polygons

We’re the Xbox Answer Men... umm, and Women

Reader

Interaction I spy jaggies

I was wondering if Spy Hunter is coming to Xbox. I also wanted to know if you could play burned games on Xbox? Finally, in the preview issue you said that Project Gotham Racing had no jaggies, but on page 96 of the December issue, I was wondering: aren’t those jaggies on the car behind the red car? Greg Rivera Euless, Texas

We say: Good news, Greg! Spy Hunter is indeed coming to Xbox this March! Bad news, Greg! You CANNOT play burned games on Xbox – why would you want to jack up prices of real games by illegally reproducing software anyway, right? Right? And in regards to Project Gotham and the whole anti-aliasing topic, the stairsteps in the shot you’re referring have much more to do with the complexities of screenshot capture and print reproduction than game quality. Some screens just show up a lot better than others on the page. There are a few “jaggy” effects left in the game, but nothing like GT3.

Grand gaming

Grand Theft Auto 3 just came out for PS2, and it is awesome. I just wanted to know when it will be coming out for the Xbox – and will there be anything different from the PS2 version? Thanks. Walter Boston, MA

We say: Yes, Walter. GTA3 (not to be confused with Gran Turismo A-Spec 3, of course) will be gracing your Xbox sometime this year, but Rockstar has yet to confirm exactly when we’ll be seeing it or if there will be any Xbox-exclusive goodies included in the version. Our guess is that it’ll be a straight port of the PS2 version, and that’s not exactly a bad thing, seeing that it’s as good as it is. If we hear any more word on the game, our readers will be the first to know.

Frag this

I have a question regarding the Xbox harddrive. I have been a computer for a long time and have noticed that all of the installing and uninstalling of programs, demos, s, etc. requires that I run Scandisk and defrag my hard drives to keep

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Magazine

Now that the holidays are over and you’ve most likely had a chance to finally give the Xbox a hands-on test of your own, you’ll almost definitely have a slew of questions to ask, right? And who else is better qualified to answer your Xbox-related gaming questions than a magazine dedicated to the system, right? Well, technically Microsoft would be the best place to ask said questions, but trust us – we’re pretty damn good. So, hit us with your best shot. Want to know whether or not Sega’s planning some super-secret Streets of Rage game for Xbox? Ask us! Curious if Xbox 2 is under development? Ask us! Need to know if Halo unlocks five extra levels after you complete Legendary mode? Ask us. And we’ll probably say “No,” “No,” and “No,” but you should ask anyway. Drop us your digital love at [email protected]. Or send us a slice of tangible, wood-pulpy love at Official Xbox Magazine, c/o Imagine Media, 150 North Hill Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005.

them running at optimum speeds. Since all saves, songs, and such will be stored on the hard-drive, and can be deleted at any time, wouldn’t it be a possibility that you would degrade the performance of the Xbox after a given time? Will it be possible to defrag it, should this happen? Dan Trask Via email

We say: The Xbox hard-drive is partitioned into different sections. One area is exclusively for s to save games and to music and other assets, while another is exclusively for developers to use for their games. And never shall the twain meet, so to speak, making it impossible for the Xbox’s performance to be “degraded” no matter how much crap you pile into it. So, no need to defrag, no need to run Scandisk, no need to worry about viruses – it’s all taken care of, and you need not worry again, Dan.

Take five

Hopefully it’s not some lame plumber or a spinning bandicoot. 2) Is there any chance of an Xbox Final Fantasy? 3) I happened to have read in a certain magazine that Konami was a third-party er and will be making games for Xbox. Could this mean Metal Gear will be landing on the Xbox? 4) In the December issue for “10 Ridiculously Tough Questions,” you said Japanese RPGs needed an overhaul. Yes, it is true, but Japan was making almost every RPG and game system. But now that Xbox is here, I’m looking forward to seeing some more new and improved RPGs, American style! So my question is, what’s going to be the first RPG to hit the Xbox? 5) My last and final question: Is Juliann Brown single? Keron Lezama a.k.a. “The Great One” Via email

We say: Here are your answers.

I love your magazine and the demos. You guys got some really sweet pictures in your mag. I had to watch the DoA3 demo about 10 times because it looked so real! I just have a couple of questions to ask. 1) Who or what will be the Xbox mascot?

1) There’s absolutely no mascot for Xbox thus far and we don’t plan on seeing one anytime soon. Why? It’s not the market that Microsoft is going for. 2) With the Sony/Square stock deal that took place last year, we don’t see anything

remotely exclusive or even non-exclusive happening between Square and Xbox. 3) Metal Gear Solid X is something that’s being whispered about behind closed doors at Konami. That’s about all we know. 4) We’re not sure which RPG will be the first to arrive on Xbox, but most likely it will be Project Ego or Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Both games are non-Japanese RPGs, so it’ll be interesting to see what they will add to the console RPG mix when they release. 5) Technically, Miss Brown is single, Keron, but you might want to check with her big, British boyfriend about that.

Franks and Benjamins

I have a couple of questions. Are you going to fire Frank since he guessed DoA3’s score correctly? I am contemplating over which football game I should get: Madden 2002, NFL 2K2, or NFL Fever 2002? Also, is there any way of buying an XDK? Brandon Varco Via email

We say: As much as we’d like to fire Frank at times, we think we’re going to keep him around. His uncanny psychic abilities may come in handy sometime in the future (or so he tells us from the future). As for your

Mystery solved I save all of my issues of Next Gen magazine and I’m a big fan of the Official Xbox Magazine as well. However, a few months ago in Next Gen, there was a preview of a game that I can’t the name of. It was described as being so in-depth and realistic that if you chose to be an archer and aimed well enough, you could blast a gun right out of an opponent’s hand, then launch another arrow right into his neck. I can’t find the issue it was in and it’s slowly driving me insane. It had a medieval theme. I can reading about it and thinking to myself how much the game is going to kick ass when it comes out, but I don’t even know what system it was for. I’m hoping and praying it’s being made for Xbox. Earl McLean Via email

February 2002

We Say: You’re thinking about Enclave from Conspiracy Entertainment – it was covered on page 42 of the NG with the Rogue Leader cover. Enclave is a medievalesque action game with different classes of characters to choose from – among them an archer with such precision that he can shoot an arrow through an opponent’s hand and get it to stick to the wall. The guys at Conspiracy and the development team at Starbreeze are currently trying to get the game ready for release in order to utilize the Xbox online plans for deathmatch goodness, so we’ve been told that it should be releasing sometime around April. It looks positively amazing thus far. Many more details are in our preview on page 54.

� BOYFRIEND FINISHING SCHOOL: The ladies of Official Xbox Magazine firmly believe that before a man is worth having, he needs to be schooled by an institution of love (i.e., some other sap). In case you’re wondering. Juliann’s boyfriend did not graduate.

Return of the Hawk I was wondering if you know when Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 is coming out for Xbox. I know that it’s not coming out before the holidays, but do you have any specific info? Ckode913 Via email

We say: Tony Hawk 3 is indeed

headed to Xbox, but the release date is still a little iffy. Expect it to ship to stores sometime between February and April. Activision has yet to pound out an exact date for some reason, and we’re not sure if this is because of possible online capabilities or something else. But rest assured that it’s on the way.

Frank’s uncanny psychic abilities may come in handy sometime in the future (or so he tells us from the future). quandary on what football game to buy to satisfy your pigskin needs, that’s a hard call. At press time, we haven’t gotten a chance to go hands-on with Sega’s NFL2K2, but between Madden and Fever – it’s a thin line to walk. They’re both incredibly good, and it really comes down to which one takes better advantage of the hardware. Fever does this, but this doesn’t mean that Madden isn’t a spectacular game. It just doesn’t utilize things like the Xbox hard-drive in the way Fever does. All in all, a very tough call. And if you really, really want an XDK unit, Brandon, make sure to start saving up your money. You’ll have to plunk down around $10,000 for an XDK, and you’ll have to be a fully licensed developer in order to sign up for the program to obtain one. You might want to spend your money elsewhere.

Tech talk

You might not be able to answer this question, but if you could I would appreciate it. I have a high definition television. I have preordered an Xbox bundle and it includes a High Definition AV Pack. I was wondering: Does the High Definition AV Pack connect the Xbox to ALL televisions with HD inputs, or do you need a TV that s certain video signals? My TV has two inputs reading “Colorstream HD 1/2.” The component video inputs read: “Y, Pa, Pr.” Now I realize that you all are not big AV buffs, but if you could shed some light on how compatible this adapter really is, that would be awesome. Bryan Canatella Via email

We say: Bryan, the Xbox High Definition AV Pack will work perfectly with your television. Those inputs that you mentioned

are component inputs that you’ll find on any and all HDTVs, meaning that you bought the right pack for the right television in order to the get the most beautiful gaming out of your Xbox. The High Definition AV Pack includes component cables to hook into your Y, Pa, Pr inputs, as well, so it’s completely plug ’n’ play. And by the way, we are huge AV buffs, so bring on the questions.

VGA =

Very Good Adapter

Do you have any information about a thirdparty VGA converter for Xbox? I have successfully run Dreamcast games through my monitor with such a set-up, and the image quality on VGA was a significant upgrade over standard TV. Not all games looked better, as the tech heads in your crew would know, but it still is a way for me to spend my cash on games, instead of expensive televisions.

Also, I must it some confusion as to the exact placement of S-Video, VGA, and HDTV in the pecking order of image quality. Barring software origins, can anyone there clarify this for me? I need to save my mental energies to find a second job to be able to afford all these damn games. Noah Perry Via email

We say: By the time you’re reading this, Noah, you may notice a little something called a third-party Xbox VGA adapter sitting pretty on store shelves, courtesy of a company called Key Digital Systems. We haven’t yet had a chance to test it out, but we can’t wait to play Xbox games on a monitor, as well. To answer your question about the “ranking” of the different video signals, composite cables (the standard pack-in cables with all next-gen consoles) is, of course, the lowest quality. From there, S-Video is a big step up. Between VGA and HDTV, it’s a close call. While it can be argued that VGA can output better resolution, they’re both quite similar. But, hands down, HDTV has much, much better color quality than VGA.

There Can Be Only One

I just came back from Funcoland and they were selling Xbox controllers that had the black jewel with the green symbol on it. But I just looked in your magazine and some of the controllers had a green jewel with white words on it. Some magazines show one jewel while others show another. Honestly, I think the green one with white words looks better. Are there two types? Which one will come with the Xbox when you buy it? Flipside80389 Via email

We say: Flipside, there is actually only one official standard Microsoft Xbox controller. It’s the one with the black jewel with green wording in it. The others that you saw in the magazine weren’t final products and were changed shortly afterward in favor of the ones you see in stores. Sorry.

A collector’s sob story When you told your readers how stupid Editor in Chief Mike Salmon was when he sold his Intellivision, that was barely anything compared to what happened to my old system. I had a mint-condition Colecovision with 47 rare mint games, including the original Donkey Kong. Along with the classic console, I also had a collection of accessories and a very rare keyboard. All this fun and joy was about to end. One Saturday morning, while I was at a friend’s house, my Mom decided to have a little garage sale. She had been planning this garage sale for quite some time but did not bother to tell me about it. Well, as you know, moms aren’t the brightest people when it comes to videogames, and my Mom knew nothing about my antique console. All she thought was that it was worthless. So, while I was away, my Mom sold the Colecovision for a worthless $5. Five freakin’ dollars! I went hysterical! The worst part was that the man who bought it was an old drunk fogey who would probably not even take care of it. It pissed me off. Well, if you can print this story in a future issue of the Official Xbox Magazine, it would make my day. I want the world to know about my mom’s huge mistake. Ted Esposito Via email

We say: Sure, blame it on Mom.

The same woman who spent nine months incubating your unborn fetus, endured hours of brutal labor, and spent every last dime on your ungrateful, spoiled little butt. Don’t worry, the world now knows about your “mom’s huge mistake.”

House of the Cel-Shaded Dead I am a big House of the Dead fan and I just found out that The House of the Dead 3 is coming to Xbox. I went on the Xbox website and saw some screenshots of the game. It doesn’t look very scary. The zombies don’t even have any scars or blood on them. They look like they are from a cartoon show. I was wondering if we can expect better. I hope to find my answer in your next magazine. Rich Schedt Via email

We say: The House of the Dead series was supposed to be scary? We just thought it was supposed to be hella fun with zombies and lightguns. But maybe we’re just weird. As for House of the Dead 3 not being scary, well, maybe you’re expecting too much from it. The newest installation is going for a different look than its predecessors with a weird, muted, flat pastel palette, but it does look like it will be incredibly fun. But if you’re looking for genuine scares, try Silent Hill 2, instead.

� CASA DE LOS MUERTOS TRES: Mi casa es su casa a menos que su casa sea llena de cadáveres.

February 2002

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Extended Play

Extended Play

ON THE DISC:

Discs of Trauma

PERFECT. PLAYABLE. Official Xbox Magazine Game Disc.

PLAYABLE DEMOS ■ AirForce

Reader Interaction

Spy Vs. Spy

This is what you came for:

Delta Storm – Konami

Up there with the best of the best – beautiful graphics and startling effects. DEMO TIP: Our demo only lets you play in expert mode; however, the final version has a simple control scheme for beginners, so learn to use lateral motion.

■ Azurik:

Rise of Perathia – Microsoft

He’s new, he’s blue, but not, apparently, borrowed. Azurik is all Microsoft’s own work. DEMO TIP: Practice using the weapon before heading out on a rampage of destruction.

■ Mad

Dash Racing – Eidos

Eidos pulls out all the stops in its wacky, knockabout cartoon-racing sim. Think of them as triathletes with hooves and claws. DEMO TIP: Get used to gliding to make the most of big air. And land somewhere soft!

■ NASCAR

Clear some space in your rec room, ’cause Midway’s set to fill it with an arcade classic

Thunder – EA Sports

America’s favorite motorsport and a bit of “Sweet Home Alabama.” DEMO TIP: Drafting actually works, so get close enough to a leader to take advantage of his wake, but not too close for comfort.

Don’t just SEE the game, PLAY the game.

■ NFL

Fever 2002 – Microsoft

■ NHL

Hitz 20-02 – Midway

Who’d have guessed that Microsoft would have the best football game? But here it is! DEMO TIP: On defense, it’s usually best to control a safety and watch where the “camera” looks.

Last month was our first fully playable Xbox game disc. We couldn’t have been more proud. Unless we’d given birth to triplets made of solid gold, that is. But we didn’t, we gave birth to an awesome, labyrinthine vision of gaming goodness, and this month, we present its even more enjoyable successor. This month’s disc features even more amazing content than last, so brace yourself.

It’s the most surprisingly fun hockey sim (well, not a sim exactly) we’ve seen in years. DEMO TIP: It’s chaos, so just make sure you play fast and loose.

TRAILERS AND FEATURES

We are pleased to bring you a magical multimedia smorgasbord of the best game trailers and movies available. All presented in glorious Bink™!

■ Proven Fact #12: Chicks really dig guys with arcade coin-ops.

■ Wreckless Smash your way through the streets of Hong Kong in the most graphically stunning Xbox game yet. ■ Circus Maximus The world’s first chariot-racing simulation. And some amazing music to keep things rolling. ■ The Making of NASCAR Thunder Turning left never seemed so right.

2002

■ Official Xbox Magazine Goes To Tokyo! We went to Japan and all we got was this lousy GameCube – and only in purple too.

Interfacing It’s like last month, except it’s all anti-aliased and whatnot.

■ Strategies of the Month Our pitiful advice to any gamers less talented than us. ■ Top 10 Plays of the Month Think you can do better? Check out our fave office game moments.

VIDEO BILLBOARD: It’s kind of like Xbox TV without bad hair (or at least not as much bad hair). MENU SYSTEM: Click these to see/play them

■ Batman Vengeance The Dark Knight returns, this time on Xbox and in high style... film noir fashion.

SUBLIMINAL TEXT MESSAGES:

■ Brute Force What, you thought all Microsoft had was Halo? Check this out.

– pretty simple.

If you don’t read them, they will enter your brain anyway and make you do our bidding – so you might as well read them.

■ These are not shots of the arcade…

I

■ JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future Grind and tag your way to ultimate victory in Sega’s sequel. ■ Star Wars: Obi-Wan If I had a lightsaber, the first thing I’d do is shave...

FANCY-SCHMANCY 3D: Use the white button on the Xbox pad to zoom around the interface in glorious 3D. It’s like a game – without the bugs. Uses Bink Video Technology. Copyright (C) 1997-2001 by RAD Game Tools, Inc

■ …version of Spy Hunter. These are…

Disc problems: If you experience problems playing the Official Xbox Magazine Game Disc, gently clean the surface with a clean, soft cloth. If this doesn’t help, go to http://www.officialxboxmagazine.com to order a replacement.

Ad Index February, 2002

Looking for the perfect game ad? Want to know about some other games coming to the Xbox? Just point and… uhh… turn (sorry, haven’t figured out how to “click” with magazines yet – we’re working on it). r

Product

Page #

r

Product

Page #

r

Product

Page #

Activision Activision Capcom Crave Entertainment Eidos Interactive Electronics Boutique Encore Software Infogrames Konami Konami

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2x Wreckless Genma Onimusha Kabuki Warriors Mad Dash Racing EBgames.com Circus Maximus Test Drive ESPN NFL Primetime 2002 ESPN X Games Snowboarding 2002

72 14-15 6-7 IBC 2-3 87 19 23 81 50

Konami LucasArts LucasArts Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft Midway

International Winter Sports 2002 Star Wars Obi-Wan Star Wars Starfighter Special Edition Azurik: the Rise of Perathia Blood Wake Fuzion Frenzy Halo NBA Inside Drive Nightcaster NFL Blitz

25 43 69 IFC 71 62 85 9 1 35

Namco Radica Sega of America Take 2/G.o.D. Tecmo THQ THQ

Smashing Drive Gamester JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future 4X4 EVO 2 Dead or Alive 3 Dark Summit New Legends

37 27 58-59 OBC 38-39 77 28-29

The r Index is provided as a service to our readers, and as such, Imagine Media, Inc., will not be responsible for any typographical errors found within it.

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■ PROGRESSIVE SCAM: Last month we reported that the Xbox would be able to update to play Progressive Scan DVD movies. In theory, it could be done, but it turns out that the Xbox is not going to do this. We were wrong. Our bad.

■ …from the Xbox version.

n preparation for the coming of Midway’s modernization of the arcade classic Spy Hunter, we’re giving one winner a literal slice of history: an original 1983 Spy Hunter standing coin-op to call their very own. As classic game enthusiasts may already know, the topdown 2D thriller has you gunning and outrunning bad guys in a car or on a boat with all manners of weapons. This is that game – and the perfect opportunity to get revved up for Midway’s redux on Xbox. So, what do you have to do to get your mitts on this old-school beauty? Well, you’ll have to produce a spy of

your own. What do we mean? This means that you’ll have to coo and coax a female loved one (be they a girlfriend, a friend, wife, sister – or yourself, if you’re a girl) into dres all spy-like (think Bond girl), take a picture of them striking their best spygirl pose, then send it into us. And no, we aren’t a bunch of perverts. We were going to include guy spies (and heck, if you’re a guy who thinks you could give Pussy Galore a run for her money, by all means, go for it), but that would be too easy. All guys would have to do is borrow their dad’s suit and a pair of sunglasses to be all spy-tastic. Boooring. So we opted for something more interesting and challenging.

And this is one prize that is definitely worth it – for guys and girls. The best representation of an überspy-girl wins and we’ll even run photos in a future issue of the Official Xbox Magazine! If you decide to take up the challenge, send your photos into us at:

SPY HUNTER CONTEST,

c/o Xbox Prize Team, Imagine Media, 150 N. Hill Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005. Or email it to us at: [email protected] with the subject header “Spy Hunter Contest.” All entries MUST be received BY March 1, 2002.

Go ahead and give the legal lines below a read for further information.

Legal mumbo-jumbo:

The winner will be determined by the vote of three judges, each of whom (a) is an Imagine employee assigned to our Xbox magazine team, and (b) will be chosen by the President of Imagine. These three judges, whose decision is final, will base their decision on the following criteria: Originality, approach to costume, and overall presentation. After you have prepared your photograph, make sure to make a copy of your photo for your own files, as we can’t and will not return any submission. Also, all submissions sent by U.S. Mail or overnight delivery must be no larger than a regular 8.5” X 11” sheet of paper. All entries must be received no later than March 1, 2002. We’ll announce the winner in the sixth issue of Official Xbox Magazine. Only one entry allowed for each individual entrant. Each of the three judging criteria noted above will be weighted equally at 33%. By entering this contest, you agree that Imagine Media and Midway Home Entertainment, Inc. shall have the right to use your name, likeness, the submission, and/or other information about you for promotional purposes and without further payment. All prizes will be awarded and no minimum number of entries is required. Prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parents or legal guardians. Imagine Media is not responsible for damages or expenses that the winners might incur as a result of the Contest or the receipt of a prize, and winners are responsible for income taxes based on the value of the prize received. Contest Entrants shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Imagine Media and Midway Home Entertainment, Inc., and all of their respective parents, subsidiaries, d companies, partners, successors and assigns, and all their respective directors, officers, stockholders and employees from and against any and all claims, suits, proceedings, damages, costs, liabilities and expenses arising from or related to the Entrant's participation in the Contest. Neither Imagine Media and Midway Home Entertainment, Inc. shall be responsible for damages or expenses that the winners might incur as a result of the Contest or the receipt of a prize, and winners are responsible for income taxes based on the value of the prize received. If, in the reasonable opinion of Imagine Media, it becomes impossible to present the Contest as planned, or if a technical or non-technical problem corrupts the istration, security or proper implementation of the Contest, or for any other reason whatsoever, Imagine Media reserves the right to suspend, modify, terminate, withdraw or cancel the Contest at any time, without notice. A list of winners may also be obtained by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Imagine Media, Inc., c/o Xbox Prize Team, 150 North Hill Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005. Lastly, while no purchase is necessary to enter, this contest is limited to residents of the United States, excepting in Arizona, Maryland, Vermont, Puerto Rico, where it is void, and where ever else it may be prohibited by law.

February 2002

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Extended Play What, that’s it?

10(Hey,7it’s BillRidiculously Tough Questions Gates, what are you gonna do?) Official Xbox Magazine (starring Frank O’Connor) got the chance to sit down with the world’s richest (and apparently nicest) guy to ask him 10 Ridiculously Tough Questions. We were cut short at seven, though, and had to suck it up on of his ability to have us killed on a whim by gold-plated commandos with mink-covered assault rifles riding diamond-plated stretch Hummers. 1) Kunitake Ando, president and CEO of Sony, recently said that the Xbox could force his company to transition to the PS3 earlier than intended – and Sony did not consider the GameCube to be its primary competitor. What do you think of that? I think he clearly knows a lot about the games industry! But you know, GameCube is a competitor, and we take all competitors seriously. But we probably think of PlayStation2 as more the primary competitor because of some of the things they’ve done. And for us, coming in a year later, we’ve got to show people that we are just dramatically better, that what we’ve done with the sound and the graphics chip and the broadband, that these creative game developers are going to turn that into the most fun games that have ever been built. GameCube, we think because of the way they focus on their own games, it’s a little bit less head-on than PS2.

Pretty insightful, since according to someyou haven’t government sourcesquite a while. seen a “competitor” in

Score: 9

2) Here’s an obvious one: Have you actually played any Xbox games? If so, what’s your favorite?

Yeah! I had a vacation off in Hawaii and I said to Robbie [Bach], can I have one of these things to play with, and he gave me a development kit. And so I was in my room far too much playing Fuzion Frenzy and Shrek and NFL Fever. More Fuzion Frenzy than anything else. That was addictive. You know, I don’t consider myself a typical gamer – but my wife and I really got into head-to-head Fuzion Frenzy competition.

Score:7

Shrek? Why woul they make you play dShrek? Heads should roll…

3) You dropped out of college in 1976. Are you worried that this will negatively impact your career prospects? No, I don’t think so. You know, I recommend people stay and complete

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college. My situation was kind of unique, but I have been able to learn on the job.

ed Steve Ballmernowfinish college, andgest sofhe’twas rethe the world’s lardoing? CEO of W company. hat are you

Score: 5

4) How do you imagine the Xbox online network – what experiences will it provide? Well, the whole online thing is something more pioneering. We decide not to go after narrowband online, because the limitations there would mean that people wouldn’t design the games to work in the best possible way. Things like being able to talk to your friends while you’re playing the games – you know, if you can build that in, it makes a huge difference. And so we’re out talking with the game developers, trying to understand what concepts they would pursue using online, we’re building up the software infrastructure so that they don’t have to do a lot of the work in their game – making it a lot simpler than it’s been in the past. And we want to create a great lobby experience so that you can find people online to do things with. We have some prototypes showing that off; in fact, at the January CES we’ll have a chance to give a progress report and show how some of this will unfold in the next year.

Score: 10

A great lobbysticexpplaerients,nce?and Muzak, pla in! mass-produced kitsch. Count us

5) How do you see the Xbox story unfolding in 2002? 2002 is really a key year for Xbox, as we keep the better and better games coming out. As the word of mouth gets out, like, “Hey, why did these guys put a hard disk in the Xbox, and why are they saying the sound and graphics are at a whole new level?,” people are going to form an opinion. The gamers in the know are going to tell their friends, “Look, this is a breakthrough.” And, you know, a year from now it’s important to us that that just be common sense. That’s what we’ve made this huge investment to get to.

rld. was Rule the wo answer ht you, Score: 4 The correh,ct we thoug ees Sh . rld wo the rule y, would have gotten this one. od yb an if

February 2002

Next month Future Guy is back – and he’s never even been here before.

6) Why should I tell a parent or a gamer to buy an Xbox over a PlayStation2 or Nintendo GameCube? Well, I’d prefer to talk to the gamer than the parent. To a gamer, I’d say, “Let’s just sit down and play!” Some people really respond to the idea of the fundamental technology we’ve got there, you could take them to a graphics demo or a sound demo or something like that, but for me, even though I love to work at that level, when I sit down and play NFL Fever I say, hey! We weren’t kidding! This thing is amazing! So you’d take three or four games and give them a chance to play them if you haven’t convinced them by then, then there’s no way you’re going to convince them.

Score: 7

there are ways to Believe us, ple, convince peo …Bill – we know this guy

7) Is it true that your swimming pool has a sub-aquatic stereo system so you can listen to your favorite tunes underwater?

Score: 5 No, it doesn’t. Damn it!

67%

don’t get by on name

� X-WING VS X-BOX

Next month, we’re bringing you some of the biggest and best news for Xbox fans to date. LucasArts is hard at work turning two hot Star Wars properties into the two biggest games they’ve ever made. Find out what this means to you, your dog, and your family in the March issue. And may the Force be with you. And gesundheit.

Genma Onimusha, New Legends, Blood Wake, SSX Tricky, Nightcaster, NFL2K2, and about a gajillion other games get the Official Xbox Magazine review treatment. Some are bad, some are sad, and some are bad, but in the positive, Michael Jackson sense.

� BROADBAND BONANZA alone

You D+ in Official Xbox Magazine.

Ridiculously Tough Hall of Fame Lorne Lanning Peter Molyneux Takayoshi Sato Bill Gates

05-15-44-43-12 (and the HyperNumber is 03)

� REVIEW EXPLOSION!

(Bill Gates pauses, clearly biding his time to crush us like flies.) Yes. Does yours?

Final Grade: 47/70

Although it seemed to you 21st-centurydwelllers that my first appearance was last month, it was in fact this month, or next month, relativistically speaking. Confused? You will be, or were last month, if you think (thought) about it. Yes, I am from the not-sodistant future, where flying cars and personal rocketships are yesterday’s news. And only I can tell you what next month’s contents are. By the way, the lotto numbers in my time are:

71% 70% 74% 67%

The one man in the world who could close our magazine down with the snap of a finger – yes, we’re that stupid.

This month, we showed you what happens when you bring just a few Xbox buddies together. Next month we’ll reveal what happens when you bring the entire world of Xbox systems together. We’ll bring you all the details of Microsoft’s ambitious online plans – the games you’ll be playing and the price you’ll be paying.

On the Disc Movies, playable demos, and more goodies than your brain can stomach. And if you can stomach that metaphor, then you’re better than us. We’ll also showcase Xbox Unleashed, the contest to find the ultimate Xbox gamer.

� � � � � �

Project Gotham Racing Arctic Thunder Blood Wake Hunter: the Reckoning Secrets of Halo The Making of The Thing Trailer

� GATES OF HELL: Bill Gates may have the only house in the world that needs its own IT team. Everything in the residence, from the fridge to the phone, is wired to a central control computer. Its blue screen of death is more of a cornflower tone.