Electronic Gaming Monthly articles from February 2005

Electronic Gaming Monthly archives from February 2005

What's Playing in the Computer Gaming World.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2005... It's end-of-the-year time as I write this (not end-of-the-world time, that's April 24), and there just isn't much to look forward to in PC gaming. But that's because the best stuff is finally being released. Hooray! Half-Life 2 ...

Medal of Honor: Dogs of War.(video games)
February 1, 2005... Platforms: PS2/XB/GC Publisher: EA Games Developer: EA L.A. Release Date: Mid-2005 If you play through a pile of WWII shooters, catch a few reruns of Hogan's Heroes, and watch Saving Private Ryan, you can assemble a basic...

Snake Tales.(interview of Hideo Kojima)(Interview)
February 1, 2005... If we get bad reviews or bad comments [about our game], we become very depressed," jokingly admits Metal Gear Solid mastermind Hideo Kojima. Fortunately, the overwhelming response to MGS3: Snake Eater(PS2), the latest edition in Konami's...

Grudge Match.(Halo 2 - video game)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... It's happened before: She wants to cuddle while you've got virtual worlds to save. You might normally fly the flag of surrender to avoid a confrontation, but this is Halo 2, gents--what would Master Chief say to your sensitive-male kowtowing?...

Bloodshed Awaits at the End of This Rainbow.(computer game)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Military types shooting holes in terrorists doesn't quite have the novelty it used to, but Rainbow Six: Lockdown hopes to reinvigorate the genre this spring. While the single-player experience features the same squad-based, first-person...

In the Hot Seat: Lorne Lanning.(interview of Lorne Lanning)(Oddworld Inhabitants)(Interview)
February 1, 2005... Occasionally, EGM chats with big-time game makers and asks their preferences on different subjects. Now up: Oddworld Inhabitants Co-Founder and President Lorne Lanning, who this January will release the first-person-shooting, third-person...

The Rumor Mill.
February 1, 2005... It's that time again--time for yours truly to pop open the bubbly, watch Dick Clark rocking it in Times Square (isn't he like 150 years old?) and settle on yet another New Year's resolution. Hmm, what will it be? Stop pimpin' out my lady...

Kessen III.(video games)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Platform: PlayStation 2 Publisher: Koei Developer: Koei Release Date: March 2005 In the five years since Koei's Kessen graced the PS2 launch with its pretty (but ultimately a tad dull) take on ancient Japanese war strategy,...

Bleep-Bloop Boogie.(games)
February 1, 2005... Dance, game boy, dance. That's the mantra behind chip music: groovy new electronic tunes composed with funky old Game Boys and GBAs. From New York to Norway, a generation of video kids are hotwiring their handhelds to create homebrewed 8-bit...

What's Up At 1UP.com.(online gaming)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Fan-tastic We hear the internets are pretty popular these days, so we're jumping on the bandwagon. Head to egmextras.1UP.com and read about even more fan-made games. Also check out the extended version of our Child's Play II feature from...

Let's Get Ready to Rumble.(Panel Discussion)
February 1, 2005... Marios preparing bob-omb air strikes, squads of Master Chiefs piling into Warthogs, an army of Jaks (and wise-cracking sidekick Daxters) all locked and loaded--must be a next-gen console war a-brewin'. Even though the real shots won't be...

The Current Battle.
February 1, 2005... God of War March 2005 -- This slick Devil May Cry-inspired actioner transports you to a time when Greek gods ruled. Sony CEA President Kaz Hirai says, "It's a very exciting title that we have high hopes for. If you're looking for red...

EGM International.(video games)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Samurai Western Wasn't this a movie? Nope--you're probably thinking of the already-forgotten Jackie Chan vehicle Shanghai Knights. This game, starring purebred samurai Goujirou as he hunts down his gunslingin' brother in the Wild West,...

Preview Galleries: Let It Bleed.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The Suffering 2 PS2/XB * Midway * Fall 2005 -- The second installment of this gore-soaked horror shooter deepens its impact by borrowing a page from LucasArts' epic RPG Knights of the Old Republic--this time, protagonist Torque can play...

Afterthoughts: Halo 2.(interview of Brian Jarrard)(interview of Max Hoberman)(Interview)
February 1, 2005... In the world of videogames, two months is a lifetime. Unlucky games can end up in the shallow grave of a bargain bin, while even great titles are typically cast aside to make way for the Next Big Thing after just a few weeks. And yet...

Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits Von Gut Und Bose * (Or, Beyond Good and Evil, for Our Readers Outside of Deutschland.).
February 1, 2005... Platform: PlayStation 2 Publisher: Namco Developer: Monolith Release Date: February 2005 Namco's original Xenosaga was a love-it-or-hate-it experience--its slick production values and Final Fantasy-style gameplay were a...

Celebrity Gamer: .(interview of David Cross)(Interview)
February 1, 2005... From cocreating the sketch comedy series Mr. Show to taking a starring turn as the "never-nude" Tobias Funke on the Emmy Award-winning sitcom Arrested Development, funnyman David Cross' life reads like a running joke. The same goes for his...

Show and Tell: Iron Phoenix.
February 1, 2005... One-on-one online fighting--that's so 2004. Sammy's upcoming Xbox fighter Iron Phoenix turns up the Internet dial to 16 (combatants, that is). Gameplay melds the hard-hitting over-the-top chop-socky of Mortal Kombat with the chaos and agility...

Online This Month.(online games)
February 1, 2005... Today's consoles (sans GameCube, of course) have recently been hit hard with a fistful of online fighting games, and we've clocked some serious time comparing and contrasting them. Here's our two cents on which ones pack the biggest...

Doom 3.(action games)
February 1, 2005... Everybody knows how to get into hell--rob a bank, be slothful, covet thy neighbor's wife, all that jazz. Activision is streamlining the process for Xbox owners this March with Doom 3, a port of the sacrilegious PC first-person shooter. The...

Sites for Sore Ears: Five Repositories of Rockin' Chip Tunes.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Nullsleep (www.nullsleep.com) Jeremiah Johnson's homepage, featuring links to chip tunes and Game Boy music utilities. Bitshifter (www.bitshifter.cc) Another Game Boy rocker's homepage. 6955 (6955.org)--Jason DeGroot's...

Focus Group: Playing the 'Rents.
February 1, 2005... Meet the Parents... Brian Boyd Age: 38 Majita Dalton Age: 35 Anita Sarko Age: 44 Anne Saunders Age: 59 Audie Toledo Age: 36 The Fresh Prince gave it straight: "Parents just don't understand"--especially when it...

Charts.(video games)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... 1 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas PS2 * Rockstar 2 NBA Live 2005 PS2 * EA Sports 3 Mortal Kombat: Deception PS2 * Midway 4 ESPN NBA 2K5 PS2 * ESPN Videogames 5 Tony Hawk's Underground 2 PS2 * Activision...

Reality Check.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... A: Blast an enemy with your stun rifle in Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow's multiplayer mode and he's back on his sneaky feet in less than 10 seconds. Surely real-life people-stopping gear is more effective, right? Q: That depends on the...

Living the Dream.
February 1, 2005... The recent class action lawsuit against Electronic Arts--in which an animator is suing for unpaid overtime--has shed light on a dirty little not-so-secret in videogame development: The dream job can be a total grind. Working like a lunatic on...

Back to the Beginning.(video games)
February 1, 2005... They're young, ambitious, and quite possibly breaking copyright laws. But they don't care because videogames rule their lives. Recently, hardcore gamers have taken their love for the most acclaimed titles of the past few years to the...

The 10 Best Game Machines.(conmputer games)
February 1, 2005... The hit parade toward EGM's 200th issue continues this month with another painfully controversial ranking: the top 10 consoles we've covered over the past 16 years (based on their game libraries, not stuff like DVD playback, backwards...

Overheard.
February 1, 2005... "These ninja's are about to get a little less violent and a whole lot sexier." --Host of MTV2's so-bad-it's-good show Video Mods, introducing a clip in which characters from BioWare's upcoming RPG Jade Empire bumped and ground to...

The Hot Ten.(computer games)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Disagree with the list? You're the ones who created it. Choose and/or lose at egm.1UP.com. 1 The Legend of Zelda GC * Fall 2005 2 Final Fantasy XII PS2 * Summer 2005 3 Kingdom Hearts II PS2 * September 2005 4...

Year of the Portables.(computer game systems)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Shane Bettenhausen; Justin Speer;Nich Maragos Whether you're amusing yourself on the morning commute, sneaking a few rounds in between appointments, or vanquishing demons while on the commode, portable gaming is there for you when your...

Playstation Portable.
February 1, 2005... The Basics Publisher: Sony Release Date: March 2005 Price: Expected to be $199.99 Media: UMD (Universal Media Disc), a new 1.8 gigabit optical format for games, movies, and music Online: Wireless functionality allows...

Nintendo DS.
February 1, 2005... The Basics Publisher: Nintendo Release Date: Currently available Price: $149.99 Media: Proprietary 1-gigabit cartridges; also plays all Game Boy Advance Games Online: Wireless functionality allows one DS to connect with...

N-Gage.(computer game system)
February 1, 2005... The Basics Publisher: Nokia Release Date: Currently available Price: $199.99 (free with rebates and two-year service plan) Media: Proprietary cartridges Online: Bluetooth technology for both local and wide-area...

Game Boy Advance.
February 1, 2005... The Basics Publisher: Nintendo Release Date: Currently available Price: $79.99 Media: Proprietary cartridges; also plays all Game Boy and Game Boy Color games Online: Optional 2-player wireless link This year, the...

Zodiac.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The Basics Publisher: Tapwave Release Date: Currently available Price: $399.99 Media: Proprietary cartridges, games can also be downloaded Online: Bluetooth technology for both local and wide-area multiplayer gaming ...

Gizmondo.(video game)
February 1, 2005... The Basics Publisher: Tiger Release Date: Spring 2005 Price: $459.99 Media: Proprietary cartridges, games can also be downloaded Online: Bluetooth technology for both local and wide-area multiplayer gaming The...

NFL Street 2.(video game)
February 1, 2005... BRYAN: Last season's arcadey, tackle-you-so-hard-you'll-come-up-breathing-snot-bubbles footballer proved that publisher EA could squeeze more dollars out of your pigskin-made wallet. And the sequel will again leave you strapped for cash. ...

Virtua Quest.(video game)
February 1, 2005... JOSH: You know a game's gonna rock hard when the menu beeps have been replaced by raging guitar riffs. I didn't just create a new save file; I created a new save file and rocked out to the max! Neighborhood really nails the low-budget...

Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood.(video game)
February 1, 2005... SHANE: Even if you consider Sega's Virtua Fighter 4 the greatest fighting game ever made (and I do), you'll be nonplussed by Virtua Quest. First, throw away any expectations for a serious role-player set in the detailed, realistic world of...

Mercenaries.(video game)
February 1, 2005... MARK: Lifting elements from GTA is so rampant these days it's become cliche--carjacking is the new exploding barrel. And yet, in Mercenaries, the borrowed features not only work, but feel perfectly natural. It makes sense that as a hired gun...

The Getaway: Black Monday.(video game)
February 1, 2005... CRISPIN: Well ain't this a dandy stroke of luck. Before the hoods of our virtual cars have cooled in just-finished games of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, along roars another mature-themed gangster game at 69 F-words per hour to fulfill our...

Ghost Recon 2.(video game)
February 1, 2005... SHOE: 1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10. OK, I can now calmly write a professional review of this extremely frustrating, poorly programmed mess. This military-themed shooter drops you and your completely useless computer-controlled...

Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel.(video game)
February 1, 2005... KEVIN: Reviewing games based on movies, anime, or breakfast cereals is always a thorny affair--but I'm into the original Fullmetal Alchemist (airing on Cartoon Network), so I feel qualified to deliver the unsurprising news: Broken Angel is a...

Suikoden IV.(video game)
February 1, 2005... KEVIN: As the nutters who pay triple figures on eBay for previous games in the series know, there's something about the atmosphere of Suikoden that nothing can compare to. It's a warm, fuzzy puppy of a role-playing game series, an odd mix...

Mechassault 2: Lone Wolf.(video game)
February 1, 2005... DEMIAN: Lone Wolf will give you a strange appreciation for the hermit crab--though you can climb out of your giant robot and run around on puny human feet, you'll feel naked until you're safely (well, relatively) encased in four stories of...

Say Hello to Your Little Friends.("Stranger" video game)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The live ammo in Stranger is literally live--an assortment of bugs and rodents you can find roaming free in the wild (or held captive in crates), load into your crossbow two at a time, and fire at the enemy. Their various effects can make...

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath.(video game)
February 1, 2005... But yes, much of Stranger does revolve around shooting one thing or another, which is a good thing since it's the best part of the game. Combat often has the feel of--dare I say it--Halo 2, with dual weapons and a similar (and similarly...

Force Powers: Our Faves.(video game)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... It took some effort to get over the whole prequel paradox thing (as in, if so many cool Force powers existed in the Old Republic, how come we never saw them in the movies?). But once we did, we really dug the many Force powers now available....

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: the Sith Lords.(video game)
February 1, 2005... JENNIFER: The first KOTOR's revolutionary story and solid gameplay made it easy to overlook the game's many minor flaws. But with this sequel, I keep having to remind myself of all the things that are still amazing about the franchise; it's...

Mario Party 6.(video game)
February 1, 2005... CRISPIN: New to this year's Mario Party: hard liquor and keg stands. Well, in my world, anyway. This series needs something extra--a hypnosis tape, head trauma, good old-fashioned beer goggles--to help players forget that each year's...

Asphalt Urban GT.(video game)
February 1, 2005... KEVIN: There's nothing inherently crap about Asphalt Urban GT...but everyone will forget it ever existed in a year's time (anyone remember GT Advance on the GBA?). Still, with the DS' spotty launch library, Asphalt is an OK bet--a decent...

The Urbz: Sims in the City.(video game)
February 1, 2005... JENNIFER: I'm embarrassed to admit how hooked I got on this game. As in last year's version (Bustin' Out, GBA), you directly control a single Sim as he/she eats, sleeps, pees, and socializes. To progress through the story, you complete...

Pathway to Glory.(video game)
February 1, 2005... JOSH: First the Red Sox win the World Series, then a flock of Arkansas razorbacks flies past my window, now this--a good-bordering-on-great game for the N-Gage. If Betsy Michaels calls me to accept my prom invitation, we're looking at the...

The Legend of Zelda: the Minish Cap.(video game)
February 1, 2005... SHANE: It's been nearly four years since Game Boy questers last smited an octorock in an original Zelda game (be sure to hunt down 2001's excellent Game Boy Color co-releases Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons if you missed 'em), so...

Reviews Wrap-Up.
February 1, 2005... Resident Evil 4 has lurched into the building, but not in time for us to give it a full review. After some time on the stick, though, a crazy-eyed Mark MacDonald proclaimed a little too loudly, "If you don't already own a GameCube, buy one...

Reviews Archive.(video games evaluations)
February 1, 2005... Metal Gear Solid Vs. Splinter Cell They're both cold, calculating superspies, but in the world of solo espionage, there can be only one. So which stealth stud reigns supreme--old-school soldier Solid Snake or next-generation operative Sam...