Electronic Gaming Monthly articles from November 2004

Electronic Gaming Monthly archives from November 2004

What's Up At 1up.com.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Hear All About Halo 2 Check out egmextras.1UP.com to read how smashing cantaloupes with a metal pipe is just one small part of designing Halo 2's audio. Plus, don't miss our complete Afterthoughts Q&A with the producer of Silent Hill 4....

Online This Month.
November 1, 2004... The prospect of playing a massively multiplayer online role-playing game can be daunting, especially one that launched on PlayStation 2 six months ago like Final Fantasy XI. So is it possible to join the game now after thousands of players...

Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: It's back to the...er, backyard for another rumble in Eidos' white-trash jungle, and surprisingly, this neighborhood will play host to a bit more traditional wrasslin' action. "The original Backyard was more of a brawler," admits...

Ace Combat 5.(war games)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Ground-bound vehicle sims like Gran Turismo 4 can brag all they want about their licensed cars, but how many games offer licensed multimillion-dollar fighter planes? Ace Combat packs more than 50 of them, from the A-10 tank killer...

BloodRayne 2.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: If you want to see an enemy being split in half from head to crotch, screaming victims spouting blood from severed limbs, or a red-haired vampire femme hanging upside down from a lamppost and exposing inverted cleavage while rapidly...

The Bard's Tale.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: It's a bold concept--take an action-RPG A la Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance but replace the superserious gravitas with goofball humor. Now, if you're a fan of the ancient PC Bard's Tale games, you might be shocked by the direction of...

Outrun 2.(racing game)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Ever since Ridge Racer took a vacation (and no, R: Racing Evolution doesn't count), it's been hard to find good arcade racing, the kind rife with powerslides and crazy drifts around corners. Everyone wants to tune this, tweak that,...

Killzone.
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Killzone has just about broken the buzz-o-meter--Sony's maiden voyage into the realm of PS2 first-person shooters earned the nickname "Halo killer" immediately after being announced in 2003. Will it actually spell doom for...

Your Rag-Tag Group of Misfits.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Templar Specialty: Ground warfare The first playable character you'll encounter in Killzone, Templar is an infantry grunt with a balanced arsenal of high-tech, multifunctional ISA firearms, average running speed, and dashing good...

Rumble Roses.(wrestling games)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Konami's inaugural foray into the wrasslin' realm doesn't rely on greased-up WWE studs to win your vote. Instead, it offers a bountiful stable of fictional ladies eager to lock limbs and throw down on the mat. They're sexy but also...

Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: It may look identical to last year's solar-powered portable adventure, but beneath those graphics Boktai 2 is a very different creature. A deeper plot and RPG mechanics make it more involving, while the loss of the sunbeam-shooting...

Blood Will Tell.(warrior game)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: You've probably never heard of Dororo, the old-school manga by legendary comic scribe Osamu Tezuka (the dude behind Astro Boy) that Blood Will Tell is based on. So this story line is going to seem even weirder: You play as...

Crash 'N' Burn.(car games)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: If rubbin' is racin', then expect a lot of irritation after touring the Crash 'n' Burn circuit. And forget about always taking the checkered flag--it's hard enough just keeping your vehicle in one piece with oil slicks and flaming...

Tony Hawk's Underground 2: World Destruction Tour.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Tony Hawk's Underground 2 is keeping skateboarding light, destructive, and fun. The story mode has you globetrotting to the tune of wanton destruction. Classic mode brings back old-school goals, levels, and the 2-minute timer. Those...

October Galleries.(Directory)
November 1, 2004... Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue PS2/XB/GC * EA Games -- Boomerangs fly, indigenous animals scurry, and Vegemite gets consumed in this sequel. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 PS2/XB/GC * Konami -- The pizza-lovin' amphibians...

Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: The original Otogi was the coolest game of 2003 that absolutely nobody played--a shockingly beautiful action-adventure steeped in the mythology of ancient Japan. Upping the ante with six unique playable characters, deeper...

Death by Degrees.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Tekken starlet Nina Williams strikes in all directions with punishing juggle combos and bone-shattering focused strikes during this simulation of her day job--a stint as a sexy international assassin. The femme fatale gets her spy...

Things That Make You Go Boom.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Brute Shot An alien grenade launcher. "It's a fun explosive weapon, between a rocket launcher and a grenade," says Community Manager Brian Jarrard. "Something you can use to shoot around corners--that sort of thing." Covenant...

Katamari Damacy.
November 1, 2004... Good: Unique concept and incredible soundtrack Bad: Recycles the same few levels Icing on the Cake: It's only $20! MARK: Don't let the freaky name (Japanese for "soul of the blob") or bizarro concept (you simply roll up objects...

Game Boy Advance Gets Violated.
November 1, 2004... A handheld version of Grand Theft Auto has been rumored for what seems like forever, but given what will finally come out this October, Rockstar might be forgiven for taking its sweet ol' time. Surprisingly, GTA Advance isn't a port or a...

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: "Please don't call it a first-person shooter," producer Kensuke Tanabe reminds us, after yet another member of the press refers to Metroid Prime 2 as a FPS. "It's a FPA--first-person adventure." As anyone who played the...

The Urbz: Sims in the City.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Apparently, Mom was wrong--what people think of you does matter. At least it does in the latest console version of life simulator The Sims, where the game is now all about building a hip reputation across town. Will you have the...

GoldenEye: Rogue Agent.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Any game with Pussy Galore in it is an immediate buy among the randier members of EGM's staff, but first-person-shooter nuts should keep an eye on this one simply for its bizarre take on the Bond universe. You're a failed...

Ghost Recon 2.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Christian Allen cringes when we drill him about Ghost Recon 2's plot and the North Korean newspaper column that called it "propaganda." "They accused us of warmongering and said we'd die gruesome deaths," claims the lead designer....

Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space.(video game)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Xbox fanboys saw 2002's Blinx: The Time Sweeper as the cutesy platformer that would send systems flying off shelves and prove that Mario was more old hat than Pogs. Things didn't quite work out that way for Microsoft's 'tude-ridden,...

Baten Kaitos.(video game)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Namco recently proved that "GameCube" and "role-playing" don't have to be mutually exclusive with the excellent Tales of Symphonia. Get ready for another round of magic and monsters with Kaitos, an epic adventure that takes place...

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal.(video game)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Talk about being overworked--Ratchet and his pint-sized metallic mate Clank will star in their third platformer in as many years. And aside from zanier weapons and more upgrades, look for Clank to take a more active role in this...

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.(video game)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: It's Metal Gear Solid, only in lush outdoor environments and with promises that the guy you see in the screenshots really is the hero of the game. Oh, and it's set in the past: "Since I was born in the '60s, I still have memories of...

Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel.(anime games)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Games based on anime usually run the range between "forgettable" and "God, why," but the originality behind this action-RPG could help it rise above the surface. The premise: Edward, the spiky-haired hero, can use the dark art of...

Call of Duty: Finest Hour.(war game)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: As undeniably daring as D-Day was, fighting on the Eastern Front dwarfed it in sheer scale and sacrifice (several thousand tanks clashed in Kursk, and Stalingrad's infernal cauldron claimed as many as a million casualties). This...

Prep School.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Step 1: Hit the road -- Gas up your hydraulic'd Winnebago and bounce your way out of Compton, CA. Scoot north to San Francisco's Upper Haight, then bet on black on the Las Vegas Strip. Head back to Compton with mad skrilla and a backseat full...

Words on the Street.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Nothing separates streetwise guys from Backstreet Boys rejects like bad vernacular. We've got your back with this short list of early '90s slang. We suggest saying the urban term in the voice of a thug, then stating the definition in the...

FFVII: Advent Children; Familiar Faces.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children may not be until next year, but you still could've caught a lengthy glimpse of the stunning CG-animated movie--if you lived in Italy. Yup, Square Enix recently gave attendees of the 61st...

Bite Me.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... We've known for a while that Brightlight Pictures was bringing Majesco's horror-action franchise to the silver screen sometime in late 2005, but now the BloodRayne film finally has some Hollywood star power behind it. Kristanna Loken,...

The Rumor Mill.
November 1, 2004... T happens every fall--The Q's social life drowns in a sea of triple-A titles, each one more delicious than the last. And to borrow a phrase from KC and the Sunshine Band: That's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it, uh-huh, uh-huh. Anyhoo,...

Double Take.
November 1, 2004... Reggie Fils-Aime is one cocky Nintendo executive. "If you maintain dominance for five years, it's called amazing," he says. "If you succeed for a decade, it's called unprecedented. But if you do it for 15 years, you can only call it one...

News Tidbits: Rated E for Everyone.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Shenmue's Back...Sort Of Sega is teaming up with Korean developer JC Entertainment to create a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on its Shenmue series. But don't go rushing to the Lucky Hit tables just yet--Shenmue...

Grudge Match: Burnout 3 Vs. a Burnout.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The third Burnout is an absolute speed demon, but there's just something about the smell of incense and unwashed body mass. Dim the lights and load up Yellow Submarine while the letters from parents pour in following this matchup. CHIEF...

Building Character.
November 1, 2004... Call it construction work: Naughty Dog cofounder Jason Rubin has made a name for himself helping to create timeless icons like Crash Bandicoot and more current mascot material Jak and Daxter. But with so many equally forgettable game...

Desert Island Games: Steve-O.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Every so often, we ship a celebrity or a bigwig game designer off to a desert island and ask what three console games he'd want us to cast away with him. Now on the beach: Professional jackass Steve-O, whom you can see molesting animals on...

Old School.
November 1, 2004... On the Cover: Doom The editors went to hell and back to give readers an exclusive first look at Doom, the demonic first-person fragfest for Sega's 32X Genesis add-on. Game of the Month: Donkey Kong Country (SNES) With...

Preview Galleries: Curious and Curiouser.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Alien Hominid PS2/GC * O3 * November 2004 -- This oddball side-scroller already has a substantial grassroots following: Over 6 million people have checked out a free PC demo from the Internet, making it one of the most-downloaded games...

Egm International.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Catfight You mean, like, Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff dukin' it out? Nope, no feuding teenyboppers here (your dream of a Lohan-Duff showdown will have to stay just that). Instead, The Catfight features 10 rockin' bikini babes...

Hit Her Game Spot.
November 1, 2004... It's Friday night and you and a pal just powered up Halo for some cooperative blasting, but then your non-gaming girlfriend crashes the party, blowing a hole through your plans faster than a Covenant plasma rifle. Don't switch the channel to...

What's Playing in The Computer Gaming World.(Doom 3)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Hey, guess what? Doom 3 is finally out...for PC, that is. And you might actually enjoy it--provided you're a fan of riveting action, mind-blowing graphics, scarifying scare tactics, and state-of-the-art gaming. The single-player...

First Look: Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.
November 1, 2004... Sorry, it's not a game about erectile dysfunction. Atari's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure tackles a completely different, yet nearly as thrilling (and potentially messy) pastime--graffiti. "Making a game has been a personal goal of mine...

Whose Game Is It Anyway?
November 1, 2004... A Viewtiful Joe (PS2/GC) B The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC) C Super Mario Bros. (NES/GBA) D Rygar: The Legendary Adventure (PS2) 1 Our hero travels through a monster-filled world, using a sword and sailboat to rescue...

Afterthoughts: Silent Hill 4: The Room.(Interview)
November 1, 2004... If there were a "What the f***?" award in gaming, the Silent Hill franchise would have no space left in its trophy case. Konami's survival-horrorfest has continually found new terrifying ways to screw with our minds, and Silent Hill 4: The...

Celebrity Gamer: Brooke Burke.(Interview)
November 1, 2004... We can't decide which is easier on the eyes: one of the slickest upcoming street racers or a gorgeous actress whose life is devoted to the pursuit of adventure. Thankfully, it's a moot point, as this November you'll get to check out both when...

must-hit fansites.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... mega64.com -- Looking for the videogame equivalent of MTV's Jackass? Well, here you go--watch Rocco, Derrick, and Shawn terrorize the San Diego locals as they film hilarious game parodies. (They've even made some exclusive bits for the EGM...

Overheard.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... "I'm glad I'm not on the cover of Madden this year, so good luck to the next guy." --Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick speaking on ESPN's SportsCenter about the "Madden curse." He was the fourth NFL star to have a bad season (in...

The Hot Ten.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Legend of Zelda GC * Fall 2005 Metroid Prime 2: Echoes GC * November 2004 Halo 2 XB * November 2004 Resident Evil 4 GC * January 2005 -- At this very moment, Leon S. Kennedy is making his way through an...

Season of Plenty.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The gaming industry's annual harvest festival is about to commence. It's no coincidence that year after year, a massive avalanche of titles descends in October and November, battling for mindshare and shelf space. By the time you're...

Mortal Kombat: Deception.(fighting game)
November 1, 2004... PS2/XB * Midway The buzz: Death in a fighting game has never been swifter or surer. In Hell's Foundry, mechanical presses stamp out slabs of molten steel. Fling your hapless foe into the hazard, and the moving parts will reduce him to a...

Doom 3.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: It may be hard for gamers who never experienced Doom on the PC to understand the anticipation surrounding this blockbuster sequel. We'll try to explain it. For one, the sequel has been about ten years coming, and nostalgia has just...

Halo 2.
November 1, 2004... The buzz: A word of advice to the Kerry and Bush campaigns: Forget the soccer moms and NASCAR dads--the voters you should be courting this November are the Halo gamers. Consider the facts: Almost 3 million Americans bought the original...

The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: It's the best of both worlds for EA--another Lord of the Rings game to capitalize on the extended edition of Return of the King DVD, and a solid RPG underneath to appease the genre fans. Third Age will also breathe some fresh life...

Forza Motorsport.(racing game)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Gran Turismo to Microsoft's big black box, Forza looks to outrun the competition with the most robust racing engine ever digitized. "There are three core things we aim to deliver with Forza," says lead programmer Garrett Young,...

Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: This quick follow-up to the PS2 RPG Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (out in September) adds a big-budget cinematic flavor to the turn-based demonic summoning. Expect lavish cinema sequences (directed by the guy behind the original...

WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw.(World Wrestling Entertainment)(wrestling game)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: THQ's goal with a new WWE title is always the same: Make it look and feel just like the televised world of sweaty man-pretzels, half-naked divas, and story lines more risque than those of Days of our Lives. SmackDown! vs. Raw is...

Need for Speed Underground 2.(racing game)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Have you ever driven down a residential street, seen some donut tire tracks on the ground, and thought, "Man, I wish I could do that with my 1983 Buick Electra"? EA is listening to you. The next Need for Speed is all about letting...

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2 deftly merged the worlds of Final Fantasy and Walt Disney, creating an action-RPG hybrid starring Goofy and Donald that grown adults didn't have to be ashamed of enjoying. Now, that unexpected hit...

Shadow of Rome.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: In 44 B.C., a centurion's father stands accused of killing Julius Caesar himself. Not believing it could be true, his son, Agrippa, sets out to smash a few skulls. Nobody is going to be saying "et tu Brute?" after you've splattered...

Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: It's illegal open-city street racing (in Atlanta, Detroit, and San Diego), but this time it's for really, really rich people. You've probably heard that Dub Edition (named after Dub magazine, giving rappers and rapper wannabes...

Suikoden IV.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Like Suikoden III, but bigger, better, faster, and with 100 percent fewer talking ducks. As usual, the story line centers on a quest to unite the 108 Warriors of Destiny to smite an almighty evil, with lots of fun minigames and...

Karaoke Revolution Volume 3.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: The name doesn't overstate: This karaoke series, with technology that can tell when you're singing off pitch, broke new ground in the rhythm-action genre. Now, with one simple innovation--duets--Volume 3 should do an even more...

Neo Contra.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Buffed-up muscles constantly flexed and powered-up weapons perpetually blazing, Contra was once considered pure action incarnate. After reliving its 2D glory days with 2002's Shattered Soldier, the furious shooter is born anew with...

ATV Off-Road Fury 3.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Who knew that zipping around on four-wheelers had such broad appeal? Sony has managed to transform its seemingly niche ATV series into a substantial hit, creating a colossal fan base by packing a playable demo with every PS2 Network...

November Galleries.
November 1, 2004... Mega Man X8 PS2 * Capcom -- It's actually impossible for this to be dumber than MMX7 (which featured an evil robotic onion boss). Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 PS2 * Atari -- This third fireball-tossing installment promises to offer...

Jak 3.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The buzz: Last year, Jak II took the previously cheery action-adventure series in a darker direction by adding a liberal dose of carjacking, heavy ammunition, and rebellious facial hair. This grand experiment wasn't a total success:...

Upping The Ante.
November 1, 2004... Don't say Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the final slice of the GTA PlayStation 2 trilogy. San Andreas is a trilogy all by itself: One state, three cities, and all the wilderness in between. But Rockstar's latest epic not only replicates...

Star Wars Battlefront.(war game)
November 1, 2004... (PS2/XB) SHAWN: How do you warm over Hoth, the snowball planet that has served as a setting in almost every game from the fabled galaxy far, far away? Put online players in an imposing AT-AT and on every tauntaun and turret it tramples....

Test Drive: Eve of Destruction.
November 1, 2004... Good: Driving classic beaters like the Ford Pinto Bad: Pintos aren't actually, you know, good Should've Been Named: Test Drive: The Simple Life DAN L: As the racing genre grows ever more complex, customizable, and corpulent, it's...

The Guy Game.
November 1, 2004... Good: Drinking makes this game slightly more fun Bad: Too much guesswork to see the goods Ballz: Someone's tech demo turned into boring minigames SHOE: This girls-gone-wild trivia game is mildly challenging at times--like, do you...

Def Jam Fight for Ny.(wrestling game)
November 1, 2004... BRYAN: While Def Jam Vendetta surprised many (including yours truly) with the success of its hip-hop-studded fisticuffs, Vendetta was really just a WWE title pimped out in Def Jam clothing. But that ain't the case in Fight for NY; this one...

Second Sight.
November 1, 2004... Good: Nifty, novel psychic abilities Bad: Deplorable graphics on the PS2 version Try Instead: Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy JON D: For a game that's built around using your head, Second Sight requires less brainpower than...

Shellshock: Nam '67.(war game)
November 1, 2004... SHOE: ShellShock is first out of the gate--one of too many wartime shooters releasing soon, all out to prove they know the Vietnam War the best. I have a sense that this will be one of the better ones, with graphic cut-scenes (combined with...

Juiced.(racing game)
November 1, 2004... (PS2/Xbox) Good: Running your own team of street racing leadfoots Bad: Losing all your cars in pink slip races Better Than: Street Racing Syndicate DEMIAN: Here's something you probably didn't know about Juiced, a game that...

Terminator 3: the Redemption.
November 1, 2004... Good: It's better than the Rise of the Machines game Bad: It's still not good At Least: The co-op mode is entertaining G. FORD: Ignore this game's subtitle--there is no redemption for those of us who suffered through T3: Rise of...

Mega Man X: Command Mission.(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2004... Good: Easy to pick up and play Bad: Not particularly engaging Believe It or Not: It's the first Mega Man console RPG KEVIN: Y'know, there was once a time when Mega Man games were considered the exclusive property of hardcore...

Tiger Woods: PGA Tour 2005.(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2004... BRYAN: Tiger may be hitting a few more bogeys these days (who wants to practice when you're married to a supermodel?), but his virtual game is still well under par. Gameplaywise, little has changed from last year's edition; Tiger 2005...

Headhunter: Redemption.(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2004... Good: The music's pretty good, as are some of the later levels Bad: The camera, controls, stealth aspects, targeting system... Worst: Load times, poorly placed checkpoints, lame puzzles G. FORD: I'm all for a good story, but if...

Sly 2: Band of Thieves.(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2004... KEVIN: Remember back a couple years ago when platformers and their endless-doodad-collection gameplay were all but declared dead? Thanks mostly to the efforts of Sony's developers, the genre's been revitalized--and Sly 2 sets such a high...

Dance Dance Revolution Extreme.(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2004... Good: Finally, the soundtrack has a little variety Bad: Still, it's mostly adrenaline-pumpin' party techno Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise: Endorphins, good mood JENNIFER: DDR is so very tried-and-true that it doesn't take...