Source: GamePro – Issue Number 81 – April 1996

GamePro was one of the two most popular video game magazines of the 1990s (the other being Electronic Gaming Monthly). GamePro wasn’t my personal favorite but it did have a long life and some good content along the way. In 1996 the transition from 16-bit to 32-bit consoles was in full swing so a lot of systems were being covered.

The April 1996 issue includes the following:

Features

• Nintendo 64 Is Coming! – Nintendo sets the release date for the newly renamed Nintendo 64 to September 30, 1996. Specs include a MIPS 64-bit RISC R4000 CPU, SGI Reality Immersion 64-bit RISC processor (for graphics and sound), and 4.5 MB of RAM. Initial release games are supposed to be Super Mario 64, Killer Instinct, Pilotwings 64, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, Cruis’n USA, and Doom 64.

• LamePro – GamePro parodies itself.

• Creating Evil Incarnate: The Making of Resident Evil – An interview with Shinji Mikami, leader of the team that created Resident Evil for the PlayStation

• Resident Evil ProReview – GamePro gives top marks to Resident Evil for the PlayStation.

• Where Are All the 16-bit Games? – The number of Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis releases are shrinking but the quality, overall, is better than ever. Intriguing upcoming releases include Lufia 2, Killer Instinct 2, Ultimate MK 3, Super Mario RPG, Super Road Rash, Marvel Super Heroes, and more. Of course, there are a number of sequels too. There are also some cancelled games listed including Akira, Comanche FX, Star Fox 2, Time Killers, Super Turrican 2 and Virtual Hamster among others.

SWATPro Strategy Section

• The Fighter’s Edge Presents Soul Edge ProStrategy Guide (Arcade) – All you need to know to beat your opponents (the the machine) in Soul Edge.

• Loaded ProStrategy Guide (PlayStation) – The second part of a strategy guide for Loaded for the PlayStation. This part covers levels 5 through 8.

• Breath of Fire II ProStrategy Guide, Part 3 (SNES) – The third and last part of a strategy guide for this Super Nintendo RPG, including the three endings.

• SWATPro – Codes and passwords for tons of games including Loaded (PS1), Vectorman (Genesis), Earthworm Jim 2 (Genesis), Solar Eclipse (Saturn), Eternal Champions (Sega CD), Spawn (SNES), Earthworm Jim 2 (SNES), Sega Rally Championship (Saturn), Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES), Izzy’s Quest for the Olympic Rings (SNES), Doom (PS1), Blackthorne (32X), Pitfall (Jaguar), Killer Instinct (Game Boy), Toy Story (Genesis), Rayman (Jaguar), The Adventures of Batman and Robin (Sega CD), and Samurai Showdown III (Arcade).

• Open Ice Codes (Arcade) – Various codes for this arcade hockey game.

ProReviews

• PlayStation
  • Resident Evil – The classic survival horror game.
  • Darkstalkers – One of my favorite Capcom fighters. One of the first games I owned for the PS1.
  • Descent – Like Doom only flying a ship through tunnels.
  • Return Fire – Overhead combat mayhem with tanks and jeeps and helicopters and…
  • The Hive – A poor PC conversion of a 3D shooter on rails.
  • Assault Rigs – A futuristic tank combat game that may remind you a bit of Tron. I had this game too but just remember it being fairly average.
  • Road Rash – The classic motorcycle racing game.
  • Revolution X – Arcade conversion featuring Aerosmith.
  • Philosoma – A not so great 2D/3D shooter.
  • In the Hunt – An ok side-scrolling shooter.
  • Space Griffon – A combat/exploration game featuring mechs.
  • A Train – A railroad sim.
  • X-Com – An outstanding strategy classic but better on the PC.
  • Geom Cube – Like Tetris but played from an overhead perspective.

• Saturn
  • Street Fighter Alpha – Arcade conversion of the latest and greatest in the Street Fighter series.
  • Clockwork Knight 2 – An interesting platformer with outstanding graphics…but not really as fun as it should be. But if you liked the original you’ll like this one.
  • Mortal Kombat II – It seems like there were an infinite number of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter games…
  • Hi-Octane – I had this futuristic racer for the PC and it was a disappointment. Sounds like the Saturn version is no better.
  • D – A sort of horror themed Myst.
  • Skeleton Warriors – Basically an update to games like Golden Axe.
  • Darius Gaiden – Classic 2D side-scrolling shooter.
  • The Horde – This basically plays as a simple real-time strategy game in which you must build up your land then defend it from Hordes.
  • Defcon 5 – A Doom-like FPS in which you are supposed to avoid combat.
  • Revolution X – Arcade conversion featuring Aerosmith.
  • Sim City 2000 – An update to the classic city sim.

• 3DO
  • Star Fighter – A sort of open areana 3D shooter.
  • Johnny Bazookatone – A humorous platform game that ends up being pretty average.
  • Cyberdillo – Doom but with an Armadillo. Unfortunately, its not a great game.
  • Iron Angel of the Apocalypse: The Return – A second rate sequel to a second rate mech game.
  • Battlesport – A futuristic soccer game with tanks.

• Neo Geo
  • Real Bout Fatal Fury – One of many great 2D fighting games on the Neo Geo.
  • Puzzle De Pon – Basically Bust-A-Move.

• Jaguar
  • Defender 2000 – An updated version of the classic arcade game.
  • Atari Karts – Atari’s version of Mario Kart…but without the weapons.
  • Super Cross 3D – A pretty terrible motorcycle racing game.
  • Zoop – The Jaguar version of this fairly simple but addictive puzzle game.

• Jaguar CD
  • Primal Rage – A fighting game…but with dinosaurs!
  • Myst – The classic atmospheric adventure/puzzle game originally released for the PC.
  • Baldies – A God sim game for the Jaguar.

• Super NES
  • Frantic Flea – An underwhelming platform game that seems like an odd release this late in the life of the SNES.

• 32X
  • Spider-Man: Web of Fire – Side-scrolling action game featuring Spider-Man that, while not spectacular, does offer solid game play and better graphics than the Genesis alone could offer.

• Role-Player’s Realm
  • Death Keep (3DO) – A sort of upgraded Eye of the Beholder style official Dungeons & Dragons games. One of the relative few good games for the 3DO.
  • King’s Field 2 (PlayStation) – Conceptually not all that different from Death Keep above but not as good.
  • Lucienne’s Quest (3DO) – Ultimately, a rather boring RPG for the 3DO.
  • Future Fantasies – Short sneak peeks at upcoming RPG games including Shining Wisdom, Kingomd II: Shadoan and Iron Storm.

Departments

• Letter from the GamePros – Commentary about ads that get complaints.

• The Mail – Readers complain/comment upon ads.

• GamePro Gallery – Envelope art from reader.

• Buyers Beware – False rumors of hidden characters in WWF Wrestlemania for the Genesis, reader asks about cross compatibility between 32X, Sega CD and Saturn (there is none), reader complains about Ultimate MK3 being released after he bought MK3, and Blockbuster’s $400 deposit for renting a PlayStation.

• ProNews – Rumors of Atari’s demise; Psygnosis announces plans for Saturn games including Wipeout, Destruction Derby, 3D Lemmings and Discworld to start with; 16-bit sales for the holiday season (1995) far outpaced those of newer systems and games; Sega lays off people; Final Fantasy VII announced, and more.

• GamePro Online – A summary of what is available on-line from GamePro, mostly on AOL. This includes game demos, conferences and more.

• The Cutting Edge – “Network Computers” (computers that get all of their content online vs. via cartridge, CD or other media) predicted to take over electronic entertainment…and I guess that’s largely true though the prediction was a bit premature.

• GamePro Labs – Two massive analog controllers are tested including “Analog Joystick” (what a creative name) for the PlayStation and “Mission Stick” (not much better) for the Saturn.

• Overseas ProSpects – A preview of games released overseas including Battle Arena Toshinden 2 (PlayStation), Kirby Super Delux (Super Famicom), Bahamut Lagoon (Super Famicom), Guardian (Saturn), and Lone Soldier (PlayStation).

• Short ProShots – Previews of upcoming domestic releases including X-Perts (Genesis), Crash Bandicoot (PlayStation), Super Mario RPG (SNES), Magic Carpet (PlayStation, Saturn), Congo the Movie: The Lost City of Zinj (Saturn), Mortal Kombat II (PlayStation), Casper (PlayStation, Saturn, 3DO), Chronicles of the Sword (PlayStation, PC CD), City of the Lost Children (PlayStation, PC CD), Deadly Skies (PlayStation, Saturn, 3DO, PC CD), Floating Runner (PlayStation), Maximum Surge (Saturn, PC CD), Mohawk (SNES), Phoenix 3 (3DO), Sentient (PlayStation, PC CD), Snowjob (3DO), Syndicate Wars (PlayStation, PC CD), The Need for Speed (PlayStation), and Top Gun: Fire at Will (PlayStation).
• Hot at the Arcades – A look at Time Crisis, a light gun shooter from Namco, and Killer Instinct 2, Rare’s arcade fighter.
• PC GamePro – A look at Diablo, the famous overhead dungeon crawler; Whiplash, a more modern take on Stunt Driver; Command & Conquer: Red Alert, one of the hottest real-time strategy games of the time; Strife, a game based on an upgraded Doom engine; Z, an overhead action/strategy game from Bitmap Brothers; EarthSiege 2, another mech combat game; Abuse, a side-scrolling action game featuring a unique control system; Wetlands, a first person adventure game; and a trio of sports game including NBA Live ’96, NCAA Championship Basketball, and Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge Golf.

…and more!