• Tag Archives Nintendo 64
  • Electronic Gaming Monthly (September 1999)

    Source: Electronic Gaming Monthly – Issue Number 122 – September 1999

    Electronic Gaming Monthly was near the top of my list when it came to video game magazines. By 1999, the industry had consolidated somewhat compared to what it was a few years ago. Sega, Sony and Nintendo were the only real players. The September 1999 issue includes:

    Features

    • The Dreamcast is Here – A look at the Sega Dreamcast, initial round of games and Sega’s plan for the future. The Sega Dreamcast would have been released days after this issue hit the stands.
    • No Longer Fantasy – A look at the upcoming Final Fantasy movie.
    • Turok: Rage Wars – A preview of Turok: Rage Wars by Acclaim for the Nintendo 64. This was a first person shooter with an emphasis on multiplayer.
    • Final Fantasy VIII – A preview of Final Fantasy VIII for the PlayStation which was due out the same month this issue hit the stands. While I played FFVII, I never did play FFVIII.

    Departments

    • Editorial – The Dreamcast is set to hit the streets with 24 solid games available on day one. Is this the biggest game launch ever?
    • Letters – Readers write in about the Dreamcast, Perfect Dark, survival horror games, megabits vs. megabytes, and more.
    • News – Final Fantasy movie coming to theaters; limited edition Pokemon game coming for the Game boy; Resident Evil 3 demo included on some copies of Dino Crisis for the PlayStation; Mario 64 sequel not anticipated until Dolphin (GameCube) release; bleem! PlayStation emulator hits stores (requires a Pentium 166MMX); Pac-Man Fever album re-released on CD; Nintendo reveals 64DD plans for Japan; and much more.
    • Gossip – Various rumors, including a possible Dreamcast version of Driver, a possible Dreamcast version of Soul Reaver, Michael Jordan returning to video games, PlayStation 2 to be used as a “set top box”, Dreamcast could emulate PlayStation, and more.
    • Previews – Previews of upcoming games including for the Dreamcast: NBA Showtime, Vigilante 8, Street Fighter Alpha 3, The King of Fighter: Dream Match 1999, Shenmue, Fighting Force 2, Ecco the Dolphin, South Park: Chef’s Luv Shack, Seven Mansions, Virtua Striker 2, Espion-Age-Nts, virtual On, Giant Gram All Japan Pro Wrestling 2, and Super Producer; for the Nintendo 64: Pokemon Snap, Mario Golf, WCW Mayhem, Rainbow Six, StarCraft, Hot Wheels Turbo Racing, Turok: Rage Wars, Resident Evil 2, Hercules, Winback, and Kyojin No Sohin; for the PlayStation: Final Fantasy VIII, Crash Team Racing, Suikoden II, WipeOut 3, Madden NFL 2000, NFL GameDay 2000, Spyro 2, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Medal of Honor, Dune 2000, Wu-Tang, You Don’t Know Jack, Metal Gear Solid: Integral, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, WCW Mayhem, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue, Silhouette Mirage, Thrasher, Sheep, Urban Chaos, Detonator Gauntlet, NBA ShootOut 2000, NBA Basketball 2000, Mag 3, Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition, Test Drive Cycles, SuperCross Circuit, Knights of Carnage, Major League Soccer 2000, NHL Championship 2000, NHL FaceOff 2000, Vegas Games 2000, Romance of the Three Kingdoms VI, Konami Rally, Monkey Magic, Rugrats, Bass Landing, NCAA Final Four 2000, Vagrant Story, Rival Schools 2, Geppy-X, Assault Suits Valken 2, Oreshika, Roneco’s Great Adventure 2, Ichi Geki: Hagane No Hito; and more.
    • Power Tools – A brief look at various video gaming peripherals including the Tilt Force 2 PlayStation controller, Tilt Pak (N64), Data Deck (PlayStation), Boomerang 64 (N64), CH Products Gamestick (PlayStation), GameShark Pro (PlayStation), Xplorer FX (PlayStation), and more.
    • Review Crew – Reviews of some of the latest games including:
      • Nintendo 64 – NFL Blitz 2000, Command & Conquer, Duke Nukem: Zero Hour, Mario Golf, Monster Truck Madness 64, Pokemon Snap, The New Tetris, Tonic Trouble, and In-Fisherman Bass Hunter 64.
      • PlayStation – Chesmaster II, NFL Blitz 2000, Driver, Evil Zone, Jade Cocoon, Konami Arcade Classics, NFL Xtreme 2, Rising Zan, Sled Storm, Soul of the Samurai, Tarzan, and Tiny Tank.
      • Game Boy/GBC – Conker’s Pocket Tales, Looney Tunes, Motocross Maniacs 2, Pokemon Pinball, Spawn, Pac-Man Special Color Edition, R-Type DX, and Tarzan.
    • Review Archive – A brief overview of EGM’s last 100 reviews from issues 115-121.
    • Tricks of the Trade – Tips, tricks and codes for Vigilante 8 (N64), A Bug’s Life (N64), Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest (N64), Fighting Force 64 (N64), Quake II (N64), Rush 2 (N64), Ape Escape (PlayStation), Big Air (PlayStation), Pokemon Blue (GB), Driver (PlayStation), Lunar: Silver Star (PlayStation), Hello Kitty’s Cube Frenzy (PlayStation), R-Type Delta (PlayStation), Syphon Filter (PlayStation), Bust-A-Move 4 (GBC), and many more.
    • Get Some – A look at some of the latest gadgets, including Creative’s Nomad MP3 player, Sennheiser HD490 Live headphones, the Psyc Style Discman, the MD-MT821 MiniDisc Player from Sharp, and more.
    • The Final Word – An editorial on game development and innovation.

    …and more!


  • Next Generation (May 1995)

    Next Generation was a magazine that covered “next generation” systems if the title didn’t make it obvious. Primarily that included 16-bit systems and beyond as well as the PC. It also was written with a little bit older audience in mind than the typical gaming magazine. The May 1995 issue of Next Generation includes:

    Talking

    • Can Sony handle the PlayStation? – An interview with the person in charge of the Sony PlayStation launch in North America, Steve Race.

    Breaking

    • News – Sega Saturn launch planned for September 2, 1995 with 20 games on the shelves; stats on Saturn sales in Japan; Nintendo adds satellite gaming to the Super Famicom; Tao Systems develops high end arcade/VR hardware that includes a Pentium based motherboard with four PCI cards each featuring a 100MHz PowerPC chip and a 50MHz 3Dlabs GLINT processor; and more.

    • Joyriding – A look at the Internet and stuff you can find there such as PC gaming newsgroups, FTP sites, and this new fangled thing called The World Wide Web.
    • Arcadia – A look at new stuff in the arcade including Battle Tek, Sega Championship Rally, Virtua Fighter II, Street Fighter: The Movie, Cyber Commando, and more.
    • Generator – A look at a new optical disc format that would become DVD and Peter Molyneux talks about cartridge vs. CD formats.

    NG Hardware

    • Ultra 64: the story so far… – A look at rumors, speculation and facts surrounding the upcoming Nintendo Silicon Graphics machine then known as the Ultra 64.

    NG Special

    • The ripe stuff – A look at the history of Apple and their latest strategies which include Apple clones, the Bandai Power Player and more…which was all a pretty massive failure for Apple as a company, but not to worry, Steven Jobs would soon be back…

    NG Software

    • Alphas – Previews of upcoming games including Daytona USA (Sega Saturn), Prisoner of Ice (DOS), Panzer Dragoon (Sega Saturn), Kingdom (DOS), Jumping Flash (PlayStation), Secret of Evermore (Super NES), MechLords (DOS), Cyber Commando (Arcade), and Chrono Trigger (Super NES).

    Rating

    • Finals – Reviews of 54 new games for the PlayStation, 3DO, Atari Jaguar, Sega 32X, Neo-Geo, PC, Macintosh, Sega CD, Genesis, SNES, Saturn, CD-i and arcade. Some highlights include Raiden for the PlayStation, Theme Park for the 3DO, Burn Out for the Jaguar, Mortal Kombat II for the 32X, Night Trap for the Sega CD, Samurai Showdown II for the Neo-Geo, Atari Action Pack for the PC, Descent for the PC, Discworld for teh PlayStation, Heretic for the PC, Dark Forces for the PC, Spaceward Ho 4.0 for the Macintosh, Dungeon Explorer for the Sega CD, Lords of Thunder for the Sega CD, Earthworm Jim for the Sega CD, Lemmings 2 for the Genesis, Kirby’s Avalanche for the Super NES, and much more.

    Corresponding

    • Letters – Letters from readers regarding Doom at the shareware method of marketing, the upgradeability of the 3DO, supporting the Macintosh, PC gaming, the Atari Jaguar, and more.

    …and more!


  • GamePro (May 1997)

    Source: GamePro – May 1997

    GamePro wasn’t a magazine I read a lot but it was probably the next most popular gaming magazine behind Electronic Gaming Monthly, at least in the U.S. The May 1997 issue includes:

    Cover Feature

    • The Lost World: Jurassic Park – This was about the time the move The Lost World came out and here is a preview of the game that goes along with it for the PlayStation.

    Special Features

    • Final Fantasy VII – Final Fantasy VII was probably the most anticipated Final Fantasy game and the most popular. Here’s an early preview of its release in Japan.
    • GameWorks: Ready for Gameplay – GameWorks was a new mega arcade that was a joint venture between Sega, Universal and Dreamworks. The first opened up in Seattle, Washington in 1997 and there were plans for 100 of them by 2002. I don’t know if that expansion ever happened but as far as I can tell the Seattle GameWorks still exists and there are no others.
    • Mortal Kombat Annihilation! – The Mortal Kombat movie sequel.

    SWATPro Strategy Section

    • Doom 64 Nintendo 64 ProStrategy Guide – A detailed guide for Doom on the Nintendo 64, including maps, secret exits and more.
    • The Fighter’s Edge Soul Blade (Part 2) – Part 2 of a comprehensive guide to Soul Blade on the PlayStation.
    • SWATPro – Hints, tips, tricks and cheats for Andretti Racing (Saturn), WWF: In Your House (PlayStation), The Legend of Oasis (Saturn), Dark Forces (PlayStation), NFL GameDay ’97 (PlayStation), NHL Faceoff ’97 (PlayStation), SlamScape (PlayStation), Vectorman 2 (Genesis), Bubble Bobble (PlayStation), Command & Conquer (Saturn), Crusader: No Remorse (PlayStation), Ten Pin Alley (PlayStation), Impact Racing (PlayStation/Saturn), Pandemonium (PlayStation), and Madden ’97 (Genesis). There’s also a list of the top game rentals and Blockbuster. Top of the list for each platform were Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64), Need for Speed II (PlayStation), Tomb Raider (Saturn), NBA Live ’98 (Genesis), Donkey Kong Country 3 (Super NES).
    • Samurai Showdown IV: Amakusa’s Revenge (Neo Geo) – Special moves for all of the characters and more.
    • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – A survival guide that includes maps, lists of locations, and more.

    ProReviews

    • PC GamePro – Reviews of Ecstatica II and Star Command Revolution, plus previews of Hexen II, Meat Puppet, Redneck Rampage, Comanche 3, X-Com: Apocalypse, Quake Mission Pack #1: Scourge of Armagon, Riven, and Extreme Assault.
    • Nintendo 64 – Review of Blast Corps.
    • PlayStation – Reviews of MechWarrior 2, WCW vs. The World, BattleStations, K-1 The Arena Fighters, Wing Commander IV, Sentient, The Incredible Hulk, Virtual Pool, and League of Pain.
    • Saturn – Reviews of Herc’s Adventures, The Lost Vikings, Lunacy, Contra Legacy of War, Tunnel B1, Dragon Heart, Super Puzzle Fighter II, Hardcore 4×4, and Heir of Zendor.
    • Sports Pages – Reviews of NBA Shootout ’97 (PlayStation), NBA Live ’97 (Saturn), FIFA Soccer 64 (Nintendo 64), VR Baseball ’97 (PlayStation), Rally Cross (PlayStation), and Perfect Striker (Nintendo 64 Japan) plus previews of Triple Play ’98 (PlayStation), All-Star Baseball ’97 (Saturn, PlayStation), NHL Breakaway ’98 (PlayStation, Saturn), NFL Quarterback Club ’98 (PlayStation, Saturn, DOS), HardBall 6 (PlayStation, Win95), and NBA Jam ’98 (Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Win95).
    • Role-Player’s Realm – A review of Vandal Hearts for the PlayStation.

    Departments

    • Head-2-Head: Letter from the GamePros – The evolution of the gaming industry.
    • The Mail – Readers write in about the CD-i, Resident Evil, Twisted Metal 2, and Final Fantasy VII.
    • Art Attack – Envelope art and other reader submitted gaming art.
    • Buyers Beware – Customer complaints about a free XBand modem offer, Tomb Raider ads, fighting in NHL ’97, and more.
    • ProNews – PlayStation price drops to $149, Sega plans merge with Bandai, upcoming games, Final Fantasy VII release plans, and more.
    • NetPro – Internet search tips, using various earch engines (Google didn’t exist yet), using Usenet, and more.
    • Overseas Prospects – A look at recent and upcoming overseas releases including Metal Gear Solid (PlayStation) and Gambare Goemon 5 (Nintendo 64).
    • Sneak Previews – An early look at The Lost World (PlayStation), Duke Nukem 3D (Saturn), Castlevania X (PlayStation), Star Fox 64 (Nintendo 64), Yoshi’s Island 64 (Nintendo 64), Hexen (Nintendo 64), Clayfighter 63 1/3 (Nintendo 64), MDK (PlayStation), Battle Arena Toshinden (PlayStation), Darklight Conflict (PlayStation, Saturn, DOS, Win 95), VMX Racing (PlayStation, Saturn, Win 95), and Motor Mash (PlayStation).
    • Hot at the Arcades – A review of Tekken 3 plus previews of Darkstalkers: Jedah’s Damnation, Sega Super GT, and Rampage World Tour.

    …and more!