• Tag Archives PS1

  • GamePro (February 1997)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: GamePro – February 1997

    Along with Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro was one of the most popular gaming magazines for a long time. In 1997 is was primarily covering the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn and was also still covering the Super NES, Sega Genesis and Neo Geo. It also had a little PC and arcade coverage. The February 1997 issue includes:

    Cover Story

    • Killer Instinct Gold – A preview of ths $80 cart for the Nintendo 64 and is basically a combination of Killer Instinct and Killer Instinct 2.

    Special Features

    • Resident Evil 2: The Horror Continues – The first sequel to the immensely popular survival horror game on the PlayStation.
    • Have Gun Game, Will Travel – A somewhat humorous light gun game that combines both first person and side-scrolling sections. It can be played with one or two players.

    SWATPro Strategy Section

    • Mortal Kombat Trilogy – A strategy guide for Mortal Kombat Trilogy on the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. As the name suggests, this game is really a combination of the first three Mortal Kombat games.
    • The Fighter’s Edge: Virtua Fighter 3 – A complete move list for all characters and how to counterattack in Virtual Fighter 3 in the arcade.
    • Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey – A strategy guide for this arcade hockey game featuring various secrets and cheats.
    • Madden ’97 – A strategy guide for this early Madden game on the PlayStation.
    • SWATPro – Codes and various tips for Twisted Metal 2 (PlayStation), Tomb Raider (PlayStation, Saturn), Mortal Kombat Trilogy (Nintendo 64), and lots of other games.

    ProReviews

    • PC GamePro – Reviews of Command & Conquer: Red Alert, Duke Nukem 3D Plutonium PAK, SkyNET, and MDK.
    • Nintendo 64 – Reviews of Killer Instinct Gold, and Cruis’n USA.
    • PlayStation – Reviews of Tomb Raider, Dark Forces, Ten Pin Alley, Power Slave, PitBall, Burning Road, Robotron X, Hardcore 4×4, The King of Fighters ’95, Dare Devil Derby, Starwinder, Iron and Blood, Samurai Showdown III, Tempest, Machine Head, and Tunnel B1.
    • Saturn – Reviews of Bug Too!, Crusader, Virtua Cop 2, Area 51, Virtual On Cyber Troopers, Batman Forever: The Arcade Game, Spot Goes to Hollywood, and Crime Wave.
    • Super NES – Reviews of Street Fighter Alpha 2, Prince of Persia 2, Incantation, and War 3010: The Revolution.
    • Genesis – A reviews of Williams Arcade’s Greatest Hits.
    • Sports Pages – Reviews of NFL GameDay ’97 (PlayStation), NBA Hang Time (Nintendo 64), Andretti Racing (Saturn), Daytona USA Championship Circuit Edition (Saturn), NBA In The Zone 2 (PlayStation), NFL ’97 (Saturn), NHL ’97 (Saturn), NBA Hangtime (Genesis), NBA Shoot Out ’97 (PlayStation), FIFA Soccer ’97 (Nintendo 64),
    • Role-Player’s Realm – Reviews of Dragon Force (PlayStation), Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat (PlayStation), and Persona (PlayStation).

    Departments

    • Head-2-Head: Letter from the GamePros – Discussion about 3DO’s upcoming new M2 system.
    • The Mail – Letters from readers about 3DO, secret codes for Twisted Metal 2, Tecmo’s Deception, and more.
    • Art Attack – Reader submitted artwork.
    • Buyers Beware – Modifying your PlayStation to play Japanese games, Nintendo 64 controller problems, Xband support, and more.
    • ProNews – N64 and PSX game releases delayed, including Shadows of the Empire, Curis’n USA, Tetrisphere, Turok, Mission Impossible, and others; Virtual Boy discontinued; and more.
    • NetPro – How to play online games via TEN.
    • Overseas Prospects – A look at Sony PlayStation Expo ’96 in Chiba, Japan. Some new games shown include Final Fantasy VII, Puzzle Fighter, Rockman (Mega Man) 8, Ace Combat 2, Soul Edge, and more.
    • Sneak Previews – Previews of upcoming games including Spider (PlayStation), City of Lost Children (PlayStation), WCW vs. The World (PlayStation), League of Pain (PlayStation), Carmageddon (PlayStation, DOS), Rush Hour (PlayStation), Peak Performance (PlayStation), and Test Drive: Off-Road (PlayStation DOS, Windows 95).
    • Hot at the Arcades – A look at Mace: The Dark Age, a 3D fighting game from Atari Games.

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Retro Games 📎and tagged

  • Disney’s Hercules (PlayStation)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Electronic Gaming Monthly – Issue Number 98 – September 1997

    From the ad:

    “Zeus has answered your prayers. And now, it’s time to take your place among the gods in this hot new PlayStation game console adventure. Explore three worlds of 3-D game play right out of Disney’s Hercules movie – with the original character voices, sound effects and music. Mangle monsters like Hydra and the Cylcops. Terminate the Titans. Save Thebes from a hostile takover. Hey, this game can make you immortal!”

    Hercules was published by Virgin Games in 1997 and is based on the Disney animated movie of the same name. This is sort of a hybrid 2D/3D platform game. Whereas the 16-bit generation included endless side-scrolling platform adventure games, 32-bit systems were transitioning to 3D. Games like Tomb Raider and Super Mario 64 popularized this genre but personally, I never really made the transition. Hercules fits in sort of a middle ground but for the most part feels more like a traditional 2-D side-scroller.

    If you like 2D and/or 3D adventure games and are a Disney fan, this game isn’t bad. While movie licenses often make terrible games, it isn’t always the case and Disney really did an above average job most of the time. While not the masterpiece that games like Aladdin and Lion King were on 16-bit consoles, it is still reasonably solid.

    Hercules does a good job of capturing the look and feel of the movie. Environments are colorful and varied (and of course match the movie), the animation is smooth, and the voice clips are even from the original cast. While the controls are nothing special, the mechanics are straightforward and there isn’t much that should frustrate the average player in that regard. The soundtrack also includes music from the film and this is another thing that Disney has typically always done a good job with. This game is no exception.

    While the game overall is pretty good, it isn’t perfect and I would say it was made with the younger player in mind. This makes sense of course being a Disney game based on a Disney movie. The game is very short so experienced players will likely be able to complete it in a matter of hours. Even though the game is pretty good, I don’t think there is a lot of replayability here. Also, while the controls might be easy and straightforward, this is a double-edged sword. There is nothing here to frustrate you but there is also a lot of repetition when it comes to combat.

    This game isn’t really my cup of tea but it isn’t a bad game. If you like Hercules, usually like Disney games, or just like this style of game in general, then you should definitely give it a try. In addition to being released on the PlayStation, it was also released on the PC. I was a little surprised to see that this game was available on gog.com. Often, licensed games don’t see these kinds of re-releases. While being more of a retrogamer I would probably prefer the original PlayStation version, but at only $5.99 it’s hard not to recommend this as a cheap and easy way to play the game.

    Screen shots above are from the PlayStation version of the game. The ad (top and bottom) is from the September 1997 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly.


    📂This entry was posted in PlayStation Retro Games 📎and tagged

  • MediEvil (PlayStation)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    MediEvil is an action/adventure game released for the PlayStation in 1998. You play the role of Sir Daniel Fortesque, a knight who is resurrected from the dead to battle evil forces in the land of Gallowmere. During his life, Sir Dan was a coward but is resurrected for a second chance to prove his courage after the sorcerer Zarok returns from the grave to infect the land with evil. You, as Sir Dan, must redeem yourself by defeating Zarok and his army of monsters.

    The gameplay is a mix of 3rd person action and puzzle-solving. The player must explore various levels while battling enemies and collecting items. New levels are unlocked as you progress through the game. The game world is divided into several distinct regions, each with its own theme and challenges. As you progress through the game, you unlock new weapons, magic powers, and other abilities necessary to defeat ever more difficult enemies.

    One of the unique things about this game is its humor. While the theme is rather dark, the tone of the game really isn’t. There is a lot of dark humor and plenty of humorous characters. While Sir Dan may have been resurrected, he is still a skeleton. The game makes fun of this fact throughout. I guess you could classify this game as horror/comedy.

    MediEvil is a 3D action game played from a 3rd person perspective. Combat is straightforward but chaotic. You will face many enemies and have a variety of weapons including a sword, crossbow, and magic spells. Perhaps the most entertaining is the ability to rip off your own arm and use it as a club. You start each level with a limited supply of life force which is replenished by defeating enemies and finding health potions. if your life force runs out, you lose a life and must restart the game from the last checkpoint.

    In addition to the action, there are various puzzles to solve throughout the game. These involve doing things such as moving objects, activating switches, and finding secret paths. For some puzzles you must use specific weapons or abilities. The puzzles are generally not very complex but some do require a bit of trial and error.

    For its time, MediEvil featured excellent graphics with detailed characters and environments. There are many spooky locations including haunted graveyards, scary forests, and more. However, unlike other darker themed games, this one features cartoon style graphics that give it a much more light-hearted feel. The animation of the main character is quirky and exaggerated adding to the humorous feel of the game. Due to the graphics, the game has a Nightmare Before Christmas feel to it which was intentional. In some ways it could also be seen as a 3D version of Ghost ‘N Goblins though it is not nearly as hard.

    The sound a music of Medievil are also excellent. Orchestral music combined with more whimsical tunes do a good job of matching the tone of the game. Likewise, the sound effects are all well done.

    MediEvil is a relatively simple game but a lot of fun to play and with a unique look and feel. If you enjoy 3D action games then this is one you should definitely try. There is also a sequel called MediEvil II, also released on the PlayStation, that you are likely to enjoy if you like this one. There have also been a couple of remakes of the original game including MediEvil: Resurrection for the PlayStation Portable and MediEvil for the PlayStation 4. While I always tend to recommend the original, the remakes remain pretty faithful to the original and are probably easier to obtain and play at this point.


    📂This entry was posted in PlayStation Retro Games 📎and tagged