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  • Edge (April 1999)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Edge was a multi-format videogame magazine published in the U.K. However, Next Generation was basically a U.S. version of Edge and they shared much of the same content. The April 1999 issue of Edge includes:

    • The Next Generation PlayStation – A report on the PlayStation 2 which had just been shown publicly for the first time in Japan.
    • The Truth Is Out There – On game rarity and emulations gift of letting you play the rarest of games.
    • Crazy Taxi – A detailed look at this now classic arcade game from Sega. It must have been around this time that the last decent arcade games came out. It used to be that many games would have arcade versions before being ported to home systems but Crazy Taxi was near the end of that trend. I don’t think this ever happens anymore (though technically Sega still produces arcade machines).

    • Switched On – How the video game audience has change over the years going from being villainized by traditional media to starring in their own TV show.
    • Testscreen – Reviews of Power Stone, Silent Hill, Castlevania, Silver, Wild Metal Country, Lander, Warzone 2100, Civ: Call to Power, and Bloody Roar 2.
    • Prescreens – Previews of games still in progress including V-Rally 2, Grand Theft Auto: Mission Pack #1, London 1969, Undercover 2025AD, Conquest: Frontier Wars, Starlancer, Loose Cannon, Crazy Taxi, Rally Masters, Project Velocity, and Daikatana. Plus some very early previews of Gran Turismo 2, Blue Stinger, War: Final Assault, Hidden and Dangerous, Omega Boost, Dino Crisis, and Carrier.
    • An Audience With John Carmack – John Carmack of id Software talks about what’s next for 3D shooters. In this case, Quake III Arena and the technologies that games of the future might use.

    • News – Coverage of the PlayStation 2, Sega’s Naomi hardware, a PlayStation emulator for the Dreamcast, and more.
    • Develop – An interview CRI representatives about new game tech including MPEG Sofdec and ADX.
    • Arcadeview – Coverage of Tokyo’s AOU show featuring Sega’s Naomi arcade hardware and new games like Bust A Move, Jumping Groove, Pop’n Music 2, Dance Dance Revolution 2, Beat-Mania II DX, Silent Scope, Airline Pilots, Spikout, Blood Bullet, Dead or Alive 2, Gun Beat, Power Stone, Giga Wing, Street Fighter III 3rd Strike, and more.
    • Retroview – A look back at Castlevania IV on the Super NES and the April 1994 issue of EDGE, plus Alex Garden of Relic Software talks about his memories of Wolfenstein 3D.
    • Out There – A look at some of the latest in consumer electronics including the Sony PBD-V30 DVD Discman, the Panasonic NV-EX1B MiniDV Camcorder, the 400MHz Macintosh G3, and more.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about software piracy, Sega Rally 2, and more.
    • Next Month – A special report from 1999’s Tokyo Game Show.

    …and more!


    Nintendo 64 PlayStation Retro Games Sega Dreamcast 📎and tagged

  • GamePro (November 1997)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    GamePro and Electronic Gaming Monthly were really the two biggest video game magazines throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s. I preferred EGM myself but picked up an occasional issue of GamePro. The November 1997 issue of GamePro includes:

    Features

    • Tomb Raider II – A preview of this 3D adventure game sequel for the PlayStation that, at the time, was one of the most eagerly anticipated sequels.
    • Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi – This Star Wars fighting game wasn’t really one of the best in the Star Wars franchise.

    SwatPro Strategy Section

    • Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee PlayStation ProStrategy Guide – A stragegy guide for this PlayStation classic strategy/platform game. This was an awesome atmospheric game but it got pretty hard as you progressed.
    • Vampire Savior Arcade ProStrategy Guide – A strategy guide for this arcade horror based fighting game.
    • The Fighter’s Edge Street Fighter EX Plus (PlayStation) – Part 1 of a two-part strategy guide for the latest Street Fighter game on the PlayStation. There were many.
    • Final Fantasy VII PlayStation ProStrategy Guide, Part II – The second in a three part series for one of the most iconic Final Fantasy games.

    ProReviews

    • PC GamePro – Reviews of Shadow Warrior, Fallout (the original!), Lose Your Marbles, XCar, Hexen II, Daikatana, King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity, Earthsiege 3, Take No Prisoners, and Prey.
    • Nintendo 64 – Reviews of Mace: The Dark Age, Top Gear Rally, Clayfighter 63 1/3, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy!.
    • PlayStation – Reviews of Nightmare Creatures, Colony Wars, Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha, Nuclear Strike, G Police, Mega Man X4, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, Steel Reign, Parappa the Rappa, Bushido Blade, Maximum, Ghost in the Shell, Tecmo Stackers, and Golden Nugget.
    • Saturn – Reviews of Marvel Super Heroes, Sonic Jam, Sega Ages, and Sky Target.
    • Sports Pages – Reviews of Madden 64 (Nintendo 64), NHL ’98 (PlayStation), NASCAR ’98 (PlayStation), Madden NFL ’98 (Saturn), PGA Tour ’98 (PlayStation), Jimmy Johnson’s VR Football ’98 (PlayStation), Bottom of the 9th ’97 (PlayStation), NHL Breakaway ’98 (PlayStation), NFL Quarterback Club ’98 (Nintendo 64), NBA Live ’98 (PlayStation / preview), NHL Face Off ’08 (PlayStation / preview), CART World Series (PlayStation / preview), NCAA GameBreaker ’98 (PlayStation / preview), NBA In The Zone ’98 (Nintendo 64, PlayStation / previews), and FIFA: Road to World Cup ’98 (Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Saturn / previews).
    • Role-Player’s Realm – A detailed look at Final Fantasy VII.

    Departments

    • The Mail – Letters from readers about family gaming, game endings, Saturn support, and more.
    • Buyers Beware – Readers warn about Dark Rift (Nintendo 64), used video games, and more.
    • ProNews – An animated MDK show, Diddy Kong Racing announced, Banjo-Kazooie Delayed, patent disputes, Jeff Gordon video games, and more.
    • NetPro – A look at Aliens Online.
    • Overseas Prospects – A look at new releases in Japan including F-Zero 64 (Nintendo 64), Tobal (arcade), and a re-release of Wave Race 64 (Nintendo 64).
    • The Cutting Edge – A look at Sega’s next generation hardware, what would eventually become the Dreamcast.
    • Sneak Preview – Previews of Resident Evil 2 (PlayStation), Diddy Kong Racing (Nintendo 64), MDK (PlayStation), Critical Depth (PlayStation), WCW Nitro (PlayStation), WCW vs. NWO: World Tour (Nintendo 64), Test Drive 4 (PlayStation), Moto Racer (PlayStation), Bomber 64 (Nintendo 64), Courier Crisis (PlayStation), Ray Tracers (PlayStation), Mega Man Neo (PlayStation), Extreme-G (Nintendo 64), Shipwreckers (PlayStation), Jet Moto 2 (PlayStation), Intelligent Qube (PlayStation), Point Blank (PlayStation), Pac-Man Ghost Zone (PlayStation), THN MotorSports Hardcore 2, AeroFighters Assault (Nintendo 64), Shadow Master (PlayStation), Deathtrap Dungeon (PlayStation), Rampage World Tour (PlayStation), and Mischief Makers (Nintendo 64).
    • Hot in the Arcades – A look at some of the latest arcade games including Armageddon from Acclaim and Vampire Savior from Capcom.

    …and more!


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  • NFL Blitz (Nintendo 64)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    The field used to be a bit more varied when it came to football video games. These days, it seems like Madden is the only thing anybody plays. NFL Blitz is another series of football games that was first introduced as an arcade game in 1997. It was also ported to a few home platforms, including the Nintendo 64, the following year.

    NFL Blitz was definitely more of an arcade style game vs. being a strict simulation of the game. For instance, there were only seven players per side instead of eleven and each player could typically perform a number of rolls. It wasn’t unusual, for instance, for a wide receiver to also pass the ball. There are no timeouts (though the clock stops after every play) and extra points are automatic but can be randomly missed on occasion. Also, a lot of things that would be penalties in a real NFL game are not penalties in NFL Blitz. Late hits, pass interference, and things that would normally be considered unsportsmanlike conduct are all just fine in this game.

    These differences mostly serve to create a more fast paced and exciting game. This would have been especially important in an arcade setting where a true simulation would just take too long. Those that are dead set on a more accurate simulation of the game might not find this one satisfying but it is still a fun football-like game.

    NFL Blitz was a popular game on the Nintendo 64. Despite the liberties taken with realism (or maybe because of them) it is still a blast to play. Back in the day, most football games took quite a few liberties. Street Sports Football, Tecmo Bowl, and Cyberball are a few of my favorites that come to mind. None of them approached the realism of a modern day Madden (and most didn’t try). It never stopped them from being fun.

    Like Madden, NFL Blitz was a series of games of which this was only the first. In addition to the Nintendo 64, the first game was also available on the PlayStation, Windows, and Game Boy Color. I think that the Nintendo 64 version was the most popular though. Perhaps because fewer football games were available on that system. It also tended to get higher review scores that the PlayStation and Windows versions though they all seem to have been well regarded. NFL Blitz 2000 and NFL Blitz 2001 were sequels that were also released on the Nintendo 64. There were also later sequels but these were released on newer systems.

    If you are a fan of football video games then this one is worth checking out even if you prefer your games with a bit more realism. Unfortunately, I’m not aware of any re-releases so you’ll have to track down an original version for the system of your choice or make do with emulation. I suspect that the use of NFL licenses means that this game will never be re-released.

    Screenshots above are all from the Nintendo 64 version of the game.


    Nintendo 64 Retro Games 📎and tagged