Volume 1 Issue 8 February 2006 Onimusha - Hardcore Gamer

newgames•oldgames•consolegames•pcgames•arcadegames•portablegames•gamestuf 

HARDCORE 

LUV2GAME.COM 

MAGAZINE 

v1i8.sunriseofdestiny 

Wakeupandsmel 

theMusha! 

Pluswejam packedthis 

issuefulofpreviews 

andreviewslikemad. 

$4.99USA ISSUE8 $6.99Canada 

Asifthatweren’tenough . 

.Wealsogivesumlovin’tosummobilephonegames, 

.RogerDanishshowsofhisweirdgamesystems. 

.pluscheckouthenewsiteLuv2Game.com!

newgames•oldgames•consolegames•pcgames•arcadegames•portablegames•gamestuf 

HARDCORE 

LUV2GAME.COM 

MAGAZINE 

v1i8.sunriseofdestiny 

Wakeupandsmel 

theMusha! 

Pluswejam packedthis 

issuefulofpreviews 

andreviewslikemad. 

$4.99USA ISSUE8 $6.99Canada 

Asifthatweren’tenough . 

.Wealsogivesumlovin’tosummobilephonegames, 

.RogerDanishshowsofhisweirdgamesystems. 

.pluscheckouthenewsiteLuv2Game.com!

Publisher 

Tim Lindquist 

Editor in Chief 

Greg Off 

greg@hardcoregamermag.com 

Art Director 

Terry Wolfinger 

Senior Editor 

Thomas Wilde 

Executive Editor 

Adam Pavlacka 

Costello the Fresh 

Anthony Mertz 

Editors 

Anthony Mertz Danny Cowan 

Dave Hulegaard David Brothers 

Geson Hatchett Iaian Ross 

Jason Venter James Cunningham 

Jeremy Peeples Ken Horowitz 

Steven Kent Thomas Shin 

Elizabeth Ellis Alicia Ashby 

Artists 

Amadeo Garcia III 

Production Director 

Jody Seltzer 

Production Artists 

John McKechnie Bryan Neff 

Brady Hartel Gary Harrod 

Translator 

Elizabeth Ellis 

Ad sales 

Burr Hilsabeck 

415-412-5685 

burr@hardcoregamermag.com 

Ad coordinator 

Martin Gilbert 

Hardcore Gamer® Magazine is published monthly by DoubleJump® 

Publishing, Inc. at 21407 NE Union Hill Rd, Redmond, WA 98053. 

Periodicals postage pending at Redmond WA and at additional mailing offices. 

POSTMASTER: send address changes to DoubleJump Publishing, PO Box 146, 

Redmond, WA 98073. “Hardcore Gamer” and “DoubleJump” are trademarks 

or registered trademarks of DoubleJump Publishing Incorporated. All rights 

reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any 

form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, 

recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written 

permission from DoubleJump Publishing. DoubleJump Books is a division of 

DoubleJump Publishing, Inc. 

DoubleJump Publishing and the authors have made every effort to ensure 

that the information contained in this magazine is accurate. However, the 

publisher makes no warranty, either expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, 

effectiveness, or completeness of the material in this magazine; nor does the 

publisher assume liability for damages, either incidental or consequential, that 

may result from using the information in this magazine. Questions regarding 

operation of the game software and hardware should be directed to the 

support numbers provided by the game and device manufacturers in their 

documentation. 

Printed in the United States of America 

DJPubba_Tim Lindquist 

Oh, man. I spent waaaay too much time trying to get a 

Vectrex controller working on a PC without modifying the 

controller. Unfortunately, I have not yet succeeded and 

the deadline is rather angry about being stood up. Rather 

than present a half-baked part 2 of the Vectrex article, 

I’ve decided to put it off until next issue to make sure it’s 

done justice. 

Now Playing: Vectrex Controller Interface Toss (Vectrex/ 

PC), Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. 

Roger Danish_Greg Off 

Wolfie_Terry Wolfinger 

Wanderer_Thomas Wilde Lynxara_Alicia Ashby Metalbolt_Anthony Mertz 

The unofficial theme of this issue is Capcom rereleasing 

old games with minor add-ons. They managed to do the 

impossible and make the original Resident Evil worth 

replaying, but Monster Hunter? A new version of Devil 

May Cry 3? Capcom, you know I respect you, but how 

many times are you going to make me buy the same 

games? I’ve already got three #$@!ing copies of RE... 

Now Playing: Castlevania: CoD, Haunting Ground, 

Resident Evil: DS, Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time 

Syriel_Adam Pavlacka 

Due to the moon’s effect on the tides, the way the wind 

blows, a feeling in my gut, and the changing of the 

seasons, I’ve decided that I will only play and review 

games with the letters I, M, F and D in them. While 

this may be considered an odd decision by many of our 

readers, I think it makes perfect sense. But then again, 

I also believe that I have a fairy godmother, a “secret” 

friend named Harvey, and that my toast whispers obscene 

suggestions every time I bring it to my mouth. 

Racewing_Geson Hatchett 

My God. Valkyrie Profile: Sylmeria. Kingdom Hearts II. 

Xenosaga 3. Tales of Legendia. Grandia III. And, if we’re 

lucky, Final Fantasy XII. Remember when it was “cool” 

and “hardcore” to hate on Square and Namco for no good 

reason? Yeah. I’m scared too. (Of course, if a new Skies of 

Arcadia were announced tomorrow, it’d blow everything I 

just mentioned off the face of the earth, but that’s not the 

point. Or is it...?) 

Now Playing: Ape Escape 3, The Adventures of Blackfire, 

Queen of the Galaxy! (My Imagination) 

Shoegazer_Dave Hulegaard 

Is it a little sad that 2006 is just underway and I’m 

already counting down the days ‘til E3? I’m as anxious 

as anyone to see Nintendo and Sony put up or shut up, 

but there’s still some life flowing through the current 

generation. My predictions for ’06? Square Enix will 

astonish, Sony’s PSP will tap out, and innovation is not 

dead… merely dormant. 

Now Playing: Black, Wild Arms 4, MVP NCAA Baseball 06 

KouAidou_Elizabeth Ellis 

I was all set to write the cover feature, then real life 

went and bobshacked me. Fortunately, David was man 

enough to step up to the plate and do it for m... err, I 

mean, um, help me out a little bit. Yeah. Please enjoy 

this month’s Onimusha feature, co-written by the two 

sexiest members of the HGM staff. 

Now Playing: Sid Meier’s Pirates!, Civilization IV 

A quick trip (and I mean quick) to Japan for an interview 

with the creators and producers of the Grandia series for 

next issue’s cover feature has thrown me for a serious 

loop (or perhaps it was the Teriyaki McBurger Seto I ate 

at McDonalds before I got on the plane, I don’t know). 

Unfortunately, a trip to Akihabara was not in the cards, 

but I did find a used Bust a Move for the PSP for the 

dirt-cheap price of $10.00 at a nearby electronics shop in 

Shinjuku. So I got that going for me. 

I got engaged, and in the same month Bandai releases the 

first good Gundam game ever in the US! And I’m playing 

Final Fantasy IV on my GBA! Folks, this is a great time to 

be alive. Go find your favorite video game and give it a 

hug. 

Now Playing: Final Fantasy IV Advance, MS Saga: A New 

Dawn, Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3, Mario Kart DS, 

Legend of Heroes 

4thletter_David Brothers 

I think if I had to pick my favorite record of 2005, it’d be 

Royce da 5’9”’s Independent’s Day. It’s midway between 

Rock City and Death is Certain in tone, but twice as good 

as either of them. Every track is bumpable, to be sure, 

and Royce’s rhymes have never been tighter. “Looking At 

My Dog” is incredible. Runner-up album? Ghostface and 

Trife’s Put It On The Line. 

Now Playing: Dead or Alive 4, Hexic HD, Geometry Wars 

James_James Cunningham 

As I write this it’s going on 8AM and I’m just finishing up 

the Age of Empires review. A light snow is falling, my 

cat is looking at me funny, and I’m fanasizing over what 

a good night’s sleep must be like. Fortunately I don’t 

work until the afternoon, so deadline hell isn’t going to 

completely kill me dead. This time. 

Now playing: Dragon Quest VIII, Geometry Wars 2, Dead 

or Alive 4, Tokobot 

HonestGamer_Jason Venter 

It’s a good thing I didn’t resolve to take better care 

of myself in 2006. I’m already sitting in front of my 

computer and eating pudding straight from the kettle. 

That’s not a great start. When it comes to resolutions, 

I know myself too well. That’s why I resolved to keep 

doing what I’m doing. It seems to be working. 

Now Playing: Mega Man X Collection (PS2), Wild Arms 4 

Hitoshura_Iaian Ross 

I got a PSP over the holidays. Sure, there are hardly any 

games to choose from, and I couldn’t care less about 

UMD movies. None of that matters, since Wipeout Pure is 

so damn fun. It makes me glad I got the Giga Pack when 

there’s about 60 megs of extra content for the game. 

Now Playing: FFIV:Advance, Wipeout Pure 

So after surviving the holidays and being gone for a 

week, the first thing I wanted to do was play World of 

Warcraft. That game’s so addictive... but to my horror, 

when I returned home, I found my PC wasn’t working!! 

Never mind the work I had to do -- I needed my WoW fix!! 

So I was three days without the computer, then another 

couple to fix the bugs, and finally I could install the new 

patch and level up my Undead Rogue! Lvl24 and rising. 

I hate it when I’m so addicted to two games, that while 

I’m playing one of them I feel bored because I want to be 

playing the other! Being stuck between Battlefield 2 and 

Final Fantasy III is slightly annoying. At least with Raven 

Shield, I could minimize and play FFIII between rounds! 

Now Playing: Final Fantasy III (SNES), Battlefield 2 (PC), 

Rock N’ Roll Racing (SNES), Super Mario Blue Twilight DX 

(PC) 

Arlieth_Thomas Shin 

I’ve discovered some disturbing, yet interesting things about 

the nature of Dead or Alive 4’s combo system. I have also 

played Guitar Hero for the first time, and beat 20 Expert 

songs. Then I tried playing Guitar Freaks at the arcade and 

tore it to shreds. Konami, you’ve just been out-hardcore’d by 

Americans! 

Now Playing: Guitar Hero (PS2), Dead or Alive 4 (Xbox 360), 

Guitar Freaks 11th Mix (Arcade) 

Ashura_Brady Hartel 

Name’s Ash, Housewares. Er, layouts. Why does a layout 

artist have a bio, you ask? Well, I... don’t know either! 

But I do play videogames, uh, hardcore. Just like the 

magazine’s cover says! (See cover for details.) Game wise, 

Neo Geo Battle Coliseum has sucked my brain out. Yes, 

despite evil load times. Oh, and Metal Gear Online! Any 

game that has people fighting over the possession of a tiny 

plastic frog has to be rocksome. 

Now Playing: Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, Metal Gear Solid 3: 

Subsistence, Metal Gear Online 

Jeremy_Jeremy Peeples 

FF IV Advance owned my soul this month, and made me 

want to get back into some SNES and PSOne classics I 

hadn’t dug out of the archives in many a year. It felt 

good to reacquaint myself with some forgotten classics, 

while still enjoying my newer, regularly-played games. 

Now playing: Uniracers, Ignition Factor, Columns, Final 

Fantasy IV Advance, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII 

Sardius_Danny Cowan 

Important update from last issue: I now own a DS and 

Animal Crossing, and all is well. Unfortunately, I now also 

own a Philips CD-i, which I got for free in exchange for a 

plate of cornbread (thanks Proz!). Next up on my list of 

games to buy: Eugene Levy’s Wacky World of Miniature 

Golf. STROOOOKE LIMIT! 

Now Playing: Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of 

Gamelon, Sandy’s Circus Adventure (CD-i) 

VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY

Previews 

You want previews? You need previews? You wish you 

could live tucked neatly away inside a great big preview, 

sticking your head out every once a week for a breath of 

fresh air and a ray of sunshine? Well then, welcome home 

little buddy. Our previews are always clean and odor free. 

Why not set awhile and see for yourself? 

Feature 

On the cover 

Phil: “Say John, where did you get the nifty 

gadget ya got there right in your hands?” 

John: “Well, Phil, it’s none of your goddamn 

business now, is it?” 

Thanks to Capcom, Onimusha: Dawn of 

Dreams provides halting action comfort 

and super hyper delight without the 

usual side effects (which can include 

drowsiness, shortness of breath, nausea, tightening 

of the chest, headaches, diarrhea, dry mouth, 

chiggers and leakage). The only thing that could 

possibly cause us to love Capcom even more is if 

they were to bring back the Ghouls n’ Ghosts series 

on next gen portables – that would be so dreamy. 

Now bring us our Pee Monkeys!!! 

 

 

8 : News 

10 : Preview: MGS Subsistence 

 

11 : Preview: Resident Evil DS 

 

12 : Preview: State of Emergency 2 

 

13 : Preview: Ace Combat 

 

14 : Preview: Capcom Cllassics 

15 : Preview: Monster Hunter 

 

16 : Preview: Jaws Unleashed 

17 : Preview: FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 3 

18 : Preview: MLB ‘06 

19 : Preview: Pursuit Force 

 

20 : Preview: The Outfit 

 

10 

21 : Preview: Naruto 

22 : Preview: Disgaea 2 

23 : Preview: Splinter Cell: Double Agent 

 

24 : Preview: Commandos Strike Force 

 

25 : Preview: Field Commander 

26 : Preview: King of Fighters: Neo Wave 

27 : Preview: Untold Legends 

30 : Feature: Console Curiosities 

34 : Feature: Mobile Gaming 

38 : Graveyard : Big Foot 

40 : Strategy: FF4 Advance 

44 : Cover Feature: OniMusha: 

Dawn of Dreams 

54 : Review: MSSaga 

56 : Review: Rub Rabbits 

58 : Review: Samurai Shodown V 

59 : Review: Winning Eleven 9 

60 : Review: Devil May Cry 3 SE 

61 : Review: PQ: 

30 

Practical 

Intelligence Quotient 

62 : Review: Midway Classics 

Extended Play 

63 : Review: Ape Escape 3 

64 : Review: Ape Escape Academy 

65 : Review: The Sims 2 

66 : Review: Arena Football 

67 : Review: Age of Empires DS 

68 : Review: Final Fantasy Advance 

69 : Review: Teen Titans 

70 : Review: Megaman X Collection 

71 : Review: Kingdom of Paradise 

72 : Review: World Championship Poker 2 

73 : Review: Gauntlet - Seven Sorrows 

74 : Japan: NARUTO GEKITOU 

NINJA TAISEN! 4 

76 : Japan: Ryuu ga Gotoku 

44 

77 : Japan: Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon 

78 : Fan Art 

80 : Cosplay 

 

 

82 : Funnies 

 

 

VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY

y Lynxara 

No, it’s not just a car blinged up in the 360’s white and 

green color scheme. Billed as a partnership between 

Microsoft and Nissan, the Urge represents the first “fully 

integrated gaming system within a vehicle.” This means 

that there’s a lot more to the Urge than just a 360 

installed in the backseat. 

Players can use the Nissan Urge - while it’s in a parked 

position with the engine off - to play Project Gotham 

Racing 3 with the Urge itself acting as a controller. While 

the game is displayed on a seven-inch flip-down screen, 

the driver can steer with the car’s own wheel, brake with 

the car’s own brake pedals, and accelerate with the gas 

pedal. When not being used for gaming, the LCD monitor 

functions as a rearview mirror. 

You may be wondering who on earth would want such 

a car, and indeed the Urge is targeted at a very narrow 

demographic: echo boomers, the generation born 

between 1982 and 1995. Echo boomers are so named 

because they’re the by and large the children of the postwar 

baby boomers, and often described by sociologists 

as “echoes” of their parents in many ways. “Nissan 

conducted an Internet survey of 2,000 echo boomers, a 

majority of which said technology and gaming are among 

the most important attributes in their first car,” said 

Bruce Campbell, vice president of design at Nissan Design 

America. “Xbox 360 offered the latest in technology and 

was already a favorite among this audience.” 

Like many concept cars, the Nissan Urge design may 

never be mass-produced, and even in concept form 

it’s only compatible with PGR3. Still, it promises some 

interesting new integrations of technology and gaming in 

the future. Steering wheels you could take off your car 

and carry inside to play Ridge Racer? D-Pads built right 

into the armrests of your seat? The sky’s the limit. The 

Nissan Urge will be displayed to the 

public January 14-22 at the 

North American 

International Auto 

Show in Detroit. 

Fans who logged in to the Working Designs forums on 

December 13 found an unpleasant surprise waiting for them: 

an announcement from Victor Ireland himself that the small 

publisher was closing up shop after nearly 20 years in the 

business. From there the information quickly propagated 

across the internet as the announcement become undeniably 

official. Working Designs was no more. 

Whether you loved or hated Working Designs’ localization 

style, there’s no denying that their bold decisions to publish 

distinctly Japanese games in the US market at a time when 

no one else would changed the industry. Certainly, had it not 

been for Working Designs, it’s doubtful that cult favorites like 

Lunar: The Silver Star, Alundra, Popful Mail, or Magic Knight 

Rayearth ever would’ve escaped the narrow confines of the 

import scene. 

These days a variety of American publishers localize quirky 

Japanese stuff, from small guys like NIS-A right up to Nintendo 

themselves, and thanks to the internet the import scene is 

thriving like never before. Things weren’t so easy back in 

the era of the TurboGrafx-16, the SNES, or even the Sega 

CD. Although Working Designs is a name that’s about to fade 

into video game history, it’s time for the hardcore to take 

a moment to reflect on how different our world would be 

without all that company accomplished. 

NISSAN URGE 

THE XBOX 360 CONCEPT CAR 

8_NEWS 

HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 9_SUNRISE OF DESTINY

Preview by Jeremy 

Publisher: Konami 

Developer: Konami 

Release Date: March 14, 2006 

Genre(s): Action/Stealth 

Category: Third Person 

# of Players: 1-4 

Publisher: Capcom 

Developer: Capcom 

Release Date: February 8th, 2006 

Genre(s): Survival Horror 

Category: Retro 


Last year’s Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater gave many players a Merry 

Christmas, and while Subsistence just missed the holiday season, it is hitting 

right in time to let folks enjoy it for the last nine months of the new year. 

Konami has added a ton of new stuff to it, and allows Hideo Kojima’s classic 

series to essentially come full circle. 

First off, this comes with the MSX2 versions of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: 

Solid Snake, which haven‘t been seen on a U.S. console before. This is easily 

the most intriguing extra for long-time Metal Gear fans, and should erase the 

nightmares that Snake’s Revenge scorched into the brains of ‘80s players. 

Then you’ve got multi-player online modes, a boss battle-only mode for those 

who want to perfect their techniques, and even a new third-person camera 

angle to play with. 

Given all these additions, this could easily end up feeling like a whole new 

game, even for veteran players. The new camera angle in particular should 

really spice up the single-player action, since it’ll give you an entirely new way 

to play though the adventure and advance the plot. For those who don’t want 

to do that, Konami has come to your rescue with a feature-length movie full 

of crucial cinema scenes and gameplay sections. While this kind of thing was 

done before with Shenmue, it’ll be nice to see it done with actors who actually 

emote, and characters who can poke fun at themselves. 

These slices of Metal Gear pie come packed on three discs, and should hit 

stores in time for St. Patrick’s Day. 

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is, when you first put it in, the original 

PSOne Resident Evil from 1996: infamously bad voice acting, poorly-aged 

graphics, giant clouds of pixellated blood, and all. At first, it looks like 

Capcom’s dusted off yet another old game, as is their wont, and tried to 

figure out how to make you pay for it again. 

Then you’ll notice you can skip the cutscenes now, you can manually reload 

your current weapon with the Y button, and that you have access to your 

knife at all times, RE4-style. Capcom’s actually made a few positive changes. 

You can also crack into Rebirth mode, where the old mansion’s been 

livened up with new touchscreen puzzles (giving mouth-to-mouth to the 

ill-fated Richard Aiken by blowing on the microphone; spinning a record 

by hand; solving chest puzzles reminiscent of Onimusha; and more), 

reshuffled items, and a new first-person combat mode, where you use 

your touchscreen to dispatch enemies with your trusty knife. Timing is of 

paramount importance when knife-fighting, as you have to stuff incoming 

attacks with sidewise slashes. If you attack an enemy just before it hits 

you, you’ll get a critical hit and a one-shot kill. 

Playing the main game can also unlock seven out of the nine characters you 

can use in Deadly Silence’s online multiplayer modes. In the Versus mode, 

the enemies you kill can cripple your opponents (for example, killing a purple 

enemy leaves your opponents unable to run), while in co-op mode, you work 

together with a team to survive the dangers of the Spencer mansion. 

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is a positive spin on an old game, and 

amazingly, it isn’t just another tired port. Like RE4, this is a solid 

reinvention of an old formula. Now, Capcom, let’s see some new 

games, huh? 

Preview by Wanderer 

10_METAL GEAR SOLID 3: SUBSISTENCE_PREVIEW 

HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY 


RESIDENT EVIL: DEADLY SILENCE_PREVIEW_11

Preview by Shoegazer 

Publisher: Namco 

Developer: Namco 

Release Date: Spring, 2006 

Genre(s): Flight Sim 

Category: Action 


Publisher: Southpeak Interactive 

Developer: DC Studios 

Release Date: February 2006 

Preview by Roger 

Genre: Action 

Category: Shooter 

The first State of Emergency, developed by Scottish-based VIS Entertainment and 

published by Rockstar, owed a lot of its success to Grand Theft Auto. Having been 

released during the height of GTA III mania, SoE rode that game’s coattails to a 

certain extent, capitalizing on Rockstar’s knack for releasing games with uberviolent 

and controversial content. The game was fairly well-received critically, and went on 

to sell high numbers (over one and a half million units world wide, to date). Sadly, 

the sequel has spent the better part of the last four years wallowing in development 

limbo, as bad business decisions, buy outs and bankruptcies have kept it from being 

finalized and shipped to retail shelves. Thankfully, Canadian-based DC Studios, along 

with Southpeak Interactive, had the good sense to resurrect the title and are busy 

putting their own finishing touches on this chaotic and mayhem-filled action shooter. 

Grittier and more realistic than the original, State of Emergency 2 incorporates 

a much more involved single player story mode, but the core theme of Sticking it to 

The Man remains the same. Taking place four years after the original, familiar faces, 

such as Spanky, MacNeil, Bull and the rest of the Freedom movement are still inciting 

havoc in an effort to rid the world of the oppressive Corporation. 

SoE2 has a full host of new features, additions and improvements that promise 

to raise your adrenaline levels to dangerous extremes. Included in the mix is a 

new, cinematic singleplayer story mode that unfolds over 12 missions, a variety of 

enemy types (each with their own unique AI), the ability to control your own gangs 

and issue commands, the ability to switch characters on the fly, and five multiplayer 

modes (deathmatch, flag attack, last man standing, etc.). 

Flight simulation games for console 

have never seemed to reach the 

same level of popularity as they 

do on the PC, save for one series: 

Ace Combat. Namco’s long-running 

franchise returns to the skies this spring 

in the form of Ace Combat Zero: The 

Belkan War. 

As the title suggests, Zero takes place 

earlier in the series. To be exact, it’s set 

fifteen years prior to the events of Ace 

Combat 5, and it chronicles the history 

of the Belkan War. Keeping true to the 

series, you are able to pick your aircraft and 

weaponry, before selecting a mission. Zero 

offers real world aircraft such as the F-15C 

Eagle and the F/A-18C Hornet to use in your 

playground of mass destruction. 

The most exciting addition is the new 

player rating system, in which your 

progress is tracked, and you are awarded 

a rating based on your play tendencies. 

Players can be classified as Soldier, 

Mercenary, or Knight, which will effect 

how the storyline progresses, adding huge 

replay value. 

With improvements also coming to 

the wingman controls and POV 

camera, Ace Combat Zero is 

looking to keep both old and 

new fans happy. 

12_PREVIEW_STATE OF EMERGENCY 



ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAT_PREVIEW_13



Release Date: Q1 2006 

Genre(s): Adventure 

Category: Bounty Hunting 



Monster Hunter Freedom builds upon the fledgling Monster Hunter franchise, providing fans 

of the series with plenty of bonus content and enriching the experience of playing the older 

games, including the Japan-only Monster Hunter G. 

In a unique fantasy world, players can customize their own character down to the hair, face, 

and voice. Working out of the newly expanded village, which serves as a hub for the game, 

you can team up with up to three other players to go on cooperative missions, exchange 

items, and swap out special guild cards. 



Release Date: March 2006 

Genre: Compliation 

Category: Retro 



When you’re in the field, you can earn quest rewards or pillage items from defeated 

monsters, and in turn, use those to upgrade your weapons and armor. While you’re at it, you 

can store and manage your items by visiting your new and improved house, where your 

hunter can rest, relax, and access the new Felyne Kitchen. By preparing special dishes, 

you’ll pick up buffs that’ll last for the duration of an entire quest. 

Do you want to carry around a ton of classic games on your PSP? 

Then you probably do already. Let’s not kid ourselves. 

Do you want to do so legally? Well, then, you’re in luck! 

Twenty classic arcade games will, once again, get crammed into a 

single UMD when Capcom Classics Collection Remixed ships for the 

PSP in March of this year. 

Only a few of the games have been announced for the collection, 

but some of these are a big deal. Three Wonders, for 

example, has never had a console port before, and Captain Commando 

will accomodate up to four players using the PSP’s wireless 

functionality. Other games in the collection include Strider, 

the original Street Fighter, Varth, Quiz and Dragons, Magic 

Sword, 1941, Avengers (not to be confused with Captain 

America and the Avengers), and Block Block. 

You’ll also be able to mess with the games’ control setups 

and aspect ratios, tilting the PSP sideways to play vertical 

shooters the way nature intended. Capcom’s also promising 

some unique bonus material, such as downloadable music, 

remixed tracks, and original artwork. 

With all this, as well as the new “Treasure Hunters” cooperative mode, a graphical 

facelift, and a variety of new minigames, Monster Hunter Freedom promises to 

improve upon the PS2 game. We’ll see if they can live up to that at some point in the 

coming months. 

14_PREVIEW_CAPCOM CLASSICS COLLECTION REMIXED 



MONSTER HUNTER FREEDOM_PREVIEW_15


Publisher: Majesco 

Developer: Appaloosa Interactive 


Genre(s): Action 

Category: Feeding Frenzy 

# of Players: 1 

Steven Spielberg’s Jaws has been adapted for video games 

before, but usually, you were the hunters, trying to stop 

Jaws before it killed again. 

This time, you’re the shark itself, and you’ve worked up 

an appetite. You’ll get to tear animals, people, buildings, 

and boats apart in a destruction-based action game that’s... well, 

frankly, it creeps me the hell out. 

Appaloosa — which, in a slightly ironic twist, is the developer that 

brought us all Ecco the Dolphin--has set you up with more than ten 

environments, set around the shores of the thriving community of 

Amity Island. With this new settlement comes new people, and 

new prey for you. You can hunt humans, take on dolphins, 

and crucially, work to evade Michael Brody and Cruz Ruddock, 

the biologist and hunter who’ve sworn to take you out. 

Jaws Unleashed can be played as a mission-based action 

game, where you wreck boats, chase swimmers with the aid 

of your target-lock “Shark Vision,” and casually dismember 

people using a specially constructed engine. Alternatively, 

you can go sandbox with it, dismantling Amity’s infrastructure 

and roaming the seas in search of targets. Bosses will include 

powerful hunting boats, giant squid, and killer whales. 

Between the easy-to-learn combat system and the crowdpleasing 

bloodshed, Jaws Unleashed is... well, frankly, I can barely 

play it, because sharks freak me out. I gave it to some friends, 

though, and they are currently laughing disturbingly and chasing 

down swimmers. If this sounds like the kind of thing you can handle, 

the evil chuckles coming from the other side of the room would 

suggest that Jaws Unleashed is a sickeningly good time. 

The “sweet science” has rarely, if ever, looked this good. I suck at 

Fight Night Round 3 — seriously, if you see me online, go for it; I 

am a free win--but I have to stand up and appreciate the graphics, 

the craft, and the sheer number of options available to you. 

All of the established boxers in the game are presented in 

nearly photorealistic brawls, letting you see the sweat on 

their foreheads and the ripple as they take a haymaker 

to the chin. Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Sugar 

Ray Leonard, and a host of other boxing giants are 

here for you to play with, complete with their 

trademark moves and taunts. 

When you’re actually in the ring, the first 

thing that’ll spring out at you (I almost said 

“hit you,” but, well, lame) is the sheer 

sense of impact the 360’s power brings 

to the game. When you get hit in Fight 

Night Round 3, you know it. Some of 

these impacts are brought across so 

realistically that they practically 

hurt me. 

Fight Night Round 3 allows you 

to play out a number of the most 

famous bouts in boxing history, 

either by training a boxer up from 

the bush leagues in Career Mode 

or skipping straight to the bouts 

in ESPN Classic mode. Robinson 

vs. Lamotta, Leonard vs. Duran, 

Ali vs. Frazier, and more are 

available, allowing you to change 

or reinforce boxing history. 

I’m not going to pretend I know 

a lot about the genre or the series, 

but I’m having fun with Fight Night 

Round 3. Hopefully, I’ll know what I’m doing 

in time to not suck when the game drops. 

Publisher: EA Sports 

Developer: EA Chicago 



Genre(s): Sports 

Category: Boxing 


16_PREVIEW_JAWS UNLEASHED 



FIGHT NIGHT: ROUND 3_PREVIEW_17

Preview by 4thletter 

Publisher: SCEA 

Developer: BigBig Studios, Ltd. 


Genre: Action 

Category: Cop 

Number of Players: 1 

Preview by Syriel 

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment 

Developer: SCE Studios San Diego/SCEA 


Genre(s): Sports 

Category: Pro Baseball 


For the past few years, sports games in general have been dominated by the twin 

juggernauts that are EA Sports and Sega Sports. Any upstart franchise who wanted a 

chunk of the market had to settle for a distant third place, no matter the quality of the 

game. MLB ‘06: The Show has a fighting chance this year, though, what with being one 

of two Major League Baseball games on the market. 

MLB ‘06 is taking the old “if it ain’t broke...” angle this time around and focusing 

more on presentation and game modes than gameplay. The hitting and pitching were 

fairly tight in the build we played, so there’s really no reason to blame them for that, 

particularly with the new additions. Rivalry Mode is extremely interesting. You play 

a series of games between two different teams, complete with stat-tracking. If your 

buddy swears up and down that his White Sox can beat the snot out of your Yankees, 

put him to the test and prove him wrong in this mode. 

Also in the line-up are a variety of features that make the game a neat experience. 

When you’re batting, you can guess at what kind of pitch is about to be thrown. If 

you’re right, you’re that much more likely to really nail the ball. There’s even a 

concession to the fact that baseball games can run fairly long in the form of a Fast 

Forward feature. If your game is going nowhere, leaving you bored, or if you’re 

sneaking in a quick game at work, hit the Fast Forward option on the menu and zoom to 

a new inning, or even the end of the game. 

When it comes to exciting games, the PSP has been coming up dry as of late. Sony is looking 

to change that with the localization of Pursuit Force. Originally released in Europe 

last year, Pursuit Force was plagued with balancing issues that ended up hurting the 

quality of the game. As a result, when Sony decided to bring the game stateside, it 

took the time for a revamp, keeping the story and features intact, while completely 

rebalancing the gameplay. We recently had a chance to play with an early build 

and it appears as if the time spent was worth it. 

The premise behind Pursuit Force is one of an interactive action movie. 

You are a typical supercop that can perform death-defying feats in the 

name of truth and justice. Of course, sitting in your way are five fiendishly 

evil gangs with dastardly plans. To prevail you’ll hop in and out 

of vehicles, arm yourself with a variety of weapons and even spend a 

little time going mano-e-mano with the thugs. Don’t worry though, 

Pursuit Force isn’t trying to be another GTA and time on foot is a 

relatively small part of the game. 

Controls were certainly a high spot, with an intuitive 

system that made it easy to hop from one speeding car to 

the next while pursuing your foes down the freeway. It’s 

possible to shoot your opponents from a distance, or race 

right up to them and jump over to their vehicle before 

taking them out at close range, all while the gangsters 

are busy shooting at you. It may not be the 

deepest experience out there, but Pursuit Force 

is looking like it could be a breakout hit in the 

somewhat lacking PSP library. 

The first game of the season hits on March 1, 2006. Keep your eyes open. 

18_PREVIEW_MLB ‘06 THE SHOW 



PURSUIT FORCE_PREVIEW_19

Preview by Prodnet 

Preview by Lynxara 

When The Outfit is released, many may take a quick look and say, “Oh, just another WWII shooter. I 

guess this one was late to the big dance.” Although Relic and THQ may be following some big names 

in a theme that’s been nearly played out, there is something special in The Outfit that’s bound to 

get it noticed. 

The Outfit is similar to other squad-based third person shooters with its focus on achieving specific 

tactical objectives throughout the game, but it makes its mark with style. The ultimate goal is to 

retake occupied France from the Nazi regime, and you’re going to do it Jerry Bruckheimer style. 

Beginning with the inclusion of iconic playable squad leaders – an Infantry Lieutenant, an Airborne 

Ranger, and a Mechanized Infantry Captain — The Outfit characterizes itself as something a little 

different than your average WWII game. Nearly everything in The Outfit is destructible. From 

barrels to trucks to cathedrals, players will be able to take out anything in their path, 

and we do mean anything. 

Helping keep the action going is the Field Unit system. As you complete mission 

objectives, the game awards FUs, which can be redeemed for anything from 

replacing your dead squadmates to placing machine gun sentinels or calling 

in an air raid. Because reinforcements can be called in at any time, it 

ensures a constant level of action. 

Even more promising was The Outfit’s multiplayer action. With two 

player teams, head-to-head action was not only highly strategic and 

destructive, but the pace of the game is quick, and sometimes feels 

frantic as the tide can quickly turn against you. With a fun single 

player experience and the possibility of massive battles over Xbox 

Live, The Outfit may just be the next big WWII bonanza. 

Publisher: THQ 

Developer: Relic 

Release Date: Q1, 2006 

Genre(s): Third Person Action 

Category: WWII 

# of Players: Up to 8 Players on Xbox Live 

Publisher: D3 

Developer: Tomy 

Release Date: Spring 2006 

Genre(s): Fighting / Action 

Category: NINJAS!!!! 

# of Players: 1-2 / 1 

Naruto is a kinetic action manga about a little boy who, deep down, wants 

what all little boys want: to be a ninja. With huge ratings on Cartoon 

Network and enormous manga sales, all Naruto needs to become the 

Dragonball Z for the 21st century is some popular and surprisingly good 

video games. 

Publisher D3 is stepping up to the plate with Tomy’s Naruto efforts, 

Clash of Ninja for the GameCube and Ninja Council for the GBA. Ninja 

Council is an old-school style 2D beat ‘em up that lets players send 

Naruto, his mentor Kakashi, or his ill-tempered best friend Sasuke 

through seven stages teeming with rival ninja and elite boss ninja. 

The bosses include some of the most popular characters in the entire 

series, like Gaara, Orochimaru, and Rock Lee. 

Clash of Ninja, on the other hand, is a full-on 3D fighting game with celshaded 

graphics that mimic the look of the anime as closely as possible. 

With easy-to-learn controls and a wide variety of the most popular Naruto 

ninjas to play as, Clash of Ninja has been a favorite with importers for 

years. The real question with this game is which characters and features 

from the four Japanese Clash of Ninja games it’ll end up including, since 

the latest games feature characters who won’t appear in the English 

manga and anime for years. 

Right now Clash of Ninja is set for March 14, 2006, and Ninja Council’s 

release date is TBA. Keep your eyes peeled for these games, but you 

probably won’t see them coming. They are, after all, ninja games. 

20_PREVIEW_THE OUTFIT 



NARUTO: CLASH OF NINJA_PREVIEW_21

(DISGAEA 2) 

Preview by Hitoshura 

Publisher: NIS America 

Developer: Nippon Ichi Software 

Release Date: August 2006 

Genre: RPG 

Category: Strategy 


In 2003, a little game by the name of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness 

quietly made its way onto store shelves. However, no one could’ve 

foreseen the impact it would have by making Nippon Ichi a 

household name almost overnight. It convinced the little-known 

developer to set up branches in both Europe and North America to 

tap into this unexpected success. Here we are three years later; 

Nippon Ichi is still going strong with a number of solid games under 

its belt and is looking to wrap up its PS2 lineup with a bang by 

returning to the madcap world of Disgaea in the form of Disgaea 2. 

Disgaea 2 is looking to be everything a sequel to any game 

should be, by taking the same basic concept and improving it with 

tweaks and additions. The most obvious improvement is that the 

graphics are now (finally) in high-resolution mode. To those thinking 

NIS had abandoned the traditional grid some system, you will be 

pleased to know that Disgaea 2 will return to traditional gridbased 

movement. Other notable mentions include, a Courthouse 

system, some new classes as well as old ones returning with 

some redesigns, an improved throwing system, and almost 

everything that made the original such a joy to play will 

be returning. 

Disgaea 2 will focus mostly on a new netherworld 

with new main characters to keep things fresh. The 

story promises to be hilariously chaotic with the 

hero, Adell, intending to summon Overlord Zenon 

as a means of exacting revenge but summons his 

daughter Rozalin by mistake, who demands Adell 

return her to her father. As always, NIS promises 

to include some way of assembling cast favorites 

from their previous SRPG efforts to please diehard 

fans. You can start leveling to 9999 when 

Disgaea 2 is released this August. 


Publisher: Ubisoft 

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal/Shanghai 



Category: Stealth 


How do you improve on one of the best games of the past console 

generation? Easy: you turn everything on its head and stir ‘til it’s ready. 

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory gave us a Sam Fisher that was at the top 

of his game. Fisher was scarily efficient at the whole “saving the free 

world” thing and he knew it. In Splinter Cell: Double Agent, tragedy 

strikes. Sam loses someone dear to him, and then proceeds to lose 

his cool and almost his job. He decides to get back on his feet and is 

promptly given an unexploded bombshell of an assignment: infiltrate a 

terrorist cell, gain their trust, and then destroy them from the inside. 

Double Agent picks up from there. You’ll play a variety of roles. Sam Fisher 

the Convict has to convince a member of this cell that he’s worthy of his 

trust, then break out of jail. Sam Fisher the Newbie Terrorist must convince 

his new masters that he is on their side and eager to do some serious damage 

on their behalf. In the midst of all this, Sam Fisher the Hero must make sure that 

he doesn’t get too used to playing these roles and tip too far over the edge. 

The missions of the game will reflect Sam’s predicament. Once you join the 

terrorist cell, you’ll have a variety of missions to accomplish on their behalf. 

At the same time, you’ll have missions from your bosses at the NSA. The trick is 

figuring out which missions you need to do to complete the goals for both sides, 

while also not attracting suspicion. Put yourself in deep cover this March. 

22_PREVIEW_DISGAEA 2 



SPLINTER CELL: DOUBLE AGENT_PREVIEW_23

Publisher: Eidos Interactive 

Developer: Pyro Studios 

Release Date: Spring 2006 


Genre(s): First-person Shooter 

Category: World War II 

# of Players: 1, 7 PS2 online, 15 Xbox Live and PC 

Commandos Strike Force is quite a change from the old Commandos games. The previous titles were third-person action-adventure 

games, with a fair bit of stealth involved in some of the missions. Strike Force, on the other hand, joins the ranks of roughly eleventy 

million World War II-based first person shooters. 

Good news! The tried-and-true class-based gameplay from the 

earlier games remains intact. Each of the different classes sports 

some sort of gimmick to make it special. The sniper, for example, is 

wholly stealth-based and extremely lethal. He comes equipped with 

a sniper rifle for long-range murder, throwing knives for mid-range, 

and a stealth kill for when you’re within spitting distance. Add 

binoculars to that line-up and you have a great scout that doubles 

as a silent killer. The Green Beret may be a bit more familiar to your 

average FPS-jockey. He 

has a machine gun (to 

begin with, at least), 

a few grenades, and 

the ability to dualwield 

his guns. The spy 

can disguise himself 

as an enemy unit and 

infiltrate their camp, as well as choke out Nazis with a length of piano wire. 

In some missions, you’ll have to use a few of the units in concert to pass through. You can 

swap between them via a button-press, which makes unit management a snap. 

Can Commandos Strike Force measure up to the other titles in its subgenre? 

It’s got some stiff competition, but we’ll find out soon enough. 

Watch for it this Spring. 

Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment 

Developer: Sony Online Entertainment 


Genre: Military Strategy 

Category: Turn Based 

Number of Players: 1-2 

Preview by James 

War is a never-ending process, and someone will always be needed to plan strategy and 

control the battlefield. In Field Commander, the forces of ATLAS square off against the 

evils of the Shadow Nation in a civil war to reunite a shattered country, and it’s up to 

you to win the day. 

Let’s get this out of the way up front- Advance Wars. While grid-based, turn-based 

military battle strategy is its own genre, the shadow of Nintendo’s desevedly popular 

series will fall over any portable entry in it from now on. Still, my hands-on time with 

Field Commander showed a game worth playing in its own right. 

While much will be familiar here, it’s all looking sharp thanks to a very capable 

3D engine. Units are looking nicely detailed, and the camera swoops in when they 

attack each other for a dramatic view of the carnage. There are ground, ocean, and 

air units to build and control, towns to take over, and a country to reunite through 30 

story-based missions. Different squads have unique strengths and weaknesses, like low 

defence/high mobility, and the same is true of the enemy. So far Field Commander is 

promising to have as many layers of strategy as a war gamer could want. 

In addition to all this, Field Commander is designed with multiplayer in mind. Hot 

Swap allows two players to switch off on one PSP, standard local and online gaming is 

available, and there’s even a sort of play-by-e-mail option available called HQ Mode. 

That last mode is done by taking a move, uploading it to SOE’s servers, and then waiting 

for your opponent to get back to you. It’s even possible to create and upload missions 

for the world to enjoy/suffer through. Take that, Advance Wars! 

24_PREVIEW_COMMANDOS STRIKE FORCE 



FIELD COMMANDER_PREVIEW_25


Publisher: SNK 

Developer: SNK 


Genre(s): Fighting 

Category: 2D Martial Arts 

# of Players: 1-2, Live 

Publisher: Sony Online Ent. 

Developer: Sony Online Ent. 



Category: Top Down 


The King of Fighters Neowave serves as part dream match, and part 

test run of the Atomiswave hardware unit, which was chosen to do 

SNK’s bidding after their Neo-Geo MVS was put to rest. Those who 

were around for the heyday of 2D fighters know how the formula goes 

by now—you pick a team of three, and your characters have it out, 

one by one, until one team’s out of the game. Neowave takes the 

series’s fighting and presentation (especially the presentation) back 

to basics, with King of Fighters 2002’s roster (plus Kula Diamond, for 

some reason; never underestimate the power of fanboys, I always say). 

Nonetheless, it boasts features that give it its own identity. 

What sets Neowave out from its brethren is its three fighting “Modes,” 

which act much like the the “Grooves” in Capcom vs. SNK 2 and 

change how characters play in-game. Super Cancel Mode allows for 

Capcom-esque fights, with a modular super meter, different super 

attack strengths, and move cancelling. Guard Break Mode gives you 

Just Defense from Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Finally, M2 Mode can be 

compared to Street Fighter Alpha 3’s X-Ism Mode, providing one long 

super meter to fuel a single massive super move to be used when the 

time is right. The last addition to Neowave’s gameplay repertoire is the 

Heat Mode, which ups your attack strength in exchange for gradually 

decreasing life. 

Also of note would be the Xbox Live play, now standard in every SNK 

fighter that has or will be coming down the pike. If you’ve got a 

hankering for some new 2D fighting outside of Guilty Gear, SNK’s 

got your number with a good handful of choices, including this 

one. Look for it close to the time you read this issue. 

Preview by Racewing 

A peaceful city’s been driven into a dark age by the arrival 

of a seemingly unstoppable warlord. Who could possibly 

stop hi--oh, right. You and your friends, each of 

you piloting one of five selectable, customizable 

fantasy warriors, must navigate the dungeons, 

cliffsides, sewers, and ruins throughout 

the land, building up power and magical 

strength to fuel a final confrontation with 

the mad warlord. 

Untold Legends: The Warrior’s Code is a 

streamlined and focused version of the 

original game’s play style, featuring 

easier-to-use menus, AI support 

characters, new weapons (including a 

really vicious-looking sawblade launcher), 

and a new take on offensive abilities. The 

end result is a much faster-paced version 

of an already fast-paced dungeon 

crawler, complete with the usual 

wi-fi multiplayer. 

Instead of forcing you to 

use your upgrade points 

on passive buffs, The 

Warrior’s Code takes 

them off your skill tree 

entirely. You can now use special runes to 

invoke passive effects, and save your points for 

the powerful arsenal of magical attacks that 

The Warrior’s Code offers. 

Each character is also a member of the 

changeling race, which is part of the reason 

you’re on the run from the aforementioned 

mad warlord. With each kill you rack up, you’ll 

fill a meter, eventually allowing you to transform 

into a more powerful combat form for a short time. 

With all that and a renewed focus on the game’s 

storyline, Untold Legends: The Warrior’s Code is a 

marked improvement on its predecessor. It’s not going 

to change your mind about the dungeon-crawler 

genre, but what it does, it does pretty well. 

26_PREVIEW_THE KING OF FIGHTERS: NEOWAVE 



UNTOLD LEGENDS: THE WARRIOR’S CODE_PREVIEW_27

Our guides 

aren’t for 

everyone. 

Official Strategy Guides 

Genji: Dawn of the 

Samurai 

Whether you’re a novice or an 

expert player, there’s something 

for everyone in the of cal strategy 

guide for Genji: Dawn of the 

Samurai. 

Castlevania®: Dawn of 

Sorrow 

Set one year after the events 

of 2003’s Castlevania®: Aria of 

Sorrow, this sequel follows the 

protagonist Soma Cruz into a new 

castle, and a new adventure. 

Makai Kingdom 

Another masterpiece from the 

creators of Disgaea — Makai 

Kingdom combines the best 

elements from Nippon Ichi’s past 

S-RPGs into one amazing game. 

Phantom Brave 

The of cial guide will help gamers 

uncover all of Phantom Brave’s 

many, many secrets, without 

spoiling the story. 

Shin Megami Tensei: 

Nocturne 

An RPG this good deserves more 

then just a guide. It deserves a 

400 page monster. 

Disgaea: Hour of 

Darkness 

Secrets, techniques for capturing 

monsters, all the item ranks, job 

evolutions, class prerequisites and 

much, much more. 

www.DoubleJumpBooks.com 

(Some people don’t play video games.) 

Makai Kingdom, Phantom Brave and Disgaea ©NIPPON ICHI SOFTWARE INC. ©NIS 

America, Inc. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne ©Atlus. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow © 

1986-2005 KONAMI. “KONAMI” and “CASTLEVANIA” are registered trademarks of KONAMI 

CORPORATION. “CASTLEVANIA Dawn of Sorrow” is a trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. 

Genji: Dawn of the Samurai is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. 

Developed by Game Republic. © 2005 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. DoubleJump is a 

registered trademark of DoubleJump Publishing, Inc.

We call ourselves Hardcore Gamer Magazine for a reason. The whole, sad lot of us live, breathe, sleep and eat video games 24/7 

and aren’t ashamed to admit it. I know where I fall, too: pretty much right at the top of this list. I was the one who would drive 

for hours to the one Kinokuniya book store / Pony Toys in Los Angeles to purchase the latest PC Engine, Famicom and Mega Drive 

games before they showed up for their US console counterparts ($100 bucks for Dynamite Duke... what was I thinking?). I was 

the one who kept (and still have) all of my consoles in mint condition, along with their original packaging, documentation, etc. 

(dating back to the Fairchild F). I was the one that had to have the Neo Geo Gold System, the Super Famicom and even the 3DO, 

the day they came out, paying ridiculous money just to be one of the first to play them. I could go on, but as you can see, what 

some people might consider a “disturbing” fascination with video games has turned into a lifelong passion for me. I’m just glad 

that I can share my love of plastic, pixels and polygons with other like-minded peers. 

During my obsessive exploits, I’ve often come across some unique consoles and handhelds that you won’t find at your local Best 

Buy or Toys R Us. Some of these funky units, which are typically manufactured overseas in Hong Kong and Korea, can be hard 

to find, a bit dodgy, and, in some instances, cost tons of money on eBay... but that’s what makes them unique, endearing, and 

special. I’ve showcased six for your viewing pleasure and will continue to offer up more in the coming months. 

GAME AXE COLOR 

Manufacturer: Legend Technology Co, LTD (Redant) Availability: Rare 

Year Manufactured: 1995 Cost: $100-150 

The Redant Game Axe Color, manufactured in Taiwan, is basically a portable NES. 

Unlicensed by Nintendo, of course (who is fiercely protective of their intellectual 

properties and patents), this unique handheld system never made it to the States, but 

enjoyed a modicum of success in Hong Kong and Japan. Being that it is a NES, its specs are 

pretty much the same as its console counterpart, with an 8bit NMOS 6502 CPU running at 

1.8MHz and 16kb VRAM for graphics. The screen size is fairly impressive when compared 

to some of the older handhelds (Nomad, Lynx, TurboExpress, Game Gear), sporting a 

3.8 inch Passive Matrix LCD with a fluorescent backlight. The LCD screen and sound can 

be switched on and off to conserve battery power, which is a sad 2.5 hours running off 

six AAs (you can also use a 9-volt AC adapter). The unit is not configured to play US NES 

cartridges (the main difference being the size and shape of the plastic casing), but you can use 

a converter, which typically comes with the Game Axe or can be purchased on eBay. Unlike most 

handhelds, the Game Axe has the ability to connect to a TV set (using standard SEGA Genesis A/ 

V cables), allowing you to play on your set. It also can take A/V in using a video Y-cable connecting 

to a 1/8” mini jack. This means you can hook up a portable DVD player to it (only with mono 

sound, however) and even play another console on the Game Axe’s screen. 

GENERATION NEX 

Manufacturer: Nubytech Availability: Common 

Year Manufactured: 2005 Cost: $59.99 

Messiah’s Generation NEX is an interesting piece of hardware that has already received 

a fair amount of press and controversy since its release in October ’05. As a NES clone, 

this small and sleek box (standing at a mere 1.5 inches) is designed to update the look 

of the old NES box while still tugging at your nostalgic heartstrings. It comes with one 

wired controller (which is designed more like the SNES controller than a traditional 

square NES pad), although the original NES controllers (and peripherals) work as 

well. In addition, you can purchase a pair of 2.4GHz wireless controllers that work 

exceptionally well, which will set you back another $60. Features unique to the 

NEX include dual cartridge slots (it comes with a top-loading Famicom slot and a 

front loading NES slot) and dual mono sound using standard A/V cables (the original 

NES was a mono system, so the NEX combines the left and right channels). The 

controversy comes from the fact that this is not a direct remanufacturing of the NES 

and uses a custom IC based on the NES algorithm. As such, there are incompatibility 

issues with some games (Messiah has provided a fairly comprehensive list on their site: 

http://www.playmessiah.com/onlinestore/gnex_faq-chart.htm), and a host of games have 

sound, graphical and lock up issues (including Castlevania III). 

Manufacturer: Gamepark Holdings Availability: On Hold 


GP2x 

Having established a rabid fan base in the emulation community with 

their user-friendly GP32, GamePark decided to one up themselves and 

release a new and more powerful handheld console with the GP2X. 

Featuring a dual CPU core, 64MB of memory, SD card storage and a 

Linux OS, this affordable and sleek-looking handheld seemed too good 

to be true. Unfortunately, when it released at the end of last year, this 

was the case. GamePark’s “first edition” GP2X came with a laundry list 

of problems, which included broken screens, SD card incompatibility, 

battery life issues, video playback issues, and shoddy manufacturing 

(joystick dead zone, small action buttons, bad soldering, etc.). If 

Gamepark can manage to fix these (and other) issues with their second 

edition (which is scheduled to ship early this year), then this is a 

really sweet piece of portable hardware with some exciting prospects. 

Included in the mix are a 3.5-inch TFT LCD screen, TV Out, video 

playback (MPEG4, DivX, WMV and more), and 

the ability to run a host of emulators (SNES, 

NES, GBA, Genesis, MAME, etc.). 

Manufacturer: Gamepark Holdings Availability: On Hold 


GP32 

Out of all the various portable handhelds out there on the fringe of 

gaming, the GP32 is one of the most beloved. While still available but 

difficult to find (you can usually find them on eBay, even now), this 

little white console is a very powerful handheld that can pull of some 

pretty nifty tricks. Unlike it’s glitchy big brother, the GP32 was solid 

out of the gate, sporting a 32-bit RISC CPU running up to 133/166MHz, 

a 3.5 Reflective TFT LCD display (a backlit model was released in 

2004), 16-bit PCM stereo sound and DivX and MP3 compatibility. It also 

runs on 2 AA batteries with a healthy 12 hours of play time before 

running out of juice. Like the GP2X, the GP32 is an emulator fan’s 

dream come true, with solid emulators for pretty much all of the 

classic consoles, including Atari 2600, Gameboy, NES, SNES, PC Engine, 

SNES, Neo Geo pocket, and more. In addition, there are a number of 

official games out of Korea for the unit. While most are of the oldschool 

RPG variety, a few are arcade style shooters and beat ‘em ups. 

30_FEATURE_CONSOLE CURIOSITIES HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OFF DESTINY 

CONSOLE CURIOSITIES_FEATURE_31

TREAMCAST 

Manufacturer: Unknown Availability: Rare 

Year Manufactured: 2000 Cost: $229 

Most hardcore gamers agree that the Dreamcast never fully realized its true 

potential, and this beloved system still holds a coveted place upon many of 

our desks. As evidenced by the still going strong homebrew community, there 

is still a viable market out there, and one of the cooler console collectibles 

to show up on the street vendor shelves of Asia is the Treamcast. Basically a 

remanufactured Dreamcast with an LCD monitor attached to its base, this 

“portable” system comes in its own soft nylon case (complete with knockoff 

square Treamcast logo), and is packaged with two Saturn-style six-button 

game pads, AC adaptor, car adaptor, and remote. The remote is used in 

conjunction with the system’s ability to play VCD, SVCD and MP3s, the former 

two are popular formats for movies and videos in Hong Kong. Other features 

include a knob to adjust the LCD screen’s brightness (which is backlit), as well 

as input jacks for headphones or speakers. On the whole, the Treamcast feels as 

if it was slapped together from preexisting parts (original Dreamcast body), a 

generic screen, etc. and then modified in someone’s garage versus manufactured 

from scratch. This is probably because it was. 

Besides the limited portability (like the PSOne, this unit is not truly portable 

and does not run off battery power), the only other benefit is that it is 

completely region-free and will play all import and US discs. 

GAMEKING 

Manufacturer: Nubytech Availability: Common 


What most people disregard as a straight up Game Boy clone, this 8-bit 

handheld (the design of which is suspiciously similar to a Game Boy 

Advance) is a actually a unique piece of hardware from China. It plays 

very basic black and white games reminiscent of Nintendo’s original 

GB handheld. Based around a 65C02 CPU running at a whopping 

6.0MHz, the cartridge-based GameKing (and second design, GameKing 

II — which is basically the same unit made to resemble a PSP), has 

decent quality sound output capable of multi-channel music parried 

with a very last-gen LCD black and white screen. Running off 2 AAA 

batteries, the GameKing has very little in the way of frills, and its 

games are poor-man clones of basic old-school shooters and the like 

(including Bomberman). 

In fact, the most enjoyment to be had from this system is reading the 

hilarious instructions that come with the unit and games. Here is a 

brief snippet for your viewing pleasure, from the manual for a shooter 

called Ares: 

“Some day in 21st century, the earth was attached by exotic. For 

the safe of our earth, a batter was broken between the earth and 

the exotic.” 

It doesn’t get much better than this. No, really. 

32_FEATURE_CONSOLE CURIOSITIES 

HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY

Mobile Games 

If you’ve ever downloaded a ringtone or sent a text message, by 

now you should already be aware that you can also play video 

games on your cell phone. I’m not talking about the likes of 

What You’re in for 

monochromatic puzzle and 

text-based adventures…I’m talking 

about real honest to goodness 

gaming experiences. 

Mobile games have come a long way from Snake and 

considering the mobile game industry as a whole is fairly new, it 

already has an impressive list of games based on well established 

franchises. Think Doom, Driver, Prince of Persia, Madden, 

Need for Speed and Ratchet & Clank. These are all top PC 

and Console titles that are available and have crossed over fairly 

well into the medium. Familiar companies like EA, Namco, 

Sony, Sega and THQ constantly publish games from many of their 

well-known hits. Still other companies have been born out of 

this new platform and have proven to be successful. 

Companies like JAMDAT, I-play, GLU, MFORMA and 

Gameloft are hardly household names but are quite astute at 

creating and publishing games that are tailor made for mobile 

phones. These one-thumb wonders are hardly processor intensive 

but deliver the once-unique experience where the quality of 

the game was more important over graphics. Take a look back 

at the earlier days of video games when greater focus was 

placed on ingenuity, ease of understanding and unlimited 

play and that’s exactly the type of experience you’ll find 

in most mobile games today. 

That’s not to say that every mobile experience 

is worthy. There are some definite eggs laid 

out there. After all, it’s still the new frontier and 

everyone’s headed west to strike it rich. Wireless 

carriers are doing everything they can to provide 

the law but wireless 

games can be easily 

created and distributed 

through other means. 

This makes it easy for 

people to get taken in, 

but so as long as you 

stay informed, you’ll 

be fine. (OK, so maybe 

that was a cheap plug for 

our mobile reviews. It’s still 

good advice!) 

Frogger and Dig Dug; old and new favorites including 

Tetris and Zuma. Squad-based shooters like SOCOM 

and Call of Duty… racing games, puzzle games, RPGs 

and much more. There’s no shortage of creativity 

and just about everyone from the most fickle hardcore 

gamer to the extremely casual player is bound 

to find something to enjoy. 

Many of the new mobile games also have the 

added advantage of using other phone functions. 

Connectivity for leaderboard rankings is common 

and the ability to download extra content or play 

against someone else is already available. A few 

games have already included PC to Mobile functionality 

for opening up a new realm of game play. 

Soon, you’ll also be able to play using the phone’s 

camera and even the GPS function for locationbased 

gaming. 

24 – I-play 

In 24, you play the role of a CTU agent in a race against time (what else?). You will take on 

missions and you will also contact, assign and guide Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and other 

CTU agents through some of these highly important missions. 

The main objective of a mission could vary from setting up a phone trace, defusing a bomb, 

decrypting information, infiltrating an area or driving to a location just to name a few. Most 

will be played out through a series of mini-games and puzzles but in some you will actually get 

to shoot it out against the bad guys. 

The types of mini-games and puzzles vary greatly. For instance, to set up a phone trace, 

you’ll be playing a form of Qix. To decrypt a note, you’ll have to determine what letters coincide 

in the proper location in order to form a cohesive statement. Still others will have you 

creating a pattern, connecting points or much more. They are all non-repetitive and keep your 

mind working. 

Like the show, time is a central character with the amount taken to complete each mission 

key. If you fail to complete the mission in the time allotted, you will have failed. To help 

with this, each agent will have expertise in four categories. They are Field Training, Durability, 

Concentration and Computer Tech. It will be crucial for you to understand who is more effective 

at what so that you can assign the right agent to the task. Your time per mission will be 

added up at the end of the game and determine whether or not you get a commendation for a 

job well done. 

So far, 24 looks to capture the entirety of the show by letting you participate in every 

facet of the events. Some missions are easy, others are challenging, while still others are just 

evil. It’ll be interesting to see how well it mirrors the actual events of the brand new season. 

24 is due out some time in March. 

The question remains, do you still 

want to play mobile games? Of course 

you do! Mobile games just about cover 

every type of genre there is. You’ll 

find arcade classics like Pac-Man, 

34_MOBILE_WHAT YOU’RE IN FOR HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY 

WHAT YOU’RE IN FOR_MOBILE_35

The mobile game industry is hot and heavy right now and you don’t 

have to look any further than EA’s acquisition of JAMDAT. More of the same 

is expected as this new year goes by. As newer devices equipped with 

faster processors, more memory and cheaper price tags are introduced 

into the faster carrier networks, games in 3D and with greater multiplayer 

experiences will become more common. Mobile games will never truly 

replace console gaming, but because they are on wireless phones, they 

will remain the most portable and inexpensive form of 

gaming available. 

Give them a shot. You already carry a cell phone 

everywhere you go, so why not have fun with it? 

You’re bound to find something that can be played in 

quick spurts and that will satisfy your craving. 

Brady Bunch Kung Fu – Mobliss 

Kung fu fighting isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a 

mobile game based on The Brady Bunch. In fact, it’s probably far from that. Still, in 

Brady Bunch Kung Fu players get the chance to choose their favorite Brady and take 

on the rest of the Bunch. The story commences after their now infamous trip to 

Hawaii. For some strange reason, the Curse of the Tiki Idol they believed was lifted 

has followed them home and given them fighting skills and a thirst for whoopass. 

The two main gameplay modes are Story and Battle. In Story, you’ll snap each 

Brady out of their Tiki trance by knocking them silly and ultimately destroying the 

Tiki Idol. Battle has extra mode choices like Vs., Survival, Time Attack and Practice 

so you can get plenty of fighting in. The entire Brady clan (except the Father) is 

available to fight with and each has their own style like Greg’s Tae Kwon Disco and 

Carol’s Tai Chi. 

The game certainly has a light-hearted theme but fighting fans should know that 

it delivers a hearty fighting experience. Characters possess a variety of unique moves, many of which will remind 

you of immortal games like Street Fighter II. You can perform them using quick keypad button combinations 

or a mixture of keypad and D-pad. While some of you may resort to button mashing, if you take time to 

learn and practice the combinations, the game can be very tactical. 

Each fighter is not stored locally on the phone, but rather is accessed from a server when the game requests 

that particular character. This results in a swift game where each character and their moves are highly 

detailed. Animations are fun to watch and loading times are very short. Sounds consist of punch effects, 

grunts and a start up tune, but unfortunately it’s not the original theme song. 

The Brady Bunch Kung Fu mobile game has already received awards and it’s easy to understand why. It’s 

an impressive fighting game at its core. Sure, the storyline is hokey and you don’t normally think of Cindy, 

Marcia and Bobby as grand martial artists but that shouldn’t matter because it’s still the most fun we’ve had 

with a wireless fighting game. Do yourself a favor and check it out. 

4 of 5 

Jamaican Bobsled – Glu Mobile 

Ya mon, it’s time to get irie wit the bobsleddin 

team dat run tings… I’m talking bout de Jamaican 

bobsledding team mon. Ya tink ya got wat it 

takes to bring home dis ‘ere gold medal, den you 

best get ready cause you’re in for a ride. 

Okay, that’s enough of that. 

Jamaican Bobsled is a fast-paced racer that sends you flying down icy chutes for championship 

gold. The two modes included are Championship and Arcade but don’t expect to be taking on other opponents. Instead, anything goes as 

you try to collect enough medals and stay intact to make it to the next level. Championship has 10 levels that will have the team vying for glory. 

Arcade features 20 levels that include bonus rounds. After each level is cleared, it can be replayed to get a higher score. 

Finishing the runs are more difficult than expected since the courses are filled with ice blocks, stones, marauding penguins and even palm 

trees. These will cause damage to your sled and get extremely difficult 

towards the latter levels but at least the game is not without lending you 

a hand in the form of repair wrenches, jump springs and coconut shields. 

Other forms of power ups include magnets to attract medals and rockets for 

a temporary speed boost. All of these obstacles and aids result in a wacky 

ride filled with jumps, flips, crashes and glory. 

Controls are one-handed and are very easy for anyone to handle. The 

sled moves left or right, but can also be commanded to perform a loop so as 

to collect more medals or avoid dangers. Jumping is put into use with the 

press of the OK button and all other power-ups are used automatically. The 

visuals are fun and refreshing with music, sounds and text overflowing with 

Jamaican “attitude” to set a fun tone to the game. 

Jamaican Bobsled is another uncomplicated mobile game that concentrates 

on only one thing and pulls it off well while maintaining relative 

freshness. It’s certainly a game that you can pick up and play at any time 

without having to get too involved. If you’re looking for simple racing enjoyment 

and arcade style thrills, this download is a smart choice. 

4 of 5 

Time Crisis Mobile – Namco 

In Time Crisis Mobile, an international crime syndicate has commandeered a compound and threatened 

the safety of the world once again. As an agent of the VSSE, it’s up to you to liberate the compound 

and take out the Jason Vorhees of video games, Wild Dog. Like most games in the series however, this 

storyline comes secondary to the onslaught of incoming bullets and enemies. 

The two modes featured are Story and Crisis Mission with both of them faithfully reproducing the 

frantic duck and shoot mechanics of the arcade and console versions. 

Story mode has three areas to clear and includes both human and machine enemies to light up. There 

are five crisis missions to take on but they will not be ready to play until you finish the Story mode. These range 

from clearing specific enemies to taking them all out in a certain amount of time. 

Enemies appear from out of everywhere and have varying degrees of strength. The place will light up like 

fireflies on a summer night so you best be careful to duck at the right time. Once you see that red starburst 

heading your way, it’s probably too late. 

The game is presented in 3D and looks comparable to the PS1. Enemies are large and the animations, especially 

when filling them full of holes, are well captured. The audio has two options, one for sound effects and 

one for music. You can’t listen to them simultaneously but they do sound quite well, whichever you choose. 

(The looping of the music is a little off though.) 

Time Crisis Mobile also includes four difficulties and the ability to choose the amount of damage that can 

be withstood. Once that amount is gone, the game is over but you’ll have a few continue credits anyway. 

Being able to dictate these options, along with the crisis missions, gives the game some extra feet to stand 

on, otherwise it might have been too quick to finish. Nevertheless, for fans of the game, it’s the equivalent of 

choosing an 8 ounce steak over the 12 ounce; it’s a smaller serving, but you know it’s just as good. 

4 of 5 

36_MOBILE_WHAT YOU’RE IN FOR HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY 

WHAT YOU’RE IN FOR_MOBILE_37

$0!?!? But that’s not a lot of money. 

I wonder if you can see the sign for Pueblo 

from Space!? 

It’s a testament to Acclaim, a company usually 

known for its wretched games, that even players 

who don’t appreciate monster truck racing can 

enjoy Bigfoot. Featuring trucks galore in a race 

from the west coast to the east, the game provides 

enough fun that you’ll forget how shallow it is. Add 

in a two-player mode that calls for weeping and 

rejoicing in equal measures (in a good way) and 

you have one of the most overlooked racers on 

the NES. 

The game gets right down to business, with two 

monster trucks puffing their way to a starting 

line. Before you can compete in an event, you 

The truck have started to move? 

first have to get there. This means racing through 

an overhead course littered with trees, fences, 

creeks and cash cows. Hitting the peaceful 

bovines splatters the screen with cash 

icons that you can use to finance 

vehicle upgrades once you arrive at 

the arena, so you’ll want to do so. 

Unfortunately, the animals are 

located in places that mean the 

automatically-scrolling screen 

can push you into devastating 

bits of forest. The other 

player may let you hit the 

Sucks for Knockoff Puke-Green Bigfoot. He 

doesn’t get any kind of encouragement. 

cow, then rush ahead so that your vehicle is 

crushed as he collects the money. You’ll reappear 

in a moment, a bit lighter in the wallet, but the 

cash may have vanished. 

Besides the cash gamble, there are various other 

icons throughout these races. You can pick up 

saws, springs that allow you to bounce over 

obstacles, and even shields so your opponent can’t 

hack you to bits. All the items keep these races 

frantic and fun, until a last-minute dash to the 

finish line (fueled by nitrous oxide, of course). 

Did the white Bigfoot win or is he just 

really far behind? 

Once you arrive at arenas, you can pimp out your truck with 

tire, engine, shock and gear upgrades before competing in 

events. A cash prize is up for grabs, but you have to spend 

money to make money. These new events are viewed from 

the side, as you’ll watch your truck pull tractor trailers, 

climb up massive hills, or just race through mud pits and 

over the top of previously-owned cars. It’s here that the 

game will feel more familiar to those who spend their time 

going to truck events outside of games, and the mode is 

every bit as rewarding to the rest of us because the 

strategy involved. 

Suppose you arrive with only a little cash from the previous 

leg in the race. Your truck isn’t all it could be, while your 

opponent has funds to spare. How much do you invest 

in your truck? What’s the least you can pay and still pull 

through with a win? More importantly, will all that cash lead 

to victory, or will your opponent come out ahead? These are 

important questions and they manage to 

come up almost every game as one player 

pulls into the lead and works frantically to 

maintain it. A good player can reverse the 

roles, but it won’t be easy. 

Now, some people who play this won’t have the 

luxury of a like-minded friend. If you’re the only one in 

your household who appreciates some retro mayhem, it’s 

time to start looking at the single-player mode. Shockingly, 

this is almost as fun. Here, the goal isn’t to survive (though 

you’ll want to do that). Instead, try sending as many of 

your computer-controlled opponents to the poor house as 

possible. It’s fun to count the virtual lives you’ve ruined. 

In the end, Bigfoot is as fun and challenging a romp as you 

want it to be. It’s difficult to recommend to the crowd that 

likes only today’s games, but older players are in for the 

time of their lives. 

Bigfoot is so awesome they made an entire 

sign just for his score! 

BIGFOOT: Don’t mess with his feet. They’re 

big, mang. 

38_GRAVEYARD_BIGFOOT 



BIGFOOT_GRAVEYARD_39

BY 

3: Passage between B2&3 

F: Cat Hood (Helmet for Porom) 

G: Remedy 

H: Funny Mask (Helmet for Yang) 

Architect: Hitoshura 

Platform: Gameboy Advance 

BLUEPRINTS FOR: 

final fantasy iv advance 

SUBJECT OF BUILD: 

cave of trials walkthrough 

When you have cleared the Giant of Babel you will be able to swap out any character, except Cecil, for Edward, Yang, 

Cid, Palom, and Porom at the Tower of Wishes in Mysidia. Afterwards, a dungeon will open up at the base of Mt. Ordeals, 

where you’ll find the entrance to the Cave of Trials. Since you can only bring four other characters along with you out 

of the five to obtain their respective weapons, you will need to run through this dungeon at least twice. You’ll find the 

weapons at B8 with a boss guarding each one. The maps below will help you navigate this labyrinthine dungeon. 


I: Red Cap (Helmet for Edward) 

J: Cottage 

K: Siren 

L: Courageous Suit (Armor for Yang) 

1: Entrance/Exit 

A: X-Potion 

B: Red Jacket (Armor for Edward) 


M: Siren 

N: Remedy 

O: Sage Robe (Armor for Palom) 

P: Lord’s Robe (Armor for Porom) 


C: Remedy 

D: Phoenix Down 

E: Coronet (Helmet for Palom) 


Q: Grand Helm (Helmet for Cid) 

R: Grand Armor (Armor for Cid) 

S: Dry Ether 

40_STRATEGY_DOUBLEJUMPBOOKS.COM_FINAL FANTASY IV: ADVANCE HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY 


FINAL FANTASY IV: ADVANCE_DOUBLEJUMPBOOKS.COM_STRATEGY_41

BY 


T: Megalixir 

U: Megalixir 


9: Warp Pad Out 

V: Hand of the Gods (Yang’s Weapon - Storm Dragon) 

W: Thor’s Hammer (Cid’s Weapon - Death Mech) 

X: Seraphim’s Mace (Porom’s Weapon - T-Rex) 

Y: Triton’s Dagger (Palom’s Weapon - Master Flan) 

Z: Apollo’s Harp (Edward’s Weapon - Gigas Worm) 

STORM DRAGON 

DEATH MECH 

T-REX 

MASTER FLAN 

GIGAS WORM 

HP: 40,000 

Str: 139 

Def: 4 

Mag: 22 

MDef: 33 

Gil: 0 

Exp: 32,000 

HP: 40,000 

Str: 135 

Def: 4 

Mag: 34 

MDef: 34 

Gil: 0 

Exp: 32,000 

HP: 60,000 

Str: 148 

Def: 43 

Mag: 34 

MDef: 54 

Gil: 0 

Exp: 32,000 

HP: 35,000 

Str: 130 

Def: 4 

Mag: 34 

MDef: 38 

Gil: 0 

Exp: 32,000 

HP: 55,000 

Str: 155 

Def: 4 

Mag: 34 

MDef: 44 

Gil: 0 

Exp: 32,000 

Type: Dragon 

Weak: Ice 

Res: Ailment 

Absorb: Fire 

Type: Mech 

Weak: None 

Res: Ailment 

Absorb: None 

Type: Insect 

Weak: None 

Res: Ailment 

Absorb: None 

Type: Mage 

Weak: None 

Res: Ailment 

Absorb: None 

Type: None 

Weak: None 

Res: Ailment 

Absorb: None 

Have Yang 

equipped with 

Ice Claws, and 

Palom attacking 

with Blizzaga. 

Have Porom or 

Rosa cast Berserk 

on Cecil. 

Let Cid tear it 

apart with his 

hammer along 

with Yang having 

Thunder Claws 

equipped to assist 

him. 

It’s not much of 

threat, so just 

hack away at it 

with various icebased 

weapons 

such as Yang’s 

Ice Claws. 

This battle is 

best fought with 

one casting of 

Quake to wipe 

out the puddings 

before pounding 

on him. 

The Gigas Worm 

counterattacks 

everything. Have 

Porom cast Blink 

on everyone, 

and the counterattacks 

will 

miss. 

40_STRATEGY_DOUBLEJUMPBOOKS.COM_FINAL FANTASY IV: ADVANCE HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY

It’s a rare thing when trilogies get expanded, 

Star Wars notwithstanding. Onimusha 3: 

Demon Siege was supposed to be the big 

send-off for the Onimusha series... but the 

ending of the game seemed to put the lie 

to that. The Nobunaga Trilogy ended with a 

promise of evil to come. As it goes with these 

things, when one evil is defeated, a newer, 

better evil rises up to fill the gap. 

Samanosuke Akechi, Jubei Yagyu, and Jacques 

Blanc were the heroes of the first three 

games. Samanosuke starred in Onimusha: 

Warlords; Jubei took center stage in Onimusha 

2: Samurai’s Destiny, and Jacques 

shared the spotlight with an aged 

Samanosuke in Onimusha 3: Demon 

Siege. Samanosuke and Jubei are 

both based in part on actual historical 

figures. Check out our history 

segments throughout the feature to 

see how Onimusha’s history matches 

up with real history. Historians 

have yet to find evidence of a timetravelling 

Frenchman named Jacques 

in feudal Japan, sadly. 

Story by 4thletter & KouAidou 

The previous three Onimusha games all featured a famous face (in Japan, 

at least) to play the main character. The third game even went so 

far as to feature Jean Reno, of The Professional and Wasabi fame 

as Jacques Blanc. Not so with Dawn of Dreams, which instead 

provides us with lovingly rendered original character designs. 

Your main player (yes, there’s more than one!), is Soki, a 

blonde humanoid with demon horns and two swords. He 

is, as the cool kids say, the very picture of awesome. He 

and his helpers are out to deliver Japan from Hideyoshi 

Toyotomi’s evil and look good while they do it. 

Onimusha, at its most basic, is a tale of power. Nobunaga, like 

most villains, wanted power. He wanted Japan and he wanted 

an extended life, so he made a pact with demons to get 

it. This, of course, results in death and destruction for 

much of Japan. Onimusha: Warlords starts off the 

storyline simply. Samanosuke Akechi is the nephew 

of Mitsuhide Akechi, a former general of Nobunaga 

Oda. Samanosuke watched as Nobunaga was 

felled by an arrow on the battlefield. 

One year later, people are disappearing at an alarming rate from 

Inabayama Castle. Princess Yuki sends a desperate letter off to 

Samanosuke, begging for his help in figuring out what’s going on. 

Samanosuke arrives at the castle too late, and finds that not only has Yuki 

been kidnapped, but that Nobunaga Oda is still alive and has an army 

of genma at his back. Samanosuke is gifted with the power to seal the 

souls of genma by a clan of ogres known as the Oni. Samanosuke enters 

Inabayama Castle to find Princess Yuki, seal away the genma, and to 

destroy Nobunaga and his genma lords. 

The next game, Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, took a different tack. It’s 

set over a decade after the end of the first game and features the (second) 

return of Nobunaga Oda. After the finale of the first game, Nobunaga took 

control of the genma himself as part of his quest for power. Jubei Yagyu is 

the leader of the Yagyu clan and an expert martial artist. When he returns 

home one day, he finds his village destroyed and witnesses the murder 

of some of his clan firsthand. It turns out that the Yagyu clan and the Oni 

clan were connected of old, and Nobunaga decided to clear out the entire 

clan, just in case. This was to be a fatal mistake. Jubei Yagyu leaves his 

wrecked village with hate in his heart and revenge on his mind. Nobunaga 

is going to pay for what he did to the Yagyu clan. 

The last game in the Nobunaga Trilogy was Onimusha 3: Demon Siege. 

Nobunaga is back (you guessed it, again) and he’s tasked an inventor 

to look for ways to spread his kingdom not only over Japan, but over 

the centuries, as well. Genma warriors soon attack Paris in 2004. French 

military police officer Jacques Blanc helps fend them off, even as he’s 

worried about his young son and his future wife. Samanosuke Akechi, 

in the past, comes out of retirement in order to help his uncle Mitsuhide 

Akechi rebel against Nobunaga at Honnoji Temple. Samanosuke ends up 

in 2004 and Jacques ends up in Japan’s 

sengoku period. Both have their own 

reasons for fighting, but they end up 

working towards the same goal. 

The Nobunaga Trilogy is fairly heavy stuff. 

People die brutally, genma are slain by the 

dozens, and the heroes don’t always win. Onimusha is about war, plain and 

simple. Samanosuke, Jubei, and Jacques were out for blood and stopped 

at nothing to defeat Nobunaga. Alliances were formed and broken, genma 

were murdered, and entire villages were massacred. The Nobunaga Trilogy 

could easily be considered an old-school samurai movie, full of scowling 

faces and hardcore themes. 

With the intent of making the new storyline distinct from the old, the 

creators of Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams have given it a look and feel more 

like a modern anime. Comic relief abounds, whether it’s coming from 

Jubei’s earnest tomboyness or Minokichi’s bed-wetting and utter 

absurdity. Soki is the epitome of the cool anime hero. He’s lazy, 

cocky, blonde, and wields two swords. He’s got a mysterious 

past and a determined future. Hideyoshi is Soki’s enemy 

and he lives to fight him. 

People like the Onimusha games because of their interesting 

plots, amusing characters, and the way they let you slice 

through 500 waves of bloodthirsty undead warriors. For those 

who know a little bit about Japan, though, Onimusha offers 

another level of amusement: seeing just how crazily warped 

the game’s vision of Japanese history is. Try to imagine a game 

where you play a heroic Benedict Arnold attempting to keep 

George Washington from crossing the Delaware to awaken evil 

Indian spirits and gain dictatorial control of the American 

colonies, and you might have a vague idea of what 

Onimusha looks like from a historical standpoint. 

44_COVER STORY_ONIMUSHA: DAWN OF DREAMS 



ONIMUSHA: DAWN OF DREAMS_COVER STORY_45

Even the game design reflects this new 

outlook on the series. There’s animestyle 

character designs (note Jubei’s 

perky ponytail, Soki’s horns, and 

Ohatsu’s gun), fights against multiple 

enemies at once, and, er, Minokichi 

the pee monkey. Actually, he hails 

from a clan of pee monkeys. The pee 

monkeys exist to help you out and wet 

the bed, oddly enough. 

We didn’t make up the pee monkeys, 

by the way. They’re really in there! 

The plot and characters of the Onimusha games are based 

on a very important era of Japanese history: the unifying of 

Japan in the 16th century (also known as the sengoku jidai 

or “Warring States Period”). After passing hands many times 

over history between emperor and shogunate, control of Japan 

was divided into a number of autonomous provinces under the 

individual rule of powerful feudal lords. Each lord was capable 

of strictly governing his own territory, but none were strong 

enough to defeat the others and take full control of the country. 

All this finally changed when a lord named Nobunaga Oda won 

a surprise victory over Yoshimoto Imagawa at the battle of 

Okehzama in 1560, catapulting him on a campaign that would 

eventually lead to the unification of the whole of Japan. 

Nobunaga was the first of three men who would come to 

be known as the three “great unifiers” of Japan. Accurately 

depicted in the Onimusha games, he was a powerful and 

uncompromising man who used a combination of force and 

diplomacy to bring all of Japan under his control. Unfortunately, 

his campaign fell short when he was betrayed and killed by 

the forces of his retainer, Mitsuhide Akechi (the uncle of the 

protagonist of Onimusha: Warlords). 

But I digress. Dawn of Dreams builds 

its story off the back of the original 

trilogy, but knowledge of the original 

stories is nowhere near necessary. Dawn of Dreams takes place fifteen years after the end of 

the Nobunaga Trilogy and stars many all-new characters. Characters from previous Onimusha 

games may appear, but you don’t have to know a thing about the previous games to enjoy 

this one. Of course, veterans will enjoy the scattered references to the earlier storylines. 

Dawn of Dreams introduces a few new gameplay features to the tried-and-true Onimusha 

formula. You can control up to two players on-screen at once. You can swap between 

them easily with the L2 button or even command the other player via a 

set of commands mapped to the D-pad. Swapping characters is instantaneous, 

so that you can better manage your battles. If you feel that 

one character is in trouble, swap over and see what you can do in 

that situation. 

There’s another feature that’s new to the series: something that the 

developers refer to as “Free Camera.” Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams has 

moved into the realm of a true 3D action game. Where the first 

games gave you a path to follow, with perhaps a branching 

path or two for an extra or powerup, here you’re given 

the freedom to proceed as you wish. This isn’t quite 

Grand Theft Auto-style sandbox gameplay, but 

it’s certainly a step in that direction. 

The Onimusha series has always been good-looking. Onimusha Warlords’s pre-rendered 

backgrounds were nicely detailed and sharp, the facial expressions in Onimusha 2 were very quality, 

and Onimusha 3’s engine-based cutscenes were extremely well done. Dawn of Dreams follows 

in this respect. The animations are on-point and the attacks are wondefully flashy. There 

are more CG-animated cut scenes this time around to help move the story along, and 

they all look great. 

The character designs are fun and just this side of over-the-top. Soki is both 

menacing and slightly ridiculous with his two little horns, Jubei Yagyu Akane is 

adorable with her kunoichi gear and lone off-kilter ponytail, and Roberto is just 

awesome. 

The backgrounds are done in a similar manner as Onimusha 3. Pillaged villages 

and towering castles alike are detailed almost to the point of clutter. There are 

both breakable and unbreakable barrels, boxes, carriages, and trees scattered 

around. You’ll come across a few dead bodies on your journey through Japan, 

as well. Really, detail is the name of the game. Broken, smoldering, and shattered 

rubble abound, and the enemies are textured to the point that you can even see 

the teeth on the weakest of the genma you fight. The genma scream and point 

at you, even as they circle around, looking for a weak spot. The bosses are 

gigantic. One of the first enemies you meet is tall enough that he towers over 

you while you run around on the roof of a house. Each class of enemy has their 

own distinctive style, from ripped and torn samurai armor to thick, black, teakettle 

like chestplates. 





Yoshinori Ono 

Producer for Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams 

HGM: What was the motivation behind introducing 

the new camera? 

YO: Since the very beginning of the series, 

we’ve received feedback that the camera 

system needed to be changed. However from 

a development standpoint, the camera had to 

be fixed because the series is all about action 

adventure and sword gameplay. We were 

concerned that if the camera was constantly 

moved, it may make it difficult to execute 

critical hits, moves, etc. This time though, by 

reworking the graphics engine and gameplay 

system, we found a way to use a free camera 

without placing a burden on the users to 

press button combinations for key moves. 

HGM: The new main character has 

horns on his head, which most 

likely means that he is more than 

human. Do you have any teasers 

for us regarding his origins? 

YO: Japanese samurais have 

an armor called “Hachigane” 

which is worn to cover their 

forehead. In fact, it was used to 

symbolize the battalion or squad 

to which they belong. In this 

case, the horns are the main 

character’s symbol which also lends 

itself to the mystery that surrounds 

him. Players will be able to uncover 

the mystery behind his identity as 

they play through the game. 

Another of Nobunaga’s retainers at the time of his death was 

a peasant named Tokichiro Kinoshita, who changed his name 

to Hideyoshi Hashiba while serving under Nobunaga. Though 

peasants were normally not allowed such a high station in 

the military, Hideyoshi was a brilliant strategist who served 

Nobunaga well during his early campaigns. He remained loyal 

even after Nobunaga’s death, leading a retaliation against 

Akechi for his betrayal, and later finished Nobunaga’s work 

by bringing Japan under his own control. He was granted 

the surname Toyotomi, and though his low birth prevented 

him from taking the title of Shogun, Hideyoshi’s rule over the 

country during his lifetime was unquestioned. 

While Nobunaga never actually rose from the dead to command 

a demon army, Hideyoshi (whose monkey-like portrayal in the 

game was true to his real appearence) was in fact thought by 

some to have gone rather mad during the later years of his 

reign, as depicted in Dawn of Dreams. His madness didn’t entail 

spreading demonic cherry trees over Japan, but it did involve 

the brutal torture of his nephew’s family, severe persectuion 

against upstart Christian converts, and two unsuccessful 

invasions of China that left Korea completely devastated. 

All in all, the game seems to push the limits of the PS2 fairly well. 

The PS2 has aged the least gracefully of the current gen consoles, 

and it does show in the graphics, but they’re enjoyable regardless. 

The voice acting provides a nice complement to the graphics. 

We were provided with an English dub for Dawn of Dreams that 

is more hit than miss. The characters’ voices are well-done, and 

I suspect that Minokichi’s grating voice is more on purpose than 

accident. The only real problem is that in some cases, the voice 

actors will miss the inflection on a word or sentence, or pause too 

long mid-sentence. It’s a small thing, but it can definitely take you 

out of the game. It’s never good when you realize that the voice 

coming out of your TV is a person acting, rather than a character 

in a video game. You purists are out there are in luck, however. 

You can play the game with Japanese dialogue and subtitles if you 

so desire. 

The new Free Camera system is another change for the better. 

You are now much less likely to get nailed by an offscreen enemy 

out of nowhere, though I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t ever 

happen. Being able to control the camera is a great addition to 

the Onimusha games, even if it does occasionally fall prey to the 

usual 3D camera faults. Get used to the camera early on, and its 

auto-center function, or else you’re going to suffer. You’ll often 

end up surrounded by enemies, or have enemies teleport in 

behind you, and you’ll need that coverage. There are segments 

featuring a fixed camera, as well. They usually tend to be in 

narrow corridors, so it isn’t too big of a deal, but it is a little 

annoying when you get nailed from behind because your enemy 

is just off-screen. 

The action is not too dissimilar 

from that of Onimusha 3. You’ve 

got an attack button, an Oni 

magic button, a guard button, 

and a kick button. You can lockon 

to enemies, hit them while 

they’re down, and pop them up 

into the air for air combos. You 

can deflect and critical (Issen), 

just like in the other games. 

You’re going to be doing a lot of 

mashing on the Square button, 

but the game does a good job 

of keeping the attacks for your 

various weapons interesting 

and varied. There’s a couple of 

low points, though. The block button is more or less useless once you start encountering 

any enemy but the rank-and-file genma. The fire-arrowing firing genma ignore your guard 

and everything else seems to break your guard with each attack. That’s not fun at all, to 

be honest. There are times when you’d rather block than counter or deflect, and not being 

able to block the most basic of attacks is frustrating. 

HGM: The previous Onimusha titles featured a 

few famous faces playing the main characters. 

Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams seems to shy away 

from this. Why the change? 

YO: With the new action and combo features, 

which previous Onimusha did not have, we 

found it would be difficult to use actual actors 

to play these roles since they would need to 

perform a lot of complex and diverse moves. 

So we reached a point where we had to decide 

whether to continue with the previous Onimusha 

style of using well-known actors, or set off in a 

new direction. In the end, we chose the latter 

to keep with the tradition of the series constant 

evolution from its predecessor. 

HGM: Is there anything about Dawn of Dreams 

that you’re the most proud of? 

YO: I would say I am most proud of the 

graphics we have achieved on the PS2. We 

tuned the graphics engine used in other 

Capcom PS2 games to the best of our abilities. 

I am confident that we were able to push the 

hardware to its limits with regards to portraying 

weather and lightning, etc. In addition to the 

graphics, we also put a greater amount of effort 

into the cutscenes more so than in any of the 

previous titles. I am confident that fans won’t 

be disappointed. 

HGM: Is there anything you wanted to put into 

Dawn of Dreams that you weren’t able to due 

to time or manpower constraints? 

YO: Even though this game is on two disks, 

there were a number of areas, cutscenes, 

mission modes, etc. that had to leave out due 

to space limitations. However, I think we were 

able to pull off almost everything we wanted in 

this edition. 

HGM: Are there any plans for extending the 

Onimusha license into other media, such as film 

or television? The structure of the series would 

seem to lend itself very well to an anime, for 

example. 

YO: We’ve announced in Japan that we are 

taking the Onimusha property to the big 

screen. More information will be revealed in the 

near future. 

HGM: Is there a message that you’d like us 

to convey to the fans of the Onimusha series 

for you? 

YO: Onimusha :Dawn of Dreams is a title that 

every gamer can enjoy, from hardcore Onimusha 

fans to those who have never played a samurai 

action game. Anyone who plays this can find 

something to suit his or her tastes because 

there really is something for everyone. We did 

our best to make this that much closer to what 

everyone is craving for in an action game, so I 

hope everyone gets a chance to play it. 





Along these same lines, the hit 

detection can be a little wonky at 

times. You have a move you can do 

where you stab a downed enemy. 

It’s useful for increasing the damage 

on a series of attacks, upping your 

kill combo, or simply finishing off an 

enemy. However, there are times when 

the game refuses to recognize that you 

are standing next to a downed enemy, 

causing you to slash mindlessly at the 

air until the enemy stands up. What’s 

up with that? 

The story in Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams is interesting, but slow to 

build to a crescendo. You’re going to be four stages into the game 

before you start getting anything more than slight hints of the game’s 

plot. There are cutscenes that introduce each stage that help this 

problem, but not quite enough. The cutscenes are a nice touch, 

though. They set the stage for the level, give you a bit of info on your 

goal and generally just provide needed background for the game. 

You have a hideout that you can access between stages of the game. 

Actually, there’s more than one hideout, but they all look exactly the 

same, even down to the stray cat that lives in it, no matter what 

city Soki claims to be in. That kind of sucks, but the hideout itself is 

extremely useful. It allows you to revisit beaten stages with different 

characters, save, upgrade your weapons, combine items, and interact 

with your other characters. You can speak to them about their past, 

the mission you just finished, or even upcoming plot points. Mixed 

in with these weighty subjects are talks about Soki’s former flames, 

When Hideyoshi eventually died of his illness, he entrusted his 

retainer Ieyasu Tokugawa to raise his infant son, Hidenori, to 

succeed him. Instead, Ieyasu betrayed and later killed Hidenori 

to take power for himself. After defeating his last rival at the 

battle of Sekigahara, Ieyasu was declared shogun, with almost 

absolute rule over Japan. Despite his somewhat questionable 

rise to power, though, Ieyasu managed to set up a peaceful 

regime that would last 200 years. Does this mean that we’ll 

eventually see a third Onimusha trilogy, featuring a villainous 

Ieyasu manipulating the genma to establish an iron-fisted rule 

over Japan? Only time will tell. 

So where does Jubei Yagyu figure into all of this? Well, 

he doesn’t, really. The real Jubei was actually born well 

into the reign of Ieyasu Tokugawa, some 20 years after 

Nobunaga’s death, and was not an important historic figure 

in his own right. He was, however, part of a samurai family 

of some note (his father, Munenori, served under Ieyasu 

at Sekigahara) and an amazing warrior in his own right. 

Jubei became an extremely prominent character in Japanese 

folklore due to a period of time when he disappeared from 

official records and his whereabouts were unknown. It is from 

these stories that the Jubei of Onimusha derives his origins (and 

trademark one-eyed visage), but unfortunately, the legend has 

outgrown the man behind it. 

the genuinely interesting history of the Jubei 

name, and comments on Jubei’s lack of 

breasts and tomboyishness. The game runs 

the gamut, mixing vital info with trivia. It’s 

a nice system, as the random trivial facts 

make you see the characters as fully three 

dimensional, instead of cardboard cutouts 

like “Ninja Girl” or “Annoying Sidekick.” It’s 

nice to play a game where every piece of 

info you get isn’t necessarily central to the plot. 

Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams is really a total package. 

There are some areas where you’ll obviously need 

the help of people you’ve yet to meet, and revisiting 

those areas to gain bonuses or new weapons or scenes. 

The voice acting is well-done, overall, and the graphics 

are about at the limit of what the 

PS2 can pull off. The action stays 

frantic, the bosses are suitably 

difficult, and there’s plenty of 

weapon upgrading and item 

combining to keep you busy. Dawn of 

Dreams moves further and further away 

from Onimusha’s Resident Evil in Feudal 

Japan roots and closer to being 

a true action game. Barring a 

few missteps, Dawn of Dreams 

is definitely a step in the right 

direction. It’ll be nice to see this 

iteration of the series spawn its 

own trilogy and hopefully take 

advantage of the next-gen 

systems. If the developers can 

pull off these graphics on this 

hardware, the only place for 

them to go is up. 

4 of 5 





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Tremmie 

Who C ame to the Party... 

One of the first questions most fans ask about MS Saga once they know the premise is about which Gundam 

series got their mecha designs included in the selection. It’s a question with an answer more 

complex than it might seem at first blush. 

Aeon 

Gavenger 

The vast bulk of the mecha designs in the game come from the “Universal Century” Gundam series, 

which all take place at different points along the Universal Century (or UC) timeline. Specifically, 

we spotted machines from Mobile Suit Gundam, the 08th MS Team OAV, Zeta Gundam, ZZ Gundam, 

and the film Char’s Counterattack. 

Publisher : Bandai 

Genre(s) : RPG 

Developer : Bandai 

Category : Domo Arigato, Mister Roboto 

Release Date : February 2006 # of players : 1 

Rating : E10+; Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes 

Most all Gundam games suck. Gundam fans are the first people who will admit 

this, just before describing which game was their favorite in spite of how much 

it, in all likelihood, sucked. Now that MS Saga’s here, though, Gundam fans can be a 

little less sheepish about their favorite franchise’s video game track record. MS Saga 

is the first and only Gundam game so far that can be fairly and truly called good. 

Perhaps not incidentally, it’s an RPG designed to tell a stand-alone story accessible 

to any player, instead of an el cheapo action game tie-in. You don’t need to know 

anything in particular about Gundam to sit down with MS Saga and have a good time. 

Everything is neatly explained in the game itself, right down to the initially sillysounding 

title. 

In MS Saga you follow Tristan, an impulsive and angry young man traumatized after 

watching giant robots destroy the orphanage where he grew up. He resolves to make 

his own giant robot and use it to kick the evil giant robots’ collective metal asses. As 

is the way of angry young men in RPGs and Gundam series alike, Tristan’s quest ends 

up intersecting with a world-changing battle between nations and gathering a motley new circle of friends around him. MS Saga is fortunately 

less a battle between good and evil than a struggle over control of the G Systems, devices created by a prior civilization to synthesize energy 

into any form of matter the user desires. The way the story plays out somehow manages to be an entirely typical RPG and an entirely typical 

Gundam story at the same time, with plenty of betrayals, noble sacrifices, and dramatic speeches to go around. 

MS Saga boasts a strictly turn-based combat system heavily influenced by Dragon Quest VIII and PlayStation mecha RPG Xenogears. 

Of the six units in your party, the three active ones appear in the familiar line across the screen to face off against 

the one to five enemies that spawn to face you. You can opt to attack with melee weapons like swords and axes, 

which give the enemy a chance to counter-attack, or shoot at them with ranged weapons that do slightly less 

damage. Every attack consumes energy, which your robot generates so much of per turn. You can spend energy 

as fast as it accumulates, or save it up to spend on more powerful techniques called Boosts. How and when 

you use your character’s Boost techniques is at the heart of the game’s combat strategy, which 

can become deeply engrossing once you’re far enough into the game to have lots of options to 

choose from. 

Boosts and how to best exploit them are also going to weigh heavily on your mind when 

you design your characters’ robots, called Mobile Suits. While the original designs 

for each Suit hail from some Gundam show or another, MS Saga lets you mix and 

match the parts as you see fit. 

Different parts alter the characteristics 

of your Suit, so you 

can tweak a machine to be a 

speed demon, high-HP tanker, 

a powerful sniper, or anything 

else you can envision. Each 

part and weapon you put on 

Review by Lynxara 

There are also machines from two “alternate” Gundam timelines represented in MS 

Saga, although both shows combined contribute perhaps less than a dozen mecha to 

the game. Fans of Gundam Wing and G Gundam will have to wait through most 

of the game, but eventually will see a few of their show’s most famous 

robots make appearances. 

A few shows got the nod from MS Saga despite getting snubbed 

your 

when it came to mecha designs. The character designs 

Mobile 

for the game were provided by Turn-A Gundam (and 

Suit affects 

Street Fighter) artist Akira Yasuda, and the 

its appearance 

post-apocalyptic elements of the story may 

in the game, both 

remind many fans of Gundam X. Both of 

on the world map and 

these titles are somewhat obscure 

in combat. You can trick out 

to American fans, but checking 

your suits with your own color 

them out can explain a lot 

schemes and custom names if you so 

of where MS Saga’s odd 

wish, and its easy to lose hours of game- 

premise came from. 

play to simply screwing around with the way 

your team’s Mobile Suits look. Even without this, 

the total playtime is in the 40-60 hour range, so if you 

do pick up MS Saga you’ll be at it for awhile. 

If the game has any real weakness, it’s in just how similar it is to 

Dragon Quest VIII, and how much it lacks in comparison. Right out of the 

gate, the graphics are much cruder and 

the music bland and cheesy in comparison. 

Perhaps worst of all is MS Saga’s static 

camera, which makes getting a close-up 

look at anything pretty much impossible. 

Localization for the title overall isn’t bad, 

but it entirely fails when it comes to adding 

in the English voice actingBandai only 

added voice acting to the pre-rendered 

cut-scenes, but the vast bulk of MS Saga’s 

cut-scenes are real time. You can easily go 

fifteen or twenty hours at a time without 

hearing any voice acting at all, and when 

you do, it’ll be one or two lines. 

Second Opinion 

2nd opinion by Syriel • Alternate Rating : 4 of 5 

A solid story, excellent battle 

mechanic and a cute girl with a penchant 

for corsets makes for one fine 

game. MS Saga is a great way to get 

your CRPG fix. 

4 of 5 

CHARACTERS 

Tristan 

Still, even players who just sank 

ninety hours into Dragon 

Quest VIII will probably 

find MS Saga a fun 

and rewarding 

RPG. Customizing your Mobile Suits is fun, and the story has 

enough drama to be compelling without ever taking 

itself too seriously to be enjoyed. In many ways, MS 

Saga serves as an ideal introduction to the basic ideas and 

archetypes of the sometimes unapproachably dense 

Gundam franchise. 

Fritz 

Score: 4 of 5 

Hal Vizardt 

54_REVIEW_MS SAGA 



MS SAGA_REVIEW_55

Review by Syriel 

INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR, 

TAKUMI YOSHINAGA 

HGM: How difficult was it to keep The Rub Rabbits feeling original 

and not simply rehashing Feel the Magic? 

TY: I really though there were two areas for us to explore. One is 

multiplayer, secondly is in the single player part where we really take 

advantage of the DS, above and beyond just using the touch screen. 

Publisher : Sega 

Genre(s) : Party 

Developer : Sonic Team Category : Sexy 

Release Date : 2/7/2006 # of players : 1-4 (via DS wireless) 

Rating : TEEN; Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes 

When the Nintendo DS first launched, one of the premiere 

titles was Sonic Team’s Feel the Magic. This suggestively titled 

game made innovative use of all the DS’s functions without 

feeling gimmicky. Perhaps its only shortfall was its length, 

as it could be beaten rather quickly. Sega has corrected that 

mistake with The Rub Rabbits, resulting in another addition to 

the DS’s rapidly growing list of “must have” games. 

As in the first game, the ultimate goal of The Rub Rabbits is to win the 

heart of your beloved. Standing in your way is a veritable army of rival 

suitors as well as another gal that has her sights set on you. It won’t 

be easy, but hey, what relationship is? 

Each mini-game is relatively basic, but that doesn’t mean they are 

easy. You’ll need a quick hand and a keen eye if you want to come 

out on top. One of the more memorable games is called “Virus” and 

has you trying to fight an infestation of pop-ups on your girlfriend’s 

computer. You have to close all of the windows with the evil bunny, 

while leaving the happy bunnies alone. 

alternate outfits for your girlfriend, and gives you 

the ability to replay any of the mini-games at your 

leisure. In addition to the unlockable 

fare, the game also allows players 

to design an original dress and 

HGM: The multiplayer component of the game has a heavy focus on 

co-op. Why did you choose to emphasize co-op over competitive play 

and why do you think most games overlook co-op? 

TY: Really, in coming together with the co-op modes, it was the idea 

of getting a bond between the body and spirit. What that means is 

you really connect more with the people that you play with. Even 

when you think of the multiplayer battle modes, or the twister 

mode, you have to really talk to one another. That creates more of a 

community. In terms of other games, well this game is about love. In 

that respect, it is more about co-op. 

HGM: One of the complaints about Feel the Magic was its length. 

What’s going to keep players playing in The Rub Rabbits? 

TY: For one, there is the multiplayer aspect, but when it came to 

making sure the single player wasn’t repetitive it really came down 

to exploring every feature of the DS and seeing how to best utilize it. 

Whether you’re rotating the DS, using the buttons or the microphone, 

it really allowed us to explore beyond the touch screen. 

HGM: Out of all the mini-games in The Rub Rabbits which one are you 

most proud of? Which is your favorite? 

TY: My favorite mode is the Hullabaloo mode, the twister mode. 

That’s the one feature that I am most proud of. 

the same time. 

Each inputs their 

vital statistics, 

answers a few 

questions and then 

the two of you 

cut the wedding cake. The resulting screen reveals your 

compatibility as a couple and specifics about your virtual 

child. 

Finally, there’s Hullabaloo, which is possibly the best 

part of the game. The best way to describe it is “Twister 

for your hands.” The game will generate button patterns 

that must be held down as the DS is passed from player 

to player. Accidentally let go and you’re eliminated. Yes, 

it’s basic. Yes, it’s a simple premise. Pull this one out at a 

party though and you’re guaranteed to have fun. 

Difficult to classify, but easy to play, The Rub Rabbits is 

more than just a sequel to Feel the Magic. It’s a thoroughly 

enjoyable and addicting gem that thrives on originality. If 

you own a DS, you must own this. 

Some of the games even require 

you to rotate or flip the DS in order 

to change the screen orientation. 

Although it seems odd at first, the 

alternate perspectives allow for some 

innovative gameplay mechanics that would be 

otherwise unavailable. 

Completing the main game unlocks a number of 

bikini pattern for the woman in their lives. 

Although Rub Rabbits is plenty amusing in its own right, the 

liberal use of creative innuendo throughout the game is simply 

icing on the cake. From the first moment you turn on the system, 

you’re bound to be chuckling. Even the standard warning message 

has been tweaked, just for this title: “Warning: Continuous 

stroking, blowing and poking could lead to unwanted attention in 

public places.” 

Rating : 5 of 5 

Multiplayer options have not been overlooked, giving players the 

chance to battle it out with others, exchange babies or even make some new ones! Up 

to four players can compete in the single card Battle Mode which consists of selected 

mini-games. One of the more amusing ones to try in a group is the Boat mini-game. The 

object is to be the last man with the girl on board. Simple enough, until you realize that 

maneuvering is just like paddling a canoe. Instead of using the d-pad to navigate, you 

must use the stylus to “paddle.” Forget to alternate sides and you’ll end up spinning in a 

circle. 

Baby Making is a personality matching game that requires two players to hold the DS at 

2nd opinion by Roger Danish • Alternate Rating : 5 of 5 

Stylish, sexy and satisfying, this irreverent romp on the DS is worth every penny. 

5 of 5 

56_REVIEW_THE RUB RABBITS 



THE RUB RABBITS_REVIEW_57

Review by Racewing 

Review by Shoegazer 

Publisher : SNK 

Developer : SNK 

Release Date : 1/10/2006 

Rating : TEEN 

Genre(s) : Fighting 

Category : 2D One-on-One Slashy-Slashy 

# of players : 1-2 

Publisher : Konami 

Developer : Konami 


Rating : EVERYONE 

Genre(s) : Sports 

Category : Soccer/Futbol 

# of players : 1-2; 

Online Multiplayer 

I love Samurai Shodown 2 more than most people should. I still 

think it — and the first game should have been ported to one of 

today’s systems long before half the fighting games out there right 

now. Yes, I’m one of those people. 

Can you really blame us, though? You had great music, a fun fighting 

system, a cool storyline, quirky characters with attitude, and the 

joy of hacking people to death with swords—sometimes in half. Back 

then, you needed nothing else. 

Samurai Shodown 2 was followed with sequels which tried to add 

features that many players, including myself, found intimidating, 

confusing, or boring. Whether it was creating two versions of 

characters, or taking the series into 3D, a bit of the magic seemed to 

have been lost. 

Enter Samurai Shodown V, which at last rolls back unneeded 

features (or turns Bust versions of old characters into new ones), and 

concentrates on enhancing the core fighting system which made the 

series great in the first place. The functionality of the rage meter, for 

example, has been expanded, allowing for strategical use. You can 

use it normally, or bet the farm whenever you wish, giving yourself 

unlimited super power for a short time—but once it runs out, that’s 

it for your meter for the rest of the match. There’s also an action 

button, which can be used for special maneuvers such as squatting 

and hopping. Between this and the massive amount of older-game 

fanservice the developers packed in, Samurai Shodown is, thankfully, 

fun again. 

Not everything is roses, mind you—the load time is atrocious, even by 

the standards currently set by 2D sprite fighters on optical discs. You 

can almost take a nap between matches. Also, unless you’re willing 

to repeatedly set your Xbox’s system language (and with it, the entire 

game) to Japanese, you’ll be hearing an Americanized announcer so 

bland that even a dub-defender like myself wants him benched. The 

soundtrack is also a snoozer as well. Finally, if you’re 

not aware of it, there’s a “Special” update of this game 

that tweaks characters and fixes balance issues—those 

who plan on hopping on Xbox Live with this game would 

do well to know this. Why that version wasn’t ported 

instead of this is a mystery, but let’s hope that SNK sees 

fit to release it as well, preferably as a budget title. 

However, based on the sheer fun of the fighting 

alone, Samurai Shodown V is an impressive, 

welcome return to glory for a series that has been 

trying for ages now to re-establish its identity 

and recapture the attention of players. 

I’m glad that this is being ported to 

the Xbox, because now a whole new 

generation of gamers can get a taste 

of the awesome gameplay that kept the 

old guard in front of the arcade machines for 

hours at a time. (Either that, or they’ll 

make fun of the graphics, whose quality 

is inversely proportionate to the 

capabilities of their television. 

Oh, well.) Furthermore, said old 

guard now has a reason to look 

fondly upon this franchise again. 

Samurai Shodown once more 

stands for quality fighting. 

Rating : 3.5 of 5 

Hands down, Konami’s Winning Eleven series is the most 

dominating force within the soccer game market. Trouble is, 

that’s only overseas. Despite several quality attempts to take 

down EA’s FIFA franchise, dating back as far as the Nintendo 64, 

Konami has come up short in the United States. With the rising 

popularity of soccer on this side of the pond, will 2006 finally be 

the year that Winning Eleven breaks through? 

As anticipated, Winning Eleven 9 is as technically sound as they 

come, and retains the same intuitive gameplay design that long time 

fans have been accustom to. In fact, despite being a hardcore soccer 

simulation, WE9 could not be easier for a newbie to pick up and 

play. New additions to the series such as online play, and complete 

managerial control over your team in the Master League mode, are 

sure to please seasoned veterans. You can create your own team 

from scratch and handle day-to-day operations such as negotiating 

contracts, competing in professional leagues, and even player 

training drills. PS2 owners also get a special treat, as they can trade 

information back and forth with the PSP version of the game. 

Just as with any other game, it takes a few minutes getting used 

to the controller functions, but the core gameplay can be quickly 

digested. Once you’ve figured out the controls, however, is 

ultimately when you’ll decide whether or not this is the right soccer 

game for you. There is a great deal of strategy involved within 

the game of soccer, and the more casual gamer may not have the 

patience to learn and develop these strategies. Be warned thoughtrue 

to its hardcore nature-WE9 is completely unforgiving to players 

unwilling or unable to develop strategy. Cheap fouls will get you 

yellow carded every time, and without pre-meditation behind your 

passes, you’re going to experience many frustrating interceptions. 

Unlike most other sports games, your key to success in soccer is to 

play a strong defense above all else, which can at times make WE9 

feel boring. It’s not like the NFL where you have the excitement of 

marching down the field and scoring a touchdown several times a 

game. Be prepared to endure many games with a final score of 2-1, 

1-0, or even scoreless draws. The A.I. is merciless on both sides of 

the ball. 

The bottom line here is how important the FIFA license is to you, and 

how much it adds to your enjoyment of the game. Not discrediting 

EA’s constantly improving FIFA franchise, but Winning Eleven is the 

better all-around game once again. If you have enough love of the 

game to own two titles, then you have nothing to fear by adding 

WE9 to your library. If you don’t need two soccer titles, then you 

have a very tough decision on your hands. In addition to the lack of 

a FIFA license, WE9 also suffers from a lack of “bells and whistles” 

thanks to outdated graphics and presentation. Then again, that’s 

never really what the series 

has been about, has it? It’s 

always been about a great 

game of futbol, which 

once again, it has 

in spades. 

Rating : 

4 of 5 

2nd opinion by Wanderer • Alternate Rating : 4 of 5 

2nd opinion by 4thletter • Alternate Rating : 4 of 5 

3.75 of 5 

An SNK fighter for those who like SNK fighters, Samurai Shodown V has the 

roster and the depth to handle weeks of play. 3D snobs need not apply. 

Winning Eleven is the Fire Pro Wrestling of the soccer set in every way. It isn’t the 

prettiest, but its gameplay is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. Well done. 

4 of 5 

58_REVIEW_SAMURAI SHODOWN 5 



WINNING ELEVEN 9_REVIEW_59

Review by Sardius 

Publisher : Capcom 

Developer : Capcom Production Studio 1 

Release Date : 01/24/2005 

Rating : M for Mature 

Genre(s) : Action 

Category : SSStylish 

# of players : 1 

Review by Roger Danish 

Publisher : D3 Publisher of America, Inc. 

Developer : Now Production, Inc. 


Rating : EVERYONE 

Genre(s) : Puzzle 

Category : Problem Solving 


We know what you’re thinking: a slightly upgraded version 

of a successful game...released by Capcom of all people? It 

may seem farfetched, but put aside your disbelief for a moment 

and you might want to check this one out. While Street 

Fighter II Turbo for the Super Nintendo may have retailed 

for $59.99, this improved version of Devil May Cry 3 is being 

released as part of Sony’s Greatest Hits series, and will only 

set you back twenty bucks. 

Last year’s release of Devil May Cry 3 marked a return to glory for 

the series after 2003’s disappointing Devil May Cry 2. Building upon 

everything that made the original Devil May Cry great, DMC3 was a 

difficult but rewarding action title that placed equal emphasis on both 

style and skill. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition expands on this with a 

small number of extras to make the package even more appealing. 

Most significantly, DMC3SE fixes the original release’s issues 

concerning difficulty. Many gamers complained that the game was 

ridiculously hard even on the unlockable “easy” difficulty, and for 

good reason; the US version of DMC3 defaulted to “hard” difficulty, 

and “easy” was only slightly easier than that. Thankfully, Special 

Edition irons out these problems and features an easy setting that is 

actually, well, easy. 

DMC3SE also introduces a few new modes, some of which may be 

of value to DMC3 veterans but are ultimately of little consequence. 

Speed freaks can try their hand at Turbo mode, which speeds up 

gameplay slightly. Bloody Palace also makes a return from Devil 

May Cry 2, offering a stage-based fight against a limitless number of 

monsters. Finally, Digest mode allows you to view any cutscene in the 

game, meaning you can now watch that awesome part where Dante 

rides around on the rocket anytime you want. 

Unfortunately, the biggest addition to Devil May Cry 3: Special 

Edition is one of the most disappointing. DMC3SE’s option to play 

as Dante’s twin brother Vergil may be an 

exciting prospect for hardcore Devil May Cry 

fans, but Vergil’s mode simply consists of a 

new character swapped into the game’s 

original 20 missions, with no betweenstage 

cutscenes. A bigger problem is that 

Vergil is not a very fun character to 

use -- compared to the fast, frantic 

gunplay found in Dante’s game, 

Vergil’s moves are slower and harder 

to chain effectively. Using Vergil is a fun 

diversion for awhile, but his game does not 

contain enough depth to qualify as a major 

selling point. 

The somewhat disappointing quality of 

its extras makes Devil May Cry 3: Special 

Edition difficult to recommend to those who 

already own the original release. Compared 

to the additions found in other Greatest Hits 

upgrades like Silent Hill 2 and Virtua Fighter 

Evolution, DMC3SE comes up short. At its heart, 

however, Devil May Cry 3 is an excellent game, 

and for those who were put off by the original 

release’s unbalanced difficulty, this 

version makes for an excellent 

purchase. 


I’m a sucker for puzzle games. Like everyone else on the 

planet, I fell pretty hard for Tetris back in the day (the 

arcade-perfect Tengen version for the NES, not Nintendo’s evil 

watered-down clone). Even though I have stacks upon stacks 

of next generation games piled up on my desk, I often find 

myself playing simple time suckers, such as Bejeweled, Bust a 

Move, Yahtzee and even Solitaire (ok, I know these last two 

are more games of chance then “puzzle” games, but I think 

you get my drift). So, when a new puzzle game appears on the 

scene, my interests are usually piqued. With D3’s aptly titled 

PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient for the PSP, I was more 

than happy to tackle the review and take a whack at testing my 

admittedly limited intelligence. 

PQ’s selling point is that it tests your intelligence by gauging 

memory, calculation, planning and motor function skills as you 

attempt to work your brain around each of the game’s 100 

obstacle-filled rooms. The main gist of the game is to guide your 

silhouetted avatar through a series of challenging 3D rooms and 

get to the exit in the least amount of time and steps possible. 

The first few rooms are a cinch and will have you thinking you 

missed your calling as the next Albert Einstein, but the difficulty 

and challenge ramp up quickly as more and more objects 

appear to hinder your progress and tax your brain, leaving 

you a twitching, whimpering mess, balled up into the fetal 

position in the corner of your room. Obstacles, such as 

switches, escalators, guards, conveyor belts, revolving 

doors and lasers will have you scratching your head, while 

the pressure of getting through each room quickly and with 

the least amount of moves possible adds a layer of anxiety 

and tension. 

Visually, PQ is attractive and sharp in a stark, futuristic kind of 

way (it’s very reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid’s VR Missions). 

In fact, maybe because of the similar titles or the unique 

graphic style, I was sure this was a sequel of sorts to SCEA’s 

Intelligent Qube titles (it’s not). However, this unique look and 

3D presentation has a downside. The camera, which can be 

controlled by the PSP’s L and R buttons, often gets in the way. 

Even though you can rotate it, there are often times you’ll find 

your view obscured no matter which way you turn it. 

It’s always refreshing to find something different and original 

out there, especially in this day and age of licenses, franchises 

and sequel-after-sequel of “intellectual properties.” PQ is not a 

perfect puzzler—in addition to the sometimes annoying camera, 

a bit of repetitiveness starts to creep in halfway 

through, but it’s fun, challenging, and 

makes you think. What a novel concept. 


4 of 5 

2nd opinion by Mia D • Alternate Rating : 4 of 5 

2nd opinion by Shoegazer • Alternate Rating : 3 of 5 

Although not much of an upgrade, Devil May Cry 3 SE is still 

Not quite as fun, or intuitive, as the PSOne classic Intelligent Cube, but puzzle fans ready to 

a fantastic action game. Pick it up if you haven’t already. put down Lumines should definitely give it a look. 

3.25 of 5 

60_REVIEW_DEVIL MAY CRY 3: SPECIAL EDITION 



PQ: PRACTICAL INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT_REVIEW_61

Review byRoger Danish 


Publisher : Midway 

Developer : Digital Eclipse 

Release Date : 12/2005 

Rating : E for Everyone 

Genre(s) : Arcade 

Category : Retro Compilation 


Publisher : SCEA 


Developer : SCE 

Category : Monkey-Catching Insanity! 

Release Date : 1/17/2006 # of players : 1 

Rating : Everyone 10+; (Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor) 

For those of us who don’t want to waste the time, effort and 

energy to hack our PSP, retro compilations, such as Namco’s 

Namco Museum Battle Collection, Capcom’s upcoming Capcom 

Classics Collection: Remixed (see elsewhere in this issue for 

the preview) and Midway’s Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended 

Play can be just the thing. When done right, having these 

classics downsized to the PSP’s ultra-sharp and vibrant screen 

and in the palm of your hand are really what retro-gaming 

is all about. But, when done wrong (or even half-asssed), 

you have to wonder why the publisher even bothered in the 

first place. Unfortunately, such is the case with Midway’s 

disappointing PSP effort. 

On the surface, Midway’s compilation is an almost perfect 

collection of retro classics. The list includes 720, Arch Rivals, 

Championship Sprint, Cyberball 2020, Defender, Gauntlet, Joust, 

Klax, Marble Madness, Paperboy, Rampage, Rampart, Sinistar, 

Spy Hunter, Toobin, Wizard of Wor, Xenophobe, Xybots, and 

Mortal Kombat I, II, and 3 (oddly enough, a few of Midway’s 

classics, such as Smash TV, Robotron 2084 and even NARC didn’t 

make the cut). To top it off, the addition of ad-hoc wireless play 

should have made this title an easy recommendation. However, 

from the moment you boot up the title menu, it becomes fairly 

self-evident that this is a quick and dirty cash-in. 

Overall, the package is disappointingly basic, offering little in 

the way of bells and whistles, options or any extras. One of my 

complaints with Extended Play is that it has no option to allow 

you to orient the size of the game screen to your liking. This 

leads to some questionable and odd choices in display, such as 

stretching Spy Hunter to fit the PSP’s widescreen aspect ratio 

(versus allowing you to rotate the game screen vertically), or 

squishing Sinistar into a box in the center, rendering it almost 

unplayable. Adding 

insult to injury, many 

of the game’s sound 

effects and audio are 

just plain wrong. 

Unfortunately, the 

above complaints are 

not the only things 

wrong with this 

title. Most 

disappointing 

of all is the shoddy emulation of the Mortal Kombat 

games. Unacceptably long load times, frame skipping 

and major sound glitches plague these titles (especially 

MKII and 3). When you consider that these are arguably 

the most desirable titles on the compilation, you 

have to wonder what Midway and Digital Eclipse 

were thinking. It’s not like the developers at Digital 

Eclipse, who are the kings of retro emulation for 

consoles, don’t know what they’re doing. They also 

produced Capcom Classics Collection, which has all the 

aforementioned frills that this compilation is missing 

without the graphic and sound glitches. 

Ultimately, I would recommend passing on Midway Arcade 

Treasures: Extended Play and go with one of the others 

— especially Capcom Classics Collection: Remixed--which is so 

much better in basically every way. If you just have to have 

Defender or Joust on your PSP, then go ahead, but don’t say we 

didn’t warn you! 


I’ll make you guys a deal. Buy this game, and I 

won’t make any unfunny “barrel of monkeys” 

jokes anywhere in this review. Good? Good. 

Let’s get started. 

In this brand new installment of the Ape Escape 

saga, Specter, the “somewhat dangerous” ultraintelligent 

monkey, is back once again to try and 

take over the world. This time, his legion of monkey 

minions are broadcasting TV shows that are so inane 

that they really do rot peoples’ brains. With the 

normal monkey-catching team from the original 

games having fallen victim (and Natalie as 

the only survivor), it’s up to the brand 

new Japanese B-Team of Kei and 

Yumi to save the world with a style all 

their own. But can they hold their own 

against a human scientist and the fearsome Freaky 

Monkey Five? 

If you haven’t turned the page after reading all 

that, this is the game for you! 

It’s them against a bazillion monkeys, and on 

their side are myriad gadgets and vehicles which 

do everything from helping you move through 

water, to moving at super speed, and finding and 

stunning monkeys. If that weren’t enough, early 

into the game our heroes are given Viewtiful Joestyle 

morphers (thus pushing game’s kickass-meter 

into the red) that allow them to transform into themed heroes with 

their own innate powers. 

With tons of pop culture and television parody, the game’s humor 

level’s off the scale, and so is the action. Even with all of these 

gadgets and transformations, catching monkeys is no easy job, 

simply because they don’t want to be caught, darn it all. They’ll 

no-sell your attacks, they’ll get mad, they’ll knock gadgets out of your 

hands, they’ll steal your gadgets, and they’ll run 

away from you a good deal faster than you can 

catch up to them unless you use your wits. The 

best part is that you’ll be laughing the entire 

time, because the monkeys themselves are just 

so unpredictable and insane. 

The game has lots of extra movies, sounds, and 

goodies that can be unlocked and viewed, used 

or played at your leisure. Much of the unlocking 

is integrated into the gameplay, such as being able 

to film parody movies starring the monkeys. This ensures that 

getting extra things isn’t a chore, nor does it ever feel tacked on. The 

addition of what may well be the ultimate unlockable, a Metal Gear 

Solid tie-in/parody game, only sweetens the deal. 

It’s appreciation of the little things that make Ape Escape 3 so fun, 

rather than any “paradigm shifts” or “breakthrough experiences.” This 

is a classic example of adding more—lots more—to a game’s concept, 

while still keeping the gameplay intact and fun. The end result is not 

only the only instance in which monkeys still make for good comedy, but 

a great game worth plunking down cash for. 

In short, it’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys. 

Okay, so I lied. Buy it anyway. 


2.5 of 5 

2nd opinion by Shoegazer • Alternate Rating : 2.5 of 5 

MAT sure has a solid roster to choose from, but at $30, only pick it up if you need to have your 

classics on the go. 

2nd opinion by Sardius • Alternate Rating : 4.5 of 5 

Minor camera issues and a rushed hack job of a localization keep it from being perfect, but Ape 

Escape 3 is a joy to play from beginning to end. 

4.75 of 5 

62_REVIEW_MIDWAY ARCADE TREASURES: EXTENDED PLAY 



APE ESCAPE 3_REVIEW_63

Review by James 

Review by KouAidou 

Publisher : SCEA 

Developer : Shift 


Rating : E for Everyone 

Genre(s) : Mini-games 

Category : Ape Filled Action 


Publisher : Electronic Arts 

Developer : Maxis 


Rating : TEEN 

Genre(s) : Strategy/RPG 

Category : Life Simulation 


Achieving world domination isn’t easy. Just ask Spectre, who’s tried 

more than a few times to dominate the planet with his monkey 

hordes. Having never once achieved this goal, he decides to put his 

troops through a training regimen designed to hone each monkey’s 

body and mind into a soldier worthy of his command. Graduate from 

Ape Escape Academy and you too can be part of an army destined to 

rule the world! 

This is done through mini-games, of course. Games of reflex, pattern 

recognition, balance, timing, and even general knowlege will turn you 

into a crack monkey troop if only you can survive the years of training and 

make it past the deadly tic-tac-toe board that make up each “year” 

of study. 

Basically, each set of mini-games is taught by a teacher, one of the 

regular Ape Escape bosses from the earlier games, who has control of a 

3x3 grid. Each square has a game on it, chosen randomly from the pool 

of over forty available, and successfully completing it earns an “O”. The 

object of each year is to earn a set number of rows (horizontal, vertical, 

or diagonal) rather than just succeed at a certain number of games, and 

it’s actually trickier than it seems. Losing just one corner knocks off three 

rows out of a possile eight, while the center spot is responsible for four. 

Add in not being able to quit out of a year once started and it’s very easy 

to end up forced to complete a hopeless grid. Fortunately, very few of the 

games are longer than a minute, so the worst that will happen is either a 

few minutes of useless play or a frustrated reboot of the PSP. 

Despite some issues with the overall setup, though, it all comes down 

the the quality of the mini-games. For the most part they’re a lot of fun, 

covering a wide range of gameplay styles and themes. A typical game 

might go- Swing from vine to vine to reach a goal, run the one meter 

dash, answer some trivia questions, play air-hockey, hand out a basketful 

of roses within a time limit, dive from a great height while snagging 

parachutes to give to the falling monkeys who need them, guard a giant 

banana roasting on a fire from the zombie-like monkeys who want to steal 

it, pick the ninja-monkey out of a crowd, and go bowling. The loading 

screen of each game has the control layout on it, although certain games 

have subtleties that will only be discovered after losing because of them. 

For the most part the games are clever, creative and funny, and once 

played they can be practiced as often as needed in the gallery. 

Eventually though, the games will have been played umpteen times and 

the novelty wears off. While this is true of every game ever made, dealing 

with one of the longer mini-games that’s grown tedious through repetition 

during the eighth attempt at Senior Year 2 starts to feel suspiciously 

like work. There are aspects that can increase longevity, like the (sadly 

untested) multiplayer and the quest for over 300 monkey statues, but the 

fun wears thin quicker than it seems it should. Still, it’s a good time while 

it lasts, and any game with hordes of monkeys is fine by me. 


EA’s multi-platform release of The Sims 2 promised exclusive 

features in every version of the game. While most of the major 

console releases still closely resemble the original, EA chose 

to go in a totally different direction with the PSP version. The 

result is something that moves away from classic Sims gameplay 

to give us something that feels a bit more like Sims: The RPG. 

Rather than giving you the standard role of omnipresent being 

surveying the lives of many little Sims, The Sims 2 lets you 

design a character whose role you will take exclusively through 

a linear storyline. This revolves around said character’s trip to 

Strangetown, where mad scientists and robotic housewives are 

the rule, rather than the exception. As the game begins, you will 

find yourself stranded in Strangetown after an alien abduction 

leaves you car-less; in order to eventually find your way out 

without entirely losing your mind, you will need to buy a house 

and make your own life in Strangetown. 

For the most part, this involves keeping your Sim happy and 

well-adjusted by satisfying a grocery list of needs, wants, and 

life aspirations, which are regularly assigned in true Sims fashion. 

You are also free to interact with the other citizens of the town, 

all of whom come packed with an array of skeletons (sometimes 

literally) in their closets. You can either talk to these citizens 

and learn things you can do for them, or play social games (like 

chatting and flirting) to establish relationships. Establishing 

relationships with people allows you to learn their secrets, which 

can then be sold for cash. 

The end result of this is a lot of fetch questing and timing games, 

and yet, the game’s humor, fine graphics, smooth gameplay, 

and customizability all add up to an entirely addictive product. 

There’s never a lack of things to do in Strangetown, from 

snuggling on the sofa with your attractive French Maid (yes, even 

if your Sim is a girl), to whacking zombies with a shovel for cash. 

With gameplay well-suited to burning time on long car trips, The 

Sims 2 could have been a truly welcome addition to the PSP’s 

gaming arsenal, if not for one heartbreakingly crippling flaw in 

the system. 

This flaw? Load times. Not only does this happen between screen 

changes, the game suffers from unpredictable pauses whenever 

a graphic or voice clip is loaded (which, in this game, basically 

means “any time you try to do anything”). This is not only 

annoying, but can actually hinder 

your ability to perform crucial 

timing games, and makes bonus 

activities like decorating your 

house and changing your sim’s 

appearence seem more like a 

chore than an immersive extra. 

If you have the patience to overlook 

the load time issue, The Sims 2 for 

PSP might be worth checking out, 

but prepare yourself for a lot of 

frustration. The waiting wouldn’t be 

so bad if the game underneath it 

wasn’t so very, very good. 


2nd opinion by Racewing • Alternate Rating : 2.5 of 5 

2nd opinion by Lynxara • Alternate Rating : 3 of 5 

2.75 of 5 

When I think Ape Escape, I think funny monkeys and great action. Only half the equation is here, 

and it’s boring me. It’s too bad Sony couldn’t have somehow ported Pumped & Primed to the PSP... 

Yet another potentially good PSP game crippled by unacceptably long load times. Reviewing 

these is getting kind of depressing. So is owning a PSP. 

3.25 of 5 

64_REVIEW_APE ESCAPE ACADEMY 



THE SIMS 2_REVIEW_65


Review by James 

Publisher : Electronic Arts Genre(s) : Sports 

Developer : Tiburon Category : Arena Football 

Release Date : 02/07/2006 # of players : 1-4, Online Multiplayer 

Rating : Everyone 10+ (Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive 

Publisher : Majesco 

Developer : Backbone Vancouver 


Rating : E 10+ 

Genre(s) : Turn-based strategy 

Category : Historical 


Can you properly identify the differences between the “Mac” 

and the “Jack?” Does a quarterback throwing for a hundred 

eighty yards in a game sound like an exceptional offensive 

performance? Did you know that a missed field goal is still 

in play when it bounces off of the rebound net? If you just 

answered “yes” to any, or all, of the above questions, 

then EA has a new game on the shelf made just for you! 

Tiburon, the very same team of talented folks behind the 

Madden and NCAA franchises, have been hard at work 

on a couple of non-Madden related projects behind closed 

doors. Arena Football is the first out of the gate. If you follow the 

AFL, then most of what you’d expect to find is here. It has the 

fifty-yard field, the defensive box, 8-on-8 iron man gameplay, and 

all the official AFL rules. 

Tiburon has borrowed some of its assets from Madden, such as the 

detailed character models and the core gameplay mechanics, in an 

effort to bring the AFL to life, but that’s where the similarities end. 

Arena Football is about as far from a Madden-style pure football 

simulation as you can get. In fact, one could argue that this is more 

like what Blitz: The League should have been. It’s a fast paced, 

arcade-style score-a-thon, with easy to pick up and play controls. 

This one is built specifically to be played against your buddies, 

trash-talking the whole time. 

What would a game from the creators of Madden be without at least 

some degree of technical, slightly advanced components? Arena 

Football introduces the telemetry system that tracks a wealth of 

information to help you get the edge over your opponent. Check who 

has the hot hand, and who is ready to ride the pine. The telemetry 

system tracks everything from stamina to play-calling tendencies so 

that you can better manage your team’s production. This feature is 

very handy, and will hopefully be carried over to other sports titles in 

some form. 

The biggest problem you’ll find here is in the 

game’s simplistic design. It’s a near-perfect 

example of what arcade-style football should be, 

and it’s entertaining to play whether you know 

a thing about the AFL or not. However, the 

luster wears off quickly after you discover 

just how shallow the experience is. The 

game desperately needs more game 

modes to keep you busy. Creating 

your team and players from 

scratch to compete against 

the AFL gives the game a fun 

Necessary Roughness feel, 

but outside of a standard 

season mode, there is little 

left to do. Some mini-games would’ve been nice at the very least. 

The lack of in-game commentary also hurts the experience just a 

little. It’s simply replaced with generic rock music better fit for EA 

Trax. That’s not a compliment. 

At the end of the day, Arena Football is to Madden as Rumble Roses is 

to WWE Smackdown vs. Raw. It’s a game designed more to introduce 

casual-gamer-friendly titles to the masses than it is an attempt to 

bring the AFL to the masses. Surprisingly, it mostly succeeds, missing 

the mark on just a few key things that bring down the score. That said, 

EA is bringing this title out with a user-friendly price tag, and that 

could be the decision maker for curious gamers, or AFL fanatics. Arena 

Football is not a bad game by any means, but with just a little more 

imagination, it could have been much better. 


Throughought the world’s history, 

countries have continually tried to kick 

their neighbors’ asses for any number 

of reasons. In Majesco’s Age of Empires: 

The Age of Kings for the Nintendo DS, five 

civilizations spread out over twenty-eight 

missions do their best to hack, slash, shoot, 

and convert each other into oblivion. 

Age of Empires has had a very succesful history on the PC, with three 

versions of the real-time strategy game so far. For the DS edition the 

series has metamorphosed into a turn-based affair, making for a very 

different game from its PC counterparts. Despite this major change, 

it’s still Age of Empires at heart. 

Starting off with Joan of Arc’s tutorial missions, the game rapidly 

brings the player up to speed on its mechanics. Peasants are required 

to build, warriors to fight, and farms and mines keep the economy 

alive. Certain buildings are required to make certain units, such as 

a stable for knights, and everything has a build time of one turn no 

matter how large and complex. Additionally, one topic of research 

can be completed every round, and when a civilization has become 

learned enough it can “Age Up”, giving it access to new buildings and 

units. Of course, every single unit, building, and research topic has a 

cost of food and gold, so it’s essential to balance out the military and 

economy, especially in the early stages of a mission when resources 

are tight. 

While Campaign is the meat of the game, where all the 

historical bits happen that give Age of Empires 

its flavor, there’s also a free-form mode called 

Empire Map. Choose a side, a set of 

opponents, a difficulty level, and a map 

and it’s off to battle. While the story 

of Campaign has its set pieces and plot 

twists, the Empire mode is pure strategy. 

Though Age of Empires definitely has its 

charms, several problems rear their ugly 

heads. Some minor issues, like audio dropoff 

in sound effects, are just mildly annoying. 

Others, such as the uselessness of the touch-screen when too many 

units are in a small area, actually hamper the gameplay. While 

it’s easy enough to switch to the plus pad and buttons, constantly 

changing control methods gets old fast. Of course, selecting the right 

unit is also easier when so many of them don’t look nearly identical. 

Spearmen and Pikemen (one ranged, the other good against cavalry) 

in particular are easy to get confused, and it’s also easy to lose the 

scenario champion amidst a handful of mounted units. Constantly 

checking the top screen for unit information doesn’t do the flow of 

the game any good. 

Despite these issues, Age of Empires ends up landing on its feet. Even 

flawed battle strategy can be a lot of fun, and watching a multi-turn 

plan come together is always rewarding. Whether it’s a quick round 

on a random map or a set of historical battles, Age of Empires is a 

strategically good time despite its quirks. 


2nd opinion by 4thletter • Alternate Rating : 2.5 of 5 

2nd opinion by Roger Danish • Alternate Rating : 3 of 5 

2.5 of 5 

Shallow is an apt word for Arena Football. The telemetry feature is sweet, but 

that’s where it stops. Try again next season. 

Surprisingly, Age of Empires works on the small screen. While it does have a list of issues, fans 

of the series and strategy buffs will find something to like. 

3.25 of 5 

66_REVIEW_EA SPORTS: ARENA FOOTBALL 



AGE OF EMPIRES: THE AGE OF KINGS_REVIEW_67

Review by JPeeples 


Publisher : Nintendo 


Developer : Square-Enix 

Category : Surreal 



Rating : E 10+; Language, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes 

Publisher : Majesco Games Genre(s) : Action 

Developer : A2M 

Category : Superpowered Beat-em-Up 

Release Date : 2/2006 # of players : 1-4 

Rating : E 10+; Cartoon Violence 

It’s been fourteen years since FFIV first graced our shores. In 

that time it has hit the PlayStation across the world and the 

Wonderswan Color in Japan, and achieved astounding prices online 

in each incarnation. Thankfully, Nintendo has at least temporarily 

put an end to the insanity by releasing it for their most popular 

platform. Unfortunately, some damning bugs and glitches have 

crept into this godsend of a release. 

I certainly expected some changes here compared to the SNES 

original, since this is a revamped version of the Wonderswan Color 

version, but I never expected it to be riddled with glitches. It’s 

especially disappointing since both Square-Enix and Nintendo releases 

are usually glitch-free, making the problems here stick out more. 

Fortunately, the problems are confined to the battle system, which 

is damaged in such a way that allows both players and foes to get 

turns they haven’t earned. Sure, it can be a blessing when it’s in your 

favor, but it’s also a real killer in boss battles, where it works against 

you to an extreme degree. It’s never fun to die in a game, and it’s 

especially annoying here when there’s nothing you can do about it. 

This problem comes up more in active time battles, an ironic and sad 

twist since this game pioneered that now-standard feature. 

At least everything else is executed well. The GBA blends in well with 

the battle systems, as you can alternate between the active time 

battles and more traditional turn-based ones quickly, allowing you 

to plan ahead a little better. If you’re in the mood for a long play 

session, go with regular turn-based battles. Conversely, if you just 

want to level up quickly against the all-too-common random foes, the 

active time battle system works best. You’ll be able to get more done 

in less time, which is great for on-the-go gaming. 

The biggest downside to ATBs is that you’re a sitting duck when 

rummaging through menus for items, but just using it for random 

battles should minimize that problem. Far too many games today lock 

you into one battle system, and the freedom offered by having both 

battle systems available is appreciated, since you can tinker with 

each to see which one works best for you, and when. 

The visuals have also received a boost thanks to the GBA’s hardware. 

Colors are richer and more varied, while backgrounds have more 

depth to them, and the sprites animate a little smoother. Likewise, 

the legendary soundtrack full of booming, emotion-filled music has 

been upgraded a bit, with the music sporting a fuller sound than the 

SNES original. These changes may seem minor, but they end up giving 

the story more impact, since you’re sucked that much further into 

the game’s world. 

While it’s a shame it shipped with bugs, Final 

Fantasy IV remains an incredible experience 

that should be enjoyed by everyone with an 

appreciation for good storytelling. Kudos 

to Square-Enix for making this fourteenyear-old 

tale feel new, and it’s refreshing 

to see an RPG in 2006 that tells a story without 

flashy cinematics and bloated budgets. If this 

sounds like something you want to experience, 

buy this now. If not, hand in your gamer’s 

card, and go stare in slack-jawed wonder at 

tinfoil. You’re just not worthy. 


It was only a matter of time before the ultra-popular animated 

incarnation of Teen Titans got its own videogame. I wish I could 

say it were cause for celebration. This game should be a lot better 

than it is. It wouldn’t even require extra work. You’d just need a 

little bit of common sense. Sadly, that seems to be absent. 

The game’s set into two main parts; the first is the Story Mode, 

which plays a good bit like X-Men Legends. In multiplayer dungeoncrawler 

style, you use the Titans’ powers to beat up on random 

henchmen and bosses. The story set around the game is deceptively 

above average (the Titans get trapped in a video game; by the end, 

it’s clear that the writers were drinking Hideo Kojima Juice), and the 

game keeps things fresh by giving the Titans more special techniques 

and teamwork moves after each stage, as well as changing them up 

every so often. 

It’s perfect for multiplayer... or it would be, if not for one flaw 

which ruins the whole thing: the camera. Said camera is fine for one 

player, because it follows that player around, allowing them to keep 

track of the action. Add any more players, however, and the camera 

stays zoomed out, making it almost impossible to keep track of 

where you and the enemy are. It’s that far gone, and with it, half of 

the game’s purpose is down the drain. Unless you’re by yourself, this 

mode’s nigh-unplayable. 

On the other side, you’ve got Master of Games mode, which is a 

bare-bones fighting game for, once again, up to four players. As 

there are no enemies here except the other players, the camera 

isn’t really much of a problem. What is a problem is the character 

selection. The developers put over twenty playable characters in this 

mode, from the headliners to the obscure. Everyone from Control 

Freak to Terra can be picked and used. 

The problem is that lots of characters are basically palette swaps of 

existing ones, or have the same generic attacks (i.e. Control Freak is 

a Robin-esque character, Bumblebee is a lot like Jinx, and everyone’s 

got a few beams of some sort). The worst occurs when characters 

are actual carbon-copies. “Red” and “White” Raven are exactly like 

normal Raven with zero differences. In what I consider a personal 

insult, Blackfire has Starfire’s moveset, and the same green starbolts 

as her sister. Combine this with the fact that the same fighting 

engine used in the story mode applies to this mode as well, and you 

can see that it’s easy to get tired of Master of Games very quickly. 

There are a lot of good ideas in this game, and not a single one of 

them is executed in a way that makes me able to condone this as a 

purchase, unless you’re a super-serious Titans fan, or have kids who 

are. It’s not the worst game in the world, but when 

one thinks about what might have 

been with even a single 

month’s worth of extra 

development time, 

it’s enough to make 

you cry. 


2nd opinion by Hitoshura • Alternate Rating : 3.5 of 5 

2nd opinion by 4thletter • Alternate Rating : 2 of 5 

3.75 of 5 

Square-Enix - The speedy re-translation is most appreciated, but a delay for bug testing 

would’ve helped. The extras however breathe new life into this classic game. 

No, see, this is not how you do a tie-in game for a popular property. It could’ve been a 

rocking multiplayer title, but instead we get something that you have to struggle to enjoy. 

2.25 of 5 

68_REVIEW_FINAL FANTASY IV ADVANCE 



TEEN TITANS_REVIEW_69

Review by honestgamer 


Publisher : Capcom 

Developer : Atomic Planet 


Rating : TEEN 

Genre(s) : Compilation 

Category : Action 


Publisher : Sony Computer Entertainment 

Developer : Climax Entertainment 


Rating : TEEN; Language, Violence 


Category : Action/ 

Kung Foolery 


X is the best robot in the world. When others revolt 

against humans or just wreak general havoc, Dr. 

Light’s final creation stands up to them and 

ensures that mankind and the world will see a 

bright tomorrow. Now, his first six adventures 

are captured on a single disc for your 

enjoyment. If you have loved the series before 

and you’re missing one or two of its entries—or 

if you have them all but you’d like to see them 

gathered in one handy location that doesn’t 

require digging through your closet and hooking 

up old machines—you already know what to do. 

At a glance, Mega Man X Collection is nothing more than 

a collection of six great games (seven if you count the 

unlockable racing game). The extras are limited and include 

little on-screen tips that will appear after you’ve finished the 

various games (you know, well after they’ll do you any good). 

You can adjust the control scheme, too, and the version of Mega 

Man X3 that’s included here is the video-spliced Playstation 

version that was released over in Europe. Otherwise, what 

you’re getting is a clean emulation of all your favorite games in the 

series, almost exactly as you remember them. Differences include 

appreciated upgrades like memory card save and diminished flicker 

from explosion-crowded screens. 

Really, they don’t need anything else. At the time of their 

release, these games were much loved by the action 

gamer community, and for good reason. Without 

exception, they provide some of the tightest, most 

action-packed gameplay around today. Finding 

them all faithfully restored brings a warm glow to 

one’s heart. Another advantage of having all the 

games in one place is that you can easily follow the 

convoluted plot. The series began simply, with the 

story of X’s battle against the renegade Sigma, and 

progressed by its sixth (somewhat “inaccurate”) 

entry to the point where X and Zero hardly know 

what to make of the strange ties that bind them. 

The plot twists include viruses and armies, which 

you might expect from a story about robots, but 

also heartache and prophecies. 

Besides sci-fi intricacies, you’ll likely 

appreciate the non-linear level 

progression. You can conquer the 

bulk of the stages in any order you 

like, and explore them to find various 

nooks and crannies. Truly, you’ll spend hours 

discovering every twist and turn, unless you resort 

to the readily-available FAQs people have 

posted online. Just a quick exploration 

of the games isn’t enough to explore 

the exciting mysteries that lie just 

beneath the surface. 

Ultimately, this collection is what it 

is: a bare-bones gathering of truly great 

platform titles with the same visuals that 

charmed us years ago. They’ve aged a bit, but 

not so drastically as the 8-bit games on Capcom’s 

previous collection of blue bomber adventures. If 

you like your gaming in two dimensions, Mega Man X 

Collection is near-perfect. For series veterans and newcomers 

alike, it’s one of the year’s simplest recommendations and one of 

its guiltiest pleasures. 


It’s about time we started to see some original intellectual 

properties arrive on the PSP! Just as it was beginning to seem 

like PSP owners were doomed to a life cycle of nothing but 

countless ports and pseudo-sequels, Kingdom of Paradise comes 

along to inject some life into the platform, and does so in mostly 

impressive fashion. 

Kingdom of Paradise is a tremendous technological achievement in 

that it does what no other PSP game has been able to do before it: it 

makes you forget that you’re playing on a hand-held system. Unlike 

most PSP titles, Kingdom has obvious high production values. It’s 

graphically competent, even to the point of being easily mistaken as 

a PS2 title, and has an impressive musical score befitting of a 

classic RPG. 

Though the average setting isn’t all that detailed, the towns, 

temples, and harbors that you visit along the journey are fairly big, 

and well designed. There are lots of NPC characters to interact with, 

and many actually do have useful bits of information pertaining to 

your objective. It’s reminiscent of Knights of the Old Republic, but 

without the voice acting. Considering the voice acting contained 

within KoP, that is probably a good thing. Some of the actors did 

a fine job, while others couldn’t seem to nail down the character, 

or read their lines so quickly that it sounded like gibberish. Thank 

goodness for the captions. 

Kingdom of Paradise’s combat system is what really makes it 

enjoyable. By progressing through the game and collecting scrolls, 

you can create custom combo attacks, and learn new forms with 

which to pummel your enemies. There are so many variations that 

you could spend several hours just creating the perfect move set. 

The ability to swap items with friends via Wi-Fi is even cooler, as is 

downloading exclusive content through the Infrastructure mode. Even 

though the combat system is deep, it’s not as thorough or rewarding 

as, say, Jade Empire. You’ll never need to press more than one button 

to execute any combo, which can feel a little too simplistic. You 

will also learn special chi attacks that become so powerful that you 

almost need to promise yourself not to use them. Otherwise the game 

becomes unbalanced, and less interactive of an experience. 

Unfortunately, not all is right within the Kingdom of Paradise, 

and I’m not referring to a plot point. The game’s storyline never 

becomes all that interesting, but the combat system is probably still 

enjoyable enough to keep you going regardless. However, the lack of 

a functional block button makes battles frustrating. This is especially 

true of boss fights, where high-powered attacks can make quick work 

of you. Sure, you can save virtually anywhere, but you’d better save 

often, because there are no warnings of a major upcoming battle. 

It may not be perfect, but the game’s 10-15 hour 

quest is solid. It’s the most impressive RPG on 

the system for certain, just perhaps not the 

most complete experience overall. There 

is a two-player battle mode thrown in for 

added value, and the download support is 

a really nice feature. Personally, I enjoyed 

The Legend of Heroes quite a bit more, but 

if “old school” is not your thing, then you’ve 

got nothing to lose by picking up Kingdom 

of Paradise. 




4.5 of 5 

This is a vast improvement over last year’s Anniversary Collection, and the games here 

are reproduced almost perfectly. Mega Man X6 still sucks though. 

This game tries hard and brings some good ideas to the table, but the polish isn’t there yet and 

it really lacks depth. Ultimately it’s disappointingly mediocre. 

3 of 5 

70_REVIEW_MEGAMAN X COLLECTION 



KINGDOM OF PARADISE_REVIEW_71

Review by honestgamer 

Review by Sardius 

Publisher : Crave Entertainment 

Developer : Point of View 


Rating : T for Teen 

Genre(s) : Gambling 

Category : Strategy 

# of players : 1 (more online) 

Publisher : Midway Games 

Developer : Midway Games 


Rating : TEEN; Violence 


Category : Hack’n Slash 

# of players : 1-4 (Online and 

Xbox Live compatible) 

If you’ve never understood the appeal of computer poker when 

you can just gather a group of friends, the beverage of choice 

and some peanuts for a trash-talking, nut-wagering marathon, 

World Championship Poker 2 probably won’t change that. However, 

those willing to look past a few glaring issues will have 

fun in spite of themselves. 

The experience begins with character creation. Clunky navigation 

aside, this mode is pretty good. You can even customize personality. 

I chose to create a guy named Harlan who had a cowlick, star-shaped 

glasses, too many rings, a weight problem and a nervous disposition. 

Once you’ve created your avatar (or multiple ones, if you prefer), it’s 

time to get down to the action. 

In this case, the ‘action’ is a group of people sitting around a card 

table while a jaunty, almost comic tune plays in the background. If 

you’re looking for an intense atmosphere, don’t. Your opponents are 

all stereotypical goofs, and the voices don’t always match the faces. 

One guy I faced had a smooth complexion and silvery hair. He looked 

about thirty, then took a small pot and commented in an elderly voice 

that he hadn’t won a game in 50 years. 

Aesthetics aren’t the only disappointment. The gambling itself grows 

dull quickly, despite the boasted 14 varieties. You’ll find that bluffing 

is king. A pair of fives (or none at all) can easily win the pot if you 

play right (there’s even a timed mini-game built around the concept). 

The whole time, characters will trade their patented small talk while 

your victorious character does the same and the announcer repeats a 

few tired lines. 

If you find that you enjoy such matches, a career mode lets you trace 

your character’s professional life from a friendly game in a basement 

all the way up to the big leagues. Here, the difficulty increases 

sharply. Cash gleaned from hapless opponents covers the entry fees 

to the bigger events spread across the confusing world map, and 

funds the purchase of items to spruce up your crib. If that’s your sort 

of incentive, rejoice. 

Despite the robust career mode, the game’s salvation comes not from 

the single-player mode, but from its online component. You can chat 

with your opponents while you wait for your turn, and mock them if 

desired. Really, the game’s loose design seems to be devoted to this 

side of the coin more than it is the offline mode. Though 

server issues can spring up, and though it’s sometimes 

difficult to find warm bodies to compete with, a good 

match is hard to quit once you get involved. 

If you get past its warts and wrinkles,World 

Championship Poker 2 ultimately succeeds at its 

limited objectives. The potential audience for 

this type of product is larger than some might 

think, and any one of them might enjoy the 

simple pleasure of taking artificial money 

from computer opponents. Just don’t expect 

anything mind-blowing. 


When it comes to cooperative multiplayer button-mashers, 

Gauntlet is the name gamers have trusted for more than twenty 

years. Considered a classic by many, the original Gauntlet’s flaws 

were concealed by the game’s cooperative aspect, a novelty in 

1985. In an era where an online multiplayer option is a standard 

feature for many action games, however, Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows 

does not fare nearly as well. 

Seven Sorrows drags the Gauntlet series kicking and screaming into 

the console realm, and the basic gameplay of the arcade original has 

been saddled with action game cliches in an attempt to add depth. 

You say that console games need a story? Fine, here’s a bunch of 

FMV cutscenes featuring slow camera pans across still concept art! 

Character development? An inconsequential experience system should 

do the trick! Puzzles? No problem, let’s present the player with tricky 

prompts like “Destroy the enemy generators,” “Pull the switches,” 

and (our favorite) “Keep fighting!” 

Despite every attempt made by Midway to make the game appear 

to be more than it is, make no mistake: Seven Sorrows is a Gauntlet 

game through and through. Gameplay boils down to progressing from 

one point in a level to another, collecting treasure and destroying 

monster generators along the way. There are a number of attack 

combos to learn and experience levels to gain, but players will 

most likely find themselves mashing the “hack” and “slash” buttons 

throughout the game until their controllers melt or the repetition 

becomes too much to bear. 

As with any Gauntlet game, Seven Sorrows is best enjoyed with 

more than one player. Played alone, boredom sets in quickly as the 

player fights the same monsters and faces the same challenges over 

and over again. Sadly, the multiplayer aspect is not much better. 

Though Gauntlet’s simple slice-’em-up gameplay lends itself well to 

multiplayer, Seven Sorrows lacks much of the excitement, cursing, 

and friendly treachery found in other cooperation-oriented games. 

Multiplayer in Seven Sorrows is a numbing experience that is often 

devoid of any sort of conversation, as nothing in the game ever 

requires cooperation between players. 

It’s a shame that Seven Sorrows’s gameplay is so underwhelming, since 

a lot of attention was paid to the game’s presentation. The graphics 

are beautifully detailed, and impressive hordes of monsters can be 

rendered with little slowdown. The game’s orchestral soundtrack 

is very nice as well, and the sound effects are full of appropriately 

meaty thwacks to accompany weapons meeting monster flesh. 

In the end, Seven Sorrows accomplishes everything it sets out to 

accomplish with regards to gameplay, and dares not attempt a single 

bit more. Gauntlet fans will be pleased to see how little things have 

changed from the arcade original, and odds are 

that those in the market for a Gauntlet game 

aren’t looking 

for innovation 

or complexity in 

the first place. Though 

extremely simplistic, Seven 

Sorrows is competent and fun 

enough until you tire of pounding your 

controller buttons into mush. 




Personality saves this game from being just another average poker title, and the character 

You can have some fun with this as a party game, but the level-up system is remarkably 

3.5 of 5 creation mode is awesome. Creating sarcastic fatty characters never gets old! 

pointless and the combat much too shallow. 

2.75 of 5 

72_REVIEW_WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POKER 2 



GAUNTLET: SEVEN SORROWS_REVIEW_73

So, Naruto officially appears to be the 

Next Big Thing. The show is popular 

enough to bring in the ratings on 

Cartoon Network, Hot Topic has an 

entire line of Naruto gear for you, 

and the video games are finally 

getting localized. Naruto: Gekitou 

Ninja Taisen! 4 is one of the most 

recent and possibly the best yet. Fair 

warning: it’s the fourth game in the 

series and set at around episode 135 

of the anime. In contrast, the US 

anime has yet to reach thirty-five 

episodes. Read accordingly. 

Gekitou Ninja Taisen! 4 (GNT!4 from 

now on, thanks) is a fighting with a few features that you’ve seen before. There’s one-on-one fights, Marvel vs Capcom 2-style tag 

battles, and four player melee matches. It’s from the makers of Bloody Roar, but don’t hold that against it. GNT!4 is a fun romp. 

GNT!4’s cel-shaded graphics are top notch. No, the game does not look exactly like the show, but it does replicate that anime 

feel nicely. All the characters are accurately modeled and nicely animated. Everything, from Naruto’s ridiculous hyperactivity to 

Kakashi’s interiminable calm, comes through in the animations. There’s little-to-no slowdown, barring the traditional end of fight 

slo-mo. You can even have four people on-screen at once with nary a hitch. 

The stages look nice, too, but there’s a bit of a problem. They’re cramped. Extremely cramped. Most of the stages are some kind of 

regular, flat geometric shape with invisible walls. There’s the odd fence or empty air, but it’s always odd when you juggle an enemy 

up into the air, kick him away, and watch him bounce off an invisible wall and land farther away in the stage. It’s limiting, but it 

does give GNT!4 an old-school feel. 

GNT!4 is a standard fighting game, complete with super moves, special moves, and throws, but the evades and counter-attacks are 

where it truly shines. If you and your opponent attack at the same time, the point of impact flashes as you collide in a stalemate. If 

your timing is good enough, you can keep this going longer and longer until someone loses their cool. 

Even better than that, though, are the kawarimi evades. 

You’ve seen these in everything from Dragon Ball Z to 

Samurai Shodown. It’s probably better known as the 

When you’ve got two series for the 

same show running concurrently, 

there’s bound to be some rivalry 

amongst fans of both games. It gets 

worse when they’re both in the same 

genre, as well. This is the situation 

with Gekitou Ninja Taisen! 4 (exclusive 

to GameCube) and Narutimate Hero 

3 (exclusive to PS2). How do the two 

stack up to each other? 

It all comes down to taste. GNT!4 is 

a straight-up fighting game. There’s 

no clutter on the stages and the fights 

don’t last forever. The characters are 

set from the beginning, which means 

no customization. Narutimate Hero 3, 

however, is more Smash Brothers than 

Street Fighter. The stages are huge 

and full of breakable things, and you 

can pick which specials you want your 

player to have. The fights feature long 

life bars, insane special attacks, and 

characters who change moves midbattle. 

Both, however, are worth your 

time. Break out GNT!4 when you want 

hardcore action, and NH3 when you want 

something a little more insane. 

“log trick.” If you time it right, 

you can tap the sidestep button 

just as your opponent is attacking, 

disappear while leaving a log 

behind, and counter-attack, all 

instantaneously. If you’d rather 

not counter, you can simply 

evade and ninja-dash (including 

the cool image blur!) away. It’s 

all a matter of timing, as well. 

You can theoretically evade your 

oppopnent’s evasion of your 

original evade, which leads to some fairly awesome fight scenes. 

Speaking of awesome fight scenes, know that combos can run pretty 

lengthy, and the super moves are suitably over-the-top. The game 

is kind of light on special moves, and each character seems to 

share the same generic throw, but there’s enough variation in the 

physical and weapon-based attacks to keep your interest. The lack of 

special moves isn’t really too serious, though, because the fights are 

amazing nonetheless. 

Fast-paced is a bit too soft of a word for the game. The life bars are 

pretty short, compared to some other titles, so you can burn through 

enemies pretty quickly. The tag battle mode lasts longer, obviously, 

but you can still finish up pretty quickly. 

Basically, GNT!4 is exactly the kind of fun, arcade-y fighting game 

we need nowadays. It’s a hoot to invite over a few friends and get 

your four-player on, and just as fun to run through the canonbased 

story mode (and the numerous missions that follow it) 

by yourself. There’s a great character selection, too, plus 

plenty of unlockables. 

Review by 4thletter 

Publisher: Tomy Entertainment 

Developer: Eighting 

Release Date: November 21, 2005 

Platform: GameCube 

Genre(s): FIghting 

Category: Ninja 


We’re due to get the first game in the series under the title Naruto: Clash of Ninja in Spring 

(check our preview in this very issue!), so GNT!4 is a ways off. The game isn’t too hard to 

get through at all, though you’ll be skipping a lot of voice-acted cutscenes if you don’t know 

Japanese, but the menus are easy to navigate through if you’re good at experimenting. Go for it. 

3.5 of 5 

(Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen! 4) 

74_JAPAN_NARUTO: GEKITOU NINJA TAISEN! 4 HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY 

HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 8_SUNRISE OF DESTINY NARUTO: GEKITOU NINJA TAISEN! 4_JAPAN_75

Review by HonestGamer 

(Ryuu ga Gotoku) 

Publisher: Sega 

Developer: Sega 

Release Date: December 8, 2005 

Platform: PlayStation 2 

Genre(s): FIghting 

Category: Action 


Publisher: Nintendo 

Developer: ChunSoft 

Release Date: November 11, 2005 

Platform: GBA (Red), DS (Blue) 

Genre(s): RPG 

Category: Dungeon Crawling, 

Monster Training 


(Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon) 

If you don’t know your Kanji from a plate of spaghetti, Ryuu ga 

Gotoku isn’t the best choice for a quick import. It’s beautiful at 

even the most mundane moments, but full of dialogue that’ll 

make your head spin, so the game just won’t have the proper 

impact unless you read Japanese. Still, it’s pretty cool. 

The introduction unfolds in 1995. It’s October and you’re standing 

in an apartment, holding a smoking gun while you stare at a dead 

man. Blood trickles from a hole in his forehead to the carpeted 

floor. In the distance, sirens wail and some policemen rush up the 

stairs outside, then burst in shouting. You’re so bemused by the 

sight of a ring on the floor that you don’t even care. 

Ryuu ga Gotoku then jumps back in time and gets to the good stuff. Following character introductions, a 

brawl begins. The game walks you through the finer points of combat. The protagonist can punch and kick, 

or wield surrounding objects as weapons. He can also move in close to grab an opponent, then use the 

man’s body as a makeshift mallet. If a desk or something is nearby, pressing the correct button will smash 

his frame across the furnishings with a satisfying crack (is that a bone breaking?) and some blood. The more 

pain you inflict, the faster your attack meter fills. 

Fights are half the game’s focus, while painstakingly-rendered plot sequences are the other. After you learn 

the various combos available, the fight ends and your friend (who watched uselessly from the sidelines) 

produces a metallic briefcase. The two of you exit quickly and wander through some streets choked by light 

mist and pedestrians. Before long, you’ve parted ways. 

From here, you’re left to explore the limited space available. You find more fights and also a tavern of 

some sort, where the game introduces a sexy young lady who wears a ring like the one in the introduction. 

The promise of tragedy weighs heavy on the air, and the game is cinematic enough to highlight it well. 

Facial expressions say as much here as the streams of text. Even the unimportant characters look like they 

must’ve taken years to render. The old man in the shop could almost have been cut from a photograph. 

Objects around him were given proper attention, too. You’ll see signs and the writing on bottles of 

wine, always presented well but never forcefully. Despite the visual splendor, load times are perfectly 

acceptable. The game is truly a marvel in presentation. 

With those consistently high production values, events progress from one fight and one plot sequence to 

another, with little between but the rain-soaked (and rather tedious) 

city streets. Those importers who don’t know Japanese will definitely 

wish they did, just because it’s so obvious they’re missing part 

of a really special game. At any rate, cracking heads requires no 4.5 of 5 

translation; violence is universal. 

There’s no denying that Ryuu ga 

Gotoku is a special game, but its 

heavy text and involving story 

mean that you’ll be lost without 

a translation manual. The game 

looks like it finally got approved 

for a stateside release, too, so 

this is one case where patience 

is sure to pay off. 

Review by Lynxara 

Everybody knows Pokemon, 

but the Fushigi no Dungeon 

series of Rogue-like dungeon 

crawling games is a bit more 

obscure to most American gamers. ChunSoft 

has been making these quirky and tough 

RPGs for nearly fifteen years, and while one 

has never been released in English, they’ve 

remained fan-favorites with Japanese gamers 

for years. A crossover with Nintendo’s superpopular 

Pokemon franchise was perhaps not inevitable, but certainly not inconceivable. 

The result of this crossover is slightly repetitive, even as dungeon crawlers go, but still pretty 

interesting. You play as a human that has been transformed into one of sixteen pokemon. Which 

one is determined by your gender and responses to a personality test taken at the start of the game. 

Assisted by partner pokemon, you try to sort out the mystery of what happened to you while doing 

good deeds. Most of them involve descending into the Mysterious Dungeon to rescue monsters who’ve 

wandered in and gotten stuck, along with the odd fight against nasty boss monsters. The storyline 

tries to cover up for the repetitive gameplay with charm and humor, but doesn’t really succeed. 

In the Mysterious Dungeon, you do what you do in just about every Rogue-like: gather up loot and 

kill every enemy you can in simple turn-based battles. The dungeons seem to be at least semirandomly 

generated, although you always find similar sorts of things and fight similar enemies at a 

given level. Enemies in this game are rival pokemon, who may join you after you’ve beaten them. 

By beating up enemies you can collect nearly four hundred pokemon for use in your team, a list 

that includes virtually every monster Nintendo’s ever designed for the games. Your allies 

are all AI-controlled, and will attack enemies automatically if you can get them into the 

right position, a process that can result in some interesting combat strategies. 

The Red and Blue versions of Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon are basically identical to 

each other, right down to purchase price. The main difference is in the interface: GBA’s 

Red version has you tap buttons to call up your main menus, while DS’s Blue constantly 

displays your menu on one screen while you play the game on the other. This feature 

isn’t terribly useful, so it leaves the DS version feeling a bit lacking. The GBA game is 

a very impressive title given the limited hardware, with colorful graphics and detailed 

animations for all of the game’s many monsters. 

Whatever version you play, Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon can neatly satisfy a compulsive 

RPG fan’s need to kill and/or collect things while on the go. Just make sure you’re at 

least a little bit compulsive before you try playing it. 

We recommend the GBA version if this seems like your kind of thing. Otherwise, take a pass on it. There’s 

been some speculation about this title coming to the US because it’s Pokemon-branded, so if you’re not 

dead-set on playing it right now then you may want to wait and see if an American version does come out. 

3 of 5 

74_JAPAN_RYUU GA GOTOKU 



POKEMON FUSHIGI NO DUNGEON_JAPAN_75

Fan art is all about giving exposure to aspiring artists who might not otherwise have a way 

to get their artsie parts seen. If you are one such artist, point your web browser toward 

www.hardcoregamermag.com and check out the Fan Art section of our message 

boards. That is where you can post your arts to get them considered for this section. You 

may also email submissions to fart@hardcoregamermag.com. 

A few things to keep in mind: There is no deadline for submissions because we’ll be doing 

this every issue. Keep it video game related, please. Only post drawings which you drewed 

yourownself. Don’t expect drawings of nekkid people or any adults-only type stuff to make 

the cut. Keep it rated “Teen” or below. You are the copyright owner of your artwork as soon 

as your draw it whether you make note of that fact or not. However, in submitting your 

artwork to us, you give us permission to reprint your art and make fun of it if necessary. 

We understand. 

® 

Title : Scorp & CelDa 

Artist : Douglas De Guzman 

Age : 22 

Location : Las Vegas 

Title : Spawn 

Artist : wildx7even 

Age : Undisclosed 

Location : Santa Maria, CA 

Title : Super Dimensional Alien Entity 

Artist : Circuitface 


Location : Arizona 

Title : Captain Blue 

Artist : Kathryn Carvalho 

Age : 18 

Location : Honolulu, HI 

Title : Jill Valentine 

Artist : Weskershouse 


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Title : MegaManX 

Artist : robi85 


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Title : Rukia 

Artist : lxyaoxl 


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Title : a furie from the warrirors 

Artist : Eddy 


Location : Anaheim, CA 

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78_FAN ART 

HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 1_ISSUE 7_SUPER DUTY 

© 2005 Hollywood Management Company

Cosplayer: Imari Yumiki 

Location: Sacramento, California 

Website: http://www.geocities.com/ 

devilsmeteor 

HGM: How long have you been cosplaying? 

IY: Since 1994. 

HGM: How many different cosplays have 

you done? 

IY: I’ve done many cosplays: crossplay, 

anime, games, manga, pc games. I mostly 

like to cosplay games though. I guess I’m 

more of a gamer than an otaku! 

HGM: What is the longest you have spent 

constructing a costume? 

IY: If I count up the hours, around two to 

three weeks. Since I’ve worked on cosplay 

for a long time, my time making them 

isn’t too long. 

HGM: What do you like the most about 

cosplaying? 

IY: I get to wear awesome clothing and costumes 

drawn by talented artists. It’s sort of being a 

model, but you can have more fun. Like going to 

conventions: you can compete in cosplay contests, 

skits, and other events. Plus many people compliment 

your costume! You can also meet new friends, as well 

as really nice staff and photographers. It’s just fun 

cosplaying! (^^) 

HGM: Next cosplay you’ll do? 

IY: Hmm, the latest one I can think of is Lien Neville from 

King of Fighters: Maximum Impact. After that I will probably 

do another Hitomi costume from DOA4. However, I am not 

always on schedule, I may make something extra time to time. 

Cos-play (kos-plä) v. A combination of the words costume and 

play People known as “cosplayers” dress up as their favorite 

characters from anime movies, and video games. 

Q. What makes a hardcore gamer? 

A. An undying love for games. 

Come join us Hardcore Gamers online at: 

LUV2GAME.COM 

We know there are already way 

too many places online to go for 

gaming content. So we’ve done 

something a little different. 

We love playing games. We love 

them so much that we decided to 

make an online community that is 

fun to play — like a game. 

When you join Luv2Game.com 

everything you see and do will 

earn you points. 

Then, you can trade your points 

at the store for neat swag — really 

cool stuff you can’t get anywhere 

else! Stuff like: autographed 

sketch books, DS skins, limited 

edition action gures, and many 

more game related items! 

Hitomi (Dead or Alive 4) 

80_COSPLAY.COM 

Shion Uzuki (Xenosaga 3) 

Photographer: Everon Lu 


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Love games? 

Us too! In fact, we were going to call the magazine “We really 

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12 issues 

new games • old games • console 

games • arcade games • pc games 

• portable games • game stuff

Volume 1 Issue 8 February 2006 Onimusha - Hardcore Gamer

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