ISSUE VOL. #2
MONSTER TRUCK RACING
By:Ed
Reporter
Monster Truck Racing A really superb game. For racing maniacs. There's battle mode, race mode, and every other mode. Off-road is the normal condition of the roads. This game is for intense gamers and quick reflexes. Get this today, if you can take the pounding! If ya want a Mario one, I can give you one of them too... Mario Cart 64 A really rad racing game. Drive around in your little engine thing and try to win the race. Or, in the case of battle mode, try to survive and be the last standing with all your balloons. This is the funnest, and funniest game Mario's ever been in! You HAVE to get it, EVERYONE! and... Super Mario 64 A really awesome game, except a couple annoying things, like you beat up a bomb guy, then walk away, come back in one second and he's back again. No memory card, no win. It's too easy. But, there are some cool parts. For all you Donky Kong 64 fans, get this game today!
CONSOLES CONSOLES
By:lena
reporter
There's no doubt about it. Playstation was the most popular gaming console in its time. No matter what Nintendo fans may say, Playstation had all the games, graphics, and fun. But will it stay popular for long? With Playstation 2, XBox, and Game Cube coming out soon, it will have some tough competition. It looks as if it's high time is over. Gaming consoles are divided into generations, and the major one started out with Nintendo vs. Sega. Sega beat out Nintendo with it's awesome graphics and games, and then the Super Nintendo beat out Sega, reigning over the gaming world for quite awhile. Then suddenly, Sega released its Saturn and amazed the world with it's realistic 3D graphics and CD concept. But unfortunately, their reign didn't last long because Sony came out with its Playstation that rivaled the Saturn, and eventually, beating them. Nintendo, realizing what this was doing to their sales, rushed to complete their new system, the Nintendo 64! Many Nintendo fans loved this new work of art, but the extreme gamers still stuck with the Playstation, saying that Nintendo was releasing too many "kiddie" games. So a competition began between Nintendo and Sony, almost as heated as it was between Nintendo and Sega back in the 80s. Sega, lurking in the shadows, decided that it was time to act. So they released their Dreamcast, confident that it would turn heads. Maybe it was bad timing, or maybe it just wasn't good enough, because that generation is quickly coming to the end, with the new release of the Playstation 2, and the XBox and Game Cube on the horizon. But these two next-generation console systems in progress better hurry up, or they just might suffer the same fate that the Dreamcast did.
GAME REVIEWS
By: surfing calvin Reporter
NHL Blades of Steel '99 Ease-of-play highlights Konami's first hockey game for the N64. By: surfan kalvin "reporter" Konami's Blades of Steel has been on a Nintendo hiatus since the eight-bit days of '88. Although reviving the name a decade later would seem as much a gamble as a 60-foot slap shot, the Pak's pick-up-and-playability peg it as a promising late-season entry. Blades' jam-packed option menu allows players to select from: Six Controller configurations Seven camera angles Five difficulty levels Five game speeds Automatic or manual goalie control Auto/semi-auto/manual player control Auto/manual/no line changes Four, five or six-man teams Penalties on/off Fighting on/off Icing on/off Two-line passes on/off Puck streak on/off ISS on Ice? Konami's trump card here is its Osaka development team, which has done such a bang-up job with its two International Superstar Soccer games. Like those critically lauded Paks, Blades offers intuitive controls that get you right into the game. Pressing the A Button while on offense will typically pass the puck to the nearest player, even if he is behind the puck-handler. As you get a feel for the game, you can take advantage of some cool puck-handling options, including wrist flips, drop passes and through passes. Excitable gamers will need to learn to chill out: Pressing B launches a shot, but quickly pressing B again cancels the attempt. Blades of Steel's sports first-rate animated strategy diagrams With Midway sidelining its Gretzky series for the '98-'99 season -- although it has tentatively announced plans for Gretzky 2000 -- Blades' ease-of-play wins it this year's arcade honors in the hockey genre. Dim-witted enemy AI on the easier difficulty settings certainly makes for some stratospheric scores. Nevertheless, you shouldn't expect the over-the-top action and comic animations -- nets bursting into flames, ambulances with sirens blaring -- found in The Great One's games. Part Sim, Part Arcade Instead, the designers opted for a realistic momentum-based physics model, which means it takes a while for a skater to build up a head of steam. It's a cool innovation not found in other hockey Paks, but it definitely slows down the action. Even on the Fastest setting, athletes take a while to get going, while the Slowest setting has all the vim of Perry Como's Greatest Hits. Anyone who got a gander at the great job Konami did with the curling venue in Nagano Winter Olympics '98 shouldn't be surprised at the excellent reflection-mapping on Blades' rinks. The athletes themselves look good, but lack the level of detail found in other sports games. Jaggies on moving players can be quite noticeable. The Sound of Fury Typical of Konami games, Blades of Steel sports a fine audio track. Randy Hahn, the voice of the San Jose Sharks, offers well-timed and surprisingly detailed commentary ("He circles in the neutral zone") that includes many players' names.The PA announcer's voice echoes throughout the arena and the crowd sounds include distinct hollers from leather-lunged fans. The Players Full NHL and NHLPA licenses means that all your favorite teams, players and uniforms are here, as well as the NHL North American and World All-Stars. The arenas are authentic, too, and are even rated on the condition of their ice. Players are graded on six traits (skating, shooting, stick-handling, spirit, fighting and stamina) comprising 12 subtraits (for example, skate speed, agility and acceleration). You can play a season or playoff schedule of varying lengths or a one-time exhibition. Your general manager options include trades and free agents, but there is no player-create option. The CPU won't squelch one-sided deals. The Cold Facts While Blades doesn't offer much that's new to owners of EA Sports' NHL and Acclaim's NHL Breakaway, its ease-of-play mark it as a good choice for the casual or younger fan. NHL Blades of Steel is also available for Game Boy Color. IN 2000 BIG MOUNTAIN 2000 Just in time to get you stoked for another season in the snow, SouthPeak Interactive covers the entire mountain with its latest release. Big Mountain 2000 is an unprejudiced Pak, giving equal representation to both skiers and snowboarders. Back Scratchers to Stale Fishes Three secret characters are waiting for players who earn every possible medal: a robot, a disco dancer and a bear Despite the freakish cartoon characters which appear on the box art and the character-select screen, Big Mountain 2000 is much more of a simulation game than an arcade racer. Players can choose between six different ski bums, who can each either ski or snowboard down the game's four courses. In Slalom and Giant Slalom modes, portions of the courses are off-limits We were hoping to have more runs to choose from, but the four courses in Big Mountain 2000 are very long and each contains multiple routes. There are three different modes of play to choose from: Championship Two-Player Battle Time Attack Custom boards and threads are provided by Solomon, Vans and Bonfire Players are pitted against three computer opponents in Championship Mode, which can be completed on a snowboard or skis. Championship Mode is divided into three sub-stages: Free Ride, Slalom and Giant Slalom. Your athlete's attributes increase as you complete races, and success in this mode of play is the only way to unlock the fourth course. Frost Bite If you lean too hard into a turn, visual cues like these pop up to let you know that you're about to crash and burn If you approach Big Mountain 2K expecting to experience the same great play control and realistic physics which were found in 1080° Snowboarding three years ago, then you're in store for a massive wipe-out. Imagineer did a respectable job in producing a distinct difference between skiing and snowboarding control, but unfortunately neither one reproduces the smooth flow of cruising down the mountain. Whether skiing or snowboarding, it often feels like your character is being pushed down the mountain by a tread mill rather than gravity. When you crash, for example, the terrain continues to pass under your body at a smooth, even pace. Different tricks are available depending on whether you're a boarder or a skier On the other hand, there are a few things which Big Mountain pulls off much better than its competition. A super-slick framerate produces an incredible sense of speed, and the ability to race against three other riders rather than just one is major improvement. A more realistic race is produced by a flashing meter which lets you know when you're cruising too fast. If you don't brake when the meter flashes red, you'll get a face full of frost. Lift Ticket? By far, the most appealing aspect of Big Mountain 2000 is the length of its courses. Even though there are only four hills to conquer, it takes quite a while to make it from top to bottom. The most unappealing aspect of this Pak? There's no halfpipe! Skiers are pulling some crazy tricks on halfpipes these days, and the replay value of this Pak would skyrocket if there were a frozen playground for players to show off their skills. Make sure you line up your skis before landing If you're a skier, buy a lift ticket and head up the Big Mountain. Since your only other option for virtual thrills on N64 has been Nagano Winter Olympics 98, you can't go wrong. If you're a boarder, you may want to take a test ride before forking over your dough. Big Mountain has some cool new courses to explore, but no matter how hard you look you won't find a halfpipe.
About the GBA
By: Nick
Reporter and chief
Are you ready for the ultimate portable gaming experience? You'd better be, because on June 11, 2001, Nintendo will release in the USA the next Gameboy, the Gameboy Advance. The system will carry a manufacturer's suggested cost of $99.95, while new game software will cost between $29.95 and $39.95. The 15 games that are out for it are basically NES games. In fact, I recently discovered today that they placed the NES took it apart and hooked it up to the Super NES and that's how they got the idea and that's why the graphics are tight. If you think the Gameboy Color was good, get ready. Just wait until you feel the power of the Game Boy Advance's 32-bit color graphics and intense new horizontal design. This handheld console has 32 bits- much more then the 16-bit Super NES. The screen is bigger, but it's just as compact as Game Boy Color. The addition of the L and R Buttons add increased control, taking your game-play experience to the next level. There's basically nothing that the Game Boy Advance can't do! It is fully compatible with all pre-existing Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. Four — not two — FOUR Game Boy Advances can link up for incredible multiplayer action, But it requires one game pak. For certain games, the Game Boy Advance will have the ability to serve as a controller for the Nintendo Game Cube as well! You can hook it up to the Game Cube for more bits of color and even better play!! Are you beginning to see the picture here? The Game Boy Advance is thought to be the future of hand-held gaming, and that future is almost here! The Game Boy Advance will be released in the United States in June, shortly after Japanese gamers will experience the excitement of this new hardware in March! Advanced Comparison get ready for some advanced mathematics.
How the XBox Compares to the Game Cube
By: Nate
Reporter and chief
The XBox is a real cool system. I think it will compare pretty good against the Game Cube. The Xbox can play discs. It can also play other system games like Game Cube, Playstation2, Playstation, and Dreamcast. WOW! That's a lot of games! VR-1 announced that they will publish an exclusive XBox title through the Microsoft label. VR-1 is a leader in developing massive multi-user online entertainment technologies. Here is what some people said about the XBox. Electronic Arts sums it up best: "Titles like Madden NFL 2001, SSX Snowboarding and Knockout Kings Boxing are going to look great on Xbox." Here’s the list you’ve been waiting for! Over 150 developers are currently working on XBox game concepts. These are the reasons you’ll want an XBox. Oh yeah, stay tuned; because this list is just the beginning. XBox is a game console that will deliver the most realistic, intense and action-packed game experience available. BIll Gates said that Microsoft will be entering the making of video games also for the XBox. I do believe that this system will be a little better then the Game Cube. There is so much to talk about. While exact pricing has not yet been determined, the XBox console and games will be competitive with other next-generation console systems already on the market and in development. It will push about 300 million polygons per second -- more than three times the graphics performance of its closest competitor, Sony Playstation 2, which was recently released in Japan. I think this is strongly the best system ever built
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Nick.....Editor-in-Chief, Layout Editor, Adviser
Stephanie.....artist
luigi66.....Reporter
tarzanboy6225264.....Reporter
Magma Mario.....Reporter
surfingcalvin.....Reporter
Purple Mario.....Features/Editorials Writer
We hope you like this issue is much as we did making it. Well are next newsletter is going to come out in june 5 or so. So come back to see the next issue! well c,ya!
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