2002: After a Long Hiatus...
I did not intend on taking so long with this update, a mix of document problems, procrastination (probably mostly that to be honest) and also multi-tasking resulted in this wait. But here we are, finally updated again. Anyway, will try to not take so long with future updates. Also may go back an edit older posts too.
REZ
January, 2002
Go to synaesthesia...
The shooting genre
Reinvented
- Advertisement for the Neptune release entitled Rez, a musical themed rail shooting game, where one travels as an avatar along a path through a computer network.
SONIC ADVENTURE 2
February, 2002
Good Hedgehog
Play as Sonic and board, swing and grind to save the world.
Evil, Sinister, Malcontent Hedgehog
Play as Shadow, Sonic's evil double, and conquer the world.
- Magazine advertisement for Sonic Adventure 2. Released in 2002 for the Neptune, Sonic Adventure 2 was to be the definitive Sonic title available for the system.
"Sonic Adventure's sequel takes the bars set by it's predecessor and the Sonic games before it and raises them all the more higher. This a definite must-have for any Sonic fan or even Neptune player in general." - Electronic Gaming Monthly, 2002
"Sony's first true entrance into the Sonic franchise as it's new manager has really kicked off with a bang - everything from the first game has been only updated. The voice acting, the character animations, the graphics, the gameplay and even the story have all been upgraded to be 10 times more amazing than they were before. A definite should-buy." - Game Informer, 2002
"Here's what I like about SA2: the upgrade in cut-scene animations, graphics (as good as the Neptune can handle being), the addition of rail grinding, the music, and just how deep the plot goes. Shadow's story is really interesting in how he starts evil but becomes good in the end when his memory his jogged. The plot twist involving Professor Gerald programming the ARK to crash was also very shocking when on a first playthrough, as is the fight with the Biolizard. The Chao Garden (which is heavily expanded on from the previous game) and the extensive multiplayer is also very fun, though I wish you could play as the Multiplayer characters (Big, Chao Walker, Tikal, Chaos, Metal Sonic, Amy) outside of the multiplayer. They also did not go the Sonic Team route and stuck to their guns on not having dash panels, forcing them to design their levels for use without them. What I find mixed, the hunting and mech stage characters. Now, in the mech stage they did add the ability to transform your mech into a flying mode which is fun to play around with but Eggman and Tails can't actually leave the mechs at all. Knuckles and Rouge on the other hand have treasure hunting levels like in SA1 and it's just about as enjoyable for me. [Spoiler Warning] I also do like how they did make slight changes to the gameplay & story from what was found in the original builds - such as implementing the Chao Playground, and changing some aspects of Gerald, adding some lines further implying that he was forced to finish Shadow while imprisoned. Most of these changes were post-delay, so whatever caused the delay gave us an improved experience. As a whole, one of the greatest Sonic games." - Blog post, 2010's.
"The Hedgehog is on a roll!" - Next Generation, 2002
"For a lot of people, Sonic Adventure 2 proved that Sony truly was capable of handling the Sonic franchise. Though one can't ignore the fact that Sony became rather fond of Sonic quickly, public consciousness viewing him as Sony's mascot now what with all the various types of merchandise he had and now recognizable he was. It was easy for him to slip his way into symbolizing the entire corporation rather than just it's video games division. However, some people - and I do sympathize with them - long for the simpler times when Sega was an actual thing and Sonic was it's mascot, and was just a blue hedgehog that ran really fast." - Kyle Powell, Blog Post, 2012
"Shadow the Hedgehog. That's really all you need to know about this game." - Anonymous commenter, 2005
"I miss Sonic Adventure and it's hub worlds, if only because I kind of liked those wacky side stories all of the NPCs got up to while you were busy running off with the action stages." - Youtube Commenter, 2010
"Sonic Adventure 2 had a tough act to follow. It was expected to follow after Sonic X-Treme which shocked the world, and Sonic Adventure which shoved it's way into popular culture with a movie released the previous year. It wasn't going to please everybody. For as praised that it is, it is criticized just as much." -
"Sonic Adventure 2's financial success comes down primarily to the Chao Garden, and the honestly over-hyping that Sony did with their marketing for this game. I'm not kidding, gaming press was all over this thing from the beginning of it's development, or at least post-announcement. The first and second delays were actually primarily for revamping the game's design, aesthetics and presentation - ironically because Sony was insecure about it after the release of Jak & Daxter, and demanded Sonic be held to that same standard. As a result, STI worked to revamp the graphics, level design, cut-scene animations, dubbing and overall presentation of the game to match the standards that Sony demanded. So I actually thank Jak & Daxter for existing in that regard, if it didn't exist we would have a not as polished version of SA2 right now."
"Sonic Adventure 2's release was another worthy success for the hedgehog, but behind the scenes things were getting a bit messy. The STI design for 3D Sonic clashed with Sonic Team's. Christina Coffin and her team decided not to bring back the dash panels from the original Sonic Adventure, something which hearkened back to Sonic X-Treme. Yuji Naka actually argued over it, though he and Naoto Ohshima also had their own separate disagreements too, over the direction Sonic was headed in. It ended in Ohshima leaving Sonic Team, and Sony as a whole. While STI went back to working on it's own original projects, the question of whether or not Sonic Team should be handed the next Sonic game was a seriously asked question. They were quite busy making more IPs for Sony: one of which set to release next year. In addition, Sony was not amused with Takashi Iizuka not wanting to make a 3rd Adventure title. Sony didn't care though, they could have any other studio they own make any Sonic game they want and were willing to let him go if he caused an uproar about it. He kept himself quiet." - Sonic Team: The Inside Story, ScrewAttack, 2017
"By 2002, the original Sonic Team trio of Sonic's creators were all going separate ways. Yuji Naka remained, Naoto Ohshima left, and even before that back in the 90's Hirokazu Yasuhara left - only for years later Sony to purchase the company he was working for Naughty Dog and bring him back into the family. Abeit, not part of Sonic Team." - Sonic Team: The Inside Story, ScrewAttack, 2017
"The STI team had proven itself yet again with Sonic Adventure 2. Christina Coffin's programming skills had now twice proven key to two high-selling Sonic titles - one of them being one of gaming's most historic titles ever." - Sonic Team: The Inside Story, ScrewAttack, 2017
"I think the conflicts within Sonic Team were bound to happen. The Hedgehog was growing more than he ever was before, I expected there to be some bumpy roads at that point. Even I wasn't completely sold on the direction that Naka and his team were taking the series. There was only so much I could do though. It didn't help that we had a lot more going on than in the old days." - Tom Kalinske, 2017 interview with ScrewAttack
"The first Sonic game to not feature the SEGA logo....I cried at that realization." - Anonymous, 2012.
JET SET RADIO FUTURE
February, 2002
Lead a posse of street-smart skaters through multiple adventures as you reclaim your turf from rival crews, combat corporate goon squads, and attempt to save the soul of the city.
- Excerpt from the back cover of Jet Set Radio Future, the sequel to Jet Set Radio. As can be expected, it was a Neptune exclusive release.
PAC-MAN WORLD 2
February, 2002
The Ghost Gang Strikes Again!
They have picked the Magical Golden Fruit from an ancient tree and released the most wicked entity that Pac-Land has ever seen. It's time for Pac-man to take control and return what was taken. With brand new skills, a zany cast of enemies and friends, and a vast world to explore, his heroics will be pushed to the limits. Step aside 'cause Pac-man is coming through, and he's on a mission!
- Back cover for Pac-man World 2, which was released for the 3DO M2 in February 2002 despite the discontinuation. It was later released for the GameCube in March of 2002, and Nokia Neo in October of 2002. It was one of the final games released for the defunct M2.
THE SIMS HAS OVERTAKEN MYST
March, 2002
The world of gaming has been seeing drastic changes ever since it first became a thing - and there is no bigger a change than what's popular on the scene at any given time. Not that long ago Mario was the everywhere, until Sonic showed up to give the plumber some healthy competition (though some argue Sony's a bit too full of itself with the hedgehog). Now, it appears another newcomer has risen to the scene - in the same of Sims. Indeed, the life simulator game has completely overtaken Myst to become the new highest selling PC game of all time. Sonic may have slowed Mario down, but not even he was able to do as much damage as The Sims has.
The two games are not really competitors though, in fact Myst came out in 1993 and is an adventure game, while the sims is effectively a virtual-life game - albeit one from the genius that is Will Wright and his Maxis team. At 6.3 million copies sold, we now officially live in a time where a game called The Sims is the most popular PC game.
The Sims, which was released in February 2000, lets players create a neighborhood of simulated people and control their lives. The game was the best-selling game of 2000 and 2001, and it has been translated into 13 different languages. The game's success has inspired the release of three expansion packs: The Sims: Livin' Large, The Sims: House Party, and The Sims: Hot Date. The combined sales of The Sims and all its expansions have exceeded 13 million units. On March 26, EA will release a fourth add-on, The Sims: Vacation, which will let players take their sims on a trip to an island with three different settings.
"Reaction to The Sims by both customers and critics have exceeded our most ambitious expectations," said EA president John Riccitiello. "The Sims has become a cultural phenomenon. Its worldwide appeal spans hard-core gamers, casual computer users, and even gaming's most elusive group of consumers, women. Over 50 percent of new Sims players are female."
In addition to the retail expansions, players have access to additional free add-ons, including new household objects and character clothing sets, on the game's official Web site. For more information about The Sims, take a look at our complete archive of Sims-related coverage.
- Electronic Gaming Monthly, 2002
"Sony assimilating Sega, The Sims becoming a thing and overtaking Myst, Nokia joining the home console race, the Dot-com bubble, the first X-Men movie, the first Shrek movie, the first Harry Potter movie, the first live-action Lord of the Rings movie, 9/11, and the evolution of first person shooter games. All in the span of just a few years. Good lord how the world changes fast." - YouTube commenter, 2010
HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED
March 14, 2002
The time has come at last. Halo, the long anticipated and hyped up title from Panasonic Interactive Entertainment & Bungie has finally made it out to stores after what was described as the onset of Development Hell. The M2 may be gone and with it the name of 3DO, but Halo is already proving to be their great return to action.
If you've read the Publisher's Weekly bestseller Halo: The Fall of Reach which came out last October, then you already know the basics of what is in store for humanity in this Science Fiction shooter. Following after the novel, the Pillar of Autumn is attacked by the Covenant Empire just after it discovers a massive 'Halo' ring orbitting around a nearby gas giant. The Covenant attack is dangerous enough to warrant Master Chief Petty Officer, Spartan JOHN-117, to escape the ship along with the AI known as Cortana directly onto the somewhat familiar ground of this mysterious Halo ring - which is believed to be some kind of weapon.
Of course, there's more to Halo than meets the eye, and the single player campaign is only half of the story. One of Halo's strongest points is it's online multiplayer, which utilizes only the most modern of online capabilities. You can now enjoy the addictive fun and excitement of online shooter multiplayers in the comfort of the home console.
Split screen action, five multiplayer action modes alongside a variety of customization options and up to 16 players online - with a System Link allowing even more makes for one of the most powerful reasons to turn your gaming from local to online - and the epic soundtrack from Martin O'Donnell only adds to the reasons to pick this thing up.
Numbers don't lie, already is Halo breaking sales records, the projection being that it will break it's first million in no time - and considering the critical praise it is getting from most outlets this should come as no surprise. 3DO might just be more successful in death than it was in life.
See pages 17-18 for more coverage on the growing Halo phenomenon.
- Neo Magazine. Halo: Combat Evolved was released on the Nokia Neo, with a Nintendo GameCube port being released in May of 2002. A PC port was released in September of 2003.
"A truly revolutionary title, it combines sci-fi space opera with gritty wartime action with one of the most engaging online multiplayers we've seen in this industry yet. If you didn't believe a new era had begun before, you're definitely gonna start believing it now." - Game Informer, 2002
"A challenger has appeared, and it means business!" - Next Generation, 2002
"Halo won me over because it was a bit more than just a first person shooter game. It's setting was more interesting to me than those 'set in a real war' type of games. It's plot even came with a genuinely surprising twist with the third faction of enemies that appear late into the story. In general the entire storyline of the campaign is honestly one of the most surprisingly thought out things I've seen in a first person shooters - and the plot is something that honestly usually doesn't get talked about in these kinds of games yet when it comes to this one you could probably do an entire series dedicated to analyzing it thoroughly and I'd be totally invested in said series. Though the first game it self doesn't tell you the full story, there are additional materials in the form of novels that let you in on the extra details not covered in Combat Evolved. As a whole, Bungie and P.I.E. clearly put effort into coming up with this title and it definitely pays off well." - David Mason, IGN Forums, 2009
"I feel like not enough people give the amazing score of this game the praise that it deserves." - Hayden Burns, YouTube, 2012
"I like the attention to detail in this game, all of the enemy aliens have ranks determined by their armor colors and their species - and all of them remain consistent throughout the game. Despite that, they can still offer quite a challenge once in a while especially once the factions such as the flood and the sentinels come into play." - Patrick Mills, Gamespot, 2003
"For all of the praise that Halo does deserve, I have mixed feelings about the direction it shoved the industry towards." - Austyn Gross, YouTube, 2017
"I was rooting for Halo to succeed if only because I wanted to see what was left of 3DO make a name for itself rather than just fade away into being nothing but a memory. Luckily, that's what happened." - IGN Forums user, 2012
"I still don't like the GameCube port though, it looks and plays good but getting online on that version is just so much more complicated and just barely supported. Loading times are more prominent but actually well hidden and not as much a burden as one would think." - Thomas Foster, Gamespot, 2004
"When Halo came out, a revolution had begun." - Game Informer, 2007
"In the end, Halo actually did turn out to be the Saviour we needed after all. Even after losing the 'console war', we were still struggling to find our place in the third party world [Panasonic] was still thinking of just shutting us down completely. Had Halo not been a commercial success, it would have been it. Luckily, Halo was a success and it gave us the ability to start spreading our wings out again." - Laura de la Cruz, Interview with Gamespot, 2007
"Halo started something that would overtime begin transforming gaming into something far different from what it was before. To keep it short, First Person Shooters were going to begin becoming the norm, for better or for worse. However, it also gave hope for the reincarnation of 3DO known as PIE, it appeared as though they were rising from the ashes to not reconquer, but instead carve out a new empire for themselves." - IGN, 2012
"Panasonic Interactive was definitely in a new neighborhood. They now had to produce games for the other consoles, they had to learn their hardware, and they were now competiting with companies that had once upon a time been their own supporters. Halo was something they needed to get along in their new home." - Gamespot, 2012
SEGA SOCCER SLAM
March, 2002
ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH?
Go toe-to-toe with the wildest players ever in Soccer Slam, the high-flying, hard-hitting, 3-on-3 soccer game where winners go on to drink from the Continental Cup!
- Back cover for Sega Soccer Slam, a Neptune exclusive that features an exaggerated version of Soccer as well as mini-games.
KINGDOM HEARTS
March, 2002
What's it all about? No one would have expected Disney to approach Square to do an RPG, but it happened. No one would have expected a Disney-based RPG to be any good either, but that's happening too. Featuring four new characters designed by Final Fantasy legend Tetsuya Nomura, Kingdom Hearts takes Sora (the main character) and Goofy and Donald Duck on an adventure to save their two friends Riku and Kairi. Kingdom Hearts will not only introduce Disney characters to a whole new genre in gaming, it will tie together what was previously a separate collection of character-specific worlds. In Kingdom Hearts, the Little Mermaid's underwater kingdom will rest alongside Tarzan's jungle, Pinocchio's village and Aladdin's Arabian environs, among others. Virtually every Disney character you know will make an appearance during the game, with Dumbo having already been sighted.
- Magazine Excerpt about Kingdom Hearts, a Neptune exclusive title first released in March of 2002.
"It's like Final Fantasy, but with Disney! In fact, it pretty much literally is."
PLAY AS SONIC OR TAILS:
April, 2002
Sonic Team's two stars make cameos as warriors in SSBM. Here's how you get 'em: achieve a high score of 20 KOs with any one character in Cruel Melee. Sonic and Tails will then both challenge you (yes, at the same time). Beat 'em and they open as playable characters. Finish Classic mode with either for a special surprise.
- Excerpt from EGM's April 2002 issue
"One hoax caused a total fire storm amongst what is basically three fandoms." - IGN Forums user, 2008
"Sonic was never considered for Super Smash Bros. Melee, and for the foreseeable future it is highly unlikely that it will ever happen." - Masahiro Sakurai, 2010 interview with ScrewAttack, translated.
"Sonic has never, was never, and will never be considered for Super Smash Bros." - Tom Kalinske, 2010 interview with ScrewAttack.
SPIDER-MAN
May, 2002
The question on pretty much everyone's mind in Hollywood today, as the movie industry sat back slack-jawed at the record-shattering $115 million opening weekend for Columbia Pictures' ''Spider-Man,'' was whether it was an aberration or a sign of more blockbusters to come.
''For a long time, we never thought that a $100 million weekend was really possible,'' said Paul Dergarabedian, chairman of Exhibitor Relations, a Los Angeles company that monitors the box office. ''And this was not just $101 million and change. This proves that it is technically feasible for a movie to have a $100-million-plus weekend, to have a $40-million-plus day. And that changes everything.''
Of course, various all-bets-are-off pronouncements were made after ''Titanic'' opened in 1997 and earned $1.8 billion around the world. So far, though, that movie's phenomenal success has proved to be an aberration. Yet the Monday-morning betting in Hollywood is that in this case, ''Spider-Man'' might actually signal a new era of $100-million-plus openings, raising the bar for everyone.
''What happened with 'Spider-Man' this weekend is, historically, an aberration,'' said David Davis, a box-office analyst for Houlihan, Lokey, Howard & Zukin, an investment banking firm. ''But it foretells a world where $100 million openings will become common in the relatively near future.''
In hindsight, everyone has theories on why ''Spider-Man,'' from the Columbia Pictures unit of Sony Pictures Entertainment, beat the $90 million record that Warner Brothers' ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' set just six months ago. ''Spider-Man'' is a shorter film, so it could be shown more times each day. Because it appealed to an older audience, it was possible for theater owners to add post-midnight screenings that also sold out. And since children's tickets are cheaper, a movie with more teenagers and adults in the audience will inevitably earn more money. - New York Times, May 2002, excerpt
HIROSHI YAMAUCHI STEPS DOWN FROM NINTENDO LEADERSHIP
May, 2002
It is the end of an era. Hiroshi Yamauchi, who has led the video game monolith Nintendo since 1949, has made the surprising decision to step down from the company's leadership - though he is remaining the company's largest shareholder and remains the chairman of it's board of directors. Though the reasons for leaving his presidency are unclear at this time, this shift in leadership comes as a surprise given that it is the first time that someone not a member of the 'Yamauchi' family name has headed the company, who was founded by Hiroshi's great-grandfather long ago in the year 1889.
It was under Hiroshi's leadership however the company expanded into the multi-billion dollar behemoth that it is today - leaving it true that the gaming industry would not be where it is today had it not been for him and his keen sense of business.
From what we can tell, he is confident that Nintendo's presidency is left in "good hands" as his successor is none other than Satoru Iwata, who had previously been the head of Nintendo’s Corporate Planning Division. Even still, it is clear that Hiroshi is beginning the process of stepping back from direct leadership of the company - leaving one to wonder where things will go for Nintendo from here.
- Los Angeles Times
E3 2002 - E3 - ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPO WIKI GUIDE
E3 2002 belonged to one game and one game only -- DOOM 3 from id Software. There had been lots of rumblings about id releasing a new Doom game with a new and revolutionary DOOM engine, but no one had seen much of it.
So id sets up this little movie theater in the Activision booth and word gets out that id is showing DOOM 3. This was the first DOOM in nearly one decade, and it's id, so everyone took it seriously. People had heard John Carmack talk about dynamic lighting and some of the other things he planned on throwing into his new engine.
In other words, nobody had a clue.
DOOM 3 had the most amazing graphics anyone had ever seen in a game -- and that includes the non-interactive graphics in games like Dragon's Lair. DOOM 3 took the DOOM franchise in a new direction. It was slower-paced. It was nearly like survival-horror. You did not have bullets and shotgun shells sitting behind every corner. The monsters did not just splat and die. Some of them survived entire clips of bullets and chased you.
You saw reflections in glass. Monsters could break through walls. In one part of the demonstration, you entered a bathroom and saw a Pinkie eating the carcass of a fat zombie. Both the Pinkie and the zombie attacked you.
The line to get into the id theater became over 100 people deep. More people queued up for the movie than could possibly fit into that tiny theater over an entire day. Computer games seemed like the backwater of gaming in 2001. In 2002, thanks to DOOM 3 and several other new titles, PC games were the hotspot of gaming.
SSCEE opened E3 2002 by declaring the console wars over and themselves as the victor. Having shipped 30 million Neptune consoles worldwide, SSCEE was rightfully confident that neither Nokia nor Nintendo could possibly catch up. Arrogant as that sounded, it ultimately proved to be correct - even if Nintendo and Nokia didn't believe the fat lady had sung just yet.
In a less predictable rivalry, Vivendi, the company that held the literary rights to The Lord of the Rings lashed out against Electronic Arts, the company that held the rights to make games based on the movie versions of The Lord of the Rings.
The EA had a huge booth with a gigantic screen showing the trailer to upcoming movie, The Two Towers, on a 30-foot screen. Vivendi, with an equally large booth right next door, had a special room called "The Hobbit Hole" in which it projected coming attractions to its Hobbit and Lord of the Rings games on a domed ceiling.
This was also the year of Volleyball games. Taking a bit of a break from the phenomenon that was Shenmue, SSCEE's Yu Suzuki showed off Beach Spikers Volleyball. Meanwhile, Tecmo's Tomonobu Itagaki unveiled Dead or Alive: Extreme Beach Volleyball. Nintendo's big game at E3 2002 was Metroid Prime, an FPS game with an emphasis on adventure. THQ showed Red Faction 2, and Eidos' Time Splitters II made a big noise. Infogrames packed people in to see Unreal Championship for Xbox, and Acclaim showed off Turok Evolution -- the latest in its console-based popular FPS series.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: RavenShield, from Ubisoft got a lot of attention at Ubisoft with its amazing visuals. Everyone knew that Ubisoft would have another FPS game. One organization people did not expect to come out with a shooter was the United States Army.
In 2002, the Army unveiled a new recruitment tool called America's Army, a realistic depiction of army combat that gamers could download for free. Built using the same game engine that Epic created for Unreal Tournament 2003, America's Army caught more than its share of the attention from the mainstream media.
PIE, the afterlife form of 3DO, was rising from the ashes with Halo: Combat Evolved, which had just begun to take the world by storm by the time of the expo. Considering they were planning on having more books and extended universe media made about it, it was definitely a big subject at the show - and a major talking point getting people interested in the Nokia Neo.
Speaking of which, Nokia wowed the crowd with a gem of their own - Battlefield 1942. A game that was coming out of nowhere. Being it was to be one of their big first party titles, it was one of the things they showed off extensively, alongside the ability to play Neo Geo Pocket games on the N-Gage. They were definitely improving on their presentations. The Neo itself was proving to challenge the two big names in a way that previous number threes had failed, it had been stealing a lot of European market share from Nintendo (and replaced 3DO in the region), and it's connection to SNK allowed it a place in Japan. Halo & Battlefield meanwhile were sure to get it a foothold in America.
Other former 3DO games were also getting ported to the other consoles by this time, with GameCube ports of Gex games being released as well as Spyro titles on all of the consoles. They were also able to some portable titles too. For all intents and purposes, PIE (3DO) were looking to be more successful as a third party company than they were as a first party contender. Of course, this meant they were likely to become the rivals of their quite literal sister company Electronic Arts.
New versions of old games ruled the roost at E3 -- and not just DOOM. Tecmo's Team Ninja gave the world its first glimpse of Ninja Gaiden at E3 2002. To Nokia's delight, Tomonobu Itagaki, an outspoken N. Neo evangelist, made Ninja Gaiden exclusively for Neo. Tecmo also unveiled a new Rygar game.
SSCEE's Smilebit also unveiled a new Shinboi for Neptune, as well as Panzer Dragoon Orta. Not to be outdone, Konami showed Contra: Shattered Soldier for Neptune.
- IGN, 2012
MICHAEL JACKSON DIVORCES SONY
June, 2002
"… Anyway, I first let me say, I really don’t like to talk that much. I really don’t. I prefer performing than talking.
Let me just say this… The tradition of great performers… the tradition of great performers from — I really want you to know what I say! — from Sammy Davis Junior, to James Brown, to Jackie Wilson, to Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly. The story is usually the same though. These guys worked really hard at their craft, for the story ends the same. They are usually broken, torn and usually just sad, because the companies take advantage of them, they really do.
And… Sony…Sony… Being the artist that I am, at Sony I’ve generated several billion dollars for Sony, several billon. They really thought that my mind is always on music and dancing. It usually is, but they never thought that this performer — myself — would out think them.
So, we can’t let them get away with what they’re trying to do, because now I’m a free agent… I just owe Sony one more album. It’s just a box set, really, with two new songs which I’ve written ages ago. Because for every album that I record, I write — literally, I’m telling you the truth — I write at least 120 songs every album I do. So I can do the box set, just giving them any two songs.
So I’m leaving Sony, a free agent,… owning half of Sony! I own half of Sony’s Publishing. I’m leaving them, and they’re very angry at me, because I just did good business, you know.
So the way they get revenge is to try and destroy my album! But I’ve always said, you know, art — good art — never dies. …Thank you.
And Tommy Mottola is a devil!" - Michael Jackson, May 2002, Excerpt
SUPER MARIO SUNSHINE
July, 2002
Pollution and Paradise don't mix.
It's up to Mario, his water pack and you to make things less toxic and more tropic Super Mario Sunshine, only for Ninteno GameCube.
- Paper ad for Super Mario Sunshine, successor to Mario 64 and the true original 'Mario' game for the Nintendo GameCube system. It would see releases in North America and other regions in August 2002 and the following months.
"SHINE GET!" - YouTube comment, 2009
"Super Mario Sunshine is honestly the underrated black sheep of the 3D Mario family. I absolutely love the music in this game and also it's setting - a tropical paradise with enemies and civilians we've never seen before, and the introduction of a new mechanic that is kid friendly enough for Mario while also adding in the spice of a new, untapped game mechanic. While it does not have the overload of content that it's 'competitor' (Sonic Adventure 2) had, it still had that Nintendo level presentation that makes it a pleasant game to blast through. At the same time, I will admit that it could have used more content. Yet again Mario is the only playable character, and yet again you're just collecting stars (or in this case shine sprites) until you have enough to face the final boss. Only this time your hub world is a town rather than a castle - whether or not that's better is subjective. I do love Isle Delfino as a place, it's basically like Venice if Venice were closer to the equator, but I won't lie this game could still stand to be less of a 64 clone. I also don't like how the only reward for 100% completion is a post card image. Would've loved to play as Luigi or in some classic Mario level recreation instead. Still, the presentation is solid, and the slight (very slight) worldbuilding and slightly, slightly more of a plot than most Mario games is all welcomed. Honestly if you have a GameCube, pick this game up - it's the flagship Mario game for it after all." - Blog Review, 2003.
"I will forever love Super Mario Sunshine. All these other games of the early 2000's were making themselves all serious, complex, dark and filled to the brim with shooting action and mature themes but in comes Mario with an innocent, literally sunshine fueled vacation of the game that honestly does feel like a literal vacation from all the edge that was filling the rest of the market. It was honestly something that I felt was needed and made me continue loving Nintendo. Sure the water gun thing was something new but I never saw anything wrong with it - it's better than giving Mario an actual gun! It may not have a multiplayer or online connectivity, and it does have that odd design choice when it came to Yoshi, but no game is ever pefect even if it's Mario. Plus, Mario doesn't need to connect online. Honestly, I enjoy Sunshine because of it's simplicity. It's just simple, family friendly fun and sometimes that's a fantastic experience." - Cesar Oliver, Gamespot, 2006
SLY COOPER AND THE THIEVIUS RACOONUS
September, 2002
He's one cunning, devious, thievius raccoonus!
Rooftop chases, narrow escapes and dodging security guards.
Spotlights, alarms and infrared lasers.
- Back cover for Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, the first one of Sucker Punch's most successful hit series. It was exclusively available for the Nokia Neo.
SONIC X - ONLY ON FOXBOX
September, 2002
Sonic's here, and you better keep those eyes open because one blink is all it takes to miss this blue blur!
Every super sonic week, watchers of FoxBox will be treated to a quick dose of what is sure to be one of the latest hit series - Sonic X! Meet Sonic and all of his friends on the small screen along with their human friend Chris as they battle the evil Dr. Eggman and deal with everyday problems of hijinks, action and super fast speed!
Just remember to keep that schedule in memory, because you will miss it before you even know it!
Now, you may think that surely such a famous character's show would be present on other networks - but nope! This show is only airing on the equally new saturday morning block FoxBox! And trust us when we say ONLY! Your kids might want to get ready for the fastest high-speed action show they've ever seen!
Based on the hit video game franchise owned by Sony.
- Magazine advert for the localisation of SegaSonic Freedom Rangers, renamed Sonic X for distribution in America. At the time of it's Americanization, Sony was also exploring the idea of anime based on their other franchises.
STAR FOX ADVENTURES
September, 2002
Out of the cockpit... and into epic adventure!
At the far edge of the Lylat system, an army of diabolic dinosaurs has shattered the tranquil world of Dinosaur Planet. The future looks bleak... until Fox McCloud enters the fray. For the first time in his legendary career, Fox leaves his Arwing to battle enemies hand to hand with an enchanted staff of untold powers.
In the biggest challenge in Team Star Fox's history, he'll wield weapons and magic against massive bosses, fly Arwing missions, and explore vast prehistoric lands. He'll need all the help he can get from old teammates Slippy and Peppy - and new allies like Prince Tricky and the mysterious Krystal. The balance of power shifts ever more to the evil General Scales, and the Fox hunt is on...
- Back cover for Star Fox Adventures, a game developed by Nintendo Subsidiary Rare for the Nintendo GameCube.
BATTLEFIELD: 1942
September, 2002
In the Air...In the Deep...On the Battlefield
Fight your way to victory in the most intense Battles of World War II. Choose your weapon and then jump into a raging firefight. From bazookas to battleships, a massive arsenal is at your disposal.
- Back cover for Battlefield: 1942 - released for both PC and Nokia Neo, from Nokia's acquired studio DICE. Despite the delay, it was one of the staple games for the system and a high seller.
"The Nokia Neo was a haven for First Person Shooter games. It began with Halo and Battlefield, and even back in 2002 Call of Duty was on the way - and more was coming."
"Coming out not long after Halo, Battlefield was a definite sign of the way gaming was heading. First Person Shooters were becoming more popular in the home, and the conoles of the day were attracting a much more 'hardcore' audience. While it's true that the most popular of the platformers would survive this change, many of those new faces coming into the world would be far less lucky. Thing is, for me there isn't really much to talk about with most of these games. They are shooter games, often based off real history, and do a good job at what they set out to accomplish. Battlefield was a solid and successful first party game, and made money for Nokia. It, and many others of the genre, made powerful use of the growing online multiplayer gaming that was becoming the norm." - Rayden Lancaster, Gamespot, 2011
"The games that were once regulated to the PCs, were now becoming available in the home. Of course, PC gaming was far from dying, but the types of games once commonly only found on it were now accessible to those who preffered a console - and the same goes for online multiplayer as well. That part of the shift was nice. The shift in gaming from platforming and mascots to FPS games though, that is definitely a mixed bag. I personally miss the days when it was Sonic and Mario that everyone debated over. In the early 2000's though, that debate wasn't so common as was the debate regardling Halo, Battlefield, Call of Duty (which was on the way for 2003), and other such games. I like some of the more original shooter games but I personally ignore the ones that are more run-of-the-mill. That's to not to hate on all of them mind you, I do understand the value in being able to play with a group of people without having to be the host of some party just for the purpose of gaming and I do realize that's obviously the most important part of most of these games, just saying I do admire the ones that have a little bit more than just that." - IGN, History of FPS Games, 2015
"Halo was a revolution, but Panasonic was a third-party company, the only hardware they made were televisions, electric rasers, cameras and home appliances. Battlefield was something they [Nokia] needed to prepare themselves for that - and in my opinion it did the job pretty well and is still doing that job well to this day! Sure it's one of the 'history-based' shooters, but it's not half bad at all and I say this as someone who has played it. It's so easy to hate on FPS games nowadays but there's a reason they caught on that I think gets overlooked in all of it. It's not just the online multiplayer, it's the same reason that games like DOOM got so popular. Last I checked, DOOM didn't have online multiplayer." - Bobby Wood, YouTube, 2012, excerpt.
GODZILLA: DESTROY ALL MONSTERS MELEE
October, 2002
Legendary Monsters, Epic Battles.
- Blurb from the back cover of Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee developed by Pipeworks and published by Infrogrames (under the Atari branding). It was released for both GameCube and Neo, with a similar game known as 'Godzilla: Domination!' being released on the GameBoy Advance around the same time. A multiplayer arcade-esque fighting game utilizing a selection of the Kaiju of the Godzilla franchise (though it refers to them as 'monsters').
"Under infogrames, Atari had become a bit of a zombified corpse, still doing things but nothing that was ever really that 'huge' in the larger gaming industry. Sure there were some games that were decent such as their Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi series, and their Godzilla games which gained a bit of a following, it is hard to believe that the modern Atari was once the king of gaming before Nintendo completely uprooted them." - IGN, The rise & fall of Atari, 2016
"While Atari's days of running the gaming industry are long over, their games still manage to have some personality to them, whether they be nostalgia trips or modern titles. I always enjoy a good Atari game. 2002 in particular looks to be a fair bit of the beginning of what might end up being a revival of Atari as a third party brand. It's a shame that they can't make a new console in their new form." - Gamespot, 2002
RED FACTION: THE FIRST INSTALLMENTS
Every video game company has to start somewhere, and just like Bungie with the Marathon series, Volition's first truly hit series was none other than the 'Red Faction' franchise. It is perhaps best known nowadays for being the franchise in which the megacorporation known as Ultor was first introduced to the world, but is also known for it's heavy themes, especially with undertones of revolution. Like many games that came out in the early 2000's, it was a first person shooter. The original game, released in May of 2001, featured 'GeoMod Techhology', allowing you to actually alter the surrounding terrain and buildings, often using things like explosives. Using this, you can actually make alternative paths for yourself or get in the way of your enemies - and in general it is a feature unique to it not seen in many other first person shooters - much less the ones being released at the time.
The entire premise of Red Faction is basically taking place in a science fiction future in which Mars has been colonized by humans and is being mined for minerals since Earth's own minerals have been depleted. Thus, the Ultor Corporation finds itself in charge of the operations on Mars. Unfortunately, Ultor doesn't exactly give the miners a better life or a brighter future because living conditions are horrible, human rights even worse, and there is a horrible disease that is spreading around - culminating in the spark that ignites a full on revolution. Ultimately, your main character, Parker, travels through Ultor's complex and learns all sorts of dark secrets about the company along the way as he kills everything the business throws at him and even destroys their space station! However, with the earth defense showing up and an antidote found, things turn out to have a happy ending.
The original Red Faction overall was a fantastic early 2000's shooter, and a great start for a company that would only move on to bigger and better projects. Though as is to be expected, the game by modern standards is a bit dated - especially in the graphics department. Still though I'd be lying if I said those early 3D graphics don't have a bit of nostalgic old timey charm to them, as cheesy as they look in some cases. It was released for the Sega (Sony) Neptune, and the PC and even had an N-Gage port at one point - and yes it had online multiplayer.
Red Faction II on the other hand was released for the Neptune, Nokia Neo, PC and even the GameCube in October of 2002, and like the original was developed by Volition and published by THQ - yes the same THQ known for most of the Nickelodeon liscensed games. It keeps the Geo-Mod engine from the original game, and has a local multiplayer with a lot of game modes to choose from such as Deathmach, Bagman, Arena and even Capture the Flag. It's comparable to Halo and Battlefield.
Red Faction II takes place five years after the events of the first game, and the nanotechnology developed by a character from the original game who was the head of Ultor's science division ha been claimed by the Earth Defense Force. With this technology, they actually revive the Ultor Corporation - only this time with a focus on supersolidiers and weapons. So yeah they basically want their own version of Master Chief. However, most of the doctor's research has been stolen by other groups, and switched hands many times over. The player character himself is also trying to claim the research - for a entity known as the Republic of the Commonwealth. What's very interesting about the story mode of this game is that there are actually four possible endings that are all determined on your Heroics score at the end of the game - but unfortunately it's not like you can make much other drastic changes in the story.
On it's release, Red Faction II's Neptune & GameCube ports were seen as oddly superior to the Neo & PC ports. Granted it wasn't by much, but that's how the reviews viewed it. I personally don't really see much of a difference, but I don't want to bother getting into it. As a whole, the first two Red Faction games were a good beginning to a series that really put Volition's name on the map and showed THQ was more than just the people that made the Nickelodeon games.
- Jack Moore, Blog Post, 2014
GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY
Released in October of 2002, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was the sixth entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, and the first main entry in the series since 2001's Grand Theft Auto III. Released right around the same time as Halo and Battlefield 1942 and both developed and published by Rockstar, it was but another push of mature content games into mainstream console gaming.
Takin place within the fictional Vice City, we follow Tommy Vercetti who just got out of prison not long before getting caught up in an ambushed drug deal, following it up with taking down those responsible, building a criminal empire of his own, and seizing power from other crime lords in the process. So indeed, you are most certainly not playing as a 'hero' this time, at least not in the usual sense. But the others are worse than you anyway......debatably. With how most people tend to drive around the streets in this game that probably isn't quite true.
The gameplay of GTA: Vice City is done through a third-person perspective, dropping you as Tommy into Vice City to basically run around and do whatever you want, with the expansive city being a sandbox style open world filled with pedestrians, missions and all sorts of other activities - whether they are legal or not - and a lot of them aren't. In fact, the more illegal things you do, the higher your notoriety goes. The more stars you get, the more determined the police will be to get you, eventually reaching the basically undefeatable feds themselves stepping in. Trust me when I say they are truly relentless, but it makes for a great endurance test.
Also, you can finally drive motorcycles.
Interesting is the combat system of the game, which includes an auto-aim system that can be used to assist you in gun fire against enemies, and on that same subject there are many different gangs in the city, and completing certain missions will both please and offend different gangs. Ones that like you will help you, while ones that don't will want you dead. It's as simple as that. If you're down on money, you can just outright purchase businesses....if you have the money for it. Though you do have to do missions in order to accomplish this. Really virtually everything in the game is dependent on missions, whether they are small or big.
While GTA: Vice City is a fantastic game for it's time, and one of the more ambitious titles of the era too, very well deserving of the praise that it got when it came out - one can't talk about this game without mentioning the controversy that came out because of it. It is much more than just some complaints about a mature, crime-centered game. It goes straight into the territory of lawsuits being filed - all while being labeled as violent and explicit.
For one, civil rights groups felt that because the player fights gangs of immigrant groups such as Haitians and Cubans, the game is some kind of invitiation to commit ethnic hate groups - and using discriminatory language. This got to the extent that outright protests were staged against the game - and led to several ordinances prohibiting the sale of violent video games in several areas - adding that ontop of the fact it already had a censored version made for Australia.
Sad thing is how common it is for the GTA series to be involved in these kinds of things. It's practically become standard. Whether you like the games or not, one can't deny that they are a major bringer of cash for Rockstar - hence why they never stop despite the drama they get. In fact, I wouldn't even be surprised if the drama is part of why they make the company so much money.
- Spencer Barnes, Blog Post, 2012
KING OF FIGHTERS 2002
October, 2002
The Dream Match is Happening Again!
The King of Fighters 2002
Join the battle with 39 of our best characters, including those unique ones from the past! Enjoy the new MAX power system that is even easier to use and play! You, too, can fully master the battle of your dreams with the newly revived 3 on 3 battle!
Available on SNK Neo Geo arcade cabinets, home systems, and Nokia Neo
- Back Cover for a release of King of Fighters 2002. The game, as stated, was released for SNK's own original home systems and arcade cabinets, but as also available on the Nokia Neo.
RATCHET & CLANK
November, 2002
There is nothing small about this game
- Advertisement for Ratchet & Clank, developed by Insomniac Games for the Sony Neptune. Following a feline-like humanoid known as a lombax, the game is both an action platformer and a third-person shooter, and the beginning of the franchise effectively owned by Sony itself.
"Lots of people were for some reasons that eludes me, asking for a game where Sonic had a gun and was shooting people. Ratchet & Clank being exclusive to us, gave them what they wanted without ruining our most prized possession. I don't know about you, but I for one would rather not turn Sonic into 'Medal of Hedgehog'." - Tom Kalinske, 2003 interview with Gamespot
"Though his name has some interesting meanings for some people, I always loved Ratchet. I won't lie though, when this game came out I first thought it was a spin-off of the Sonic universe but I was proven wrong because for once the hedgehog is not present in the game what-so-ever from what I can tell. Which is good, he really doesn't have much of any place in the universe that Ratchet & Clank sets up for itself. I personally love all of these duos that Sony has under it's belt, it seems to be something of a theme for them." - Eliseo Martin, Gamespot, 2007
"Ratchet was a jerk in the first game. It was only fixed in the later ones, where they realized how bad it was. Even then, it was fortunate that the franchise proved rather successful because I'm very fond of it if I do say so myself." - YouTube Comment, 2006
SPYRO THE DRAGON: A FRANCHISE
It all began with the 3DO M2, and Insomniac Games. With those two things combined in 1998, the Spyro the Dragon franchise was born.
Spyro the Dragon is a franchise of the platformer genre, making it one with the Sonics, the Marios and the Banjo-Kazooies. The Spyro series itself started out much like those did, with the basic mascot character in Spyro the Dragon himself, a spunky purple dragon with flight, fire breath, everything you'd ask for in an anthro dragon character from the late 90's.
Released for the 3DO M2, the original Spyro game was one of it's signature games that got it to sell in those early Pre-Neptune years of it's life, before everything started going rapdily down hill for the sadly ill-fated system. Ultimately, Spyro spawned a total of four major game released on the 3DO M2. Spyro the Dragon released in 1998, Ripto's Rage in 1999, and Year of the Dragon in 2000. In 2001, a portable release 'Season of the Ice' was released on the GameBoy Advance. Being that 2001 was the final year of 3DO as a console maker before they transformed completely into Panasonic's third party game division, Year of the Dragon would be the last 3DO Spyro game.
In fact, some worried it may have been the final home console game of Spyro ever. Though thankfully they were proven wrong. You see Spyro was not initially owned by 3DO at all; rather the rights to franchise were owned by Universal, they just happened to agree to letting the franchise be solely released on 3DO systems until 3DO dropped out of the console war completely in the wake of Sony putting down their full weight (and Halo not being ready on time).
It should also be noticed that Season of Ice also wasn't even developed by Insomniac games, and neither would any of the future games in the series.
The fall of 3DO did not also mean it was the fall of Spyro, however. Year of the Dragon was ported to the Nintendo GameCube in 2001, becoming the first multi-platform Spyro game, and in some regions was even a launch title for the system - right alongside the original mascot of 3DO Gex who also was forced to make the transition from first to third party. The port was thankfully a rather decent one, though was effectively just slapped together for the monetary gain considering almost nothing at all was actually changed from the original, aside from some graphical tweaks.
The other Spyro titles would also see ports onto the other contemporary consoles in the coming years following the discontinuation of the M2.
As a whole, the initial period of Spyro was the series' golden age. Again, while not the highest selling game franchise in the industry's history, it remained a popular one with millions of copies sold under it's belt, and the target demographic for it - children - remained in love with the little purple dragon. However, gaming was changing once 3DO, transformed by then into P.I.E., finally released Halo for the Nokia Neo - and began to rebuild all of the finances they had been losing since before they had to drop out of the console race to begin with.
This is important for Spyro, because it was after Halo was released to the world that Panasonic approached Universal with the idea of purchasing the franchise from them, and once the agreement had been made Spyro - one of the M2's higher selling games, finally became an official property of the company that once benefited of it as something close to a second party title for it's own consoles. While no longer made by Insomniac and also no longer on a 3DO system, the Spyro series was now technically be handled by the development studios of what used to be 3DO themselves - or people they outsourced to.
At the time of the purchase, one Spyro game, Enter the Dragonfly, was under development. Slated for a Winter 2002 release, Panasonic - possibly using Halo as an example, delayed the game for 2003.
- Eliseo Martin, Blog Post, 2012
SONIC MEGA COLLECTION
November, 2002
8 Great Hits!
+ Extra Games!
+ Bonus Features!
- Front cover for Sonic Mega Collection, a compilation title that includes Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Sonic Spinball, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles (alongside Knuckles in Sonic 2, Blue Sphere, Sonic 3 & Knuckles), Sonic 3D Blast, Flicky, Ristar, Comix Zone and The Ooze. Released exclusively (as to be expected) for the Neptune. It also featured sans of most contemporary Archie comic covers, illustrations of various characters, and a handful of promotional video material.
SUPER MONKEY BALL 2
November, 2002
The Ultimate Party Game Returns!!!
Your favorite monkeys are back with 12 unbelievable Party Games, an all-new Story Mode, and over 150 new stages! Let the good times roll!
Only on Sony Neptune
- Back cover for Super Monkey Ball 2, the first game of the series to have a storyline - in the process introducing the villain Dr. Bad-boon.
"I never knew that I could love a video game series about adorable monkeys rolling around inside of balls but yet here we are." - YouTube Comment, 2009
SPACE CHANNEL 5 PART 2
November, 2002
The grooviest broadcast this side of Venus!
It's the 25th Century and our intergalactic reporter finds herself in two huge-spanning Adventures in futuristic neo-'60's style. Ulala must face a group of intergalactic terrorists who have designs on world domination. Using a special 'danca ray' that mesmerizes people, the evil invaders are hell-bent on taking over, and the only coming between them is Ulala and some pretty geoovt danca moves!
- Back cover for Space Channel 5 part 2, sequel to Space Channel 5 and another major Neptune exclusive title.
METROID PRIME
November, 2002
Evil Waits below the surface...
Something sinister lurks in the depths of planet Tallon IV. Interstellar bounty hunter Samus Aran is the only one who can destroy this evil...
But first it must be found.
- Back Cover for Metroid Prime, the Nintendo GameCube's definitive Metroid title, and Metroid's first true 3D title.
"Metroid Prime is by far one of the GameCube's very best titles - a definite must have for any true fan of Nintendo. Like Super Mario 64 was for Mario himself, it was the introduction of Samus and Metroid into the world of 3D gaming, and it is one of the first serious yet awesome shooting games without an 'M' rating present on it - though it is rated 'T'. And thankfully in classic Nintendo style it offers it's own experience rather than being a copy of Battlefield or Halo. Everything about this game to me really shows just how capable the GameCube as a console is, which most of Nintendo's main line of games always does for all of their systems." - Vicente Barnes, IGN, 2002
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: WIND WAKER
November, 2002
An Evil Wind is Blowing
Legend has it that whenever evil has appeared, a hero named Link has arisen to defeat it. That legend continues on the surface of a great and mysterious sea as Link sets off on his most epic and awe-inspiring adventure yet. Aided by a magical conductor's baton called the Wind Waker, he will face unimaginable monsters, explore puzzling dungeons, and meet a cast of unforgettable characters as he searches for his kidnapped sister.
- Back over for the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, the first Legend of Zelda title released for the Nintendo GameCube.
PANZER DRAGOON ORTA
December, 2002
The era of human prosperity has come to a grinding halt, with all but a few pockets of civilization destroyed by years of devastating battles. A new Empire rules with an iron grip, and a band of rebels begins a revolt in an attempt to become masters of their destiny once again. As the world is engulfed in the flames of war, an unlikely and unwilling Hero must become mankind's only hope. The Dragon will rise again.
- Back cover for Panzer Dragoon Orta, 2002's Panzer Dragon title and as such a popular Neptune exclusive.
"Those who say Sony buying Sega was a mistake clearly have not played Panzer Dragoon Orta yet. This is dare I say one of the best games on the Neptune, if not of all time. The storyline, graphics and sound are all perfect in a combination that makes this one of the best rail shooters of all time - especially after Star Fox's stunt this year. However, the game is rather hard even on the easiest settings - if you can beat this game on normal, you're pretty much a true gamer." - IGN Reviewer, 2002
"This game puts hair on your chest." - Anonymous comment, 2002
"Sure, this game looks beautiful, and is one of the best shooters we've ever played, but we just can't explain how therapeutic it is to incinerate everything with the power of a thousand George Foreman Grills." - Maxim, 2002
"The only crime this game commits is being too short. Way, way too short. After SA2 I would have expected a lot more content." - Anonymous comment, 2002
"When Yamauchi turned down Sony, they created their own worst enemy." - Anonymous comment, 2002
RAGE OF THE DRAGONS
December, 2002
Iron hands wipe out evil!
Out now! Rage of the Dragons.
In a town ruled by an evil religious cult, the battle to decide the strongest dragon begins! Each contestant is a champion who contends with the power of mighty dragons: Black Dragon, Red Dragon, Blue Dragon, and White Dragon.
Go head to head in a tag-team partnership to test your attack and defense in the heat of battle.
- Back cover for Rage of the Dragons - released on Neo Geo, Neo Geo home consoles, and the Nokia Neo. The latter release was international and in December, but original releases were in September of 2002.
I do apologize if the ending bit is too long, it's the replacement of the "Games of" segment I used to talk about games with noteworthy differences ITTL. I put a spoiler just in case it's too long. I may remove it if it's biased/ASB or if it's just better as a separate post.
REZ
January, 2002
Go to synaesthesia...
The shooting genre
Reinvented
- Advertisement for the Neptune release entitled Rez, a musical themed rail shooting game, where one travels as an avatar along a path through a computer network.
SONIC ADVENTURE 2
February, 2002
Good Hedgehog
Play as Sonic and board, swing and grind to save the world.
Evil, Sinister, Malcontent Hedgehog
Play as Shadow, Sonic's evil double, and conquer the world.
- Magazine advertisement for Sonic Adventure 2. Released in 2002 for the Neptune, Sonic Adventure 2 was to be the definitive Sonic title available for the system.
"Sonic Adventure's sequel takes the bars set by it's predecessor and the Sonic games before it and raises them all the more higher. This a definite must-have for any Sonic fan or even Neptune player in general." - Electronic Gaming Monthly, 2002
"Sony's first true entrance into the Sonic franchise as it's new manager has really kicked off with a bang - everything from the first game has been only updated. The voice acting, the character animations, the graphics, the gameplay and even the story have all been upgraded to be 10 times more amazing than they were before. A definite should-buy." - Game Informer, 2002
"Here's what I like about SA2: the upgrade in cut-scene animations, graphics (as good as the Neptune can handle being), the addition of rail grinding, the music, and just how deep the plot goes. Shadow's story is really interesting in how he starts evil but becomes good in the end when his memory his jogged. The plot twist involving Professor Gerald programming the ARK to crash was also very shocking when on a first playthrough, as is the fight with the Biolizard. The Chao Garden (which is heavily expanded on from the previous game) and the extensive multiplayer is also very fun, though I wish you could play as the Multiplayer characters (Big, Chao Walker, Tikal, Chaos, Metal Sonic, Amy) outside of the multiplayer. They also did not go the Sonic Team route and stuck to their guns on not having dash panels, forcing them to design their levels for use without them. What I find mixed, the hunting and mech stage characters. Now, in the mech stage they did add the ability to transform your mech into a flying mode which is fun to play around with but Eggman and Tails can't actually leave the mechs at all. Knuckles and Rouge on the other hand have treasure hunting levels like in SA1 and it's just about as enjoyable for me. [Spoiler Warning] I also do like how they did make slight changes to the gameplay & story from what was found in the original builds - such as implementing the Chao Playground, and changing some aspects of Gerald, adding some lines further implying that he was forced to finish Shadow while imprisoned. Most of these changes were post-delay, so whatever caused the delay gave us an improved experience. As a whole, one of the greatest Sonic games." - Blog post, 2010's.
"The Hedgehog is on a roll!" - Next Generation, 2002
"For a lot of people, Sonic Adventure 2 proved that Sony truly was capable of handling the Sonic franchise. Though one can't ignore the fact that Sony became rather fond of Sonic quickly, public consciousness viewing him as Sony's mascot now what with all the various types of merchandise he had and now recognizable he was. It was easy for him to slip his way into symbolizing the entire corporation rather than just it's video games division. However, some people - and I do sympathize with them - long for the simpler times when Sega was an actual thing and Sonic was it's mascot, and was just a blue hedgehog that ran really fast." - Kyle Powell, Blog Post, 2012
"Shadow the Hedgehog. That's really all you need to know about this game." - Anonymous commenter, 2005
"I miss Sonic Adventure and it's hub worlds, if only because I kind of liked those wacky side stories all of the NPCs got up to while you were busy running off with the action stages." - Youtube Commenter, 2010
"I have mixed feelings about Sony's redesign of Sonic. At least the shoe change was only for this game, but from this point on Sonic was forever taller and skinnier than he'd ever been before. However, when you think about it does make sense. Mario probably eats a lot of spaghetti and doesn't put as much effort into running, while Sonic pretty much is a living treadmill."
"I hate you for that spaghetti comment so much." - YouTube commenters, 2011
"Sonic Adventure 2 had a tough act to follow. It was expected to follow after Sonic X-Treme which shocked the world, and Sonic Adventure which shoved it's way into popular culture with a movie released the previous year. It wasn't going to please everybody. For as praised that it is, it is criticized just as much." -
"Sonic Adventure 2's financial success comes down primarily to the Chao Garden, and the honestly over-hyping that Sony did with their marketing for this game. I'm not kidding, gaming press was all over this thing from the beginning of it's development, or at least post-announcement. The first and second delays were actually primarily for revamping the game's design, aesthetics and presentation - ironically because Sony was insecure about it after the release of Jak & Daxter, and demanded Sonic be held to that same standard. As a result, STI worked to revamp the graphics, level design, cut-scene animations, dubbing and overall presentation of the game to match the standards that Sony demanded. So I actually thank Jak & Daxter for existing in that regard, if it didn't exist we would have a not as polished version of SA2 right now."
"Sonic Adventure 2's release was another worthy success for the hedgehog, but behind the scenes things were getting a bit messy. The STI design for 3D Sonic clashed with Sonic Team's. Christina Coffin and her team decided not to bring back the dash panels from the original Sonic Adventure, something which hearkened back to Sonic X-Treme. Yuji Naka actually argued over it, though he and Naoto Ohshima also had their own separate disagreements too, over the direction Sonic was headed in. It ended in Ohshima leaving Sonic Team, and Sony as a whole. While STI went back to working on it's own original projects, the question of whether or not Sonic Team should be handed the next Sonic game was a seriously asked question. They were quite busy making more IPs for Sony: one of which set to release next year. In addition, Sony was not amused with Takashi Iizuka not wanting to make a 3rd Adventure title. Sony didn't care though, they could have any other studio they own make any Sonic game they want and were willing to let him go if he caused an uproar about it. He kept himself quiet." - Sonic Team: The Inside Story, ScrewAttack, 2017
"By 2002, the original Sonic Team trio of Sonic's creators were all going separate ways. Yuji Naka remained, Naoto Ohshima left, and even before that back in the 90's Hirokazu Yasuhara left - only for years later Sony to purchase the company he was working for Naughty Dog and bring him back into the family. Abeit, not part of Sonic Team." - Sonic Team: The Inside Story, ScrewAttack, 2017
"The STI team had proven itself yet again with Sonic Adventure 2. Christina Coffin's programming skills had now twice proven key to two high-selling Sonic titles - one of them being one of gaming's most historic titles ever." - Sonic Team: The Inside Story, ScrewAttack, 2017
"I think the conflicts within Sonic Team were bound to happen. The Hedgehog was growing more than he ever was before, I expected there to be some bumpy roads at that point. Even I wasn't completely sold on the direction that Naka and his team were taking the series. There was only so much I could do though. It didn't help that we had a lot more going on than in the old days." - Tom Kalinske, 2017 interview with ScrewAttack
"The first Sonic game to not feature the SEGA logo....I cried at that realization." - Anonymous, 2012.
JET SET RADIO FUTURE
February, 2002
Lead a posse of street-smart skaters through multiple adventures as you reclaim your turf from rival crews, combat corporate goon squads, and attempt to save the soul of the city.
- Excerpt from the back cover of Jet Set Radio Future, the sequel to Jet Set Radio. As can be expected, it was a Neptune exclusive release.
PAC-MAN WORLD 2
February, 2002
The Ghost Gang Strikes Again!
They have picked the Magical Golden Fruit from an ancient tree and released the most wicked entity that Pac-Land has ever seen. It's time for Pac-man to take control and return what was taken. With brand new skills, a zany cast of enemies and friends, and a vast world to explore, his heroics will be pushed to the limits. Step aside 'cause Pac-man is coming through, and he's on a mission!
- Back cover for Pac-man World 2, which was released for the 3DO M2 in February 2002 despite the discontinuation. It was later released for the GameCube in March of 2002, and Nokia Neo in October of 2002. It was one of the final games released for the defunct M2.
THE SIMS HAS OVERTAKEN MYST
March, 2002
The world of gaming has been seeing drastic changes ever since it first became a thing - and there is no bigger a change than what's popular on the scene at any given time. Not that long ago Mario was the everywhere, until Sonic showed up to give the plumber some healthy competition (though some argue Sony's a bit too full of itself with the hedgehog). Now, it appears another newcomer has risen to the scene - in the same of Sims. Indeed, the life simulator game has completely overtaken Myst to become the new highest selling PC game of all time. Sonic may have slowed Mario down, but not even he was able to do as much damage as The Sims has.
The two games are not really competitors though, in fact Myst came out in 1993 and is an adventure game, while the sims is effectively a virtual-life game - albeit one from the genius that is Will Wright and his Maxis team. At 6.3 million copies sold, we now officially live in a time where a game called The Sims is the most popular PC game.
The Sims, which was released in February 2000, lets players create a neighborhood of simulated people and control their lives. The game was the best-selling game of 2000 and 2001, and it has been translated into 13 different languages. The game's success has inspired the release of three expansion packs: The Sims: Livin' Large, The Sims: House Party, and The Sims: Hot Date. The combined sales of The Sims and all its expansions have exceeded 13 million units. On March 26, EA will release a fourth add-on, The Sims: Vacation, which will let players take their sims on a trip to an island with three different settings.
"Reaction to The Sims by both customers and critics have exceeded our most ambitious expectations," said EA president John Riccitiello. "The Sims has become a cultural phenomenon. Its worldwide appeal spans hard-core gamers, casual computer users, and even gaming's most elusive group of consumers, women. Over 50 percent of new Sims players are female."
In addition to the retail expansions, players have access to additional free add-ons, including new household objects and character clothing sets, on the game's official Web site. For more information about The Sims, take a look at our complete archive of Sims-related coverage.
- Electronic Gaming Monthly, 2002
"Sony assimilating Sega, The Sims becoming a thing and overtaking Myst, Nokia joining the home console race, the Dot-com bubble, the first X-Men movie, the first Shrek movie, the first Harry Potter movie, the first live-action Lord of the Rings movie, 9/11, and the evolution of first person shooter games. All in the span of just a few years. Good lord how the world changes fast." - YouTube commenter, 2010
HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED
March 14, 2002
The time has come at last. Halo, the long anticipated and hyped up title from Panasonic Interactive Entertainment & Bungie has finally made it out to stores after what was described as the onset of Development Hell. The M2 may be gone and with it the name of 3DO, but Halo is already proving to be their great return to action.
If you've read the Publisher's Weekly bestseller Halo: The Fall of Reach which came out last October, then you already know the basics of what is in store for humanity in this Science Fiction shooter. Following after the novel, the Pillar of Autumn is attacked by the Covenant Empire just after it discovers a massive 'Halo' ring orbitting around a nearby gas giant. The Covenant attack is dangerous enough to warrant Master Chief Petty Officer, Spartan JOHN-117, to escape the ship along with the AI known as Cortana directly onto the somewhat familiar ground of this mysterious Halo ring - which is believed to be some kind of weapon.
Of course, there's more to Halo than meets the eye, and the single player campaign is only half of the story. One of Halo's strongest points is it's online multiplayer, which utilizes only the most modern of online capabilities. You can now enjoy the addictive fun and excitement of online shooter multiplayers in the comfort of the home console.
Split screen action, five multiplayer action modes alongside a variety of customization options and up to 16 players online - with a System Link allowing even more makes for one of the most powerful reasons to turn your gaming from local to online - and the epic soundtrack from Martin O'Donnell only adds to the reasons to pick this thing up.
Numbers don't lie, already is Halo breaking sales records, the projection being that it will break it's first million in no time - and considering the critical praise it is getting from most outlets this should come as no surprise. 3DO might just be more successful in death than it was in life.
See pages 17-18 for more coverage on the growing Halo phenomenon.
- Neo Magazine. Halo: Combat Evolved was released on the Nokia Neo, with a Nintendo GameCube port being released in May of 2002. A PC port was released in September of 2003.
"A truly revolutionary title, it combines sci-fi space opera with gritty wartime action with one of the most engaging online multiplayers we've seen in this industry yet. If you didn't believe a new era had begun before, you're definitely gonna start believing it now." - Game Informer, 2002
"A challenger has appeared, and it means business!" - Next Generation, 2002
"Halo won me over because it was a bit more than just a first person shooter game. It's setting was more interesting to me than those 'set in a real war' type of games. It's plot even came with a genuinely surprising twist with the third faction of enemies that appear late into the story. In general the entire storyline of the campaign is honestly one of the most surprisingly thought out things I've seen in a first person shooters - and the plot is something that honestly usually doesn't get talked about in these kinds of games yet when it comes to this one you could probably do an entire series dedicated to analyzing it thoroughly and I'd be totally invested in said series. Though the first game it self doesn't tell you the full story, there are additional materials in the form of novels that let you in on the extra details not covered in Combat Evolved. As a whole, Bungie and P.I.E. clearly put effort into coming up with this title and it definitely pays off well." - David Mason, IGN Forums, 2009
"I feel like not enough people give the amazing score of this game the praise that it deserves." - Hayden Burns, YouTube, 2012
"I like the attention to detail in this game, all of the enemy aliens have ranks determined by their armor colors and their species - and all of them remain consistent throughout the game. Despite that, they can still offer quite a challenge once in a while especially once the factions such as the flood and the sentinels come into play." - Patrick Mills, Gamespot, 2003
"For all of the praise that Halo does deserve, I have mixed feelings about the direction it shoved the industry towards." - Austyn Gross, YouTube, 2017
"I was rooting for Halo to succeed if only because I wanted to see what was left of 3DO make a name for itself rather than just fade away into being nothing but a memory. Luckily, that's what happened." - IGN Forums user, 2012
"I for one still ache for 3DO's entire story. They started with genuine hope and optimism that while you do associate Trip with founding EA, you kind of want his 3DO company to succeed. He genuinely did think it would catch on, and he had a unique way of handling the console itself not done by any of the other companies (or at least not to such a scale). It actually did allow the 3DO to get a surprisingly amount of attention in places - such as places where native consoles are more respected than foreign ones. Not much a benefit, but it was there. They had a rocky start for sure: they had an awful launch and it was followed up by the rockiest of all battles against Sega & Nintendo, a battle which many said was impossible for them to win. They got Namco's support, sure, but by that point Sega already had Sony. Then, they sold themselves to Panasonic and seemed to have honestly learned from their mistakes - they became more like their competition if only to survive in this world. As the 1990's ended it seemed like 3DO was finally going to be in the lime light, but then the Neptune came out. With Nintendo and Nokia pulling back to release their systems in 2001, 3DO was left to face the Neptune as it's only competition. It was a doomed battle from the beginning."
"3DO is the embodiment of 'I just can't win' for the gaming industry."
"If the original 3DO had some actual copy protection and wasn't so damn expensive at first, the M2 may have had a better chance."
"They'd need more quality third party support at first too. Legit Namco and Konami basically saved 3DO from death."
"All of that is true, but in the end 3DO is technically still around. The company, I mean. They just changed their name to better go with Panasonic, and they ultimately made a bit of a comeback with Halo. Sure, we can always imagine what would've happened if Halo was on the M2 successfully or if they did succeed enough to make an 'M3'. But no matter what, Halo was the savior they'd been waiting for - it really got their third party business started. It literally saved them from total death."
- IGN Forums conversation, 2013
"I still don't like the GameCube port though, it looks and plays good but getting online on that version is just so much more complicated and just barely supported. Loading times are more prominent but actually well hidden and not as much a burden as one would think." - Thomas Foster, Gamespot, 2004
"When Halo came out, a revolution had begun." - Game Informer, 2007
"In the end, Halo actually did turn out to be the Saviour we needed after all. Even after losing the 'console war', we were still struggling to find our place in the third party world [Panasonic] was still thinking of just shutting us down completely. Had Halo not been a commercial success, it would have been it. Luckily, Halo was a success and it gave us the ability to start spreading our wings out again." - Laura de la Cruz, Interview with Gamespot, 2007
"Halo started something that would overtime begin transforming gaming into something far different from what it was before. To keep it short, First Person Shooters were going to begin becoming the norm, for better or for worse. However, it also gave hope for the reincarnation of 3DO known as PIE, it appeared as though they were rising from the ashes to not reconquer, but instead carve out a new empire for themselves." - IGN, 2012
"Panasonic Interactive was definitely in a new neighborhood. They now had to produce games for the other consoles, they had to learn their hardware, and they were now competiting with companies that had once upon a time been their own supporters. Halo was something they needed to get along in their new home." - Gamespot, 2012
SEGA SOCCER SLAM
March, 2002
ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH?
Go toe-to-toe with the wildest players ever in Soccer Slam, the high-flying, hard-hitting, 3-on-3 soccer game where winners go on to drink from the Continental Cup!
- Back cover for Sega Soccer Slam, a Neptune exclusive that features an exaggerated version of Soccer as well as mini-games.
KINGDOM HEARTS
March, 2002
What's it all about? No one would have expected Disney to approach Square to do an RPG, but it happened. No one would have expected a Disney-based RPG to be any good either, but that's happening too. Featuring four new characters designed by Final Fantasy legend Tetsuya Nomura, Kingdom Hearts takes Sora (the main character) and Goofy and Donald Duck on an adventure to save their two friends Riku and Kairi. Kingdom Hearts will not only introduce Disney characters to a whole new genre in gaming, it will tie together what was previously a separate collection of character-specific worlds. In Kingdom Hearts, the Little Mermaid's underwater kingdom will rest alongside Tarzan's jungle, Pinocchio's village and Aladdin's Arabian environs, among others. Virtually every Disney character you know will make an appearance during the game, with Dumbo having already been sighted.
- Magazine Excerpt about Kingdom Hearts, a Neptune exclusive title first released in March of 2002.
"It's like Final Fantasy, but with Disney! In fact, it pretty much literally is."
"What is with Disney and crossing over all of it's characters all the time. First House of Mouse, and then this."
"Hey, at least they know how to have fun."
PLAY AS SONIC OR TAILS:
April, 2002
Sonic Team's two stars make cameos as warriors in SSBM. Here's how you get 'em: achieve a high score of 20 KOs with any one character in Cruel Melee. Sonic and Tails will then both challenge you (yes, at the same time). Beat 'em and they open as playable characters. Finish Classic mode with either for a special surprise.
- Excerpt from EGM's April 2002 issue
"One hoax caused a total fire storm amongst what is basically three fandoms." - IGN Forums user, 2008
"Sonic was never considered for Super Smash Bros. Melee, and for the foreseeable future it is highly unlikely that it will ever happen." - Masahiro Sakurai, 2010 interview with ScrewAttack, translated.
"Sonic has never, was never, and will never be considered for Super Smash Bros." - Tom Kalinske, 2010 interview with ScrewAttack.
"I think it's personally idiotic that neither Sony or Nintendo are willing to do what would be their biggest money making move and make Smash be a crossover between their great franchises. If all they really care about is money, why NOT do that? People want to see Sonic and Mario fight each other! It's criminal to deny gamers of that!"
"You know there's mods, right? I mean, I know modding smash is trickier than modding things like Paradox's games, but it's still been done. Do you know how many 'Sonic' mods there are for the smash games?"
"Plus, as to why they don't do it, maybe it's because they both make consoles and compete with each other, and so they would be benefiting their own enemy depending on which version sells more. ALSO, there's the possibility that the other company will sabotage the rival port of the game. For instance, on the Sony version all of the Sonic + Other Sony characters are OP beyond compare, and all the Nintendo characters suck. And vice versa on Nintendo's side. And trust me, that kind of thing happened in the industry before. It would not be the most likely thing, but still possible."
"TL;DR - Until (or really, unless) either Sonic or Mario become third party characters, we're not ever going to see Sonic (officially) in smash."
"How did EGM even get away with this?"
"I think with all the buy-outs going on in the early 2000's, everyone thought Nintendo had bought Sonic Team or something like that, as if Sony would just let Sonic slip through their fingers. That, and the kids reading it didn't think of much of it."
"Why do people keep insisting Sonic should be in Smash? There is no way possible for this to happen."
- YouTube comments, 2015
SPIDER-MAN
May, 2002
The question on pretty much everyone's mind in Hollywood today, as the movie industry sat back slack-jawed at the record-shattering $115 million opening weekend for Columbia Pictures' ''Spider-Man,'' was whether it was an aberration or a sign of more blockbusters to come.
''For a long time, we never thought that a $100 million weekend was really possible,'' said Paul Dergarabedian, chairman of Exhibitor Relations, a Los Angeles company that monitors the box office. ''And this was not just $101 million and change. This proves that it is technically feasible for a movie to have a $100-million-plus weekend, to have a $40-million-plus day. And that changes everything.''
Of course, various all-bets-are-off pronouncements were made after ''Titanic'' opened in 1997 and earned $1.8 billion around the world. So far, though, that movie's phenomenal success has proved to be an aberration. Yet the Monday-morning betting in Hollywood is that in this case, ''Spider-Man'' might actually signal a new era of $100-million-plus openings, raising the bar for everyone.
''What happened with 'Spider-Man' this weekend is, historically, an aberration,'' said David Davis, a box-office analyst for Houlihan, Lokey, Howard & Zukin, an investment banking firm. ''But it foretells a world where $100 million openings will become common in the relatively near future.''
In hindsight, everyone has theories on why ''Spider-Man,'' from the Columbia Pictures unit of Sony Pictures Entertainment, beat the $90 million record that Warner Brothers' ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' set just six months ago. ''Spider-Man'' is a shorter film, so it could be shown more times each day. Because it appealed to an older audience, it was possible for theater owners to add post-midnight screenings that also sold out. And since children's tickets are cheaper, a movie with more teenagers and adults in the audience will inevitably earn more money. - New York Times, May 2002, excerpt
"Ah, the first Sony Spider-man movie. I love the pose Green Goblin takes when he talks to Spider-man on the roof. Just, I love this movie in general. I love spidey in general. These were good times, good times."
"Since this was one of Sony's first post Sega films, I always felt like there's some hidden Sonics in this movie in addition to the Stan Lee cameo. I don't know if anyone else feels this way when they watch it."
"Actually, I think they did hide a discreet Sonic in there somewhere, but at the same time I think that's just a rumor because I have never seen anything."
"I heard a rumor they hide Sonics in their movies since they bought Sega like how Disney hides Mickeys."
"It's not a rumor, it's a fact."
"Dang it why can't they hide Ryos or Kiryus."
"Because it's a Marvel movie, the only human that can cameo is Stan Lee."
"Good point."
"Excelsior!" - Forum Discussion, Late 2000's
HIROSHI YAMAUCHI STEPS DOWN FROM NINTENDO LEADERSHIP
May, 2002
It is the end of an era. Hiroshi Yamauchi, who has led the video game monolith Nintendo since 1949, has made the surprising decision to step down from the company's leadership - though he is remaining the company's largest shareholder and remains the chairman of it's board of directors. Though the reasons for leaving his presidency are unclear at this time, this shift in leadership comes as a surprise given that it is the first time that someone not a member of the 'Yamauchi' family name has headed the company, who was founded by Hiroshi's great-grandfather long ago in the year 1889.
It was under Hiroshi's leadership however the company expanded into the multi-billion dollar behemoth that it is today - leaving it true that the gaming industry would not be where it is today had it not been for him and his keen sense of business.
From what we can tell, he is confident that Nintendo's presidency is left in "good hands" as his successor is none other than Satoru Iwata, who had previously been the head of Nintendo’s Corporate Planning Division. Even still, it is clear that Hiroshi is beginning the process of stepping back from direct leadership of the company - leaving one to wonder where things will go for Nintendo from here.
- Los Angeles Times
E3 2002 - E3 - ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPO WIKI GUIDE
E3 2002 belonged to one game and one game only -- DOOM 3 from id Software. There had been lots of rumblings about id releasing a new Doom game with a new and revolutionary DOOM engine, but no one had seen much of it.
So id sets up this little movie theater in the Activision booth and word gets out that id is showing DOOM 3. This was the first DOOM in nearly one decade, and it's id, so everyone took it seriously. People had heard John Carmack talk about dynamic lighting and some of the other things he planned on throwing into his new engine.
In other words, nobody had a clue.
DOOM 3 had the most amazing graphics anyone had ever seen in a game -- and that includes the non-interactive graphics in games like Dragon's Lair. DOOM 3 took the DOOM franchise in a new direction. It was slower-paced. It was nearly like survival-horror. You did not have bullets and shotgun shells sitting behind every corner. The monsters did not just splat and die. Some of them survived entire clips of bullets and chased you.
You saw reflections in glass. Monsters could break through walls. In one part of the demonstration, you entered a bathroom and saw a Pinkie eating the carcass of a fat zombie. Both the Pinkie and the zombie attacked you.
The line to get into the id theater became over 100 people deep. More people queued up for the movie than could possibly fit into that tiny theater over an entire day. Computer games seemed like the backwater of gaming in 2001. In 2002, thanks to DOOM 3 and several other new titles, PC games were the hotspot of gaming.
SSCEE opened E3 2002 by declaring the console wars over and themselves as the victor. Having shipped 30 million Neptune consoles worldwide, SSCEE was rightfully confident that neither Nokia nor Nintendo could possibly catch up. Arrogant as that sounded, it ultimately proved to be correct - even if Nintendo and Nokia didn't believe the fat lady had sung just yet.
In a less predictable rivalry, Vivendi, the company that held the literary rights to The Lord of the Rings lashed out against Electronic Arts, the company that held the rights to make games based on the movie versions of The Lord of the Rings.
The EA had a huge booth with a gigantic screen showing the trailer to upcoming movie, The Two Towers, on a 30-foot screen. Vivendi, with an equally large booth right next door, had a special room called "The Hobbit Hole" in which it projected coming attractions to its Hobbit and Lord of the Rings games on a domed ceiling.
This was also the year of Volleyball games. Taking a bit of a break from the phenomenon that was Shenmue, SSCEE's Yu Suzuki showed off Beach Spikers Volleyball. Meanwhile, Tecmo's Tomonobu Itagaki unveiled Dead or Alive: Extreme Beach Volleyball. Nintendo's big game at E3 2002 was Metroid Prime, an FPS game with an emphasis on adventure. THQ showed Red Faction 2, and Eidos' Time Splitters II made a big noise. Infogrames packed people in to see Unreal Championship for Xbox, and Acclaim showed off Turok Evolution -- the latest in its console-based popular FPS series.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: RavenShield, from Ubisoft got a lot of attention at Ubisoft with its amazing visuals. Everyone knew that Ubisoft would have another FPS game. One organization people did not expect to come out with a shooter was the United States Army.
In 2002, the Army unveiled a new recruitment tool called America's Army, a realistic depiction of army combat that gamers could download for free. Built using the same game engine that Epic created for Unreal Tournament 2003, America's Army caught more than its share of the attention from the mainstream media.
PIE, the afterlife form of 3DO, was rising from the ashes with Halo: Combat Evolved, which had just begun to take the world by storm by the time of the expo. Considering they were planning on having more books and extended universe media made about it, it was definitely a big subject at the show - and a major talking point getting people interested in the Nokia Neo.
Speaking of which, Nokia wowed the crowd with a gem of their own - Battlefield 1942. A game that was coming out of nowhere. Being it was to be one of their big first party titles, it was one of the things they showed off extensively, alongside the ability to play Neo Geo Pocket games on the N-Gage. They were definitely improving on their presentations. The Neo itself was proving to challenge the two big names in a way that previous number threes had failed, it had been stealing a lot of European market share from Nintendo (and replaced 3DO in the region), and it's connection to SNK allowed it a place in Japan. Halo & Battlefield meanwhile were sure to get it a foothold in America.
Other former 3DO games were also getting ported to the other consoles by this time, with GameCube ports of Gex games being released as well as Spyro titles on all of the consoles. They were also able to some portable titles too. For all intents and purposes, PIE (3DO) were looking to be more successful as a third party company than they were as a first party contender. Of course, this meant they were likely to become the rivals of their quite literal sister company Electronic Arts.
New versions of old games ruled the roost at E3 -- and not just DOOM. Tecmo's Team Ninja gave the world its first glimpse of Ninja Gaiden at E3 2002. To Nokia's delight, Tomonobu Itagaki, an outspoken N. Neo evangelist, made Ninja Gaiden exclusively for Neo. Tecmo also unveiled a new Rygar game.
SSCEE's Smilebit also unveiled a new Shinboi for Neptune, as well as Panzer Dragoon Orta. Not to be outdone, Konami showed Contra: Shattered Soldier for Neptune.
- IGN, 2012
MICHAEL JACKSON DIVORCES SONY
June, 2002
"… Anyway, I first let me say, I really don’t like to talk that much. I really don’t. I prefer performing than talking.
Let me just say this… The tradition of great performers… the tradition of great performers from — I really want you to know what I say! — from Sammy Davis Junior, to James Brown, to Jackie Wilson, to Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly. The story is usually the same though. These guys worked really hard at their craft, for the story ends the same. They are usually broken, torn and usually just sad, because the companies take advantage of them, they really do.
And… Sony…Sony… Being the artist that I am, at Sony I’ve generated several billion dollars for Sony, several billon. They really thought that my mind is always on music and dancing. It usually is, but they never thought that this performer — myself — would out think them.
So, we can’t let them get away with what they’re trying to do, because now I’m a free agent… I just owe Sony one more album. It’s just a box set, really, with two new songs which I’ve written ages ago. Because for every album that I record, I write — literally, I’m telling you the truth — I write at least 120 songs every album I do. So I can do the box set, just giving them any two songs.
So I’m leaving Sony, a free agent,… owning half of Sony! I own half of Sony’s Publishing. I’m leaving them, and they’re very angry at me, because I just did good business, you know.
So the way they get revenge is to try and destroy my album! But I’ve always said, you know, art — good art — never dies. …Thank you.
And Tommy Mottola is a devil!" - Michael Jackson, May 2002, Excerpt
"In South Park, Mickey is a greedy tyrannical corporate mogul. Yeah, Sonic is often depicted like that too when it comes to memes and things like fan/original animation parodies, what with Sony Music's rather infamous track record. I find it hilarious though I don't know if Sonic ever really appeared on South Park yet though."
"Now I'm just imagining Sonic cracking a whip at every artist signed on to Sony Music."
"It's no wonder Sonic music is so good. Those musicians probably aren't allowed to sleep or eat unless it passes quality control."
"Assuming they don't have their backs broken due to the aforementioned whip lashes."
"Why am I now believing Sony Music's studios have more whipcracks in them than a Johnny Test episode."
"How ironic it is that the free spirit 'stick it to the man' 90's kid Sonic is pretty much the symbolic image of a corporation that pretty much is 'the man'."
"There's a political joke in that."
"Michael Jackson had been a bit of a Sega spokesperson back in the day, what with that Moonwalker game and the whole scandal over Sonic 3 (& Knuckles). It was strange how SSCEE had no comment about him leaving - but I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't able to."
"Not to mention that Sony had just lost the inspiration behind their own mascot's shoes."
"Sonic was not created as Sony's mascot. Sony just murdered Sega and took Sonic for themselves." - YouTube comment discssion, 2010's
SUPER MARIO SUNSHINE
July, 2002
Pollution and Paradise don't mix.
It's up to Mario, his water pack and you to make things less toxic and more tropic Super Mario Sunshine, only for Ninteno GameCube.
- Paper ad for Super Mario Sunshine, successor to Mario 64 and the true original 'Mario' game for the Nintendo GameCube system. It would see releases in North America and other regions in August 2002 and the following months.
"SHINE GET!" - YouTube comment, 2009
"Super Mario Sunshine is honestly the underrated black sheep of the 3D Mario family. I absolutely love the music in this game and also it's setting - a tropical paradise with enemies and civilians we've never seen before, and the introduction of a new mechanic that is kid friendly enough for Mario while also adding in the spice of a new, untapped game mechanic. While it does not have the overload of content that it's 'competitor' (Sonic Adventure 2) had, it still had that Nintendo level presentation that makes it a pleasant game to blast through. At the same time, I will admit that it could have used more content. Yet again Mario is the only playable character, and yet again you're just collecting stars (or in this case shine sprites) until you have enough to face the final boss. Only this time your hub world is a town rather than a castle - whether or not that's better is subjective. I do love Isle Delfino as a place, it's basically like Venice if Venice were closer to the equator, but I won't lie this game could still stand to be less of a 64 clone. I also don't like how the only reward for 100% completion is a post card image. Would've loved to play as Luigi or in some classic Mario level recreation instead. Still, the presentation is solid, and the slight (very slight) worldbuilding and slightly, slightly more of a plot than most Mario games is all welcomed. Honestly if you have a GameCube, pick this game up - it's the flagship Mario game for it after all." - Blog Review, 2003.
"I will forever love Super Mario Sunshine. All these other games of the early 2000's were making themselves all serious, complex, dark and filled to the brim with shooting action and mature themes but in comes Mario with an innocent, literally sunshine fueled vacation of the game that honestly does feel like a literal vacation from all the edge that was filling the rest of the market. It was honestly something that I felt was needed and made me continue loving Nintendo. Sure the water gun thing was something new but I never saw anything wrong with it - it's better than giving Mario an actual gun! It may not have a multiplayer or online connectivity, and it does have that odd design choice when it came to Yoshi, but no game is ever pefect even if it's Mario. Plus, Mario doesn't need to connect online. Honestly, I enjoy Sunshine because of it's simplicity. It's just simple, family friendly fun and sometimes that's a fantastic experience." - Cesar Oliver, Gamespot, 2006
SLY COOPER AND THE THIEVIUS RACOONUS
September, 2002
He's one cunning, devious, thievius raccoonus!
Rooftop chases, narrow escapes and dodging security guards.
Spotlights, alarms and infrared lasers.
- Back cover for Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, the first one of Sucker Punch's most successful hit series. It was exclusively available for the Nokia Neo.
"Sucker Punch had signed a deal with Nokia back in 2000. It was basically just your standard exclusivity deal, but it eventually led to the company becoming essentially a second party member of Nokia's list of supporters. Which was good for them, the Neo needed something to do better than the M2 and the CD-i."
"You say that as if the CD-i is even a console."
"I just want to forget the CD-i was a thing. Those Mario and Zelda games have forever cursed my childhood."
"I can just imagine how Sony felt about Cooper though. Their rival was having cocky, blue-wearing furry mascot character in a team of three consisting of a mechanical genius and one with the brawn, ultimately stopping another mechanical genius who is evil. I mean, yeah."
"Sly is nothing like Sonic though."
"I doubt they cared, as good as the Cooper games are, they would never be as big a cash cow as Sonic. Sonic's eyes are green now for a reason: they represent the money Sony brings in from the franchise."
"That is the best reason for the green eyes I have ever heard."
"Sly Cooper really did help the Neo bring in the platformer crowd money though, especially since it had a lot of differences from the other run-of-the-mill 3D platformers being released at the time. It gave it an exclusive franchise, some memorable characters, and some personality that it needed during a time when it needed people to have a reason to buy it instead of the other two. As all should know, it may have been the self-proclaimed successor of Neo Geo, but it would not survive if it had the same sale numbers."
"All this talk about the game but does anyone else but me remember the comics they actually made about Sly and his friends?"
- YouTube comments, 2011
SONIC X - ONLY ON FOXBOX
September, 2002
Sonic's here, and you better keep those eyes open because one blink is all it takes to miss this blue blur!
Every super sonic week, watchers of FoxBox will be treated to a quick dose of what is sure to be one of the latest hit series - Sonic X! Meet Sonic and all of his friends on the small screen along with their human friend Chris as they battle the evil Dr. Eggman and deal with everyday problems of hijinks, action and super fast speed!
Just remember to keep that schedule in memory, because you will miss it before you even know it!
Now, you may think that surely such a famous character's show would be present on other networks - but nope! This show is only airing on the equally new saturday morning block FoxBox! And trust us when we say ONLY! Your kids might want to get ready for the fastest high-speed action show they've ever seen!
Based on the hit video game franchise owned by Sony.
- Magazine advert for the localisation of SegaSonic Freedom Rangers, renamed Sonic X for distribution in America. At the time of it's Americanization, Sony was also exploring the idea of anime based on their other franchises.
"GOTTA GO FAST!"
"FASTER FASTER FAFAFAFA-FASTER!"
"Absolutely insulting Americanization, but that theme song will stay in your head for weeks."
"The theme song became a meme."
"4kids and their Americanizations. All the Japanese characters in the Sonic show got renamed to boring American names. Rouge sounded like she was 40 years old. Vector sounded hilarious. And of course, Jason Griffith."
"I know the voice is terrible, but for some reason it's my favourite Vector voice."
"I feel like this is really only a thing because Sony is obsessed with shoving Sonic into every possible media format that they can. They seem to believe that in order to get money, all they have to do is slap Sonic's face on it and call it a day."
"Well hey, it's not the worst Americanization that 4Kids has ever done."
"With how much 4kids felt the need to remove Japanese text, rename characters, edit out scenes and even edit out food it makes me question why bother. I get that Sonic was originally intended to market to the west - something he still does despite Sony's insistence on increasing it's value in the east, but 4kids took that a bit too far in my opinion. Their Kirby dub by comparison is at least handled less, extremely."
"KIRBY KIRBY KIRBY THAT'S HIS NAME DON'TCHA KNOW?!"
"All 4kids shows are destined to be memes at one point in their lives. It is their one true purpose in this universe."
"Meanwhile I'm the one kid on the block who was humming the theme song to Liberty's Kids instead of 4kids' trash dubs."
"Can't believe you guys aren't mentioning the fact that they killed off Fox Kids in favor of 4Kids."
"Top 10 Anime Mistakes" - YouTube comments, 2010's
STAR FOX ADVENTURES
September, 2002
Out of the cockpit... and into epic adventure!
At the far edge of the Lylat system, an army of diabolic dinosaurs has shattered the tranquil world of Dinosaur Planet. The future looks bleak... until Fox McCloud enters the fray. For the first time in his legendary career, Fox leaves his Arwing to battle enemies hand to hand with an enchanted staff of untold powers.
In the biggest challenge in Team Star Fox's history, he'll wield weapons and magic against massive bosses, fly Arwing missions, and explore vast prehistoric lands. He'll need all the help he can get from old teammates Slippy and Peppy - and new allies like Prince Tricky and the mysterious Krystal. The balance of power shifts ever more to the evil General Scales, and the Fox hunt is on...
- Back cover for Star Fox Adventures, a game developed by Nintendo Subsidiary Rare for the Nintendo GameCube.
"Star Fox Adventures is an interesting case study in Game Development. By no means is it a terrible game, but it was a large departure from the formula of what a 'Star Fox' game was on account of it bringing in off-ship Zelda-inspired gameplay. Now, I'm all for adding new gameplay elements into games but in many ways this Zelda-Tomb Raider segments detract from the Arwing space battle action that defines the Star Foxs series. It does not help this game that it was intended to be 'Dinosaur Planet', making it come off like it's indeed a separate game entirely but with Star Fox tacked onto it."
"People rag on this game for being too similar to Zelda all the time, but personally I think it's pretty good! I view it as something like a spin-off rather than an actual successor to the original Star Fox games, since I will concede it is quite a departure from them. I disagree that it was the 'beginning of the end' for Rare though, people loving saying that just for clicks."
"Good game overall, but definitely different and honestly pretty easy at parts that could stand to be more challenging. If you're buying this expecting it to be like the old games, then prepare to be in for a disappointed. If you want a new experience, come on in." - Various reviews for Star Fox Adventures
BATTLEFIELD: 1942
September, 2002
In the Air...In the Deep...On the Battlefield
Fight your way to victory in the most intense Battles of World War II. Choose your weapon and then jump into a raging firefight. From bazookas to battleships, a massive arsenal is at your disposal.
- Back cover for Battlefield: 1942 - released for both PC and Nokia Neo, from Nokia's acquired studio DICE. Despite the delay, it was one of the staple games for the system and a high seller.
"The Nokia Neo was a haven for First Person Shooter games. It began with Halo and Battlefield, and even back in 2002 Call of Duty was on the way - and more was coming."
"Coming out not long after Halo, Battlefield was a definite sign of the way gaming was heading. First Person Shooters were becoming more popular in the home, and the conoles of the day were attracting a much more 'hardcore' audience. While it's true that the most popular of the platformers would survive this change, many of those new faces coming into the world would be far less lucky. Thing is, for me there isn't really much to talk about with most of these games. They are shooter games, often based off real history, and do a good job at what they set out to accomplish. Battlefield was a solid and successful first party game, and made money for Nokia. It, and many others of the genre, made powerful use of the growing online multiplayer gaming that was becoming the norm." - Rayden Lancaster, Gamespot, 2011
"The games that were once regulated to the PCs, were now becoming available in the home. Of course, PC gaming was far from dying, but the types of games once commonly only found on it were now accessible to those who preffered a console - and the same goes for online multiplayer as well. That part of the shift was nice. The shift in gaming from platforming and mascots to FPS games though, that is definitely a mixed bag. I personally miss the days when it was Sonic and Mario that everyone debated over. In the early 2000's though, that debate wasn't so common as was the debate regardling Halo, Battlefield, Call of Duty (which was on the way for 2003), and other such games. I like some of the more original shooter games but I personally ignore the ones that are more run-of-the-mill. That's to not to hate on all of them mind you, I do understand the value in being able to play with a group of people without having to be the host of some party just for the purpose of gaming and I do realize that's obviously the most important part of most of these games, just saying I do admire the ones that have a little bit more than just that." - IGN, History of FPS Games, 2015
"Halo was a revolution, but Panasonic was a third-party company, the only hardware they made were televisions, electric rasers, cameras and home appliances. Battlefield was something they [Nokia] needed to prepare themselves for that - and in my opinion it did the job pretty well and is still doing that job well to this day! Sure it's one of the 'history-based' shooters, but it's not half bad at all and I say this as someone who has played it. It's so easy to hate on FPS games nowadays but there's a reason they caught on that I think gets overlooked in all of it. It's not just the online multiplayer, it's the same reason that games like DOOM got so popular. Last I checked, DOOM didn't have online multiplayer." - Bobby Wood, YouTube, 2012, excerpt.
GODZILLA: DESTROY ALL MONSTERS MELEE
October, 2002
Legendary Monsters, Epic Battles.
- Blurb from the back cover of Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee developed by Pipeworks and published by Infrogrames (under the Atari branding). It was released for both GameCube and Neo, with a similar game known as 'Godzilla: Domination!' being released on the GameBoy Advance around the same time. A multiplayer arcade-esque fighting game utilizing a selection of the Kaiju of the Godzilla franchise (though it refers to them as 'monsters').
"Under infogrames, Atari had become a bit of a zombified corpse, still doing things but nothing that was ever really that 'huge' in the larger gaming industry. Sure there were some games that were decent such as their Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi series, and their Godzilla games which gained a bit of a following, it is hard to believe that the modern Atari was once the king of gaming before Nintendo completely uprooted them." - IGN, The rise & fall of Atari, 2016
"While Atari's days of running the gaming industry are long over, their games still manage to have some personality to them, whether they be nostalgia trips or modern titles. I always enjoy a good Atari game. 2002 in particular looks to be a fair bit of the beginning of what might end up being a revival of Atari as a third party brand. It's a shame that they can't make a new console in their new form." - Gamespot, 2002
RED FACTION: THE FIRST INSTALLMENTS
Every video game company has to start somewhere, and just like Bungie with the Marathon series, Volition's first truly hit series was none other than the 'Red Faction' franchise. It is perhaps best known nowadays for being the franchise in which the megacorporation known as Ultor was first introduced to the world, but is also known for it's heavy themes, especially with undertones of revolution. Like many games that came out in the early 2000's, it was a first person shooter. The original game, released in May of 2001, featured 'GeoMod Techhology', allowing you to actually alter the surrounding terrain and buildings, often using things like explosives. Using this, you can actually make alternative paths for yourself or get in the way of your enemies - and in general it is a feature unique to it not seen in many other first person shooters - much less the ones being released at the time.
The entire premise of Red Faction is basically taking place in a science fiction future in which Mars has been colonized by humans and is being mined for minerals since Earth's own minerals have been depleted. Thus, the Ultor Corporation finds itself in charge of the operations on Mars. Unfortunately, Ultor doesn't exactly give the miners a better life or a brighter future because living conditions are horrible, human rights even worse, and there is a horrible disease that is spreading around - culminating in the spark that ignites a full on revolution. Ultimately, your main character, Parker, travels through Ultor's complex and learns all sorts of dark secrets about the company along the way as he kills everything the business throws at him and even destroys their space station! However, with the earth defense showing up and an antidote found, things turn out to have a happy ending.
The original Red Faction overall was a fantastic early 2000's shooter, and a great start for a company that would only move on to bigger and better projects. Though as is to be expected, the game by modern standards is a bit dated - especially in the graphics department. Still though I'd be lying if I said those early 3D graphics don't have a bit of nostalgic old timey charm to them, as cheesy as they look in some cases. It was released for the Sega (Sony) Neptune, and the PC and even had an N-Gage port at one point - and yes it had online multiplayer.
Red Faction II on the other hand was released for the Neptune, Nokia Neo, PC and even the GameCube in October of 2002, and like the original was developed by Volition and published by THQ - yes the same THQ known for most of the Nickelodeon liscensed games. It keeps the Geo-Mod engine from the original game, and has a local multiplayer with a lot of game modes to choose from such as Deathmach, Bagman, Arena and even Capture the Flag. It's comparable to Halo and Battlefield.
Red Faction II takes place five years after the events of the first game, and the nanotechnology developed by a character from the original game who was the head of Ultor's science division ha been claimed by the Earth Defense Force. With this technology, they actually revive the Ultor Corporation - only this time with a focus on supersolidiers and weapons. So yeah they basically want their own version of Master Chief. However, most of the doctor's research has been stolen by other groups, and switched hands many times over. The player character himself is also trying to claim the research - for a entity known as the Republic of the Commonwealth. What's very interesting about the story mode of this game is that there are actually four possible endings that are all determined on your Heroics score at the end of the game - but unfortunately it's not like you can make much other drastic changes in the story.
On it's release, Red Faction II's Neptune & GameCube ports were seen as oddly superior to the Neo & PC ports. Granted it wasn't by much, but that's how the reviews viewed it. I personally don't really see much of a difference, but I don't want to bother getting into it. As a whole, the first two Red Faction games were a good beginning to a series that really put Volition's name on the map and showed THQ was more than just the people that made the Nickelodeon games.
- Jack Moore, Blog Post, 2014
GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY
Released in October of 2002, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was the sixth entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, and the first main entry in the series since 2001's Grand Theft Auto III. Released right around the same time as Halo and Battlefield 1942 and both developed and published by Rockstar, it was but another push of mature content games into mainstream console gaming.
Takin place within the fictional Vice City, we follow Tommy Vercetti who just got out of prison not long before getting caught up in an ambushed drug deal, following it up with taking down those responsible, building a criminal empire of his own, and seizing power from other crime lords in the process. So indeed, you are most certainly not playing as a 'hero' this time, at least not in the usual sense. But the others are worse than you anyway......debatably. With how most people tend to drive around the streets in this game that probably isn't quite true.
The gameplay of GTA: Vice City is done through a third-person perspective, dropping you as Tommy into Vice City to basically run around and do whatever you want, with the expansive city being a sandbox style open world filled with pedestrians, missions and all sorts of other activities - whether they are legal or not - and a lot of them aren't. In fact, the more illegal things you do, the higher your notoriety goes. The more stars you get, the more determined the police will be to get you, eventually reaching the basically undefeatable feds themselves stepping in. Trust me when I say they are truly relentless, but it makes for a great endurance test.
Also, you can finally drive motorcycles.
Interesting is the combat system of the game, which includes an auto-aim system that can be used to assist you in gun fire against enemies, and on that same subject there are many different gangs in the city, and completing certain missions will both please and offend different gangs. Ones that like you will help you, while ones that don't will want you dead. It's as simple as that. If you're down on money, you can just outright purchase businesses....if you have the money for it. Though you do have to do missions in order to accomplish this. Really virtually everything in the game is dependent on missions, whether they are small or big.
While GTA: Vice City is a fantastic game for it's time, and one of the more ambitious titles of the era too, very well deserving of the praise that it got when it came out - one can't talk about this game without mentioning the controversy that came out because of it. It is much more than just some complaints about a mature, crime-centered game. It goes straight into the territory of lawsuits being filed - all while being labeled as violent and explicit.
For one, civil rights groups felt that because the player fights gangs of immigrant groups such as Haitians and Cubans, the game is some kind of invitiation to commit ethnic hate groups - and using discriminatory language. This got to the extent that outright protests were staged against the game - and led to several ordinances prohibiting the sale of violent video games in several areas - adding that ontop of the fact it already had a censored version made for Australia.
Sad thing is how common it is for the GTA series to be involved in these kinds of things. It's practically become standard. Whether you like the games or not, one can't deny that they are a major bringer of cash for Rockstar - hence why they never stop despite the drama they get. In fact, I wouldn't even be surprised if the drama is part of why they make the company so much money.
- Spencer Barnes, Blog Post, 2012
KING OF FIGHTERS 2002
October, 2002
The Dream Match is Happening Again!
The King of Fighters 2002
Join the battle with 39 of our best characters, including those unique ones from the past! Enjoy the new MAX power system that is even easier to use and play! You, too, can fully master the battle of your dreams with the newly revived 3 on 3 battle!
Available on SNK Neo Geo arcade cabinets, home systems, and Nokia Neo
- Back Cover for a release of King of Fighters 2002. The game, as stated, was released for SNK's own original home systems and arcade cabinets, but as also available on the Nokia Neo.
RATCHET & CLANK
November, 2002
There is nothing small about this game
- Advertisement for Ratchet & Clank, developed by Insomniac Games for the Sony Neptune. Following a feline-like humanoid known as a lombax, the game is both an action platformer and a third-person shooter, and the beginning of the franchise effectively owned by Sony itself.
"Lots of people were for some reasons that eludes me, asking for a game where Sonic had a gun and was shooting people. Ratchet & Clank being exclusive to us, gave them what they wanted without ruining our most prized possession. I don't know about you, but I for one would rather not turn Sonic into 'Medal of Hedgehog'." - Tom Kalinske, 2003 interview with Gamespot
"Though his name has some interesting meanings for some people, I always loved Ratchet. I won't lie though, when this game came out I first thought it was a spin-off of the Sonic universe but I was proven wrong because for once the hedgehog is not present in the game what-so-ever from what I can tell. Which is good, he really doesn't have much of any place in the universe that Ratchet & Clank sets up for itself. I personally love all of these duos that Sony has under it's belt, it seems to be something of a theme for them." - Eliseo Martin, Gamespot, 2007
"In the end, it was hard for third party developers to really decide to give the other companies much a chance. I mean, the Neptune was selling as if it was pure gold, the others were basically equal with each other so it's a natural choice to make. However, Nokia had other franchises that they were securing, and making."
"But Ratchet & Clank isn't really third party, the franchise from what I heard is owned by Sony."
- YouTube Comments, 2013
"Ratchet was a jerk in the first game. It was only fixed in the later ones, where they realized how bad it was. Even then, it was fortunate that the franchise proved rather successful because I'm very fond of it if I do say so myself." - YouTube Comment, 2006
SPYRO THE DRAGON: A FRANCHISE
It all began with the 3DO M2, and Insomniac Games. With those two things combined in 1998, the Spyro the Dragon franchise was born.
Spyro the Dragon is a franchise of the platformer genre, making it one with the Sonics, the Marios and the Banjo-Kazooies. The Spyro series itself started out much like those did, with the basic mascot character in Spyro the Dragon himself, a spunky purple dragon with flight, fire breath, everything you'd ask for in an anthro dragon character from the late 90's.
Released for the 3DO M2, the original Spyro game was one of it's signature games that got it to sell in those early Pre-Neptune years of it's life, before everything started going rapdily down hill for the sadly ill-fated system. Ultimately, Spyro spawned a total of four major game released on the 3DO M2. Spyro the Dragon released in 1998, Ripto's Rage in 1999, and Year of the Dragon in 2000. In 2001, a portable release 'Season of the Ice' was released on the GameBoy Advance. Being that 2001 was the final year of 3DO as a console maker before they transformed completely into Panasonic's third party game division, Year of the Dragon would be the last 3DO Spyro game.
In fact, some worried it may have been the final home console game of Spyro ever. Though thankfully they were proven wrong. You see Spyro was not initially owned by 3DO at all; rather the rights to franchise were owned by Universal, they just happened to agree to letting the franchise be solely released on 3DO systems until 3DO dropped out of the console war completely in the wake of Sony putting down their full weight (and Halo not being ready on time).
It should also be noticed that Season of Ice also wasn't even developed by Insomniac games, and neither would any of the future games in the series.
The fall of 3DO did not also mean it was the fall of Spyro, however. Year of the Dragon was ported to the Nintendo GameCube in 2001, becoming the first multi-platform Spyro game, and in some regions was even a launch title for the system - right alongside the original mascot of 3DO Gex who also was forced to make the transition from first to third party. The port was thankfully a rather decent one, though was effectively just slapped together for the monetary gain considering almost nothing at all was actually changed from the original, aside from some graphical tweaks.
The other Spyro titles would also see ports onto the other contemporary consoles in the coming years following the discontinuation of the M2.
As a whole, the initial period of Spyro was the series' golden age. Again, while not the highest selling game franchise in the industry's history, it remained a popular one with millions of copies sold under it's belt, and the target demographic for it - children - remained in love with the little purple dragon. However, gaming was changing once 3DO, transformed by then into P.I.E., finally released Halo for the Nokia Neo - and began to rebuild all of the finances they had been losing since before they had to drop out of the console race to begin with.
This is important for Spyro, because it was after Halo was released to the world that Panasonic approached Universal with the idea of purchasing the franchise from them, and once the agreement had been made Spyro - one of the M2's higher selling games, finally became an official property of the company that once benefited of it as something close to a second party title for it's own consoles. While no longer made by Insomniac and also no longer on a 3DO system, the Spyro series was now technically be handled by the development studios of what used to be 3DO themselves - or people they outsourced to.
At the time of the purchase, one Spyro game, Enter the Dragonfly, was under development. Slated for a Winter 2002 release, Panasonic - possibly using Halo as an example, delayed the game for 2003.
- Eliseo Martin, Blog Post, 2012
SONIC MEGA COLLECTION
November, 2002
8 Great Hits!
+ Extra Games!
+ Bonus Features!
- Front cover for Sonic Mega Collection, a compilation title that includes Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Sonic Spinball, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles (alongside Knuckles in Sonic 2, Blue Sphere, Sonic 3 & Knuckles), Sonic 3D Blast, Flicky, Ristar, Comix Zone and The Ooze. Released exclusively (as to be expected) for the Neptune. It also featured sans of most contemporary Archie comic covers, illustrations of various characters, and a handful of promotional video material.
SUPER MONKEY BALL 2
November, 2002
The Ultimate Party Game Returns!!!
Your favorite monkeys are back with 12 unbelievable Party Games, an all-new Story Mode, and over 150 new stages! Let the good times roll!
Only on Sony Neptune
- Back cover for Super Monkey Ball 2, the first game of the series to have a storyline - in the process introducing the villain Dr. Bad-boon.
"I never knew that I could love a video game series about adorable monkeys rolling around inside of balls but yet here we are." - YouTube Comment, 2009
SPACE CHANNEL 5 PART 2
November, 2002
The grooviest broadcast this side of Venus!
It's the 25th Century and our intergalactic reporter finds herself in two huge-spanning Adventures in futuristic neo-'60's style. Ulala must face a group of intergalactic terrorists who have designs on world domination. Using a special 'danca ray' that mesmerizes people, the evil invaders are hell-bent on taking over, and the only coming between them is Ulala and some pretty geoovt danca moves!
- Back cover for Space Channel 5 part 2, sequel to Space Channel 5 and another major Neptune exclusive title.
METROID PRIME
November, 2002
Evil Waits below the surface...
Something sinister lurks in the depths of planet Tallon IV. Interstellar bounty hunter Samus Aran is the only one who can destroy this evil...
But first it must be found.
- Back Cover for Metroid Prime, the Nintendo GameCube's definitive Metroid title, and Metroid's first true 3D title.
"Metroid Prime is by far one of the GameCube's very best titles - a definite must have for any true fan of Nintendo. Like Super Mario 64 was for Mario himself, it was the introduction of Samus and Metroid into the world of 3D gaming, and it is one of the first serious yet awesome shooting games without an 'M' rating present on it - though it is rated 'T'. And thankfully in classic Nintendo style it offers it's own experience rather than being a copy of Battlefield or Halo. Everything about this game to me really shows just how capable the GameCube as a console is, which most of Nintendo's main line of games always does for all of their systems." - Vicente Barnes, IGN, 2002
"I liked how Nintendo got around loading screens by hiding it behind a door taking a long time to open. Sometimes I actually didn't even realize it was loading, it was only noticeable whenever it took longer than usual."
"I always liked the music in this game, especially their Ridley theme. I still hear it in my head every time I see or think about Ridley."
"We don't Mario to use a gun, we already have Samus for that."
- Forum Discussion, 2005
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: WIND WAKER
November, 2002
An Evil Wind is Blowing
Legend has it that whenever evil has appeared, a hero named Link has arisen to defeat it. That legend continues on the surface of a great and mysterious sea as Link sets off on his most epic and awe-inspiring adventure yet. Aided by a magical conductor's baton called the Wind Waker, he will face unimaginable monsters, explore puzzling dungeons, and meet a cast of unforgettable characters as he searches for his kidnapped sister.
- Back over for the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, the first Legend of Zelda title released for the Nintendo GameCube.
"I find it odd to hear that Wind Waker wasn't liked by fans upon it's release, over it's cel-shading style to a point where despite it's usual and expected critical acclaim the game still received comparatively less sales. Did people really not buy it over just that, or was it because people were burned out with all the water themed stuff being released like Sonic Adventure twice plus the movie, Atlantis the Lost Empire, Super Mario Sunshine etc I just find it hard to believe an art style could divide so many people like that."
"I literally did not realize so much water and/or ocean themed stuff came out so close to each other. Dang."
"Nah, it was just the cel shading art style that turned people off initially. Other than that, the game got the usual critical acclaim that all Zelda titles are accustomed to. I know it's a little hard to believe, but the human race can be quite stupid at times."
"And kids in particular can be both stupid and picky creatures."
"My personal conspiracy theory is that Sony and/or Nokia had a team of spin doctors that started the first hate comment over the art style and everyone else just followed suit or something."
"lol"
- IGN Forums Discussion, 2012
PANZER DRAGOON ORTA
December, 2002
The era of human prosperity has come to a grinding halt, with all but a few pockets of civilization destroyed by years of devastating battles. A new Empire rules with an iron grip, and a band of rebels begins a revolt in an attempt to become masters of their destiny once again. As the world is engulfed in the flames of war, an unlikely and unwilling Hero must become mankind's only hope. The Dragon will rise again.
- Back cover for Panzer Dragoon Orta, 2002's Panzer Dragon title and as such a popular Neptune exclusive.
"Those who say Sony buying Sega was a mistake clearly have not played Panzer Dragoon Orta yet. This is dare I say one of the best games on the Neptune, if not of all time. The storyline, graphics and sound are all perfect in a combination that makes this one of the best rail shooters of all time - especially after Star Fox's stunt this year. However, the game is rather hard even on the easiest settings - if you can beat this game on normal, you're pretty much a true gamer." - IGN Reviewer, 2002
"This game puts hair on your chest." - Anonymous comment, 2002
"Sure, this game looks beautiful, and is one of the best shooters we've ever played, but we just can't explain how therapeutic it is to incinerate everything with the power of a thousand George Foreman Grills." - Maxim, 2002
"The only crime this game commits is being too short. Way, way too short. After SA2 I would have expected a lot more content." - Anonymous comment, 2002
"When Yamauchi turned down Sony, they created their own worst enemy." - Anonymous comment, 2002
RAGE OF THE DRAGONS
December, 2002
Iron hands wipe out evil!
Out now! Rage of the Dragons.
In a town ruled by an evil religious cult, the battle to decide the strongest dragon begins! Each contestant is a champion who contends with the power of mighty dragons: Black Dragon, Red Dragon, Blue Dragon, and White Dragon.
Go head to head in a tag-team partnership to test your attack and defense in the heat of battle.
- Back cover for Rage of the Dragons - released on Neo Geo, Neo Geo home consoles, and the Nokia Neo. The latter release was international and in December, but original releases were in September of 2002.
I do apologize if the ending bit is too long, it's the replacement of the "Games of" segment I used to talk about games with noteworthy differences ITTL. I put a spoiler just in case it's too long. I may remove it if it's biased/ASB or if it's just better as a separate post.
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