Game Informer Issue 130

Features:

• Letter From the Editor: The Road Ahead (Andy McNamara discusses the upcoming year and the expected big releases)
• Dear GI (Reader Letters, Responses and Artwork)
• Sammy Owns Majority of Sega (Sammy Corporation buys a majority stake in publisher Sega)
• Race In Video Games: An Unequal Face (Article on the lack of racial diversity in video game characters)
• THQ’s Vigilante Justice (THQ announces new Punisher game)
• Black Isle Studios Closes (In the wake of Interplay’s financial problems, all but two employees of Black Isle have been laid off)
• Turbine Takes Asheron’s Call From Microsoft (Creators of Asheron’s Call buy back rights from Microsoft)
• EA And Microsoft Still Talking For XBOX Live (Microsoft continues efforts to court EA to their online XBOX Live service)
• GTA Makers Offer Apology (Rockstar apologizes for content offensive to Haitians in Vice City)
• Classic GI (History of video games and movies)
  

Cover Story: The Chronicles of Riddick (XBOX)(A look at the video-game tie-in being developed by small-time Swedish developer Starbreeze Studios which will not follow the story of the movie, but will instead explore some of the earlier exploits to the titular Riddick)

Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms (PS2)(The developers behind the commercially successful tie-in game to The Two Towers now turn their expertise onto another beloved fantasy property, Dungeons & Dragons)

BloodRayne 2 (PS2, XBOX)(In the wake of their successful first BloodRayne title, Terminal Reality aims to step up their game for the sequel and deliver a game that will both satisfy fans and have them demanding more)

The Secrets of Their Success (Interviews with various personnel within the game industry about how they broke in and the difficulties and rewards of their careers)

Previews:

• The Lord of the Rings: The Battle For Middle-Earth (PC)
• Star Wars Battlefront (PS2, XBOX, PC)
• Resident Evil: Outbreak (PS2)
• Painkiller (XBOX, PC)
• Legends of Wrestling Showdown (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Combat Elite WW II Paratroopers (PS2, XBOX)
• Serious Sam: Word to the Mothership (PS2, GC)
• Siren (PS2)
• Gran Turismo 4 (PS2)
• Baten Kaitos (GC)
• Rallisport Challenge 2 (XBOX)
• Race Driver 2: The Ultimate Racing Simulator (XBOX, PC)
• Pokemon Colosseum (GC)
• Robotech: Invasion (PS2, XBOX)
• Breed (PC)
• Seven Samurai 20XX (PS2)
• Area 51 (PS2, XBOX)
  

PlayStation 2 Reviews:

• Champions Of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest
• Maximo vs. Army of Zin
• Airforce Delta Strike
• Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance
• Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
• Winning Eleven 7
• Lowrider
• Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
• Dot Hack Vol. 4: Quarantine
  

Gamecube Review:

• Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
  

XBOX Reviews:

• Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
• Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
• Wrath Unleashed
• Carve
• Mission: Impossible – Operation Surma
• Curse: The Eye of Isis
  

PC Reviews:

• Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark
• Lords of Everquest
• Horizons: Empire of Istaria
• Silent Storm
• Dark Age of Camelot: Trials of Atlantis
  

Game Boy Advance Reviews:

• Metroid: Zero Mission
• Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance
  

Quickie Reviews (Short, one paragraph reviews):

• Mission Impossible: Operation Surma (PS2)
• Carmen Sandiego: The Secret of the Stolen Drums (PS2)
• American Idol (PS2)
• Lupin the 3rd: Treasure of the Scorcer King (PS2)
• Monster 4x4: Masters of Metal (PS2, GC)
• EverQuest Online Adventures: Frontiers (PS2)
• Intellivision Lives (PS2)
• Tony Hawk’s Underground (GC)
• R: Racing Evolution (GC)
• World Championship Pool 2004 (XBOX)
• Blowout (XBOX)
• Freestyle Street Soccer (XBOX)
• Dinosaur Hunting (XBOX)
• The Haunted Mansion (XBOX)
• Spy Hunter 2 (XBOX)
• Silent Scope Complete (XBOX)
• X2: The Threat (PC)
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (XBOX)
• One Must Fall: Battlegrounds (XBOX)
• Shining Soul II (GBA)
• Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Sacred Cards (GBA)
• Red Faction (N-Gage)
• Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (GBA)
• Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc (N-Gage)
• James Bond 007: Everything Or Nothing (GBA)
• Splinter Cell (N-Gage)
  

Secret Access (Cheat codes):

• NBA Live 2004 (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Prince of Persia: The Sand of Time (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• SSX 3 (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Conflict Desert Storm II: Back to Baghdad (PS2)
• Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 (PS2)
• Spawn: Armageddon (PS2)
• Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (PS2)
• Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde (PS2, XBOX)
• Need For Speed: Underground (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Legacy of Kain: Defiance (PS2, XBOX)
• Manhunt (PS2)
• Rainbow Six 3 (XBOX)
• Hunter: The Reckoning – Wayward (XBOX)
• Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure (XBOX, GC)
• Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC)
• 1080° Avalanche (GC)
• Tron 2.0 (PC)
  

Retro Reviews:

• The Crow: City of Angels (PS)
• No Escape (SNES)
• Cutthroat Island (Gen)
• Bill and Ted’s Excellent Video Game Adventure (NES)