Game Informer Issue 139

Features:

• Letter From the Editor: Reviewing The Reviewers (Andy McNamara discusses critiquing reviews and how, ultimately, they are just expressing their own opinions)
• Dear GI (Reader Letters, Responses and Artwork)
• Tokyo Game Show 2004 (GI’s overview of the news and announcements out of Tokyo Game Show)
• The Incredible Shrinking PS2 (Sony announced new slim model for the PS2)
• U.S. Gets Nintendo DS First (Nintendo announces release date for new handheld)
• The Death of Acclaim (After years of struggles, publisher Acclaim shuts down)
• BioWare Goes Epic (BioWare announces it will use Unreal Engine 3 for new game)
• Interview: Reggie Fils-Aime (Interview with the executive vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo of America)
• Classic GI (A look at the missteps in famous video game franchises)
  

Cover Story: Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (PS2, XBOX)(After having failed previously, Midway once again attempts to bring Mortal Kombat into another genre, this time with co-op multiplayer)

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (XBOX, PC)(With BioWare leaving the Star Wars franchise, it has come down to Obsidian Entertainment to craft a sequel to the critical smash rpg set in a galaxy far, far away)

Square Enix 2005 (Overview of the announced titles coming from Square Enix, including a sequel and spin-off game for Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Quest VIII, the next Final Fantasy, sequel to Romancing SaGa and a FFVII spin-off featuring Vincent Valentine)

MX vs. ATV Unleashed (PS2, XBOX)(A look at the new game from Rainbow Studios that will combine the two sports)

Two Games To Rule Them All (Article that looks at two new games set in Tolkien’s Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (PS2, XBOX, GC) and The Lord of the Rings: The Battle For Middle-earth (PC), both produced by EA)

Previews:

• Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GC)
• Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (PS2, XBOX, GC, PC)
• Jade Empire (XBOX)
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)
• Devil May Cry 3 (PS2)
• Call of Duty: Finest Hour (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict (XBOX)
• Scarface (PS2, XBOX)
• The Punisher (PS2, XBOX)
• EverQuest II (PC)
• The Urbz: Sims in the City (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Act of War: Direct Action (PC)
• WWE Smackdown! Vs. RAW (PS2)
• Killer 7 (GC)
• Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana (PS2)
  

Multiplatform Reviews:

• Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• NBA Live 2005 (PS2, XBOX, GC)*
• ESPN NBA 2K5 (PS2, XBOX)*
• X-Men Legends (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Crash Twinsanity (PS2, XBOX)
• BloodRayne 2 (PS2, XBOX)
• Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude (PS2, XBOX)
• FIFA Soccer 2005 (PS2, XBOX, GC)
  

PlayStation 2 Reviews:

• Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
• Neo Contra
• Jak 3
• Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
• Blood Will Tell
• Monster Hunter
• The nightmare of Druaga: Fushigino Dungeon
• Gungrave: Overdose
  

Gamecube Reviews:

• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
• Donkey Konga
  

XBOX Reviews:

• Men of Valor
• Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders
  

PC Reviews:

• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
• Call of Duty: United Offensive
• Rome: Total War
• The Sims 2
• Evil Genius
  

Game Boy Advance Reviews:

• F-Zero GP Legend
• The Urbz: Sims in the City
• Tron 2.0: Killer App
  

Quickie Reviews (Short, one paragraph reviews):

• Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• King Arthur (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Spyro: A Hero’s Tail (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Time Crisis: Crisis Zone (PS2)
• TOCA Race Driver: Ultimate Racing Simulator (PS2)
• Technic Beat (PS2)
• King of Fighters: Maximum Impact (PS2)
• Kuon (PS2)
• Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 (PS2)
• Syberia II (XBOX)
• SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom (XBOX)
• Wings of War (XBOX)
• Chris Sawyer’s Locomotion (PC)
• The Political Machine (PC)
• Myst IV: Revelation (PC)
  

Secret Access (Cheat codes and strategy guides):

• Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone (PS2)
• NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• BloodRayne 2 (PS2, XBOX)
• Street Racing Syndicate (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Ghosthunter (PS2)
• Hot Shots Golf Fore! (PS2)
• Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS2)
• Pikmin 2 (GC)
• The Sims 2 (PC)
• Fable (XBOX)
  

Retro Reviews:

• Sword of the Berserk: Guts’ Rage (DC)
• Pocket Fighter (PS)
• Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 (SNES)
  

*Both are listed as being available for just PlayStation, but are actually on the PlayStation 2.