ISSUE: 3Content
PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE
-
Atari Jaguar
-
Sega Genesis
-
Sega 32X
-
Sega CD
-
Sega Saturn
-
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
-
Virtual Boy
-
3DO
-
PC
-
Macintosh
-
Sony Playstation
-
NEC PC-FX (never released)
-
arcade
---
(The following is loosely based on this issue's table of contents, with select issue excerpts included. Magazine accurate text formatting (lower case headers, etc) purposefully retained. (Notes) and bullet lists are added for clarity.)
(This issue introduces an infrequently recurring "i wish...," column; a news section filler featuring 'wish list' commentary by industry insiders. Also, Macintosh earns a spot in the review section.)
talking
Is Sega's boss scared yet?
Back in 1990, few believed that a small, hungry rival could beat the mighty Nintendo to the 16bit punch. But that's exactly what happened. Now, Sony threatens to do to Sega what Sega did to Nintendo, and Tom Kalinske faces the toughest fight of his career... (six page interview)
breaking
News
(Original news articles along with regular, recurring news features; one page each unless noted. While original news stories regularly included related sidebars, unrelated sidebars would often be used to fill space as well - these are noted.)
WCES: the calm before the storm
The world's largest game show is still too soon to sort the winners from the losers... (six pages)
Nintendo pins hopes on Virtual Boy
But the ill-advised 32bit VR system simply makes gamers see red. (two pages)
Sega and Sony sell the dream
NEXT Generation witnesses the biggest videogame events since the launch of the SNES. (3.25 pages)
Beginning of the end for Video CD?
NEXT Generation wonders if the Video CD format is doomed before it's even off the ground. (1.5 pages)
Sega still on top in Japan arcades
Virtua Fighter 2 shows that Sega is staying ahead of the game. (includes 'UK arcades face taxing time' sidebar)
(Recurring news features:)
Joyriding
gaming updates from cyberspace - this month: Tooling up (online gaming news by Bernard Yee)
Datastream (sidebar; number related news/trivia)
i wish... (industry insider "wish list" commentary; 0.25 pages; this issue, Dave Perry of Shiny Entertainment)
Movers & Shakers
A monthly look at business news affecting the gaming world (misc. business news by Selby Bateman)
Generator
A behind the scenes look at what game developers think of Apple's plan to enter the game arena. (1/2 page; behind-the-scenes news by Mark James Ramshaw)
Datebook - March (1/2 page; calendar of events)
Essential Reading (1/2 page; book review; 'Video Games: A Guide for Savvy Parents' by David Sheff)
Over the wire (1/2 page; faux future news)
Arcadia
The coin-op business is an excellent barometer of what's coming to the home. And here it is... (misc. arcade news by Marcus Webb)
ng hardware
Does the PlayStation live up to the hype?
The wait is over: The PlayStation has landed. But what's the story behind Sony's leap into the world of videogaming? And how does the machine actually perform? NEXT Generation tells the story behind the headlines and profiles Ridge Racer on page 42. (eight page 'Playstation: Sony's bid for power' and five page 'Ridge Racer')
ng music
Making tracks (aka the noble art of game music)
As the gaming industry's migration from cartridges to CDs reaches culmination, many musicians are yearning for the good old days. NEXT Generation discovers that less is often more. (six pages; includes sidebar profiles of Tim Follin, Charles Deenan, and Chris Hulsbeck)
ng special
Virtua Fighter - Saturn's fighting chance
Of course, PlayStation isn't the only hot new Silicon ensemble. Sega's Saturn is outselling Sony in Japan, and this success is attributable to just one game - Yu Suzuki's awesome Virtua Fighter. ('Virtua Fighter;' four pages)
ng hardware
What's wrong with the PC?
The PC is the grudging game machine: It's expensive, it's frustrating to use and it's riddled with incompatibility glitches. Now, as Sega and Sony threaten, does the PC game scene faces(sic) death - strangled, partly by the very standards that defined its creation? (part one of two; eight pages)
ng software
Alphas (game previews; two pages each unless noted:)
(Next Generation's game previews often varied in scope and size. Smaller previews were usually traditional in presentation, while larger previews often incorporated developer commentary. The largest previews were typically presented as a themed article (focusing on a development studio, accessory, etc) previewing one or more titles and were often accompanied by an interview (noted).)
-
Toh Shin Den (PS; four pages) (Toshinden)
-
Dark Forces (PC)
-
Boxer's Road (PS; 1.33 pages)
-
Hudson Soft (focus on Bomberman franchise and NEC PC-FX hardware; four pages)
-
Iron Assault (PC)
-
Motor Toon Grand Prix (PS; three pages)
rating
Finals
(While all video game magazines make the occasional slip, NEXT Generation's game review section was especially notorious and/or exceptional for reviewing games never formally released in North America, or were instead eventually released under a different title. In some cases an import title would be reviewed with the domestic release also reviewed in a later issue. Japanese import reviews are noted when known. Reviews were usually 1/8th to 1/4th page in length, though this varied wildly and length was never pre-determined - one page reviews would see print on rare occasions. Higher rated and/or spotlighted games would usually receive more page real estate than lower rated.)
3DO
-
Cowboy: Casino Interactive Poker
-
Family Feud
-
Ghost Hunter (Japan)
-
Lemmings
-
Off-World Interceptor
-
Super Street Fighter II Turbo
-
Rebel Assault
-
Samurai Shodown
-
Shanghai: the Great Wall
-
Station Invasion
-
Supreme Warrior
-
World Cup Golf: Hyatt Dorado Beach
Jaguar
-
Bubsy: Fractured Furry Tales
-
Kasumi Ninja
-
Val d'Isere Skiing and Snowboarding
-
Zool 2
32X
-
Motocross Championship
Macintosh
-
SimTower
-
PegLeg
PC
-
Cyberwar
-
Lode Runner: The Legend Returns
-
King's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride
-
Cyberia
-
Zephyr
-
Lords of the Realm
-
Menzoberranzan
-
Noctropolis
-
Realms of Arkania: Star Trail
-
Rise of the Robots
-
U.S. Navy Fighters
Sega CD
-
Bouncers
-
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
-
Darkseed
-
Ecco : The Tides of Time
-
Slam City with Scottie Pippin
-
Midnight Raiders
Genesis
-
Aero the Acrobat 2
-
Phantasy Star IV (mistakenly labeled in review section as a Sega CD game)
-
Mega Bomberman
-
NHL All-Star '95
-
Rugby World Cup '95
-
Ristar
-
PGA Tour III
-
Viewpoint
SNES
-
Brutal
-
Ignition Factor
-
Looney Tunes B-Ball
-
Michael Jordan: Chaos In The Windy City
-
Radical Rex
-
The Shadow
-
Jurassic Park II: The Chaos Continues
-
Uniracers
Arcade
-
The King of Fighters
-
Mazinger Z
-
Samurai Shodown III
corresponding
Letters
Everyone is after some meaningful interaction, and here's your chance to score some. (reader mail; 2.5 pages)
dispatches
Letters from the desks on the front line. (industry insider commentary - this issue, Tom Zito of Digital Pictures; 1.5 pages)
PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE
- Atari Jaguar
- Sega Genesis
- Sega 32X
- Sega CD
- Sega Saturn
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System
- Virtual Boy
- 3DO
- PC
- Macintosh
- Sony Playstation
- NEC PC-FX (never released)
- arcade
---
(The following is loosely based on this issue's table of contents, with select issue excerpts included. Magazine accurate text formatting (lower case headers, etc) purposefully retained. (Notes) and bullet lists are added for clarity.)
(This issue introduces an infrequently recurring "i wish...," column; a news section filler featuring 'wish list' commentary by industry insiders. Also, Macintosh earns a spot in the review section.)
talking
Is Sega's boss scared yet?
Back in 1990, few believed that a small, hungry rival could beat the mighty Nintendo to the 16bit punch. But that's exactly what happened. Now, Sony threatens to do to Sega what Sega did to Nintendo, and Tom Kalinske faces the toughest fight of his career... (six page interview)
breaking
News
(Original news articles along with regular, recurring news features; one page each unless noted. While original news stories regularly included related sidebars, unrelated sidebars would often be used to fill space as well - these are noted.)
WCES: the calm before the storm
The world's largest game show is still too soon to sort the winners from the losers... (six pages)
Nintendo pins hopes on Virtual Boy
But the ill-advised 32bit VR system simply makes gamers see red. (two pages)
Sega and Sony sell the dream
NEXT Generation witnesses the biggest videogame events since the launch of the SNES. (3.25 pages)
Beginning of the end for Video CD?
NEXT Generation wonders if the Video CD format is doomed before it's even off the ground. (1.5 pages)
Sega still on top in Japan arcades
Virtua Fighter 2 shows that Sega is staying ahead of the game. (includes 'UK arcades face taxing time' sidebar)
(Recurring news features:)
Joyriding
gaming updates from cyberspace - this month: Tooling up (online gaming news by Bernard Yee)
Datastream (sidebar; number related news/trivia)
i wish... (industry insider "wish list" commentary; 0.25 pages; this issue, Dave Perry of Shiny Entertainment)
Movers & Shakers
A monthly look at business news affecting the gaming world (misc. business news by Selby Bateman)
Generator
A behind the scenes look at what game developers think of Apple's plan to enter the game arena. (1/2 page; behind-the-scenes news by Mark James Ramshaw)
Datebook - March (1/2 page; calendar of events)
Essential Reading (1/2 page; book review; 'Video Games: A Guide for Savvy Parents' by David Sheff)
Over the wire (1/2 page; faux future news)
Arcadia
The coin-op business is an excellent barometer of what's coming to the home. And here it is... (misc. arcade news by Marcus Webb)
ng hardware
Does the PlayStation live up to the hype?
The wait is over: The PlayStation has landed. But what's the story behind Sony's leap into the world of videogaming? And how does the machine actually perform? NEXT Generation tells the story behind the headlines and profiles Ridge Racer on page 42. (eight page 'Playstation: Sony's bid for power' and five page 'Ridge Racer')
ng music
Making tracks (aka the noble art of game music)
As the gaming industry's migration from cartridges to CDs reaches culmination, many musicians are yearning for the good old days. NEXT Generation discovers that less is often more. (six pages; includes sidebar profiles of Tim Follin, Charles Deenan, and Chris Hulsbeck)
ng special
Virtua Fighter - Saturn's fighting chance
Of course, PlayStation isn't the only hot new Silicon ensemble. Sega's Saturn is outselling Sony in Japan, and this success is attributable to just one game - Yu Suzuki's awesome Virtua Fighter. ('Virtua Fighter;' four pages)
ng hardware
What's wrong with the PC?
The PC is the grudging game machine: It's expensive, it's frustrating to use and it's riddled with incompatibility glitches. Now, as Sega and Sony threaten, does the PC game scene faces(sic) death - strangled, partly by the very standards that defined its creation? (part one of two; eight pages)
ng software
Alphas (game previews; two pages each unless noted:)
(Next Generation's game previews often varied in scope and size. Smaller previews were usually traditional in presentation, while larger previews often incorporated developer commentary. The largest previews were typically presented as a themed article (focusing on a development studio, accessory, etc) previewing one or more titles and were often accompanied by an interview (noted).)
- Toh Shin Den (PS; four pages) (Toshinden)
- Dark Forces (PC)
- Boxer's Road (PS; 1.33 pages)
- Hudson Soft (focus on Bomberman franchise and NEC PC-FX hardware; four pages)
- Iron Assault (PC)
- Motor Toon Grand Prix (PS; three pages)
rating
Finals
(While all video game magazines make the occasional slip, NEXT Generation's game review section was especially notorious and/or exceptional for reviewing games never formally released in North America, or were instead eventually released under a different title. In some cases an import title would be reviewed with the domestic release also reviewed in a later issue. Japanese import reviews are noted when known. Reviews were usually 1/8th to 1/4th page in length, though this varied wildly and length was never pre-determined - one page reviews would see print on rare occasions. Higher rated and/or spotlighted games would usually receive more page real estate than lower rated.)
3DO
- Cowboy: Casino Interactive Poker
- Family Feud
- Ghost Hunter (Japan)
- Lemmings
- Off-World Interceptor
- Super Street Fighter II Turbo
- Rebel Assault
- Samurai Shodown
- Shanghai: the Great Wall
- Station Invasion
- Supreme Warrior
- World Cup Golf: Hyatt Dorado Beach
Jaguar
- Bubsy: Fractured Furry Tales
- Kasumi Ninja
- Val d'Isere Skiing and Snowboarding
- Zool 2
32X
- Motocross Championship
Macintosh
- SimTower
- PegLeg
PC
- Cyberwar
- Lode Runner: The Legend Returns
- King's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride
- Cyberia
- Zephyr
- Lords of the Realm
- Menzoberranzan
- Noctropolis
- Realms of Arkania: Star Trail
- Rise of the Robots
- U.S. Navy Fighters
Sega CD
- Bouncers
- Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
- Darkseed
- Ecco : The Tides of Time
- Slam City with Scottie Pippin
- Midnight Raiders
Genesis
- Aero the Acrobat 2
- Phantasy Star IV (mistakenly labeled in review section as a Sega CD game)
- Mega Bomberman
- NHL All-Star '95
- Rugby World Cup '95
- Ristar
- PGA Tour III
- Viewpoint
SNES
- Brutal
- Ignition Factor
- Looney Tunes B-Ball
- Michael Jordan: Chaos In The Windy City
- Radical Rex
- The Shadow
- Jurassic Park II: The Chaos Continues
- Uniracers
Arcade
- The King of Fighters
- Mazinger Z
- Samurai Shodown III
corresponding
Letters
Everyone is after some meaningful interaction, and here's your chance to score some. (reader mail; 2.5 pages)
dispatches
Letters from the desks on the front line. (industry insider commentary - this issue, Tom Zito of Digital Pictures; 1.5 pages)
-
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