Official U.S. Playstation Magazine Issue 24

Departments:

Editorial (Kraig Kujawa's on the warpath about how football games release too early for a truly finalized roster)
Letters (You write 'em, we answer 'em)
News (Industry insider stuff: gossip, rumors, facts, hints, allegations, etc...)
g.e.a.r. (Action figures, controllers, carrying cases, and more for your PlayStation lifestyle)
Demo Disc (Check out playable demos of Um Jammer Lammy, Sled Storm, Chocobo Racing, and Pong; then enjoy non-interactive content related to Toy Story 2, Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, and NFL GameDay 2000)
Review Recap (Stuff you might have missed or forgotten, capsulized for your protection)
Trick Archive (Our favorite cheats, reprinted just for you)
Next Month (A new magazine, a new demo disc, a new reason to drop eight bucks)

Features:

Final Fantasy VIII: It's about to hit the US like a Category 5 storm. Here's what you need to know.
Battle of the Brutes: EA and 989 Studios have gone to war on the gridiron, so OPM heads into the locker room for the low-down on this season's new entries.
WipeOut 3: Psygnosis's trend-setting series comes roaring back into homes with a vengeance.
Jade Cocoon Strategy: So you want to be a Cocoon Master? Learn the ins and outs of monster husbandry with this useful guide to a most peculiar RPG with weapon charts, maps, and more.
In The Hot Seat: Phil Harrison of SCEA sits for an interview about the PlayStation 2, developers' tools, his philosophy for helping devs approach the console, and where the company is headed next.

Previews:

International Previews:

Reviews:

NFL Blitz 2000 (5/5 discs)
NFL Xtreme 2 (1.5/5 discs)
Rising Zan (4/5 discs)
Tarzan (3.5/5 discs)
Driver (4/5 discs)
WWF Attitude (4/5 discs)
Um Jammer Lammy (3.5/5 discs)
Sled Storm (4/5 discs)
The Next Tetris (3/5 discs)
Soul of the Samurai (1.5/5 discs)

Tricks of the Trade:

Ads (in order of appearance):

Ape Escape
Shadow Man
Soul of the Samurai
Medal of Honor
Expert Gamer subscription ad
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Championship Motocross featuring Ricky Carmichael
Croc 2
Demolition Racer
Rising Zan
Marc Ecko brand apparel
Fighting Force 2
Grand Theft Auto 2
Army Men: Sarge's Heroes / Army Men: Air Attack
Chocobo Racing
Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu
Monster Rancher 2
NFL GameDay 2000 Sears t-shirt offer
007: Tomorrow Never Dies
South Park
Um Jammer Lammy
G-Police: Weapons of Justice
WWF Attitude
Silhouette Mirage
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
GameDealer.com ad
Final Fantasy VIII
Gallop Racing
Star Ocean: The Second Story
Crusaders of Might and Magic
Thrasher: Skate and Destroy
WCW Mayhem
EBWorld.com ad (six pages)
WipeOut 3 soundtrack
Dino Crisis
Hot Wheels Turbo Racing
FuncoLand Final Fantasy VIII free poster and coupon ad
Bass Landing
EGM back issues as
Madden 2000
ESRB rating system
1-900-PRE-VIEWS tip line
Pocket Games magazine ad
NFL Blitz 2000
Eidos Interactive multi-ad - Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver / Fighting Force 2 / Fear Factor / Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

Interesting Stuff:

Michael Cheng from San Diego, California writes in to ask why the start of every letter in the Letters section starts with, "Dear OPM", and if this is the result of some sort of psychic forces they use on readers. The editor pens a reply that talks about there being no subliminal messages or other sinister forces at work, and that Michael should learn to trust them more. If you read only the capital letters in the reply, they spell out "DEAR OPM". Cute, guys.
UK-based model Nell McAndrews, a former Eidos Interactive's real-life Lara Croft stand-in, caused quite a stir when she appeared on the cover of the August 1999 issue of Playboy magazine. But not as much of a stir as the magazine's use of the title "Tomb Raider" on the same cover. A cease-and-desist letter from Eidos's legal department forced Hugh to act quickly, and stickers were sent to all outlets selling the magazine which were meant to cover the offending title.
A gag sidebar in the Final Fantasy VIII feature purports to trace the evolution of Final Fantasy characters. Unfortunately, they use the sprite for the Thief from the original Final Fantasy on the NES while referring to him as "Fighter".
Review editor Joe Rybicki credits video games (specifically Driver) for saving his life when he had a tire blowout on the highway, by giving him the reflexes and hand-eye coordination necessary to navigate that hazard like a champ.

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