ISSUE: 12Content
PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE
-
Sega Genesis
-
Sega Saturn
-
Sega 32X
-
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
-
Jaguar - Jaguar CD-ROM - Jaguar VR (never released)
-
3DO
-
M2 (never released)
-
Ultra 64 (the eventual Nintendo 64)
-
Virtual Boy
-
Windows 95
-
PC - PC CD-ROM
-
CDi
-
Neo Geo CD
-
Macintosh
-
Sony Playstation
-
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 a new review feature - '32-bit gamer's guide' - collecting a very large number of review scores in handy reference format. This issue also presents - alongside an interview - the first of Chris Crawford's 'The way games ought to be...' columns, another new recurring feature.)
talking
The way games ought to be
Chris Crawford has been programming games since the dawn of the home computing revolution. His newsletter is one of the more widely respected in the industry. So why won't anyone listen to what he has to say? The exclusive NEXT Generation interview. (six pages total; three page interview plus three page column by Chris Crawford)
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.)
Coin-op giants reveal latest at JAMMA
Japan's arcade industry gathers for the main event in Tokyo. (1.5 pages)
Nintendo 64 homes in on Japan
Ultra 64 gets a new name as Nintendo's quest for domination begins in Japan.
US arcades get ready for war
Innovation and low-cost games are weapons of coin-op business. (2/3rd page)
(Recurring news features; one page each unless noted:)
movers & shakers
A monthly look at business news affecting the gaming world. (business news by Christopher V. Sherman)
Joyriding
New gaming sites on the Internet. (online gaming news by Bernard Yee)
Arcadia
An insider's overview of the coin-op industry. (arcade news by Marcus Webb)
Generator
Straight from the game developers' mouths. The future of gaming on the PC. (1/2 page; behind-the-scenes news by Mark James Ramshaw)
Datebook (1/2 page; calendar of events)
ng hardware
Which System is the Best?
Eleven systems will be vying for your hardware dollar in 1996, but not all those competitors will be around by '97. Who's got what it takes and who's going to be watching from the sidelines next Christmas? The take-no-prisoners NEXT Generation report. ('Which Game System is the Best?;' collection of related system review articles, each with 'Tech Specs' and 'Key Software' sidebars:)
-
PlayStation
Question: What do you get if you spend $500 million developing a games machine? Answer: The PlayStation (four pages)
-
Sega Saturn
Sega rolled out a surprise Saturn launch on May 11. But have slow sales and a lack of third party games wiped out Sega's head-start in the 32-bit race? (four pages)
-
3DO
As the first 32-bit games system released, 3DO had the biggest lead time of all. But can a two year old console compete with the next generation? (four pages)
-
PC CD-ROM
As the perennial platform, the PC became the foster home of many gamers left floundering after the death of 16-bit. But as the 32-bit set-top boxes gain momentum, will the PC be forsaken? (four pages)
-
Jaguar
Hampered from the start by unattractive hardware styling, a shortage of decent software, and Atari's reputation, the Jaguar, with a CD unit available and a VR headset on the way, is fighting its best to stay competitive - and alive. (four pages)
-
Virtual Boy
Nintendo's new toy is aiming to create a market for itself the same way the Game Boy did six years ago. But basic games and awkward play could limit its fate to that of a passing novelty. (three pages)
-
32X
What seemed like a good marketing idea at the time has quickly turned into a black, plastic albatross around Sega's neck. (one page)
-
Neo-Geo CD
While its dogged hold on niche cult markets has proved successful, SNK's gaming approach could be said to be 2D, and is in jeopardy of falling flat. (one page)
-
CD-i
Philips had it all: Good hardware, international marketing muscle, and a good reputation for creating industry standards - so what went wrong? (one page)
-
3DO M2
3DO stumbled with the original US launch and almost didn't recover. Can the visionary company do things better the second time around? (three pages; Panasonic & Goldstar prototypes/mock-ups shown)
-
Ultra 64
Nintendo's 64-bit collaboration with Silicon Graphics is rumored to launch in Japan this December. With a US debut penciled in for April 1996, is Ultra 64 the ultimate "dream machine?" (three pages)
ng software
Alphas (game previews; one page 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).)
-
CRY.SYS (Win95; two pages)
-
Zero Population Growth (PC; three pages)
-
Aftermath (PS; two pages)
-
Defender 2000 (Jag)
-
Impact Racing (PS)
-
Galapagos (Mac/Win95; three pages)
-
Soul Edge (arcade)
-
Johnny Bazookatone (Sat/Win95)
-
Super Cross 3D (Jag)
-
X-Com (PS; two pages)
-
Super Mario RPG (SNES; two pages)
-
Dark Savior (Sat)
-
Quake (PCCD; two pages)
-
Nightmare Circus (Gen; two pages)
-
Time Crisis (arcade)
-
Toshinden 2 (PS)
-
Legend of Thor (Sat; the eventual Legend of Oasis)
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.)
PlayStation
-
Defcon 5
-
Mortal Kombat 3
-
NBA JAM TE
-
PGA Tour Invitational '96
-
Zero Divide
-
Power Serve 3-D Tennis
-
WWF Wrestlemania
Saturn
-
Mansion of the Hidden Souls
-
Blackfire
-
NHL All-Star Hockey '96
-
Off World Interceptor
-
SimCity 2000
-
Virtua Racing
3DO
-
Alone in the Dark 2
-
Bladeforce
-
D
-
Flying Nightmares
-
Killing Time
-
Kingdom: the Far Reaches
-
Mazer
-
Wolfenstein 3-D
Jaguar
-
Highlander: The Last of the MacLeods CD
32X
-
Kolibri
PC
-
Ascendancy
-
Battle Beast
-
Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep
-
Heroes of Might and Magic
-
The Last Bounty Hunter
-
Mordor
-
Command & Conquer
-
Phantasmagoria
-
Prisoner of Ice
Macintosh
-
Endorfun
-
Full Throttle
-
Star Wars Rebel Assault
Genesis
-
FIFA '96
-
Light Crusader
-
Madden '96
-
Earthworm Jim 2
-
PGA Tour '96
-
Quarterback Club '96
-
Separation Anxiety
-
NBA Live '96
SNES
-
Emmitt Smith Football
-
Final Fight 3
-
Tecmo Super Bowl III: Final Edition
Arcade
-
Area 51
-
Crypt Keeper
-
Fighting Vipers
-
Indy 500
-
Cyberbots
-
Dangerous Curves
-
Five A Side Soccer
-
LineDrive Baseball
-
NHL Open Ice Hockey
-
Orbatak
-
Marvel Superheroes
-
Ultimate Hockey
-
Ultimate Mortal Kombat
-
Virtua Fighter Remix
-
Zombie Raid
-
Virtua Cop 2
32-bit gamer's guide (review score reference guide)
corresponding
Letters
Get your feelings off your chest - write to NEXT Generation letters. Everybody else does... (reader mail; two pages)
PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE
- Sega Genesis
- Sega Saturn
- Sega 32X
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System
- Jaguar - Jaguar CD-ROM - Jaguar VR (never released)
- 3DO
- M2 (never released)
- Ultra 64 (the eventual Nintendo 64)
- Virtual Boy
- Windows 95
- PC - PC CD-ROM
- CDi
- Neo Geo CD
- Macintosh
- Sony Playstation
- 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 a new review feature - '32-bit gamer's guide' - collecting a very large number of review scores in handy reference format. This issue also presents - alongside an interview - the first of Chris Crawford's 'The way games ought to be...' columns, another new recurring feature.)
talking
The way games ought to be
Chris Crawford has been programming games since the dawn of the home computing revolution. His newsletter is one of the more widely respected in the industry. So why won't anyone listen to what he has to say? The exclusive NEXT Generation interview. (six pages total; three page interview plus three page column by Chris Crawford)
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.)
Coin-op giants reveal latest at JAMMA
Japan's arcade industry gathers for the main event in Tokyo. (1.5 pages)
Nintendo 64 homes in on Japan
Ultra 64 gets a new name as Nintendo's quest for domination begins in Japan.
US arcades get ready for war
Innovation and low-cost games are weapons of coin-op business. (2/3rd page)
(Recurring news features; one page each unless noted:)
movers & shakers
A monthly look at business news affecting the gaming world. (business news by Christopher V. Sherman)
Joyriding
New gaming sites on the Internet. (online gaming news by Bernard Yee)
Arcadia
An insider's overview of the coin-op industry. (arcade news by Marcus Webb)
Generator
Straight from the game developers' mouths. The future of gaming on the PC. (1/2 page; behind-the-scenes news by Mark James Ramshaw)
Datebook (1/2 page; calendar of events)
ng hardware
Which System is the Best?
Eleven systems will be vying for your hardware dollar in 1996, but not all those competitors will be around by '97. Who's got what it takes and who's going to be watching from the sidelines next Christmas? The take-no-prisoners NEXT Generation report. ('Which Game System is the Best?;' collection of related system review articles, each with 'Tech Specs' and 'Key Software' sidebars:)
-
PlayStation
Question: What do you get if you spend $500 million developing a games machine? Answer: The PlayStation (four pages) -
Sega Saturn
Sega rolled out a surprise Saturn launch on May 11. But have slow sales and a lack of third party games wiped out Sega's head-start in the 32-bit race? (four pages) -
3DO
As the first 32-bit games system released, 3DO had the biggest lead time of all. But can a two year old console compete with the next generation? (four pages) -
PC CD-ROM
As the perennial platform, the PC became the foster home of many gamers left floundering after the death of 16-bit. But as the 32-bit set-top boxes gain momentum, will the PC be forsaken? (four pages) -
Jaguar
Hampered from the start by unattractive hardware styling, a shortage of decent software, and Atari's reputation, the Jaguar, with a CD unit available and a VR headset on the way, is fighting its best to stay competitive - and alive. (four pages) -
Virtual Boy
Nintendo's new toy is aiming to create a market for itself the same way the Game Boy did six years ago. But basic games and awkward play could limit its fate to that of a passing novelty. (three pages) -
32X
What seemed like a good marketing idea at the time has quickly turned into a black, plastic albatross around Sega's neck. (one page) -
Neo-Geo CD
While its dogged hold on niche cult markets has proved successful, SNK's gaming approach could be said to be 2D, and is in jeopardy of falling flat. (one page) -
CD-i
Philips had it all: Good hardware, international marketing muscle, and a good reputation for creating industry standards - so what went wrong? (one page) -
3DO M2
3DO stumbled with the original US launch and almost didn't recover. Can the visionary company do things better the second time around? (three pages; Panasonic & Goldstar prototypes/mock-ups shown) -
Ultra 64
Nintendo's 64-bit collaboration with Silicon Graphics is rumored to launch in Japan this December. With a US debut penciled in for April 1996, is Ultra 64 the ultimate "dream machine?" (three pages)
ng software
Alphas (game previews; one page 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).)
- CRY.SYS (Win95; two pages)
- Zero Population Growth (PC; three pages)
- Aftermath (PS; two pages)
- Defender 2000 (Jag)
- Impact Racing (PS)
- Galapagos (Mac/Win95; three pages)
- Soul Edge (arcade)
- Johnny Bazookatone (Sat/Win95)
- Super Cross 3D (Jag)
- X-Com (PS; two pages)
- Super Mario RPG (SNES; two pages)
- Dark Savior (Sat)
- Quake (PCCD; two pages)
- Nightmare Circus (Gen; two pages)
- Time Crisis (arcade)
- Toshinden 2 (PS)
- Legend of Thor (Sat; the eventual Legend of Oasis)
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.)
PlayStation
- Defcon 5
- Mortal Kombat 3
- NBA JAM TE
- PGA Tour Invitational '96
- Zero Divide
- Power Serve 3-D Tennis
- WWF Wrestlemania
Saturn
- Mansion of the Hidden Souls
- Blackfire
- NHL All-Star Hockey '96
- Off World Interceptor
- SimCity 2000
- Virtua Racing
3DO
- Alone in the Dark 2
- Bladeforce
- D
- Flying Nightmares
- Killing Time
- Kingdom: the Far Reaches
- Mazer
- Wolfenstein 3-D
Jaguar
- Highlander: The Last of the MacLeods CD
32X
- Kolibri
PC
- Ascendancy
- Battle Beast
- Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep
- Heroes of Might and Magic
- The Last Bounty Hunter
- Mordor
- Command & Conquer
- Phantasmagoria
- Prisoner of Ice
Macintosh
- Endorfun
- Full Throttle
- Star Wars Rebel Assault
Genesis
- FIFA '96
- Light Crusader
- Madden '96
- Earthworm Jim 2
- PGA Tour '96
- Quarterback Club '96
- Separation Anxiety
- NBA Live '96
SNES
- Emmitt Smith Football
- Final Fight 3
- Tecmo Super Bowl III: Final Edition
Arcade
- Area 51
- Crypt Keeper
- Fighting Vipers
- Indy 500
- Cyberbots
- Dangerous Curves
- Five A Side Soccer
- LineDrive Baseball
- NHL Open Ice Hockey
- Orbatak
- Marvel Superheroes
- Ultimate Hockey
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat
- Virtua Fighter Remix
- Zombie Raid
- Virtua Cop 2
32-bit gamer's guide (review score reference guide)
corresponding
Letters
Get your feelings off your chest - write to NEXT Generation letters. Everybody else does... (reader mail; two pages)
-
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