ISSUE: 29Content
PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE
-
Sega Saturn
-
PC - PC CD-ROM
-
M2
-
Sony PlayStation
-
Nintendo 64 - Nintendo 64 DD
-
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.)
(The 'Disc Edition' of this issue includes a CD featuring additional content.)
(Next Generation's news section sees some changes this issue. Newcomer Colin Campbell takes over the 'movers & shakers' column from Christian Svensson. Christian, in turn, how helms online gaming column 'Joyriding.')
(standard edition: $5.99 USA, $6.99 Canada; CD edition: $7.99 USA?, $8.99 Canada?)
talking
Videogames are good for you!
Senator Lieberman's got it all wrong. At least, he has according to Professor Henry Jenkins, the Director of Media Studies at M.I.T. He thinks that videogames can contribute to the psychological and sociological development of youngsters today. (eight 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.)
PlayStation leads drop to $149
Videogames are back in the big time as prices tumble. (1.5 pages; includes 'Late News' addendum of N64 price drop to $149)
PC Sound Finally Breaks Out
The next front in PC hardware wars will be in audio accelerators, many offering full 3D sound.
Violent Content Defined and Rejected
The state of Arizona is set to pass the most restrictive videogame censorship law yet.
(Recurring news features; one page each unless noted:)
Arcadia
All the latest arcade and coin-op news. (misc. arcade news by Marcus Webb)
Datastream (sidebar; numbers related news/trivia)
Joyriding
Gaming on the Internet. ('Mplayer dramatically dropped fees and started a trend. What do these new rates mean for the future of online gaming?;' online gaming news by Christian Svensson; two pages)
Crib sheet (sidebar; 'everything gamers should know, but probably forgot;' 'No. 9 Games by wire')
In the studio (1/2 page; games in development; from Acclaim, Konami, Nintendo, Capcom, Sony of Japan, Mucky Foot Productions, Beam and Melbourne House)
Stop press (sidebar; 'late-breaking news;' headlines:)
-
Shiny Hunts Tomb Raider Duo
-
Nintendo Rejoices at European N64 Launch
-
China to Fight Foreign Videogames
movers & shakers
The business news that affects the games you play. (misc. business news by Colin Campbell)
Gadget (1/2 page; peripherals, accessories, add-ons, etc; this issue, the Falcon Mach V PC)
Datebook (1/2 page; calendar of events)
ng special
Is Nintendo 64 breaking up?
Nintendo promised "high quality not high quantity" for Nintendo 64 software. Has it delivered? Certainly Nintendo 64 games are few and far between, but are they all classics? Unfortunately not. Next Generation reports on what the future may hold. (a collection of related Nintendo 64 articles:)
-
Is Nintendo 64 Breaking Up?
Nintendo promised "quality not quantity" for N64 software. But the handful of mediocre games released so far honor only half this deal. So can Nintendo' 1997 lineup get its 64-bit wonder console on track? A Next Gen report. (four pages)
-
What's Wrong With N64 Software?
So why do we have such a problem with N64's games so far? There are five main reasons... (three pages; five sections:)
-
Out of date
-
Too safe
-
Cartridges
-
64-bit vs 32-bit
-
No third-party support
-
Then and now
Comparison with 1991's Super NES launch lineup forces the idea that N64's third parties are failing. (one page)
-
Future Memory
Can Nintendo's writable 64DD peripheral be the answer to N64's software dilemma? And even if it can, will gamers buy into it? (one page)
-
Interview with Howard Lincoln
"Problem? There's no problem" says Nintendo of America's president. "Just look at the sales figures..." (two pages)
-
A Portrait of Hiroshi Yamauchi
Many people put Nintendo's success down to the talents of software supremo Shigeru Miyamoto. However, without the ruthless business acumen of the company's president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, there would be no Nintendo systems on which to play Miyamoto's games. (five pages)
-
In Development
The following list represents every Nintendo 64 game in development. Many are still in the planning stage, but the list does paint an overall picture of what's coming. Could these games resolve the software library issues? You be the judge. (5.66 pages; capsule previews, each with title, publisher, developer, release date, and brief description; many with accompanying screenshot; tentative and project names purposefully retained:)
-
Battle Sport II
-
Blade & Barrel (Ultra Combat)
-
Body Harvest
-
Buggy Boogie
-
Chameleon Twist
-
Clay Fighter 63 1/3
-
Blast Corps
-
Contra 64
-
Cruis'n World
-
Cu On Pa
-
Dark Rift
-
Descent
-
Doraemon
-
Dual Heroes
-
Duke Nukem 3D
-
Dynamite Soccer
-
Earthworm Jim 64
-
Ed
-
FIFA 64
-
Freak Boy
-
Ganbar Goemon 5
-
Bomberman 64
-
Goldeneye 007
-
Hexen 64
-
Holy Magic Century Eltale (Japan)
-
Human Grand Prix F1
-
Imagineer's Multiracing Championship
-
J-League Perfect Soccer
-
Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World
-
Creator
-
King of Pro Baseball
-
Kirby's Air Ride
-
Earthbound 64 (Mother 3)
-
Lamborghini 64
-
Lode Runner
-
Mah Jong Master
-
Mahou Seiki Eruteiru
-
Metroid 64
-
F-Zero 64
-
POD
-
Power Pro Baseball 64
-
Quake
-
Raze
-
Red Baron
-
Rev Limit
-
Legend of Zelda 64
-
Robotech: Crystal Dreams
-
Robotron X
-
Roto Gunner
-
Silicon Valley
-
Sim City
-
Sim City 2000
-
Sonic Wings Assault
-
St. Andrews Golf
-
Star Fox 64
-
Super Man 64
-
Super Mario RPG 2
-
Tetrisphere
-
Mace: The Dark Ages
-
Mission Impossible
-
Top Gear Rally
-
Unreal
-
VR Golf (Actua Golf)
-
Super Mario 2
-
War Gods
-
WCW Wrestling
-
Yoshi's Island 64
-
Wild Choppers
-
Wonder Project J2
-
Yuke Yuke
ng software
Alphas (game previews, sometimes presented as part of a themed overview or interview; 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).)
-
Grand Prix Legends (PCCD; four pages)
-
Power Crystal (M2; four pages)
-
Captives (PCCD)
-
European Air War (PCCD; two pages)
-
Top Gear Rally (N64; 1.5 pages)
-
Creatures (PCCD; two pages)
-
688(I) Hunter Killer (PCCD; 2.66 pages)
-
Virtua Striker (arcade; 1.66 pages)
-
Manx TT (Sat,PC; 2.5 pages)
-
House of the Dead (arcade)
-
Runabout (PS; two pages)
-
Innerloop (development studio overview; three pages)
-
Major League Soccer (PS,Sat,PC; two 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.)
Nintendo 64
-
Doom 64
-
NBA Hangtime
-
Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey
PlayStation
-
Crusader: No Remorse
-
Descent Maximum
-
Independence Day
-
Vandal Hearts
-
MegaMan 8
-
Rage Racer
-
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
-
TigerShark
Saturn
-
Command & Conquer
-
Heir of Zendor
-
Hexen
-
Lost Vikings II: Norse by Norsewest
-
Scude
PC
-
Death Drome
-
Privateer 2: The Darkening
-
Jetfighter III
-
Front Page Sports: Football Pro '97
Arcade
-
Cruis'n World
corresponding
Letters
Want to make your voice heard? Then write the game industry via Next Generation's letters page. (reader mail; three pages)
---
Next Generation Disc Contents
Mac demos
-
BOOM by Federico Filipponi
-
Noir by Cyberdreams
-
Safe Cracker by Daydream
-
X-Plane by X-Plane
PC demos
-
Blood by GT Interactive
-
MDK by Shiny
-
NCAA Final Four by Mindscape
-
Safe Cracker by Daydream
-
SubSpace by Virgin
-
Tiger Shark by GT Interactive
-
Towers II by Telegames
-
X-Car by Bethesda
Internet software
-
America Online 3.0 (PC and Mac)
-
Engage Games Online (PC)
-
The Palace Chat (PC and Mac)
Nintendo 64 movies
-
J-League Perfect Striker
-
FIFA 64
Sony PlayStation movies
-
Brahma Force
-
Broken Helix
-
The City of Lost Children
-
Command & Conquer
-
Crusader: No Remorse
-
Descent Maximum
-
Final Fantasy VII
-
Grand Slam Baseball
-
Independence Day
-
K-I The Arena Fighters
-
MechWarrior II
-
NBA Shootout
-
Rage Racer
-
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
-
Toshinden 3
-
Vandal Hearts
-
VMX Racing
-
Wing Commander IV
Sega Saturn movies
-
Amok
-
Die Hard Arcade
-
Heir of Zendor
-
Lost Vikings II
-
Megaman 8
-
Scorcher
PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE
- Sega Saturn
- PC - PC CD-ROM
- M2
- Sony PlayStation
- Nintendo 64 - Nintendo 64 DD
- 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.)
(The 'Disc Edition' of this issue includes a CD featuring additional content.)
(Next Generation's news section sees some changes this issue. Newcomer Colin Campbell takes over the 'movers & shakers' column from Christian Svensson. Christian, in turn, how helms online gaming column 'Joyriding.')
(standard edition: $5.99 USA, $6.99 Canada; CD edition: $7.99 USA?, $8.99 Canada?)
talking
Videogames are good for you!
Senator Lieberman's got it all wrong. At least, he has according to Professor Henry Jenkins, the Director of Media Studies at M.I.T. He thinks that videogames can contribute to the psychological and sociological development of youngsters today. (eight 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.)
PlayStation leads drop to $149
Videogames are back in the big time as prices tumble. (1.5 pages; includes 'Late News' addendum of N64 price drop to $149)
PC Sound Finally Breaks Out
The next front in PC hardware wars will be in audio accelerators, many offering full 3D sound.
Violent Content Defined and Rejected
The state of Arizona is set to pass the most restrictive videogame censorship law yet.
(Recurring news features; one page each unless noted:)
Arcadia
All the latest arcade and coin-op news. (misc. arcade news by Marcus Webb)
Datastream (sidebar; numbers related news/trivia)
Joyriding
Gaming on the Internet. ('Mplayer dramatically dropped fees and started a trend. What do these new rates mean for the future of online gaming?;' online gaming news by Christian Svensson; two pages)
Crib sheet (sidebar; 'everything gamers should know, but probably forgot;' 'No. 9 Games by wire')
In the studio (1/2 page; games in development; from Acclaim, Konami, Nintendo, Capcom, Sony of Japan, Mucky Foot Productions, Beam and Melbourne House)
Stop press (sidebar; 'late-breaking news;' headlines:)
- Shiny Hunts Tomb Raider Duo
- Nintendo Rejoices at European N64 Launch
- China to Fight Foreign Videogames
movers & shakers
The business news that affects the games you play. (misc. business news by Colin Campbell)
Gadget (1/2 page; peripherals, accessories, add-ons, etc; this issue, the Falcon Mach V PC)
Datebook (1/2 page; calendar of events)
ng special
Is Nintendo 64 breaking up?
Nintendo promised "high quality not high quantity" for Nintendo 64 software. Has it delivered? Certainly Nintendo 64 games are few and far between, but are they all classics? Unfortunately not. Next Generation reports on what the future may hold. (a collection of related Nintendo 64 articles:)
-
Is Nintendo 64 Breaking Up?
Nintendo promised "quality not quantity" for N64 software. But the handful of mediocre games released so far honor only half this deal. So can Nintendo' 1997 lineup get its 64-bit wonder console on track? A Next Gen report. (four pages)
-
What's Wrong With N64 Software?
So why do we have such a problem with N64's games so far? There are five main reasons... (three pages; five sections:)- Out of date
- Too safe
- Cartridges
- 64-bit vs 32-bit
- No third-party support
-
Then and now
Comparison with 1991's Super NES launch lineup forces the idea that N64's third parties are failing. (one page) -
Future Memory
Can Nintendo's writable 64DD peripheral be the answer to N64's software dilemma? And even if it can, will gamers buy into it? (one page) -
Interview with Howard Lincoln
"Problem? There's no problem" says Nintendo of America's president. "Just look at the sales figures..." (two pages) -
A Portrait of Hiroshi Yamauchi
Many people put Nintendo's success down to the talents of software supremo Shigeru Miyamoto. However, without the ruthless business acumen of the company's president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, there would be no Nintendo systems on which to play Miyamoto's games. (five pages) -
In Development
The following list represents every Nintendo 64 game in development. Many are still in the planning stage, but the list does paint an overall picture of what's coming. Could these games resolve the software library issues? You be the judge. (5.66 pages; capsule previews, each with title, publisher, developer, release date, and brief description; many with accompanying screenshot; tentative and project names purposefully retained:)- Battle Sport II
- Blade & Barrel (Ultra Combat)
- Body Harvest
- Buggy Boogie
- Chameleon Twist
- Clay Fighter 63 1/3
- Blast Corps
- Contra 64
- Cruis'n World
- Cu On Pa
- Dark Rift
- Descent
- Doraemon
- Dual Heroes
- Duke Nukem 3D
- Dynamite Soccer
- Earthworm Jim 64
- Ed
- FIFA 64
- Freak Boy
- Ganbar Goemon 5
- Bomberman 64
- Goldeneye 007
- Hexen 64
- Holy Magic Century Eltale (Japan)
- Human Grand Prix F1
- Imagineer's Multiracing Championship
- J-League Perfect Soccer
- Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World
- Creator
- King of Pro Baseball
- Kirby's Air Ride
- Earthbound 64 (Mother 3)
- Lamborghini 64
- Lode Runner
- Mah Jong Master
- Mahou Seiki Eruteiru
- Metroid 64
- F-Zero 64
- POD
- Power Pro Baseball 64
- Quake
- Raze
- Red Baron
- Rev Limit
- Legend of Zelda 64
- Robotech: Crystal Dreams
- Robotron X
- Roto Gunner
- Silicon Valley
- Sim City
- Sim City 2000
- Sonic Wings Assault
- St. Andrews Golf
- Star Fox 64
- Super Man 64
- Super Mario RPG 2
- Tetrisphere
- Mace: The Dark Ages
- Mission Impossible
- Top Gear Rally
- Unreal
- VR Golf (Actua Golf)
- Super Mario 2
- War Gods
- WCW Wrestling
- Yoshi's Island 64
- Wild Choppers
- Wonder Project J2
- Yuke Yuke
ng software
Alphas (game previews, sometimes presented as part of a themed overview or interview; 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).)
- Grand Prix Legends (PCCD; four pages)
- Power Crystal (M2; four pages)
- Captives (PCCD)
- European Air War (PCCD; two pages)
- Top Gear Rally (N64; 1.5 pages)
- Creatures (PCCD; two pages)
- 688(I) Hunter Killer (PCCD; 2.66 pages)
- Virtua Striker (arcade; 1.66 pages)
- Manx TT (Sat,PC; 2.5 pages)
- House of the Dead (arcade)
- Runabout (PS; two pages)
- Innerloop (development studio overview; three pages)
- Major League Soccer (PS,Sat,PC; two 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.)
Nintendo 64
- Doom 64
- NBA Hangtime
- Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey
PlayStation
- Crusader: No Remorse
- Descent Maximum
- Independence Day
- Vandal Hearts
- MegaMan 8
- Rage Racer
- Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
- TigerShark
Saturn
- Command & Conquer
- Heir of Zendor
- Hexen
- Lost Vikings II: Norse by Norsewest
- Scude
PC
- Death Drome
- Privateer 2: The Darkening
- Jetfighter III
- Front Page Sports: Football Pro '97
Arcade
- Cruis'n World
corresponding
Letters
Want to make your voice heard? Then write the game industry via Next Generation's letters page. (reader mail; three pages)
---
Next Generation Disc Contents
Mac demos
- BOOM by Federico Filipponi
- Noir by Cyberdreams
- Safe Cracker by Daydream
- X-Plane by X-Plane
PC demos
- Blood by GT Interactive
- MDK by Shiny
- NCAA Final Four by Mindscape
- Safe Cracker by Daydream
- SubSpace by Virgin
- Tiger Shark by GT Interactive
- Towers II by Telegames
- X-Car by Bethesda
Internet software
- America Online 3.0 (PC and Mac)
- Engage Games Online (PC)
- The Palace Chat (PC and Mac)
Nintendo 64 movies
- J-League Perfect Striker
- FIFA 64
Sony PlayStation movies
- Brahma Force
- Broken Helix
- The City of Lost Children
- Command & Conquer
- Crusader: No Remorse
- Descent Maximum
- Final Fantasy VII
- Grand Slam Baseball
- Independence Day
- K-I The Arena Fighters
- MechWarrior II
- NBA Shootout
- Rage Racer
- Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
- Toshinden 3
- Vandal Hearts
- VMX Racing
- Wing Commander IV
Sega Saturn movies
- Amok
- Die Hard Arcade
- Heir of Zendor
- Lost Vikings II
- Megaman 8
- Scorcher
-
2
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