Next Generation Issue 30

PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE

• Sega Saturn
• PC - PC CD-ROM
• M2
• Sony PlayStation
• Nintendo 64 - 64DD
• arcade

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(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.)

(standard edition: $5.99 USA, $6.99 Canada; CD edition: $7.99 USA?, $8.99 Canada?)

talking

Does John Romero still enjoy shooting people?
He's got a new company, a new attitude toward game design, and a new business strategy. Find out why John Romero left Id, what's wrong with Quake, and what the future holds for the man who helped bring the word "imp" into popular usage. (five 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.)

Tokyo Game Show Report from Japan
The story from Japan's biggest and best game show. (two pages)

GameWorks Kicks Off
GameWorks opens in Seattle and shows the gaming world Sega's and Microsoft's vision of arcade gaming. (1.5 pages)

Konami Steals The Show
The New Cobra board is unleashed at the ASI arcade show.

Microsoft's Second Half '97 Plans Revealed
From API's to software publishing, Microsoft is continuing their gaming endeavors.

(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. ('SegaSoft launches a new online gaming service that should turn the heat up on the competition. Will a champion ever emerge from this multiplayer battle?;' online gaming news by Christian Svensson)

In the studio (1/2 page; games in development; from GT Interactive, Core Design, Eidos, Working Designs, Electronic Arts, Midway)

movers & shakers
The business news that affects the games you play. (misc. business news by Colin Campbell)

ng special

Is your favorite game company ripping you off?
Sometimes the $50 you spend on a game seems worth it. But not often enough. Many times, consumers finish games and simply feel cheated. Where does all the money go? Next Generation reports on why videogames cost so much. (eight pages, including the following sub-sections:)

• Where Does Your Money Go?
• Just Like The Movies?
• The Dream Success...
• ...And The Nightmare Flop
• Breaking All The Rules
• So Who's Getting Rich?

ng hardware

The state of play
There's a lot of untapped power in your console which today's games simply don't exploit. What is behind today's hardware? Are you getting the most out of it? Next Generation looks under the hood and discusses videogame hardware past and future. (16 pages total; includes one page opener and the following sections:)

• Nintendo 64: The start of a long journey
  Some of Nintendo 64's software is great. When will we see more? (four pages, including sidebars 'Tech Specs,' 'Taking Control' (controller overview), and 'Examining the Power Station' (hardware breakdown))
• Sony PlayStation: The People's Choice
  PlayStation is the surprise contender. Where did it come from and where is it going? (four pages, including one-page 'An interview with Juan Montes' and sidebars 'Tech Specs,' 'Video Playback,' and 'Under the Hood' (hardware breakdown))
• Sega Saturn: The Coder's Machine
  Does Saturn have hidden potential to help it survive the next-generation wars? (four pages, including one-page 'An audience with Andy Mee' and sidebars 'Tech Specs,' 'Virtua Fighter 3,' and 'Inside Saturn' (hardware breakdown))
• Matsushita M2: Hit or Myth?
  M2 could very well change the way you game. If the machine ever sees the light of day... (two pages, including 'M2 Tech Specs' sidebar)
• What's the Score? (one-page; comparison of mentioned systems)

ng software

Alphas (game previews, sometimes presented as part of a themed overview or interview:)

(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).)

• King's Quest: Mask of Eternity (PCCD; 6.25 pages, including 2.25 page 'An interview with Roberta Williams and Mark Seibert')
• SpecOps (PC,PS; three pages)
• One (PS; two pages)
• Heat (PC online service overview; three pages)
• ReBoot (PS; two pages)
• Demon Isles (PCCD; 1.5 pages)
• Ninja (Sat,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.)

Nintendo 64

• FIFA Soccer 64
• J-League Perfect Striker (Japan)
• Mario Kart 64

PlayStation

• BRAHMA Force: The Assault of Beltlogger 9
• Buster Bros Collection
• NBA Shoot Out '97
• The Crow: City of Angels
• Goal Storm '97
• K-1 The Arena Fighters
• League of Pain
• Rally Cross
• Sentient
• Twisted Metal 2
• VR Baseball '97
• WCW Vs The World

Saturn

• Lunacy
• Manx TT
• Assault Suits Leynos (Japan)

PC

• Banzai Bug
• A Fork In the Tale
• G-Nome
• Realms of the Haunting
• Koala Lumpur: Journey to the Edge
• Ecstatica 2
• M.A.X.
• Obsidian
• Powerslave
• Scarab
• Sega Rally

corresponding

Letters
What'd you say? We wanna hear you. Write to us. (reader mail; two pages)

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Next Generation Disc Contents

Without further adieu, please join us in checking out some games in development. Working in conjunction with design house Visual concepts, ASC has a new game title ONE. Read about ONE in the Alpha section on page 87 of the magazine and see our exclusive interview on the Disc. Also on the Disc, check out what's new from Cyclone Studios - Requiem and Uprising are two promising titles that are sure to impress.

mac demos

• Bubble Trouble 1.0.1 (Ambrosia)
• Command & Conquer (Westwood)
• Damage Incorporated (MacSoft)
• NetMech (Activision)
• The Jack NetShow (Berkeley Systems)

pc demos

• Descent To Undermountain (Interplay)
• Hover Race (Grokksoft)
• Front Page Sports Football Pro '97 (Sierra)
• POD (Ubisoft)
• Scud (Segasoft)
• WAR, Inc. (Interactive Magic)

internet software

• America Online (Mac & PC)
• The Palace 2.1 (Mac & PC)

talking

• Visit Cyclone Studios: Featuring Uprising & Requiem
• Visit ASC Games/Visual Concepts: Featuring ONE

imports

• Bomberman
• Bushido Blade
• Goal Storm '97
• Victory Goal '97
• Zap Snowboarding Tricks

nintendo 64 movies

• Blast Corps
• Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (Disco Mode)
• Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (Pen & Ink Mode)
• War Gods

sony playstation movies

• Brahma Force
• Grand Slam Baseball
• KI The Arena Fighters
• NBA ShootOut '97
• Over Blood
• Rally Cross
• The Need for Speed 2
• Triple Play Baseball '98
• VR Baseball '97
• WCW Vs. The World
• Xevious 3D/GT

sega saturn movies

• Assault Suit Leynos 2
• Fire Pro Wrestling
• ManxTT SuperBike
• Mass Destruction
• MegaMan X4
• Scorcher
• The Crow
• Warcraft 2