Next Generation Issue 46

PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE

• Sega Dreamcast (import development coverage)
• Sega Saturn
• Sony PlayStation
• Nintendo 64
• PC
• 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 includes a 6 page, in-bound Electronics Boutique catalog labeled September 1998.)

(The 'Big In Japan' recurring feature is categorized by the TOC as part of the Analyzing: Intelligence news section this issue, while the Retroview feature finally receives a TOC listing.)

NG Index (one page; this resource is not listed in this issue's TOC)

Analyzing

Intelligence

(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.)

Engines Of Creation
Is 400MHz too much? Hardly. New game engines are poised to deliver stunning new experiences, thanks entirely to hardware. (two pages; includes 'Sony Price Drop?' sidebar)

EA Takes Westwood
Is this the last nail in Virgin Interactive's coffin?

Next Step
Are lasers the future of virtual reality? (1/2 page)

Dreamcast: The Silence Conspiracy
Mum's still the word on Dreamcast games in the works. (3/4 page)

A Bushel of Apples
Apple II reunion turns up many game industry greats. (3/4 page)

(Recurring news features; 1/2 page each unless noted:)

New Bits (running footer bar; capsule news stories)

Datastream (mini-sidebar; number related news and trivia)

Talkback (mini-sidebar; developer and celebrity quotes)

Flashback (mini-sidebar; game screenshots)

Profile (mini-sidebar; developer profile; Jeff Tunnell)

In the Studio (sidebar; development news; Activision, Cavedog Studios, Westwood Studios)

Toolbox (development software commentary; 'Character Studio R2')

Tracking (sidebar; 'Keeping tabs on the latest peripherals')

Movers and Shakers (approx. 3/4th page; 'Fleeing The Nest;' misc. business news by Colin Campbell)

Arcadia (misc. arcade news by Marcus Webb)

Hardcore (mini-sidebar; reader submitted anecdote)

This month in history (approx. 1/2 page; milestone videogame events during the month of October)

Big In Japan
Next Generation reports from videogaming's motherland. (two pages; a collection of articles and sidebars:)

• Retroplaying (Dragonquest VII)
• Viewing (odd Saturn commercial)
• Selling Big In Japan This Month (mini-sidebar; Top 10)
• Sega's Monster Mash (Godzilla Generations)
• Monsters Claim Tokyo (sidebar; Pocket Monsters)

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).

• Starsiege Tribes (PC; three pages)
• Tour De Force (LucasArts Studios profile; eight pages; includes coverage of Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, Rogue Squadron, Force Commander)
• D2 (DC; two pages)
• Jet Force Gemini (N64; two pages)
• Heavy Gear 2 (PC)
• T'ai-Fu (PS; two pages)
• Dungeon Keeper II (PC)
• Buck Bumble (N64)
• Heretic II (PC; two pages)
• Rayman 2: The Great Escape (PC,N64,PS,DC; two pages)
• Myth II: Soulblighter (PC)
• NASCAR 3 (PC; two pages)

Milestones (screenshot preview galleries with gallery caption; approx. 1/2 page each unless noted)

• Prince of Persia (PC)
• Castlevania 64 (N64)
• Expert Pool (PC)
• Giants (PC)
• NHL '99 (PC,PS)
• Akuji The Heartless (PS)
• Starcon (PC,PS)

(sidebars (one or two screenshots each) with caption:)

• Klingon Honor Guard (PC)
• Tonic Trouble (N64)
• National Hockey Night (PC,PS)
• Pro 18: World Tour Golf (PC,PS)
• Proboarders (PC,PS)
• Viper (PC)
• Monkey Hero (PS)

NG Special

A question of character
Ever since Pac-Man first broke on the scene in 1980, games have had lots of character. A Next Generation report. (twelve pages, including a 'worst failures' side-bar (Bubsy, Zool, Bug, Mr. Nutz) and profiles of the following:)

• Pac-Man
• Cloud
• Crash Bandicoot
• Sarah Bryant
• Leisure Suit Larry
• Duke Nukem
• Mario
• Lara Croft
• Ryu
• Sonic the Hedgehog

NG Special

Nintendo 64: the next generation
What was once an overpowered system with an underpowered library has grown a bit - we preview 60 upcoming N64 games. (five pages; capsule previews (many with screenshot) of the following games:)

• Asteroids 64
• 1080 Snowboarding 2
• 4x4 Mud Monsters
• All-Star Baseball 2000
• Attack!
• Body Harvest
• Banjo-Tooie
• Battlezone
• Blades of Steel '98
• Bust-A-Move 3
• Carmageddon 64
• Castlevania
• Extreme-G2
• Command & Conquer 3D
• Destruction Derby 64
• Donkey Kong 64
• Duke Nukem: Zero Hour
• Earthbound 64
• Glover
• The Legend of Zelda
• Earthworm Jim 3D
• FIFA '99
• Gauntlet 64
• GT World Tour
• Harvest Moon
• NBA Jam '99
• Need for Speed 64
• Hybrid Heaven
• Hype: A Time Quest
• Jet Force Gemini
• Madden 99
• Micromachines V3
• Ogre Battle 3
• Perfect Dark
• NBA Live 99
• NFL Blitz
• NHL 99
• O.D.T.
• Quake 2
• Rush 2: Extreme Racing U.S.
• Road Rash 64
• Rayman 2
• Re-Volt
• South Park 64
• Space Station: Silicon Valley
• Starcraft 64
• Shadow Man
• Space Circus
• Super Mario 64 2
• Thornado
• Twelve Tales: Conker 64
• Twisted Edge Snowboarding
• V-Rally '98: Arcade Championship Edition
• Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
• Top Gear Overdrive
• WCW/NWO Revenge
• Wild Metal Country
• Winback
• Wipeout 64
• Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

Talking

How do you top Lara Croft?
They created the symbol of 32-bit gaming and one of the late '90s most recognizable pop-culture icons. However, in February '97, at the peak of the first Tom Raider wave, Toby Gard and Paul Douglas waved good-bye to Core Design (and heavy-duty royalty checks) and headed out to create their own design house, Confounding Factor. Why did they leave, and what are they up to know? (five page interview)

Rating

Finals

(With issue #43, Next Generation expanded its review section to include a number of featured reviews - each typically one or two pages long - along with its traditional reviews (usually 1/3rd page in length). Import reviews are noted with 'Japan' below.)

(One page each unless noted:)

• F-Zero X (N64 two pages)
• MechCommander (PC)
• Shining Force III (Sat)
• Incoming (PC)

(Approx. 1/3rd page each unless noted:)

• Mortal Kombat 4 (PS)
• MLB '99 (PS)
• VR Baseball '99 (PS)
• NFL Xtreme (PS)
• Road Rash 3D (PS)
• G Darius (PS)
• Thunderforce V (PS)
• Wargames: Defcon 1 (PS)
• Dominion: Storm Over Gift 3 (PC)
• Castrol Honda Superbike World Championships (PC)
• Extreme Tactics (PC)
• Panzer Commander (PC)
• X-Com Interceptor (PC)
• Vangers (PC)
• Wargames (PC)
• Quake (arcade)

The Gamer's Guide (two pages; collection of past game review scores for N64, PS, online, PC)

Corresponding

Letters
Our readers vent themselves every month, and we give them the space to do it - dangerous? Maybe fun? Oh, you bet... (reader mail; two pages)

NG Retroview

Resurrection (part 2)
The year is 1985, and in the face of great skepticism, Nintendo launches the NES. (retro coverage; two pages)