Official U.S. Playstation Magazine Issue 1

Premiere Issue

Departments:

• From the Editor: Wataru Maruyama introduces the new mag and assures readers. "There are no biases for or against anyone just because we are an 'official' PlayStation magazine."
• PS news: What's moving and shaking in the world of PlayStation software and development
• letters: A plea for US publishers to use the Japanese game artwork, demo discs, PS DVD rumours, Crash 3 hopes, people are upset with re-releases which are just updates/clones of existing software, and people are really excited to play Command & Conquer: Red Alert on their PlayStations.
• demo disc: Get your fingers busy with playable demos of Intelligent Qube, PaRappa the Rapper, Fighting Force, Air Combat 2, Tomb Raider 2, and NFL GameDay 98.
• g.e.a.r.: The Samsung Compac Theater, System 45, V3 Steering Wheel, Scuba XC-7, and Grip-Z hardware get write-ups, along with Mixxzine manga mag and Viz's Super Street Fighter II: Cammy comic, and the video releases for anime titles Battle Angel, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Battle Arena Toshinden, and Macross Plus. Then we've got collectible Final Fantasy VII mini figures, the Star Wars Electronic Galactic Battle boardgame, and the long-awaited(?) arrival of the Japanese Sticker Club phenomenon

Features:

• PlayStation Top 20: The best-selling US PlayStation titles as reported by retailers for the months of July-August 1997.
• Ghost in the Shell: OPM gets down in the trenches, interviewing a number of people responsible for bringing Masamune Shirow's epic manga and anime world to the PlayStation in this five-page feature.
• Final Fantasy VII: A highly-condensed, 9-page strategy guide meant to take you from the first steps in Midgard to the final confrontation with Sephiroth.
• Time Crisis: Shoot straight and use this four-page guide to help you complete your deadly missions.

Previews:

• Deathtrap Dungeon
• Pandemonium
• Ray Tracers
• Jet Moto 2
• C.A.R.T. World Series
• Nightmare Creatures
• NCAA GameBreaker 98
• Shadow Master
• NBA Fast Break
• Point Blank
• Fantastic Four
• Red Asphalt
• Overboard (released as Shipwreckers!)
• Rampage World Tour
• Youngblood (cancelled)
• Jimmy Johnson Football (released as Jimmy Johnson VR Football '98)
• PGA Tour 98
• Critical Depth
• VS.

International:

• Final Fantasy Complete Works book
• Import music CDs
• Einhander
• Metal Slug
• Virtual Hyrunoken
• Samurai Shodown RPG
• Gradius Gaiden
• Derby Stallion
• Zero Divide
• Bloody Roar

Reviews:

• NFL GameFay 98 (5/5)
• Croc (4/5)
• Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee (4/5)
• Final Fantasy VII (5/5)
• MLB 98 (3/5)
• Treasures of the Deep (4/5)
• Bottom of the 9th '97 (3.5/5)
• Grand Tour Racing '98 (3/5)
• Ace Combat 2 (5/5)
• Felony 11-79 (3/5)
• Porsche Callenge (3.5/5)
• Bravo Air Race (3/5)

Tricks of the Trade:

• Dynasty Warriors
• Tomb Raider
• Broken Helix
• K1: The Arena Fighters
• Namco Museum Vol. 4
• NHL 97
• Street Fighter EX+Alpha
• Jet Moto
• Agile Warrior
• Alien Trilogy
• Battle Arena Toshinden
• College Slam
• Destruction Derby
• GEX
• In the Hunt
• ESPN: Extreme Games
• Loaded
• Mortal Kombat 3
• NFL GameDay
• Raiden Project
• Ridge Racer
• Novastorm
• Street Fighter: The Movie
• WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game
• Toshinden 2
• Warhawk
• Zero Divide

Ads (in order of appearance):

• NFL GameDay 98
• Nightmare Creatures
• Colony Wars
• Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi
• Coolboy licensed merchandise
• Monster Rancher
• Tecmo Stackers
• Treasures of the Deep
• Final Fantasy VII
• Machine Hunter
• Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero
• Jersey Devil
• Herc's Adventures
• Bravo Air Race
• Mace: The Dark Age
• Bugriders
• MLB 98
• Marvel Super Heroes
• One
• MDK
• Car and Driver Presents: Grand Tour Racing '98
• Gex: Enter the Gecko
• RayStorm
• Alps Interactive Game Pad controller
• Ace Combat 2
• Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown / Duke Nukem 64
• G-Police
• Felony 11-79
• Rampage World Tour
• Test Drive 4
• Video Game Control Glove controller
• Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey '98
• Time Crisis w/ GunCon lightgun
• Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
• Reel Fishing
• Pandemonium 2
• Fantastic Four
• Dynasty Warriors
• Steel Reign
• Mass Destruction
• Resident Evil Director's Cut
• Maximum Force
• Formula 1: Championship Edition
• Cart World Series
• VR Baseball '97
• NFL GameDay 98 $10 off coupon from Sears
• Golden Nugget
• PlayStation Underground
• Croc
• Eidos Games: Tomb Raider II / Deathtrap Dungeon / Fighting Force

Interesting Stuff:

• Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine began when the publication P.S.X. (PlayStation eXperience) was picked up by Sony after the first seventeen issues. The acquisition came with a new editorial staff and an increased budget, which more than doubled the page count from P.S.X.'s 17th issue.
• One has to applaud the editorial decision to give a lesser-known title like Ghost in the Shell, with a much smaller niche fanbase, the coveted cover position. Especially when they're touting a Final Fantasy VII strategy guide on the same cover.
• On page 24, the editorial staff reports that P.S.X. #17 ran a review of Golden Nugget, when the game they were evaluating was not completed. Having received a complete version, the reviewers have decided to stand by their original score, and they apologize to the game's publisher, Virgin Interactive, for any confusion this may have caused. Um...the only confusion this causes is making readers wonder what the big deal is if they aren't actually altering their rating.
• EA Sports Triple Play 98 was the best-selling game of the reporting period, beating out Twisted Metal 2, Wild Arms, and Need For Speed II. Meanwhile, Tomb Raider still chugs along in the #11 spot, and picking up the rear is Resident Evil inching in at #20.
• The budget-priced PlayStation Jampack, Vol. 1 outsold every other title on the list, except for Triple Play 98 and Twisted Metal 2. 
• Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi is the #6 most-wanted title on readers' lists. More readers were interested in this game than wanted to play Symphony of the Night. Oh, hindsight, how hilarious thou art...
• The Deathtrap Dungeon preview features only Chaindog in the screenshots, leading me to wonder if Asylum Studios was still tinkering with Red Lotus's outfit.
• Youngblood (based on the Image comic of the same name written and drawn by Rob Liefeld) actually looked interesting: a Diablo-style isometric action/adventure game where you control members of the team as they undertake various missions against different villains. Pity it was binned before we got to see more than just a few prototype screenshots.
• The preview of VS. contains a full-page mini-story where the game's real-life model for Mia beats up on three of the editors, subjecting them to everything from nut shots to face-plants on burning barbecue grills.
• Surprisingly, many of the games featured in this month's International section actually received North American releases!
• Final Fantasy VII earns a 5/5 review rating. Who could have possibly seen that coming? /sarcasm
• The Ghost in the Shell feature includes a few questions thrown at Mimi Woods and Richard Epcar, the actors responsible for voicing Major Kusanagi and Bateau respectively.