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PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE Sega Saturn Sega Dreamcast (development news coverage) PC Sony PlayStation Nintendo 64 Macintosh Vectrex 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.) (standard edition: $5.99 USA, $6.99 Canada; CD edition: $7.99 USA?, $8.99 Canada?) Which way to the underground? Lately it seems the hottest news in entertainment is coming from independent and underground sources. So why have we yet to see a similar movement in the game industry? Next Generation reports on the status of underground game making. (9.66 pages, including the following sections:) Kenji Eno's life stories (one page interview) The dim light at the end of the tunnel (1/2 page; Sony's Net Yaroze, Sega Saturn BASIC) Getting started (one page; 'A step-by-step guide to underground game development on a budget') The crack alternative (1.33 pages; Crack Dot Com) A few words with Kazutoshi Iida (one page interview) talking Jeremy Smith speaks on the most popular woman in the world Core's Jeremy Smith is finding ways to deal with the notoriety that comes with being the man behind videogaming's greatest heroine ever. From fanatical fans to finding Lara Croft's real-life counterpart, Smith gives the dirt on the world's hottest adventurer. (six 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.) Videogame industry loses one of its pioneers Creator of Game Boy and Donkey Kong dies in tragic accident. (Gumpei Yokoi) The future of data storage As data storage capacity nears its limits, holographic technology may become the wave of the future. (includes 'PlayStation 2 Spec-ulation' sidebar) Nintendo gets reasonable Price of N64 software drops, eliminating Sony's best weapon. (approx. 1/2 page) GT Interactive grabs MicroProse GT spends $250 million in its quest to become the largest U.S. game publisher. (approx. 1/2 page) Dural team gets to work Developers work on PowerVR-accelerated PCs and await development kits. (1/2 page) Acclaim shakes up developers Acclaim continues housecleaning efforts, turns broom on U.S. development studios and Acclaim Japan. (1/2 page) (Recurring news features; one page each unless noted:) In the Studio Development news as it develops. (2/3rd page; games in development; from Fox Interactive, DreamWorks Interactive, Sony, Midway, LucasArts, MGM Interactive, Redline, Confounding Factor) Toolbox The products that build your favorite games. ('Catalyst and Torch') Joyriding Gaming on the Internet. (online gaming news by Christian Svensson) Movers and Shakers The business news that affects the games you play. (misc. business news by Colin Campbell) Arcadia The latest arcade and coin-op news. (misc. arcade news by Marcus Webb) Retroview Anecdotes from computer and videogaming's past. (videogame history by Steven Kent; 'Virtual Boy of the '80s;' Vectrex commentary) ng special Cover Story: Where to play? A few years into the current generation of hardware wars, consumers are still asking tough questions - what's the biggest thrill ride in terms of graphics and sound, how much does it cost to play, how long is the party going to last, and finally, how do I get in on the fun? This month Next Generation takes a close look at the state of the industry and its biggest players, and answers the tough questions for the '97/'98 buying season. Come with us as we uncover where to play now and in the future. (twenty pages; includes three page intro with 'The year in review' section, one page 'Welcome to the next level' Sega Dural commentary with 'Tech specs' sidebar; and the following four-page game system sections, each with 'Tech Specs' sidebar, two pages of commentary, a page of capsule game overviews (1/10th page each), and a one page conclusion) PlayStation Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Crash Bandicoot 2 Final Fantasy VII GameDay '98 Metal Gear Solid PaRappa the Rapper Resident Evil 2 Time Crisis Tomb Raider II Treasures of the Deep Nintendo 64 Banjo Kazooie Conker's Quest Diddy Kong Racing Extreme G F-Zero 64 Goldeneye Quarterback Club San Francisco Rush Yoshi's Story 64 Zelda 64 Sega Saturn Burning Rangers Dead or Alive Duke Nukem 3D Enemy Zero Last Bronx Panzer Dragoon Saga Quake Sonic R World Series Baseball '98 Worldwide Soccer '98 PC Battlezone Blade Runner Daikatana Duke Nukem Forever G.Police Heavy Gear Jedi Knight Quake 2 StarCraft Tomb Raider II 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). (Previews with additional content on the accompanying Next Generation Disc are noted with an asterisk (*).) Grim Fandango (PC; five pages, including one page 'An interview with Tim Schafer') * Vigilante 8 (PS; three pages) * Gran Turismo (PS; two pages) Burning Rangers (Sat; three pages) Sentinel Returns (PC,PS,Sat; 1.66 pages) Requiem (PC; 1.66 pages) Men in Black (PC; one page) Elric the Necromancer (PC,PS; one page) Twisted Edge Snowboarding (N64; three pages) * N64 Basketball (N64; two pages) * Hyper Olympics in Nagano 64 (N64; one page) WarGames (PC,PS; two pages) Extreme Warfare (PC; 2.66 pages) ng special The way games ought to be Why movie license games suck. (by Neil West; two pages) rating Finals (Next Generation reviews were usually 1/8th to 1/4th page in length, though this varied wildly and length was never pre-determined - 1/2 and one page reviews would see print on occasion. Higher rated and/or spotlighted games would usually receive more page real estate than lower rated.) (Import reviews are noted with '(Japan)' below. Reviews also appearing on the accompanying Next Generation Disc are noted with an asterisk (*).) Nintendo 64 Aero Fighters Assault Clay Fighter 63 1/3 F1 Pole Position 64 San Francisco Rush PlayStation Castlevania: Symphony of the Night * Grand Tour Racing '98 Mega Man X 4 * Moto Racer * NHL '98 * NHL Face Off '98 * Treasures of the Deep Nuclear Strike PGA '98 * VMX Racing Saturn Bust-A-Move 3 * Mass Destruction Terracresta 3D (Japan) * Virus (Japan) PC Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Total Annihilation Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II EF2000 v2.0 Lose Your Marbles Starfleet Academy Macintosh Battle-Girl Bumbler Bee-Luxe * Quake * TIE Fighter Arcade GTI Club: Rally Cote D'azor Mortal Kombat 4 corresponding Letters Oh, the things our readers have on their minds. It's almost enough to make you want to read on. (reader mail; two pages) --- ng Disc Contents Revealed on The Disc this month: John Romero's Ion Storm philosophy, LucasArts' Tim Schafer on the record with Grim Fandango, and Westwood Studios' five-minute Blade Runner (PC) cinematic. Plus, create a special monster on your PlayStation with this disc. Just insert the Next Generation Disc in your Playstation when prompted by Tecmo's Monster Rancher. special Daikatana, Front Mission Alternative, Blade Runner, Vigilante 8 previews Enemy Zero, Bomberman 64, Colony Wars, N64 Basketball finals More than 1,300 NG finals in a searchable database pc Age of Empires, Moto Racer, Worms 2, NG Cover Gallery, Tomb Raider II Screensaver, Blade Runner Screensaver internet Heat, The Palace Chat 2.4, Tic-Tac-Chat, Link to Imagine Games Network mac Quake, Postal, Galapagos, Bumbler Bee-Luxe, NG Cover Gallery, Tomb Raider II Screensaver, Blade Runner Screensaver talking LucasArts' Grim Fandango in world exclusive movies, screenshots, and live interviews