Game Informer Issue 153

Features:

• Letter From the Editor: Cover: For the People (Andy McNamara discusses choosing games to feature on the magazine’s cover)
• Dear GI (Reader Letters, Responses and Artwork)
• BioWare and Pandemic Merge (Merger creates one of the world’s biggest independent development houses)
• IGDA Delves Into Developer Diversity (Industry-wide study conducted on the diversity of game developers)
• Star Wars Galaxies Rebellion (Sony’s New Game Experience causes uproar in game’s community)
• Interview: Seamus Blackley (Interview with an agent for the Creative Artists Agency)
• Classic GI (A look back at GI’s previous end-of-the-year award winners)

Cover Story: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent (360, PS2, XBOX, GC, PC)(After spending several game hunting down terrorists around the globe, Sam Fisher must now become one in order to stop the latest threat)

The Year in Review 2005: (GI’s picks for the top news stories and events from 2005)

1. Microsoft Starts The Next Generation
2. PSP Debuts, UMD Movies Take Off
3. Middleware Wars: The Rise of Unreal Engine 3 and the Decline of Renderware
4. Nintendo’s Gameplay Revolution
5. Consolidation, Controversy Strikes the Games Biz
6. Hot Coffee Burs The Industry
7. Digital Hollywood: Games and Movies Learn to Play Together
8. The Death of Competition in Sports Gaming
9. Microsoft Pushes Individuality

The Top 50 Games of 2005: (GI’s picks for the top 50 games to come out in 2005)

• Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction (PS2, XBOX)
• The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap (GBA)
• Resident Evil 4 (GC, PS2)
• Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath (XBOX)
• Gran Turismo 4 (PS2)
• Fight Night: Round 2 (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening (PS2)
• Timesplitters: Future Perfect (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• God of War (PS2)
• Lumines (PSP)
• Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (XBOX)
• Jade Empire (XBOX)
• Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition (PS2, XBOX)
• Unreal Championship 2 (XBOX)
• Psychonauts (XBOX, PS2, PC)
• Guild Wars (PC)
• Hot Shots Gold: Open Tee (PSP)
• Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stone (GBA)
• Kirby: Canvas Curse (DS)
• Battlefield 2 (PC)
• Madden NFL 06 (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Advanced Wars: Dual Strike (DS)
• Nintendogs (DS)
• The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Radiata Stories (PS2)
• Rebelstar Tactical Command (GBA)
• Burnout: Revenge (PS2, XBOX)
• Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (PS2, XBOX)
• X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (PS2, XBOX, GC, PSP)
• Indigo Prophecy (PS2, XBOX, PC)
• Heroes of the Pacific (PS2, XBOX)
• Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (PS2, XBOX)
• Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS)
• F.E.A.R. (PC)
• Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (GC)
• Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
• The Warriors (PS2, XBOX)
• Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PSP)
• Sid Meier’s Civilization IV (PC)
• Soul Calibur 3 (PS2)
• Guitar Hero (PS2)
• Gun (360, PS2, XBOX, GC)
• The Movies (PC)
• Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (PS2)
• Need for Speed: Most Wanted (360, PS2, XBOX, GC, PC)
• True Crime: New York City (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Call of Duty 2 (360, PC)
• Peter Jackson’s King Kong (360, PS2, XBOX, GC, PC)
• Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (DS)
• Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (PS2, XBOX, GC)

X-Men 3 (360, PS2, XBOX, GC, PC, PSP)(In-depth look at Activision’s new game that plans to tie into the new movie by bridging the gap between the second and third films)

Previews:

• Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (360, XBOX, PC)
• Blazing Angels: Squadrons of World War II (360)
• Tourist Trophy (PS2)
• Starcraft: Ghost (PS2, XBOX)
• Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC)
• World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC)
• The Godfather (360, PS2, XBOX, PC)
• Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (360)
• Children of Mana (DS)
• Star Wars: Empire at War (PC)
• Hitman: Blood Money (PS2, XBOX, PC)
• Driver: Parallel Lines (PS2, XBOX)
• TimeShift (360, PC)

Multiplatform Reviews:

• The Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• True Crime: New York City (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Peter Jackson’s King Kong (360, PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• Shadow the Hedgehog (PS2, XBOX, GC)

PlayStation 2 Reviews:

• NBA 06
• Wild Arms: Alter Code F

XBOX 360 Reviews:

• Project Gotham Racing 3
• Perfect Dark Zero
• Madden NFL 06
• Kameo: Elements of Power
• Quake 4
• Need For Speed: Most Wanted
• NBA 2K6
• NHL 2K6
• Ridge Racer 6
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06

Gamecube Review:

• Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix

XBOX Reviews:

• Fable: The Lost Chapters
• Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
• Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil

PC Reviews:

• Sid Meier’s Civilization IV
• City of Villains

Game Boy Advance Reviews:

• Final Fantasy IV Advance
• Dr. Mario and Puzzle League

PSP Reviews:

• The Lord of the Rings: Tactics
• Tokobot
• SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo
• Kingdom of Paradise
• Infected
• The Legend of Heroes

Quickie Reviews (Short, one paragraph reviews):

• Aeon Flux (PS2, XBOX)
• Total Overdose (PS2, XBOX)
• Taito Legends (PS2, XBOX, PC)
• Pac-Man World 3 (PS2, XBOX, GC)
• College Hoops 2K6 (PS2, XBOX)
• Shattered Union (XBOX, PC)
• Snowboard Kids DS (DS)
• Zoo Tycoon DS (DS)
• Sonic Rush (DS)
• Star Wars: Battlefront II (PSP)
• Need For Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0 (PSP)

Secret Access (Cheat codes and strategy guides):

• Sid Meier’s Civilization IV (PC)
• X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (PS2, XBOX, GC, PSP)
• Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland (360, PS2, XBOX, GC, PSP)
• Star Wars: Battlefront II (PS2, XBOX, PSP)
• Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PSP)
• Call of Duty 2 (360, PC)
• Dragon Quest VIII (PS2)

Retro Reviews:

• Godzilla: The Series (GBC)
• Where’s Waldo (NES)
• Super Turrican (SNES)