ISSUE #8, JULY 1996

"Zombies prove their enduring nature this month. They are the eternal living dead, I'll grant you, but their transition from schlock B-movie to slick Playstation adventure has been so terrifyingly smooth that our flesh-eating friends may well be around for eternity. Resident Evil is a hell of a game and we have the definitive review, a demo on the CD, and a £5-off voucher for the game if we convince you of its worth.

Sport also figures highly in PSM8, as we hold more titles than Tyson in our reviews section, including International Track and Field which brought the building to a standstill. But if you started reading this from the top, it may come as a shock to find it's been written by a new Editor. Steve Jarratt, PSM's own resident evil, has moved on, so as sales nudge 50,000 I've swanned in to bask in his glory.

Apologies for the literary subterfuge but I want to emphasise that major change is not on the agenda. Alterations will be minor and for the better, starting with a flamboyant looping signature. Like so:"

*flamboyant looping signature*

Rob Pegley (Editor)

Features

E3 1996
Namco profile

PrePlay

AIV Evolution Global
Blazing Dragons
F1
Firo and Klawd
International Motocross
Merit Studios line-up (AR Drivin'; ICR; Sato City)
Olympic Games
Project Overkill
Raging Skies
Slam 'n' Jam '96
Time Commando
Tribe line-up (Dawn of Darkness; HMS Carnage; Zoiks!)

PlayTest

Bust A Move 2
"Quite possibly the most addictive game in the history of all things. It's a bubble-popping carnival, the like of which will not be seen until the next Milky Way, or something."
9/10 (Starplayer award)


Cheesy
"An interesting platformer with plenty of neat touches. And lots of cheese. Smashing graphics, but generally plays the role of the traditional jump and shoot game."
7/10

Fade to Black
"Fade to Black is a fabulous sequel and a top game in its own right. A few niggles, but mostly this is a stormingly good adventure."
8/10 (Starplayer award)


Gunship 2000
"In-depth, exciting and varied gameplay make Gunship 2000 a sure-fire winner and one that'll keep you quiet for days."
8/10 (Starplayer award)


International Track and Field
"All the multi-player fun of the original enhanced greatly by fabulous visuals. Crap on your own, but with friends, it's top laughs all round."
8/10 (Starplayer award)


Olympic Soccer
"Never a license to die for, but an intelligent learning curve, accessible controls and realistic gameplay make this surprisingly habit-forming."
7/10

Resident Evil
"It all adds up. Beautiful visuals, fluid gameplay and a chilling tale wedged in between. A Hammer House of Horror on a computer."
9/10 (Starplayer award)


Virtual Golf
"Virtual Golf holds plenty of variety and longevity within its multi-coloured confines - just wear your sunglasses while playing."
5/10

Top Secret

Adidas Power Soccer
Alien Trilogy
Magic Carpet
Ridge Racer Revolution
Toshinden 2
Total NBA '96

On the Disc

Adidas Power Soccer (playable demo)
Descent (playable demo)
Shellshock (playable demo)
Resident Evil (rolling demo)

Trivia

- Sony did not like the warped style of the logo on the cover of this issue. It never happened again.
- Phil Harrison: "Namco's titles are literally the reason why we built the Playstation in the first place".
- First mention of what would become the Net Yaroze in this issue... "The Let's Create development kit is released in Japan later this month, with the aim to develop creativity among a wider audience. The kit, retailing at around $1200, will include a development Playstation that can be connected to a PC via an interface cable, together with several development libraries and programming tools".
- Some of the character names mentioned in the Resident Evil review include "Nancy" for Rebecca and "Westger" for Wesker. Unfinished review code, perhaps?
- The pictures in the Olympic Soccer review are slightly curious - the pitches, rather than green, were purple. This was a printing error, as explained in OPM #9, complete with a re-review.
- Page count: 100

ISSUE #7, JUNE 1996

"We knew it all along but now the message has been confirmed. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulation (the organisation which establishes the sales figures of national magazines) the Official UK Playstation Magazine is bought by a massive 41,925 people every month, and the figure is rising. This places us head and shoulders above the competition and makes this mighty organ the world's best-selling Playstation magazine.

A good month for PSM then, but not so good for Playstation software. We've been graced with some of the lowest-scoring games we've ever seen. These blips in quality are inevitable, however, so fear not, for our Update and PrePlay sections are packed with some tasty morsels which are testament to the increasing strength of Playstation.

Our advice is, be choosy, be fussy, be downright picky. Buy only the games recommended by the most popular Playstation mag on this entire globe, and even slightly substandard videogames will become a thing of the past."

Steve Jarratt (Editor)

Features

The Surround Sound Revolution

PrePlay

Aquanaut's Holiday
Burning Road
Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition
Cheesy
Fade to Black
Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball
Galaxian³
Mindscape line-up (Marvel 2099 AD, Steel Harbinger)
Resident Evil
Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels
Supersonic Racers
Tekken 2
Telstar line-up (Onside, Starfighter 3000)
Tunnel B1

PlayTest

Battle Arena Toshinden 2
"Stronger, faster. Yet this sequel doesn't do enough to suggest that Takara has done anything than go through the motions. It's got Toshinden written all over it."
7/10

Chessmaster 3D
"A slick, 3D chess game with some fine blasts of classical music. Some of the pieces are overly fussy but, hey, it don't matter. You know what you're getting. Chess."
7/10

Chronicles of the Sword
"A rather sloppy affair, sadly. We were all excited about this game until we played it. Await Resident Evil next month, readers."
5/10

Cyberia
"The graphics are pretty in places but nothing we haven't seen before. A dated concept with very little in the way of entertaining gameplay."
5/10

Extreme Pinball
"In the words of Ferris Bueller's sister, 'Bite the big one, junior'. Extreme Pinball is the Beazer Homes League of pinball. Avoid, please."
3/10

In the Hunt
"Provides a challenging blast, but sadly one that is both dated and seriously flawed in places. Does nothing to enhance the reputation of the traditional shoot 'em up."
5/10

PO'ed
"Inventive ideas, but lacks the slick execution to make this game an out and out delight to play. Grisly carnage abounds, but is overshadowed by glitches."
5/10

Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits
"More action-packed than Namco's offering but lacking variety. There's no denying that some of these games are still the best way to while away an afternoon..."
7/10

Top Secret

Actua Soccer
Defcon 5
ESPN Extreme Games
Loaded
Lone Soldier
Mortal Kombat 3
Need For Speed
Ridge Racer Revolution
Starblade α
Theme Park
Toshinden
Total NBA '96
Warhawk
Worms

On the Disc

Alien Trilogy (playable demo)
Magic Carpet (playable demo)
Pro-Pinball: The Web (playable demo)

Trivia

- The current OPM's latest ABC figures (second half of 2008) are actually higher than those mentioned in the editorial, at 53,644 - though you have to bear in mind that the Playstation was still establishing itself over here back in mid 1996. Issue 42 with the Metal Gear Solid cover still holds the record for most copies sold of a single issue of a video games magazine - over 400,000.
- Crash Bandicoot rears his head for the first time. "...one of the new breed of 3D platform games, Crash Bandicoot is set to go up against Nights on Sega Saturn and Super Mario 64 on Nintendo 64. And the good news is that, by all accounts, Crash Bandicoot may be the best of the bunch."
- From the wacky world of Japan (where else?) comes the innovative fighter ZXE-D: Legend of Plasmalite. The game shipped with 12-inch plastic robots which you slot into the memory card port, and this robot will be your in-game avatar. You could even change the bodyparts of the robot with different weapons and such. No Euro release, sadly...
- Psygnosis had a feature in the magazine for readers to rename their working-titled "Lemmings Platform". It would eventually be named simply Lomax in the EU.
- One of the biggest franchises in gaming today got it's very first mention - Grand Theft Auto. "Grand Theft Auto is a frenetic racing game with a Micro Machines slant, letting you race through the streets of San Francisco as a cop, thief or juvenile delinquent.
- This issue came with an 8 page preview of the soon to be launched Playstation Power magazine, which ran from 1996 to 2001.
- This was Steve Jarratt's last issue.
- Page count: 100

ISSUE #5, APRIL 1996

"This issue we've devoted half of our news section to one single story - the defection of Japanese software house Squaresoft to the Playstation cause. 'But they make role-playing games!', I hear you wail. 'Who gives a toss?'

Ah, but this is an important event for several reasons: first of all, it heightens Japanese awareness of the machine. Playstation has sold reasonably well in Japan, but the battle is far from over, and a new episode of the mighty Final Fantasy on Playstation will no doubt prompt gamers to buy Sony's machine over Nintendo's.

Secondly, the Americans are also very keen on Japanese RPGs - adventures like Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger - and this again guarantees Playstation sales.

Thirdly, for one of the planet's biggest software houses to choose Playstation over its competitors is a fantastic endorsement of the hardware. And if you've never tried an RPG before, you never know, you just might enjoy it!"

Steve Jarratt (Editor)

Features

Squaresoft joins Sony
What makes a good videogame?
Multiplayer gaming

PrePlay

BLAM! Machinehead
Die Hard Trilogy
In the Hunt
Jumping Flash 2
Motor Toon GP 2
Namco Museum Vol. 2
NBA Live
Sampras Extreme
Top Gun

PlayTest

Alien Trilogy
"Smooth of movement, big of picture, and puzzly of action. Monsters, guns, and an adventure in the offing. Oh yes, you will enjoy Alien Trilogy."
8/10 (Starplayer award)


Jupiter Strike
"Jupiter Strike is a predictable polygon blaster, with precious little to recommend it. After all, do we really need another average shoot 'em up?"
5/10

Magic Carpet
"One of the most interesting and original games in the past couple of years. It's infuriatingly difficult but nevertheless drags you in until you're hooked."
8/10 (Starplayer award)


Namco Museum Vol. 1
"Greater than the sum of its parts. High novelty and interest value, but not recommended for those who have been brought up on the hi-tech likes of Doom and Tekken."
7/10

Need For Speed
"Not perfect but immensely enjoyable. It scores eight because the fun factor and sheer weight of content will keep you at the wheel for a long time."
8/10 (Starplayer award)


Primal Rage
"At best, Primal Rage is no more than a competent 2D beat 'em up. It's cleverly animated but lacks the sophistication of the major players."
5/10

Shellshock
"Slick, like an extremely slick thing, with whopping big guns and plenty of wanton destruction. Good for relieving tension."
7/10 (Starplayer award)


Street Fighter Alpha
"Capcom's decision to cling to established values is more than vindicated by what rates as the most comprehensive Playstation 2D beat 'em up to date."
8/10 (Starplayer award)


Wing Commander III
"A fantastic movie with great acting and plot - one which should be just that. But as for gameplay? There's not a lot of it for your money."
6/10

World Cup Golf
"World Cup Golf tackles 'the long walk ruined' (as Oscar Wilde would have it) capably but it doesn't really match its only rival PGA Tour in any department."
6/10

Top Secret

Doom
Er...just Doom

On the Disc

Assault Rigs (playable demo)
Lone Soldier (playable demo)
Mickey's Wild Adventure (playable demo)
Thunderhawk 2 (playable demo)
Total NBA '96 (playable demo)
Actua Soccer (making of)

Trivia

- Namco Museum Vol. 1 seems a very odd choice of a coverstar, when they could have gone with something like Alien Trilogy or Street Fighter Alpha.
- There's a lot of text to the Square stuff, but I think this is about the most appropriate thing I can quote: "Providing that Square can keep its usual high standards of storytelling and character involvement, then come December the Playstation might just have its biggest selling title to date." It also says that Secret of Mana will see a release, something that never happened (though Legend of Mana was released in Japan and the US).
- What happened to the original Motor Toon GP? "...the game wasn't even deemed worthy of a PAL release (surprising, given some of the other crap we've had foisted upon us)."
- Here's a part of BLAM! Machinehead's surreal plot: "...but Orville, sick as he is, decides to have some fun. Kimberley wakes up to find herself strapped on to the phallic cruise missile. Before destroying the Machinehead she has to complete Orville's own special missions."
- A rather wayward prediction in the "What makes a good videogame?" feature: "It's estimated we'll hit broadcast resolution within 10 years [2006] - and possibly even sooner."
- Although OPM would like you to think otherwise, they weren't above a dig at the Saturn. In the letters section they gave the following quote the big red text treatment: "Feel sorry for poor old Saturn owners - after Virtua Cop what do they have to look forward to?"
- Page count: 100

ISSUE #6, MAY 1996

"After a relative dearth of top-notch software - lots of good software but nothing really outstanding - the Playstation market is at last starting to heat up again. You may have noticed that star billing this issue goes to Tekken 2 - the only game to prevent Tekken being the best beat 'em up you can buy!

The maddening thing is that Japanese gamers are already enjoying the pleasures of this astounding combat game, while poor old PAL players have to wait until September to get their mitts on it. Still, we thought we'd get the ball rolling nice and early, so I hope you enjoy this early look at the first game of '96 you absolutely must have.

We're also particularly chuffed with this month's demo CD. Compared to the packed discs we've had over the last few issues, you may think that we've gone downhill. But before you write in complaining, just look at what we do have: Alien Trilogy, Magic Carpet and a healthy slice of Pro Pinball. Most other magazines would have been happy with just one of these demos on its own, but not PSM. We will not rest until we are the only Playstation magazine worthy of your money. Right?"

Steve Jarratt (Editor)

Features

50 Years of Sony

PrePlay

Actua Golf
Exhumed
Gremlin Interactive line-up (Gears 'n' Guts; Hardwar; Reloaded; Slipstream)
Konami line-up (Konami Links; MLBPA Bottom of the 9th; Track and Field International)
Olympic Soccer
Powerplay Hockey
Tekken 2
Transport Tycoon
Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits

PlayTest

Adidas Power Soccer
"A wild, entertaining arcade soccer game. Purists may recoil in horror at some of the special moves, but we enjoy kicking people in the head. 'You dirty foulin' bast-'"
8/10 (Starplayer award)


Hebereke's Popoitto
"Simple puzzling with an over-elaborate Japanese touch. Good competitive play, but not recommended for poor old Johnny-no-mates."
6/10

NBA Live '96
"Undeniably fun to play, simply because EA has got the mechanics just about right. A bigger ball and a clearer picture would've made a difference."
7/10

NFL Gameday
"The first delve into this sporting genre, and one which sets a high standard for would-be suitors. A complicated sport made uncomplicated."
7/10 (Starplayer award)


NHL Face Off
"An exciting, enjoyable simulation of ice hockey. Not as slick as it could have been, but you won't fail to have fun. Pucker up."
7/10

Psychic Detective
"It's big, it's bold and it's bloody, but the nature of FMV ensures that interaction is inevitably limited. You won't play this for long."
5/10

Resurrection: Rise 2
"Crippled by the success of its rivals, Resurrection: Rise 2 simply can't compete. The black sheep of a distinguished family."
4/10

Revolution X
"If this is the state of things to come then the Saturn may become a vaguely appealing purchase... Thank God this is as bad as things are likely to get."
2/10

Ridge Racer Revolution
"Not the earth-splitting event people would have you believe, but a fine game. However if you have the original, think long and hard about investing in more of the same."
8/10 (Starplayer award)

Top Secret

Assault Rigs
Cyber Sled
FIFA Soccer '96
Johnny Bazookatone
Jumping Flash
Lemmings 3D
Rayman
Ridge Racer
Street Fighter: The Movie
Tekken
Thunderhawk 2
Warhawk
Wipeout
X-Com: Enemy Unknown

On the Disc

Actua Golf (playable demo)
Actua Soccer (playable demo)
Krazy Ivan (playable demo)
Loaded (playable demo)
Primal Rage (playable demo)
Striker '96 (playable demo)
Criticom (rolling demo)
Defcon 5 (rolling demo)

Trivia

- This issue came with a 32 page Criticom booklet.
- Spot the awful error in the editorial? He's talking about next issue's disc, not this one!
- The Playstation vs. Saturn sales figure war was hotting up. Saturn claimed that it was outselling Playstation...not mentioning the fact that this was for a single week period, and only due to Playstation stock shortages. Phil Harrison: "In order to clear up the situation and confirm our leadership position, we challenged Sega to an independent audit. We proposed that Sega and Sony cover half the cost each of a respected accountancy firm to examine our books and confirm our sales. Unfortunately Sega declined. You can draw your own conclusions on what that means." In reality, Saturn was being outsold by about 4:1 at this point.
- Worms being released in the US was once in doubt, apparently. OPM say that SCEA decided against releasing it because it "wasn't 3D enough". It was eventually released.
- In this issue and the previous one, there were letters talking about how good it would be if there were a music creation game available. OPM weren't fans though. "Playstation is for videogames. Now let's not hear another word on the matter." 2 years later Codemasters would release Music: Music Creation for the PlayStation to critical acclaim and an OPM 9/10.
- Ever wondered why some games came in double-disc cases even though they were only one disc? "At the time, there was a shortage of the officially-branded Playstation cases and so bog-standard double CD cases were used instead."
- Saturn Snipes #2: highlighting a quote from the letters section again. "After all, if you could get VF2 and Sega Rally on Playstation, no one would buy a Saturn, would they?"
- Despite the 8/10 score for Ridge Racer Revolution, they really slate it in the review, stating that it's basically exactly the same as Ridge Racer and that they are very disappointed with the lack of options. It certainly doesn't read as an 8/10 review.
- Page count: 100

ISSUE #4, MARCH 1996

"Although a paltry 179 words long, this opening editorial is getting harder and harder to write. I mean, I can't moan about the state of the market - Playstations are selling faster than binoculars on National Nude Supermodel Day.

Likewise, the software just keeps getting better - witness the glories of F1 this very issue. And it's not as if we're stumped for variety: this month we've got a beat 'em up, a 3D blaster, two platformers, an action FMV game, a racer, a sport sim, a wargame, a graphic adventure, a scrolling shoot 'em up and a pinball game!

I could pontificate on how they just don't make 'em like they used to - but with previews of Toshinden 2, Ridge Racer Revolution, Magic Carpet and some stunning games from German coder Neon, I'm bloody glad they don't!

And just when I was going to whinge about the mag, someone tells me that we're already selling over 40,000 copies a month. So I guess the only thing for me to do is say thanks, and enjoy the issue!"

Steve Jarratt (Editor)

Features

Motion Capture

PrePlay

Battle Arena Toshinden 2
Blazing Dragons
F1
Gunship 2000
Horned Owl
Magic Carpet
Need For Speed
Ocean line-up (Tunnel B1, Viper)
Primal Rage
Ridge Racer Revolution

PlayTest

Creature Shock
"An attempt to harness the power of FMV which falls between commendable and foolhardy. If only the action were less pre-determined..."
5/10

Descent
"A smooth 3D engine put to good effect in a massive, puzzly, action-packed blaster. And there's even a head-to-head battle mode!"
8/10

Gex
"We were prepared for the worst, but Gex is really quite good. Plenty of variety, some tricky tasks and a load of places to visit. Thumbs up."
7/10

Johnny Bazookatone
"It's hair-tearingly fiddly but includes enough clever levels and graphical touches to keep you smiling, albeit with a grimace. You won't finish it in a day, though."
6/10

Myst
"Don't expect any white-knuckle spills or thrills, this is one for the thinker rather than to do-er. Deep gameplay, twisting plot, and pretty pictures. All very nice."
7/10

NBA: In the Zone
"In the Zone, while reasonably attractive and playable, does not compare favourably with Total NBA. Head-to-head, you have to go for the latter."
6/10

Off-World Interceptor Extreme
"Ultimately, Off-World's too frantic for those that enjoy racing and not detailed enough for shoot 'em up fans. Between two stools."
5/10

Panzer General
"As far as wargames go, this is as good as it gets. Its neat graphics and almost endless playability make Panzer General a must for history buffs."
8/10

Philosoma
"A commendable attempt at a one-size-fits-all blaster, that unfortunately lacks structure and umph. Mind you, we'd love to see a Philosoma 2..."
5/10

True Pinball
"A cultured, realistic pinball simulation with multiball and video modes, True Pinball is flipping faster than lightning. You'll either like or ignore."
7/10

Zero Divide
"Good solid beat 'em up but without the thrills of Tekken. It lacks instant appeal, but rewards perseverance with some unique fighting action."
7/10

Top Secret

Air Combat
Battle Arena Toshinden
Cyberspeed
Destruction Derby
Doom
ESPN Extreme Games
Lemmings 3D
Mortal Kombat 3
Rayman

On the Disc

Warhawk (playable demo)
Twisted Metal (playable demo)
Defcon 5 (rolling demo)
X-Com (rolling demo)

Trivia

- First mention of Squaresoft defecting to Playstation... "...the normally Nintendo-loyal company is considering writing adventures for the Playstation and Saturn, which is good news for Sony in Japan."
- Despite a positive preview, Horned Owl never actually made it to PAL territories.
- Nick Brown sent a letter to the magazine, clearly not getting the concept behind Devil Kazuya. "Did you know that when playing a one-player game of Tekken with Heihachi Mishima you get to fight Kazuya dressed as Sonic the Hedgehog as the end-of-game boss?"
- Along with finished copies of Myst itself, Sony also sent 172 page player's guide for the game to magazines for review.
- This is one of very few issues of OPM not to give out any Starplayer awards.
- Page count: 100