Q&A Archives
Send your questions to questions@mastergamer.com
Master Gamer's Q&A section is now run by "The Masked Q&A Avenger," who
previously took over Daily Radar's Q&A section for Chris Charla when he left
Imagine Media. Like Chris Charla, The Masked Avenger enjoys hamburgers,
Pontiacs, and Michigan, but he is NOT ACTUALLY Chris Charla. Really!
Please send all of your game-related questions to questions@mastergamer.com
Q: I think that Sony f---ed up real bad by bringing out the online stuff
later rather than sooner... but I want to know if old PS2 games will
eventually work online.
A: No, older PlayStation 2 games will not be playable online, and new PS2
games will not support online gameplay unless they are specifically
programmed to do so.
Q: Hi mate, can you please send me a copy of Civilization 2? I would be so
grateful to you. I live in Mauritius. Please mail me back and I'll give
you further info. Thank you in advance.
A: Uh... no. If you want Civilization 2, you can buy it legitimately for
less than $20 at most used game retailers.
Q: Is there a web site that shows what Dreamcast games have been released in
the US or Japan?
A: IGN's Dreamcast site has reviewed almost every Dreamcast game ever
released in the US, plus dozens of Japanese Dreamcast games. So, you can
get a quasi-complete list of released games by going to
http://dreamcast.ign.com/reviews.html. You might want to go to this site in
the near future, because IGN might not be around a few months from now.
Q: I own the following systems: Nintendo 64, Sony PlayStation, and Sega
Dreamcast. I am looking for a fourth system to buy sometime in the near
future and I'm debating between the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.
Based on your opinion, which one do you think is the best overall?
A: In this generation of consoles, the Xbox is the most powerful system, but
the most powerful system doesn't always win the battle. Based on the line-
up of games for this year and this year alone, the PlayStation 2 is your
best bet, but the best bet for 2002 and beyond is anyone's guess. It could
be the PS2 or it could be the Xbox, but it's not likely to be the GameCube
in the 12-and-older crowd. I'm sorry if I haven't been very helpful, but at
this point the identity of the future industry leader is still up in the air.
Q: I just heard that Soul Calibur 2 is coming out on the GameCube. What
about it being released on the PS2? It's the main reason I got a PS2. This
sucks! Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
A: I think it's likely that Soul Calibur 2 will be released on the PS2 at
some point. It's not as if the game is exclusive to any one system since
it has been announced for both the GameCube and Xbox. It wouldn't really
make sense for Namco to release the game on the Xbox and GameCube but not
release it on the PS2, so I expect it to be just a matter of time.
Q: I heard that Vivendi and EA have both acquired rights to publish games
based on the upcoming (and from what I've seen, kick-ass) Lord of the Rings
movies, based on the trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. It was reported that the
two deals are different. How are they different?
A: Sierra, which is owned by Vivendi, acquired the rights to make games
based on the Lord of the Rings books several years ago. This didn't please
New Line Cinema (who is producing the movie trilogy), so New Line decided to
sell the rights for "games based on the movies" as a separate entity.
Vivendi was one of many companies bidding on these rights and negotiating
with New Line Cinema, but EA ultimately won out in the end. As a result,
Vivendi will be making games that are obstensibly based on the books, and EA
will be making games that are obstensibly based on the movies.
Q: My seven year old son really REALLY wants Santa Claus to bring him all of
the Crash Bandicoot characters in toy form... particularly "stuffy" form.
Are they available or will they be and if they are, where can one buy them?
A: Unfortunately, the company that used to manufacture Crash Bandicoot toys
and action figures (ReSaurus) has discontinued its line of Crash products.
Your best bet to find ReSaurus' line of Crash plush toys would be on eBay or
another auction site.
Q: The Mario no-show fiasco at E3 really left me feeling empty. I've come
to expect certain things from Nintendo, and one of them has always been Mario
and all of its Miyamoto greatness. Am I alone in thinking that Luigi's
Mansion can't even stack up a quarter of the way?
A: I agree that Luigi's Mansion doesn't look particularly ground-breaking.
As for Mario, he will be appearing on the GameCube in more than one game, but
it doesn't look like any of them will be released until next year.
Q: How can I order NBA Live 2001 for the PS1 using a phone for a low price?
A: You can buy it for $20 by calling GameStop (817-424-2200) or Electronics
Boutique (877-432-9675).
Q: Is there any chance of WWF Raw is War being ported from the Xbox to the
Dreamcast or GameCube?
A: Dreamcast: No chance in hell. GameCube: Very unlikely since THQ is
working on a separate WWF game for the system.
Q: What's this I hear about Shenmue 2 on the PS2?
A: It could happen eventually, but Shenmue 2 is an Xbox exclusive at least
for now.
Q: What consoles will Shadow Man: The Second Coming be released on?
A: It has only been announced for the PlayStation 2 thus far, but I wouldn't
be shocked to see it on the GameCube as well. Acclaim is going to be
flooding the GameCube market with more games than any other third-party
publisher. This makes a GameCube Shadow Man release possible, but still not
a certainty (due to the game's adult-oriented nature and the GameCube's
young target demographic).
Q:I heard that Dr. Robotnik (aka Dr. Eggman) will be appearing on the
GameCube. Is this true?
A: Yes. He will be in the GameCube port of Sonic Adventure 2, and it's a
safe bet that he will also be in any future Sonic games that are released
for the GameCube.
Q: What can you tell me about a green Game Boy Advance?
A: No such unit has been announced to the best of my knowledge, but
realistically, it's just a matter of time. As soon as hardware sales begin
to drop, Nintendo will pull the old "same system, different colors" trick out
of its proverbial hat.
Q: I bought Tribes 2 as soon as it came out, but I could never get it to run
on my PC. I am able to run Black & White, Max Payne, and Sea Dogs on my PC
with no problems, which proves to me that my computer wasn't at fault with
Tribes 2. I would love to get into Tribes 2, but now I'm afraid to touch it.
A: I'm assuming that you tried to run Tribes 2 without any patches or
upgrades... if that's the case, downloading a patch may or may not solve
your problem, but it's certainly worth a try. For a list of all available
Tribes 2 patches, click here.
Q: I was looking through some video game import stores on the Internet and
I'd love to be able to purchase stuff from them, but I don't have a credit
card and neither do my parents. Do you know of ANY import stores that
accept other forms of payment... say, a money order?
A: Yes, TheRage.com is a pretty cool import store that has a wealth of
payment options, including money orders.
Q: Any idea why Microsoft dumped Malice? The last time I saw screen shots
of the game, it was looking like a promising launch title for the Xbox. The
screen shots were actually being touted as a fine example of the bump-mapping
and texture abilites of the console.
A: Microsoft touted Malice as a nice technology demo, but the company
didn't want to touch the game with a ten-foot pole when it came to actually
publishing it. While Malice did a nice job of showing off the power of the
Xbox, it can also be said Croc did a nice job of showing off the power of the
PlayStation. Croc's impressive graphics didn't prevent its gameplay from
sucking, and the same goes for Malice. Ironically, Malice and Croc are both
from the same over-rated developer (Argonaut). Malice has now been picked
up by Vivendi Universal and will be released on both the Xbox and the PS2
sometime next year.
Q: What the f--- is up with Nintendo delaying the GameCube by two weeks?
Hopefully, it will mean more launch games, in which case I support it.
A: Either Nintendo legitimately wanted to have more systems in US retailers
for launch day, or it just needed a few more weeks to polish its software.
Whatever the case, it completely eliminates Nintendo's advantage of shipping
three days before the Xbox. Also, as reported in Master Gamer's news story
"Nintendo Cuts Launch Games Slowly So You Won't Notice," the number of
GameCube launch games is shrinking as time goes on, not increasing.
Nintendo's E3 claim of six first-party launch games is now down to three,
and I wouldn't be surprised if that number is reduced to two before launch
day.
Q: Now that G.O.D Games is finished, do you have any idea what is going to
happen to the game Mafia? Is Take-Two going to publish it?
A: Take-Two claims that it will be publishing all of the games that were
previously scheduled to be published by GOD Games, including Mafia (which is
due out in early 2002). As a matter of fact, it will still say "GOD Games"
on the box. GOD Games will continue to be a publishing label for Take-Two
even though the company itself no longer exists, just as "989 Studios"
continues to be a publishing label for Sony even though the company itself
was folded into Sony a while back.
Q: When Sega stops making games for the Dreamcast, will I still be able to
surf the net using my Dreamcast?
A: Yes. You won't encounter any problems, prodvided that you have a working
Dreamcast Web Browser disc and that you're dialing in to your own Internet
Service Provider. SegaNet is dead as an ISP, but Dreamcast owners can still
surf the web using other ISPs and will be able to do so indefinitely.
Q: What are your views on the Xbox, and how do you think it will fare when
the GameCube comes out and when we get some good PS2 games to come out? I
was just wondering because I have no system anymore-- I recently sold my
Dreamcast (may it live in peace). So, I was just wondering about this, and
any feedback from you would be a big help. Thanks.
A: Bottom line- I think the Xbox is going to have a tough Christmas.
Microsoft has lots of marketing muscle, but when one system costs $100 less
than another, it's tough not to pay A LOT of attention to that, especially
given the tight economy. The Xbox also had a bad E3, which doesn't bode
well for this season (although the PS2 also had a bad E3 show before its
launch).
That said, I wouldn't count Microsoft as down for the count at all, and
I'm not saying that the GameCube will necessarily have better games. I just
think that the GameCube will do better. The real question is the PS2: It
simply doesn't look as good as either of the other systems, but it does have
an incredible amount of market and mind share.
Plus, there are rumors of a price drop around November 1st, or a rebate,
or a pack-in with Metal Gear Solid 2. So if that happens, the competitive
landscape may change. As for good PS2 games coming down the pike, these are
the four I am personally looking forward to: MGS 2, Le Mans 24 Hours, NASCAR
Heat 2002 (out now), and Ico (you must check out this game-- it's on the
latest Jam Pack).
Q: I hope I'm not asking too much, but if you just give me any insight on
new games coming out on the PlayStation, I would once again be very grateful.
Thanks for everything.
A: There aren't many! Apparently, Sony is having a tough time finding ANYONE
willing to do a non-kids title on the PS1. My best advice is pick up Syphon
Filter 3 when it comes out, or spend some time working through the back
catalog of Greatest Hits titles, or finding hidden gems. It's a shame Daily
Radar closed down, because Blake's Bargain Bin was a cool column that
steered you to some cool old games.
Q: What are the chances of Capcom making a version of Super Puzzle Fighter 2
Turbo for the Game Boy Advance? That would be awesome.
A: I think we'll eventually see a Puzzle Fighter game of some sort on the
Game Boy Advance.
Q: Is there any web site where I can download rare weapons for Phantasy Star
Online?
A: Nope. And if you use a cheat card, it will not let you play. Do things
the honest way!
Q: I would like to know if there are any plans in the works for a virtual
reality headset for a home console? It seems to me with the power of these
next-generation consoles that this is an idea whose time has come.
A: It seems like it, but they've just never sold well. There is a voice
command module coming for the Xbox that will let you talk over the Internet,
but no HMD (head-mounted devices) are in the offering anytime soon. Sadly,
helmet-based VR seems very dead except in academic circles.
Q: I know someone who is going to China next month. If I want, he can bring
me a cheap GBA, but will I be able to play European games on a Japanese GBA?
A: All GBAs the world over are cross-compatible with no territorial lockout.
Q: Will Smackdown 3 be released on any console other than the PS2?
A: No, but expect lots of support for wrestling on the GameCube, including
a Smackdown title.
Q: I hear that there will be a mobile adaptor for the Game Boy Advance.
Will it be released in the UK and US?
A: Nintendo has shown a mobile phone attached to the Game Boy Advance, but
it will probably be a long time, if ever, before it sees the light of day in
the US, where the cellular infrastructure is really primitive compared to
Japan. The UK might see it sooner, since it has a better wireless
infrastructure, but it will still be years before we see any wireless mobile
gaming from Nintendo outside of Japan.
Q: I hear that Streets of Rage 4 was made for the Dreamcast but never got
released because apparentley no one was interested in it anymore. I would
love to play Streets of Rage 4, so is there a petition that I could sign
somewhere?
A: Not that I know of. I also don't think the rumor is true because Capcom
has released many games for the Dreamcast that had only limited appeal. If
an established hit like Streets of Rage was done for the system, it would
have been released.
Q: Will Rayman ever appear in a Sonic or Mario game?
A: It's very unlikely because he is Ubi Soft's main mascot, and they probably
don't want him to take a second-place role in another game. The company is
very protective of him.
Q: Please help me, Masked Q&A Avenger. I have been having problems with the
fan in my PS2. Lately it does not want to start, as if it is jammed
(although it appears to move freely). Gently moving it with a toothpick
seems to help it start, but it doesn't move again the next time I play. I
have treated my PS2 very carefully, by the way. I really don't want to send
it for repairs to SCEA. Have you heard of this kind of problems before, and
could you give me any advice as to what I should do?
A: I used to have a Sony hard drive that did the same thing. You could only
get it to spin up by actually thumping it, which was fine until the power
went out one time. The drive stopped spinning without parking the heads,
and the next time I thumped it, the heads went straight into the platter of
the drive with destructive results. It sounds like something is keeping your
fan from moving. It could be a lack of lubricant, but more than likely it's
just that the plastic in the fan is a little bit flawed. The solution, if
you don't feel like returning the unit or sending it in for repairs, is
either to keep going with the toothpick method, or try lubricating the fan
yourself (very carefully) with some WD-40. That may just do the trick.
Q: Will Bleem make PS1 games compatible with the GameCube and Xbox? Also,
what are the chances of WWF Smackdown 2 coming to the Bleemcast?
A: There's no word if Bleem will create a version of its software for the
Xbox, but it certainly wouldn't work on the GameCube, since it can't accept
normal-sized CDs. As for Smackdown, it's probably pretty far down Bleem's
priority list.
Q: Who is your favorite mascot character out of: Sonic, Mario, Rayman, Gex,
Croc, and Crash Bandicoot?
A: Sonic. I once did a series of about 10 paintings of Sonic (all
unbelievably poorly done) that made me infamous in certain circles.
Q: What are the chances of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 being made? If it does come
out, which console will it appear on?
A: The chances aren't great, but if it does come out, it will probably be
for the PS2... that seems to be Capcom's mainline system now.
Q: Ddo you know where to find downloads that will allow me to play a copy of
Madden 2001?
A: Sure, just e-mail someone at the IDSA (www.idsa.com). Look Blackbeard,
piracy is a crime. Asking me to help you commit a crime is a crime as well.
You are a moron.
Q: Is it true that Phantasy Star Online 2 is coming to the GameCube?
A: Yes! It's just called Phantasy Star Online, but it's supposedly PSO 1
and 2, and it includes a four-player offline mode as well as online play.
Sweet!
Q: The N64 didn't have any good 3D beat 'em ups. Are there any good beat
'em ups heading for the GameCube?
A: Other than maybe Super Smash Bros: Melee, there are none that I know of.
Q: Apart from Resident Evil: Code Veronica Complete on the PS2, will there be
any other Resident Evil games?
A: Yes, but Devil May Cry is the focus right now, presumably to give the
Resident Evil franchise a much-needed break. Expect a new Resident Evil game
in 2002 and no sooner.
Q: Now that the Dreamcast is almost completely dead, which console is Capcom
most likely to support the most? My guess would go to the GameCube.
A: That does make sense, but judging from E3, right now the answer is the
PS2. That could change in the next year or so, but for this holiday season,
Capcom is mostly about the PS2.
Q: What are the chances of Sega making Sonic Adventure 2 a cross-platform
game? After all, a lot of work has gone into it and it has taken a long time
to make, so I'm sure Sega want it to make them more money than just the
Dreamcast sales.
A: Slim. Sega has said that it will be a multi-system developer, but it will
not doing multiple systems per game (for the most part). Still, Sonic is the
company's flagship mascot, so he may make his way on to multiple systems.
Q: I heard that SNK is going out of buissness, which is a real shame. Why
is this happening?
A: The Japanese game industry is in a deep recession, and arcades have been
hit very hard. Since most of SNK's money came from arcades and fighting
games, the company was hit twice as hard.
Q: Will there be a sequel to Power Stone 2? That's my favorite multi-player
game of all time.
A: Probably not. The game sold very poorly on the Dreamcast, and appears to
have been shelved by Capcom.
Q: Has Daily Radar really closed down? I can still access it just fine here
in the UK.
A: Daily Radar UK is still going, but the US version was killed, in what some
people call the "dumbest... move... ever."
Q: I have a question for you if you don't mind. I have played all of the
Resident Evil games and I have played Dino Crisis, and Silent Hill, but now
I need a new one. Any suggestions? I don't care for Japanese aninmation,
but I need a new good game, something like the ones I have mentioned.
A: Hmmm... You will definitely want to pick up Devil May Cry when it comes
out later this year, as well as Silent Hill 2. Other than that, you may
want to check out Carrier for the Dreamcast, or Blue Stinger. Neither is
great (or even particularly good), but both will tide you over until Devil
May Cry comes out. If you're looking for a game that is less scary than
Resident Evil, but still has the same kind of gameplay, Fear Effect 1 and 2
fit the bill nicely.
Q: I hear that Spikers Battle is in the Japanese arcades right now. Will
Sega release it on Dreamcast or any other console?
A: Sadly, probably not.
Q: What are the chances of Capcom releasing Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Power Stone
2, Capcom vs. SNK, or Project Justice on the GameCube?
A: Hmmm... Probably fair to middling. It still remains to be seen how the
GameCube's controller will handle fighting games.
Q: I heard that Phantasy Star Online is coming to the PS2 with no online
play, but it will have split screen and you can link up to four PS2s to play
it as well. What can you say about this?
A: PSO is coming to the GameCube with four-player split screen AND online
capabilities, but Sonic Team has given no indication that it will come to
the PS2.
Q: What are the possibilities of Sega making a light gun game and supplying
a light gun for the GameCube?
A: Very slim. Light guns are political suicide, which is why you really
don't see them too much anymore.
Q: I heard you are the Masked Q&A Avenger from Daily Radar. IS IT TRUE?!?!
A: Yes.
Q: Will Gamecube be able to go online?
A: Yes. It will offer a 56K modem and a broadband adapter as add-on
purchases. It may not be able browse the web and such, but online gameplay
will be a reality for the GameCube.
Q: Is Sega really going to be porting Saturn titles to the PlayStation and
Genesis titles to the Game Boy Advance?
A: Yes, but details on Sega's specific plans are slim to none.
Q: Do you think Microsoft will make a hand-held gaming system and challenge
the GBA?
A: They will probably be promoting the game-playing potential of Windows CE
in the future, but I don't think they will launch a specific platform.
Q: In your opinion, what's better: WWF No Mercy or WWF Smackdown 2?
A: No Mercy wins this battle by far. Smackdown is just as unpolished and
sloppy as ever, while No Mercy is developer Aki's end result after years of
steady improvement.
Q: What do you think will be the best out of Tekken 4, Soul Calibur 2, and
Virtua Fighter 4?
A: There's no way to tell this far away from the release of the games. Even
if you asked this question after all three games have been released, it
would still probably be a matter of preference. Virtua Fighter's got the
realism, Soul Calibur has the weapons-based combat, and Tekken has the
sfrenetic pace.
Q: I would kill to see Mario and Sonic in a game together. What are the
chances of this happening?
A: Rumor has it that Sonic will appear in Super Smash Bros: Melee for the
GameCube. Will it happen? Who knows, but it was a rumor that was
circulating at E3.
Q: Some idiot on a games chat said that Sonic Adventure 3 is coming to the
PlayStation 2. Is that true?
A: No. It hasn't been announced where or when Sonic Adventure 3 will be
released, or even if there will be a Sonic Adventure 3. Sonic Team does
seem to leaning towards GameCube development in general, though.
Q&A Archives
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