GameNOW
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based video game magazine that was published by Ziff-Davis from November 2001 to January 2004. There are 27 issues of GameNOW in total. In addition to video game consoles like PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, and Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, GameNOW also covered games for personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s. Unrelated to the magazine and Ziff-Davis is a similarly named video game online and retail store located in Mississauga, Ontario.
History
GameNOW's roots began in July 1994 when the popular magazine Electronic Gaming MonthlyElectronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
launched a spin-off magazine called EGM2
EGM2
EGM² was a United States-based video game magazine that was first published by Sendai Publishing from July 1994 to July 1998. There are 49 issues of EGM² in total. The magazine was a spin-off of the popular magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly. Unlike EGM, however, EGM² lacked a reviews section and...
. EGM² was essentially "another EGM," only without a reviews section and a greater emphasis on import games. The magazine lasted 49 issues with the last issue coming out in July 1998.
Starting in August 1998, EGM² became Expert Gamer
Expert Gamer
Expert Gamer was a United States-based video game magazine that was published by Ziff Davis from August 1998 to October 2001. There are 39 issues of Expert Gamer in total. The bulk of XG's content was video game strategy guides and cheat codes...
(often abbreviated to XG), and the magazine's focus shifted away from news and previews to strategy and tricks. Despite the different name, XG continued EGM²
The next month (November 2001), XG was relaunched in its final form; GameNOW. Although GameNOW maintained a healthy tricks section and occasional strategy guides, the magazine's focus shifted to in-depth previews and reviews. Skewed to a slightly younger audience than that of EGM (roughly 12 to 14-years-olds), GameNOW concentrated less on industry insider-type features and more on the actual video games, including numerous large screenshots and elaborate feature articles.
In November 2002 (issue #13), the GameNOW staff was almost completely replaced when Ziff-Davis moved its video game magazines from the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, Illinois
Oak Brook, Illinois
Oak Brook is a village in DuPage and Cook Counties, in Illinois. The population was 8,702 at the 2000 census. A suburb of Chicago, it is the headquarters of McDonald's and Lions Clubs International.-History:...
to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Of the original staff, only two writers made the move to California. Shortly after the move, the magazine underwent a massive redesign.
Staff
The magazine's original editorial staff consisted of the following crew:- Editor-in-Chief - Dan Leahy
- Managing Editor - Justyn Harkin
- Associate Editors - Phil Theobald, Ethan Einhorn
- Senior Art Director - Carey Wise
- Associate Art Directors - Dave Malec, Mark Manzo (Mark would eventually become an Associate Editor)
Once the magazine was relocated to San Francisco, the staff consisted of:
- Editor-in-Chief - Tom Byron
- Managing Editor - Carrie Shepherd
- Associate Editors - Phil Theobald, Ethan Einhorn, Miguel Lopez, Sushi-X
- Senior Art Director - Andrew Burwell
- Associate Art Director - Nicole Tanner
The return of Sushi-X
GameNOW #16 (February 2003) featured the return of the EGM review ninja, Sushi-XSushi-X
Sushi-X was a popular character played by many Electronic Gaming Monthly and GameNOW editors. Making his first appearance in the eighth issue of EGM, the character went on to create a legacy based on his ninja garb, self-proclaimed love for fighting games—particularly Street Fighter II, disdain for...
. An expert on fighting games, an actual photo of Sushi never appeared in the magazine. Instead, he was always shown as a pixelized, 16-bit era sprite. Even in this form, he still featured his trademark red keikogi
Keikogi
or dōgi is a uniform for training, used in martial arts derived from Japan, or budō. . The prototype for the modern keikogi emerged in the late 19th century. The keikogi was developed by judo founder Kano Jigoro...
, katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
, and sai
Sai (weapon)
The sai is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon. The basic form of the weapon is that of a pointed, dagger-shaped metal truncheon, with two curved prongs called yoku projecting from the handle...
.
Sushi's reviews differed from the other editor's reviews in that they were written with more flowery prose and were peppered with references to his ninja training and his quest for enlightenment.
Magazine departments
Like most magazines, GameNOW features many recurring sections. These included:Regular sections
- Rants & Raves - GameNOW
' s letters section was popular among its readers for its humorous and sarcastic tone. GameNOW wasn't afraid to poke fun at its readers, and many readers would write in hoping to be "zinged" in the pages of the magazine. Rants & Raves was home to several inside jokes among GameNOW' s readership, including the frequent use of a particular screenshot from the PlayStation game Final Fantasy VIIIFinal Fantasy VIIIis a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
. - GameNOW Gallery - A two-page spread that focused on showing large screenshots and character artwork from upcoming games. This section is notable for featuring a spread highlighting RareRare (video game company)Rare Ltd. is a British video game developer located in Twycross, Leicestershire. The organization was founded in 1982 by brothers Tim and Chris Stamper as a company called Ashby Computers and Graphics Ltd. and published games under the name Ultimate Play the Game. They developed games for 8-bit...
's original character designs for Joanna Dark in Perfect Dark ZeroPerfect Dark ZeroPerfect Dark Zero is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The game had a difficult development cycle, during which a substantial part of it was initially designed for the Nintendo GameCube...
(issue #15, January 2003) and a spread showing several screenshots from the unreleased GBA game Shantae AdvanceShantaeShantae is a platform video game developed by WayForward Technologies and published by Capcom for the Game Boy Color.-Plot:From the official website:...
(issue #25, November 2003). - Hot 10 - A previews section that counted down the top ten best games coming out each month.
- Now Playing - GameNOW
' s review section. The magazine's review scale was much like a school's report card, with grades ranging from A+ to F. As you might expect, a C grade denoted that the game was average. - The A+ Club - A section that called special attention to all the games that received GameNOW
' s highest review score, an A+. - The F Troupe - The polar opposite of The A+ Club. This section called out every game that received GameNOW
' s lowest score, an F. The F Troupe's mascot was Poo, an anthropomorphic piece of cartoon poop that the GameNOW editors created in the PlayStation 2 game Magic PengelMagic PengelMagic Pengel: The Quest for Color, known as in Japan, is a 2002 role-playing video game developed by Garakuda-Studio and Taito for the PlayStation 2, published by Agetec in North America...
. - Tricks Now - A multi-page section near the back of the magazine that contained cheat codes for the latest games.
- Animal Crossing Bulletin Board - A small feature than ran within the Tricks Now section from issue #14 (December 2002) to issue #25 (November 2003). It featured strategies for the Nintendo GameCube game Animal CrossingAnimal CrossingThe Animal Crossing games have garnered positive response. The first three games are among the best-selling for their respective consoles. Animal Crossing has sold 2.321 million copies; Wild World 10.79 million; and City Folk 3.38 million...
and original patterns that you could recreate with the game's pattern designer. Among the custom patterns were the GameNOW logo and a recreation of GameNOW' s legendary Final Fantasy VIII screenshot.
Fan Club
When GameNOW began, Fan Club was the name of the letters section that ran in the back of the magazine. Starting with issue #4 (February 2002), the Fan Club section was expanded to include regular (and often humorous) mini-features in addition to the reader mail.In issue #14 (December 2002), the letters section was moved to the front of the magazine and renamed Rants & Raves. The mini-features were retained in the now expanded Fan Club section in the back of the magazine.
Among the regular mini-features were:
- Top Ten - Although these top ten lists were often played straight by counting down the top ten games in a specific series or genre, there were occasional lists that were made for laughs.
- Crap from the Past - Poked fun at terrible older video games.
- Hot or Not - A lighthearted look at what the editors were into that month.
- Gamerdex - Inspired by the Pokédex from NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's PokémonPokémonis a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
series, this section highlighted a different type of gamer, including an illustration of the gamer. - Gaming Evolution - Took a video game character or series and traced its evolution from its humble beginnings to its current success. The section also made note of the subject's most embarrassing moments.
- Fan Letter Art - Envelope art sent in by the GameNOW readers.
- $10 Treasures - Discussed discount games available for the PlayStation.
- Giuseppe Contelli's What If? - A spotlight for long-time EGM², Expert Gamer, and GameNOW reader Giuseppe Contelli's nonsensical "What If" scenarios. A prime example: What if Bullet Bill did attract Joanna Dark and she reads the inscription, "I am in love with yours" on him?
- Cool Job - A short interview with video game industry insiders where they explained what their job involved and how they got it. A notable interview subject was Charles MartinetCharles MartinetCharles Martinet is an American actor and voice actor, best known for providing the voice of Mario, the titular character in Nintendo's flagship video game franchise. He has held this role since 1994, longer than any other actor. He also voices Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Toadsworth, and a select few...
, Nintendo's voice of MarioMariois a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
. - Super Lucky Love Love Japan - A section that highlighted import games, anime-based games, and animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
. This section is an evolved version of the old feature, Super Lucky Imports. - Game Critter Super-Squad!Game Critter Super-Squad!Game Critter Super-Squad! is a comic created by Jeremy "Norm" Scott that appeared in the now-defunct video game magazine GameNOW. It is a spin-off of Norm's popular Hsu and Chan comic that appears in Electronic Gaming Monthly and in comic book form through Slave Labor Graphics.The strip follows the...
- A comic strip by cartoonist Jeremy "Norm" Scott, the creator of Hsu and ChanHsu and ChanHsu and Chan is a comic strip created by Jeremy "Norm" Scott that appeared in the video game magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly from October 1999 until the September 2008 issue. The strip has appeared at 1UP.com until September 30, 2009 when the blog ended and Norm promised to continue the comic at...
(of which GCSS was a spin-off).
List of issues
The following is a list of all the GameNOW issues including what was on the cover:- Issue #1, November 2001 - Super Mario SunshineSuper Mario Sunshineis a platforming video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan in July 2002, in North America in August 2002, and in Europe and Australia in October 2002...
(Nintendo GameCube) - Issue #2, December 2001 - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, often abbreviated to THPS3, is a skateboarding video game in the Tony Hawk's series. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in 2001 for the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation. In 2002, it was published for the...
(PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube) - Issue #3, January 2002 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, also known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in North America, is an Electronic Arts multi-platform action-adventure video game developed by KnowWonder, Warthog, Griptonite, Argonaut, Eurocom and Westlake Interactive...
(PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color) - Issue #4, February 2002 - Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
(Nintendo GameCube) - Issue #5, March 2002 - Pac-Man World 2Pac-Man World 2is a video game by Namco for Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, and PC released in . Like the original Pac-Man World, the player controls the character of Pac-Man in a 3D platform game.-Story:...
(PlayStation 2) - Issue #6, April 2002 - Tekken 4Tekken 4Tekken 4 is the fifth installment in the Tekken series. It was developed and published by Namco. It was released as an arcade game in 2001 and on the PlayStation 2 in 2002. It is succeeded by Tekken 5.- Gameplay :...
(PlayStation 2) - Issue #7, May 2002 - Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku/Dragon Ball Z: Collectible Card GameDragon Ball Z: Collectible Card GameDragon Ball Z Trading Card Game is a trading card game based on the Dragon Ball series created by Akira Toriyama...
(Game Boy Advance) - Issue #8, June 2002 - NFL 2K3 (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube)
- Issue #9, July 2002 - WWE WrestleMania X8WWE WrestleMania X8WWF WrestleMania X8, is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and released on the Nintendo GameCube by THQ in June 2002. The game was succeeded by WWE WrestleMania XIX for the GameCube...
(Nintendo GameCube) - Issue #10, August 2002 - Fall's Big Games Issue 2002
- Issue #11, September 2002 - Super Mario SunshineSuper Mario Sunshineis a platforming video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan in July 2002, in North America in August 2002, and in Europe and Australia in October 2002...
(Nintendo GameCube) - Issue #12, October 2002 - Sly Cooper and the Thievius RaccoonusSly Cooper and the Thievius RaccoonusSly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus is a platform stealth video game created by Sucker Punch Productions, and released on the Sony PlayStation 2 in 2002, subsequently republished as a "Greatest Hits" title. The game was followed by two sequels, Sly 2: Band of Thieves and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves...
(PlayStation 2) - Issue #13, November 2002 - Star Fox AdventuresStar Fox AdventuresStar Fox Adventures is an action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube as part of the Star Fox series. It was released in North America on 23 September 2002, Japan on 27 September 2002, Australia on 15 November 2002 and Europe on 22 November 2002...
(Nintendo GameCube) - Issue #14, December 2002 - 007: Nightfire (PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube)
- Issue #15, January 2003 - The Two TowersThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (video game)The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a 2002 cross-platform video game based on Peter Jackson's New Line Cinema films The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers...
(PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube) - Issue #16, February 2003 - Dragon Ball Z: Budokai (PlayStation 2)
- Issue #17, March 2003 - Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the RosesYu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the RosesYu-Gi-Oh! The Duelist of the Roses, Released in Japan as , a video game for PlayStation 2 in the Yu-Gi-Oh! series, has loosely been based on the real-world Wars of the Roses....
(PlayStation 2) - Issue #18, April 2003 - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind WakerThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind WakerThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...
(Nintendo GameCube) - Issue #19, May 2003 - Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (PlayStation 2)
- Issue #20, June 2003 - Mega ManMega Man (character)Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a cybernetic video game character, and the main protagonist of what has been referred to as the original Mega Man series developed by Capcom since 1987. The pixel art for the character was created by the designer of the original game in the series, credited under...
15th Anniversary Special
- Note: This issue shipped with two different covers — one features Mega Man's original design and one featuring the Mega Man Battle NetworkMega Man Battle Network (video game)Mega Man Battle Network, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Game Boy Advance handheld console. It is the first of the Mega Man Battle Network series of video games...
version of the character- Issue #21, July 2003 - HulkHulk (video game)Hulk is a video game based on the 2003 movie of the same name. It was developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Games. A signature feature has Eric Bana reprises his role of Bruce Banner...
(PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube) - Issue #22, August 2003 - 50 Hot Games of Fall 2003
- Issue #23, September 2003 - Soul Calibur IISoul Calibur IIis a fighting game developed and published by Namco and the third installment in the Soul series. Soul Calibur is the name of the holy sword, created to battle the evil sword Soul Edge, which the games' storylines revolve around...
(PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube) - Issue #24, October 2003 - Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel StrikeStar Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel StrikeStar Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike is a Star Wars video game developed by Factor 5 and published by LucasArts exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube. The game follows Rogue Squadron, which, under the command of Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles, uses starfighters to engage and defeat the...
(Nintendo GameCube) - Issue #25, November 2003 - Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 video game)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a beat 'em up video game released in 2003 by Konami. The game is based on the 2003 TV series. The main gameplay loosely adapts the following season one episodes: Things Change, A Better Mouse Trap, Attack of the Mousers, Meet Casey Jones, Nano, Darkness on the Edge...
(PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube)
- Issue #21, July 2003 - Hulk
- Note: This issue shipped with four different covers — one for each of the four Ninja Turtles
- Issue #26, December 2003 - Final FantasyFinal Fantasyis a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
Blowout - Issue #27, January 2004 - Yu Yu Hakusho: Spirit DetectiveYu Yu Hakusho: Spirit DetectiveYu Yu Hakusho: Spirit Detective is a video game for the Game Boy Advance handheld console. Based on the popular manga and anime series YuYu Hakusho created by Yoshihiro Togashi, the plot follows the central character Yusuke Urameshi, a street-brawling, often truant teenager who dies trying to save...
(Game Boy Advance)
- Issue #26, December 2003 - Final Fantasy
April Fool's
It's a tradition among Ziff-Davis' video game magazines (particularly Electronic Gaming Monthly), to plant an April Fools joke in the April issue. During its brief history, GameNOW only had one April Fool's joke.In issue #6 (April 2002), on page 42, there was a one-page preview for an Xbox game called Metal Gear Solid X. Before Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance was announced for either PlayStation 2 or Xbox, GameNOW ran this preview for the fake game. MGSX was said to be an Xbox port of the PlayStation 2 game, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
is a stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 in 2001....
. The biggest selling point of this game was that if you played through the game once, you unlocked a bonus mode that let you play through the game again as the series' main hero, Solid Snake
Solid Snake
Metal Gear, initially released in 1987, introduces Solid Snake, the rookie recruit of the elite special-forces unit FOXHOUND. Snake is sent by team leader Big Boss into the rogue nation Outer Heaven to rescue his missing teammate Gray Fox and discover who or what the "METAL GEAR" mentioned is, and...
, instead of MGS2
Additionally, extra features in the Solid Snake mode included the return of Nastasha Romanenko (from the original Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
), a boss fight against Revolver Ocelot
Revolver Ocelot
, also known as is a fictional character and antagonist of the Metal Gear series. He was originally introduced as a gunslinger-themed member of FOXHOUND from the former Soviet Union in Metal Gear Solid and was revealed to be an agent for The Patriots in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty...
, the chance to assist Raiden in battles from the first play-through (this time from Snake's point of view), and access to previously locked areas of Big Shell.
The preview featured seven very convincing (yet phony) screenshots of the new features. It is interesting to note that the two screenshots that show Snake wandering through a red office building were actually photographs of the GameNOW offices that had their colors altered and the Metal Gear characters inserted into them. Also, in the first-person screenshot that shows Snake in a helicopter shooting down at a Harrier jet, the hand that you see holding the gun belongs to Mike Vallas, the man who created the fake screens.