Hey CrazyIntent, EGM has always given out 10's when deserved. You just picked up a lucky issue.
The last 10 was probably 6 months ago, or whenever Metroid Prime and Vice City came out. This issue really was great though; showcases a nice month in gaming, especially with NCAA, Knights of the Old Republic, Soul Calibur 2, and Virtua Fighter 4. It just happens that all of the good games that have been in development recently just got released.
EGM hasn't gone soft. I guess you have to be a 10 year subscriber without missing a single issue to know this. They've only given about 15 Platinum Awards (perfect 10's from all reviewers) in 15 years. Every now and then a game will come real close like this month.
-Lasereth