Nintendo brought out the big guns, announcing a string of reboots for fan-favorite franchises, as well as some new material.
Epic Mickey -- Using the power of paint and thinner to create and destroy objects within the game, you have to guide Micky through the world of Wasteland. Most interesting is, as the creator put it, play-style matters. Whether you choose to create or destroy, engage in NPC side-quests, destroy enemies or make them friends, and even how you talk to others will affect what information they provide or withhold. This provides a lot of potential for diverse replay.
Kirby's Epic Yarn -- While I didn't see any of the vacuum-ability that is so classically Kirby, this new take on the fan favorite still looks like a blast. A textile-inspired scenery allows for using zippers to unlock hidden areas, pulling on loose threads to condense otherwise impassable terrain is awesome. All in all, it looks like it will be just as much fun as the original games, and an interesting reinvention of the franchise.
Goldeneye 007 -- A remake of the hit N64 game, this has me both excited and wary. On the one hand, while I never owned it, it was one of the few FPSs that I enjoyed playing with friends. To see it remade for the Wii has me ready to pull out my wallet and shell out for it. But, the change from Pierce Brosnan's Bond to Daniel Craig's just doesn't feel right. Goldeneye was, and in my opinion should remain, PB's. It will also be interesting to see how Nintendo manages to differentiate the game from the original, while at the same time maintain the spirit and story of the predecessor. Others have expressed a concern about whether the fun cheats from the first (such as the Big Head cheat) will be carried through.
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword -- Despite some technical problems in the demonstration, this game looks like it will deliver exactly what the fans want from the first Wii Zelda game. More natural controls, inspired by Wii Resort's fencing game, will allow players a deeper level of game play. Careful design seems to be ready to take full advantage of everything the Wii has to offer. The art seems to be a cross between Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, which comes together to form something truly beautiful. While it won't be ready for the holiday season, this is definitely #1 on my wishlist.
Donkey Kong Country Returns -- For the first time in years, we get back to classic Donkey Kong without the need for bongo controllers. DKCR brings back the classic side-scroller action of the SNES hit game by Rare, complete with crazy mine car races and barrel cannons. While Nintendo has had great success in porting other side scrollers to 3D (Mario), they seem to have chosen to keep DK in its classic form rather than trying to make a 3D adventure. Personally, it's a choice I fully agree with. DKCR also introduces a couple of new features. First, while not thouroughly demonstrated, the demo showed our primate compadres with limited health bars. Considering the number of times I had to restart a level due to a jump intending to kill a croc that was mis-timed by a quarter of a second, I'm all for this. Keeping it still tightly limited keeps the game challenging and maintains the old feel, but will hopefully result in less swearing at my television. The second feature is the ability for Diddy to piggy-back on Donkey. Nintendo pointed this out as a way for more experienced players to help less-experienced friends through difficult patches. A great idea, and one that should make playing with your younger sibling, parents, or spouse a little less frustrating in certain areas.
Other games Nintendo highlighted included Metroid: Other M, Wii Party and Kid Icarus (3DS). Nintendo sent a message this year saying "Remember how utterly awesome being a Nintendo player was in the 80s and early 90s? Well, it's all back, better than ever." Nintendo has shown that they are just as pleasing to hardcore gamers as either of the other two competitors (PS3 and XBox 360). Just because a game isn't rated M with uber-realistic graphics doesn't mean it won't provide a hardcore experience.
Nintendo, to show that they aren't just coasting on past successes, also officially unveiled the 3DS that was announced earlier this year. Handheld 3D, without the need for goofy glasses. The ability to perfectly scale the depth to fit your visual comfort and preference, take and share 3D photos, and a new and improved wireless connectivity system that will allow for data sharing even while playing other games. A truly giant leap forward for Nintendo, even as impressive as the DSi is.
Nintendo brought an absolute nerd-gasm to E3, while at the same time, proving that they are not the underdogs they are so often portrayed as. They are still a juggernaut of the industry, and will remain a strong fixture, and competitior, for quite some time.
Sony's presentatation almost seemed to fall flat following Nintendo's. Sony focused a little less on the games, and more on their two new technological advances.
First was their jump on 3D gaming.With Sony being the manufactuer of the new 3D televisions, it was obvious that the PS3 would be the first to offer 3D gaming. But, Sony took the right route with it. The upgrade to the software for the PS3 is patched in for free. All games (Killzone 3 being the focus of Sony's 3D segment) will be fully compatible with either 3D or 2D, so if and when you upgrade your television, there is no need to upgrade your games, and no reason not to buy the new 3D compatible games if you don't have the television.
Their next was obviously the Move. Again, Sony impressed me with their forethought here. The sensor for the move is the PS Eye, which allows those that already have the Eye to only buy the necessary controllers, while new Eye owners will be getting a piece of equipment that does more than work with their Move.
The biggest surprise of their presentation however, was the announcement that Portal 2 would be coming to the PS3. Given the ranting that Valve CEO Gabe Newell gave the PS3 in 2007, and despite being a big Nintendo fan, Sony has managed to win him over and score the release of Portal 2 for Sony's console. While I may not know what has changed with the PS3 to make Newell reconsider, it's clear in the past 3 years they have made improvements. Newell made no secret of his past statements, and even turned to a bit of humor. A big coup for Sony, and if it wasn't just money (which I doubt) it shows Sony's commitment to constantly improving.
Though personally, I'll probably buy it on the PC. Nothing wrong with Sony, but Portal can get crazy enough with requiring precisely aimed shots, and I'd rather do that with the PC mouse.
The last bit was given as a small segment, but involves a new subsciption plan for the Playstation Network. Again, I think Sony is taking the right path with this one. Unlike XBox, who requries a subscription for most of their network features, Sony is leaving the current functionality of the system intact, and will remain free of charge. But, for the more hardcore gamers who want in on beta testing, exclusive game trailers, and some free goodies for their Playstation Home, the new subscription will offer that kind of material.
Now let's look at the upcoming games that have me particularly excited.
Sorcery -- A great fantasy adventure, complete with fun spell combos is slated for next year. Making full use of the Move, players will be able to use the Move to aim attacks, drink potions by actually miming it with the Move, and looks like like all around fun.
Medal of Honor -- The incredible FPS is back. The graphics look amazing; there was more than once where I was almost unsure if I was looking at live-action footage. Unlike previous installations of the game, this one takes the player out of WWII and puts them into the current Afghanistan war. Developed closely with the US Military to ensure both authenticity and sensitivity, this promises to provide a really in-depth and immersive experience.
Twisted Metal -- This game is Mario Kart on steroids. With crazy mulitplayer modes, including a form of capture the flag where you grab the opposite factions leader and then feed them to a catapult to hit a steel effigy, this game promises an insane, dark twist to similar games.
The Sony PS3 TV spokesman (I love him) had something to say, however, that rings so true.
"Gaming is having a ridiculously large TV in a one bedroom aparatment.Gaming is staying up until 3 in the morning to get a trophy that isn't real... but is. We may pledge our fanboy allegience to different flags. But we all worship the same god. That god is Gaming, and may he reign forever."
So often we all get so so hung up in which console is better, which company caters more or less to the hardcore or casual, that we lose sight of the fact that there can be room in our hearts for all of them.
So let's get out there and play some mother fu---ing games!
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