Love and Hollywood After a long week of walking, waiting, playing, and writing, Hilden and I decided to spend an evening in the hotel bar with the unbelievably hot bar tender who turned us into drunk, blathering idiots. After we drank her out of Captain Morgan, she introduced us to a drink called "Mount Gay", which as its name would suggest, tastes like ass.
The result of this experience was me returning to the hotel room, attempting to piss out the window and emailing Tycho from Penny Arcade chastising him for not being in Kentia Hall at 1:30 today. People relieve stress in different ways, I suppose.
E3 was a surreal experience. For three days, nothing is more important than games. Not my fiancee, not my dog, not even my job to write about the games. Just the games. This year, the games themselves were truly the focal point of the show. Sure, the N-Gage was there. The crazy DISCover was there. There was even some handheld called the FreeON. But the focus was on the games. Ubi Soft blew our freaking minds with Prince of Persia, Capcom unleashed Viewtiful Joe, and Konami showed MGS3, TMNT, Boktai, and Castlevania. Shit man, games have reached an amazing stage. I'm an old man, and it's incredible to see games finally reach the strage that I always imagined when I was a kid. That immersive, cinematic stage that seemed so far off is finally here. I realized this when Mr. Frenchy Ubi Soft Man demonstrated Prince of Persia for me and I nearly shit myself after every point of the game.
I need to interrupt my thought now and relay a conversation that is taking place this very moment. Hilden claims that when I have nothing to say and I'm desparate for material for this column, I have to resort to ripping on him/her. S/he says it's a cop out. I say that once again, s/he's a whiny little bitch and just because I didn't know how to get to my point in the paragraph above doesn't mean that mocking him/her is a cheap way out.
And I'm Spent Well, that's that. It's all over and I am exhausted. We didn't play a heck of a lot of games today. Instead, we roamed around checking out things we missed and taking a load of pictures. I hope you enjoyed the little Booth Babes feature we threw together. Honestly, we were just too tired to finish up the E3 Wrap Up and Awards feature, so you're going to have to wait another day or two. Sorry.
I haven't had a moment to reflect upon the show in depth quite yet. It's all really been a blur. I apologize for the brief update this time around. When I get back to my little hovel in Minneapolis and have a moment to catch my breath, I'll be sure to ponder and pontificate to the best of my ability. In the meantime, be sure to check out all the hands-on impressions we've posted over the past few days. There are some surprisingly impressive games out there.
One More Day Well, here it is. The last day of E3. I hope you've been enjoying our coverage thusfar. We still have a load of stuff to post and will hopefully get it all done this evening. Look out for more hands on impressions as well as an E3 Wrap Up feature, which will include a mini awards ceremony.
With all the madness of the past few days, I haven't had much of a chance to talk about anything other than the show; which is appropriate, I suppose, but nevertheless.
While holed up in our hotel room yesterday evening, we enjoyed watching the Lakers get ripped by the Spurs. Don't confuse me as a Spurs fan, no sir, but simply someone who enjoys watching the Lakers cry in post game interviews. Unfortunately, being that we are in LA right now, I'm not allowed to properly express my jubilation.
The entire evening immediately after the game, the only thing on television was "Where did the Lakers go wrong?" or "Could this be the end of the Laker dynasty?" and other BS stories like that from the local news media. Honestly, it was like some miracle or unthinkable act of nature occurred. Get over it, pussies.
Sorry.
So anyway, we've got another big day ahead of us. As I mentioned, the hands on impressions will continue to be posted, and for your convenience, we'll get that E3 Wrap Up - which will link you to all the most relevant stories of the week - as soon as possible.
The Madness Continues After a mere four hours of sleep, the GWX staff is once again in the eye of the tornado. Guys, I played so many games today that my head is just spinning. Let me give you a few more brief impressions:
Ubi Soft - Incredible. Utterly incredible. Hilden and I started the day off in Ubi Soft's booth and we both came away amazed at what these folks have in store. Beyond Good & Evil looks to greatly exceed my expectations. I roamed around a few sharp levels and found the game to be stylish and to have a very distinct feel to it. Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu looks as though it will wipe away the nightmare of Kemco's mess with a sharp new character. Very similar to Vengence, but also much improved. So far, Hilden and I agree that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a strong contender for Game of the Show. Separately, we both had presentations given to us by one of the game's producers. I'm serious when I say that I've never seen acrobatics and physical motion this incredible in a game. Ubi Soft has not only remained faithful to the franchise, but taken it up a thousand notches. Look out for this one.
Microsoft - The line for the Halo 2 screening is outrageous. Especially considering that you're already able to see the trailer online if you look hard enough. Rare had a decent lineup and the multiplayer on Conker: Live and Loud is a great deal of fun. Microsoft had eight Xboxes hooked up for a fifteen minute round of team deathmatch. Very cool. Kameo, however, did virtually nothing for me. I won't go into too much detail, but for as long as Rare's been working on this thing, it didn't do much to impress.
Capcom - I had a great time in Capcom's booth, if only for Viewtiful Joe. What a fantastic game! The whole time manipulation is far more vital to the game than I had expected, and you actually wind up slowing the time quite often. P.N.03 was an extreme dissappointment, unfortunately. The Resident Evil-style controls and overall monotony of the game was a real let down for me.
Konami - Wow! I could have spent ages playing the new PS2 Castlevania. You'll be glad to know that unlike the N64 versions, this game actually maintains a great deal of its 2D sensibility. Great game. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also compares to the arcade games of old. While the game is in 3D, the camera is fixed and has all the elements of the arcade classics. And the graphics are amazing. Konami was also running footage of Boktai, the solar-powered game for GBA. It looks extremely intriguing, even if it is merely an attempt to get kids to play outside. And yes, I did get my hands on Twin Snakes. After a run through of the first level, I can tell you that this is the way the game was meant to be played. No more grainy images, and a great first-person option.
Nintendo - Contrary to reports you may or may not find within this site, Nintendo's booth is amazing and very well received by everyone who visits. The amount of games and kiosks they have onhand is outrageous and the quality of their games is nearly unmatched. Honestly, one could spend an entire day just roaming around their booth and playing the incredible volume of games they have to offer. I gave my impressions of Mario Kart and Pac-Man yesterday, but today I gave F-Zero some hands on time in a private session with a Nintendo rep. Holy balls is this game fast! Not only is it fast, but it is smooth as can be and utterly amazing to behold. Kirby's Air Ride, on the other hand, was completely unimpressive, and it confuses me as to why Nintendo didn't just let this one die with the N64. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was a hell of a good time, as was Giftpia and Star Fox. To be honest, there are so many games in their booth that it's hard to clearly remember them all.
Let's check the mailbag:
Howdy! Enjoying E3 you lucky man you? Haha bet so! I don't know if you will be checking your e-mail, but if you are I have two more E3 coverage requests I forgot to ask for...
1) Metroid Prime 2... MOVIES PLEASE!!! 2) Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicle
Thanks mucho gracias!
~Heather
Sorry Heather, but I couldn't find any trace of Metroid Prime 2. It made a brief appearance at the press conference, but it's nowhere to be seen now. I did get some play time with Crytal Chonicles, though, and really should take another stab at it before I tell you about it. From what I played, the game was entirely in real time, with no turn-based play, and seemed to play a bit strangely with the GBA. However, I'll try to get time with it solo on the GameCube and keep you posted.
You are doing an awesome job man, I love the way you people set up the site.Ya'll are doing excellent coverage and keep up the good work. I hope you are having fun (like you would not be) stay cool and don't lose Hilden, she/he is far too young to be wondering around by her/himself.
I actually lost Hilden for a few hours this morning and found him huddled up in a ball on the floor of the media room. That's a true story.
Thanks for the kind words.
Ok, I'm off to a meeting with Nokia. I got my hands on the N-Gage yesterday and came away slightly impressed but not ready to give up my GBA quite yet. I'll have a write up later.
Keep the letters rolling in. I'll do my best to respond to your requests.
Glazed and Confused Holy Hannah, day one is in the pipe.
And what a day it was. After a nice drive through the hood, Hilden and I made our way to the convention center for an incredible day.
In retrospect, it's tough to know where to begin and exactly how to explain the sites and sounds of the day. There was so much to see and we saw as much as we could. I guess the best way to proceed would be to give a rundown of the highlights of the day.
Wario World - This was the first game I went after and it was exactly what I expected. It plays like a 2D game in 3D. While I didn't get a load of time with it, it came off as an average platformer with my favorite Nintendo character.
Mario Kart: Double Dash - The line for this game was incredible, but to make the wait more enjoyable, Mario and Wario appeared on a big screen commentating on the action. Wario was especially amusing, threatening to slap showgoers if they didn't play his game. I'm going to hold off on giving a detailed impression of this game until I get a few more plays on it. My first initial impression, and one that Hilden shared, was that the game played a little slow. However, it was extremely smooth and well animated. We'll have more on this one soon.
Mario and Luigi - This one was a complete surprise, but a very good one. The game is what you would expect from a Mario RPG; classic RPG elements mixed with a dash of platforming action. This one should be a big hit for the GBA.
Pac-Man - As strange as this sounds, Nintendo's goofy Pac-Man game for GBA and the Cube was probably the game that left the biggest impression on both Hilden and myself. The game is played with four people. One player uses the GBA and plays as Pac-Man. That player can see the entire Pac-Man maze on his screen, while the other players, playing as ghosts, have a limited view on the TV screen. As simple as it sounds - and is - it's incredibly amusing. I can't wait to play it again.
Jak II - Decidedly darker and moodier, this is another game that I'm excited to get in my home. Gameplay-wise, it plays nearly identical to the original, with a hoverboard added for good measure. A load of fun.
Metal Slug 3 - Hell yes! It plays nearly exactly like all the others, and that's fine by me. This game continues the humor, action, and old-school charm that the series is known for. Neo Geo is back!
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg - Odd. Very odd. The game feels like a Sonic Team game, except you're a little kid dressed up in a rooster suit pushing an egg around. A few camera problems, but overall it seems as though it'll make for an amusing game.
Sonic Heroes - Don't let the marketing campaign fool you. This is a Sonic game through and through. The difference? You can switch between three characters with different abilities on the fly. Other than that, it's lightening-speed Sonic action.
XIII - I actually only played the deathmatch mode against an Ubi Soft rep on this one. He was a pretty good fighter...for a French guy. I'm not certain how comfortable I was with the controls on this one. I like the view to snap back to center on my FPSs, and this one felt a bit loose for me.
Viewtiful Joe - Freaking awesome! Expect a full report soon.
There were so many more, but I could go on for about a month. We'll be updating all night with hands-on impressions, so be sure to check back regularly. In the meantime, feel free to drop me an email if you have any questions about the show or about specific games.
Welcome to E3! Well, the day is here and GWX is ready to compete with the big boys by bringing you three days of complete coverage from the show. Joe, Katy, Hilden, and myself will be onhand, feeding all the news, images, sights, and sounds to the rest of the staffers manning the fort from GWX HQ. There, they'll be scouring the wires, answering the phones, and updating the site with all the latest and greatest information.
Expect photos, screenshots, press releases, and journals from each of our staff members. You'll notice a layout change made especially for the expo, which will hopefully make it easy for you to find the newest information quickly.
And that's it for now. I'll be back throughout the coming days to fill you in on all that happens.
The Longest Day Well, the countdown is officially on. With every sentence I type, I take a moment to glance down at the clock at the bottom right side of the screen. Beginning this evening, GWX will have a new format to facilitate our E3 coverage. Don't fret, however, unlike our forums, everything will be back to normal soon.
Speaking of the forums, I received an email asking me how to view new posts. Think of the Mogusland forums as the main hub, and the Nintendojo and GWX forums as sub-forums. To view new posts, simply navigate over to the Mogusland forums and click on "View New Posts". It will then give you the new posts for all three forums. Handy, eh? I know, it's certainly not the most intuitive way of doing things, but hopefully we can get that option added back into our forums soon.
Back to the topic at hand. I've made a checklist and tonight I pack my bags for the big show. Plane ticket: check. Laptop: check. Camera: Check. Itinerary: Check. Directions to the In N' Out Burger: Check.
Yep, I'm all prepared.
I'll be updating this column regularly from the show, so check back from time to time for impressions on various games and consoles. Not only that, but the rest of the GWX staff is planning on keeping journals detailing their impressions and experiences as well. Hopefully you'll find our coverage unique and at least somewhat interesting.
As I mentioned briefly yesterday, I spent about a day and a half in "lovely" Central Wisconsin, visiting my mom for Mother's Day. Each time I go there, and after admiring mullet after scary mullet, I think of what life would be like had I decided to stay. Would I have a mullet? What sort of job would I have? Would I already be married with a handful of kids and a pickup truck? To be fair, the area really isn't all wife-beaters and Pabst Blue Ribbon. However, the debate of Ford Vs. Chevy is a little too commonplace for my tastes.
Back to E3 (isn't this fun?), it seems to be the trendy thing to do for gaming "journalists" to jot down a list of their most aniticipated games at E3. Never one to back down from a trend, here's a short list which hopefully won't be a carbon copy of every other list you've read:
Mario Kart: Double Dash - No brainer. Move on to the next one.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - As I mentioned last week, I'm a huge turtle fan. Hell, I could recite the theme song to the original cartoons in my sleep. And since this one is being made by the same group that made the old arcade games, color me excited. Turtle power!
Viewtiful Joe and Killer 7 - I lumped them together, but they appear to be extremely different games, even though nothing is really known about Killer 7 yet. The old school gameplay of VJ and the cool visual style of K7 make me all hot and bothered.
N-Gage - A cool concept that I can't wait to get my hands on. Plus, it's the only one of the four newly announced platforms that we really know will hit shelves.
Metroid: Zero Mission - It's been confirmed and I can't wait to see it.
There are so many more, but do you really care to hear them all? Nah, you've got your own lists, I'm sure.
Chaos and Mismanagement Life here at GWX is nothing if not an adventure. It often reminds me of having lunch with the Mad Hatter. I left town yesterday for a bit of Mother's Day "fun" and came back today to find our site once again in utter chaos. For those of you who frequent our forums, you've probably noticed that things have changed a bit. Over the past several weeks, we had been toying with the idea of merging our forums with one of our affiliates, Mogusland. They have a very nice community going, including the great guys at Nintendojo. Apparently, in my absence, the decision was made by our fearless "leader" to go ahead and make the move; without any notice to our readers and the users of our forums. As I've mentioned a number of times, he's not the brightest bulb in the bunch.
Anyway, the point is, on his behalf, I apologize for the confusion this may have caused. The forums pretty much still operate the same way in which they used to. Your old login and password still works and all the old threads and topics are still there. The most obvious question is "How the f**k do I log in?" Well, it's fairly simple, if a bit idiotic. See that Mogusland symbol in the top left corner? Click on that. Once you're there, log in the same way you would have at the old GWX forums. Once logged in, choose your forum (located on the top left side), whether it be the Mogusland boards, Nintendojo, or your old friends, the GWX boards. Simple as that.
Hopefully, once we have all the bugs ironed out - which hopefully won't take too long - you'll find that this gives you more options, more conversation, and many more topics to discuss.
