Breakfast at the Galaxy If you're looking for our E3 Hands On article, click here. GWX's ever-reliable content management system is acting up again, so until Sonny gets out the duct tape, we'll have to find a way around it.
Each morning before the show starts, Hilden and I grab some breakfast at the Galaxy Cafe outside of West Hall at E3, grab the E3 "Show Daily" magazine, and sit at an outside table to discuss what the day has in store. It's become an unspoken tradition. This morning we discussed "me too" games and the excessive amounts of sequels we saw on day one of E3. As I mentioned before, last year, Prince of Persia and Viewtiful Joe grabbed us by the balls with their daring originality and groundbreaking style. This year, we were wondering when we were going to have that type of experience again.
The short answer to that is not exactly. This is not to say that we haven't played some fantastic games, because we sure have. Doom III, Brothers in Arms, and Neo Contra were all fantastic and are guaranteed to earn my money. What we've seen this year is not so much incredible originality as it is the refinement of established successes. Doom III is a retelling of the original classic, with some incredible results. Brothers in Arms does what the tired and worn out Medal of Honor franchise wishes it could do. And Neo Contra is a cross between the classic Contra formula and a top-down Ikari Warriors-style game. Nothing new, but all incredible experiences.
The point I'm getting to is that I'm beginning to question whether or not gaming companies are running out of original ideas. Don't take that to mean that I'm not happy with the current state of gaming, because I'm more impressed and excited about games now than I ever have been. However, while I'm all for new ideas, it seems as though developers are stumbling over themselves trying to prove that they're more innovative than the other guy. Look at Nintendo's DS. They're claiming to have a whole new way of playing. And they're also claiming that they're new console will "start a revolution" in gaming. With the EyeToy, Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, Nintendo's infamous connectivity scheme, and the new all-in-one handheld wonder machines, I smell a hint of desperation mixed in with the innovation.
This minor epiphany came to me when I saw Odama at Nintendo's booth. A military/strategy/pinball game? My first impression was naturally "WTF"? Followed by "Hm...intriguing". Which was followed once again by "WTF"? I'll try anything once, and I'm sure Odama will pique my curiosity enough to warrant a purchase, but that doesn't mean I won't be scratching my head the entire time I'm playing.
Hilden and I posted a little photo gallery over at Team Fremont. Give it a little click.
Welcome back to GWX, where their idea of E3 coverage includes posting no more than three news articles.
Quality is #1.
Anyway, after last night's hotel debacle, Hilden and I have switched to the Hyatt Regency a mere 6 blocks from the Convention Center. Gone are the crack whores. Hilden's posted a great comic here. Check it out.
After day one of E3, and after playing a handful of the best and brightest of what's to come, I can't help but feel like I've been there and done that. Sure, these games are fantastic, but I have yet to find this year's Prince of Persia or this year's Viewtiful Joe. Instead, I have Prince of Persia 2 and Viewtiful Joe 2. Hopefully tomorrow I'll make that discovery.
Until then, I'm going to enjoy the Hyatt's bar and mourn the Timberwolves' loss.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me express the virtues of proper hotel background checks. Before booking your stay in any one of Los Angeles' lovely areas, be sure to ask the receptionist if crack whores will be roaming freely outside your room. Also, make sure to ask if the rooms have functioning windows. By "functioning" I mean does the motherfucker open and close? Because if the window is set at a constant open position and crack whores are roaming outside your room, chances are you're in for some unexpected fun. Oh, and orange shower water probably isn't a good idea either.
Roach hotel notwithstanding, here we are at E3 2004. The DS and PSP were both shown to wide acclaim, although neither are playable. Unfortunately, if you want a glimpse of Nintendo's latest and greatest, you're going to have to stand in line for the better part of your youth, apparently.
So with that unfortunate aside, Hilden and I roamed around and got our hands on Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat (formerly Donkey Konga), Viewtiful Joe 2, Metroid Prime: Echoes, Final Fantasy XII, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Sly Cooper 2 (and snagged ourselves a playable demo for later), and a bunch more. After a grilled cheese and a meeting with the rest of the GWX staff, here I am.
I've received quite a bit of mail from you guys, but unfortunately can't access our email server at the moment. I promise to post your questions and comments ASAP.
Oh, by the way, Ubi Soft has already won the choice for Hilden and my "Booth of Show". And we don't care if they're implants. A good boob is a good boob.
Did I just use the word "boob"? I swear I'm 27 and not 13.
I'll be back!
Deja Vu
Well, well, well.
Here we are again. How I missed you. What have you been up to? You look good.
In case you haven't heard, there's a little event going on in Los Angeles this week. And no, I'm not referring to the Lakers getting bent over (pun intended) in the playoffs. In honor of E3 2004, GamingWorld X and I have resurrected Cooking with John. I'll be at the show all week long to play the industry's latest and greatest and in this space is where I'll post all my thoughts and opinions about the sites, the sounds, and the smells coming from the Los Angeles Convention Center. Of course, the smelliest impressions will likely be coming from the infamous Kentia Hall.
Joining me this week will be my hetero life-mate Aaron Hilden, as well as a couple other faces familiar to the pages of GamingWorld X. Joe Mackie and Katy Wickman will also be working day and night to bring you the stuff that the big sites usually skip over. That's right, if there's a puzzle game involving sushi and steamed vegetables, they'll let you know about it. So be sure to not only check this corner of GWX, but the entire site as well. We'll be posting features, hands-on previews, and in the meantime the rest of the GWX staff will be stuck back at HQ handling the wave of press releases and announcements. Poor saps.
Man, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I really have missed writing this column over the past several months. So let's catch up, shall we? If you feel like writing in during the week with your thoughts on the show, gaming, or just life in general, feel free to drop me a line.
