4cr’s E3 Impressions

Now that E3 2010 is a sweet and distant memory, we decided to fondly look back on what was arguably Nintendo’s greatest Electronic Entertainment Expo showing ever. From the thrill of a new system that everyone knew about, but no one realized how cool it was going to be, to pretty much giving us a sequel/prequel/spinoff to every franchise in their arsenal, Nintendo did this one right. What follows are our impressions of the show. Make sure to let us know yours!

Nick This is the fifth E3 that has come around since the birth of 4cr. The third one that I have personally gone to. In all that time E3 has gone through some big changes, from almost being written off and left for dead, to a major resurgence. It’s gone from a pretty niche gaming spectacle, to a huge, mainstream must-see event.

And I attribute most of that to 4cr. Er, I mean, Nintendo. They’ve invited casual gamers in. They’ve determined the direction this industry is going time and time again. They’ve introduced new technologies where they are important… in the actual playing of games.

And they’ve done it once again. The 3DS will change the game. The future planning at Nintendo could truly be called divine. Inspired. How they manage to predict where the market is going, or in a lot of cases, push the market where it should be going, is amazing.

But beyond the impact that the 3DS will have on the future of Nintendo and the future of gaming, much of this E3 was about getting back to roots. As I sat in the Nintendo press conference my old fanboy jaw dropped time and time again as Nintendo pulled out every big franchise they had and said “Hardcore gamers, we hear ya. We gotcha. We still love ya.” And in that moment I’ve never felt more personally attached to Nintendo. There was no dodging questions about when the next Pikmin is coming out. There was no making excuses for early technology. What there was was a huge bear hug for Nintendo fans. Get in here, snuggle up. Hug it out. Because gaming is meant to be this fun.

Jody My most anticipated console of all time was the Super Nintendo. Until the 3DS was revealed.

Benny Nintendo’s franchises have been a boon and a burden over the years. Sometimes they’ve leaned too heavily on familiar concepts. Sometimes they’ve taken things to far. But I can’t imagine a Nintendo fan who wasn’t happy with the announcements this e3. Nintendo played their franchise card perfectly.

And add me to the chorus that says the 3DS is the truth. Remember the first time you saw the little hand appear on your screen from the Wii and thought “holy smokes, this is the future”? Well it’s deja vu with the 3DS – this thing feels magical. It’s 3D. Without glasses. And it works. And I love how Nintendo had so many third party title announcements they had to leave them at the tail end. On a slide show. With no graphics.

For heaven’s sakes guys – Super Street Fighter IV and Final Fantasy were in FINE PRINT. You know the line-up is going to be great when that’s what’s happening.

I got to play DKC and it damn near stole my heart. This is the game you remember, but better. Also, Diddy has a jetpack. I can only hope Dixie is somewhere in there – I always loved her floaty hair.

Elsewhere, Playstation is getting pummeled by the “buts.” Move is better hardware than Wii Motion+… but it’s way too expensive and doesn’t differentiate enough. Killzone 3 in 3D looks astounding… but it requires a heavy investment and 3D glasses really seem like a dead end technology. Gran Turismo could literally be mistaken for real life… but it’s about 4 years late. The same could be said for Sony… they had a good show… but it felt a bit like too little too late.

And then there’s Microsoft. They were evasive on the Kinect’s price – but if the rumors hold true it’s too expensive. I mean, don’t get me wrong, with the right software the thing is magical. Dance Central almost sold me by itself (the game could seriously do for dance games what Guitar Hero did for music games) – but again price becomes a factor. Everything Microsoft showed from Rare seems derivative – which is a shame. Say what you will about Nintendo quality muscling out third parties on the Wii, but at least you can point to their software and say “this is how you do it.” Otherwise, Microsoft’s software line-up seems good enough that they’ll maintain parity with the PS3. It’s quality stuff, but it always has been.

Game of the Show for me was Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines. I’m an unabashed AC fan (yes, even the first one) – and the multiplayer takes everything I love about the series and adds real people. I’m already warning my friends and family they won’t see me come November. Epic Mickey also stood out. It’s absolutely bursting with creativity – and the mish-mash of gameplay ideas really does work. The paint and paint thinner mechanic reminded me a lot of Mario Sunshine – and I love that game so kudos.

Overall it seemed like e3 2010 was the resurrection of the franchise. The show floor felt the right size – and it seemed like a good mix of business and fun. It rekindled my love of the industry – so w00t.

Zelda’s style looks amazing to me. Love the impressionism inspired look – painterly for the win.

Greg E3 this year was.. It was E3.

Is there really any other way that I can put it? No experience in my life quite compares. It’s a blast, amazing fun – yet, I’m still exhausted. I reunited with old friends, met new contacts, and played a whole bunch of games. Wow. I mean, I feel so lucky to be able to take part is such a crazy thing as E3.

For me – and for just about everybody – Nintendo stole the show. This is a company that can still make me giddy with every iteration of their franchises. All they really needed to do was unveil an awesome new Zelda. They certainly did that. They also gave us a beautiful new Kirby, the resurrection of Donkey Kong, a confirmation of a new Layton for the US, and about a zillion other things.

Also, the 3DS. I am a huge skeptic of 3D in anything, but the 3DS has made me a believer. The effect is instant and incredible. Frankly, the most poignant coincidence to come out of the press conferences was when Nintendo’s executives raged against the need for glasses to view 3D, only for Sony to hand out 3D glasses an hour later.

For the other two guys, it was all about the motion controller. I wish them the best of luck, but frankly – it’s been done. I don’t care if their control is better, I’ve already played a motion-based sports game. They offered slightly better, but still stale, versions of what we already have. Nintendo’s 3DS offers something totally new.

I’m still too excited, and too fried, to offer you a definitive “game of the show.” Instead, here are a few of my favorites: Okamiden, Zelda: Skyward Sword, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, Portal 2, Ivy the Kiwi?, and Lost in Shadow.

Michael I think that this year’s E3 was a great show. It may be considered one of the great shows one day. I think that if there’s any confliction I have about the show, it’s only that I have a lack of it.

What titles got me excited this year? Metal Gear, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Castlevania, Animal Crossing, Zelda, Metroid, Mickey, Scribblenauts, Deus Ex, Final Fantasy, and Portal. There’s a smattering of others, but all of these, the big titles, are sequels or continuations of a franchise.

So I can absolutely bitch about the lack of originality, but only if I made the mistake of equating new IPs to originality. New series can absolutely suck, but, more importantly, established series can offer entirely new experiences.

Both Metal Gear titles seem to offer different experiences from the past iterations of the franchise, either in overall gameplay mechanics (rising) or the type of experience offered on the platform (Snake Eater 3D). Kirby is one of the most visually unique games I’ve seen outside of the indie sector, perhaps, ever. Donkey Kong definitely has a retro attitude about it (haha, “Retro”. I didn’t even realize that pun), but from what little we’ve seen from the trailer and demo, it appears to be a highly refined modernization of a platformer we haven’t seen in over 15 years. Both Castlevania games are complete overhauls for the series in its respective dimensions: the 2D version using brute force to expand every aspect of the old system and adding a fully featured multiplayer experience and the 3D version attempting to reinvent the series as it’s appeared in this dimension by adding a seemingly compelling storyline and gameplay to match.

I haven’t seen much from Animal Crossing aside from the improved looks and 3D support, but with Nintendo’s hint at more robust online support during their conference it may turn out that this game will offer the sort of connected experience that fans of the series have been craving since its inception. Zelda has radically new controls and rumors of a different approach towards quest progression. Metroid may be borrowing some elements from its immediate predecessors, but, for the first time, will offer a story heavy experience in addition to the new perspective and play style. Warren Spector is attempting very ambitious things with his Mickey game, Scribblenauts may appear the same but 5th Cell has promised improvements to controls and puzzles while they continue to expand their impressive word engine, Deus Ex showed up with perhaps the most impressively cinematic trailer for a videogame that I’ve ever seen, the new Final Fantasy on DS has one of the most exciting visual styles of any game I’ve seen on the handheld, and Portal… well, it’s Valve– originality is like breathing for them.

Beyond all those established franchises, titles like Vanquish, Shank, Limbo, and Scott Pilgrim all have me very excited with their top-notch quality of gameplay and are unique in their own rights.

Furthermore, the Indiecade booth had games on display that evoked more reaction from me than any others present at the show. B.U.T.T.O.N. may have been the only game to get me to laugh out with enjoyment throughout the entire week of E3 and Hazard: The Journey of Life seemed more mind-bending to me now than Portal was those few years ago when it was an entirely new concept.

There was also this thing at E3 this year where all three of the large manufacturers were showing off hardware which they hoped would change the way we interact with or view games.

So, for me, my opinion is that this year’s E3 was all about the “new”. New, and change, since just about every old franchise I was excited to see has been radically altered in some way from their predecessors.