Team Fremont.com-E3 2006 Wrapup Review

E3 2006 Wrapup

Well, the show is over and we've had time to let all the information and gameplay time settle in. Below is our brand of the "Best/Worst" E3 2006 had to offer.

Enjoy!

Phil

So I got to view the show from an entirely different angle this year as an internet onlooker. It always staggers me that you can actually get more of an overview of what’s going on during E3 from a PC than actually being inside the building itself. Of course I’d rather have gone this year because what a show it was! To see the playable unveilings of not one but two huge consoles is rare and comes about only once a generation. The news has been a plenty and the media in general have shown their usual hit and miss knowledge of the industry. Case in point; the UK Metro reporting that 36% of attendees were queuing for PS3, 28% for Xbox 360 and a mere 22% waiting in line to play Wii. Quite which ass they are pulling these figures from I don’t know but hey they also seem to have an official confirmation that Wii wil launch at £150 in the UK.

Aside from the usual strange media rumbles, there was a hell of a lot of mind blowing news starting with Sony’s two bombshells, first the price and second ripping off Nintendo’s controller in public. I was chatting with John whilst this was happening and couldn’t believe they had the guts to call it an innovation – twice. Surprisingly, we both made it through Kaz Hirai’s boring banter (Ridge Raaaacer! Anyone?) right through to the end without playing Russian Roulette out of sheer boredom. GT HD was nice enough and MGS4 was stunning as always, but for me the highlight of the Sony conference was the Final Fantasy XIII trailer. Seriously, if that is real time gameplay then I may have to shit my pants.

Microsoft and Nintendo both faired better in my opinion this year with a lot more confidence and far better presentation skills (which isn’t hard against Kaz – even with Peter Moore) combined with a superior line-up of real games. Gears of War really impressed me, which I wasn’t expecting given that I’ve had no interest in the title up to this point. However, my favourite games for the 360 would have to be Too Human, Mass Effect and Lost Planet. I’m just loving the style of all three games and they look to be real solid games that I’ll be enjoying for quite a while. Forza was a given and I can’t wait to get my hands on it after enjoying the Xbox game as much as I did. For me, the Halo 3 trailer was a little bland and didn’t really get me excited for the game. I’m hoping that Bungie will release something a little more revealing soon to whet my appetite for the game. The big disappointment for me though comes in the form of Viva Piñata. I was really hoping that we’d get something a little more from Rare than this. I guess the Rare fanboy in me just died a quick death on the realisation that Rare really is a shell of the company it once was. Other than that, Microsoft really upped the ante against Sony this year and the battle between them is going to be pretty intense.

Nintendo really stole the show for me and whilst I haven’t yet played the Wii, I can imagine its potential and seeing the buzz from pretty much everyone who had played it got me really excited. Nintendo really showed their true colours this E3, they came out with their gloves off and showed a new Nintendo. They didn’t care about naming a date or price. Quite deliberately didn’t show everything the console has to offer or even go in to any detail about things like the type of optical media it uses or who the Virtual Console/Online stuff will function. This was simply a forum for people to see why the concept of the controller works and they did a tremendous job of showing us all why gaming needs to change to survive. Holding the Smash Bros Brawl trailer and announcement was sheer genius and really blew my mind when I saw it for the first time. I loved the new characters shown so far and the inclusion of Solid Snake really opens up the floodgates for more third party characters to be thrown into the mix. The games shown were rough, but lets not forget that these were demo’s to show how to use the controller. One other thing to note with Nintendo was that they seem to have a lot more mature content from the get go this time that should help to dispel that kiddie opinion that the competition like to put around.

Out of all of the great games shown, there are a few that really stick out in my mind as stealing the show. My personal favourites were (in no particular order) ExciteTruck, Zelda TP, Warioware, Sonic Wildfire, Too Human, Lost Planet, Gears of War, Heavenly Sword and Red Steel. Game of the show would have to be Super Mario Galaxy because it really showed how well Wii could be used and took Mario to the next level. If they can keep that quality up through the whole game it will no doubt become one of the greatest games ever conceived.

Overall, this years’ show was a great setup for the future of the games industry, showcasing some of the most creative and technically brilliant games yet. I’m more than disappointed with what I saw from Sony this year but Microsoft and Nintendo really showed that this isn’t a one horse race anymore and that the industry is all to play for.

Joe

Another E3 come and gone. For my wrap-up feature, I'll be going with a more traditional list of meaningless awards.

I can't believe ____ had a booth! - Nokia

Not only did they have one, but it was pretty big and classy. It's probably the nicest booth they've ever had. Ironic, seeing as the N-Gage is dead. Or is it? I don't know, or care, but there seemed to be a lot of mobile gaming stuff going on in there. Maybe they ditched the N-Gage hardware and just make cell phone games now.

Where the hell is _____? - The Big Cheese

They make, hands down, the best grilled cheese I've ever eaten, but for some reason they don't come to E3 anymore. It sure is sad...

At least I got to meet _____. - Space Ghost

He was super friendly, and wrote, "Thanks for the boiling hot grease! <3 Space Ghost" on my poster. I didn't get to meet Mizuguchi, like some lucky guys, but at least I met someone interesting.

The Best of Kentia Hall - MyMyBox's Beatmania controller

There are a lot of weird things in Kentia hall, but sometimes I find cool things. Take this one or two person Beatmania controller. They're big and sturdy, with nice clackity buttons for aspiring DJs. Of course, the price tag on them is bound to be pretty steep, although they haven't decided on that yet.

Most pointless line to wait in - Turok.
Runners up: Square-Enix's Theatre

Turok was a brief line, to be fair. I think we waited 5 minutes or so before being led into a pretty standard looking little theatre, except there were no seats. We stood there and watched a 2 or 3 minute trailer, all prerendered, and then left. Why they couldn't just have the trailer looping outside somewhere, I'll never know.

Biggest Disappointment - PlayStation3.
Runners up: Red Steel, Ninety Nine Nights

While I wasn't expecting to be blown away by the $600 machine, I thought I'd be a little impressed. Sadly, though, I saw only two games that interested me much at all: Final Fantasy 13 and Resistance. Beyond that, I didn't see anything that couldn't be done on my 360. For $600, I was expecting to be wowed in the visuals department at the very least. And then, of course, there's Sony's amazing "innovation" which just makes them look like the biggest assholes in the industry. I'll still purchase the machine on day one, but, I am probably a fool for doing so.

Game of Show - Gears of War.
Honorable mentions: Wii, Spore.

I really had no interest in Gears of War until I saw it in action. I absolutely thought this would be Microsoft's next Brute Force. I guess I can't be right all the time. Sadly, I wasn't allowed to play it, but was able to watch the entire first level. The first thing that grabbed me are the visuals. Not only are they technically very impressive, but I found the art style to be seriously... well... for lack of a better word, "cool". Really freaking cool. Beyond that, though, which doesn't count for much in the end, the gameplay looks really tight. I think the cover system will be a lot of fun to mess around with, and the timed reloading (where hitting the button at the wrong time jams your gun, or doing it perfectly gives it extra power) is a small feature, but it means you'll need to concentrate just a bit more in heavy combat. Gears of War has instantly jumped to the top of my Must-Have games list.

Hilden

The Why Are You Here? Award - Tecmo

Why they decide to show up each year with nothing but a stage and dancing girls is beyond me. It's a trade show, but not THAT kind of trade show. How about some games, eh? And no, Dead or Alive doesn't count.

Where the Hell Is? - GBA and New Cube Games?

They announced them and then didn't bother to show them off. Hey, you tell me there is both a new Diddy Kong Racing and a new Paper Mario and then run away? What the hell? I know you really want to make this about the Wii but then wait until after the show to announce these cool titles that folks are dying to play. Sheesh. And yeah, not having the Big Cheese sucks.

The Big Cheese Award - Balboa Bar

Named after the town or the boxer, I don't care. The food that made the show for me, in the absence of the Big Cheese, was this hand dipped ice cream bar from a mom and pop in a tent. Nice.

Holy Shit, Isn't That...? - Mizuguchi

Yeah, Adam West and Paris Hilton were there but they don't hold a candle to the man who created some of my favorite games. Not only does he create innovative games that keep me up to the wee hours of the morning, but he's really nice and a pleasure to talk to. Of course, all I did was babble about how cool he was and how much I like his games. I guess it works.

Strangest Booth - Power of Korea Game

Yeah, that's the real name and I'm still confused as to what they were doing there. I know Korea is the hotbed of gaming these days, but sheesh. From some strange WarioWare rip off to a handheld that had about a million different variations, I'm not sure what they're about. Oh, and you might want to run your name through that universal translator one more time.

Best Breaking of the Rules - UbiSoft

Pretty sad that what was my booth of show for two years running is now relegated to this award. But they did it in style. While not having a lot to play at their booth, the did manage to have the hottest chick again this year, despite the booth babe moratorium. The whole sixties go-go dancers grinding on the platforms really made it hard to watch the impressive looking Rainbow Six: Las Vegas.

Coolest Show Edition - Free WiFi from McDonalds

Yeah, I know it's a huge promotional tool, but it sure is nice to know you can check your email or game from every lobby or food place at the show. To not have to pay $10-$15 per day for WiFi is a dream. Thanks Ronald!

Best Kentia Hall Moment - Leaving It

Okay, okay. The classic arcade is cool, but that place smells funny.

Worst Booth - EA

Okay, it was a close one. If it wasn't for the PSP, Sony was in contention for this. But once again, EA tried to hide the complete lack of anything worthwhile to play with a giant 360 movie screen. Yes, you had SPORE, but that was about it boys. Nice try.

Biggest Dissapointment - PS3

I'll have to echo Joe on this one. Simply not impressive in this early stage. If you throw out a price point, you better have the shit to back it up and Sony did not. I hear good old Ken wasn't too happy after that press conference and I wasn't too happy after hanging out at his PS3 section. The best thing they had was the MGS4 trailer. Things need to kick into high gear before the 17 of November.

Biggest Surprise - Eye of Judgment
Runner Up - Too Human

While being a simple card game in the realm of Culdcept, this game really made me consider an EyeToy for the very first time. Seeing creatures pop up out of your card and move when you move them is a really cool thing. Makes it look like the chess board from Star Wars only without the holograms. Really fun and my only real "wow" moment for the PS3. For my money, they should just release this for the PS2 and get the ball rolling.

Best Booth - Nintendo
Runners Up - Capcom, Sega

Lines were long, yes, but the games were flowing and strong. To be fair, the line for the Wii moved pretty quickly, but all you got for being patient was..well..another line. But the Wii was a fun system and the showing was strong. Add to that another impressive DS line-up and you've got yourself a booth to hang out in.

Game of Show - Super Mario Galaxy
Runner Up - Table Tennis

Sure, it's essentially a tech demo but it was elegant and a true showcase of what can be done with the Wii. While there were many impressive games out there including MGS4, Gears of War, Mass Effect and Super Smash Bros, I couldn't get my hands on any of them. But Mario was awesome, fun to play and a game custom built to plant the seed for a future Wii purchase. Most fun I had playing a game all show. Well, Table Tennis was close.

John

Funkiest Smell - Anywhere near a DDR kiosk
Geeks smell. And DDR geeks smell even worse. So it only stands to reason that anywhere a DDR or DDR-like game was being displayed, B.O. was sure to be found.

And I'm not talking your run-of-the-mill B.O. here. I'm talking B.O. of Seinfeld-like proportions. This is the kind that will kick you in the face, stick to your body, and travel back home with you. It's the beast.

So DDR fans, here's a word of advice: take a damn shower.

Most Annoying New Trend - Mobile Games Invasion
Seriously, do any of us play cell phone games beyond the somewhat casual round of Bejeweled or Pac-Man while we're waiting for a table? Perhaps I'm wrong, but between Nokia, the Namco Arcade, and Hudson's mobile booths, these freakin' cell phone games were everywhere. All I can say is the phone pad controller didn't work for the Intellivision, it sucked on the Jaguar, and it's still not a good idea.

Most Laughable Food Stand Price - Ham Sandwich: $7.50
It's gotten to the point where I can't even be mad about it anymore. When the sign says "Ham Sandwich: $7.50", I just laugh and say, "Bring it on! Let's get nuts!" And the fact that I have to wait in a thirty minute line to pay for my $7.50 ham sandwich only makes the bitterness that much more delicious. Thank you sir, may I have another?

Best Personal E3 Moment - Meeting Mizuguchi
Hilden already mentioned this, but it bears repeating. Having the honor to kiss Mizuguchi's ass for five minutes was the highlight of the show for me. Sure, I shook hands and said hello to Reggie, but while Reggie can kick ass and take names, he didn't create Rez, Lumines, or Space Channel 5.

Favorite Handheld Game - Every Extend Extra
Speaking of Mizuguchi, his new game is utterly brilliant. I didn't exactly "get it" at first, but being able to download the game and play it on the subway ride home allowed it to click with me. I never understood what he meant when he called it a "shooter that isn't a shooter", but once you master the controls and grasp the concept, that turns out to be the perfect description.
Runner Up: Ultimate Ghosts n' Goblins
If only for that theme music. I can't get it out of my head.

Worst Booth - Namco (Not Namco Arcade)
While the Namco Arcade section actually had a few old-school Pac-Man and Galaga machines set up, I was amazed to find that not a single game in Namco proper interested me in the least. I walked through three times just to make sure I hadn't missed anything. Turns out there was nothing to miss...

Best Booth (3rd Party) - Capcom
Yeah, I know I said "Sega" on the podcast last week, but Hilden convinced me that Capcom had the better booth. Dead Rising, Lost Planet, Ultimate Ghosts n' Goblins, Power Stone Collection, MegaMan ZX, etc. Capcom had a great showing. They had some spectacular new IPs, and they certainly know how to repackage and highlight their classic catalog.

Most Unbelievably Spectacular Implosion - Sony and the PS3
Wow. Just fucking wow. I have never seen such a meltdown in all my years as a game fan. And I don't think I'm overstating things when I say that Sony blew it in Hindenberg fashion. When everyone from the mainstream media to the biggest PlayStation fanboys are stunned by the incredible arrogance followed up with so little to back it up, you know you've just witnessed something incredible. Since leaving E3, I've been pointing to Heavenly Sword as an example of greatness in the PS3 booth, but even that may be stretching things. The game certainly had potential, but while it's an original IP, the concepts within are lifted from everything from God of War to Dragon's Lair, not to mention the obvious bugs.

Sony's got six months to get their shit together and to convince people to buy their $600 Trojan Horse. They've been incredibly successful in the past, but E3 showed a serious chink in their armor.

Game of Show - Super Mario Galaxy
While people are talking about the next alien invasion/graphical showcase, the game that impacted me the most was, once again, starring Nintendo's cash cow. It was an easy choice, as no other game had such a profound impact on me. It struck me how quiet Nintendo was about this game, choosing instead to feature WiiSports: Tennis, Zelda, and Red Steel during their press conference. But SMG can do for Wii what Super Mario 64 did for the Nintendo 64: take a familiar character and setting, and introduce a brand new style of gameplay to the masses. Beyond that, it's incredibly fun, and that's what counts the most.
Article By: Team Fremont