In less than one week, on July 14th, gamers around the world will once again lay witness to the biggest annual video game conference – a.k.a. the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Although the actual event has decreased in magnitude over the last couple of years, it still hails as the most exciting unveiling that the gaming industry has to offer. At every E3, the largest and smallest game publishers reveal their future company plans and in the end one lucky publisher gets the glory by having the best showcase. A few years ago, Nintendo won the showcase and the attention of millions with the unveiling of the innovative Nintendo Wii. A couple of years before that, the public got its first glance at Microsoft’s second installment, the XBOX 360. Hundreds of people pour into the expo to get the first hands-on with the newest and most anticipated games in development. Which publisher will steal the show at this E3? Which game developer will have the public drooling over its future releases? All these questions and more won’t be answered until the 14^th, but that won’t stop me from putting forth my two cents.

So, in order to prepare you for the upcoming E3, I’ve prepared a review for what to expect at Nintendo’s, Sony’s and Microsoft’s booths, as well as a few surprises that you might expect to see.

Behold the E3 in all its glory…Okay, I swear it looks way cooler when you’re actually inside the building.

Sony’s Conference

2009 could be the year that Sony regains control of the gaming world. Since its release in November of 2006, the Playstation 3 has undergone many makeovers and price changes. What started out as a high priced machine with no solid games has slowly shifted into the future of next gen graphics and power. With recent price cuts and Blu-ray laying waste to HD DVD, Sony has the upper hand going into next year. Priced as the most affordable Blu-ray player and pinned as the most technologically advanced of the three home consoles, the Playstation 3 has great potential to regain the public’s attention just like the PS2 did before it. With recent releases like Metal Gear Solid 4, upcoming blockbusters such as Resistance 2, Little Big Planet, God of War III, Grand Turismo 5 and most notably the future launch of Home (Sony’s online community), Sony is sitting fairly pretty trekking into the fall and 2009.

“Okay, so a bald guy, a monster and four little dudes walk into a bar……”
God of War III, Resistance 2 and Little Big Planet are three killer aps that may just hold the key to Sony’s future success.

Rumors are buzzing and everyone’s wondering…will Sony unveil the news on a successor to the PSP? It would seem like a logical step not only because the PSP has been out since 2005, but also because it’s currently getting thwomped by the Nintendo DS. Not to mention the several price cuts it has sustained in order to appeal to consumers.

Oh, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing news of more price cuts. Expect to see the PS2 and potentially the PSP drop in price again. News of a price cut for the PS3 is unlikely, but not necessarily unheard of.

From its release, the XBOX 360 has been the most popular buy for those wanting cutting edge graphics and true online play. Every game that’s made for multi-console purposes is rendered for the 360 first and then ported to the PS3. Yes, it’s true you have to pay to play online, but if you really want to experience the best online options available then it’s well worth your money to pay the LIVE fee. However, the XBOX has been out a year longer than the PS3 and Wii and as a result the PS3 has better technology and could outlast the XBOX in a technical endurance race. Could the XBOX slowly start to lose its lead over the PS3? I wouldn’t hold your breath…at least not yet. Microsoft has a pretty little lineup of goodies to present the public at this year’s E3 and possibly some surprises up its sleeve. Games like Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Halo Wars and Fallout 3 are among the elite titles sure to tear up eyes and cause hysteria at this year’s E3.

Gears of War 2 and Fable 2 will be two of Microsoft’s ring leaders at this year’s E3.

Will Microsoft reveal news of a new console in the works? It’s been two and a half years since the release of the 360, and most consoles’ life spans last around 5 years. It’s a bold statement to make, but this could be the first public news on the details of a 360 successor.

Could development of Bio Shock 2 be announced? It’s true that the title is in the works, yet no details about the game, plot, etc have been revealed.

Oh, and I’m sure there’ll be a price cut for the 360. Cutting the 360’s price will help XBOX start off the fall with a continuation of its edge on the PS3.

Just when the future looked bleak for Nintendo and its Gamecube, just when everyone thought the gaming giant had lost the war, Nintendo shocked the world and regained gaming recognition with the release of the Wii. Up until recently you couldn’t even find a Wii on your local game retailers’ shelves. Now, the Wii is the first system since the Super NES to lead its generation in console sales. So what does the hottest selling console have to offer at this year’s E3? To answer that question truthfully…it doesn’t look like much. With the recent release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit, Nintendo doesn’t seem to have much else baking in the oven. In terms of Wii games, the lineup looks limited, and that’s an overstatement. There are a couple of new Mature rated games coming out in the likes of Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and Mad World. These two titles might help encourage gamers to see the Wii as not just a kiddy console, yet, other than those two games, the Wii’s lineup looks barren. However, I wouldn’t start getting discouraged just yet, because we should all be used to (by now) Nintendo’s routine of keeping every little interesting bit of information on the DL – completely under wraps. My relationship with Nintendo is strictly love/hate.

Fatal Frame and Mad World are currently two out of the very few titles Nintendo has officially announced, but you know the Big N has a trick or two somewhere up its damn sleeve. They always do…

So, as usual, we are left with our own dumb assumptions about what the Big N is planning to reveal at its conference. My guess is that they are planning to show sequels to Animal Crossing and Pikmin. However, the biggest rumor buzzing around is the possibility of a new and revamped Kid Icarus game for the Wii. With the emergence of Pit as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the idea of a new Kid Icarus installment just seems logical. Also, if I keep my fingers crossed tight enough, Nintendo might even reveal its next brilliant idea for the Wiimote. We’ve all played Wii Sports and seen what Wii Fit can do…so what’s the big N going to do next? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Is there a possibility for a new Game Boy or DS successor? It would be about that time for Nintendo to start thinking of the possibility. The DS is still selling extremely well, but the technology is getting dated. Nintendo might reveal news of a new handheld, but I wouldn’t expect anything more than a few very scarce details.

Unlike the price drops that Sony and Microsoft will implement, don’t expect Nintendo to drop their prices anytime soon. There’s no point– the Wii and the DS are both selling like cupcakes at a fat camp.

My Top E3 Game Picks

I’ve given you a list of what you can expect to see from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo’s conferences, and now I’m going to highlight a few select titles that have caught my eye and should catch yours as well. I’m a fan of the survival horror genre so most of my picks fall into that category.

Dead Space

EA’s Dead Space has promise to be one of the year’s most innovative and shocking survival horror adventures. With clever game design (there’s no onscreen HUD), intelligent enemies (targeting certain weak points) and original level design (anti-gravity rooms), Dead Space is shaping up to be the surprise hit of the fall. And who would have thought, its release is set for Halloween. How’s that for trick-or-treating?

Resident Evil 5

It’s been ten years after the mansion incident, and once again players will have the opportunity to take on the role of Chris Redfield as he travels to Africa and tries to uncover the origins of the virus. The game looks to follow the controls of Resident Evil 4 (camera over the shoulder shooter) closely while brining new gameplay mechanics into the works. This game is as vital to me as my kidneys – no lie!

Fallout 3

Fallout 3 looks like it’s shaping up to be the RPG of the year. With vast terrain, smart A.I., an interesting plot, gorgeous graphics and an overwhelming amount of upgrades and the likes, Fallout 3 will be Christmas come early.

Silent Hill: Homecoming

The last couple of console installments of the Silent Hill series have been far less than stellar. What started out as one of the pioneering survival horror franchises has turned into games featuring bad control, poor mechanics and sub par plots as of late. Hopefully, with the new American developers on the project (the makers behind Silent Hill Origins for PSP) SH: Homecoming will retain the series to its once revered and gore-tastic status.

Hope this little guide will help you ease the wait until next week’s main event. If there is something that I missed or something that you don’t agree with me on, I would love to hear your comments. As always, thanks for reading.

-Dillon (D-Dub)

With Smash Bros. Brawl just over two months away I am going to give you my month by month insight until launch on what new and returning characters I believe will be announced that already haven’t as well as provide a few possible levels, items and modes that could potentially join the fray. Here is my second month’s lineup of possibles.

Returning Characters

Luigi – Okay, I know this one is basically a no-brainer but oh well. Luigi has been a veteran of the Smash series since its beginning as an unlockable character in both previous games, and I know that he will reemerge in Brawl as an unlockable fighter once again. After all he is Mario’s (a.k.a. Mr. Nintendo’s) taller, slenderer brother. Look for Luigi to return to brawl along with his incredibly wacky moveset that he utilized in Melee.

Jigglypuff – she’s the balloon fighting Pokemon that everyone loves to hate. Admit it; you used to set the computer player as Jigglypuff while you took pleasure in pounding that fat, pink little face of hers into the ground. It’s okay everyone did…I still do. Just like Luigi Jigglypuff has been around since the original N64 Smash Bros., she returned in Melee and rest assured will triumphantly return in Brawl come February 10, 2008. Again, just like Luigi, Jigglypuff will be unlockable – most likely as the very first hidden character unlocked (just like the previous Smash installments). So rest assured because your guilty pleasure will return for her third bid in Smash Bros. Brawl. Let’s face it. There is no character more disgraceful to lose to than Jigglypuff, especially when one of your friends taunts you with that ridiculously high-pitched “Hi” after he sends you flying with that powerfully absurd sleep move.

Newcomers

Cel Shaded Link – Was actually rumored to be included in the game only a month after Brawl was first announced. Cel Shaded Link along with Ridley, Samus’ arch-nemesis, and Bowser Jr. were all rumored to be in the new Smash installment after Masahiro Sakurai (Brawl’s producer) appeared on a Japanese talk show and allegedly confirmed their appearance in Brawl. That rumor has since been cast aside as false, yet I still maintain hope that he will make the cut as a playable character. He could easily replace Young Link from Melee, and in addition, he would wield an entirely different moveset than the Twilight Princess Link. I also think he has potential to make the roster because he now has two of his very own games under his tunic – Wind Waker, the smash hit on the now deceased Gamecube and Phantom Hourglass, released just a couple months ago on the Nintendo DS. So keep your eyes open because his early confirmation could be one rumor that ends up true.

Ridley – The archenemy of Samus Aran of the sci-fi Metroid series. Ridley has been a reoccurring enemy in all of the Metroid games dating back to the original on the NES. Just like Cel Shaded Link, Ridley too was rumored to be in Brawl after Sakurai’s comment on the Japanese talk show. Although those rumors have been denied by Sakurai himself, I still believe that Ridley has a good chance to join Brawl. For starters, there is only one character representing the Metroid series (two if you count Zero Suit Samus as a separate character), and that’s Samus herself. Another reason behind my hunch that Ridley will make the list of newcomers is because the Smash roster is lacking in villain characters. With the addition of Ridley not only would there be one more villain, but there would also be one more main character representing the Metroid franchise.

Paper Mario – This one is a long shot, but I think he still has some potential. Paper Mario is Nintendo’s answer for RPG fans who may have never been into Mario’s platformer titles. Paper Mario stands a chance to make Brawl’s cut in my mind because of his best-selling title, Super Paper Mario for the Nintendo Wii. My prediction is that Doctor Mario will be cut from the roster, or a costume alternative for regular Mario, allowing an open spot for another Mario spin-off character, and who better to fill that spot than Paper Mario. He’s been around since the SNES days and he would boast an entirely different stamina and set of moves (based of his latest hit Super Paper Mario) than regular Mario. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this dream to come true.

New Items

Starbits – This one is another long shot, but it could be a really cool addition if done correctly. For those who don’t know what Starbits are look at the picture above. Do you see those colorful little star-shaped gems surrounding Mario? Those are Starbits, and Mario uses them primarily in Galaxy to shoot at enemies, stunning them or even killing them. Starbits could be a cool item in Brawl because once a player collects a pack of Starbits they could have the opportunity to use the motion control of the remote or the joystick of the Gamecube and Classic Controller as a makeshift cursor. With the cursor players could then shoot the Starbits they have collected at opposing players stunning them in mid-move, stealing jumps resulting in deaths and much more. I’m aiming high on Starbits appearing in Brawl…literally.

New Levels

Mario Galaxy Non-gravitational Planets – Sticking with the theme of Mario Galaxy, the coolest thing about the game was the addition of the non-gravitational planets. Mario jumps around on, walks on the bottoms of and flings from these non-gravitational planets throughout the course of the game. Adding these non-gravitational planets to Brawl could make fights much more interesting and challenging for combatants. Players could fight on the bottoms and backsides of levels as the camera pans around to follow the action. However, the gravitational field would only be limited so far off the planet’s ground. So if a player was cast off the planet at a high percentage it would be just as challenging to get back to the planet without plummeting to death as it would be to get back to the ledge of a standard level.

Well, that’s all for this month’s session of “Let’s Get Ready to R-U-M-B-L-E!!” Stay tuned for next month’s final addition of possible returning characters, newcomers and the like. Also check out www.smashbros.com for daily, weekday updates as well as my picks for last month’s addition of “Let’s Get Ready to R-U-M-B-L-E!! – Month 1, Round 1.” As always, thanks for reading.

-Dillon (D-Dub)