“Thoughts of the big show...”

E3 the biggest show in the interactive entertainment biz. How some of us like it over here at the GamersMark Network? Read on and find out.

Andy Matheson - PS2 Editor

Only thing I saw worthwhile on Xbox is a Halo 2 video... which was outdone by Half-Life 2. Overall a very good E3 for PS2 gamers in my honest opinion. Sequels were the name of the game this year for Sony. GT4, Getaway 2, SOCOM 2, GameDay 2004, Jak 2, Ratchet and Clank 2, Spyhon Filter 3. Sony has a pretty sweet lineup with names a lot of gamers already trust. Looking over that list, you have atleast a few garaunteed million sellers, and even more if games like Jak 2 and Getaway 2 can live up to their predecessors. That’s not to say Sony doesn’t have new things to show. Downhill Domination and Rise to Honor are a couple that come to mind. Another thing focused on was the PS2’s online status. With a new online service in the works that should shut all the XBL fanboys up, there were plenty of exclusive games that will put the new service to good use, including SOCOM 2, Madden 2004 and Syphon Filter. As always, there was plenty of 3rd party love shown at E3, including quite a few huge games/announcements. MGS3, EA’s online play PS2 exclusive, Casltevania, just to name a few. Sony also announced their plans to enter the handheld market in late 2004, with their PSP. Few details are knwon as of yet, but the things got some good specs and Sonys PS name alone will carry it to atleast some success. Lastly, Sonys price drop announcement and plans to release a newer, better PS2 eith the network adapter included for only $199 rounds out an overall impressive E3 showing for the PS2.

Game Of The Show: SOCOM 2

Osei Tyson - Handhelds Manager

Well I have to say this years E3 was nothing more than a big disappointment. Last years show had much more excitement, surprises, and overall better games. E3-2003 had less “shock & awe” than Operation Iraqi Freedom. How is it possible that EVERY major games shown at the show was known of months ahead of time? Even screens & other media were shown. So there was no anticipation for anything. Example why couldn’t Nintendo & Konami drop the Twin Snakes bomb “during” the show? Not blab about it a week in advance.

Microsoft had a big showing. It was full of great games the biggest being Halo 2! Damn the Trailer was awesome! Other hot games include… ummm well… give me a sec… well ok maybe the Xbox didn’t show anything else groundbreaking. But hey we got Halo 2 right? Ok well maybe I’m being a little unfair. There were other Xbox games worth a look. Like Brute Force, Fable, Kameo: Elements of Power, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Steel Battalion-Line of Contact, & True Fantasy Live Online. But even Xbox fannies inside every corner to take their eyes off Halo 2 to see better games (yeah I said better). Around the Xbox area the biggest disappointment was Conker Live & Uncut. I must say the visuals are horrible. His tail looks like a fat brown cheese doodle. Compare Conker’s fur to Fox McClould’s fur in SFA. Come on Rare we know you can do better and like SFA I hope Conker evolves into what it should be. Microsoft needs to pressure Rare into getting gamers something Perfect Dark soon. 5 games in 2003 my ass.

Oh but you wanna see an embarrassing E3 line-up? Surf the web to see the worst E3 showing Nintendo has ever had. First I’ll like to say Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes is gonna be friggin awesome! Rouge Squadron III will wipe the floor with Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox). F-Zero GX looking sweet at candy, I also have an eye on Geist Nintendo’s biggest surprise. Other than that E3 for Nintendo was filled with games we all were well aware of or some stellar GBA stuff. But hey they did have a big surprise for us indeed. It goes kinda like this “Surprise Osei we want to ruin all love you have for the Zelda franchise”! Oh god WHAT THE FUCK IS TETRA’S QUEST? Let’s not forget about the upgraded Gameboy Advance port Four Swords! And why aren’t these games on one disc? Man I could go kill Shiggy right about now. These games better be $14.99. I can’t believe there are Zelda games on the way that I don’t want and will never buy… ok maybe I will but it’s only to complete my collection. Oh and don’t make me start on the N64 reject game Pokemon Coliseum! Jesus Christ can’t they upgrade the graphics for a console 50 times better? Wario World crap, Pokemon Channel crap, Pikmin 2 rehash crap, Giftpa crap, Kirby’s Air Ride crap. How about the slow as dirt Mario Kart? Oh and better yet raise your hand if you’re happy about Mario Party 5? Yeah didn’t think so. They didn’t even have the goodness in their heart to add an online mode. Hey never mind that I forgot “online gaming isn’t profitable yet” remember. Its so un-profitable that new users sing up to Xbox Live daily and in between 6pm to 10pm over 50,000 people are playing SOCOM. Add to that Too Human was a no show. Ok maybe just maybe I’m being too hard on Nintendo. They did have other very impressive games like Custom Robo, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Sega’s PSO: C.A.R.D. Battle, & Starfox 2 (Armada sounded better). But the shit blocks the sugar from shining! Oh yeah Resident Evil 4 kicks ass!!!

Now know to me as ol’ reliable Sony delivered gaming goodness this year. “Live in your world. Play in ours”. Sony owned the building they even had a giant banner on top of the LA Convention Center. And they are damn right I will play in their world. Just ordered my Super Red PS2 console. Lets see what will I be playing over in PlayStation land… Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits, Final Fantasy XI, Gran Turismo 4, Jak II, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Rise to Honor, SOCOM II, Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain, Castlevania, Cy Girls, DDR Max 2, Madden 2004 (Online), Megaman X7, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Resident Evil Outbreak, & Silent Hill 3. And that’s only my favorite exclusives. Add on the other hot titles that’s multi-platform and you’ll truly understand why PS2 outsells GCN & Xbox both 6-1. There’s nothing much left for me to say but good job Sony can’t wait to see’ya next year.

Game Of The Show: T.H.U.G. Tony Hawk Underground

Elias Dounis - GameCube Manager

I like how people judge Nintendo’s E3 while looking at bits and pieces. From impressions of actually playable game demos, and not some video reel, Nintendo’s games generated tons of buzz (In a positive way). People are blind, they take a look Mario Kart: Double Dash and Star Fox 2 and say "That’s it?" But of course exlcusive games like Viewtiful Joe and Killer 7 get overlooked.

However, there’s one game which really put a smile on my face. Even though it was not in playable form, the video reel was enough for me to cry out in joy. No, it’s not Halo 2 (because for one I never really liked the original all too much). The game I speak of is none other than Metroid Zero Mission. Sure, the game may be a remake of the original NES Metroid, but from what I’ve seen, Nintendo’s Intelligent Systems has completely revamped the game, giving newer abilities to my favorite heroine Samus, adding new bosses, new areas, and all kinds of that neat stuff. Of course, the Metroid Prime 2 teaser looked great too, but it wasn’t enough for an insane Metroid fan like me to excited about. Don’t tease us Nintendo...

Game Of The Show: Metroid Zero Mission

Davion Vanste - PR/Administrator

To be perfectly straightforward and totally honest, through the eyes of yours truly, painfully speaking, this year E3 sucked. Microsoft sucked, Sony sucked, and Nintendo certainly sucked. Where the hell were the big surprises that are supposed to come tailored to E3 events? Yea, of course there was the normal E3 atmosphere, herds of gamers and journalists walking mindlessly around like zombies, drooling mindlessly over software as if they were brains or other assorted organ of human flesh, but think about it. What was there really other than the titles everyone KNEW was going to be big? Sony shows off SOCOM 2, stellar game and all, yay-all-day, but if you didn’t see this coming, with the mass popularity of SOCOM 1, and Sony’s willingness to pump out any title at the flick of a wriest, than you haven’t been paying attention. Microsoft showed off Halo 2… but than what? The lights totally went out on seeping content over at camp M. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m as siked about Halo 2 as the next guy, the game will be awesome, and obviously puts any other title daring to call itself a FPS to poor utter shame, followed closely by dismissal, but am I to look forward to Halo 2 and nothing more for the entire following year? Ohhh wait, right, there’s that big ass Molynuex support, with BC, and project Fable sailing the Microsoft cruise boat of love, but has anyone really seen any content on those two titles? Especially at this years E3? Did they at least show anything we didn’t see last year? Was there any playable code? No? Didn’t think so. Lastly, there was Nintendo. I was told that Nintendo takes home the best of show award every year from a Nintendo fan boy, who might possibly be a member of GM staff. Funny thing is, Nintendo, ye dearest of old friend, sucked more ass than modonna during the late nineties, which anit good.

However, the Dav found enjoyment out of the titles that Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo were trying to push, but the ones that seemingly got over shadowed. I was especially impressed with the nice little deck Sony was dealing with when the event was all said and done. Konami straight up murdered the showed with their newest Metal Gear installment, and Castlevania series, I also liked Breakdown and Theft III for Xbox, those games look awesome. Can’t really say much about Nintendo, well, because they pretty much sucked this time around.

I certainly hope this gaming year unveils more than what we’ve seen at this years E3, because besides the predictable handful of stellar titles, its going to be a snore-fest.

Well thats it for now check back later for more impressions from the GamersMark staff!