The First Day is Over!

Wow, what a blast! Yes, it's official. This is the same E3 show that we had grown to love, before it was reduced to a sad joke last year. Although, they really trimmed the fat. For starters, there was no exhibitors in Kentia Hall! Before you cry for the "little guy" companies, please note that they had all been relocated to the end of South Hall instead. If anything, this gave the smaller companies much more exposure, than when they were banished to the basement of E3. Due to less European companies making the trek to Los Angeles, the "little guy" got to share floor space with Capcom, Konami, and Microsoft! Not too shabby.

My friend Jay, and I, started off at the Nintendo booth in West Hall. Where we got to see the newest additions to the Wii library. Yes, I know your Wii is gathering dust, so be prepared to dust it off, and play it again soon. Here's why. First, there is Wii Sports Resort. You know how Club Med doesn't have televisions, so that you're forced to go out and perform fun activities? That's exactly what Nintendo is trying to emulate. With games such as fencing (think foam lightsabers, not Olympics-style swordplay), ping pong, and frisbee with a cute pooch, you'll keep playing over and over again. I must say, it sounds simple and silly, but it was lots of fun.
Secondly, I got to watch this gentleman play Wii Fit Plus. His on-screen character was a giant chicken that was dropping from up above to the ground below, he had to flutter his wings/arms in order to land in the "safe zone." Basically, it was the parachuting level from the SNES classic, Pilotwings on steroids, and fully immersed.
Here's a video of his wing-flapping lunacy:

Finally, we got to play New Super Mario Bros. Wii. This is a multiplayer game, where you play as 4 characters on the same screen. The goal is to help each other overcome the obstacles before you. For example, Mario can pick up Toad and throw him upwards. Luigi can stomp out Koopas, while Toad gathers a much-needed power-up. It was pretty frenetic, and is sure to be a new hit at parties.

Oh, before I forget, look who I found walking around the show floor. Yes, the new Ghostbusters game is being well-represented at this year’s E3. Thought you might get a kick out of their outfits, I know I did.

Did you ever see the Docu-drama, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters? If you did, you already know of Steve Wiebe, the man who has made it his mission to conquer one of the toughest videogames of all time, Donkey Kong. He was at E3 this year, trying to beat the world record score of 1,050,200. Sadly, after four attempts (one of which was cut short due to a power outage), he only managed to get 989,400 points before he reached the kill screen.

In closing, the coolest game that I saw all day was one that isn't getting much press by the major gaming websites. That game is Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction. I never played any of the previous games in the franchise. However, I can tell you that this game takes stealth-action games to the next level. It felt like a Jason Bourne movie that you control. The action was very high-minded, whiplash fast, and constantly in flux. I can't wait to play it, instead of just watching the developer's demo tape.

Well, that's all for tonight. I have to get some sleep, and try to repeat this process tomorrow. All the best, and happy gaming to all.