E3 News

[The NZA]

Day I

For video game fans, there's really only 2 relevant demo shows: the Tokyo Game Show (which we gotta wait till its events are translated) and E3, or the Electronic Entertainment Expo, usually around mid-May in Chicago, where everybody shows up, from video games to Sony gadgets to techno music's introduction (honest injun).

 

Aside from the price drops i mentioned in earlier threads - PS2 & X-Box at $200, Gamecube at $150 - there's some other noteworthy games, especially for us RPG fans.

-Zelda - Even these crappy screenshots look great.  If what the reviewers so far are sayin is true, anyone who doubted this game is gonna feel like an ass.  More as they show it.

-Final Fantasy XI - the online one; looks like we'll have it here - both for PS2 and possibly PC - around 1st quarter of 2003.  Screenshots are all over the net, go look.

-Silent Hill 3 - No details, but here's a few screenshots. Best survival horror series out there.

-Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance - While I'm happy as hell to see new VR missions for this badass game, i think Kojima was on drugs for the recent mini-game...looks like Metal Gear Pro-Skater, im not shitting you...Follow the link from here & behold the horror...

-ToeJam & Earl 3 - Fans of this classic Sega series'll be sad to hear its gone to X-box.  They seem to be buyin up a lotta good Sega licenses - Shenmue 2, this one, and the new Panzer Dragoon Orta looks incredible.  Might havta rent me one of these x-boxes after all.

-Suikoden 3 - The best RPG series youre not playin, and part 3's on its way.  Details are here...i just hope they dont rush it to get it out by christmas, looks like that's their goal.

-Resident Evil 0 - Prequel madness! Check out impressions of the demo here.  Looks like it might make it out this year, as well.

-Kingdom Hearts - The unholy production of Square comin together with Disney, and most reviewers so far like it...more impressions.

Also, new details on Devil May Cry 2, a bunch of Game Boy Advance games, and Zelda for Gamecube is delayed till past christmas; i say take your time.  Mario Sunshine & Metroid Prime still seem to be on schedule for the holidays, we'll know more by the show's end.   Meantime, be sure to check Gamespot, Gameforms (formerly TheGIA), or IGN (PS2 page) if ya dont mind shitty ads all over & all the good stories bein exclusive to paying members ( ).  I recommend Gameforms, they update every hour or so...ill check back in tomorrow nite with more info, but damn it was an eventful day. :dcecil: :link: :wario:

[The NZA]

Day 2

I'm tired, less happened, no one's readin this are they? Ok, few things:

-Shenmue 2 for X-box looks purdy, they say. Fuck microsoft in the ear, import it now while the dialogue's still in Japanese and Sega alone's on the logo!

-Suikoden III aint lookin good, went 3D they say the graphics are strugglin, as well as slow, rough combat.  Let's hope the plot carries it, like usual.

-Phantasy Star Online 1 & 2 - A Gamecube bundle, but not quite online so far i think, mostly split-screen or other TV's hooked up, so i dunno....great series tho, looks even better now.

-Finally, big news: Nintendo President Yamanuchi stepped down.  This might be a mixed blessing: he helped keep the company on top for decades now, yet he's also partially to blame for moves like N64 bein cartridge based, Square leavin Nintendo until recently, etc.  We'll see where it goes from here, i dont expect anythin drastic for a while.  

More to come.

[JunkerSeed]

So far so good.  Between the price drop and how good all the new games look, it looks like I'll be grabbing a gamecube real soon.  I think Zelda looks fucking amazing, can't wait for it.  Mario supposedly has this new device where you squirt water at things.  Not a luigi's mansion esque complete change in gamplay, just an addition to the usuall jumping around, seems like a decent idea.  Read nothing but good from those who played metroid so now I'm excited about that too.  Also, that MGS2 mini game looks awesome!  Heh, I think it's pretty damned funny and sure to be fun.  I'm happy about everything but the X-box stealing all these great franchises.  Bastards.  Yeah, I'll buy Halo.  When it comes out on PC!  Oh, and Irish, have you read about "red dead revolver"?  Seems like a Devil May Cry-ish western action game.  Looks great.  And capcom has been just steadily improving in my eyes.  RE led to the cooler Onimusha, and that led to the cooler devil may cry, hopefully they'll top themselves again with this one.

[The NZA]

Day 3

-Ok, only real big news at this point is Metroid Prime impressions, lookin real good so far from what's bein said, classic feel & all.  Lookin to make it out for the holidays as well, woo hoo!

 

Junker - Damn microsoft's deals with Sega! Panzer Dragoon makes me sad.

MGS2 mini-game is a trip, i admit.  Capcom is doin good these days, i admit, even new Resident Evil is scarier, didnt think they'd manage that.  

Red Dead Revolver - what platform? Sounds really interestin, must look that one up soon.

[JunkerSeed]

Red dead revolver is on PS2.  Only reason it isn't being hyped up much is because it aint a sequel or anything.  Sounds like  the next step after Devil may cry is having smash tv/ robotron type controlls.  Having one stick conrtoll movement while the other controlls aiming.  Looks like something to keep an eye on.  

 

 Also read about sega making at PS2 shinobi game.  You'd think a new shinobi would be a tenchu clone, but sega knows better.  The next one will be 3d, but all out action, which excites me quite a bit.  No sneaking around, just ass whoopin', which is what shinobi is all about.  They have explicitly said that stealth game are too common and that shinobi will be straught up action.  

 

The PC showings look great too.  Doom 3 looks fucking incredible.  They're not just boosting the graphics because they can.  The entire engine is made for what the game requires.  A good example is the spectacular lighting for when the lights go out and all you have to light the way is flickering broken machines and muzzle flash.  They even reduced the running speed to increase the tension.  They want to recreate the experience of when you were in a small hallway, and every time you turned a corner you saw a pink demon, turned, and saw another, and ran ran ran in absolute terror, untill you just had to turn and fight the huge army chasing you.  It's shaping up to be a worthy sequel, which is saying a lot when you're talking about DOOM, the Citizen Kane of PC games...

 

:ill:

[BigChiefSlapaho]

Good info.  Here's some more.

 

City of Heroes was showed at E3 in a private, by invitation only screening.  The COH website says the screening showcased a demo of the actual game in its near-complete form.  Guess we'll be hearing about this one in a few weeks when the articles are done.

[The NZA]

Thanks to both Chiefy & Junker for the PC updates, i realize i neglect the genre.  New Doom sounds more like the old, which is cool.  City of Heroes may very well make me play a PC game again.

Only one new detail to speak of....Resident Evil Online?  Check it out, i know next to nothin on it, but im lookin into it...no one's ever accused Capcom of bein stingy on the sequels, but i wonder what theyre up to this time.

:shoot: :kodama:

[Guest Yahve]

the new doom aw yeah!!

 

Thats what I felt was missing from Q3.  No fear factor there.  quake 1 was awesome, quake 2 was the most fun game ive ever played in my life with all the good mods it had.  i loved the physics engine.  the unrreal engines were great but the weapons just didn't do it for me like quake.  Unreal weaps were too good i suppose.   Doom on the other hand made me play all night long trying to find the exit to a map while hearing Bjork pllaying on the CD player while I snuck out of the barracks to play Doom on office computers while I was enlisted.  Man that was some fun hehe.

[BigChiefSlapaho]

Got a little EQ2 info.  The guys at IGN are stoked about it.  Here you go, Yahve, Kevin, and all you other addicts...  EQ2

[The NZA]

Hmm, not many console folks left around here it seems, dozens of games and only Doom & EQ get noticed...yer losses.

Post E3 news has been slow, here's an update courtesy of Penny Arcade.

 

[Silent Bob]

As great as all that news was, IC, I admit, the one thing that's still got me the most excited is that LucasArts announced that they're developing a sequel to Full Throttle. It's about damn time.

[The NZA]

Nah, 's alright Bob i shouldnt bitch, i look for my niche games too: i read very little on Mario, Zelda, Metroid etc as im hyped anyway, but Suikoden III, Xenosaga, forthcomin Shenmue chapters (i.e., shit no one's really heard of) has got me all warm & fuzzy too, so next time ill try to include more random shit to get everyone into it, hard to know what others are gonna go for.  

Hell, i practically mentioned the new Shinobi and Toejam & Earl just for me & Junker, anyway.  Sega, come back, we miss you!  :scared:

[Silent Bob]

Ah yes, Toejam and Earl. Good times, good times. 'Course, I was always a Nintendo fan, so that brings back memories of Battletoads. Yeeeah, Battletoads. They need to make a comeback. I still can't get excited about Zelda. I'm trying. Really. But no matter how good it's looking, I can't get past the design. They turned him into a powerpuff girl!

[The NZA]

Id like to invite Silent Bob & all other Miyamoto nay-sayers to take another look at the new, cel-shaded, cartoony Zelda, and get out all their shots/complaints now; if the gameplay's half as good as the E3 reviewers say, there won't be time to doubt the master when the game hits shelves later on down the road....

 

 

...granted, not the super-realistic stuff shown as a demo at E3 years ago, but id like to remind the audience Miyamoto created Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Kid Icarus, Pikmin...the list goes on and on...and the man says this might be the best Zelda yet - I'm willin to believe him.  

If the man wants the series to take a new spin, im not bout to join the masses & say "no, keep it the same as the last 2!", i say let it evolve & see where it ends up. Cant wait till its out.

[Silent Bob]

::Gag:: ::Cough:: I still don't see the appeal. Ah well. From what I've heard, though, they're gonna try to do a few "remakes" of classic games for the GameCube...kinda like Capcom did to Resident Evil. And I heard that a couple Zelda games were on the list (Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time, if I'm not mistaken). So, I have those to at least look forward to, if the rumor proves to be true.

 

Now I'm not knocking the whole thing. I like what they did with the graphics. I think the cel-shaded look works really well, and it seems like they've done a great job with the effects. It's just the character design. Most of the characters I've seen look like something out of a bad Don Bluth movie. A BAD Don Bluth movie. They just don't seem as well designed or as thought out as I'm used to from a Zelda game.

[spiffytee]

he does indeed look like he belongs next to MOJOJOJO.

 

Can't argue with silent bob here.