Pick 5: Franchises that need a reboot

With the release of DmC this week, it was only fitting to place this week's Pick 5 about reboots. Which franchise deserves a reset? Successful or forgotten, there are titles that we wish their developers could just toss everything and recreate it. Here are five video games that need a reboot..

Turok

Remember the N64 version of Turok? Turok: Dinosaur Hunter? I'm not sure about you guys but this game was one of my personal favorites during the N64 era. Released in 1997, this game was named a Doom clone, but I don't think Doom had Raptors spawning right in front of you. In a span of 6 years, the Turok franchise spawn four sequels:Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Turok: Rage Wars, Turok 3: Oblivion, and Turok: Evolution. As the series moved forward, it slowly lost its edge and became a standard shooter.

Fast forward to 2008, we find Turok, a reboot of the series for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. But it fell head first to the ground and never got back up. Turok, which is actually based on  a comic book series of the same name, still has a lot of potential. An FPS dinosaur hunter with Far Cry 3 quality would come out as a day one purchase in my book, granted that I get to fight a T-Rex with a bow and tons of exploding arrows on hand. You never know, a second reboot might be the charm.

Xenogears

Back in the Playstation one days,  JRPGs were everywhere! Just like how FPS are today. Wild Arms, Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy, Tales of Destiny, Legend of Mana, Legend of Dragoon, oh I can go on and on. While I could simple say any of those titles mentioned deserve a reboot, one title sticks when I think about a JRPG reboot, and that is Xenogears. A true classic and one game that I could replay over and over.

Aside from the great sprite animation that blended well with the 3D graphics, what drew me in the most was the game's martial arts combat system, which allows players to make combos and discover new skills when applying the right combination. These mechanics were also used during the mech battles when the characters pilot their mechs called "Gears", which served as a whole different take on the combat. It was a great system and to this day I still hope to find an RPG similar to that style.

Xenogears was first released for Playstation in 1998, and it was only until 2002 when another title emerged, but not as a sequel, but as a "spiritual successor". Xenosaga trilogy was revealed and is a re-imagining of the Xenogears universe. Sadly nothing about Xenosaga got my attention. It was a different game, I quickly lost interest and did not even bother with the second and third game. It was successful though to a certain extent, but development stopped when the trilogy was complete.

They had a good thing with Xenogears, and if they reboot Xenogears and not go through the Xenosaga route, I can see it being a more successful franchise.

Resident Evil

Well this was a no brainer. Resident Evil. A franchise that defined the survival horror genre. First released in 1996 on the PlayStation, Resident Evil was one of the few games that would make you jump while playing. Everybody remembers the first cut-scene when Chris encounters his first zombie. This is a classic franchise that just kept growing after each title release. But sadly, Resident Evil evolved into a more action-oriented franchise. Exhibit A: The Resident Evil movies, Exhibit B: Resident Evil 6. Resident Evil slowly exited the survival horror genre and quickly jumped into the lines of action adventure and third person shooter.

The evolution was noticeable during Resident Evil 4, the first Resident Evil game that abandoned the still camera method of past games, and replaced it with an over the shoulder camera. Plus, no more zombies. Then Resident Evil 5 came and introduced co-op for the first time. Again, no traditional zombies, and had gameplay that was more about the action than anything else. Then the evolution was complete. The Resident Evil franchise has finally transformed itself into a non-resident evil  game in Resident Evil 6, with all the Hollywood explosions and mindless shooting that would make any of those Resident Evil movie directors proud. Don't get me started with the story.

This franchise screams for a reboot. Go back to your roots Capcom. Get the story close to at least  sane levels, and Get this generation of gamers a good scare for once. Capcom has clearly ran out of ideas with their latest entries, and it only makes sense to just start over.

Baldur's Gate

Before Bioware paired up with EA, they were once known as the creators Baldur's Gate. This fantasy RPG is a true PC classic. The first game was released back in 1998 and I still remember my love of the magic missile spell and the amazing feature of pausing combat by simply pressing a button in order to plan out your moves. From the release of the first game all the way up to 2001, Bioware has released an expansion for the original game, a sequel, and an expansion for the sequel.

From there, Bioware moved on, and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance was born. With a new developer on hand, they tried to make something different with Dark Alliance, and it became an action RPG game  similar to Diablo. The hack and slash did well enough to earn itself a sequel, but after that, no more Baldur's Gate game. The last game with Baldur's Gate in its title was Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 released in 2004. It has been nearly a decade since we got another Baldur's Gate game and it's a shame really. Atari released Enhanced editions of the first two games last year, but no true sequel until now. With the big success of Dragon Age (successor to the Baldur's Gate franchise since they share the same gameplay mechanics), I think Bioware should really consider Baldur's Gate again.

Crash Bandicoot

PlayStation One's original mascot in my eyes, Crash Bandicoot is one game that needs to return. Crash Bandicoot first appeared in 1996 under the now famous developers Naughty Dog ( Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, The Last of Us), this platformer was one of  my favorites growing up. It was no Mario, but it's definitely Sony's best in that genre. From 1996 - 2008, 7  main Crash Bandicoot titles were made, with the last four titles not developed by Naughty Dog. Spin-offs like Crash Team Racing and other titles brought the franchise to other genres, but they were nothing compared to the original three.

The last  game released was Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2, which is an iOS title released by Activision. Why the sudden disappearance? I'm not too sure, but I'm sure it has something to do with legal rights to the series. Hopefully a miracle happens, and we see Crash make a glorious comeback. I'm still holding the torch demanding Sony to include Crash Bandicoot in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale. The game just seems wrong without him.

What about you? Got any games in mind that are in dire need of a reboot? Hit the comments below.

Review: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (3DS)

Square-Enix’s latest offering for the 3DS is none other than a rhythm title based off the beloved Final Fantasy franchise. Even as a lifelong fan of the series I’ll admit that at first I was scratching my head at the idea, thinking that this was simply another cash-in by the company to milk their fanbase, but after watching some gameplay videos that showed off the wonderful execution, I was hooked on the idea and picked it up the day of release. What I discovered surprised me in many ways.

The Eternal Battle between Cosmos and Chaos

Continuing the spirit of the PSP Dissidia games, Theatrhythm pits the player in the midst of a feud between the two gods Cosmos and Chaos. This time, though, the battleground is Rhythm, the space connecting the two. A magic crystal (the symbol of pretty much every FF game) is the key to restoring the balance between them. By successfully completing songs with the aid of beloved Final Fantasy protagonists, the player acquires Rhythmia, returning light to the crystal and restoring the world to normalcy.

There isn’t much of a plot to the game as it relies heavily on players’ knowledge of the FF universe, but the Rhythmia gained by completing songs is used to unlock a plethora of extra modes and content. For a 3DS game, there’s a surprising amount of songs, although many of them end up being a little on the short side for quick gameplay sessions. I’ve unlocked over 70 so far, and they span the entire history of Final Fantasy, from the first game in 1987 to 2010’s Final Fantasy XIII, as the troubled FFXIV is apparently deemed unworthy of inclusion, possibly because the company is still trying to fix and re-release the title.

The game’s party system is a real treat for fans, as right off the bat you’re given the choice to form an elite party comprised of four Final Fantasy main protagonists. In true RPG fashion they can level up, equip handy abilities, use items and even have stat parameters: Strength, Agility, Magic and Luck. Strength and Magic are useful in the Battle Music mode, while Agility is helpful for reaching the prize at the end of Field Music levels and Luck determines the items you receive. I leveled-up all the characters equally, but it’s tempting to make a main team of your favorites (in my case, Squall, Lightning, Cecil and Tidus). The roster of unlockable characters does not disappoint, either.

Three Gameplay Modes to Relive the Memories

The gameplay itself involves touching, sliding and holding the stylus on the touch screen in time with the music. It differs a bit depending on the type of song you’re playing (Field, Battle or Event), but the overall mechanics are dead simple. Rhythm vets who’ve played the acclaimed Elite Beat Agents or Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! For the DS will feel right at home here. The main difference between Theatrhythm and those games is that all the action here takes place on the top screen, so you don’t have to angle your stylus around your field of vision to carefully hit marks on the bottom screen. As a result, the timing and precision of your motions is more important than pinpoint accuracy, making for a faster and cleaner, if much less demanding, rhythm experience.

In Series mode, every numbered Final Fantasy is represented with five songs, with three of them comprising the real meat of the gameplay: Field Music, which incorporates carefully chosen overworld music and maps from the game in question, Battle Music, which is faster and highlights select battle songs and enemies from each game, and Event Music, where you play a memorable song from the story mode of each game with dramatic edits of the game’s FMV sequences in the background. There are minimal differences in gameplay between these modes, but for the most part you will be performing similar actions to the beat.

The optional Intro and Ending songs are unfortunately both simple affairs relegated to timing stylus presses on the screen for Rhythmia. They’re included more for nostalgic purposes than anything else, although I would have liked for the Ending songs to be more fleshed-out, gameplay-wise.

My only complaint about Series mode is that the songs are fairly easy and as an Elite Beat Agents addict, I S-ranked many of those most familiar to me on the first try.

Thankfully, in Challenge mode you have the option of playing on the Challenge and Ultimate difficulties, which up the note speed and count significantly. Getting an S-rank on Ultimate involves memorization and lightning-fast reflexes and may even leave you with carpal tunnel syndrome. As you acquire more Rhythmia throughout the game, more and more classic songs become available to play. The way the game keeps pushing the player towards mastery makes each new acquisition feel like you’ve really earned it.

To date, I’ve spent over 30 hours with the game and still haven’t unlocked every extra song. There’s paid DLC as well, a first for the Nintendo handheld. I intend to purchase some additional songs once I unlock every other track in the game.

The third and most unique gameplay mode are the Dark Notes, which randomly combine a Field Music level with a Battle Music level. This is the true gauntlet of the game, where each Dark Note you play becomes more challenging. Each of the Dark Notes has a different note layout, making for a virtually endless amount of possibilities. What surprised me was that some of the Dark Notes are more fun to play and master than the actual songs, and each of them has three separate bosses to face, with three items each. Many of the bosses carry crystal shards that unlock secret characters, so there’s a lot of incentive to master these, and it’s possible to store up to 99 Dark Notes in the system’s memory. The ability to save your favorites makes it easy to organize them and ensure you don’t accidentally delete your top picks.

There’s also a local multiplayer mode supporting between 2 and 4 people. I was unable to try this out since I don’t know anyone else with a 3DS nearby. The game also supports the 3DS’ StreetPass feature, allowing players to swap favorite Dark Notes with passing travelers. Unfortunately there’s no online options, but perhaps that’s inevitable given that lag will easily break a rhythm game.

Fan service from beginning to end

As if the three main gameplay modes weren’t enough, developers Indieszero really pulled out all the stops in order to make this game a love letter to the fans, packing the title with tons of goodies. There’s a large Museum where you can view edits of FMV sequences from the series’ games, fill out a scrapbook of cards that doubles as a dossier for the characters and enemies and can be leveled up to Holofoil status, and listen to the game’s many songs. Within the Museum’s log, Theatrhythm also drops hints as to what you have to do in order to reveal more content and earn Trophies. I didn’t expect to get so much play time out of a handheld rhythm title, but I found myself staying up late nights till my 3DS’ battery died, playing my heart out to unlock the extra goodies.

Part of what makes the game so addicting is the inviting presentation. The characters are drawn in an adorable hand-drawn sprite style that completely fits, tying twenty-five years of classic RPG worlds together in one chibi universe. The backgrounds in the Field Music stages take you back to the overworld maps of your favorite games and even give you the chance to ride a chocobo, while the Battle Music levels recreate some of the more memorable boss battle locations. These battles are where the game’s simple but effective art style really shines, as each successful note hit results in an attack and builds towards the casting of magic spells. During each battle there’s a chance to summon a Guardian Force (GF) to assist your party by scoring high enough during “Feature Zone” segments. Ifrit, Ramuh and Shiva all look fantastic and the presentation is fun and cinematic without interfering with the core gameplay. Even in the menus, the graphics are bold, crisp and lively.

Perhaps the most surprising and useful touch is how the 3D is used. With the slider up, the notes themselves pop out in 3D, making it easier to distinguish them from the background, especially when things tend to get chaotic. I played the game as much as possible in 3D and hardly ever noticed the subtle effect, but without it my accuracy faltered.

Whether the quality of the game’s music would be up to snuff was one of my biggest reservations, but the 3DS does an impressive job. There’s very little discernable compression on the audio tracks, a big problem with rhythm games on the DS. I’m pleased to report that I encountered no clipping; the songs here are of much higher fidelity. Dedicated series composer Nobuo Uematsu would be proud, and indeed I read that playing the game was a real emotional journey for him. The tunes sound great all around, even through a decent pair of speakers, and the sound effects are never distracting. I also very much appreciated the option to determine how loud the chimes sound whenever you hit a correct note. It may sound like a small concern, but you hear the sound so often during gameplay that the ability to turn it down is a major blessing that I hope other rhythm developers emulate in the future.

A fantastic rhythm game you don’t want to miss

What I had expected to be a cheap cash-in turned out to be the most-played game on my 3DS so far this year. This is the handheld sleeper hit of the summer. My only real complaints are that the Series mode is too easy, most of the songs are a little on the short side, and some of my favorite tracks and characters didn’t make the cut. But for the amount of content available, the game is a great value.

My recommendation is simple: if you have a 3DS and if you are or used to be a Final Fantasy fan, there’s no point in waiting any longer. Pick up Theatrhythm right now. Don’t even finish this review. Head to the nearest mall and grab your title before it becomes a collector’s item.

Even if you’re a Final Fantasy fan with no experience in rhythm games, there’s a very good chance this will be the title that turns you into a lover of the genre.

Conversely, however, if you enjoy rhythm games but don’t have any experience with Final Fantasy and plan to play any of the series’ wonderful games in the future, I would recommend playing between three and five Final Fantasy titlesbefore tackling this one. For one, there are some massive story spoilers in the Event Music sequences. On top of that, if you’re unfamiliar with the worlds, music and characters, you’re kind of missing out on the true joys of this game. And lastly, if you’ve no interest in Final Fantasy but simply love tapping to the beat, then by all means, take the plunge.

Score: 92/100

Pros:

-       Great song selection

-       Over 30 hours of addicting rhythm gameplay

-       Astounding amount of extras and unlockable content

Cons:

-       Songs are generally short

-       Series mode is way too easy

-       The game isn’t made for anyone who isn’t already a fan of Final Fantasy

A bigger and possibly better 3DS has been announced by Nintendo

If you were planning to get a 3DS, I suggest you wait a few months. During Nintendo's direct video, the company announced a new 3DS that's literally a bigger version of the handheld. What you're getting out of this new 3DS is a bigger top screen and bottom screen. That and longer battery life. In Japan, the new 3DS will be called the Nintendo 3DS LL, but when it gets released in North America and other parts of the world, Nintendo XL. Yea, have no idea why they could have called it XL for both. 

The bigger screens are said to be 90% larger than the old 3DS. The top screen will be 4.88 inches while the bottom screen will be at 4.18 inches. An adapter sadly will not be included because they say it is compatible with the 3DS and DSi XL adapter. Still Nintendo, assume people who haven't bought your hardware exist please.

Japan gets first dibs as usual. The Nintendo 3DS LL/XL will be available in Japan on July 28 for ¥18,900 (PHP10,006.23). For the North American release of the 3DS LL/XL, it has also been announced and will be available on August 19 for $199.99 (PHP 8199.59).

Does a bigger screen and longer battery life a strong enough incentive to get a new piece of hardware? The Nintendo DSi XL did do well. All I thought about when I heard about the announcement is that turning on the 3D will definitely strain your eyes faster thus not having battery life issues since I'll actually stop using the device, and making the screen bigger might just give me a headache. Just my two cents.

[Source: Nintendo Direct, Joystiq]

The next generation of consoles will be the last, says David Jaffe

Bold statement. The God of War and Twisted Metal creator thinks that in the next ten years, consoles won't be around anymore. The successors of current consoles will be the last for gaming consoles. It's possible, since change always happen. The gaming industry was completely different back then and in ten years, we'll be talking on how crazy it was back then.  Not too sure yet, since we have no idea what Sony and Microsoft has in store for us, but if consoles do become a thing of the past, I don't mind that thought at all. 

"Look, consoles are going away. I think in 10 years - probably sooner, but 10 years is always the safe thing to say so you don't sound like an idiot - but here's what I'll say: I'll go on the record and say that the next generation of hardware will be the last consoles. And they should be," David Jeff said during an interview with GamesIndustry

"It doesn't mean you won't buy a piece of hardware from Sony, but you'll probably buy a television that streams the stuff. And you'll still have Sony, loud and proud and strong making these great, big, epic games like God of War and Uncharted, and they'll be making great little games like Sound Shapes, but they'll become more like movie studios for video games. I'll be able to stream in the next Uncharted and Plants vs Zombies and you won't even think about it. It'll just be like I can watch a public access show on my TV or I can watch Avatar."

"So this is the last generation of consoles coming up. I'm going to go out on a limb, because why the f**k not? I don't care if I'm wrong, I'm not a business guy. I think next-gen consoles are going to do 40 percent of [the sales volume] of the current gen hardware."

"The asteroid has hit the Earth, the dust cloud is covering the sun and the dinosaurs are on the way out - but not the games! We'll always have great games and bleeding edge graphics... it's just going to be a new delivery mechanism."

Can the gaming industry live without consoles?  It's slowly leading to that. Even physical copies of video games will be a thing of the past in the next few years. Technology evolves in such a rapid rate that its hard to tell how the industry will be in the next 10 years. Sony and Microsoft has yet to announce the successor to the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360, and only then will we get a clearer picture of the future.

The Wii U is the start of the next cycle and David Jaffe isn't too impress with what it brings.

"I don't see the Wii U and say 'oh my God I have to have that.' But with new hardware that's usually the case; the software's going to drive it. Or it's like Apple and the hardware is so elegantly designed that it's like, 'Oh they make toilet plungers? I'll buy it!' I played some games, I enjoyed Rayman... it's not like I'm knocking it but I would say that I wasn't blown away by any individual piece of software that was exclusive to Wii U," Jaffe commented.

"But their audience isn't necessarily core gamers like you or the analysts you talk to, so I could still see Wii U being mainstream. But honestly though, if I had to put money down, I think that the iPhone and the iPad has basically taken the market that was so excited by the Wii and so I think Wii U is not going to be anywhere near the success of the Wii. But I don't f***ing know - I mean I thought PSP was going to clobber the DS. I'm in the industry, I make a living in the industry, but I have no track record of guessing this shit."

The Wii U is still a confusing piece of hardware even after two E3 presentations. Does Nintendo intend to catch the casual market again? Or core gamers? I'm not quite sure. If they do continue to focus on the causal market, the Wii U will indeed have a hard time with iPhone/iPad games , and even social network games that currently rule the market.

Do you also agree that the next batch of consoles will be the last? Hit the comments and lets get a conversation going.

E3 2012: The highs and lows of the big three

E3 press conferences are over and the show floor is open. Who got most of the attention? Which press conference was the best? Well, lets start by saying - E3 2012 press conference's overall was pretty bad. While there were amazing game demo's, the overall presentation for the big three left a bad taste in my mouth. With Microsoft's Usher performance that came out of nowhere, to Sony's Wonderbook, to Nintendo having awkward discussions on stage, each press conference made me shake my head in disappointment. Here are the highs and lows of the big three's press conferences.

Microsoft Press Conference 

+ Great third-party game demos - This shocked me in Microsoft's press conference. Game's like Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and even Resident Evil 6 made its appearance at the Microsoft stage, impressing the audience with a live gameplay demo.Tomb Raider and Splinter Cell is definitely on my to-buy list. Resident Evil 6 though I need more convincing. Is it even Resident Evil anymore?

- No new exclusive Xbox 360 titles - This is what I was hoping to see during the press conference - A reveal of a new title that could stand side by side with Microsoft's most beloved franchises. Instead, we got the a safe lineup - Halo 4 and Gears of War: Judgement. People will still love it I'm sure, but just one new title would do for me.

+ Microsoft SmartGlass - Microsoft revealed a neat application. This is their answer to Wii U's gamepad features and pretty much offers the same deal. An extra screen and yet another way to control your console. What makes SmartGlass amazing is the fact that you can use this application on any smartphone or tablet device. As long as your device is being runned by Windows 8, iOS, or Android, you can use SmartGlass. Pure genius Microsoft, but what a low blow.

- Kinect heavy announcements - Sadly, this was inevitable. If we had to predict what Microsoft would do for this E3, it would be them going heavy with the Kinect, and that's what they did. Kinect's voice recognition was presented in a lot of presentations. From Splinter Cell being able to use your voice to call support, to Madden 13.  They also announced a number of Kinect games as well as a game that has a similar concept to Angry Birds. Kudos to Microsoft though for jumbling those Kinect announcements with third-party game demos. It was bad enough seeing them, but seeing them revealed one after the other is bad.

- Dance Central 3 reveal with Usher performance - Yes! They actually had Usher show up and perform. And were not talking about a 1 minute short performance, I'm talking about a whole song. When Dance Central 3 was revealed, instead of just showing the same old game(Because thats really what it is) they dumped the crowd with Usher, with the Dance Central 3 being shown in the monitors during the performance. I vowed never to see an Usher performance, but I did thanks to Microsoft. It was a trap!

Sony Press Conference 

+ Reveal of David Cage's new game - Beyond: Two Souls - Sony always states that they are always in the mercy of core gamers and they tried to show that by starting the show with a new title exclusive to Playstation 3. Exclusives are pretty rare now, and I'm happy to see new 1st party titles showing up and taking the risks. Beyond: Two Souls is Heavy Rain creator's next game. To sum it up real quick - Its Heavy Rain with a lot more action. That's how I understand it. The trailer did not give much on how the game is played but Quantic Dreams are aiming to bring the same quality shown in Heavy Rain but add more excitement to the gamers. The protagonist is also played by Ellen Page. Funny how she is sort of linked to two PS3 exclusives.

- Wonderbook - This was pretty unusual, Definitely aimed for the casual market, Wonderbook is a new peripheral for the Playstation 3 that serves as an augmented reality device. You place the book on your lap, and with the help of the PS eye, you can see intractable images in Wonderbook in your TV. Think of it as 3DS's augmented reality feature with the cards. It's a good piece of tech but looks a bit raw for now. The fact that it only has one title for it called the Book of Spells (being collaborated with J. K Rowling) and that you need the PS Move and the PS Eye as well to make it work. Its a educational device for children but we need to see more.

- Not many PS Vita announcements - We all know the PS Vita is only a few months old, but we also know that the handheld market is pretty darn crowded these days. They needed more titles to keep people interested and prevent dust from gathering on their devices. Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified and Playstation: All-Stars Battle Royale cross play was a good start, but it's not enough. I'm sure Vita owners agree.

+ The Last of Us Gameplay Demo - This is what I was waiting for - First look at The Last of Us gameplay, and boy, did it deliver. If Ellie's AI is actually a reliable source in the game, then Naughty Dog succeeded. We all know how much of a pain AI companions can be, so hopefully they found a solution to that problem. Sony is really pushing exclusive titles for the Playstation 3 and kudos to them for taking such risks. New IP's are always a risk since its unfamiliar to the market.

- No Kevin Butler - Come on Sony! We all know he is the perfect host for E3. No KB on a Sony press conference feels wrong and you know it.

Nintendo Press Conference

+ Pikmin 3 announcement - Nintendo needs exclusive titles, and Pikmin 3 felt like a good start. But from how they revealed the game gave you an idea that this wasn't their focus. While Pikmin 3 looked great with better graphics and such, most of the presentation was about the Wii U gamepay and what it gives the player.

- Third Party support feels a bit weak still - With Nintendo having third-party support, I was expecting a world premiere of a game coming from a big company. Instead, we got Batman Arkham City : Armored Edition - A game almost a year old with some Wii U features. No matter what they say, it's still an old game, and putting new costume, and new ways to play the game doesn't make it worth the full retail price.

- Too much emphasis on the Wii U GamePad - It really felt like part 2 when they revealed the Wii U. We know what it can do already, but can you give us a reason to buy the Wii U console? I consider the new controller amazing, but with so much focus on it, and no focus at all on the console, can you make the GamePad a compatible with the Wii? So I can buy it separately for it? Because you brought a good presentation for it, and now all I want is just that controller. Screw the console.

+ Zombi U announcement - This is what we needed to see, but that was just it. Zombi U is exclusive to the Wii U and it looks amazing. A perfect way to use the new features of the console and I really can't wait to see more if it. This is what we wanted from the Nintendo presentation - Game reveals to make us want the console. Not a detailed explanation of how to play Luigi's Ghost Mansion with the Wii U GamePad features. Seriously, that was just too long.

- No Zelda, Smash Bros, Mario, Metroid for the Wii U - I really don't understand Nintendo. They announce third-party support and graphics somewhat in-par with current consoles, but they don't give any flagship exclusive to get us all excited inside. Yes we do want a Zelda or Mario game with the same graphics power as the 360 and PS3. At least one big game announcement like that would cover core gamers, but sadly we'll have to settle with Pikmin 3. Better than having nothing at all I guess. It was announced that a new Mario game for the Wii U would be revealed. But all we got was Super Mario Bros. U, exactly the same game now on the 3DS and Wii, just added features thanks to the GamePad... again.

So there you have it. Not the E3 press conference I was looking for. Especially with Nintendo, they are first in line to bring us the next-gen console. Sadly, this doesn't look like it... yet. It was make or break, impress us or leave a bad first impression forever. Who won E3 among the three? None. If I had to pick a press conference, I'd go with Ubisoft. Have you seen Watch Dogs? Great reveal.

E3 is not over yet. The press conferences may be over but there are still two days for other companies to show off their games to the public. Go ahead to Gamespot or GameTrailers to see live coverages of each third-party game in E3.