Well another E3 has come and gone. The Electronic Entertainment Expo is the largest trade show for the video game industry, and since I went this year, here’s my coverage of it! Now, I’m going to do things a bit differently for my articles. Most of the hardcore gaming sites out there have already covered the popular and mainstream games. But I never see any coverage of some of the smaller games and family-friendly titles. So since that’s where my interests lie, and since this site is called GamingWithChildren.com, that’s what I’m going to cover. Plus I’m only one person, so I can’t cover ALL the games! So if you want to read about Modern Warfare 3 or Halo 4, you might want to go elsewhere. But click here if you want to know more about some of the family friendly titles shown you may have missed during the E3 frenzy. (of course, every now and then I might cover a T or M rated game) So here’s Day 1 of my E3 adventures!

Zen Studios

Even before the show started I had a meeting with Zen Studios, who are responsible for the Pinball FX games on 360 and Zen Pinball on PSN, among other things. They showed me a sneak peek at some of their upcoming titles. I can’t talk about them yet, but they have a lot of surprises in store!

Capcom

When the show opened, I went straight for the West Hall. Right in the front was Capcom’s booth, so I stopped there first. I have to say I was a little disappointed with Capcom’s showings at E3. Don’t get me wrong, they had a lot of cool games, like Street Fighter X Tekken, some Resident Evil stuff, and other things. But I was hoping they’d have a more variety of titles, like Mega Man Legends 3. I think they had a better showing at last year’s PAX.

Nintendo

Nintendo almost always has a showstopper at E3, and this year was no exception thanks to the announcement of their new console, the Wii U. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to play it. The line inside the booth was an hour long, but the line also wrapped around the outside of the booth, so it was probably more than two hours. I’m sorry, but I’m not waiting that long to play a game system that won’t even be out for another year and a half. On the third day of the show, I got there early to try and get in to play the Wii U, but when the show opened, everyone was running and pushing and shoving, even though the security guards said not to do that. Well, I’m not going to do that, so by the time I got there, the line was wrapped around the booth again. Oh well. One of the things I did see was New Super Mario Bros. Mii, which lets you use your Mii characters in a 2-D Mario game. Later I saw a video that stressed that it’s not a real game, but I bet Nintendo makes it one someday.

I at least got to HOLD the Wii U, though. In the middle of the floor, Nintendo’s booth lady helpers let you take a look at the controller, so I took a picture of me holding it. That’s my hand in the picture. It kind of reminds me of holding two Wii remote controllers with a screen in the middle, with the start, select, and home buttons on the bottom like the 3DS has. And no, the Wii U is not red, the spotlights in the booth just changed as I was taking the picture. Either that or I was in a submarine about to dive. And I know it’s so last decade to make fun of the name of the Wii, but I’m going to do it again anyway. Wii U sounds like what you say when someone just farted. “Whee-eww! Who let out that air biscuit?”

The other game I didn’t get a chance to play because the line was too long was The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. But that’s OK because Zelda games are best played when they come out and you can really sink your teeth into them. So I was happy just watching others play it. Looks like a more colorful version of Twilight Princess, which is good because one of the problems I had with TP was the graphics were too muddy and smeary and brown-ey. Link looks like he hangs out with a more colorful and varied cast of characters, too. And they ride on giant birds. When they showed the Skyward Sword video at Nintendo’s booth, the birds in the center would caw and crow loudly.

The first game I actually got to play at E3 was Kirby Wii. They don’t have an official name for it yet, but I think they should call it Kirby Super Star 2, because that’s essentially what it is. More traditional than Epic Yarn, Kirby can swallow enemies with the 2 button. And if you shake the Wii remote while Kirby is inhaling, you can do a super suck to reel in even more stuff! Kirby can also power up his copy moves by getting two of the same powers. I did this with Kirby’s sword ability. Level up and Kirby swings a huge scimitar and breaks blocks and pillars in his way! One of Kirby’s new powers has him donning a fedora and using a whip. It’s Indiana Kirby! But what makes it really remind me of a sequel to Kirby Super Star is that four people can play at the same time! Kind of like a Kirby version of New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The other players control Metaknight, King Dedede, and a bandana wearing, spear wielding Waddle Dee.

I also played the Wii version of Rhythm Heaven. Looks like more of the same from the DS game, but I hope the controls are better on the Wii. I played a game where you push the A button to make a samurai swing his sword in time with the music. But the game flashes pictures that got in the way. Also, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do since it was all in Japanese. They also showed Wii Play Motion, which comes out soon and I plan to get it, so I didn’t play it at E3.

There’s also a board game on the Wii coming out called Fortune Street, which stars both Mario and Dragon Quest characters! The game is like a cross between Mario Party and Monopoly, and I’m surprised they’re bringing it to the US! In Japan there are several versions of it starring various characters, like ones from Final Fantasy. Speaking of Mario Party, Nintendo also announced Mario Party 9. I’m not sure if it was playable or not at E3, but don’t they have too many Mario Party games as it is?

In the back of Nintendo’s booth was a raised area where you could play 3DS games. I got to play most of the ones I wanted fairly quickly without having to wait in lines, which was good. One thing I should warn you is that since I’ve been blind in my left eye since birth, I can’t see the 3D effects of the 3DS, so I can’t tell you about that in these E3 articles. The first one I tried was the new Super Mario 3D game (probably won’t be the final title). It reminded me of a cross between Super Mario 64 and New Super Mario on the DS. It’s a 3-D platformer, but rather than trying to collect stars or shines, you just have to get to the end of the linear levels and touch the flagpole. Power-ups include the traditional Fire Flower and the return of the Tanooki Suit, which lets Mario swing his tail at enemies and float to the ground after a jump. Not sure if he can fly or turn into a statue with it, though.

The demo had four stages you could try. A green grassy early level, an underground stage, a level set high in the sky with switches that would temporarily make platforms appear (this stage was pretty hard). And finally a level on an airship, just like Mario 3. The airship level even had a Boom Boom Koopa as a boss. Remember those guys? Anyway, it’s a fun game, but not as innovative as you might think. While I was playing, one of the Nintendo booth ladies kept clamoring on how good I was at Mario. While I’m sure she said that to EVERYONE who played, it was nice to hear someone actually say I was good at video games, as I don’t hear that very often. And I got a cool Mario pin, too!

Speaking of Mario, another 3DS game I played was Mario Kart! It’s more of the same racing fun, but they did add a few things. You can edit parts of your kart now, and change up the chassis and wheels. Word of warning, the big monster truck wheels make it harder to control. New to the series is that when you drive up a ramp and launch in the air, you can slow your decent by opening up a hang glider! And usually when you fall into the water in a Mario Kart game, you’ll be whisked right back on the track. But not here! If you fall in the water, your kart will sprout a propeller and you can continue racing underwater! I played a typical Mario themed track with lots of ramps and jumps for you to use the hang glider on, avoiding pipes all the way down. Another track was a Donkey Kong jungle level, complete with those enemy drums from DKC Returns!

Another surprise I played was Luigi’s Mansion 2! I loved the first one on GameCube. Looks like the sequel has Prof. E. Gadd sending Luigi to a digital mansion. This one seems like more of the same, but I didn’t like the controls as much. Luigi’s flashlight is always on, so in order to stun the ghosts, you have to hold down the button and charge it to make the light flash big for a second. Charging hinders Luigi’s movements, so I preferred just turning the light on to stun the ghosts in the GameCube version. Also, you have to press the Y button to move Luigi’s flashlight up. I preferred the dual analog controls on the GameCube. Vacuum controls work well, though. I also thought the ghosts looked cooler on the GameCube. But, it did take me a while to get used to the controls on the GameCube version, but once I did, it became second nature. So I’m sure that will be the same way on the DS, too. I’m glad they’re bringing Luigi back, and at E3 they even gave me a cool Luigi pin after playing!

Other playable 3DS games included Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Kid Icarus Uprising, and Star Fox 64 3D. But I didn’t play those because I wasn’t quite as excited about them. I wish that Animal Crossing was playable, but you can download videos of it on your Wii and DS. Same goes with most of the other games mentioned here, as well as others like Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2, and Paper Mario 3DS. Finally, I nearly freaked when I saw the video for Kirby Mass Attack, a new Kirby game on DS where you use the stylus to control ten little Kirbys to solve puzzles. Man I wish it was playable! It comes out September 19, which is right after my birthday! I’m super happy that we’re getting TWO Kirby games! If you can’t tell already, I really like Kirby. Even more than Mario! Anyway, that’s all I saw at Nintendo’s booth!

Majesco

Another meeting I had the first day was with Majesco. They have a wide variety of titles coming out this holiday for all ages, and I’m excited about all of them.

Anyone who says the Kinect doesn’t have enough games will be glad to know there were TONS at E3. I think I saw more Kinect 360 titles than regular 360 games. Anyway, Majesco had three shown at E3. The first was Hulk Hogan’s Main Event. Not really a wrestling game, but allows you to do more of the showboating stuff, like bonk the other players heads with a folding chair. You can create your own crazy wrestler, and while the game is a bit more violent, it really doesn’t seem so since all the characters look like action figures. Even Hulk Hogan. The real life Hulk Hogan was at E3, but I guess I missed him.

Another Kinect game was Take Shape, which required one or two players to arrange their bodies to make the shape on screen as best they can. Crazy shapes include a teapot and a heart, and when you have two players, you can get into some really, ah, weird positions! There’s also a game mode that plays a lot like the popular TV game show Hole in the Wall. Their last Kinect game was Mind’n Motion, which reminded me of Namco’s own Brain and Body Connection. They also had Zumba Fitness 2, but only in video.

Majesco had tons of 3DS games, too. The Hidden plays a lot like Face Raider except with ghosts. The storyline has a Ghost Hunters TAPS vibe to it, which is cool since one of my guilty pleasures is watching those dumb ghost shows. Plus, Ghostbusters is one of my all-time favorite movies. Another game was Face Racers: Photo Finish, which was basically Mario Kart except you can put your face on the racers using the 3DS camera. Nano Assault was made by the same folks who did Nanostray and Iridion, and looks like a cross between a 3-D shooter and Super Mario Galaxy. Finally, they’re making a 3DS game based on Jaws, where you get to be the shark!

One of Majesco’s most popular series, Cooking Mama, is back in a big way. There’s even a Cooking Mama game on Facebook coming out! Also, Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic on 3DS features graphics comparable to the Wii versions, and more ways to create your own recipes. And on DS, Mama goes outdoors with Camping Mama: Outdoor Adventures. This one has more of an adventure feel, as you play as one of the kids and view the action in a top down perspective. Mama will have various quests for you, such as collecting firewood, and along the way you might have to play a camping themed mini-game or two. Just watch out for pesky monkeys!

Finally, Majesco managed to do the impossible: make me interested in a BloodRayne game. I hate vampires, they’re gross and I don’t know why people think they’re so alluring. And I was never interested in the BloodRayne 3-D games or movies. So why would I want to play the new BloodRayne Betrayal, an upcoming downloadable game for Xbox Live and PSN? Well, for one, it’s a 2-D platforming hack and slash this time, with more cartoony graphics and tons of animation. And two, it’s made by WayForward, who also developed other great titles like Shantae and Majesco’s own A Boy and His Blob. BloodRayne in this game has all sorts of stylish moves, and can suck out enemies’ blood all the way for health, or just partly to make them explode in a Blood Bomb to create combos. Obviously, it’s going to be rated Tor higher, but even though there’s a lot of blood, it’s so over the top it’s almost more cartoony than violent. But it looks to play very well and will have all sorts of cool unlockable goodies, so it’ll end up being the first vampire video game I’ll be willing to play since Kid Dracula!

Sony

When I wasn’t in meetings, I was checking out the other booths at E3. Sony’s was right next to Nintendo’s, but I didn’t spend much time in there because their booth was so disorganized and messy, and I couldn’t find where things were. Nintendo’s booth was easy, playable Wii games in the middle, Wii U stuff on the sides, and 3DS stuff in the back. Sony did announce their new handheld called the PS Vita, but I wasn’t sure where it was at their booth. Plus I imagine there was a two hour long wait to see it, too. I’m sure it’ll be a cool handheld, though, as the PSP was one of the only few that could truly compete with Nintendo’s.

But there was one game at Sony’s that really caught my eye, a cute and colorful downloadable PS3 title called Okabu. You play as a flying Cloud Whale, and you can dive into water and carry it over fields to make it rain over them to make plants grow. Looks like you fly about and try to help people, and two players can play at the same time. I bet it’ll be a great game for parents and kids and siblings to pay together.

UTV Ignition

They had a lot of games that looked interesting to me, too. I almost wished I had set up a meeting with them at the show! Magical Drop V for PC was a big surprise, as I have a bunch of friends who really got into previous installments of the puzzler back in the day. Mercury Hg for Xbox Live and PSN has you moving a blob of mercury around a maze, and you can even tilt the maze with the PS3 controller. On the Wii they had a trivia game called National Geographic Challenge. Finally I played a game called Quarrel that was like a cross between a word game and a strategy game. I thought it was for consoles, but after reading a press release, it looks like Quarrel is only for iOS devices right now.

Bethseda

They showed two very popular titles: The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and Prey 2, but I didn’t really look at them much. You saw ads for them everywhere, though!

Gazillion

I also stopped by here to check out their free to play online game for kids called Marvel Super Hero Squad Online. It looks very good for a free to play online game, like console quality good. In the game, you collect cute ‘chibi’ versions of popular Marvel comics characters and work together to defeat the bad guys in action stages similar to the LEGO titles. Looks very easy to control and very kid friendly, and I think you can check it out now!

End of Day 1

After E3, I always go to Universal CityWalk to eat. Mainly because I know it’s in a safe place and I don’t have to waste time trying to find a good restaurant that’s not in a bad part of town.

One night we ate at a new place called Bubba-Gump Shrimp Co., based on the movie Forrest Gump. The drink menu was on a ping pong paddle, and to get your waiter’s attention, you flipped a sign that said “Run, Forrest, Run” to “Stop, Forrest, Stop!”

For dinner I ate shrimp tacos. Yeah, you won’t be smiling for very long Mister Big Shrimp!

And that’s all I did on Day 1 at E3. Click here to move on to Day 2!

Tags: Game Reviews