As I mentioned before, Nicole and I will be re-capping everything we found awesome about this year’s E3 on tomorrow night’s show, but I’d like to talk a little bit about what should have been at E3. 2009 was a return to form from the bastardized E3 we suffered some years ago, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that the following should’ve made a grand appearance to really push the show over the top.
1. A new Zelda
I know, Twilight Princess only came out not too long ago, but Zelda’s proven to be a cash cow for Nintendo time and again. I know we’re getting Spirit Tracks for the DS and that it’ll sell a million without breaking a sweat but it would’ve been nice to hear the uproarious cheers from rabid Link fans, even if it would’ve only been overshadowed by…
2. Final Fantasy VII Remake
Yes, Final Fantasy had a reasonable showing this year between Final Fantasy XIII and a surprise preview of XIV which I’m pretty sure no one saw coming. However, with Sony losing exclusives left and right, confirming the dreams of Squenix fans the world over would be a system seller for sure. One that they could ultimately use while trailing behind Nintendo and Microsoft. Come on, Sony, we all know that wasn’t just a ‘tech demo’ from 2005…
3. A Stronger Showing from Cliffy B
Cliff Bleszinski has been quite the celebrity while working at Epic for his work on uber-successes Unreal Tournament and Gears of War. Keeping this in mind, it was disappointing that the veritable Microsoft poster boy revealed only Shadow Complex, a 2D military action game similar to Metroid and Castlevania in its presentation and gameplay. I’m not judging the game prematurely or anything, I just expected with someone of his industry star power taking the stage we could’ve at least gotten a teaser for the next Gears.
4. On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 3
I’ll admit I haven’t made my way through episodes 1 and 2 yet, but I know there’s a huge fan base out there and I always get excited about new content from Penny Arcade. The distinctive style of Mike’s art coupled with Jerry’s spot-on, humorous writing quickly made this one of my favorite Xbox Live Arcade titles. Maybe next year, if they aren’t too busy playing that new Metroid…
5. A New Portable Castlevania
Over the years I’ve played nearly every Castlevania that comes out (even what some considered a dreadful 64 debut) and I just can’t get enough of it. Granted, Hideo Kojima will be producing the next 3D version, Lord of Shadows, but that doesn’t change the fact that I want my precious DS version to make a return. They’re fantastic for quick, pick-up-and-play action and the presentation is always handled with care.
What did you miss at E3?
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