It looks like E3 is finally over and done with, and I know everyone is waiting with breathless anticipation for my ranking of the various consoles. Wait no longer!
1. Wii
After the initial skepticism about the “revolutionary” new console from Nintendo, the Wii started out strong with a two-hour wait to try it out. By Thursday, the wait was four hours, and the crowds didn’t die down the rest of the week. Nintendo finally showed off games for its new system (26 to be exact), and reactions were almost universally positive. There are still some details that need to be ironed out, such as a little too much sensitivity when using the pointer. But other than that, the Wii had a tremendous showing, with many highly-anticipated games the demonstrated that the new controller is not just a gimmick.
The Wii has everyone buzzing about its potential, and for the first time in a long time, it really got me excited about the potential for completely new types of gameplay. However, unlike some other systems (see below), they actually had a solid group of games to back up their claims, including some high-profile third-party games like Red Steel. Add in the always-on connectivity, the ability to play classic games by Nintendo and others, and the added surprises with the controller, and you have the smash hit of the show, hands down.
1.5. Nintendo DS
Okay, this isn’t technically one of the big three consoles, but I had to include the Nintendo DS in the mix, simply because, again, it had such a large variety of games to show off. There were a surprising number of first-party Nintendo titles being shown, including many sequels to old favorites: New Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Kirby, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2, Star Fox DS, and Yoshi’s Island 2. Then you have some surprising new games like Mario Hoops 3-on-3, and the completely bizarre but engrossing Elite Beat Agents, about a group of male cheerleaders.
And just like the Wii, the DS games displayed many examples of new and unique gameplay techniques. Tap the screen in Mario Hoops to control the rate and position of your dribbling. Tap in time with the music in Elite Beat Agents to perform the correct cheers. You can direct characters in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 Phantom Hourglass. In the third-party game Spectrobes, you can excavate fossils using the touch screen, and then get rid of dust and particles by blowing on the screen (thanks to the built-in microphone). And I haven’t even talked about the Wi-Fi internet connectivity. Developers keep coming up with more and more ways to use the unique advantages of the DS.
As for the hardware, the functional DS has been replaced by the sexy DS Lite, which is both smaller and lighter than the original, with brighter screen and a glossy white exterior just like the very best Apple products. This system is so impressive that there have been lines around the block in Japan just to get one, and they have been selling out consistently for months now. And remember, this isn’t even some new system; it is just an update to the current one. When an updated version continues to sell out, you know you have a hit on your hands.
2. Xbox 360
I will admit that the Xbox 360 games at the show looked excellent. However, I was a little put off by the number of first-person shooters. Oh look, this one is in the snow! This one is in the jungle! Oh, and this one takes place in a war-torn post-apocalyptic city! How original! There were however some stand-out titles that I saw, which I will discuss at a later date.
What really fascinates me about the 360 is the Xbox Live features, specifically Xbox Live Arcade. With cheap, simple, fun games that you can purchase and download, the 360 looks to be a great platform for the small developer who doesn’t have the multi-million-dollar budgets of an EA. And you will be able to play Lumines Live over Xbox Live, which almost sells the console right there. I think the system has a lot of potential, which pains me to say since I have been such a Sony fan since the first PlayStation. However, at $200 less than the PS3, it looks like a much better deal.
3. PlayStation 3
Microsoft’s Peter Moore recommended buying a Wii. No no, he hasn’t gone crazy; he simply pointed out that instead of a PlayStation 3, you could buy an Xbox 360 and a Wii for the same price. And you have to admit, he has a point. At $599 for a console, the games for the PlayStation 3 would have to be pretty impressive.
And honestly, they just weren’t. Sure, they looked pretty, but they were pretty versions of the same old gameplay. A sword-fighting game? A World War II(-ish) shooter? A prettier high-definition version of the same old Gran Turismo game? At least the pretty graphics will give me nice dreams while I fall asleep from the gameplay.
You know, I’m a huge Sony fan, and they really wouldn’t have had to do much to impress me. Sadly, they couldn’t even do that much. I mean, yeah the grass in Madden looks nicer, but in the end, the gameplay is still the same. I saw nothing to lead me to believe that the PS3 would take gaming to the next level, other than a lot of empty promises about Sony’s online service being the “Xbox Live killer,” and some stuff about how easy it will be to buy music and movies online. Yawn. I was not impressed by the PS3, and at this point, unless they come up with some amazing games between now and November, I predict that the 360 will beat them this holiday season, if not longer. I really wish I had something better to say about Sony, but I really don’t.
