Here’s the thing about E3: there’s literally not enough time to see everything you want to, nor, even if you spent a measly 5 minutes per game, enough time to play every game on the show floor. That’s why we routinely send, like, half the staff. Even then, it’s juggling act. Everybody has an interest in, say, Final Fantasy XII, which means that time that might otherwise be spent, say, covering N-Gage just doesn’t happen.

I say that in jest, of course. The point I’m driving at, however, is that “Best of Show” lists are often best taken with a grain of salt. Such lists are fueled primarily by what the writer in question saw. Sometimes, those games are what you might expect. Other times, extenuating circumstances keep the game you’d expect out of the picture. For example, I’m sure the temptation was there for many to declare Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater as the PS2 Game of Show a year ago, even though all we really saw was a trailer. Likewise, a year ago, Halo 2 was the Xbox Game of Show for many, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it were again this year. Last year, there was at least a reason for it: the developer demo that left many a jaw dropped, and drool a-drippin’. This year? Nothing. Nada. Not even a video at the Microsoft booth. The only people who saw Halo 2, in fact, were those who rated a VIP invite. Given the several excellent Xbox titles that were on display this week, is it really fair to award Halo 2 any sort of Game of Show award?

I guess what I’m trying to say is that if your most anticipated game isn’t on this list, there’s a very good reason why. It doesn’t mean I’m not eagerly awaiting the game, and it doesn’t (necessarily) mean that I think the game is actually a stinker. It could simply mean that I didn’t have a chance to play it, or spend any significant amount of time with it. The upshot is that Jared and Jason will also be giving you their thoughts on the Best of Show (and possibly the Worst, as well). So don’t fret. My opinion is my own, and certainly not definitive; nor are theirs; between the three of us, however, you should have a pretty good idea of what’s looking hot, what’s not, what’s improving, and what’s in danger of irrelevance. And so, without further ado…my E3 2004 Show Impressions.

GameCube

Most Improved GameCube Game

First, a little background; one of the initiatives Nintendo began a year or so ago had to do with letting third party development houses try their hands at some of the Big N’s most treasured franchises. Sega stepped up with the superlative F-Zero GX, and all was well. When I got a look at Namco’s take on StarFox a year ago, not only did the visuals hurt my eyes, it looked for all the world as though it was doomed to be just a generic, multiplayer FPS with the StarFox brand. On the heels of StarFox Adventures, I had the sinking feeling that this might be it for Fox and the crew.

A year later, that cloud of pessimism has lifted. The Arwing is back (although there will likely be some ground-based missions), and the game’s overall visuals are finally starting to take advantage of what GameCube can do. Time will tell, but StarFox is looking like a game I can be excited about again.

Most Surprising GameCube Announcement…Kinda

Okay, so I don’t think anybody was really all that surprised by the announcement of a new Legend of Zelda title. After all, lukewarm third party support means that Nintendo’s best-known franchises have had to take a larger role in providing software for its flagship machine. If not for F-Zero GX, Metroid Prime, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and, yes, even Pokémon Colosseum, it’s a fairly reasonable assumption that even at the current $99 MSRP, GameCube wouldn’t remotely be in the hunt.

So it should surprise nobody that new games in the Metroid and Zelda universes are headed to the ‘Cube. What IS fairly shocking is how, after months of suggesting that they’d be perfectly happy to have the next Zelda follow in Wind Waker’s cel-shaded footsteps, Nintendo pulled an about face and brought back the “mature” Link for which gamers have clamored. It’s a brilliant masterstroke, as previous Nintendo gamers who originally passed on the GameCube in favor of a PlayStation 2 or an Xbox now have double incentive, along with the aforementioned $99 price point, to pick up a GameCube as well.

Aside from the change in graphical direction, little is known about the game – plot points, gameplay dynamics, or even the game’s final title. In a way, though, it’s a little bit like finding out that the world’s most delicious meal awaits the end of your fast. You don’t know what it involves, but you do know that you can’t wait. Neither can we.

Goofiest GameCube Game

Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, without question. Donkey Konga is cool, and all, but it’s mainly a new take on the music/rhythm genre that’s been around for a while now. Jungle Beat, on the other hand, takes the drum controller introduced by Donkey Konga and says “Hey, how can we adapt this to a platformer?” The result is, well, goofy-looking, but at the same time, breathtakingly innovative.

Tapping either bongo drum will send DK running in that direction, and the faster you tap, the faster he runs. Clapping your hands causes him to jump, and combinations of the two can be chained together to send DK flying ever higher through the level. It’s still early, obviously, but for me, Jungle Beat is to the GameCube as Steel Battalion was to Xbox, only much, much cheaper: a novelty game that just begs to be played.

Most Anticipated GameCube Game

It’s a sign of how few third-party exclusives the GameCube has when the only games to even make this a close contest were Jungle Beat and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Heck, had it been playable, The Legend of Zelda might well have rocketed to the top of the list, but ultimately, it comes down to Paper Mario 2. Some of the anticipation has to do with how much I loved Mario RPG and the first Paper Mario, but some of it also has to do with how addictive Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga proved to be on the GBA. Like Mario & Luigi, there’s an interactive element in combat that allows you to dish out more damage, or protect yourself from taking damage in the first place. Unlike Mario & Luigi, your ability to do either is entirely dependent upon your choices at the start of the round of combat. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We’ll run a more in-depth, hands-on preview a little later on, but to make a long story short, five months has never seemed like such an eternity.

PlayStation 2

If nothing else, 2004 was the Year of the Sequel at E3. The games making the biggest impressions were, if not outright sequels to existing bestsellers, then refinements of the concepts. Gran Turismo 4 springs to mind, as does Jak 3, Sly Cooper 2: Band of Thieves, and Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal. That, mind you, is just from the Sony offerings, and that’s not even a complete list.

In a sense, that’s perhaps indicative of Sony’s state of mind heading into the backstretch of the 128-bit Console Wars: stick with the tried-and-true, and hold Nintendo and Microsoft at bay. That’s not, perhaps, a completely fair characterization, with titles such as God of War and KillZone on the horizon, but a visitor to the Sony booth could perhaps be forgiven for walking away with that impression. Still, this is 2004, not 1981. We’ve come a long way from the days when the console manufacturer was solely responsible for their own content generation, which means third parties get to carry the burden, too (of course, there were plenty of sequels from the third parties, as well). That said, these are the PlayStation 2 titles that caught my eye.

Most Surprising PlayStation 2 Game

I don’t mean to say that it was surprising in any way that the Ratchet & Clank franchise should be getting a third installment, but I’d be remiss not to tell you that, a week ago, I’d have told you this was the absolute least likely candidate for online play. Of course, having had the chance to tinker with it, it makes a certain kind of sense. In a weird, Sheepinator kind of way, that is.

PlayStation 2 Game Most Likely To Sell Like Halo 2

Here’s a hint: It ain’t KillZone. Long touted as the Halo-killer presumptive, KillZone was solid, to be sure, but not the sort of polished, impressive shooter that Sony needs in order to dissuade would-be Xbox buyers. Let’s be honest, Gran Turismo 4 may not sway those folks either, but you know what? It’s the first game that’s made me say “No way is THAT a PlayStation 2 game!” In the battle for gamer hearts and minds, Sony generally doesn’t come out on top when the graphics card is played. Gran Turismo 4, if it’s indicative at all of things to come, might be the first step towards reversing that. Did we mention you can hook your PS2 up to a USB printer and deliver your own jaw-dropping screenshots directly from the game? Astonishing.

Most Anticipated PS2 Sequel

So many to choose from! As much as I loved the original Sly Cooper, under ordinary circumstances, I might have gone with that. More recently, Champions of Norrath held my thrall, but Champions: Return To Arms isn’t a winner here, either. Even Rise of the Kasai, sequel to the cult hit The Mark of Kri can only look on in despair. Of course, you would too, if you were beaten out by a game featuring a blond-haired girly-man. I speak, of course, of Final Fantasy XII.

Following Square-Enix’s brief detour to finish the story of Yuna and Tidus (Final Fantasy X-2), and their initial sojourn into the land of MMORPG (Final Fantasy XI), it’s back to business as usual. You know, epic score, grandiose plot, brooding hero, and the fate of the entire world resting on the shoulders of a half-dozen or so heroes. Business as usual. There’s no denying, certainly, that the world of Ivalice is beautiful, and the story seems up (or down, depending on your perspective) to Square-Enix’s usual standards. The battle system hasn’t completely won me over, mind you; it’s still turn-based…kinda…but there’s also a real-time action element to it more reminiscent of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. I didn’t mind KOTOR’s combat system, but I can’t imagine that sitting well with Final Fantasy purists. All that remains to be seen, however, and it’s worth noting that despite its appearance in playable form at E3, the golden shores of North America probably won’t see FF XII until sometime in 2005, presumably around Christmas. That’s going to be the longest 18 months of our lives.

Best Online PS2 Game

Battlefield: Modern Combat, hands down. Call of Duty looks fantastic, but…it wasn’t playable this year. Battlefield, on the other hand, was. More to the point, it looks poised to live up to the huge expectations created by the wildly successful PC version, although I’m hopeful that the uplink times can be trimmed somewhat between now and the game’s launch. There are certainly other online games for PlayStation 2 to get excited about - Gran Turismo 4 being one of them – but perhaps nothing will impact Sony quite so much in the battle with Microsoft for online supremacy as Battlefield…unless, of course, Xbox gets a simultaneous Battlefield of its own.

Best News For PlayStation 2 Owners

Viewtiful Joe AND Viewtiful Joe 2 are both making their way to Sony’s little black box. I can’t say as I’m terribly thrilled by that – I felt like the franchise was best suited to the GameCube (and, in fairness, Viewtiful Joe 2 will still appear on the ‘Cube), but this is still good news for those who may have missed out on one of the most original games to come down the pipe in years.

Xbox

Halo 2. That’s all anybody seems capable of thinking about when it comes to future Xbox releases. It’s almost certain to be the smash hit of 2004, but defining the Xbox in terms of Halo 2 would be a colossal mistake, because there’s so much more than that coming down the pipe. Some of those games are exclusive, and some of them aren’t, but either way you look at it, 2004 may be the best year yet for Xbox from a software standpoint, and that’s in light of the superlative Ninja Gaiden’s recent release, last year’s KOTOR, UbiSoft’s Rainbow Six 3, and Microsoft’s own Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. All of those games came out in the last 12 months, and despite their collective excellence, 2004 looks to be even better.

Most Anticipated Xbox RPG

In past years, this category might have seemed out of place. After all, what has the Xbox gotten that would qualify as a true RPG? KOTOR was fantastic; Pirates of the Caribbean wasn’t, so much. Deus Ex 2 was cool, as was Morrowind, but there have been a couple lesser-known games in the genre that stunk to high heaven. Basically, if you were an Xbox owner, and you craved RPGs…you were more or less out of luck.

By contrast, E3 2004 was a veritable embarrassment of riches in this category, with Fable, Sudeki, Jade Empire, a psuedo-demo of KOTOR II: The Sith Lords, Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, X-Men Legends, and the beat goes on. Any one of those games would ordinarily be able to stand on its own merits here, but as I said, the genre is shockingly crowded in the way of upcoming games. I>Fable gets the populist nod as the game everybody wants to play, and having had some hands-on time with it, it looks as though it’ll be solid, at the very least.

That said, I’m more excited for The Sith Lords, more intrigued by Jade Empire, and more astonished by how good X-Men Legends actually looks. Chalk this one up to “Can’t we all just get along?” I want to play them all.

Most Intriguing Xbox Game

Activision strikes again, this time with The Movies, slated for release not just on Xbox, but also on PS2 and PC. The premise is a simple one: take The Sims, add elements of RollerCoaster Tycoon, and set the whole thing in the high-octane world of moviemaking, et voilà: instant intrigue. The beauty of The Movies is that you can play it as a movie studio simulator, you can use it simply to create your own films (and not worry about managing the talent and such), or you can play it as a gloriously conceived integration of the two. We’re curious to see how it plays out on Xbox, as the version we got our hands on was PC, but this looks like another promising title from Peter Molyneux.

Best News For Xbox Owners

Electronic Arts has gone Live. That’s right: Madden 2005, NBA Live 2005, and the rest of the EA Sports lineup – and, presumably, the regular EA brands as well – will be playable on Xbox Live starting later this year. No word on whether they plan to charge a premium fee (think: Phantasy Star Online), of course. I have to think they won’t, if only because most Xbox Live users haven’t really warmed to the idea of paying additional costs above and beyond their yearly subscription fee, but anything is possible. Still, the promise of EA Sports, GoldenEye 2, and possibly even an Xbox Battlefield is most certainly drool-worthy news. This is huge.

The Rest

Now, you’ll notice where I left out several major franchises that almost certainly bear mentioning. The truth is, I wanted to focus primarily on games that were either exclusive to one console or another, or, in the case of the Best News awards, high-profile games that represented something to get excited about.

Rest assured, I haven’t forgotten StarCraft: Ghost. I haven’t forgotten Star Wars: Battlefront, Star Wars: Republic Commando, Ace Combat 5, Geist, Metroid Prime 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, Matrix Online, Psy-Ops, or Area 51. Or any of the dozen other excellent games I got my hands on, for that matter. But the thing is, half of those are multiplatform (which makes it tough to call any of them “Best Game,” and the other half faced stiff competition among the rest of the bunch.

But I’ve got to stop somewhere, or I could literally go on for another 3,000 words, and who wants that? If you take one thing away from this article, take this with you: great things are coming, no matter what system you own. In fact, with the recent price reductions of Xbox and PS2 to the $149 range, and Nintendo’s own presence at $99, I can’t think of a better time to pick up a second system, the better to partake of whatever you may be poised to miss out on. It’s a great time to be a gamer, and it’s only going to get better.