E3 2009. You all ready to leave it behind? I sure am. Seems like we’ve been talking about it for weeks…well, that’s exactly what we’ve been doing. As great a show as it’s been, it’s time to move on.
Over the past few weeks I’ve gathered together some stuff from the big three press conferences and broken down what I’ve felt about Modern Warfare 2, the Hero games, Bayonetta, and more. But with all those specifics out of the way, I still have a handful of other nuggets that just don’t fit anywhere else. Read on for Muramasa, wrestler pics, Abbey Road, behind-the-scenes podcasting, and more!
First I’m going to tease you with the above pic. I won’t spoil the fun, but the events leading up to this Donahoe delight will rock your collective faces.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade: I remember our old friend Shane Bettenhausen (now at Ignition Entertainment) teasing this on some podcast as Symphony of the Night on Wii. After playing it, it’s not quite that, but it’s still pretty cool. It’s an action-RPG in the vein of Odin Sphere, with a focus on quick-hit action. The 2D sprites look great, and they dash around the screen with ease. You can swap among a few weapons, which proves useful when one you’re using breaks. Also, the first boss I faced was oversized in that classic Treasure tradition. I didn’t love the jumping, but the rest of the controls were spot-on, and I had a lot of fun busting out insane combos.
A few more game notes:
Namco Bandai’s booth had a couple unexpected surprises in the form of Invincible Tiger and Katamari Forever. Tiger was a simple yet enjoyable 2D brawler that emphasized a kung-fu vibe. It felt agile like, say, Aladdin on the Genesis, but what was most impressive was its 3D effect. Put on a pair of those clear 3D glasses and the graphics just pop off the screen.
Katamari, meanwhile, actually looks to add some varied objectives to the proceedings — long overdue in what’s been a fun but stretched-thin series. Let’s hope it brings back the <3.
The Beatles: Rock Band had this nice façade (right) in front of its stage. Though I’ve never been to the real Abbey Road, I hear this is a pretty accurate re-creation of the studio building. Also, during our demo/stage show, we were sitting behind celebrity gamer Jo Garcia. You might want to Google her if you’re don’t remember her from her EGM interview.
Near the end of our time we hit the Konami booth. Michael will be talking about that later, but a note on Silent Hill: Shattered Memories for Wii. Typically, I’ve gotten over the whole goofy-gestures thing when using the Wii Remote. But the dude giving us the demo looked ridiculous as he threw creatures off his back by jerking his body, Nunchuk, and Wii Remote this way and that. This is one game you may not want to play with an audience.
Finally, with the last 20 minutes of the show, Fitch and I enjoyed some New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I didn’t get to play many games at this E3 (!), but I wasn’t going to leave without some Mario under my cap. We had fun — the dude running the booth seemed intent on kicking our asses, though — and I have high hopes. My concern, however, is that the single-player levels aren’t changed from the four-player setup. I wonder if being tuned for multiplayer will in turn mean the solo game just won’t have the near-perfect level design and variety we’re used to from a Mario proper.
And now I’ll leave you with this image from the Mobcast #6 taping. In it you can see Michael Donahoe and John Ricciardi on the far bed (with John capturing memories of his own), Jeff Green (in the EA shirt) and Robert Ashley in the foreground, and Che Chou and his friend both somewhat obstructed on the right-hand side. This also gives you a taste of what our hotel rooms were like. “Cozy” works.
With that, I now wash my hands of this year’s show. Twas a good ride, but I’m glad it’s over. Any final thoughts or questions from any of you?