Counter Top 5: Benny (not) @ E3
Posted by Benny Torres | June 17, 2009
E3 is one of the only events where attendees and those sitting at home can have equally valid, but disparate opinions. It’s the strange outcome of a videogame industry where interaction is essential to any experience and a videogame community that demands a flood of news, impressions, and detail to replace the interaction they’re missing out on. With that in mind, I present a counter top 5 (pun!) to Eric’s top 5 of E3. This not only reflects my distinct tastes from Mr. Bee (and they are pretty darn distinct) but also the fact that I was two times zones away from any sort of playable e3 games.
1. Scribblenauts (DS)
Scribblenauts is, at its core, a game about imagination. In a typical videogame players have a goal and must accomplish it using the system the designer has put in place. Mario must collect coins by jumping on top of the box put in the environment. Scribblenauts is no different, except instead of the designer putting a box in the game to reach the coin – users must summon something from their imagination to reach their goals. The game uses an amazing system where the player can make anything appear by simply typing its name out on the bottom screen. The possibilities are virtually limitless and all items interact with each other and the environment in appropriate ways. The picture above actually is an homage to a situation that played out at e3.
Vicious robot zombies (yes, robots and zombies at the same time) stood in the way of the player. The player successfully created guns, brick walls, and water jets – but they did nothing to stop the robotic undead. The player then created a time machine. It appeared – and upon entering it it asked if “past or future.” He went back to the dinosaur age, jumped onto one of them, traveled back to the present and used the dinosaur to crush the robot scourge. Again, all this was created by the player – none of it was “scripted.” Other people solved their robot zombie problems in different, less dinosaur-y ways. If this doesn’t deserve some sort of nobel prize for awesome (and my anticipation) – I don’t know what does.
2. Assassin’s Creed 2 (Xbox 360/PS3)
I absolutely adored everything about the first Assassin’s Creed – so imagine my surprise when gamers started declaring that the game was somehow FLAWED. Repetitive, boring missions, they cried. Primitive combat, they whined. Assassin’s Creed 2 looks poised to please both those with brilliant taste (me) and the misguided critics (everyone else). The game provides an even more interesting, vibrant setting (the Italian Renaissance) to jump around in while addressing the complaints of mission variety and unbalanced combat from the original title. Also – Leonardo Da Vinci is your ally and lends you his fabled flying machine. TO FLY WITH AND ASSASSINATE PEOPLE FROM. This game can’t come soon enough.
3. Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
In a weird way – I’ve been waiting for Wii Sports Resort since the Wii launched. The original Wii Sports introduced the world to the possibilities of motion control. After the sheen wore off, it also unfortunately exposed motion control’s very real limitations. Nintendo is remedying these shortcomings with Wii Motion+, an attachment for the Wiimote that promises to add another layer of fidelity to its motion controls. The attachment allows for accurate replication for every single movement the player makes while holding their Wiimote. The resort in the title refers to its setting – which allows Nintendo to expand on the sports we’ll be playing – everything from frisbee to rowing to basketball to archery will be included. There is no doubt that in the very capable hands of Nintendo the game will be the best expression of motion control we’ve seen thus far. It will start to fulfill the promise gamers worldwide saw when the Wii controller was unveiled. I can’t wait to play it and see the new experiences it inspires.
4. Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves (PS3)
With amazing graphics, likeable characters, and a combination of action and adventure to rival the best summer blockbusters – the first Uncharted was an amazing showcase of what the unique strengths of the PS3 could do for interactive entertainment. The game’s developers, Naughty Dog, could’ve simply sat on their laurels and released a sequel that just did more of the same and everyone would’ve been content. But it looks like they are challenging themselves (once again) to expand the definition of what traditional digital entertainment can be. Unique settings, diverse action to take place in those settings, and even a dash of multiplayer thrown in make this one of my most anticipated sequels.
5. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
In a show where it seemed everything was leaked, Super Mario Galaxy 2 came out of nowhere. Sure, people might’ve guessed a new Mario game would be announced – but two new traditional Mario games wasn’t really fathomable. And for one of them to be the first direct sequel ever for the Mario series – that was even more unfathomable-er. The planetoids and gravity bending gameplay of Super Mario Galaxy made the game a masterclass of innovation. Innovation isn’t the sort expected from direct sequels – but the way Miyamoto (the famed creator of the Mario series) talks about this game has me excited. It’s almost as if while concepting the original Super Mario Galaxy the creative team had so may ideas they HAD to spill over into a second product. I fully expect that the new ideas presented in SMG2 will capture the imagination and blow our minds as well as the first one.
