E3 Pre-Game: Part 4

So here we are. E3 starts in three days, and this is the last part of my E3 pre-game. The titles I’m about to discuss haven’t necessarily been announced for E3, so don’t get excited. But they are titles I would like to see on the show floor, even though some of them seem pretty doubtful.

Next Mario

No I’m not talking about Super Mario Galaxy 3. Although I’m sure SMG2 is just as wonderful as SMG1, I would like to see a true successor to the franchise, not a mere sequel. I mean what Super Mario World was for Super Mario Bros. What Super Mario 64 was for Super Mario World. Super Mario Galaxy made the next generation jump from Super Mario Sunshine, and I’d like to see that again. Then again, each evolution did come on a new console, so maybe I’ll just have to wait until then.

Soul Calibur V

It’s been two years since Namco’s last major installment (not talking about the PSP title). Soul Calibur is famous for its weapon-based gameplay and the unique characters that wield them. I’d like to see Soul Calibur make a return to the consoles with the top-hat wielding Dampierre joining the PS360 ranks of Taki, Yoshimitsu and Astaroth, alongside more new additions to the series. I also would like to see some of the older characters that never made it out of the original Soul Calibur to make a comeback. As far as this year’s E3 is concerned though, I’d just like to see anything at all.

Killer Instinct 3

Nothing pains me more than to hear people say they’ve never played Killer Instinct. And now I fear it’s too late for those sad individuals to relish in nostalgia for it. Rumors for KI3 have been around almost as long as Killer Instinct Gold, and I’ve always longed for Rare to indulge in the creation of it. With each year, the likelihood lessens, but the combo-racking classic simply can’t be left to the dust. Whether it happens this year or not, I’ll anxiously await to see Fulgore and Maya, Combo and Riptor, Jago and Orchid, duking it out in glorious PS360 graphics alongside some fresh new characters. Improbable as it may be, this is one dream I’ll always hope to come true.

Final Fantasy XV

Around the time of FFXIII’s release, Square-Enix stated that they were in the planning stages for Final Fantasy XV, which almost immediately negates all likelihood of it showing up at the show this year. Tokyo Game Show maybe, but not E3. However, SE has surprised us in the past with the announcements of both Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIV. FFXIII was revealed a good 4-5 months before FFXII’s American release, and FFXIV was revealed a good six months before FFXIII’s Japanese release. So as unlikely as it may be, I’m hoping to at least see a concept art or the logo art or something. I can’t help but feel mostly uninterested in FFXIV given its MMO nature, and the wait for it just isn’t as exciting as the solo player titles that preceded it (as such I’m sure it won’t be as disappointing either). So it's unlikely to show up, but hey, a boy can dream right?

Grand Theft Auto V

I’ll be honest, Grand Theft Auto IV took a lot of getting used to. The world was gorgeous, and it was a lot of fun exploring a big virtual metaphor of New York City. But the gameplay itself wasn’t cutting it for me for a long time. I didn’t like the new realistic physics they were going for, both in running and the horrendously slow driving. But I did eventually get used to it, once I knew the right cars to jack. Although I wouldn’t complain if they reverted back to the stupidly high-speed thrills of GTA3, I’m more interested in the next location. I’m hoping they don’t just revisit Vice City or San Andreas. Those game are both great, and really capture the time and place of 80s Miami, and 90s Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. So they don’t need to be revisited. I’ve heard some fans saying they’d like to see the next one based in London. I’d be fine with that, but I think Tokyo would be a great location personally. They’ve already made good use of the Yakuza in the past, I feel that they could do great things in Tokyo. Time period? How about current? They’re ten years ahead of us anyway.

Pikmin 3

Although I’m not a hardcore Pikmin nut, I do enjoy the game. I never played Pikmin 2, but the thing I love about Pikmin most is that it was a serious new series for Nintendo, which, ever since the SNES days, we don’t see much of. We see plenty of party games, and plenty of one-time silly games, but very few series. Pikmin 3 is in the works, and 3+ definitely makes for a series. I’d like to see some new stuff all together from Nintendo, but Pikmin 3 would be a good start.

Portal 2

I was a huge fan of the original Portal. Portal was proof that you could take a simple concept, keep it short and sweet, and deliver a great product. There weren’t any clichés, no recycled ideas, no 40+ hour storyline, no gaudy cast of characters. It was just a woman, a gun, and a machine. And it was one of the most solidly build games of our generation. Needless to say, I’m really looking forward to the sequel, especially now that the world’s been opened up beyond GlaDOS’s white-roomed prison. Half-Life, Half-Life 2, and Left4Dead are all proof enough that Valve has always known what they’re doing. And whenever they’re ready to show off Portal, I’ll be waiting anxiously.

Resident Evil 6

A disheartening article has surfaced recently, revealing that the director of RE5 is declaring “peace out” on the franchise for at least another four years, and may not return to RE6 at all. My advice? Get a new director. I mean really, what happens next in the story? Who’s going to be the big threat now that Wesker’s dead? If that man survived two rocket launchers to the face and sinking into lava, he simply cannot be killed. What about Leon and Claire? And Ada? We haven’t seen them in a while. I feel like RE6 should belong to Claire since Jill stole the show in RE3, Leon took over RE4, and Chris was the star of RE5. Now hear me out, Claire may be mega-boring in comparison to the other three, but maybe her own game is what she needs to match the other three. She hasn’t had the chance to one-on-one with Nemesis, take down El Gigante, or punch a boulder into a flowing stream of lava. Either way, I think the best we’re going to get is Resident Evil for the PSP this year, but I don’t care about that. Mainstream games on handhelds are stupid. But there’s always hope I guess.

Kingdom Hearts 8? 9?

Square-Enix has recently stated that they’re working on three new Kingdom Hearts titles, one of which is to be coming out this year. I’m assuming that particular title is Kingdom Hearts: Recoded. But what are the other two? Hopeful blind fanboys are still somehow under the belief that SE is hard at work on KH3, and this year will be the year they announce it, just like last year, and the year before that. Although I suppose it’s possible that KH3 is one of the three titles, I highly doubt it. Nomura stated years ago that development on KH3 will not begin until Versus XIII’s release, and who knows how long that will be considering I know more about the nutrients on the back of a can of tuna than I do about that game. Maybe they’ve changed their minds? Or maybe Coded, 358/2 Days, Birth By Sleep, Recoded, and the two mysterious titles they’ve yet to reveal are all filler titles to keep us busy while we wait, as I suspect the original Chain of Memories was. All I can hope for is that they’ll at least announce the titles and perhaps even the platforms of the remaining two titles in their next trio of titles.

Next Tim Schafer

I’ve been a long time fan of Tim Schafer, and although I haven’t fully played either of his recent console titles (Psychonauts and Brutal Legends), I used to play his older point-and-click adventures when I was a kid. He has a good sense of humor and knows how to keep things fun and simple. His console titles had genius concepts, and I’d like to see what he has next. Unfortunately, his company, Double Fine, seems to develop things slower than most companies. Probably because they don’t have enough people on their team (Hire Me!). But whatever Schafer's next title is, I can only hope it will be as clever as his track record’s been thus far.

Well, that’s it. I believe that’s everything that can, will, and probably won’t show up at this year’s E3. With the introduction of Natal and Move, maybe the 360 and PS3 can finally get back to having a console war again instead of having all the same products. And Nintendo’s new peripherals should make for some nice sales figures so long as they’re good, fun products. Rock Band 3’s got me more excited than most other things (so Zelda’d better bring it), and it sounds like it’s going to be a pretty nice show overall. The press conferences start in three days, and those will likely be the only things I blog during the actual conference. Otherwise, most other things will likely wait until post-E3, once it’s all sunken in and I’ve had a chance to compare. Keep on reading, and I’ll see you in a few days!