• April 30, 2003    Home > Features > Feature

    E3 2003: The Kikizo Preview

    Once again, the cataclysm of the gaming world draws near. The Electronic Entertainment Expo will soon hit the gaming world with full force. Kikizo's preview awaits...


    "With the show fast approaching, the time is ripe to peek a couple of weeks into the future..."
    The impact is hard to overestimate. Any number of metaphors could be employed to demonstrate the magnitude and importance of this annual trade show. None of them are necessary. E3 is the event for the gaming industry. Advertising, networking, deal-making, direct competition, the exchange of ideas, all this and more will directly and immediately affect the industry.

    Even so, the show is really about one thing - the games. Smaller titles crowd the product catalogs of publishers like bullets fill the clip of a machine gun. Some projects breathe life into giant mascots that radiate promotional energy as they stalk the floor, while others command nubile women to work their wiles

    "Gaming is like sport - we have favorite teams and players, but it's the games themselves that truly command our attention."

    on the crowd. The console manufacturers themselves wield their powerful franchises like legendary weapons, taking choreographed swings at their rivals and claiming victory before the show even begins.

    As gamers, we tend to view the marketplace the same way one would view sports. We have favorite teams and players, and enjoy doing a bit of casual analysis, but it's the games themselves that truly command our attention. For many who are passionate about gaming, speculation can be almost as enjoyable as the actual experience. With the show fast approaching and new titles cresting the horizon every day, the time is ripe to peek a couple of weeks into the future...

    CAN THERE BE ONLY ONE?

    Every year, when everything is said and done, one question is asked without fail. "So, who took the show this year?" The answer of course would depend on who you talk to. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft will give it everything they have, but it's the major blows that really influence the perception.


    Polyphony's Gran Turismo 4 will undoubtedly take its genre to new heights, and be one of PS2's leading titles at the show.
    PLAYSTATION 2: Sitting comfortably at the top, as it has been for quite some time, the PS2 brings to bear a massive sports lineup along with a few potent sequels. Gran Turismo 4, Jak II, and Ratchet and Clank 2 are all backed by indisputable sales numbers they've inherited by name. If we're lucky, a new project by the team that brought us the artful Ico could be shown as well. What won't we be seeing from Sony is a game based on the hastily procured, recently withdrawn "Shock and Awe" trademark, which one can only assume would have played like a reverse version of the classic Missile Command. SCE Europe have some intriguing projects in the pipeline - not least of all Kin (a.k.a. Kill Zone), the FPS touted as Sony's answer to Halo. Although it remains to be seen whether any SCEE titles will be shown at E3 this year. Sony's booth is normally the least cohesive of the manufacturer's areas, but they'll call in heavy support from every corner of the floor. The restyled and now fully 3D Castlevania and intensified support from Sega represent only a fraction of the third-party potential that Sony is almost dripping with.


    Halo 2 will inevitably be very, very popular - but Xbox has a lot more to offer this year, including Gotham 2 and Fable.
    XBOX: A big console with big games, Xbox has two titles with almost immeasurable potential. Halo was such an unqualified success that Halo 2 is guaranteed to be treated like silicon royalty the moment it appears, mobbed by adoring fans and promptly written up in major newspapers. The ambitious Fable could be the game of the show, if it even comes close to living up to the claims and expectations that surround it. The bombastic Peter Molyneaux, who is overseeing the project while producing his own Xbox title BC, has more or less gone on record saying Fable will be the greatest RPG in recorded history. At the very least, it should be worth seeing. Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden is guaranteed to draw the attention of the hardcore/old-school contingency. With a little bit of ninja magic, the new Gaiden could transcend its existence as a classic revival and become a show stealer.


    Mario Kart: Double Dash may have a tough time by itself, but with F-Zero and possibly Mario 128, there's still a lot to fight for...
    GAMECUBE: The GameCube doesn't seem to be in as favorable position as it was last year, with no new Mario or Zelda yet in sight, though a powerful new Pokémon is waiting to be unleashed. And, while they may not command popular attention, loyalists will still greet F-Zero, Mario Kart: Double Dash, Pikmin 2, and Kirby's Air Ride with open arms. But don't count the grand old N out yet; there are a few top-secret Cube projects that are bound to come into focus as well including the enigmatic first-party "Game Zero" and a surprise from Eternal Darkness developer, Silicon Knights. Capcom has a GameCube project under wraps as well (which may be one of several hinted projects), along with an already announced lineup of products for Nintendo's console, including Dead Phoenix, Killer 7, P.N.03, and Viewtiful Joe. Not to mention the possible redefinition of Mega Man and Resident Evil. Finally, though the modest sights and quiet sounds of the GBA are quite outgunned in such a grandiose atmosphere, the little platform that could has a strategic ace up its sleeve with Advance Wars 2 and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.

    A WORD ON SEGA


    Sonic Team's huge line-up this year includes the all new Billy Hatcher, along with Sonic Heroes on all platforms for the first time ever.
    Having recently bowed out of the console race to create software, Sega deserves something of a special mention. The company always secures ample space at the show, and in light of their truly massive product lineup, it's clear that they'll need every square foot. Nineteen titles across all platforms will be shown. Much of the list is composed of the latest fruits from the Sega Sports tree ending with "2K4", and a bevy of Sonic titles across all platforms. The most notable of these is the multi-platform Sonic Heroes, which allows players to control Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails simultaneously.

    "Billy Hatcher has the distinction of being the only title where a young boy dresses up in a chicken suit to hatch eggs."

    On a related note, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg has the distinction of being the only title this year where a young boy dresses up in a chicken suit to hatch special eggs. Luckily, it also has the distinction of being created by Yuji Naka (the father of Sonic) and published by Sega. Well, it makes about as much sense as Capcom sending its Samurai into the future (Onimusha 3, PS2) and its dinosaurs into space (Dino Crisis 3, Xbox).

    PC GAMING


    Half-Life 2 is going to be big - but will it be bigger than the very big Doom III? Excitement is building!

    Consoles are definitely center stage at E3, but the PC side of the show definitely has its own gravity. It's unfair to lump all these games and publishers into one paragraph, but all is fair in love and Electronic Entertainment Expos.

    There are a few incredible computer games that no self-respecting gamer would want to be totally ignorant of. The critically acclaimed (and perhaps slightly overrated) Half Life is finally receiving a sequel, logically but unimaginatively named Half Life 2. Doom III is another big FPS to be shown this year, showing off the bleeding edge of graphical splendor for interactive media. The next wave of online gaming will be here as well, represented by titles like Star Wars Galaxies.

    THIS YEAR'S TREND?


    There will be a near uncountable number of ninja-related games at E3 2003, including the promising Ninja Gaiden.
    Show trends can easily be identified in retrospect, but it's much more fun to wildly conjecture about what they may be beforehand. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that even though Square is finally showing Final Fantasy XI, and Xbox Live will add even more titles to its library, this is definitely not the year that online console gaming will arrive in force. Nintendo, other from playing host to Sega's turn-based card collection focused Phantasy Star Online III would certainly seem to agree.

    A far more pressing topic at E3 2003, though there will be no show conferences addressing the subject, will be gaming and ninjas. Such is my prediction. Last year, Tenchu and Shinobi acted as recon. Now, in the year 2003, Ninja Gaiden leads the attack with both Namco's I-Ninja and Sega's Kunoichi close behind. While almost nothing is known now concerning Namco's ninja entry, the latter game is likely to be the successor to Shinobi crafted, by Overworks. Konami is also doling out dark deadly death-dealing from the shadows with Cy Girls and

    "It's unfair to lump all PC games and publishers together, but all's fair in love and E3s... "

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a franchise Konami has had great success with in the past. Cy Girls appears to use the MGS2 engine and features two female operatives as beautiful as they are deadly (of course). One of them, and it's no coincidence, happens to be a ninja. Ninja Turtles titles across all platforms add four more lethal (albeit amphibious) assassins to the guest list. Attendees beware...

    OUT OF NOWHERE

    To wrap things up, here are a few recent announcements that could be bigger than they initially seem. Then again, we're making no promises here. Enjoy.

    DORORO: Odds are you've never have heard of it, but this could be Sega's single most interesting offering. Vaguely described as a game featuring a wandering samurai with hidden weapons who seeks to regain his humanity, it's based on a classic manga in which a 16th century nobleman promises his son's body to forty-eight demons in exchange for great power. As the child grows up, almost completely prosthetized, he comes to hunt these very demons to regain the missing parts of his body. Talk about a harsh backstory. If the gameplay and storytelling can stay true to the source, Dororo could end up striking a perfect balance and furthering the case for "games as art".

    SEVEN SAMURAI: Sammy Studios is planning a video game using one of Akira Kurosawa's best known movies as source material. The project appears to be a major production, involving well-known illustrator Moebius and renowned composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. The game will be unveiled during a special press conference.

    SNK NEOGEO USA CONSUMER CORPORATION: To the ecstatic delight of fans, Playmore is planting the revival of SNK in North America under this rather long but fitting name. Playable versions of Metal Slug Advance and King of Fighters 2001 will be accompanied by video footage of SNK vs. Capcom (arcade version), the latest take on the ultimate 2D crossover.

    SURPRISES?

    "Show trends are identified in retrospect, but it's much more fun to guess beforehand..."

    And finally - there are likely going to be a few surprises as well. Of course, we hate to speculate - but if current word buzzing around the industry is to be believed, the we could see the next-generation incarnation of Yu Suzuki's Outrun, and perhaps Sega Rally 3 or Daytona Online from the Sega's corner. It's heavily rumoured that Nintendo's Mario 128 project will be revealed at the company's Pre-E3 conference the day before the show - hopefully a title that will satisfy the many fans who were dissapointed with Sunshine. Then there's the newly-rumoured showing of Factor 5's Pilotwings for GameCube too. And it would be foolish to rule out the possibility of the new, non-cel-shaded Zelda that's been promised by Miyamoto, at the conference either. Only time - and Kikizo's show coverage - will tell.

    Justin Speer
    Contributor, Kikizo Games

    Stay with Kikizo as we deliver probably the most complete coverage from the show itself (May 14th - 16th), as well as Microsoft's Pre-E3 Conference on May 12th, followed by Nintendo's and Sony's Pre-E3 conferences on May 13th. We'll be following up after the show with an endless onslaught of post-show coverage, including some very exciting interviews, and all the screenshots, impressions and video downloads you could ever wish for. Until then, the pre-E3 coverage continues...

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