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July, 2005
E3 2005 Wrap-up
by Jeff McKinney

It's been a few weeks since we returned from E3 2005, and I'm already looking forward to next year's event.

The Electronics Entertainment Expo is mind-numbingly loud, panic-attack-crowded and generally exhausting but boy-howdy is it fun!

E3 provides an early preview of the games, systems and accessories that we
will be playing in the near future. This year's E3 displayed more than 5,000 computer and video game products, including consoles and accessories, with
80 percent expected to be in stores by the 2005 holiday season.

The only thing more difficult than seeing everything is reporting on everything. So the
TG.com crew has compared notes and talked to other people who attended E3 to develop
the following list of stuff that knocked our socks off. This doesn't mean that there weren't a
ton of other great items. There just isn't time to talk about them all here.

Lets start with the three biggest names in the gaming world -- Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox. All three revealed their next generation consoles but only the Xbox 360 is scheduled for release this year. Both the Nintendo Revolution (codename) and PS3 are due next spring.

Basically all three consoles will allow for more impressive graphics and highly detailed games able to sport faster load times and improved functions. We're talking visible sweat beads trickling down faces, stadiums so detailed that you can find the actual seat you sat in when catching a game in the real world and scenes so crisp you'll think you are looking out a window.

Online compatibility is a key factor for next gen consoles and even Nintendo is finally getting into the online groove with Revolution.

Each new console will be backwards compatible so don't throw out your current generation games yet.

Nintendo takes the backwards-compatible thing and mixes in a little online surprise with the Revolution's ability to download classic games from the past 20 years, originally released for Nintendo 64, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and even the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

Fortunately, we don't have to wait for 2006 to get our hands on new Nintendo hardware. The stylish new GameBoy Micro, available this fall, is a sleek new addition to Nintendo's handheld line. Micro will play the same games as the Game Boy Advance SP on a crisp two-inch backlit screen. The device is smaller than most cell phones and has a removable faceplate for custom looks.

In gaming news, Nintendo reveled the new Zelda -- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Twilight Princess restores our hero, Link, to his more grown-up appearance rather than kid version from Wind Waker. The game introduces us to more vast lands, stunning visuals and amazing new game play that allows players to control Link whether he travels on foot, horseback or all fours (he turns into a wolf!). Look for this game around the holidays and
count on it being a huge hit with Zelda and RPG fans.

Mario will also be busy over the next year with four new games launching including Mario
Party 7, two sports titles and Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, which gets players on their feet and dancing on an included dance pad.

Another game that we can't wait to play with, teach to roll over
and take for a walk is Nintendogs for the DS system. Nintendogs is a whole new take on digital pets. You can select from more than 15 breeds of dogs, including Labradors, Chihuahuas and beagles,
then care for and train the puppy using the DS' touch screen and microphone. This is already a huge hit in Japan, and we think that it's going to appeal especially to the ever-growing number of girls who are adopting the DS platform and who are eager for more
content.

Look for Nintendogs this August.

Always one of our favorite game publishers is EA Games. In addition to previews of Madden NFL 06, NASCAR 06 and FIFA 06, we had a chance to check out several very cool games coming out this year. For starters, Batman Begins the video game will be out this July and looks to be a great game based on the new movie also due this summer. The game allows players to use some incredibly realistic Bat-moves on the villains, sneak around town in stealth mode and play in a highly interactive environment.

This June, EA releases the first James Bond game that goes back to the classic films with
From Russia With Love. The game will be based on the film but will also feature new plot
twists, gadgets and characters. Sean Connery, appearing in his first-ever videogame, lent
his voice and likeness to the project.

Harry Potter fans have a new movie to look forward to this fall, when Harry Potter and the Goblet
of Fire flies into theatres in November. EA will be bring the magic to our homes withthe video
game version that will once again allow us to play through as Harry, Ron or Hermione. The game will be magically appearing on shelves in November.

EA is more than just sports and movies. They also have some incredibly realistic war games like Medal of Honor: European Assault. Due this June, European Assault features an open battle plan and incredibly detailed game play that goes to great lengths to be historically accurate.

Of all the games we played at E3, one that we are really excited to play again when it comes out this autumn is The Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction from Vivendi Universal Games. In this game, based on the Marvel character, players can jump anywhere, climb anything and smash everything – including buildings. Hulk can use almost anything in the game's interactive environment as a weapon and in addition to the story mode, there is also a free-roaming mode.

Also look for more Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon titles coming this year from VU Games.

Buena Vista Games, the gaming unit of Disney, teased us at last year's E3 with a peak at several highly anticipated games finally coming out this year. Look for two new games based on the Tim Burton film and characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Oogie's Revenge is a sequel to the original movie and The Pumpkin King is a prequel. Both games will be out around Halloween.

Also coming from Buena Vista is the game Chicken Little, based on Walt Disney Pictures' upcoming 3D animated film Disney's Chicken Little, this action-packed game invites players to visit Oakey Oaks and experience first-hand all of the humor, fun and adventure portrayed in the film.

This Holiday season Buena Vista takes us through the wardrobe to Narnia in the game version of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – Based on the best-selling book series by C.S. Lewis and the forthcoming Disney film.

Three Disney Channel titles have sequels due this year with Kim Possible 3: Team Possible, Lizzie McGuire 3: Homecoming Havoc and That's So Raven 2: Supernatural Style.

We were also treated to an early look at KingdomHearts 2, the sequel to the massively popular KingdomHearts, and
it looks incredible! Still no word on a release date but rest assured, you will hear when this game is out.

As we are already very familiar with Ban Dai's toy line, it was great to meet with Ban Dai Games at E3 to see what they've got in store for us. We loved Dice, Inu Yasha and ZatchBell. These three games are based on Ban Dai properties and characters featured on Cartoon Network toons. Both Inu Yasha and ZatchBell are fighting games with great animations and graphics plus highly interactive environments and clever team-based battles. Dice puts you in control of the Dinobreakers as you compete in different challenges. Fans of the cartoon will be thrilled to know you
can hop on and off the Dinobreaker whenever you want.

Look for Dice and Inu Yasha this August and ZatchBell in the fall.


This year, Activision will continue its winning policy of releasing fewer games that are of higher quality.

We will see several titles based on popular entertainment brands like Marvel's Spider-Man, Fantastic 4 and X-Men, as well as Shrek, new installments in Activision's best-selling Tony Hawk and Call of Duty franchises and a highly entertaining and creative game called The Movies.

The Movies lets gamers become Hollywood players, by creating unique movies and releasing them from the studios they build, starring the actors they discover and develop. Players select scripts, dress sets, choose costumes, determine the intensity of the action, dub voice-overs, score music, and write their own subtitles to create movie masterpieces that they can share online with friends.

Konami looks to the future and returns to the past in 2005 with the futuristic S.L.A.I. (Steel Lancer Arena
International) and retro title – Frogger.

In S.L.A.I., set in 2071, where robot fighting has become the most popular sport, players can earn money to customize the ultimate fighting machine and battle in the online arena. With more than one million variations,
gamers can make use of a seemingly endless number of body parts and weapons.

Frogger: Ancient Shadow is an action platformer for the whole family that merges the classic Frogger "hop-n-dodge" gameplay with platforming elements for an exciting new challenge.

Other exciting titles from Konami include two new Castlevania titles; Curse of Darkness and Dawn of Sorrow, a new Karaoke Revolution, Yu-Gi-Oh! Nightmare Troubadour and the island adventure – Lost in Blue.

Lost in Blue, an innovative RPG, takes players on a journey of survival, action and mystery. After a disastrous incident at sea, the young hero of the game awakens to find himself on a seemingly uninhabited island. After meeting
another survivor, a 17-year old girl who has also drifted ashore, the two must work together to survive.

Look for all the Konami titles mentioned here this Fall, except Yu-Gi-Oh!, which should be out any day.

One of the most exciting game trailers we saw this year was at the Namco booth for Hellgate London. We'll have to wait a while to play this demon-slaying thriller as no release date was announced. Judging by the trailer, Hellgate has all the makings of a great and gory RPG.

Fortunately, Namco also has a gaggle of games for 2005. We'll see games with some loveable characters like The Bernstain Bears, Hello Kitty and Gumby as well as a sequel to 2004's wacky hit Katamari Damacy.

While we don't know the exact month for Katamari we do know that it will be out this year. Gumby Vs. the Astrobots
will be released in August followed by The Bernstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree in September and Hello Kitty Roller Rescue later in the fall.

E3 also gave us a chance to meet with the folks from Yahoo! Games and we were impressed with what we saw. Yahoo! Games is one of the largest game communities on the Internet with millions of users playing tons of online and downloadable games.

Yahoo! Games has something for everyone from sports fans to puzzle players and many games can be played for free online with a more advanced version available to purchase and download.

E3 is more than just games and consoles. It's also about standing in line waiting for food. Oh yeah, it's also a showcase for new gaming accessories. It seemed like there were just as many booths for gaming accessories as there were games.

We really loved Radica's new line of PSP accessories due in stores this summer. The line, called Black, is a stylishcollection of cases, holders and power back-ups that match the hip Sony device.

Joytech, who just announced a deal with Microsoft to create accessories for the Xbox 360, showed us the Force Feedback Racing Wheel controller. This authentic replica FW23 Racing wheel gives racing games an incredibly realistic feel.

Gamers who are tired of connecting and disconnecting wires to their TVs will appreciate Joytech's AV Control Center. This easy to use system allows for up to eight AV devices to connect to the TV at once. No more fumbling behind the TV when you want to switch from your PS2 to GameCube.

The ultimate accessory would have to be the 2005 Chevy Uplander with the PhatNoise Mobile Digital Media Player.
This 40GB hard drive, comes pre-loaded with different content packages featuring cartoons like SpongeBob SquarePants and The Fairly OddParents, classic arcade games from Capcom, Music from eMusic and EMI Recorded Music as well as spoken word content from Audible.com.

Most of the products mentioned here will be available by the 2005 holiday season and we will do our best at theToyGuy.com to bring you in-depth reviews of these and other game related goodies so check back often.