Okay, so we didn’t exactly do a “Best of E3” Wrap-up. But we’re damn busy here! I mean, Eric’s doing God knows what, God knows where in his post-E3 shenanigans, the staff is posting news, and I’m playing Duke Nukem Forever and a flood of other games this week.
But I didn’t want you guys to feel left out. So I put together this first annual Golden E3 Beer Awards for you Xbox 360 fans, just because I care enough to make sure you get an idea of what I liked -- and didn’t like.
So here goes, my official awards!
Most Disappointing Xbox 360 Game: Star Wars Kinect - I’m sorry, I understand that you’re supposed to have Jedi powers and all that, and the game is supposed to make proper use of your gestures, but this thing just felt like a mess to me. It’s almost as if the Force is AGAINST you, y’know? Maybe the final retail version will shape up.
Weirdest Xbox 360 Experience: Kinect Disneyland - Nothing beats the real thing. I mean, the flying segments are cool, and it is sort of fun to explore around and see things in the park, but you don’t ever “feel” like you’re in the middle of Disneyland, y’know? But watch -- some families will use this as a cheap alternative to a real trip. Sigh...
Craziest Xbox 360 Party Experience: Fruit Ninja Kinect - Kudos to Halfbrick for having one of the best spots on the E3 floor, a small booth loaded with two playable Fruit Ninja kiosks and plenty of beer. If that wasn’t enough, the game’s a lot of fun too, and players kept stepping up to see who could get the highest score. While drunk!
Best Excuse To Beat Someone Up: Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online - Imagine our surprise when Capcom stated that this port was not only playable on the show floor, but being prepped for a SUMMER release. Hot damn. The classic vibe of Street Fighter III is completely intact, right down to the essential gameplay. And it’ll only be $15 to boot. Sign us up!
Best Genuine Surprise: Halo 4 trailer - OK, we knew that Microsoft would somehow reintroduce its mega franchise in some way, but we didn’t expect it to be this soon -- or, for that matter, this POLISHED. The team at 343 definitely appears up to task, and this should be one of the bigger experiences come E3 2012. Just as long as it’s not ODST again. Thanks.
Best Accessories: tie between Calibur’s Vault and Turtle Beach’s booth - Calibur has some sick-looking Xbox 360 cases that look like must-buys, and their light-up booth was quite a sight. Likewise, Turtle Beach had some killer headsets on display -- and we’d definitely like to have some sent our way. Um, make it happen, Alex! *poke*
Most Anticipated Sequel: Mass Effect 3 - Sigh. As outstanding as Modern Warfare 3’s new London stage was, and as great as Battlefield 3 looked, Mass Effect 3 has us in love all over again. New tricks galore, including the Omniblade, and a polished presentation make this something we can’t wait to see come next March. Damn it.
This feature continues on the next page, please click Page 2 below to see the rest of the awards.
