E3 2006 console gaming - Wii

An E3 of this magnitude doesn't come very often. Two new consoles made official playable debuts, while a third finally hit its stride. All told, though, there was plenty to complain about; being a three-year E3 vet, I've learned to see the bad in the greatest gaming show on Earth. To that end, I've compiled the biggest mistakes of the biggest compa ... Read more
As a six-year E3 veteran, I've seen it all--from the moneyed excess of the Sony party to the yearly appearance by the Scottish development community. That being said, I was still not prepared for a $600 PlayStation 3. Tossing in that little bon mot at the end of a two-hour press conference, just before the lights came up, was akin to calling your p ... Read more
Nintendo unquestionably stole the show at E3, with some of the hardest hype as well as the longest lines the show has seen in years. Visitors endured hours of waiting in line just to try out the Wii. Big N's little console might not have the best graphics in the world, but the great new control scheme and the sheer number of exclusive titles really ... Read more
The hard-core Nintendo fan base is not one that takes kindly to perennial sports franchises. It's no surprise, then, that EA's GameCube support has been rather spotty when compared to its more adept online competitors, the PS2 and the Xbox. Those expecting a retread of half-assed support may be surprised when they see the Wii version of Madden in a ... Read more
The biggest news from Square Enix at E3 is that Final Fantasy XIII is being developed. The role-playing game will have three different versions: two for the PS3 and one for cell phones. Final Fantasy XIII for the PS3 will be a traditional FF-series role-playing game, while Final Fantasy Versus XIII will be a more action-oriented adventure. Final Fa ... Read more
Nintendo still hasn't released a specific launch date or retail price, but it's unveiled lots of new games for the Wii. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and WarioWare Smooth Move were confirmed before the show, but they're not the only titles coming straight from the House of N. Nintendo's poster boy is coming to the Wii with Super Mario Galaxy. ... Read more
Snake has a lot of work ahead of him. Not only does he have to deal with Metal Gears on the PlayStation 3, but everyone's favorite commando-spy also has to recruit an elite commando unit to foment an uprising and beat the stuffing out of Nintendo's most beloved mascot! Besides a new trailer and some behind-the-scenes information, Konami is keeping ... Read more
Everyone has seen the analog-stick nunchuck, but it won't be the only attachment for the Wiimote. Nintendo hasn't finalized designs yet, but I managed to get a look at a near-final version of the classic gamepad attachment for the Wiimote, along with a clip-on Wiimote gun handle. The Wiimote will have a conventional gamepad attachment for use with ... Read more
I managed to get inside Nintendo's booth and experience the magic of the Wii at firsthand. Big N had more than a dozen different titles for people to try, but its booth was more crowded than the show floor itself. As it was, I got some quality time with Legend of Zelda and Red Steel, two of the big-name release titles for the Wii. Legend of Zelda ... Read more
Not one, but two Tony Hawk games were announced by Activision this week. Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam is for the upcoming Nintendo Wii and puts the world's most popular skater in a series of SSX-style breakneck races on steep courses from San Francisco to Machu Picchu. The Wii controller makes for a unique control experience, but the graphics at this p ... Read more
We almost didn't attend Wednesday's Nintendo developer meeting, held after the E3 show floor closed for the night. If we had, we would have missed a great evening with some Nintendo all-stars and an important new game announcement. Surprising everyone in the small audience, Nintendo announced a new Wii title, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The sequel t ... Read more
The May 15 issue of Time magazine includes some tasty tidbits about the Nintendo Wii. Time's Lev Grossman has confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has full Wiimote compatibility, with the mythical wandchuck controlling actions such as sword fighting, archery, and fishing. Twilight Princess is still being released as a GameCube titl ... Read more
Wii's the half-word at E3, and Nintendo's going all-out with its wireless, motion-sensing, nostalgia-inducing system. The console formerly known as the Revolution will be front and center at Nintendo's Tuesday press conference and the main attraction at its booth. While Sony's going for graphics-crunching power with the PlayStation 3, Nintendo is h ... Read more