E3 is finally over. Lots of exciting announcements were made as well as some not so exciting ones, WingDamage actually had somebody providing coverage this year, and people made fools of themselves dancing in front of cameras from the future. But what of our predictions? Did any of them come true?

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On a very special seventieth episode of “Barrel Roll! A Video Game Podcast”, we talk all things E3.

As we mentioned last year, E3 talk is mandatory for every gaming blog. On that note, we bring reports from the field thanks to The Mega Man Network’s own Adam “Heat-Man” Anania being our eyes and ears of the con.

Check out his hands on impressions, then check out the podcast.

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With E3 having come and gone now, I do miss it a little. By all means, it was no walk in the park. Driving around busy downtown LA looking for parking, wading through crowds of gamers, and sitting in lines for upwards of an hour just to try a game for ten minutes; it’s a lot of work. And yet somehow I feel like I came back too soon. Sure, it was fun to try out a lot of cool games before they release, but there was also an energy in the air that I miss being a part of.

At any rate, I must give sincere thanks to Capcom, especially Joveth “jgonzo” Gonzales. Due to my large involvement with The Mega Man Network, and promoting Mega Man in general, they offered me a pass as a way of saying thanks for the support. I am very humbled to know how much they appreciate the work I do, which has never struck me as anything incredible. Still, it’s unfortunate that none of Capcom’s announcements pertained to Mega Man… but I’m thankful all the same! Above is me on Capcom*Unity’s E3 stream with jgonzo and Noah, another Capcom fan. Sadly, I don’t recall what was said to make jgonzo produce such an awful expression.

Also deserving of thanks is my good pal Cheston, who accompanied me and helped out with some of the expenses, and more of the driving around. He also acted as our eyes as assistant media coordinator and took many of the photos we’ve used here in our reports. Cheston is getting married next month, so this may have been our last big adventure. But who knows! Couldn’t have done it without you, man. Congrats on tying the knot.

Finally, I guess I should thank the WingDamage crew for giving me a podium to express my experiences, since they wouldn’t really fit on TMMN. But having gotten to know Jesse and Jonah… yeah, I dunno. They’re sketchy to me. Anyway, enough sentimental crap. To close things up, I’m taking a look at Hard Corps: Uprising, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Metroid: Other M, Dead Rising 2, and Marvel vs Capcom 3.

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As I mentioned yesterday, finding out when and where to eat at E3 is important business. While there is food on site, like at the Convention Center’s Galaxy Cafe, it’s just so-so and fairly overpriced. “Either eat on a budget or pay for a decent meal,” is my motto. But what’s the best way to go?

On day one, after exploring the grounds a bit, my friend and I left the Convention Center and found our way to Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge. They offered an $8 lunch special that included a round of bowling (yes, there are lanes on the site). That atmosphere was very laid back and comfortable, and the cheeseburger and fries were very satisfying. Sadly, we had no time for bowling. A fine meal, but a little pricey and time consuming.

For day two we decided to go totally budget. Unfortunately, there isn’t any fast food around the Convention Center, but we were still in luck. To promote the game Homefront, an upcoming FPS about North Korea taking over the US in the future, THQ subsidized a traveling food vendor to sell themed food items, like Korean BBQ tacos and kimchi quesadillas (clever, if not controversial). The food was pretty good for its simplicity, and two tacos and a quesadilla cost a mere $4.

But the best way to go is eating for free, though this may take investigation and connections. When we finally found Activision’s area (which was separate from the two main halls) and saw a presentation for Call of Duty: Black Ops, we realized they were serving free pizza. It was awful, but shoot, it was free. A little later we got free beef and cheddar sandwiches from Capcom, as we were invited to their swanky special event on site. I should also mention that there are plenty of people in and near the Convention Center who will give away free energy drinks, so keep your eyes peeled for them.

Boy, all this talk is making me hungry. Let’s get on with some games. Today I’m here to give impressions on NBA Jam, Bionic Commando ReArmed 2, Okamiden, Ghost Trick and Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes. And yeah, that’s me and Charles Martinet up top! Woohoo!

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E3 is one of those events where you’re really obligated to have a plan. There is so much to see and you only have twenty-one hours to see it. While this may seem like a lot of time, the most sought after exhibits will often have at least an hour’s wait.

Do you tackle those big attractions first, or do you go after the smaller games in hopes the lines will break off later? Do you go after the games you’re interested in first, or the games you know are major attractions? Do you eat the crappy, overpriced food at the event for lunch, or do you leave to get better food but take up more time?

Regardless of what you decide, any semblance of a plan tends to go out the window on the first day, when you finally arrive and just breathe in all that’s happening. On my first day, it was all about getting a feel for things and finding out where everything was. Aside from checking out the 3DS, which was one of the top things I wanted to do, I didn’t really try any games. The first day was also the shortest. But after I got my bearings, the second and third days became all about playing games.

Head past the break to read about Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, Batman: The Brave and the Bold: The Videogame, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, and Donkey Kong Country Returns.

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My first day at E3 was essentially all about getting my feet wet. I didn’t line up to play games so much as I explored the premises and got a good idea what was around. It’s been a pretty lively event, and one that only got busier as the day wore on. But one thing I did manage to take a stab at, the one thing I was prepared to do when I knew I was going to E3, was trying out Nintendo’s 3DS.

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This years Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is just around the corner! Just like last year, we here at WingDamage are going to throw down some predictions. Will we make total fools of ourselves? Will we make people suspicious that we have psychic powers? Only time will tell!

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