Already knew about (and already excited for): Ratchet & Clank 3 (online play!), Kingdom Hearts 2, MGS: Snake Eater, GTA: San Andreas, Sly Cooper 2, Star Wars Battlefront, Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Obviously. Then there's...

Black, a game that is still very much secret. It's an FPS, it has destructible environments, it's story-driven. Probably intended to be the Half-Life 2 of the PS2 world. Folks are impressed, the hype is working, I'm interested.

Cowboy Bebop. I'm suffering through one anime-based adventure game right now (Lupin), so I'd be a fool to overlook this one. Bebop is basically the sci-fi action version of Lupin anyway.

EyeToy: AntiGrav, the first EyeToy game where you don't spend the entire time looking at yourself! I love the EyeToy because it shows that Nintendo isn't the only company willing to develop crazy peripherals and later get burned by it because nobody uses it. In AntiGrav, you have to wear neon bands on your head and wrists, and the camera tracks them to control a hoverboarding game. One step closer to virtual reality. This game will probably completely not-work, but I will have to have it regardless.

Even though the sexier looking PlayStation Portable just officially took the bitch seat to the DS, I'll probably end up with one of those too. Although at the moment there isn't as much argument for it. They're showing off a PSP Metal Gear game, but it's only a demo movie. And get this: it's some kind of crazy turn-based strategy board game! If that's the final concept, they're going to have a hell of a time pushing that to the regular fanbase.

The PSP has a great screen, intends to play music and movies, and has a cute little nubbin of an analog stick. However, Sony is being very unclear about battery life (2 hours to 10 hours depending on usage) and it could cost as much as $100 more than the DS. It's a toss-up.

Whatever happens, Nokia's N-Gage2 has no fucking chance.

Upon closer reading of several E3 Nintendo interviews, it seems the brand new coolass Zelda game is actually replacing the rumored Wind Waker 2! I sort of assumed they'd do both: a cel-shaded sequel to the wonderful Wind Waker, and this new fancy realistic Ocarina-styled one. Apparantly not, and this explains that dippy split-second pause in the new trailer whenever Link delivers the killing blow to an enemy (this dramatic pause was all over Wind Waker)... they're using the WW engine with all new graphics.

I'm pretty annoyed that we won't be returning to the cel-shaded world of Wind Waker. I want both looks! I was totally charmed by that style, by the complicated simplicity of the design. It's like Charlie Brown. Sure, he looks like he'd be easy to draw, but you try it sometime. Guaranteed you'll end up with something off the back window of a pickup truck. You can't help but assume Nintendo is backpedaling here, desperate to blow off some of the tarnish that the GameCube is a system for kids only. And there's no question that this one will do it. But, as Nintendo has already stated, Wind Waker still sold in the millions. That's not a failure by any measure.

Wind Waker was a beautiful damn game. I blame you. And Tingle.

And that Metroid DS game with the viewscreen on the bottom half? That's because you use the DS stylus to move and shoot. That's plum crazy, Jethro. I just spent five minutes trying to hold my Indigo GBA (and control the D-pad) with one hand, and tapping the screen with a pen in the other hand. I am now skeptical. It seems anatomically offputting.

Walking through the TRU parking lot today, I suddenly remembered something that Nintendo appears to have completely dropped for this year's show: the eReader! Where did it go? Where's the Game & Watch eCard series? The third and fourth SMB3 cardsets? Is it compatible with the DS? These are questions that no one is asking. Because no one is caring.

Notice that the eReader features have been slowly disappearing from the latest Pokemon cards too. Uh oh, looks like we'll be shoving that one back into the Idea Closet by the Virtual Boy!