Best Of E3 2012
Feature
With E3 2012 in the rear view mirror, Hooked Gamer's Mark Barley hands out his "Best of E3" awards.
Ubisoft had a great E3, you could even argue that the developer/publisher had a better showing than Nintendo or Microsoft but we'll leave that debate for another day. One title that absolutely stole the show last week was Assassin's Creed III. A departure from the "same old, same old" that the Assassin's Creed franchise had become known for, Assassin's Creed III is bringing the heavy firepower and leaving everyone in their wake. The game takes place during the American Revolution and you'll play as Connor Kenway, a half-English/half-Native American. With stealth gameplay, hand-to-hand combat, amazing graphics, and ship-to-ship battles on the ocean, the game is my hands down leader for Game of the Year.
Best Adventure Title - Pikmin 3
Nintendo fans have been patiently waiting for a new Pikmin title for quite some time and they're finally getting one on the Wii U. Shigeru Miyamoto did the honors of announcing Pikmin 3 during Nintendo's press conference much to the audience's delight. The game will feature high definition graphics but classic gameplay with the console's Wiimote. It also utilizes the new Game Pad to keep organized track of all your Pikmin which are bound to appear in many new forms. While I was disappointed that Nintendo opted to not give the game online multiplayer, the fact that we're getting an all-new Pikmin adventure is enough for me to jump for joy.
Best Platformer Title - New Super Mario Bros. U
While the Wii U didn't feature very many "hardcore" titles, it did get to showcase some very exciting titles. One of those titles happened to be New Super Mario Bros. U, the Wii U's flagship title for the console's launch. It will feature the same gameplay that made you fall in love with the pint sized plumber but will introduce the first five-player gameplay mode. It doesn't look groundbreaking but Mario in brilliant HD and Game Pad play makes me think it will be another fantastic Mario adventure.
Best Racing Title - Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Criterion is at it again but this time they are resurrecting one of the Need for Speed franchise's best titles: Need for Speed: Most Wanted. It's the one title during EA's E3 press conference that made me really say wow. It will be an open world racer where you take on missions and challenges to become the city's "most wanted" racer. The graphics look amazing, the gameplay looks tight, and the cars look like they're straight off the showroom floor.