Two days into this year’s E3, there have been surprises and disappointments. After tackling some of the individual stories yesterday, Chris and Shaun are back to pick apart Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft’s press conference offerings and give grades on their performances.

NINTENDO

New Super Mario Bros. Wii U

Shaun: I’m actually a big fan of NSMB for the Wii. The return to 2-D on a console was great, and the ability to play with friends granted the title another layer of replayability. The sequel for the Wii U? Nice. But not what we needed. For the launch of a new console, nothing would have been as important as a 3D Mario. Instead, we get another 2-D entry. Don’t get me wrong; some of the new features (flying squirrel mushroom FTW) look great, and I’m glad they’re giving this series another go, but the timing is unfortunate.

Chris: I can agree that the timing sucks, but it doesn’t really affect my happiness to see this confirmed. Anyone who’s read one of my articles on this site knows I love four-player local co-op, and the first game in this series was fantastic. Now we learn that a fifth player can join the mix and help (or screw with) players using the tablet, much like using a Game Boy Advance for Tingle in Wind Waker. This sequel reminds me of Super Mario Galaxy 2, where they took an established commodity and tweaked it to make it even better. Purists may cry that there aren’t enough changes or new ideas to justify a sequel, but I’m all for good games however I can get them.

Nintendo Land

Chris: At first glance, I thought “meh.” But I started to think about this on a grander scale. Nintendo has the potential to make this idea really shine, but it has to be willing to swallow a bit of a financial loss to do it. On the surface, the idea of bringing together some of the company’s bigger franchises sounds decent, even if it’s just for mini-games and the like. But think back to Wii Sports, and what a huge impact that had in the Wii’s early life. Gamers, be honest with yourself: Somebody you knew was enjoying the hell out of the bowling or tennis in Wii Sports when it first came out. This is a similar opportunity to showcase the tablet controller’s abilities (such as the shuriken throwing game), but I feel like its importance will be minimized if it comes with a $40-$60 price point. As part of a launch package, though? Could be a big deal.

Shaun: Casual fans are always looking for the next big thing to spend five minutes playing and then abandoning, but the fact that the price point for the Wii U is going to be higher than that of the Wii makes me wonder if this idea is really going to catch on. And let’s not forget, when the Wii came out, Nintendo was the sole pioneer of motion gaming. That’s not the case with tablets, where Apple reigns with an iron fist. It’s beginning to look like Nintendo needs to cater to the hardcore crowd more than they have in awhile, and I don’t think games like Nintendo Land are going to get it done.

Overall Impressions

Shaun: Nintendo needed the most impressive E3 showing to supplement the launch of their new console. They didn’t get it. Outside of New Super Mario Bros. Wii U, nothing top tier was announced, and while it’s nice to see the Wii U getting third party support, announcing games most fans have already played elsewhere was sort of a limp noodle. At least we know the Wii U will support two tablets, but that wasn’t a bonus: it was a necessity for this console to even have a chance at being successful. A new HD Zelda could have made huge waves, but as it stands, Nintendo could be in some trouble if this is all we have to look forward to. Grade: D

Chris: I’m started to think Nintendo doesn’t understand timing at all. This is a system that probably should have been released three years ago, if not in place of the Wii entirely. Then, as Shaun said, they bring next to nothing to the table at E3 when their system is supposed to launch in six months or so. A new Zelda wasn’t really an option, as those games take five years to develop and Skyward Sword is just a half year in the rear-view mirror. A shiny 3D HD Mario game would have helped. Where’s Metroid, Star Fox or Mario Kart? You don’t even need gameplay trailers at this point, just show some damn screens like they did with Smash Bros. last year. Our only hope now is that Retro Studios has a big ace up its sleeve. I was already on the fence about the Wii U, and E3 has me precariously close to falling off on the “no deal” side. Grade: D

SONY

Beyond: Two Souls

Chris: Heavy Rain was one of those divisive games where there wasn’t much middle ground — you either loved it or hated it. For some, Quantic Dream’s story-heavy, quick-time-event-driven approach was a masterful piece of storytelling; for others, it made Metal Gear Solid 4’s cutscenes look short and engaging by comparison. I was on the love side, so seeing the demo for Beyond: Two Souls grabbed my attention. Sure, the trailers featured nothing but cutscenes, but already there’s been significant graphical improvement and the story looks great. It also doesn’t hurt that the studio nabbed Ellen Page, who I happen to think is cute.

Shaun: Nearly every part of Beyond is exciting to me. The voice acting looks top notch (having Ellen Page will do that for a video game), and the visuals are incredible, probably the best facial recreation this side of LA Noire. The story seems sort of ho-hum and possibly not as groundbreaking as Heavy Rain, but the game looks great and I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

The Last of Us

Shaun: Maybe it’s a sign that video games are maturing, but two of the games I’m looking most forward to are The Last of Us and Tomb Raider, titles that place vulnerable, normal individuals in survival situations. The Last of Us has generated some pretty impressive hype, but it wasn’t until I checked out the trailer today that I got genuinely excited. The environment and visuals are incredible, the dialogue is well-written, and the action appears  to be extremely visceral because you’re not some roided freak (Gears of War) or badass space marine—you’re a normal person with average physical capabilities who is trying to survive.

Chris: Nothing about The Last of Us really surprises me because we’ve already seen Naughty Dog’s reputation, most recently in the Uncharted trilogy (although Jak and Daxter was always a favorite of mine). I mean that in a good way — the trailer for TLoU showcased great graphics and the witty, fast-paced writing we’ve come to expect. Nathan Drake went from a nobody to one of the modern icons of gaming, and it looks like the developers are crafting even more solid characters to carry this new IP. If Naughty Dog can find a similarly strong balance between gameplay and storytelling, Sony has another surefire hit on its hands.

Overall Impressions

Chris: I’m not sure anyone really blew me away at E3 this year (we’ll get into that more later), but of the big three companies, I’d probably give Sony a slight edge. Beyond and The Last of Us could turn into huge new IPs, and the company tried to fill a big hole on the Vita by announcing more support for PS1 titles. Still, Sony had its own weaknesses, like the puzzling choice to spend time unveiling Wonderbook in a sad attempt to keep support for the Playstation Move alive. Also, the recurring problem for the Vita (like most system launches these days) is simple: Where are all the games? I expected we’d see more support on the portable side, but outside of an Assassin’s Creed port there wasn’t anything that made an impact. Grade: C

Shaun: PlayStation 3 definitely has enjoyed the best E3 thus far. It had some surprises and big announcements (the next God of War, for example), and also introduced some exciting new IPs. Unfortunately, I’m afraid this year’s E3 confirmed what we already knew: the Vita is an extremely impressive piece of hardware that is doomed. From a games perspective, if your most exciting announcement is the ability to play titles OVER TEN YEARS OLD, then it’s a problem. Still, the future is looking good for what seems to be the last years of the PS3’s life cycle. Grade: B

MICROSOFT

Halo 4

Shaun: What is there to say about Halo 4 that we don’t already know? Was I impressed? Sure, I guess. The graphic update over Halo 3 is definitely noticeable, I’m interested to see where the story goes, and the gameplay looks as good as ever despite the studio shift. While this was all high quality, I’d be lying if I said I was genuinely excited for this game. Maybe I’m all sequel-ed out, but games like The Last of Us and Beyond captured my attention far beyond Halo 4.

Chris: Well, if you’re struggling to find enthusiasm, you can imagine how I feel about Halo 4. I’m not impressed by Master Chief as a protagonist, and while I enjoyed the original Halo, most of the games we’ve seen since then (especially Reach) have bored me. I think 343 Industries put out a passable trailer and I’m sure bigger fans of the franchise are more excited, but to me, this is the continuation of a trilogy whose second game had one of the worst endings ever and whose third game featured a basketball-sized robot as its huge final boss. So…yeah.

Xbox Music

Chris: Microsoft has provided the killing blow on the slow death that the open market was giving the Zune, and tried to rebrand it as the simply-titled Xbox Music. Like Nintendo’s decision to finally add HD graphics to its system, this move feels like too little, too late. The idea of being able to stream to a computer or your phone is a nice touch, but there are already programs out there that do the same thing. And the elephant in the room, as always, is Apple. The iPod (and by extension, iTunes) continues to loom large over the music industry, and this doesn’t strike me as something that’s going to change the tides.

Shaun: Zune? What’s a Zune? In all seriousness, that’s exactly right; 10 years ago, it would have been revolutionary. Now it’s just a novel idea that will fail to make any sort of dent in the market, and I have to imagine it will fail to make anyone who is on the fence about purchasing an Xbox reconsider.

Overall Impressions

Shaun: What was disappointing to me about Microsoft’s presentation is that everything I am excited for, I already knew about. Tomb Raider, Resident Evil 6, and Halo 4 have all already been announced. Splinter Cell Blacklist is the only exception, but I’ve already aired my concerns about the title’s direction. I don’t care at all about the tablet functionality, and if there was a way to make my waning interest in the Gears of War series even less, it was naming Baird, one of my nominees for worst character ever, the game’s lead. Microsoft’s show was complete middle of the road, and thus, it gets a middle of the road grade. Grade: C

Chris: Now that I’m primarily a PS3 owner, Microsoft has to work extra hard to get my attention. What little time I spend on the 360 usually goes to Left 4 Dead. To pique my interest, MS needed to hit me with an exclusive that I couldn’t get elsewhere, and they failed miserably. Tomb Raider does look solid, but that’s on PS3. RE6 and Blacklist will be too. The new South Park game looks fun, but guess what? Sony has it too. That leaves me with Halo and Gears of War, which is essentially like leaving me with nothing. But it’s okay, because Microsoft’s giving me unique, never-before-seen ideas like Xbox Music and the SmartGlass to enhance my gaming experience! Oh, wait. Grade: D-

E3 IN GENERAL (so far)

Chris: I don’t want to sound like Dave here, but I’m definitely not feeling a ton from this year’s show. I think E3 still can have a huge impact on the industry, but it’s a tough sell when the big three companies are bringing very little to the table. What games am I amped to play out of this mess? The new Mario, Beyond, and…that’s it? In a word: letdown.

Shaun: There are cynics out there who feel like E3 is pointless and a dying breed. I don’t want to be a hater, but this year’s show hasn’t done anything to dissuade that idea. Let’s hope the coming days are more impressive.