What impressed us at E3? We each picked our favorites. Here are Eric Schabel’s picks. 

Nintendo 3DS

I was pretty excited about the 3DS even before E3 started, but I never dreamed it would end up working so well, and have such a killer software lineup from both Nintendo and third parties this early on. I expected to see maybe one or two new games from Nintendo that would interest me, but now that E3 is over I am simply floored by the prospects of playing a new Kid Icarus game along with the likes of Star Fox, Pilotwings, Mario Kart, and even a remake of the classic Ocarina of Time, all in 3D. A lot of questions have been asked about the power of the 3DS, but for me it only takes a few looks at Nintendo’s titles and especially some of the third party offerings like Capcom’s new Resident Evil game and Konami’s Snake Eater port to realize that the 3DS is going to offer some gorgeous graphics in portable format. Unlike the DS before it, Nintendo’s new portable is going to hit the ground running with great software right out of the gate when it launches later this year (or early next year).

Kirby’s Epic Yarn

I’ve always had a soft spot for Kirby, and despite the appearances of a mysterious new Kirby game on Nintendo’s software release lists for years now, I honestly did not expect the pink puff ball to show up at E3 this year; certainly not on the Wii, and certainly not in the form of a thread of yarn. I absolutely adore the style of this game, and I am impressed by how good it looks for a Wii title, even giving LittleBigPlanet a run for its money.

Zelda: Skyward Sword

For me, no E3 can ever be truly satisfying without the unveiling of a new console Zelda title. I know that normally this is asking for too much from Nintendo, but they sure delivered this year. Skyward Sword looks gorgeous and I am really digging the new motion controls. A lot of people seem to be moaning about how the game looks like more of the same with new controls tacked on, but I am convinced that we have only seen the tip of the sword (pun definitely intended), and I can’t wait to see what else is new when we get our hands on this game early next year.

PlayStation Move

This is kind of an odd choice coming from me, not only because I have frequently trashed Sony for blatantly ripping off Nintendo’s controller, but also because I do not even own a PS3 at the moment. However, I do love the Wii controller, especially when it is used in shooters and third person action games. The problem is, there aren’t too quality games that fit that bill on the Wii, so I am very excited to see how the pointer and motion controls can be taken advantage of on a more powerful system with an abundance of action titles being developed for it.

Journey

This PSN title from thatgamecompany seems to be the complete opposite of most games being developed today. Instead of some badass with a sword or a gun, in Journey you are simply a wanderer with a cloak in a vast desert, searching for a way to get to a distant mountain. There are no weapons and no enemies, only natural obstacles like the sand and the wind. The game looks amazing, and with anonymous online interactions (you can’t even see the PSN name of the people you play with, much less speak to them with a mic) it should prove to be a very unique experience. Journey is just the sort of game I have been yearning to play lately; I have no doubts that it will be a breath of fresh air.