Considering my cynical expectations going in, Nintendo really surprised me at this year’s E3. I certainly didn’t expect Wii Sports Resort to be as fun or engaging as it turned out to be, but after playing a ton of it, this Wii Motion Plus vehicle is at the top of my list. That’s not to say Nintendo’s other first-party offerings were any less impressive. New Super Mario Bros. Wii was a real shocker, bringing competitive co-op to the classic platformer more successfully than Four Swords Adventure did a few years ago. While I still see some room for frustration in the co-op-centric gameplay, NSMBW manages to right many of the wrongs of its direct predecessor, and the addition of a very Super Mario World-esque Yoshi is thrilling. With over 80 stages, the return of the Koopalings, and a few new power-ups, NSMBW is a must-buy.

The announcement of Super Mario Galaxy 2 was surprising, but I'm skeptical of how much more material can be wrought from that formula. I'm excited that you can ride Yoshi in the sequel, and I eagerly await new universes and vistas to explore.

Certainly, however, I am more excited about Metroid: Other M. Developed with help from Team Ninja, the game will focus on Samus' backstory and her connection to the military, something I've been hoping to see for years. From the gameplay shown, Other M looks like a fairly traditional 2.5D platformer with some first-person elements and epic boss battles. This is the one game I can't wait for. Will Samus turn up in Dead or Alive: Xtreme 3? One can only hope! (Editor's note: NWR does not endorse this position...at all.)

Third parties had a lot of content for the Wii this year. The Conduit, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Sin & Punishment 2, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, and Dead Space: Extraction all look like solid games that will surely appeal to a broad cross-section of gamers. I'm especially psyched about Muramasa, which adopts the combat pedigree and aesthetic of Odin Sphere but ditches the cumbersome alchemy gameplay. Ubisoft showed off an impressive range of Wii games including TMNT: Smash Up, Rabbids Go Home, and Red Steel 2, though none of them blew me away. Nintendo, EA, and Ubisoft all showed off exercise programs for the Wii. Ubisoft's was the most impressive in that you don't need any controllers (while exercising); instead, a camera tracks your movement.

The DS is getting some much-needed love. Though I wasn't crazy about Spirit Tracks, I did get a big kick out of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and The Legendary Starfy. Scribblenauts and FlipNote Studio tickled my creative bone in ways that haven't been tickled in a long time. The latter will be free DSiWare, so you have NO excuse not to give it a shot. Scribblenauts may be a nomen dubium (you don't do any scribbling), but it's still fun and inventive. Even Fossil Fighters, a cross between Dinosaur King and Pokemon, was pretty fun.

Overall, E3 was fun but exhausting. As a first-timer, I didn't really know what to expect. Next year will be better. Perhaps I'll invest in some shoe inserts! The best part of the show was, without a doubt, meeting most of my NWR colleagues face-to-face. After a few days, it felt like we'd all known each other for years. Next time, maybe Other M will be playable on the show floor. That'd be worth the trip alone.