Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)
Now, don't get us wrong -- we thought New Super Mario Bros. Wii was a welcome surprise (all you haters should turn in your gamer card). And between that and Sin and Punishment 2 the Wii had a pretty impressive E3 showing. But the game that stood out for us the most was Muramasa: The Demon Blade, a stylish 2D side-scroller from Vanillaware, the folks who brought us 2007's Odin Sphere.This vibrant anime-styled action game puts you in the sandals of an ancient Japanese warrior, arms you with a trio of diverse, hot-swappable swords (each with its own regenerating health bar and plethora of combos and special moves), and sends you into combat versus wave after wave of ninjas, demons, and other assorted baddies. It's a refreshing, fast-paced and decidedly hardcore game for a system in desperate need of them. Judging from the lack of brand recognition and the relatively small-potatoes publisher (Ignition Entertainment), we're guessing this little gem's destined for sleeper-town. Here's hoping it finds an audience.
Runners-Up: The Conduit, Dead Space: Extraction, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Sin and Punishment 2
PC Game of Show:
Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC)
Remember how awesome Star Wars Galaxies -- the last massively multiplayer online Star Wars game -- was? Between its nigh-impenetrable character progression model, haphazard navigation tools, outdated aesthetic, myriad technical faults, and multiple midstream relaunches (face it -- that's what they were), Galaxies was one of the most amazingly mishandled videogames ever conceived.In stark contrast, BioWare seems to be treating the Star Wars franchise with respect: This MMO sequel to the Knights of the Old Republic RPGs takes a story-first approach, with separate narrative paths for each of the game's classes. A 4,000-year game-to-movies time gap affords the designers some room to play around a bit with the setting's continuity. And most importantly it looks like a fun, fast-paced game that takes action into careful account (as opposed to Galaxies, which was occasionally labeled "Star Wars without the 'Wars'"). It's foolish to label anything a World of Warcraft-killer, but if anything stands a solid chance of becoming just that, it's BioWare's first MMO.
Runners-Up: None
DS Game of Show:
Scribblenauts (DS)
If you can make it through five minutes of Scribblenauts without smiling, clapping or cheering you are a heartless deviant. For everyone else, 5th Cell's ambitious puzzler (unexpectedly tucked away in a corner of WB Interactive's booth) provided a sandbox of delight. Need to get your cat down from a roof? Well, you could type "fish" and lure him down. Or you could build him a tightrope. Or you could ask for a "jetpack" and just fly up there yourself. Between trying to stump the game's absurdly robust word list and outdoing your own creative solutions, the possibilities are dauntingly expansive. Scribblenauts is a work of pure, maniacal genius.Runners-Up: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Reflection
PSP Game of Show:
LittleBigPlanet Portable (PSP)
Maybe it just felt right on Sony's sexy new PSP Go hardware redux, but LittleBigPlanet seemingly hasn't missed a beat in its transition to the world of portable gaming. Great news, considering the original didn't exactly burn up the sales charts on PS3 yet undoubtedly deserves a second chance. Gorgeous visuals and smooth (albeit still a bit floaty) platforming action bring the whole package together seamlessly, helping it stand on its own stumpy burlap legs. (That is, it's more than just another miniaturized PSP port.) Plus, if the rumored connectivity with its older brother pans out, LBP Portable could become the most engrossing game on the system.
Runner-Up: Gran Turismo PSP
