Platformer of Show:
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)

The fact that this category's winner is Muramasa -- a vividly imagined scuttle through hand-painted 2D worlds – says a lot for old-school gaming. The challenging swordplay may make players want to scream and throw their controllers, but the visual style will ensure they hush up and maintain proper art museum decorum. Plus, the bosses are some of the most monstrous titans we've ever dueled against.


Runners-Up: Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues, LittleBigPlanet Portable, New Super Mario Bros. Wii



Puzzle Game of Show:
Scribblenauts (DS)

It's not empty hype: Scribblenauts is one of the most unique puzzlers we've ever seen, combining user-defined puzzle solutions with seemingly gargantuan replay value. This is one game that we definitely kept coming back to during the show. Some amusing highlights: cops warded off by donuts, nurses being delivered to doctors, and lasers that look like ray guns from Call of Duty: World at War's Nazi Zombie mode.


Runners-Up: None



Racing Game of Show:
Forza Motorsport 3 (360)

Forza Motorsport 3 director Dan Greenawalt calls it "the definitive racing game of this generation." It's easy to give him the benefit of the doubt after seeing what this third Forza brings to the racetrack. It's out to become the racing game of choice for every car lover, from the kid with a car poster on his wall to the old pro who spends his weekends tuning a car in the garage. Other racing games at E3 looked good, but Forza's new ultra-detailed cockpit views, rookie-friendly rewind feature, and expansive lineup of enthusiast-favorite cars should be enough to make gearheads swoon while keeping racing gamers glued to their wheels.


Runners-Up: Need for Speed Shift, Split Second



Role-Playing Game of Show:
Mass Effect 2 (360/PC)

The first Mass Effect scratched our sci-fi itch, and the second is shaping up to do the same... and then some. It features not only the rich dialogue trees that made developer BioWare famous, but also the sort of deep character customization that the best Japanese role-playing games are known for. And with improved controls, interesting characters, and a whole new story, we can't wait to take Mass Effect 2's hero (or heroine) back into the final frontier.



Runners-Up: Final Fantasy XIII, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story



Shooter of Show:
Modern Warfare 2 (PS3/360/PC)

2007's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare redefined the stagnant World War II first-person shooter series, handily hurtling it into the modern world. Modern Warfare 2 breaks from the Call of Duty name, clearing the decks for (we're guessing) a return to the traditional era for the series proper. As for this fully spun-off sequel: Developer Infinity Ward's ratcheted up the visual fidelity and added a new Special Forces mode consisting of large-scale, standalone missions designed for co-op play. We can't wait!


Runners-Up: Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Brink, Halo 3: ODST, Left 4 Dead 2



Sports Game of Show:
Fight Night Round 4 (PS3/360)

Ever wondered what a face looks like when it's crushed by a fist? Look no further than Fight Night Round 4. EA's latest boxing sim sports amazing-looking fighters and some of the most impressive physics ever -- it's a game that even non-sports fans will appreciate. Plus, it's a lot of fun to finally find out if Muhammed Ali would defeat Mike Tyson in the ring.


Runners-Up: Madden NFL 10, Wii Sports Resort