Well, another Electronic Entertainment Expo has come and gone. What did you think of this year's show? Did you see everything you had hoped for? I know I have mixed reactions to it. Being a Nintendo junkie means that as always my interest was focused on one single direction.

I wasn't blown away by Nintendo this year. In terms of software for the Wii and DS, there weren't many surprises. Last year I came away excited about Super Mario Galaxy 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Metroid: Other M and Zelda Wii. NSMBW is already out. I'm playing through it slowly, as my wife likes to play it too, just not too frequently. SMG2 is out too, and I will be picking it up in the very near future (I waited a bit to try to watch my spending.). Metroid: Other M will be out in a short few months, and I have already pre-ordered my copy.

So, there wasn't a whole lot left for following up last year's strong showing. Of that group, only Zelda remains. No release date yet, though we got more details on it. The full title is "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword." Not really sure that I like it. Apparently, in this game Link lives in a city in the clouds, and comes down to save Hyrule from a new evil. He will be able to use his sword to travel back and forth, from the clouds to the earth. Visually, the game is combining the cel-shading of Wind Waker with the 'mature' design of Twilight Princess. It's a very interesting look which will take some getting used to. Unfortunately, I can't say I'm any more excited about the game than when I knew nothing about it.

We did get more info on Okamiden, the DS sequel to one of my favorite games of all time, Okami. It doesn't look quite as good as the original, but what can you expect when you move from console to handheld? I'm still incredibly stoked about it and will certainly grab it when it releases next year.

There were also announcements of new games in the Donkey Kong Country and Kirby franchies. They look promising, and will brighten up the barren landscape of Wii gaming.

I suppose the biggest thing out of E3 for Nintendo was the first hands-on time with the 3DS. I admit I didn't pay too much attention to this new handheld when it was announced a few months ago. I guess I assumed it was just another gimmicky redesign for the DS. But apparently it is the actual next-gen successor to the DS. Now you've got my attention! I cannot believe how many cool titles have been announced for the 3DS. Nintendo hasn't had third-party support like this in ages. Assassin's Creed, Metal Gear Solid, Saint's Row, BloodRayne, man the list goes on and on! If the system turns out to be solid, it will be hard to not get one!

So in recap, E3 for Nintendo fans this year: 1) The 3DS looks pretty cool. 2) Zelda is going to be interesting. 3) Okamiden is ultra-cute and fun!