Hardware bows down to the games

On the last day of the "new" E3 in Santa Monica last month, I found myself riding the elevator with Reggie Fils-Aime, the energetic evangelist for Nintendo of America. It was just the two of us and while I'm not big on small talk, this was an opportunity I could not pass up. "You've got good reason to be happy," I mentioned.

Fils-Aime simply smiled as he checked his PDA. Then he turned to me and asked whether I had seen anything interesting at the E3 Media Summit. I mentioned how we seemed to be returning to an earlier time. "Now that the new consoles are out, software has become important again," I reasoned. He nodded in agreement and said: "Now it's all about the games."

I saw some great games being shown in the various hangars and hotel rooms. Some we had seen in a nascent state last year, hell, some have been talked about for longer than that, but of the games I witnessed, here are a few that popped my eyes.

Halo 3 (Microsoft Game Studios; Xbox 360) The third chapter closes the saga of Master Chief and his efforts to save humanity from extinction. We were shown game play from the stunning first level of the game, and from what I saw you'll be able to play as either Master Chief or the Arbiter, and you may be able to switch back and forth between them. Rated mature.

Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios; Xbox 360) This science-fiction RPG from Edmonton's BioWare, set in a vast universe, promises to be one of the most comprehensive stories ever created for video games. "The choices you make have a material impact on your character, your squad, and the universe," Ryan Bidan, product marketing manager for Xbox Canada, explained in an interview. The game will give you a chance to truly explore the moral implications of your decisions and your actions. Rated mature.

Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks; Xbox 360, PS3, PC) A new one from the creators of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Todd Howard, executive producer, suggested while demoing Fallout 3 that, "Oblivion was a freshman effort," which should give you a sense of how deep and rich Fallout 3 could be. You play from either a first-person or third-person perspective (as opposed to the top-down view of the first two games). The post-apocalyptic world of nuclear mutants and humanity scrabbling to eke out an existence has been maintained, as have the irony and the affinity for pop culture of the earlier games. Unrated.

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (Eidos; Xbox 360, PC) This massively multiplayer on-line game is set in the world of Conan. You play out a story that ties in to the original story line created by Robert E. Howard and weaves in and out of the larger Conan arc. It includes crazy, no-holds melee combat as well as strategic invasion scenarios, which scale to the number of players involved. Rated mature.

Legendary: The Box (Gamecock; Xbox 360, PS3, PC) Legendary was inspired by mythology in the same way as Prince of Persia and God of War. In this one, though, you are an art thief who ends up with Pandora's Box. You know nothing good can come of that. Unrated.

Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft; Xbox 360, PS3, PC) The setting is AD 1191 during the Third Crusade. The demonstration I witnessed showed a seemingly historically accurate Jerusalem, and the environments created by the Montreal development studio are simply breathtaking. With a unique movement and combat system, this game could change the way some action-adventure titles are built in the future. Rated mature.

Bioshock (2K Games; Xbox 360, PC) In this frantic, frenetic, futuristic thriller, you must stop the diabolical plans of a megalomaniacal rich genius. It's a first-person action game with whacked-out weapons, the walking dead, and psychokinetic powers. Rated mature.

Timeshift (Sierra Entertainment; Xbox 360, PC) Here's a first-person shooter unlike any you've played before. Unlike any game before, you've got complete control over time so you can be running forward while time is reversing. "First-person shooters needed a little kick in the ass," suggested senior producer Kyle Peschel. Rated mature.

John Woo presents Stranglehold (Midway; Xbox 360, PS3, PC) Chow Yun-Fat reprises his role as the hard-nosed Hong Kong cop Tequila. As you'd expect with a Woo project, there is no reload mechanic; your guns are always full of bullets. The special-edition PS3 version of the game includes the film Hard Boiled. That's the one for me. Rated mature.

Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo; Wii) The popular plumber chases through space to rescue Princess Peach. Mario. In space. Need I say more? Unrated.

EA Playground (Electronic Arts; Wii, Nintendo DS) This intriguing title mashes up and reinvents schoolyard games like volleyball and dodgeball. It looks to have the charm of Wii Sports with the attitude of Bratz. Dave McCarthy, at the Electronic Arts press conference, explained it as "a game for kids and for the kid inside all of us". Unrated.

Little Big Planet (Sony; PS3) I'm hugely looking forward to this; it exudes a charm I've never seen in a video game. It's a platform game, in which you (and your friends) run, jump, and swing around to get to the ends of various obstacle courses. The cute characters seem to be made of pieces of felt, and the environment in which they exist is customizable by using only a couple of buttons to work the uncanny contextual controls, so players can become their own game designer without having to become programmers. Little Big Planet will be limited only by the imagination of those who play it. Unrated.