E3 posts to ensue

My first E3 has come to a close! And now I'm off to Skype in my online journalism seminar presentation >< It's soooo early here. Anyway, my favorites from the show:

Playable
Bayonetta

• I'm so happy the guys from the former Clover Studios are developing new IPs. Their latest work is a sassy, over-the-top, violent action game that follows the story of a witch named Bayonetta. Although Hideki Kamiya said they did not directly draw from their past games, it's not hard to pick up on echoes of familiar aesthetics.
  

Brutal Legend

• I could not stop smiling while I was playing this game. The writing is brilliant and Eddie Riggs is a charming, hilarious stereotype of the rough-hewn rocker. The gameplay and abilities already have a fair amount of depth and are easy to pick up.
  

Scribblenauts

• So ridiculously simple. So ridiculously understated. So much fun and definitely a favorite. Scribblenauts was a joy and a painful frustration as the game challenged the player to earn Starites by guessing which items could solve the puzzle presented on-screen. The item can literally be almost anything. At one point, I was trying to use a cheetah to stop a leprechan from beating me in a race. In a simpler puzzle, I was just trying to give a firefighter and a police officer tools they used on the job. The brilliance of Scribblenauts lies in the multitude of answers for a puzzle, whether they're obscure or obvious. You don't have to find the one word that will earn you the Starite, but use your creativity, which is a parameter that affects your overall score, to develop an answer.

HONORABLE MENTION:
Professor Layton and the Mysterious Box

• Recommending this just because I want Nintendo to bring the rest of the Professor Layton series from Japan to America. Marketing staff at the Nintendo booth were asking E3 attendees to fill out surveys to get a better feel for if the series should be brought stateside. Even the rep at the Nintendo booth admitted the series's ability to make even the hardcore crowd glow with delight as they solve puzzles and move through the storyline. I really enjoyed the first Professor Layton, and the 2nd game is promising more of the same (with maybe more animated scenes).
  

Non-playable
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction

• The fast-paced stealth is neat, but what really appealed to me about Splinter Cell is the transitions and story-telling. Objective and flashbacks are projected onto the environment (usually on the walls or ceilings of buildings)
  

Announced
The Last Guardian (aka, Project TRICO)

• As with Platinum Games, Team ICO is another developer that I will always be happy to see showing off a new game. The trailer frames the story of the boy and his giant griffin/cat/chihuahua companion, and hints that this game will have roots closer to Ico with an emphasis on exploration. It seems to have potential to be heart-warming story with the usual darker undertones from Team Ico games, but for now I'm just hoping the mangy-yet-adorable griffin companion doesn't pull an Agro towards the end of the game.
  

Golden Sun DS

• A series I thought for sure was long dead. I tried to stay professional during the conferences but I have to admit that the attendees in the next aisle over heard me flip out when the trailer for this started. It was a non-playable demo at E3 that was playable for about the five seconds it allowed the player to walk over a bridge. The menus were disabled during this time, too, so there's really no other news than it's announced. Isaac seems to be included in the game, but it's unclear whether he'll play the lead role yet again. The Djinn are back, and I have my fingers crossed for the same turn-based battle system.
  

Metroid Prime: Project M

• The trailer looks so slick. Samus pulling off acrobatic combos and a narrative that goes beyond her wandering alone on an alien planet. Can't wait to see what Team Ninja will bring to the franchise and hear more about this title.