every summer, the majority of the video gaming world, all come together in one epicenter of videos, demos, information, and hype.  that’s right, it’s e3 time.  the electronics entertainment expo is on, and while all the internet is abuzz with all of the haps, i’m not going to try and act like i’m bringing you some exclusive.  i’m just going to talk about what has caught my eye thus far.

first off, ds is back in the win column!  after last post’s ugly news that a “buffy: the vampire slayer” game was coming to my cherished handheld, good news came today in the form of organized crime and the rebirth of the most sought after classic, maybe ever.  first, joystiq has the official pics that grand theft auto is heading to chinatown and the ds.  while there isn’t a lot to this so far except for the title, it’s exciting to see nintendo welcoming a bit more grown up franchise.  not that what ds and even wii has done so far isn’t spectacular, it’s just nice to have a change of pace.

and secondly,  chrono trigger is back.  and no it’s not some emulator and i didn’t dig up an old snes and cartridge on ebay.  nintendo finally came around and made a remake of one of my all-time favs and honestly, one half of the reason i love rpgs to this day.  (final fantasy III on the snes (VI in japan) is the second).  I can’t wait to beat this game, and beat it again, and again, and again, since even back then, they had the vision to give you all your stats and gear back so you had a reason to persue the multiple endings!  here is are some screens on ign.  cue the salavation.

 nintendo also seems to be doing it up big on the wii.  while i don’t own one, i love my time spent with the console and i continue to be impressed by their innovation.  as if yesterday’s announcement of a even more accurate motion controller wasn’t enough, they are taking their already successful wii sports franchise on vacation.  kotaku, the best home for gaming nerdery on the net, has the pics of wii sports resport.  and yes, i do want to play wii frisby with a wii puppy.  does that make me less of a man?  if anything, i would say it makes me more of an american.

but i can’t leave sony out of this nintendo lovefest.  everytime i think i’m out, the bastards pull me back in.  thanks a lot sony.  just when i thought i was going to keep some money in savings for a bit, you have to go out and make the ps3 that much more attainable.  but i’m not faltering yet.  i need something besides mgs4 to get me to drop that kind of cash.  but then again, my stimulus check does come soon since i was part of the last group to have them mailed….snake?  SNAAAAAAAAAAAKE!

so it won’t all be about legos, but it very well could, and maybe should be. who doesn’t love legos? they are a favorite of onerythym and myself. of all the building materials from our childhood, what is better? not lincoln logs, tinker toys, erector sets, or blocks…i mean blocks, really?

so we start today, with the next gen of legos: the lego batman trailer! the folks over at g4 also busted a good lego april fools joke from the pages of electronic gaming monthly.

lego batman looks to be picking up where lego star wars left off except with one majo differnece. while in lsw you could use bad guys to complete the games missions, jostiq says today, you can actually BE THE BAD GUYS in lego batman.

i guess joystiq has a lego affliction like we do here at internet punch, becuase they also had some sweet news about the lego indiana jones game.

and if those games make it to pc, well why not combine the fun?

so outside of the world of legos, moldawer in the morning (who’s podcast i check out on the regular), has finally lost it with the hillary bashing. at least someone has a sense of humor about this.

in breaking news, the olsen twins know how to read and write! and not only that, 23/6 is reporting they are making a book! besides that sample page, initial reports say the book will weigh 4 times as much as both of them combined.

and finally, i love hip hop, but even this is hard for me to follow.

i’m off to play more metal gear portable ops. all that mgs4 talk last week gave me the itch.

so the day is finally here. the day where i have to decide if sony will jack me for 500 dollars so i can conclude my dance with solid snake. that’s right: metal gear solid 4 has a release date.

and not only, are they dropping the most anticipated game of my lifetime, they are doing it with an amazing bundle! did you see snake’s face on that ps3? plus the new dual shock 3 controller?! i have not been able to get my heart rate down since seeing this. for those of you who don’t know, i try to be pretty responsible with my money. i work a lot and don’t like to waste what i earn. plus i work in corporate radio, so i know the hatchet man could drop through the ceiling at any moment on a zip line, fire one shot to the head, and i’m looking for work.

with that being said, i really really want this game. it’s not just a video game. it’s an experience. it’s closing a chapter that has been with me through most of my developing life. the metal gear series has plagued me (in a good way if that word can have a positive connotation) since child hood. from getting killed by dogs in the jungle on metal gear on the nes, to never finding that last key card in snakes revenge, then jumping to the psx where things got solid. i’ve been there.

battling revolver ocelot in the past and present. having psycho mantis read my memory card and then killing him after he did that. losing meryll and fighting liquid snake. solid snake and i have been through it. then on to metal gear solid 2, where i learned of the patriots and sons of liberty. cartwheeling around the big shell with raiden. (i know you guys hated him, but that game had an amazing story), and then flashing back to the origins of the big boss in mgs3.

enough with the trip down memory lane (which just gave me a really bad idea for how to waste my weekend). all of this has delivered us to this point. the final chapter. between the game play, character development, cinematics, action, dialogue, and intuitivness of the “sneaking espionage” type engine, this series to me has put hideo kojimi in the all-time video game hall of fame. it’s like the best qualities from your favorite action/espionage/government conspiracy movie (not like steven segal, but the good kind), but you are in control. i can’t really put it into words, you just have to have played through them all.

now to really make it tough, the plot and conclusion of a 4 game long story as intricate as mgs is not enough. they also brought back online play. some of you didn’t know me the first time metal gear online was out. it was bundled with the re-release of mgs3, subtitled “subsitance.” and for those of you who did, well you never saw me unless you played online too because that is where i was.

so with that said, i have a big decision to make. to ps3 or not to ps3. but i think i already know the choice. snake wouldn’t let me down. i can’t let him down.

ps. check back in late june/early july for my ebay link to a special edition ps3 for sale with mgs4 so i can make my rent. thanks!