Honestly speaking, it could hardly have been the same as, or any worse than the arrogant and frankly disrespectful showing we enjoyed last year. This year had almost everything we could hope to expect � new games, old games and a whole lot of promises to keep.

What was surprising for most of us was that the two major sequels announced were totally unexpected: although we knew Metroid would resurface at some point after Retro Studios completed their stint on the series, we had no idea that it would be so soon. The new game, with the 3D adventure feel is such a massive departure from the Prime games that it's difficult not to be impressed. And worried. While we all said the same thing about the semi-first person perspective Retro gave us, this new direction looks a little casual, a little too arcade-like for our favourite voluptuous bounty hunter.

But naturally, I will be the first one to eat my words and buy the game when the title finally lands � if it's any good, that is. It's natural that we should feel some trepidation about this new direction. How it will work and how it will be implemented is down to the developer, and we have to have faith just like we were forced to have faith in Retro. In retrospect, they pulled it off, so why not this new team.

Open wide...

Another big shocker was the new Mario Galaxy game. What is most unusual about this game is that there have not been two true new Mario games on any system since the NES and original GB days. Sure, there have been RPG's, puzzle games and various spin-offs, but no true sequel. Usually it takes years between games and suddenly, only a year after Galaxy we have not only a new Mario game, but am actual sequel using the same engine.

Confusing, no? But then again, it makes sense from a business perspective: the engine is already there, Galaxy was a major seller on the system and highly critically acclaimed, so why not produce another game that's cheaper to make than the original and probably will enjoy a similar sales volume. I very much doubt that it will enjoy the critical and financial success of its predecessor, but if it shifts a few systems and can be bundled as a budget two-pack at a later date, so much the better for Nintendo.

Ultimately the name of the game is making money, and Nintendo have an uncanny knack recently of making money, so more power to them in this regard. Of course, I also expect Wii Sports Resort to sell in the hundreds of thousands, not as well as Sports but then again, it was a pack-in, so no points there for predicting lower sales.

The third parties also made a nice strong showing on Nintendo's behalf, with Red Steel 2 a standout title among quite a few good ones. The idea of MotionPlus sword fighting is most appealing, and offering it bundled with the motion-enhancing controller is a real no-brainer. Now, the original Red Steel got an unfairly hard response from critics and gamers alike, so it is pretty illogical that it would get an update. But if ever there was a game that absolutely cried out for it, then this was it. The control system was not entirely broken, but certainly in need of a boost in terms of tightness and precision. It could be that Motion Plus is just the peripheral to give it that boost.

The other stand out title was yet another sequel, albeit to a game that was not released on the Wii, and is more of a prequel of sorts. Dead Space Extraction is a perfect match for the Wii, which has become the cosy home of on-rails shooters with a horror spin on them, much like House of the Dead and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. Here is a game that oozes style, class and above all, excitement. Yet again this is a game that adds another notch to the bedpost of Hardcore gaming on the Wii.

Who's a pretty boy then?

If nothing else, that probably was the key to Nintendo's strategy this year: bridging the gap between hardcore and casual by providing high-quality gaming experiences that have a broad range of appeal to the pick-up-and-play generation as well as those seeking depth from their experience.

Finally, we have to touch on that Zelda artwork. If there is a better way to sum up Nintendo then I cannot think of a better way: a single image of Link that sent ripples throughout the fanbase like no full game could. Why does Link not have a sword? Is that a Zora or Zelda? Link seems to have grown up a lot, why? All these questions and more, just from one picture. Microsoft and Sony may have had more "wow" factor than Nintendo, but Nintendo are now back to their limelight hogging, hardcore-hugging, mysterious selves again.

Welcome back to E3, and a sincere welcome to a below-par, but much improved Nintendo.