NINTENDO - E3 2000

I was extremely disappointed in Nintendo's booth this year.  I may have complained in previous years that Nintendo had too many "Mario Clones" (games that were basically the same as the original Mario 64), but this year was ridiculous.  With the minor exception of "Paper Mario" (shown below), it was like going back in time.  Games for the regular PSX looked better than the N64 new titles.  Canker's Bad Fur day, Banjo & Tooie, and Zelda are duplicated of their previous versions with a few new characters and levels.  Yawn!  I will also mention that Nintendo had the only booth at the show that gave you the feeling you were entering baby world, with tike music playing in the background and a large portion of their booth dedicated to the ancient technology known as the Gameboy.  On the positive side, Nintendo was giving out free beer to E3 patrons that wandered into the Canker's Bad Fur Day area.

Paper Mario - The concept of Paper Mario is unique, with the characters looking like cartoons cut out of paper.  At times they will reveal their sides by spinning around and they look paper thin.  The one complaint I had with this game is that while the concept was unique, the graphics could have easily been done with a Super Nintendo system.  Gameplay is actiony and involves interaction with many other characters.  While not mind blowing, it will appease fans looking for something other than a new animal in a Mario 64 clone.