Charles Scibetta at E3 2012 on Paul Gale Network
E3 2012: Charles Scibetta and Paul Gale

Wii U console and Wii GamePad in black on Paul Gale Network
Nintendo (Overall Best of E3 2012)

At E3 2012, Nintendo won the trophy and title for “Overall Best of E3”. With 2012’s event truly being one for the ages in terms of excellent software on display from many companies and for all platforms, what this award had to represent was truly what entity brought forth the best, the most amount of fun, and the brightest outlook for the upcoming year’s worth of gaming. Nintendo showed that with the 3DS, they’re committed to bringing their own Triple A titles to the machine and further establish bonds with 3rd parties. With Wii U, after a year’s worth of mystery and little more than a peep coming out of the company, Nintendo delivered with a perfect blend of software than ranged from casual appeal to that of the hardcore, and even games in between that look like they’ll cater to both (Nintendo Land in particular). Being innovative in console technology, controller design, commitment to excellence in gaming, and ensuring that there was something for everyone were the main reasons for why Nintendo won the award for Overall Best of E3 2012. That’s what I told Charles Scibetta and that’s what I’m telling you; well deserved.

Yves Guillemot at E3 2012 on Paul Gale Network
E3 2012: Yves Guillemot and Paul Gale

E3 2012 Excellence Award for Ubisoft from Paul Gale Network

Ubisoft logo on Paul Gale Network
Ubisoft (E3 2012 Excellence Award)

Ubisoft was the recipient of Paul Gale Network’s first “Excellence Award” at E3 this year. What this excellence award represents is not a game, but rather a company that has gone above and beyond their peers in my eyes, and is truly at the top of their game. Ubisoft has shown at E3 2012 that whether it was creating new excitement with a franchise established in the 6th gen, like Spinter Cell: Blacklist, further establish one of this generation’s best series in Assassin’s Creed III, deliver an impressive gameplay session in Farcry 3, embark in a creative, new IP like Watch Dogs, or show that they have the creativity and intestinal fortitude to make four games for a new console in Wii U, through ZombiU, Rayman Legends, Sports Connection, and Just Dance 4…they’re solid on all sides and that really impressed me. Being a “complete developer” is what I told Ubisoft and Yves Guillemot when I explained what the Excellence Award represented.

EA Sports and UFC partnership on Paul Gale Network
EA Sports and UFC partnership (Biggest Surprise of E3 2012)

EA Sports is the leading video game developer when it comes to sports related video games in this industry. Likewise, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC, is the premiere company in the world of mixed martial arts. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise then, to see why the partnership between the two companies is big news for each side and a big win for us gamers. I’m eager to see how this new found friendship between the two powerhouses will unfold.

Nintendo Land on Paul Gale Network
Nintendo Land (Best Console Game of E3 2012, Best Wii U Game of E3 2012)

E3 2012 was one where we got to go hands on with a more complete Wii U than its limited showing the year before and a load of high profile sequels and new IP’s alike. The best of this bunch on Wii U had to be all that was Nintendo Land. If I had to single out one particular game within the 5 that I got to play (of the eventual 12), it’d be Luigi’s Ghost Mansion. Simple in design but flawless in execution and pure fun. From taking control as the ghost and operating the Wii U GamePad, creating a completely new and fun experience, to the suspense that was generated from being a Mii and teaming up with three others, to go against your mysterious foe…it was pure fun. Receiving this award for Best Wii U Game of E3 2012 was clear to me from the start. However, by Nintendo Land also picking up the prestigious Best Console Game of E3 2012, that means it truly delivered to me an overall more satisfied experience than anything else I played. This really says a lot too, because there were so many extremely good looking, good playing titles between Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 at the show, that had it not been for Nintendo Land just being so fun at its core, I could name half a dozen other titles that would normally be worthy of getting my pick for Best Console Game of E3. Now we’ll just have to wait and see if the other 7 games in this collection are as fun as the 5 we tried in Los Angeles.

Halo 4 for Xbox 360 on Paul Gale Network
Halo 4 (Best Xbox 360 Game of E3 2012)

At last year’s E3, Halo 4 made it’s presence known, but it was over these past few days that I got to see whether or not this game would be the real deal and I’m happy to say that it is. Without Bungie being on board, would it deliver? Could it still be another grand entry in the series? Yes to both of those questions as well as my acknowledgment of Halo 4 shaping up to be one of the console’s finest games of 2012. With a lot of steep competition on this console from various 3rd parties at the show, I’m proud to give Microsoft’s Halo 4 the award for Best Xbox 360 Game of E3 2012.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Omar Kendall from SuperBot Entertainment at E3 2012 on Paul Gale Network
E3 2012: Omar Kendall and Paul Gale

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale on Paul Gale Network
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (Best Handheld Game of E3 2012, Best PlayStation 3 Game of E3 2012, Best PS Vita Game of E3 2012, Best Fighting Game of E3 2012)

What a last several months its been for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. The game may have been “officially” revealed within the last couple of months, but it was Paul Gale Network that first mentioned its existence under the code name, Title Fight, in October of last year. That being said, the game has come a very far way from when I shared the story and an even farther way from when I was first given a glimpse inside, over a year ago. With this additional information beyond other media outlets, I’m personally very proud of SuperBot Entertainment on all of their hard work and dedication that has gone into making this game one of E3’s biggest, most standout titles. It’s picking up four awards from me, after all, and that means I’m really recognizing the quality effort here. For this title to win Best Handheld Game of E3 2012, it had to put up with some stiff competition from Nintendo’s first party 3DS games and plenty of 3rd party greats on both 3DS and PS Vita. It was thanks to the seamless and equally visually impressive performance that the handheld version of Battle Royale had in comparison to its PS3 brother that made this game take its top portable spot and naturally, the award for Best PS Vita Game of E3 2012. Likewise, though PlayStation 3 had so many great games from both Sony’s in house teams and 3rd parties, I felt that PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale provided the most fun overall and biggest draw, earning it the award for Best PlayStation 3 Game of E3 2012. And finally, I was happy to see some healthy 3rd party competition in the fighting game genre (a personal favorite of mine) in Los Angeles, but how fun, fast, and frantic All-Stars was, just took the cake…faster than Fat Princess could even do so.

2 thoughts on “Paul Gale Network’s Best of E3 2012 Awards (Part 1)”
  1. Hey paul, can you really try to get as much information for playstation allstars? I really want to know when they gonna update their roster or things they added in the game.

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