Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Today's Top Trailers - Day 3

Our pick of E3's videos, good and bad.

In which, as you'll know if you read yesterday's roundup, Eurogamer's UK team picks their favourite E3 trailers of the last 24 hours. So who are today's winners and losers?

(NB: Anyone sitting at home watching Starhawk videos instead of standing in an L.A. bar having cocktails three feet away from Reggie Fils-Aime already knows the answer to this question.)

Top of the Pops

1. Introducing Nintendo Wii U

Where do you stand on Wii U? Amazing new innovation set to revolutionise the way we think about gaming, or what would happen if an iPhone mated with an Atari Lynx and its offspring got run over by a steamroller? This introductory video arguably raises more questions than it answers, but it's still pretty exciting stuff.

The Wii U unveiled.

2. PlayStation Vita gameplay highlights

Never mind all that, the PS Vita boasts analogue sticks which MOVE INDEPENDENTLY OF HUMAN TOUCH. Or so this video seems to suggest. Eat that, Judith Hann. "I would like the epic orchestral opening music played at my funeral," says Gibson.

Uncharted! LBP! Other stuff!

3. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

EG video wizard Tom Phillips went from six to midnight at the start of the Nintendo conference and stayed that way pretty much throughout, but this was his favourite bit. "I actually thought this was running on Café, it looks so crisp," he says, weeping.

Link sends all sorts of things Skyward.

4. Super Mario 3DS

It was a toss-up between this and Mario Kart, but Super Mario 3DS just wins out for being shiny and new. "Raccoon Mario suit!" says Phillips, vomiting on his own shoes.

The top down perspective stuff should look great in 3D.

5. Top Gun: Hard Lock

A Gibson pick. Obviously they've cheated by just nicking the first 30 seconds from the best film ever made, but still. Guitars! Planes! Explosions! Sunsets! "And it's called HARD LOCK, for goodness' sake!" says Gibson. "Actually I want this music played at my funeral."

From 505 Games, the folks bringing you Michael Phelps Kinect.

And the worst...

Starhawk E3 Dev Diary Trailer

Starts off promisingly - nice arty shots, fancy lighting etc. But we challenge you to stay awake past the bit where Sony and LightBox gently fellate each other for a full minute, then pat themselves on the back for living in Austin, a city so cool they have billiard tables and arcade machines in the bars. The actual gameplay chat isn't much better ("Running around, shooting, but being able to build things, it's really dynamic and it makes for a really exciting experi-" AAAAAAAAA"). This goes on for over SEVEN MINUTES, by the way.

Dylan Jobe and Jason Bateman - separated at birth?

A special mention has to go to Nintendo for its Wii U: The Third Party Line-Up trailer. You may recall seeing this if you watched the live feed of Nintendo's E3 press conference yesterday. And you might have thought game videos shown alongside the unveiling of a new games console might be of games playing on that console. But, it transpires, you'd be wrong. Bit naughty, eh?

Read this next