So on Tuesday, I mentioned I was going to E3, and I posted a number of tweets about the games I saw, but I figured 280 characters weren’t enough to talk about some games, and I would collect some opinions in a post.

When everyone was lining up, I looked around and noticed a face I recognized. It turned out it was the Outside Xbox team, Andy Farrant and Jane Douglas, and their cameraman. It was a cool brief brush with celebrity.

So with that, let’s talk about some games. These are just my opinions on games. Do not think of these as full reviews. I played less than 15 minutes in noisy areas for most of these games after standing for hours and sweating like a dog due to heat for some of them. To call them suboptimal conditions is like calling the Arctic a little cold.

I am going to forgo pictures. It is near impossible to take pictures and play these games especially with a time crunch. If you want to see what pictures I have shared, Twitter has all of my previous pictures.

I’m going to break this up into three posts, detailing each day and a conclusion, so here we go in the order I played them.

Dragon Quest XI: It’s a Dragon Quest game. Honestly, I was really excited to see it, it’s coming out on the PC, I believe that’s a first for the series (at least in the West) but it’s quite fun. It is just a “Dragon Quest game” but at the same time, it’s a really solid and deep series, and has all the makings of being another in a great line of JRPGs. Naturally, I went to it first because I was excited to see that it was there, though I probably could have guessed the experience. Still has me interested just due to the fact that Dragon Quest is a good consistent series and if you want a modern RPG keep reading.

Tangentially related, there was nothing I could see of Just Cause 4, even though it was next door. I’m super excited for that series but utterly disappointed there wasn’t a playable demo. The lack of a playable demo with a December launch date has me a little worried, but I’m hopeful for this game

Mega Man X Legacy was playable on the floor, it looked good, though the controls felt a little stiff (for the original Mega Man X) that’s likely due to it’s an SNES game. However, there’s a challenge mode outside of the other games where you get tasked with taking on TWO bosses from different games at the same time. So Chill Penguin is there with Frost Walrus. It looks like there will be “Easy” modes called “Rookie mode” as well for each game. Overall good information, and it’s a game I’ve been keeping a personal eye on. Sadly, the demo reset on me so I gave up playing, but it’s still going to be a great addition to any fan of Mega Man.

Soul Calibur VI was … well, it’s Soul Calibur VI. In the Tekken and Soul Calibur series, I prefer Tekken by quite a bit, though Soul Calibur was a lot of fun to play. The hit detection was outstanding (one of the final blows happened after both characters jumped over each other and Ivy’s whip just touched Nightmare’s leg). It’s pretty cool. Not sure if I have the money and time to really play it, but if you are a Soul Calibur fan, the fight I played felt good. It seems like it’s a good addition to the series but might not bring in more than the current fans.

Mutant Football League: This was a little booth tucked in the back of the floor but it was one of the biggest surprises for me. I didn’t realize Mutant Football League was back, and it came out in October 2017 according to Steam. They are about to release on Switch but I remember Mutant League Fottball from way back in the Genesis days. Perhaps I liked the game because the “New London Hatriots” won, maybe it’s because the Hatriots’ QB, Bomb Shady, pulls out a shotgun and blasts enemies, or the fact I murdered two “Steeler” Quarterbacks on the other team on my first two plays. It’s a football game that has short quarters, but has ultra-violence and the ability to keep fighting after the whistle.

Nintendo’s booth was absolutely packed. However, there were a number of lines. I ended up going in and playing Smash Brothers Ultimate non-competitively and then later competitively. I did awful, but it’s still a tight game. It feels faster than the Wii-u offering but still as chaotic and strategic as always. I got to play Ridley, and he really feels like he belongs. He’s big, but not much bigger than Bowser. Having the ability to fly helped recover and I’m sure he’s going to be interesting as time goes on. As an overall game though, Smash is in the same category as Soul Calibur. If you like Smash this should make you VERY happy, but it’s not going to change anyone’s opinion on the series.

So thus ends Day one, I ended up going to an after-party with an open bar and arcade machines but overall, it was really exciting to see everything and everyone. Not included here was reconnecting with old friends, doing a little business, and getting to know people. Overall though, it was a really good day that had me invigorated and planning the next day. There were two things I missed out on Day 1. The rest of the Nintendo Booth and Kingdom Hearts. Hopefully, I get to see both of them on Day 2.