It had to happen eventually, but this year’s E3 has come to a close.  With some of the biggest reveals in recent memory, one can’t help but to be ecstatic about what the next twelve months has in store for us gamers.  Resurrections of loved franchises, fantastic new technologies being unleashed, complex graphics, and levels of excitement unseen since the launch of the current-gen consoles.  There will likely be a few more stories that have come out of E3 which we will post over the next couple of days, but I suspect by Monday we’ll be back to our normal posting schedule/content.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the past…but man, do I love living in the future.

Ars Technica’s Ben Kuchera has spent some hands-on time with the new GoldenEye title, coming to the Wii.  It sounds like he was overall quite pleased with what he saw.  Click here to check out what he had to say about it.  I would like to note that he mentions you can use either the classic controller or a wiimote + nunchuck config as a method of control.  I’m kind of hoping you can use the Gamecube controller…Wavebird, anyone?

I’m also especially happy to hear that the graphics are updated yet still retro.  I was hoping they wouldn’t make the game look too new, and it looks like this is the case.

Ars Technica offers up an inside look at Gran Turismo 5.  After reading this, I’m not surprised that the release date has been constantly pushed back…this looks like it might end up being the holy grail of driving games.

Kotaku has some awesome screenshots posted from Fable III.  I highly recommend you take some time to head on over there and sneak a peek.  The Fable series gets lots of love in our household, so suffice it to say, we’re excited

Joystiq has an article about their hands on experience with Star Fox 64 3D.  As of now, the game is just a demo, consisting of the first level.  Here’s to hoping Nintendo has the smarts to release a full version…I would absolutely snatch this thing up.

The Conduit was a hotly anticipated (and warmly received) FPS for the Wii that utilized a control scheme similar to Metroid Prime Trilogy.  Kotaku now has a story up regarding their initial impressions with The Conduit’s sequel.  Check it out…seems like this one has some good potential for Wii owners with itchy trigger fingers.

The classic X-Com is getting a new release quite unlike previous entries in the series; they’re going with a shooter-style as opposed to the original strategy oriented titles.  Still, it looks freakin’ amazing.  Wired reports their impressions in an article that made me a bit giddy.  I was excited for this game before, but it has now shot to the top 5 of my “anticipated” list.

X-Com is currently pegged for a release on the 360 and the PC, although no release date has been announced as of this time.

Kotaku has gotten their hands on the new Twisted Metal title for the PS3 (revealed during Sony’s Keynote), and it sounds like the legendary series is better than ever.  Read on for their thoughts.

Ben Kuchera, one of the best game reviewers in the business, has finally posted his hands-on impression from the new Nintendo 3DS hardware.  Click here to read what he has to say about it.

Kotaku has a series of screenshots from Civilization V.  I don’t know about you, but Civ IV sucked up untold hundreds upon hundreds of hours of our time.  In fact, with the exception of Diablo II and WoW, it is possible that we have more time /played on Civ IV than any other game.  Here’s to hoping Civ V is good enough to take over that number 3 spot.