E3 2004: Konami Preview

2004 will see several of Konami's most lauded series' back in action. The inevitable follow-ups to Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill and Suikoden should receive warm receptions, and the resurrection of golden oldies Gradius and Contra should have the fanboys gibbering-a-plenty. There will also be a full bank balance guarantee provided by a healthy spread of Yu-Gi-Oh! titles.

Dance Dance Revolution Extreme [PS2]
More crazy dance mat shenanigans for anatomically talented rubber people. This version of DDR is set to be extreme, so watch out for overweight children doing 'the running man' anywhere near your toes.

Gradius V [PS2]
The Gradius series is a deservedly popular one and, if there's any justice, number five will maintain that tradition. Recent months have seen a decent clump of 2D style shoot 'em ups (R-Type Final, Border Down , Psyvariar 2 etc), so the stakes have certainly been raised for 2004.

Neo Contra [PS2]
Another attempt to revitalise one of the company's cult classics - another dubious 2D update? On the contra-ry, Neo will take to the third dimension. That will be a clear departure from the characteristic gameplay of Contra 3 (arguably the pinnacle of the series), but after the last, somewhat under whelming PS2 outing, this is the only angle left unexplored.

Nanobreaker [PS2]
This might involve the breakage of extremely tiny things. Or it might be something else entirely, only time will tell.

Rumble Roses [PS2]
This is another wrestling game… boo! Featuring semi-naked ladies… hooray! It's been a long time coming…

Silent Hill 4: The Room [PS2, Xbox)
The Silent Hill games have so far proved to be of a consistently high standard, so any deviation from this would be a bit of a shock. That said, shock-value is critical to the gameplay, so expect the unexpected.

Suikoden IV [PS2]
Many RPG disciples spent their entire load of stat-points singing the praises of Suikoden III to anyone who'd listen, and those same people are almost guaranteed to appreciate this iteration. However, for the duration of E3, this particular title may well be lurking in the shadows of Square Enix's Final Fantasy XI: The Chain Of Promathia and Final Fantasy XII.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater [PS2]
This is a sure-fire hit for Konami and will probably be their most important game showing at E3. Although the stealth genre has become even more overcrowded since MGS2: Sons Of Liberty, Hideo Kojima's offering should still offer plenty of fresh innovations.

Boktai 2: Star Boy Diango [GBA]
The return of the vampire killer marks the return of that most ingenious handheld peripheral - the light sensor. Surprisingly, Konami haven't yet demonstrated the potential of marrying this technology to the Metal Gear Solid name, so GBA owners will have to make do with slaying blood-suckers for the moment.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monster Colisseum [PS2]

Yu-Gi-Oh! Reshef Of Destruction [GBA]

Yu-Gi-Oh! Destiny Board Traveller [GBA]

Yu-Gi-Oh! Power Of Chaos [PC]

Shaman King Power Of Spirit [PS2]

Shaman King Master Of Spirits [GBA]