Catroots (2000)
Even the Nintendo booth babes we spoke to couldn't tell us anything about the mysterious demo shown on a single display unit in a corner of the E3 stand, tucked between Dinosaur Planet and Mario Tennis. The rolling video showed a mouse chasing a cat, then pinning it to the wall with shurikens and torching it with a flamethrower. It reminded us of Itchy %26amp; Scratchy and we never, ever saw it again.
Waka waka (2003)
2004 was the year Nintendo started to get things right at E3, but just 12 months earlier it seemed things could hardly have got any worse. This was the year they thought the best way to divert attention from the unstoppable PS2 was to focus on the GameCube to GBA link-up cable, and the game they chose to display its limitless potential was Pac-Man Vs - eventually given away for free with various Namco titles. The world's press yawned, then wandered away to write stories about Sony's new PSP.
Stage Debut (2003)
Nintendo's R%26D departments are constantly working on new ways to use the hardware available to them. For every Animal Crossing there are probably dozens of shelved concepts such as Stage Debut, which used the GBA link-up cable and an unreleased GBA colour camera to put players' faces onto the creepy head of a semi-naked zombie bodybuilder who would then gyrate to the music alongside Mario and Bowser.
Kicking ass (2004)
Did Nintendo's bosses deliberately thrust their terrifying new marketing man Reggie Fils-Aime on the E3 stage, knowing the impact he would make, or were they simply too scared to stop him? Whatever the reason, it worked spectacularly. "My name's Reggie. I'm about kicking ass, I'm about taking names and we're about making games." This was the year that the DS was unveiled to widespread sniggers and skepticism. Reggie is now president of Nintendo of America, and the world.
