E3 '07: Konami lays out E3 lineup

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--At last year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, Konami floored event-goers with its stunning trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Announced earlier this week, the Japanese publisher hopes to capture the show's limelight again with the first English-language MGS4 trailer, featuring David Hayter's stylings, at Sony's and its own press conferences. Konami today revealed the rest of its E3 lineup, and the games slated to appear reflect the publisher's diverse portfolio.

Konami will feature three games on its portable front. With no new updates since its announcement last February, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles on the PlayStation Portable is sure to garner some attention at Konami's booth. The Castlevania-classic remake marks the first time Rondo of Blood will hit North American shores. Revisiting another spooky series, Konami's second PSP offering will be Silent Hill: Origins. A prequel to the 1999 original, Origins hopes to shock players by revealing some of the series' most closely guarded secrets.

Konami's lone Nintendo DS offering at this year's show is a brand-new Contra title, still tentatively named Contra 4. The game plans to supersize the arcade-style gameplay by incorporating both the top and bottom screens into the action. That's not to say the publisher won't be supporting Nintendo, however. Playing heavy to the Wii's widespread appeal, the publisher will be bringing several kid-friendly and casual games to market for Nintendo's flagship console.

First revealed during Konami's Gamers' Day last February, Dewy's Adventure posits you in the amorphous role of a cute blob of H2O. Players must use the Wii Remote to alter the chemical composition of Dewy to defeat the dastardly Don Hedron. Also revealed during February's Gamers' Day, Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party will be on display. In addition to the standard dance mat, Hottest Party will include Wii Remote and Nunchuk functionality. Konami will also be showing Hudson's Fishing Master.

Konami's other recently revealed DDR game, Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA 2, will be showing for the PlayStation 2. Konami also plans to show its upcoming edutainment-oriented Konami Kids Playground for the PS2. Designed for the tiniest of tots, Kids Playground hopes to give preschoolers a leg up with its emphasis on learning letters, numbers, colors, and shapes. The five games in the series being shown are Frogger Hop; Skip & Jumpin' Fun; Alphabet Circus; Dinosaur Shapes and Colors; and Toy Pals Fun with Numbers.

Konami's demon child will also be shown at this year's conference on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PSP. Hellboy: The Science of Evil is a brawler set in the universe originated by Dark Horse Comics. The portable version of the game will differ from the next-gen console versions, as it will cater to the on-the-go nature of the platform.

While MGS4 is still up in the air, Konami's entire E3 lineup is slated to be released this year. For more from Konami, stay tuned to GameSpot's in-depth E3 coverage.