Tokyo Game Show wrap-up

TOKYO--The 2004 Tokyo Game Show has come to an end. And, by all accounts, it has been a pretty exciting show.

The show was the first time that Sony PSP software has been shown in a playable form, with games like Namco's new Ridge Racer game, EA's Need for Speed Underground Rivals, Q Entertainment's Lumines, and Konami's Metal Gear Acid standing out from the pack.

But the show wasn't all positive. In what can only be described as a shocking announcement, Gran Turismo series creator Kazunori Yamauchi revealed that the game's online mode has been removed. The game is targeted to ship this December, and an online Gran Turismo game is now planned for release next year.

Many of the show's hotly anticipated games made return appearances from E3. Games like Halo 2, Resident Evil 4, and Metal Gear Solid 3 remained almost entirely unchanged since we saw them back in May, though in some cases, new video trailers were shown.

As always, there are a few games that seem to miss the show. Wanda and the Colossus, the upcoming game from the team behind Ico, was shown in video form only. Sony's Ape Escape game for the PSP, Saru Get You P!, was also only in limited form--in a very brief video.

For some more personal thoughts on the Tokyo Game Show, we invite you to go directly to some of the GameSpot editors that covered the show. Listen in as they recount the madness...

Jeff Gerstmann: "Yeah, hey, it's only just about completely standard for PS2 racing games to have online play. No one will miss that, I'm sure."

Brad Shoemaker: "Five minutes with the PSP in my hands allayed almost all of my concerns."

Justin Calvert: "The 10-hour flight, the 16-hour time difference, the late nights--all part of the fun."

Steve Palley: "A swirl of unintelligible shouting, beautiful girls dressed in rainbow panoplies of latex, hustlers plying passersby with pamphlets and sell sheets of every variety, and absolutely miraculous new video games."