With Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo busy crafting new consoles and spouting big numbers and catchy phrases like "cyberworld" and "human reactor," the game developers on hand at E3 2005 were tasked with generating excitement for the games these new systems would be running. Since these titles are just as far from being finished as their new console homes, it was up to the quick editing, loud music, and CG sequences (be they prerendered or real time) of game trailers to capture the attention of the 70,000 people in attendance. That's not to say that all of the best trailers at E3 were for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3...it's just that most of them were.

Best Trailers

Killzone 2 (PS3)

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Guerilla
Release: TBA

One week later, the unveiling of the top trailer of E3 2005 is still one of the most talked-about events of the show. When Sony ran the two-minute trailer for Guerilla's Killzone 2 during its May 16 press conference, everybody was astonished at how great the game looked, especially after the lukewarm response Sony received to the original Killzone. Regardless of whether you subscribe to the conspiracy theory that the footage was prerendered, or you accept Sony's assurance that the movie was being rendered in real time by PlayStation 3 hardware, the fact remains that this trailer kicks major ass. From the frenetic landing sequence to people catching on fire to realistic explosion after realistic explosion, the trailer makes everybody who sees it want to play Killzone 2 and the PlayStation 3 right now.

Dead Rising (X360)
Beyond the major console announcements, E3 2005 may be remembered as the week of the zombie. Several zombie games were announced, but the trailer that sold the true panic created by hundreds of brain-hungry, shambling undead belongs to Capcom's Dead Rising.

Gears of War (X360)
The six-month wait for an Xbox 360 seemed to grow perceptibly longer after we saw this trailer for Epic's Gears of War. The amazing monsters from the Unreal 3 Engine demonstration have been brought to life, and now we want to shoot them.

Hitman: Blood Money (Xbox, PS2, PC)
The allure to Eidos' Hitman franchise radiates from the enigmatic assassin 47, and this trailer for Hitman: Blood Money combines raspy narration, epic choral music, and a sequence of 47 at his best to make a solid trailer.

MotorStorm (PS3)
Another impressive trailer from Sony's press conference was this mud and metal fest for Evolution Studios' MotorStorm. It takes a bunch of off-road vehicles, puts them in a high-speed race through dirt, and then everybody takes turns crashing. Works for us!

Need for Speed Most Wanted (X360)
Meanwhile, at the Microsoft press conference, the audience was treated to a souped-up BMW tearing through the streets in EA's Need for Speed Most Wanted. This trailer earns bonus points for seamlessly transitioning between CG sequences and gameplay footage.

Okami (PS2)
Capcom's Okami proves to us all that you don't need next-generation hardware to create truly beautiful visuals. This lengthy trailer introduces the game's hero, story, and unique brushing gameplay mechanic, all inspired by traditional Japanese watercolor painting and calligraphy.

Quake 4 (PC)
The trailer for Quake 4 reveals many of the surprises Raven Software has in store for the popular shooter franchise. Your character undergoes a painful transformation while coldly describing his enemies beneath a montage of in-game action and twangy guitar.

Stranglehold (PS3, X360)
Ever seen John Woo's Hard Boiled? Wouldn't that movie make a sweet game? Well if Midway can deliver on the promise of this trailer for Stranglehold, Inspector Tequila will be at your control soon enough.

Trauma Center (DS)
E3 2005 featured a lot of great-looking games on hand for the Nintendo DS, but nothing could prepare us for this insane trailer for Trauma Center: Under the Knife. "Perform surgical miracles to make hope a reality!"

Best High-Definition Movies

With new consoles and their improved graphical prowess looming on the horizon, it seems that plunking down that serious coin for a high-definition television is becoming more and more of an inevitability. Such a major purchase is nothing that should be rushed, though. So while you wait for everybody else to drive up those supply-and-demand slopes, thus causing the market to drop and create cheaper TVs for us all, satisfy your desire for sharp-looking games with GameSpot's HD movies section, which includes the following top five HD movies from E3 2005. Remember, for the true HD experience, hit that download button!

Dead or Alive 4 (X360)

Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Team Ninja
Release: TBA

The most impressive HD movie from E3 2005 is an exclusive offering from the good people at Tecmo and Team Ninja for their upcoming fighting game for the Xbox 360, Dead or Alive 4. The five minutes of widescreen beauty is so intense it comes with minimum system requirements! The majority of the trailer consists of characters new and familiar battering each other through various environments, ranging from an electrified wrestling arena to the neon streets of a pseudo-Las Vegas. Also included are several clips of cutscenes, hinting at the game's story sequences. Unfortunately we can't stream this video, but it all looks great, so click the link above and download it now!

Ghost Recon 3 (X360)
In this tense trailer for the Xbox 360 version of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 3, a four-man team walks the streets of a hostile environment, exchanging fire with the enemy while coordinating an air strike, tangling with a tank, and generally looking badass.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GC)
The winner of GameSpot's Best Trailer of E3 2004 returns with another impressive movie, this time in HD. Mysterious characters, dangerous enemies and a... OK, seriously dude, Link turns into a wolf, what more can you want?!?

Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox)
As if the DOA 4 trailer wasn't enough, Tecmo and Team Ninja offered up another gorgeous HD movie, this time for Ninja Gaiden Black. Watch it, and then ask yourself: Is this really a current-generation Xbox game I'm looking at? (Yes, you are.)

Starcraft: Ghost (Xbox, PS2, GC)
This HD trailer for Blizzard's Starcraft: Ghost gets you excited to play the game, and it barely includes the titular character! Instead, the rough and ready marine infantry march toward a confrontation with the zerg. Wait, did we mention the fire bats?

Best GameSpot Live Interviews

People logging on to GameSpot during E3 2005 were treated to more than 24 hours of live coverage of the show, broadcast directly from GameSpot's booth. Hosts Lauren Gonzalez, Ryan Mac Donald, and Rich Gallup sat down with dozens of industry professionals every day, while man-in-the-field Homer Rabara brought you a candid look at the expansive show floor. All of these interviews, demonstrations, and booth tours are currently available for everybody to watch on GameSpot's E3 Live page, and here are the top five interviews you surely don't want to miss.

Eiji Aonuma with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: 2005

When choosing the top interview from our live coverage of E3 2005 we turned to the 15 minutes we had with one of the most anticipated games of the show, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Director Eiji Aonoma and localization producer Bill Trinen joined Ryan on stage for a run through of the two-level demo on hand at E3. Horseback riding was the focus of the demo, but it also included shepherding goats and full-speed combat. As the horn signaled the official end of the day, Eiji and Bill stayed to answer questions from our viewers and to offer up a fantastic pair of prizes. Two lucky viewers may have won autographed copies of a Nintendo DS card containing the E3 trailer of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, but everybody enjoyed the demonstration.

Marc Ecko with Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure
Amid the chaos of a power outage on the first day of the show, Ryan was joined onstage by clothing mogul and fledgling game designer Mark Ecko for a personal demonstration of his game Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.

Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime
Drawing what was perhaps the largest crowd around the GameSpot Live stage was Nintendo's executive vice president of sales and marketing, Reggie Fils-Aime. For more than 15 minutes Reggie talked about the future of Nintendo, demonstrated the Game Boy Micro, and took questions from viewers both at home and in the audience.

Peter Molyneux with The Movies and Black & White 2
Lauren and Ryan were joined onstage by industry veteran Peter Molyneux on two separate occasions. On Wednesday Peter showed how to run your own film studio in The Movies, and on Friday he controlled a village from on high in Black & White 2.

Matt Webster with Burnout Revenge
Rich made sure he was onstage for an extended look at Burnout Revenge with the game's executive producer, Matt Webster. Nobody was disappointed by the more than 10 nonstop minutes of frantic driving, including the new traffic attack mode.