When Nintendo presented its big showcase last year before the Electronic Entertainment Expo took place, it shocked the world with the announcement of the Wii U, a new game console that would take advantage of an innovative new touch screen controller.  However, when it came to hitting the floor and seeing the Wii U in action, most people think it came up a bit short, despite the interesting presentations.  This time around, Nintendo has a chance to really show attendees what their next-gen system is made of.  So how can they capitalize?  We’ve got a few ideas…

When Minecraft was announced last year for Xbox 360, a lot of folks figured it wasn’t a surprise, since Microsoft is all about lining up exclusive fare for owners of its console.  But, still, isn’t it more at home on a PC?  Could the experience possibly be ported over to Xbox Live Arcade and keep its awesome resourcing system intact?  Well, after a long time in development, the game arrived this week on the Marketplace and answered that question with a well-deserved “yes”.

When StarDrone came out for the PlayStation Network a few months back, it introduced an interesting concept that could be used with the PlayStation Move controller, one that had you directing a star-shaped drone across universal maps, collecting stars and other content while getting from point A to point B while you directed it on its journey.  Though hardly as addictive as other PSN games, it had enough moments to give the game a look.  With that, Beatshapers has brought the same experience to the PS Vita, but with touch-screen controls and a few exclusive levels for good measure.  The only question now is whether it’s enough to warrant another purchase.  Sorry, but not this time around.

Retro/Grade has quite the story behind it.  This downloadable game for PlayStation Network has been in the works for some time, introducing a new style of music/rhythm gameplay that ties in with a space shooter -- in a way.  We've seen it at a number of events, including last year's PAX Prime in Seattle, but upon seeing it at this year's PAX East 2012 event, we were treated with some good news.  The game is finally coming out later this year, as part of Sony's push to bring innovative new downloadable experiences to the PlayStation 3.

With its first three House of the Dead games, Sega pretty much kept to form, putting two unlikely heroes together to save the world from a zombie apocalypse.  Sure, the third game – which arrived on PlayStation Network a while back – introduced some awesome shotguns, but the status quo of “shoot everything that moves” remained intact.  So would the same go for House of the Dead 4?  Well, sort of.

When The Witcher 2 came out for PC last year, gamers everywhere were entranced with its open-ended world, hours full of quests and decisions that would eventually shape the fate of Geralt of Rivia, the main hero (or anti-hero) of the game.  So when we heard that WB Games was interested in porting the game to Xbox 360, we were intrigued, while at the same time concerned, considering that most PC-to-console ports didn’t meet with that much success.  However, leave it to CD Projekt RED, the original game’s developer, to not only step up to the task, but exceed it, giving the Xbox 360 one of its better adventure games since Skyrim and Kingdoms of Amalur.  And that’s saying something.

Q-Games has always been a developer that’s been just as much about style as it has substance with its games.  Take a look at the PixelJunk Shooter games, or, for that matter, the gorgeous PixelJunk Eden or the entertaining (if slightly difficult) PixelJunk SideScroller.  However, its latest effort, PixelJunk 4AM, might be its most innovative to date.  The reason for that is, instead of giving you pre-set objectives, it instead lets you play around with a musical space, shaping it however you see fit using the PlayStation Move controller.

Introduce Virtua Tennis at any given gaming party and you’re likely to get the same sort of reaction.  At first it’ll be one of surprise, with a few people saying, “A tennis game?!”  Then they’ll pick it up and start playing it for a few minutes out of sheer curiosity.  The next thing you know, players will be going at it for hours on end, taking on each other in singles or doubles competition and refusing to give up the controller.  That’s the way it worked with the original Virtua Tennis when it launched on Dreamcast, and how it also worked with Virtua Tennis 4 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.  Now there’s a version for on the go gaming you can have all to yourself.

Razer is a manufacturer that’s never shied away from making quality technology, and it certainly knows how to work with game companies in partnerships, like LucasArts with Star Wars: The Old Republic and Electronic Arts with Battlefield 3 and Dragon Age: Origins.  But this latest deal with not only EA but also Bioware could pay off, as they’re working with the companies on exclusive goods featuring the Mass Effect 3 brand.  If you ever wanted to feel like you’re controlling Commander Shepard, these are must-haves.

Kinect Star Wars’ road to release has been a bumpy one.  The project was first hinted at a while back, featuring a wild Jedi battling segment and the promise of full interaction with George Lucas’ universe.  Since that time, we’ve seen bits and pieces of it, mainly a cool podracing segment that features full 3D support.  But what about the rest of the game?  Relax, Force users, you won’t have to wait long for it, as it now has an official release date – as well as a…dance-off?

Mad Catz Inc. was front and center over the week at the Consumer Electronics Show, showcasing not only some great new headsets, but also its highly anticipated MLG Pro controller, which is now available, along with a line-up of new Street Fighter x Tekken controllers that are coming out alongside the upcoming fighting game this March.  And the fans who invest in the special edition FightStick are in for a treat...

It's been a pretty weird past few hours following the holiday season for some people, and all the credit must go to Paul Christofolo, a rep for Ocean Marketing.  See, Ocean Marketing handles the public relations for the Avenger controller modification, which makes your Xbox 360 peripheral look like some sort of twisted transformer...though serves a purpose for disabled gamers.  Anyway, one customer was wondering where his pre-ordered products were.  What followed afterward became a lesson in the truly ridiculous.