(In case you missed part 1 and part 2)

2. Cool Fun in the Summer Time

Last summer, Microsoft launched a very successful promotion “The Summer of Arcade” where they released a spotlighted new arcade title each week for a month. During that time, the system saw some of its best titles including Bionic Commando Rearmed and Castle Crashers.

This summer, they repeat the promotion with some brand new titles that look like absolute must-haves. Of the titles coming our way, two jump out as instant purchases.

First, Epic (Gears of War) releases Shadow Complex, which the main developer says is his attempt at giving the world its next Super Metroid. The game is a 2D action-adventure that favors exploration and in the great Metroid tradition, has players accumulating new abilities in order to gain passage to new areas. It’s a compelling game design that really teases the puzzle-solver in me and coupled with the jaw-dropping high def visuals (which make this title look like a full price retail game) this will be downloaded the moment it drops.

And then, after a 10-year lull, the secrets of Monkey Island were revealed once more. Early in the day, word dropped that Telltale Games had secured the license to launch a new episodic series, The Tales of Monkey Island. So far, that’s listed for the Wii and PC but my guess is that they’ll find their way to XBLA too.

Then, during the Microsoft conference, a high-def remake of the original Secret of Monkey Island was announced. The screenshots are gorgeous, with hand-drawn artwork replacing the pixilated blobs that charmed us way back when. And with almost two decades passed since I last played this title, I am utterly convinced that I don’t remember a damned thing about it. I can’t wait!

1. Wii Want to Play Too

I knew we’d eventually get an HD Wii. I just had no idea that Microsoft would develop it.

The absolute stunner of the day was Microsoft’s unveiling of Project Natal, a motion sensing, voice and facial recognition application that expands the functionality of the 360 in some dynamic and exciting ways and really does provide the next evolution of what Nintendo started with the Wii. While rumors of this tech have swirled for months, hearing about it and seeing it in action are two completely different things and from what I saw, Microsoft landed a major blow across the bows of the Playstation and Wii armadas.

That being said, I think people need to seriously think about what we’ll actually be able to do with this tech, at least in the short term. For starters, I don’t think we’ll see this in homes until at least mid-2010.