GamesRadar editors' favorite E3 memories

With E3 on the horizon, we can't help but think of all the ways the gaming convention has touched us in the past. Whether watching at home or walking the show floor, we all remember the annual event in some way. Before we head off to E3 2012 to make new memories, some of GR's attractive staff members decided to share their favorite moments. We remember it like it was just yesterday...

One of my most memorable E3 moments actually comes from well before I was in the gaming industry. Back in 2002 I was still way too young to think about writing for a gaming outlet, let alone to cover E3, so I ended up just following it on the internet. I still didnt know a ton about the industry, since I was relatively young, but I was still interested in gaming enough to want to watch every video (which, in 2002, was actually a pain), and to read every news story. The biggest reveal I remember was for The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. I remember reading about the controversial cel shading and having no idea what it meant, and I had to scramble to try and figure out why everyone on my message board was going insane. When I eventually saw the trailer and watched the footage my eyes glazed over. It was one of the first games I remember of that generation that said screw reality, lets make a cartoon! and I was absolutely in love.

From Cliff Bleszinski's subdued introduction to Gears of War, to the announcements of Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV, I witnessed a presentation that wasn't always flawless (remember Live Anywhere?), but that laid the groundwork for Microsoft's plans for the console generation, and why it has managed to dominate. Even if I probably use my PS3 more often than my Xbox 360 for gaming, it was impossible to not feel like a major blow had been struck that year. I definitely needed a cigarette after it.

I got to see Yorick, The Gravedigger, in his original form, with an absolutely massive character model that made Nautilus look dainty (Yoricks model size was scaled way back for the final release). Seeing Skarner and Leona in sketch form had my mind brimming with expectations for how they might play; as LoL players can attest, pondering the possibilities and getting hyped for a new champion can be just as exciting as playing them for the first time. To some, it might seem like getting enthused over a simple patch but to a diehard LoL fan, it was utterly exhilarating.

Its hard to remember what the big surprises were that year, since I was too busy trying to see everything on the floor and Kentia Hall. Oh Kentia hall, I miss you. Little did I know that once I started covering the show for GameSpot and now GamesRadar, it becomes very difficult to see the entire show floor, so I treasure that first year when I got to wander around aimlessly without worrying about deadlines.

While deciding whether being mistaken for a sex pest was a worthwhile risk, I spotted a seal sunning itself further up the shoreline. As a stranger to wild seals I thought I'd get a picture. No one else was paying it much attention. I got pretty close to the seal when I was attacked by a loud voice, "Step away from the seal, sir!" Many people looked in my direction. I had failed to notice a police patrol car on the beach. The police were addressing me through the vehicle's roof-mounted mega-phone. Again with the voice, "Step away from the seal, sir!"

I slinked away. Now a bit self conscious, I didn't want to ask women in bikinis about E3 anymore. I retreated to the hotel. But later I got to meet Shigeru Miyamoto so it was all fine in the end.

The supremely epic trailer was over two minutes long and unveiled so many new characters, stages and moves. It was the type of video too packed with info to comprehend all of it the first time, demanding multiple viewings, which I obliged. And just when the video seemed over, the games first guest character, Solid Snake, jumps out from his cardboard box and joins the fray. Once it was done, I was yammering excitedly to whoever would listen about the game, with it overshadowing anything else E3 2006 had to offer.

that trailer

After the session they gave me a nice little hardcover notebook with the cool Dead Island logo on the cover. I didn't really want it, but the insistence with which they shoved it into my hands made me think I should just say "thanks" and walk away. When I sat down to organize my swag bag, a non-press guy saw the notebook. "Whoa, where did you get that?" he asked. "Oh, you want it?" I said. He lit up, and I felt great making this guy's afternoon with some notebook I would have wastefully jammed in the bottom of a desk drawer.

If you're looking for more E3 news, check out The 51 biggest games we expect to see at E3 2012 and the top 7 biggest, best, and most shocking E3 surprises .