5 most iconic moments in the history of E3

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (more popularly known as E3) is the biggest annual gaming showcase in the industry. It is home to some of the biggest gaming reveals and announcements fans have enjoyed witnessing thus far. The event has been gracing gamers ever since the 90s, after all. After last year's event cancelation, much hype was rising for this year's E3 2023. That is until it was also canceled due to publishers and other partners dropping out.

A prime reason cited was shifting industry schedules post the COVID pandemic, which companies are still recovering from. With nothing to look forward to in June 2023, fans have been left empty-handed and wanting. That said, now's a better time than ever before for a blast into the past.

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Here are the best E3 moments throughout the years

5) Gabe Newell announces Portal 2 for PlayStation 3 (2010)

It is no surprise to longtime gamers that Valve head Gabe Newell is not fond of console gaming. It was a shocker when he strolled onto Sony's press conference in 2010. Newell even addressed that he is well aware of his infamous opinion and that he is grateful to Sony employees for "not reportedly punching (him) in the face"."As a result of their collaboration, the Valve president announced that the then-upcoming 2011 FPS puzzler Portal 2 would also be coming to their PlayStation 3 console.

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4) Cyberpunk 2077 cinematic trailer with Keanu Reeves (2019)

After CD Projekt RED's popularity ballooned thanks to 2015's acclaimed RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, gamers craved more engaging experiences from the Polish studio. Cue Cyberpunk 2077, a project first teased back in 2013. Five years later, the sci-fi open-world game received its debut cinematic trailer at the 2018 highlight. However, it was not until the subsequent year's Xbox E3 show that things blew up.

The team had another cinematic trailer to show gamers, but it was focused on the narrative featuring the mercenary-for-hire named V. The biggest surprise reared its head during the trailer's final moments as it was revealed that famous actor Keanu Reeves of "The Matrix" fame would be cast as major NPC Johnny Silverhand in the game. Cyberpunk 2077 may have had a poor launch in 2020 after being marred by development issues, but the hype leading up to it was unbelievably unreal.

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3) Halo 2 demo gameplay (E3 2003)

The original Halo from Microsoft and Bungie paved the way for online FPS games in the console space. So it was no surprise that Halo 2's demo gameplay had unparalleled excitement riding behind it. The game didn't just improve upon the first from a scope standpoint and had new changes and additions, like dual-wielding. The nearly 10-minute-long demo was a crowd-pleaser. Following this, the game also turned out to be a massive hit. It went on to just become one of the best games worth owning an Xbox for, but also one of the best games ever made.

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2) Final Fantasy VII Remake reveal trailer (E3 2015)

Regarding JRPGs, Final Fantasy VII is a name no top 10 list would go without. The 1997 PS1 classic was universally praised for its gripping narrative, engaging combat, memorable characters, and masterfully crafted OST. It was also the first 3D entry in Square Enix's long-running JRPG franchise and is credited with broadening the-then niche appeal of JRPGs. So fans were ecstatic about a remake that was hinted at in 2005 with a PlayStation 3 tech demo.

However, this wish came to frustration with the official E3 2015 announcement via a cinematic teaser. Slated for the PlayStation 4, the remake promised the best-looking Final Fantasy game made yet. It offered a new, cutting-edge look at both the protagonist Cloud and Midgard's richly realized environments. Now that the remake is out and in public hands, the reception has been somewhat mixed, thanks to some narrative and design changes. However, the texcitingreveal is bound to go down in history as one of the most memorable yet.

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1) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess reveal with Shigeru Miyamoto (2004)

Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda franchise continues to be regarded as one of the best action-adventure IPs ever made, and for a good reason. The 1998 entry, the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, set the standard for future 3D adventure games, with mechanics adopted by modern-day classics such as the Soulsborne franchise. While the Japanese game developer did receive unwarranted criticism thanks to 2002's The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker's "cartoony" graphics, Nintendo gave fans what they wanted with the next entry.

At E3 2004, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was finally unveiled. The game's announcement trailer went all in with a gritty aesthetic that showed Nintendo wwasserious about this. The environment, character models, lighting, and more showcased what the Nintendo GameCube was capable of regarding realistic graphics. This hype was topped by celebrated designer Shigeru Miyamoto taking to the stage brandishing props of the Hylian Shield and Master Sword to a wild crowd.

Since then, there has not been an E3 event with nearly this energy level. Perhaps that may change in the future.