Summers in the Gazette sports department aren’t supposed to be this busy. But the good news is it’s almost over, which means things will start getting back to normal and I can get back to posting here on a regular basis. In the meantime, here’s a link to my review of “Limbo” to hold you over.

Guys, it’s been hectic around here but I haven’t forgotten about the blog. I’ll be back on here later today with a more significant update, but in the meantime head here to check out my review of “NCAA Football 11,” which hits stores next week.

Well, Day 2 of E3 2010 is in the books and both Nintendo and Sony delivered the goods during their media presentations.

Nintendo kicked off the day by giving gamers a taste of something old and a glimpse of something new. As I predicted in this very space two days ago, Nintendo did unveil the next installment in the “Legend of Zelda” franchise, titled “Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.” The first “Zelda” game developed exclusively for Wii, “Skyward Sword” utilizes the MotionPlus add-on to offer true 1-to-1 control over Link’s weapons and shield. Of course, you couldn’t tell that by watching legendary developer Shigeru Miyamoto attempt to demo the game live during the press conference, but I’ll take Nintendo at its word that the control scheme actually works.

 Of course, “Zelda” wasn’t the only classic Nintendo franchise to receive a makeover Tuesday. The developer also announced new versions of “Kirby, “Donkey Kong Country,” and a new sports game featuring company mascot Mario for Wii and “Kid Icarus” for the 3DS, the new 3D handheld also unveiled Tuesday. Nintendo fans have been clamoring for fresh takes of classic franchises and Nintendo absolutely delivered.

Not to be outdone was Sony, which showed off its Wii-esque Move controller and several new games, including the long-awaited “Twisted Metal” and “Portal 2” for PS3. In the battle to capture the casual audience with its new peripheral, I give the edge to Microsoft with its Kinect motion-sensing controller. But Sony impressed me more by showcasing mainstream titles are incorporating Move, like “SOCOM 4,” “Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11” and “LittleBigPlanet 2.” Sony also scored high marks for its exclusive deal with EA that will bring added content to the PS3 versions of “Medal of Honor” and “Dead Space 2.”

There are still a few days left before the doors close on E3 2010, so I’ll hold off on declaring a winner. But it’s clearly a two-horse race between Nintendo and Sony. Check back later this week for my final wrapup.

Microsoft kicked off E3’s press conferences Monday afternoon with a resounding thud. After watching the 21/2 hour presentation, I have to say I was less than impressed and am completely underwhelmed with Kinect, the peripheral formerly known as Project Natal.

 First, the highlights:

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| Racing fans looking for something a little different should head here and read my review of “Blur,” from Bizarre Creations and Activision. It’s a cool blend of licensed cars, real-world tracks and “Mario Kart”-inspired power-ups. Be prepared for some frustrating moments, but there’s plenty of fun to be had if you can keep from tossing your controller.

| The big news this week is the arrival of the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3. There’s no doubt that Microsoft’s Project Natal (it still hasn’t gotten an official name?) and Sony’s Move will grab the bulk of the headlines, but I’m expecting a few surprises, too. A redesigned Xbox 360? A new “Zelda” title for the Wii? A reason to actually visit Playstation Home? I’m prepared for anything right now. I’ll have plenty on E3 this week as the Big 3 have their media briefings. Microsoft kicks things off Monday at 1 p.m. EDT.

| E3 isn’t the only significant gaming event happening this week. The demo for “NCAA Football 11″ drops Monday, June 14, and features eight teams and four potential matchups — Ohio State-Miami, Florida-Florida State, Texas-Oklahoma and Clemson-Missouri. As an added incentive to play the demo, gamers who play as each team can unlock those teams’ Nike Pro Combat jerseys for use in the full version of the game, which is set to arrive in July. Sharing the demo with people on your friends list unlocks the Pro Combats for Virginia Tech, LSU and TCU.

| And finally, this week sees only one major release — “Toy Story 3″ — and if you haven’t had this game on your radar, you should, especially if you have young gamers in the house or are just a kid at heart, yourself. I’ve been playing the final release version for a few days now and have been very impressed with what I’ve seen. Look for my review later this week. 

That’s it for now. Remember to check back this week for updates from E3.

| Looking for a fun way to kill a few dozen hours this summer? Check out Rockstar’s “Red Dead Redemption.” You can read my full review here.

| In case you haven’t seen a calendar lately, the month of May — also known as quite possibly the greatest month in gaming EVER — is coming to an end. Just think about all the great titles that dropped this month — “Alan Wake,” “Red Dead Redemption,” “Super Mario Galaxy 2,” “UFC Undisputed 2010,” “Split/Second,” “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands,” “ModNation Racers,” etc., etc. Sure, there are big games still to come out this year, but I doubt any month will compete with May when it comes to the sheer number of quality titles.

| Rumors are heating up about Microsoft’s Project Natal as EA approaches. The latest buzz? Speculation is the unit will ship Oct. 26 for a hefty $150. A concrete date and price is almost certainly going to be announced at E3, but if the rumors are correct how many gamers will be willing to shell out that much for a peripheral?

| EA and Ubisoft are taking aim at used game sales by requiring codes to access certain features already included on the disc. These codes will be included with every new copy of a game, but those who purchase their games used at places like GameStop will have to purchase the code seperately. I, for one, applaud EA, Ubisoft and other publishers for taking a stand against used game sales. Hopefully this move will force used game retailers like Gamestop to adjust their pricing to more accurately reflect the products they sell.

| Is “Rock Band 3″ ready to tickle the ivories? It looks that way, according to images floating around the Web. Does that mean we’ll finally get to rock out to some Elton John, Bruce Hornsby and Billy Joel? One can only hope.

Grab your flashlight and head over to the Video Games section of wvgazette.com to check out my review of “Alan Wake,” the psychological thriller from Remedy Entertainment. The game has been in development for nearly a decade — was it worth the wait? Click here and find out.

Work on “Alpha Protocol,” SEGA’s long-awaited action RPG, has reached completion and the game will ship to retailers June 1.

Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, “Alpha Protocol” features a story steeped in international espionage and a unique dialogue system that allows players to shape their answers based on a particular stance instead of choosing each answer individually.

“Alpha Protocol” will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Electronic Arts this week announced that “Medal of Honor” will launch on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC this October.

The game will hit shelves in North America on Oct. 12 and in Europe on October 15. The first-person shooter, which is the first in the franchise to explore warfare outside of the World War II era and the first to carry a mature rating, is being developed by EA’s Los Angeles studio and DICE, which is handling the game’s multiplayer suite.

I was a big fan of the old “Medal of Honor” games, but the question now is how will “MoH” hold up against the likes of “Modern Warfare 2″ and EA’s own “Battlefield: Bad Company 2″? We’ll find out this October.

Click here to check out my review of Ubisoft’s “Splinter Cell: Conviction.” Is this the game Sam Fisher fans have been waiting for? Read the review to find out.