E3 2010, the mecca of video game nerdism, will be upon us in a few weeks. As media, public relations representatives, and angry Gamestop employees prepare to bum rush the Los Angeles Convention Center in hopes of catching wind of new hardware and software slated to appear in the second half of 2010.

Unfortunately, this time of year encourages every armchair video game soothsayer to make predictions about what’s to go down at the big show. I wouldn’t dare perform an action that foolish. E3 has proven one of the most surprising and unpredictable showcases on the planet, from the SEGA and Sony war of E3 1995 to the dreaded Booth Babe Ban of E3 2006. So this isn’t  a prediction or a forecast, but a wishlist of what I want to see at E3 Expo 2010.

The Sony PSP 2 Debut
The PSP Go, the revamped version of the PSP that absolutely no one wanted, crashed and burned in such a major fashion that even ghosts of the Hindenburg stopped and stared. With the Nintendo 3DS all but made official, Sony can’t allow the Big N to steal the portable thunder. I’m a huge fan of the PSP (it’s the one portable that feels very much like a full blown console), so I want Sony to step its game up and at least show a  mockup/prototype of a Nintendo 3DS/DSi/DSi XL killer.

Fist of the Northstar: Ken’s Fury comes to the USA
Originally released on the Japanese PS3 and Xbox 360 as Hokuto Musou, Fist of the Northstar: Ken’s Fury is the European name for Tecmo Koei’s Dynasty Warriors-styled brawler. The game, however, hasn’t been announced for the North American market and for the sake of my Hokuto no Ken fanboyism it needs to touch down on these shores. Sure, it’s based on a pretty mindless Shonen Jump property, but the exploding heads, bad ass characters, and macho men make it one of anime’s defining programs. I’m hoping that Tecmo Koei pushes Ken’s path of vengeance into  the hands of U.S. gamers–and tweaks the code so that the gameplay is isn’t as sluggish as the Japanese version.

Shank gets even more bad ass
Klei Entertainment’s Shank, a digital love letter to fans of 16-bit era beat ‘em ups and platformers, wowed me at PAX East 2010 due to its hyper-violence, slick, HD 2D visuals, and insanely fun combo system. When we took a hotel briefing with Klei CEO Jamie Cheng, there was mention of a new weapon and some pondering regarding what a multi-player mode could entail. While a two player mode would be smooth, I hope to experience new guns, knives, and explosives (as well as the story).

Limbo receives major props
Like Shank, Limbo drew a significant amount of interested onlookers at PAX East 2010 for such a small, indie game (as indie as one can be when your booth is part of Microsoft’s showcase). Where it differed was in its insanely dark world, and cerebral gameplay with an emphasis on problem solving. It’s very much the thinking man’s game (no over the top explosions or wild gunplay), which may limit its appeal. Roger Ebert may not believe that video games can be art, but it’s hard to deny the aesthetic appeal that oozes through Playdead’s title.

So that’s it, my E3 2010 wishlist. I would come back from Los Angeles in a catatonic state if all of them came to be; actually, that would occur if SEGA announced a new console, but that’s a story for another day.