THE Electronic Entertainment Expo known as E3 just wrapped in Los Angeles, and gamers are still recovering from the annual bell-and-whistle blowout.

“It was a blast,” says Billy Pidgeon, an analyst with Jupiter Media Metrix, who played 50 games, then lost count. “You get to play with all those wonderful new toys.”

Retailers, media and industry experts got a first glance at Microsoft’s Xbox and Nintendo’s Gamecube, set to enter a three-way war with Sony Corp.’s firmly established PlayStation 2 in November.

“It will be a close race,” says Michael Goodman, a senior analyst with the Yankee Group.

There’s no telling which console will sell best, but the games on all three platforms are said to be better than ever.

They’re sharp and almost cinematic – you feel more like a character in a futuristic action film than a geek behind a console.

“The details are amazing,” says Pidgeon. “Players are interacting with a much richer world.”

While buyers might have a hard time settling upon a console, the titles available for each may decide for them.

“Nintendo titles are about Nintendo franchises – Mario, Zelda, Pokémon – the characters you know and love, on a richer platform,” says Pidgeon.

But Gamecube may get a boost from buyers who snap up the eagerly awaited Game Boy Advance, out June 11, as Nintendo has smartly designed the handheld gaming device to double as a controller for its Gamecube.

What’s more, Gamecube will cost $199, as opposed to $299 for its competitors.

In Los Angeles, games drawing the most attention were Sony’s “Final Fantasy,” Nintendo’s “Luigi’s Mansion” (Luigi is Mario’s brother) and “Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron,” and “Halo” for Xbox.

Another title with major selling potential is Sony’s “Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 3,” a natural fit with the 16- to 24-year-old male gaming audience.

Another buzzmeister is “Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty,” a cinematic espionage game for the PlayStation 2.

“It’s the killer app, the system seller,” says Joe Fielder, site manager for Gamespot.com. “People will buy PS2 to play it. It’s an amazing cinematic experience, from what we’ve seen so far. It’s like starring in an action movie. When you’re out in the rain, it’s like raindrops falling on your screen.”

In fact, there was something of a war of waters at the show, noted Fielder. The developers of the Xbox-compatible “Blood Wake” were also wowing crowds with the ultrarealistic waves on their Asian boat combat game.

“It’s getting out of hand,” says Fielder.

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