Sam Smith at the Eurogamer Expo 2009

However, the sheer volume of people queuing up to enter as I arrived in the morning was nothing short of astounding.

Anyone needing proof of the mainstream popularity of videogames had only to gaze on the giant queue to be convinced. However, thanks to a handy press pass, I was soon inside and ready to try out all the new games on offer. With showings from all the big publishers, there was plenty to play, with most of the games on show yet to be released.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

One of the biggest draws of the show was the new Super Mario game, with a whole wall of stalls devoted to it. The big feature of New Mario Bros. Wii is its 4-player co-operative gameplay, with all four people playing through the same level, at the same time. This led to some amusing situations, as players are free to help or hinder each other as they see fit. That said, the game itself offers absolutely nothing new, and seems little more than a 4-player rehash of the 3 years old New Super Mario Bros. on DS. Coupled with a creepily enthusiastic PR man playing along with us, I didn't have a huge amount of fun with the game, but children and casual players should enjoy it much more.

God of War 3

The PS3-exclusive God of War 3 was also drawing large crowds, proof of the franchise's vast popularity. Sitting down with the lengthy demo, first impressions were good. Although not very different to its predecessors, this is no bad thing when those games were so good. Again taking the role of Kratos, players must hack and slash their way through hordes of mythological creatures as they take on the ancient gods themselves. Even in a series renowned for being gory, the sheer amount of blood and guts on show is surprising in its volume, culminating in a lovely scene where Kratos pulls off an unfortunate enemy's head. Definitely one for over 18s only. The fantastic action gameplay is as fun, fluid and responsive as ever, and God of War 3 promises to be great when it is released.

Aliens vs Predator

The new entry in the Aliens vs. Predator series was available to play, in an 8-player deathmatch setup. With the ability to play as an Alien, Predator, or Human Marine, the game promises many questions when it comes to balancing, which unfortunately did not seem to have been answered. Playing as a Marine, I was constantly outclassed by the other races, with their instant kill moves and superior mobility. The action itself also seemed quite standard, which was a shame. Hopes were high for Aliens vs Predator, as it is rebooting a great series, but first impressions were not great.

Heavy Rain

Another PS3 exclusive, the often-discussed Heavy Rain was finally available to play. In many ways very similar to a movie, Heavy Rain has you controlling several characters as they all try to unravel an overarching mystery plot. That said, there is actually very little controlling going on, with a bit of walking around and investigating, and the rest of the demo playing out with quick-time button-presses. The whole thing practically drips with atmosphere, and the graphics are spectacular. This is a game that will live or die on whether the story is good, but first impressions are promising.

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom

This unknown Wii fighting game was perhaps my favourite of the show, pitting a cast of well-known characters from Capcom franchises, such as Ryu and Megaman, against characters from Japanese animation studio Tatsunoko. Although these characters will be completely new to a western audience, they all still look cool and are fun to play, and the wealth of Capcom characters ensures some familiarity. The gameplay is fast and frenetic, with numerous special moves and combinations to learn. Definitely one for fighting game fans to keep an eye on.

Split Second

Local Brighton developers Black Rock had their newest racing game, Split Second, available to play at the expo. Set on a fictional reality show, players race each other and fill their "powerplay" meter, with which they can blow up parts of the track to hinder opponents or create new paths for themselves. The graphics were beautiful, and the action extremely fast and exciting. Yet more proof that England can create great games on par with the US and Japan, Split Second was great fun, and very promising.

Best (and worst) of the rest...

Also on show was Avatar, based on James Cameron's upcoming film. Although the gameplay seemed little more than a Halo rip-off, the game was in 3D, requiring special glasses to play. This was great fun, although a little-headache inducing after a while. The soon to be released Assassins Creed 2 put in a good showing, drawing large crowds, as did Left 4 Dead 2 and Mass Effect 2. Less impressive was Saw, based on the film franchise, which seemed little more than a bad Resident Evil clone. Dante's Inferno, based on the epic poem, also seemed ridiculous, transforming a classic piece of literature into a bad-looking, gothic Devil May Cry rip-off.

All said though, most of the games on show were great fun to play, and everyone seemed to be having a fantastic time. The Eurogamer Expo is well worth attending, although those looking to go next year would be advised to get queuing early!