On TGS Day 2, the crowds arrived and the press left, knowing better than to get between fans and their Final Fantasy. Lines for major games had anywhere from a 45-minute to a 3-hour wait, so gamers could be spotted everywhere with cell phones or Game Boys in hand.

Sega devoted a corner of its booth to its new action RPG Shining Tears. Parties consisted of 2 characters, with the option for a 2-player cooperative game or 1 computer-controlled helper. Fans of 2D will love the super-deformed sprites, exquisite anime-style backgrounds, and cute animations (including a Wild Arms-style dash.) The battles were reminiscent of Legend of Mana, but with better hit detection and seemingly better AI for the supporting character. Lots of spells and deathblows made the demo a blast.

Marked by a giant Statue of Liberty standee, the top of Sega's booth was home to their most popular game, Sakura Taisen V. Since this new entry is set in America, the demo contained lots of mangled English phrases, sure to amuse non-Japanese players. The battle sequence starred Episode 0's Gemini Sunrise in a fast-paced tactical mech battle at the foot of Lady Liberty. Once all the baddies were cleaned up, the steam-powered mechs turned into steam-powered spaceships and took to the sky for a battle against a giant, whirling robot boss. Flying around and targeting the boss's various parts was fun, but the true high point was watching Gemini's spaceship morph into a flaming horse and deliver a galloping deathblow. She's a cowgirl, after all.

Surprisingly, the line for Dragon Quest VIII was not the longest at the Square-Enix booth, but it never fell below a 45-minute wait. Patient fans could try out a 10-minute demo, half devoted to exploring a town and half to battling monsters. The basics have changed little from previous entries, but the beautiful 3D artwork and animation made it feel much fresher. Even little actions like opening dressers are lovingly detailed. The second area was a wide field dotted with houses, a church, and lots of random battles. When facing off against monsters, players issued commands only to the main character, letting the other 3 party members act on AI. For the first time in the series, the party is visible during combat, and their comic attacks are sure to entertain players throughout an undoubtedly long quest.

Sony's booth had a small line of stations set up for Genji, its new historical action game. The namesake hero wielded dual katanas and fought his way through some of the most gorgeous natural environments yet seen on the PS2. Every scene in the demo possessed a distinct Japanese aesthetic, like a courtyard strewn with autumn leaves and a mystic forest path leading to a shrine. Fans of both Onimusha and Devil May Cry should be pleased. Enemies resembled those of the former, while the hero's many combos, jumps, and ability to slow time made for some seriously stylish action. The demo concluded with a fight against a tiger demon amidst swirling golden leaves. It says something for a game when even the splattered blood looks beautiful.

Wild Arms: The 4th Detonator was hidden away on the back side of Sony's booth, but fans still endured a long wait to try it out. This new Wild Arms features the youngest cast ever, all children, and looks to take the series in a significantly new direction. For the first time, the camera is not restricted to an overhead view, but changes dynamically as the character moves. Most surprising in the demo were the new 2D Klonoa-style stages, where players engaged in pure platforming action. In the dungeons, characters picked up special items like swords or bombs rather than selecting them as an innate ability. A Zelda-style context-sensitive display at the top of the screen indicated available commands like jump, slide, or mid-air dash. The new HEX battle system had characters moving between a series of hexagonal regions, each serving to divide enemies and allies into target groups while also imposing elemental attributes. The bottom of the screen held a Final Fantasy X-like turn display for party members and foes. For fans worried that the Wild Arms series was stagnating, the demo offered a wealth of fresh play experiences.

Capcom's booth allotted a whole row of stations for The Nightmare Before Christmas, so the wait to play was minimal. Players explored town for a bit as hero Jack Skellington, with scenery and voice acting right out of the movie. The action resembled that of Rygar, as Jack could grab foes with his green gooey whip and throw them into walls or other enemies. Pressing R1 turned Jack into his Santa persona, who doled out presents to confuse the enemies. L1 fitted Jack with a pumpkin-head outfit, complete with firey breath to scorch foes. The demo ended on a high note, with the best musical boss fight since Conker and the Great Mighty Poo. After players dealt enough blows to the singing evildoer, the game shifted to a rhythm mode where correct button presses equaled combo damage and background dancers lit up the screen. With a fun combat system and such interactive stages, Capcom's game is much more than typical licensed fare.

I arrived on the final day of the Tokyo Game Show hoping to find smaller crowds and shorter waits. Instead, spots for the biggest attractions like Kingdom Hearts 2 and Advent Children were already filled for the entire day. Meanwhile, droves of cosplayers continued to entertain the delighted spectators.

The line for Square Enix's new game Radiata Stories moved fairly quickly, so lots of players could try a 10-minute romp through a basic dungeon. The game's art style was cute and colorful, if not so high on polygons. Three random characters accompanied the main hero Jack in the demo, as he opened chests and evaded enemies on the field. In action-oriented battles reminiscent of Namco's Tales series, players moved Jack around the battlefield, locking on to enemies and unleashing combos with well-timed button presses. Charging up a meter with successful hits let players unleash a devastating deathblow. Outside of battle, the demo was filled with humorous conversations and a light-hearted style. Tri-Ace fans will be looking forward to the game's release.

Taito's booth held the new PS2 action game Tsukiyoni Saraba. Players could select a gun-toting hero or a bare-handed fighter, with gameplay altered accordingly. The gunner locked on to enemies and fired away in a barrage of bullets, while pulling off impressive jumps and dodges. In what has become a recent trend, he could also slow down time and thus get an advantage over the hordes of oncoming foes. The main problem in the demo was a disorienting camera that often did not give a good view of the action. Still, it was a fun play and looks to be a quality release for Taito.

While Sony pushed the PlayStation Portable as the main feature of the 2004 TGS, it certainly was not the focus of most players' attention. Lines for PSP titles were seldom long, and were probably eclipsed by those for the many cell phone games on display. PC games also proved an exceptional draw, especially the many MMORPGs coming to Japan. Xbox games drew a fair number of fans. The GameCube was practically non-existent outside the Capcom booth. But overall, the PS2 remained the unchallenged king of the show. The longest lines were for sequels and new entries in beloved series, all on the PS2. Sony's dominance of the Japanese market is in no danger.