Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Angry Birds, Dragon Quest, FIFA Soccer, and Silent Hill are the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
- BAFTA Games Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books to Get a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
- GDC Awards: All the Winners from 1996 to Today
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- We Pitched a Museum a 1993 Game Hint Line (And They Actually Said Yes) – Yarn Spinner (2026)
- The History Of The Word “Metroidvania” And How It Spread – A Critical Hit (2025)
- Creator of Hit Game Shovel Knight Is at a ‘Make or Break’ Moment – Bloomberg (2025)
- Shadow of the Colossus: An oral history – Design Room (2025)
- In 2005, games started rewiring our brains – The AV Club (2025)
Monthly Archives: June 2017
N++ is finally coming to the Xbox One this Summer
N++ made its debut on the PS4 in 2015, and a Steam release followed a year later. The massive platformer continued to gain fans throughout 2016, and just this past April, it was upgraded to an Ultimate Edition on both platforms with the addition of new levels, color schemes, and a Hardcore Mode.
But there’s still more work to be done at Metanet Software, as the developer announced that N++ will finally make an appearance on the Xbox One this Summer. The game will launch on Microsoft’s console in its Ultimate Edition form, complete with all 60 color schemes and 4,340 “hand-crafted” levels.
More information about N++’s Xbox One launch will be announced at a later date.
Weekend Pipeline: 6/2/17 – Esports and Heroes
It’s the beginning of June, which means that Summer is right around the corner. This also means that the E3 Expo is getting nearer as well. For this week’s Weekend Pipeline, the convention scene is still pretty dang dry, but the sales are nice, and the esports are even better.
So if you’re not planning on basking in the warm weather sun, then prepare to get your game on, because this weekend, there’s more than enough to do. (more…)
Posted in News
Xbox Store Today: Tekken 7, SpeedRunners, The Culling, Metal Slug 2
It’s the first Friday in June, and four new Xbox One games are now available to download through the Xbox Games Store, including a new Games With Gold freebie…
But first, let’s talk about Tekken 7. Bandai Namco’s multi-generational saga of corporate intrigue and demonic possession comes to an end in this latest entry, and players will get to experience all the “attitude, competitiveness, and showmanship rooted in its arcade DNA.”
Also available to download today is SpeedRunners, a multiplayer platforming race from DoubleDutch Games. SpeedRunners is a free download this month through Microsoft’s Games With Gold program, and players will be able to blast away at the competition with grappling hooks, power-ups, and interactive environments in hopes of winning its side-scrolling race. Multiplayer competition is also at the heart of The Culling, an arena combat game from Xaviant Games.
Finally today, Hamster Corporation will bring the popular NeoGeo shooter Metal Slug 2 to the Xbox One.
You can learn more about all of these games after the break. (more…)
Warpback: What We Played in May 2017
I’m sure no one will be surprised to learn that almost every Warp Zoned staffer is still playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But there were plenty of other new games that we tried out in the merry month of May including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Injustice 2, and Friday the 13th.
Read on for some quick thoughts on these titles, and more, after the break. (more…)
EA taps into Fast and the Furious’s DNA for this November’s Need For Speed Payback
No one said the word “Family,” but I felt a very distinct Fast and the Furious vibe during the first trailer for EA’s Need For Speed Payback. The racing game’s debut trailer has been embedded above, but we’ll learn more about it at this year’s E3 Expo.
Players will be in pursuit of the “perfect ride” in Need For Speed Payback, and their search will take them through “intense heist missions, high stakes car battles, epic cop pursuits, and jaw dropping set pieces” as they customize and race a whole fleet of vehicles:
Set in the underworld of Fortune Valley, players will drive as three distinct characters reunited by a quest for vengeance against The House, a nefarious cartel that rules the city’s casinos, criminals, and cops. They will take on a variety of challenges and events as Tyler, the Racer; Mac, the Showman; and Jess, the Wheelman to earn the respect of the underground. Featuring the deepest customization from the series, players can truly craft a personalized and unique ride, or spend hours finding and tuning an abandoned derelict into a supercar. They can then push their cars to the limit and raise the stakes by betting on their own performance, where they can either multiply their winnings or risk losing it all.
Players who pre-order Need For Speed Payback will also receive the Platinum Car Pack, a downloadable content pack that contains five bonus vehicles (2008 Nissan 350Z, 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS, 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, 2016 Ford F-150 Raptor, and 2016 Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport).
Need For Speed Payback is in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One at Ghost Games, and it’ll be released on November 10. But fans who opt for the Deluxe Edition (which also includes the Platinum Car Pack, exclusive customization items, in-game discounts, Rep bonuses, and more) will be able to play it three days early.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Director says it takes place “long after” the rest of the games in the series
With its mixture of high technology and decaying Hylian ruins, it’s obvious that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild takes place in some kind of post-apocalyptic future, and many fans believe it should replace Zelda II: The Adventure of Link as the chronologically last game in the official timeline. But while Nintendo has previously been mum about where the game sits on the timeline, this theory gained some considerable support earlier this week when Game Rant spoke with Breath of the Wild’s Director, Hidemaro Fujibayashi.
In a short interview, Fujibayashi confirmed that Breath of the Wild does indeed take place “long after” the other games in the franchise:
It takes place in an age long, long after any of the titles released to date. It is the most recent age. And because of this we believe players will be able to easily immerse themselves in the game. Of course, regardless of the time period, the story does unfold in Hyrule so for those who’ve played other titles in the series there will be a lot of recognizable places to enjoy.
Fujibayashi’s comments confirm what many fans already believe, but it’s also important to remember that the franchise’s chronology splits into three distinct branches after the events of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. So while we now know that Breath of the Wild is set “long after” the rest of the games in the series, we still have no idea which branch it sits on.
So we got an answer… but we also got more questions. At this point, I expect nothing less from Nintendo.
Posted in News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo details Switch online service and Netflix-like subscription for classic games
Late last night, Nintendo unveiled the first concrete of the Switch’s online service… which will be known as Nintendo Switch Online.
Set to launch sometime in 2018, Nintendo Switch Online’s main purpose is to give Switch owners the ability to play online multiplayer matches against other people. But until Nintendo Switch Online launches, the consoles’s online multiplayer options will be available for free.
However, Nintendo will also offer a variety of eShop Deals to Switch Online subscribers, as well as access to the Classic Game Selection, a Netflix-like selection of downloadable classics. The first batch of games will include Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight, and Dr. Mario, and Switch owners will also be able to play Classic Game Selection titles online with their friends. More titles will be added to the service after it launches.
Nintendo later clarified to Kotaku that Switch owners will have “ongoing access” to the retro titles in the Classic Game Selection, and that, “Users can play as many of the games as they want, as often as they like, as long as they have an active subscription.”
Voice chat and friend list features for the Nintendo Switch Online will be handled through a dedicated mobile app. Switch owners will be able to try out a “limited version” of Nintendo’s new communication tool this Summer.
If this all sounds very similar to Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus, I’m sure that’s by design. But Nintendo’s Switch Online service will be considerably cheaper. Players will be able to sign up for a full year for $19.99, and short-term tiers offering one month ($3.99) or three months ($7.99) of service will also be available.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Super Mario Bros. 3
Nintendo Download: Farming Simulator 18, Last Resort, more
It’s Thursday, and that means Nintendo has updated the Nintendo eShop with this week’s new releases…
First up, Hamster Corporation has brought another NeoGeo re-release to the Switch. Last Resort is a side-scrolling shooter that was originally released in 1992. The game includes multiple weapon types, several very big bosses, and local multiplayer.
And coming up this Tuesday, June 6, Focus Home Interactive and Giants Software will release Farming Simulator 18 for the 3DS. Players will be able to simulate all aspects of the farming life on Nintendo’s handheld with the option to raise livestock or plant crops, as well as operate more than 50 farming vehicles.
You can learn more about both of these games (and a few other new releases) after the break. (more…)