Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- 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
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins “Game of the Year” at 2025-2026 GDC Awards
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)
Author: John Scalzo
PBS thinks Super Mario Bros. is a surreal work of art
PBS launched their latest online venture, the PBS Idea Channel, on Wednesday. Hosted by Mike Rugnetta, the channel attempts to answer all those crazy questions you get in your head. And believe it or not, the debut question was “Is Super Mario Bros. a piece of surrealist artwork?”
Rugnetta makes the point that when viewed from outside the influence of the series, a flower that lets you spit fire after you eat it, giant walking mushrooms, and a dinosaur that lays eggs is just INSANE! Except, it’s not…
“Spitting” fire was just a euphemism we kids came up with in the 80s. The canon depiction of a Fire Flower has always shown Mario throwing fireballs after touching it. Weird sure, but not as weird as Rugnetta wants to claim. Goombas (and other made up species that the host cites like the Hammer Bros. and Latiku) can be traced back to the zaniness found in Looney Tunes cartoons and Dr. Seuss books. I mean, is a Goomba all that different from The Lorax? As for Yoshi and his egg-laying, well, dinosaurs do lay eggs! It was even a major plot point in Jurassic Park.
Rugnetta does make one good point, and that is that surrealism is everywhere nowadays. Mario is a bit surreal, but most of the weirdness in the Mushroom Kingdom makes perfect sense… except for Birdo.
Posted in Etcetera, News
Tagged Super Mario Bros.
New Releases: Kid Icarus Uprising, Ninja Gaiden 3, RE Operation Raccoon City, More
It’s taken more than 20 years, but Pit is finally back in Kid Icarus: Uprising for the 3DS. Hallelujah! (Cause he’s an angel, get it?).
Also available this week is Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden 3 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. It’s the first game in the series without input from former studio head Tomonobu Itagaki and it comes with a sweet Dead or Alive 5 demo.
Rounding out the rest of the new releases is Capcom’s multiplayer shooter, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (PS3, Xbox 360); From Software’s next Armored Core, Armored Core V (PS3, Xbox 360); and Konami’s compilation of the second and third Silent Hill games, the Silent Hill HD Collection (PS3, Xbox 360).
A complete list of this week’s new releases, including a Kinect game starring Pixar’s greatest characters, can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, DS, News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Armored Core V, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Ninja Gaiden 3, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Silent Hill HD Collection
Portal 2 wins “Best Game” at 2012 BAFTAs
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts handed out the 2012 BAFTA Video Game Awards in merry old England last night. And like most other award shows this year, Portal 2 came away with “Best Game” honors. Valve’s teleporting sequel also won the “Design” and Story” awards.
Other big winners include Batman: Arkham City (winner of the the “Action” award and a “Performer” award for Mark Hamill’s role as The Joker), LittleBigPlanet 2 (which took home the “Family” and “Game Innovation” awards), and Battlefield 3 (which won the “Online – Multiplayer” and “Audio Achievement” awards). Battlefield 3 was also selected by fans as the winner of this year’s GAME Award, which is sponsored by the British retailer. But with all their financial troubles, this might be the last GAME Award ever awarded.
Hit the jump for the complete list of winners. (more…)
Teaser site for new El Shaddai project opens
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron excited a lot of people last year with its unconventional art style and a storyline based on the apocryphal Book of Enoch. Well, prepare to resurrect your excitement as Ignition has launched a Japanese website teasing a new entry in the El Shaddai story.
The teaser site features five new characters drawn in an anime style along with the tag line “Who is the ultimate angel God is speaking about?”
Takeyasu Sawaki, the designer of the original game, appears to be involved as his company, Crim, is included in the site’s footer. But at this point, it’s impossible to tell if this is El Shaddai 2, just a new anime series, or something else entirely.
God willing, we’ll find out more soon.
[Source: Siliconera]
Posted in News
Activision announces Transformers Prime game
The Fall’s Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is only in development for the PS3 and Xbox 360, so 3DS, DS, and Wii owners won’t get a chance to finish the Cybertronian Civil War. But transform that frown upside down as Activision has announced that Transformers Prime will appear on those platforms instead.
Transformers Prime will be based on the animated series of the same name. In the game, players will be able to control Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Arcee, Bulkhead, and more as they attempt to defeat the Decepticons once and for all.
“We are collaborating closely with the series creators to capture all the adventure, humor and friendships from the show to create an authentic action experience for Transformers fans of all ages to enjoy,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President at Activision Publishing.
All three versions of the game will be out later this year with Now Productions handling the 3DS/Wii version and Altron Corporation developing the DS version.
BioWare will discuss Mass Effect 3 ending “when they can”
The uproar over the ending of Mass Effect 3 just will not die down. The movement has quickly gone from fanboy whining to organized petitions to a charity drive to convince BioWare to create a new ending.
Yesterday, developers at BioWare responded to these complaints through their official forum. And while the company isn’t yet ready to deal with the backlash (they want more people to reach the end first), they say they are listening:
We understand there is a lot of debate on the Mass Effect 3 ending and we will be more than happy to engage in healthy discussions once more people get to experience the game. We are listening to all of your feedback.
I guess that’s as good an answer as any right now.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Mass Effect 3
Ratchet & Clank PS2 games get collected on PS3 this Fall
Sly Cooper, Jak & Daxter, and Ratchet & Clank made the PS2 the place to be for platformers in the early 2000s. The first two have already been remastered and remade for the PS3, and with their tenth anniversary coming up, it’s Ratchet & Clank’s turn.
The Ratchet & Clank Collection will contain Ratchet & Clank, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, and Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal. Fans of the fourth PS2 game in the series, Ratchet: Deadlocked, no doubt noticed that that game won’t be part of the collection.
The compilation is being developed by Idol Minds (who are also working on the Vita RPG Warrior’s Lair) with an assist from Insomniac. Like the previous platformer collections, The Ratchet & Clank Collection will include 1080p visuals and a stereoscopic 3D mode viewable in 720p. Trophies and the online multiplayer mode from Up Your Arsenal will be also included.
The Ratchet & Clank Collection will be available this Fall, but European PS3 players will get it in the Spring. To make up for the delay, Insomniac’s Ted Price promised “something very special” is in store for those of in North America.
Posted in News, PS3
Tagged Ratchet & Clank Collection
The Walking Dead coming to iOS, PC, PSN, XBLA in April
Telltale Games has told IGN that the first episode of The Walking Dead will shamble its way onto the iTunes App Store, PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and PC download platforms in April.
For those keeping score at home, that is now two zombie games with April release dates.
Obviously, release dates for the remaining four episodes weren’t announced. However, Telltale did say to expect them on a “regular” schedule.