Author: John Scalzo

John Scalzo is Warp Zoned's Editor-In-Chief and resident retro gaming expert. You can email him at john AT warpzoned DOT com.

Just Shapes and Beats, West of Loathing, Pokemon Quest, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week

Posted on May 31, 2018 by John Scalzo

The shapes are taking over the Nintendo eShop this week! And I’m not talking about Michael Myers…

Berzerk Studio brought Just Shapes and Beats to the Switch today, and the shapely side-scrolling anti-shooter asks players to survive its bullet-hell-like levels with up to three friends while grooving to a nice selection of beats. Also available to download for the Switch today is West of Loathing, the humorous “stick figure” RPG from Asymmetric.

Using a 16-bit palette, Fox N Forests is also now available to download for the Switch, and players will need to employ seasonally-powered magic spells to save the forest. And on June 5 comes Happy Birthdays, an updated version of Birthdays the Beginning, the new sandbox game from the creator of Harvest Moon, Yasuhiro Wada.

Finally, Nintendo wanted to remind everyone that players can still experience the action RPG antics of the cube-shaped Pokemon from Pokemon Quest, which was added to the Switch eShop this part Tuesday.

Over on the 3DS, Nintendo’s handheld is now home to Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, the new Castlevania-like side-scroller from Koji Igarashi and developer Inti Creates.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop (including Icey, Pirate Pop Plus, Yesterday Origins, and more) after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Switch, Wii U | Tagged ,

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, Sega Genesis Classics, Fox N Forests, more coming to Xbox Store this week

Posted on May 30, 2018 by John Scalzo

More retro re-releases (and retro-styled new titles) are coming to the Xbox One this week.

Fans of coin-op fighting games will be pleased to learn that Capcom is bringing Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection to the Xbox One this week. Containing 12 different Street Fighter games (including the original Street Fighter, five versions of Street Fighter II, three of Street Fighter III, and all three Street Fighter Alpha games), the compilation will also include online play and a Museum Mode to dive deep into the franchise’s history.

Also available this week from Sega is Sega Genesis Classics, which will contain more than 50 games originally released for the Sega Genesis. Players will get the chance to choose from dozens of 16-bit classics within this compilation, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage 2, Phantasy Star, and many more.

Finally this week, Bonus Level Entertainment will bring the retro-styled Fox N Forests to the Xbox One. Featuring gameplay inspired by Super Ghouls N Ghosts, players will use magic to control the seasons and save the forest.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Xbox Games Store after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, Sega Genesis Classics, Harvest Moon: Light of Hope, more coming to PS Store this week

Posted on May 30, 2018 by John Scalzo

PS4 owners will get to experience a major blast from the past in this week’s PlayStation Store update…

Collecting 12 Street Fighter games in a single package, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is the biggest Street Fighter compilation ever. Fans will be able to go all the way back to the beginning with Street Fighter, and then tag in five different iterations of Street Fighter II, three iterations of Street Fighter III, and the entire Street Fighter Alpha trilogy. A bevy of bonus features and online play will also be included.

Not to be outdone, Sega will release Sega Genesis Classics this week. Containing more than 50 games from the publisher’s 16-bit heyday, Sega Genesis Classics features a diverse lineup of games including Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Streets of Rage 2, Phantasy Star, and many more.

Finally this week, PS4 owners will be able to download Harvest Moon: Light of Hope – Special Edition, the latest game in Natsume’s series of farming simulations.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions (including Agony, Moonlighter, Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Deluxier Edition, and more) to the PlayStation Store after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged ,

Sega officially announces Team Sonic Racing for a Winter release

Posted on May 30, 2018 by John Scalzo

After a bit of teasing earlier this year at the SXSW Gaming Expo, Sega has officially announced that Team Sonic Racing will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One this Winter:

Team Sonic Racing arrives this Winter! Race in a team with your friends (or against them) both offline and online, and choose from a variety of characters and tracks in the Sonic universe!

Sega has enlisted Sumo Digital, the team behind both Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, to develop Team Sonic Racing. And the publisher has promised that the game will be fully playable at this year’s E3 Expo.

Presumably, we’ll get a glimpse at a longer trailer next month. For now, fans will have to be content with a new Teaser Trailer, which has been embedded above.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Bethesda announces Fallout 76… with plans to reveal more at E3 2018

Posted on May 30, 2018 by John Scalzo

We’ll probably never know if Bethesda planned to unveil Rage 2 ahead of their E3 Showcase, but it looks like the publisher dropped another big bombshell today with the announcement of Fallout 76.

Fallout 76 is developed by Bethesda Games Studios, the same team behind Skyrim and Fallout 4, and according to the Teaser Trailer, the game will take place on “Reclamation Day” sometime in 2090s, as players emerge from Vault 76 to start rebuilding the world 20 years after the Great War.

And that’s it. That’s all we know at this point.

The publisher has promised that we’ll learn more about Fallout 76 during the Bethesda E3 Showcase on Sunday, June 10, at 6:30 PM (Pacific Time).

Posted in News | Tagged ,

Next Pokemon RPG is coming to the Switch in Late 2019

Posted on May 30, 2018 by John Scalzo

A passel of Pokemon spinoffs will arrive on the Switch in 2018, but whatever happened to the “Core RPG Pokemon Title” we were promised at E3 2017? According to The Pokemon Company, it’s still in development at Game Freak, and it’ll be released in Late 2019:

While it doesn’t tell us much, this tweet does confirm that the next Pokemon RPG won’t be a rehash of Pokemon Sun/Moon. Instead, it’ll be an “all-new” entry in the franchise and the first “Core” Pokemon game to appear on a console.

It’s possible that Nintendo might have more to say about the game during this year’s E3 Expo next month, but it seems more likely that they’ll want to focus on the upcoming Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee! instead.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu! and Let’s Go Eevee! coming to the Switch this November

Posted on May 30, 2018 by John Scalzo

Nintendo and Game Freak will bring a Pokemon Go-like experience to the Switch this Fall with Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee! Based on one of the first Pokemon games ever released, Pokemon Yellow, Let’s Go Pikachu! and Let’s Go Eevee! will ask players to explore the Kanto Region and capture Pokemon using motion controls:

Taking place in the diverse and vibrant Kanto region, this new pair of games is packed with adventure for Pokemon Trainers of all ages. In the Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee! games, you will partner up with either Pikachu or Eevee and embark on an exciting adventure where you’ll catch and battle Pokemon, meet other Trainers and discover the region of Kanto.

Let’s Go Pikachu! and Let’s Go Eevee! will also include cooperative play for up to two players, and can be linked with Pokemon Go to transfer Pokemon from the Kanto Region to the Switch games.

Fans who are looking for an even more “immersive” Pokemon experience can also pick up a Poke Ball Plus controller this Fall. Let’s Go Pikachu! and Let’s Go Eevee! will be fully playable with the Poke Ball Plus, which’ll feature motion controls, a pressable Control Stick, and an Action Button. Transferring a Pokemon to the controller’s included memory slot will also get it to play lights and sounds.

Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee! will be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on November 16. The Poke Ball Plus controller will be available in stores on the same day. You can learn more about both games and the the controller in the very informative Announcement Trailer, which has been embedded above.

Posted in Mobile, News, Switch | Tagged

Pokemon Quest is a free-to-play Action RPG that’s now available for the Switch

Posted on May 30, 2018 by John Scalzo

Pokemon are coming for the Nintendo Switch!

Last night, The Pokemon Compnay and the consolemaker announced that Pokemon Quest, a free-to-play Action RPG with touch-based controls, is now available to download for the Switch. Featuring a cube-shaped art style for all Pokemon, players will need to direct the attacks of their Pokemon buddies as they work their way across Tumblecube Island in search of treasure:

Set off on an adventure in the Pokemon Quest game. Venture out with your Pokemon buddies on expeditions across Tumblecube Island in search of loot in this free-to-start action-adventure game for the Nintendo Switch system. Modify your Pokemon buddies with discovered Power Stones to make your expedition team.

With a cube-shaped art style, Pokemon Quest is unlike any Pokemon game you’ve seen before. The simple gameplay makes it easy to hop into expeditions and start exploring Tumblecube Island with the help of your Pokemon buddies. Afterward, head back to your base camp where you can use the loot you found during your adventure to befriend more Pokemon. Attract various Kanto Region Pokemon to your base camp by cooking up dishes made with collected ingredients. You can even decorate your base camp with fun items that provide helpful bonuses that make your expeditions more beneficial.

Pokemon Quest was developed by Game Freak and it’ll also be available for iOS and Android mobile devices beginning in June.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged