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.

Multiply your nostalgia with this GoldenEye 007: Reloaded multiplayer trailer

Posted on October 13, 2011 by John Scalzo

If you spent your high school and/or college days crowded around multi-day multiplayer sessions of GoldenEye 007, this new trailer for GoldenEye 007: Reloaded will be of great interest to you.

For the kids? No, for me (and everyone like me that grew up on the original GoldenEye).

GoldenEye 007: Reloaded will be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on November 1.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Nintendo Download: October 13, 2011

Posted on October 13, 2011 by John Scalzo

This week’s Nintendo Download features a pair of furry games and a pair of big numbers.

The furriness is provided by Catrap (3DS eShop), a maze game originally released for the Game Boy, and Furry Legends (DSiWare), a puzzle platformer based on the WiiWare title of the same name.

The big numbers are provided by 101-in-1 Explosive Megamix (WiiWare), a massive collection of minigames, and 1001 BlockBusters (DSiWare), a brick-breaking game that promises… you guessed it… 1001 levels.

More details on all of this week’s additions to the Nintendo Download can be found in their weekly newsletter.

Posted in 3DS, DS, News, Wii |

Grand Theft Auto III hijacks mobile platforms for 10th anniversary re-release

Posted on October 13, 2011 by John Scalzo

Grand Theft Auto III reshaped the video game landscape when it was released in 2001. You might say that Liberty City left us speechless (rimshot).

This Fall, in commemoration of the game’s 10th anniversary, Rockstar plans to bring GTA3 to a new generation of gamers on select iOS and Android devices:

Apple iOS Devices: iPad 2, iPhone 4S
Android Phones: Droid X2, HTC Evo 2, LG Optimus 2X, Motorola Atrix, Samsung Galaxy S2
Android Tablets: Acer Iconia, Asus Eee Pad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Support for additional devices will be announced at a later date.

Posted in Mobile, News | Tagged

Here come the Men in Black (in a new game)

Posted on October 13, 2011 by John Scalzo

Here come the Men In Black // Galaxy defenders // Here come the Men In Black // They won’t let you remember.

After lodging that little ditty in your ear for the rest of the day, I can now use the rest of this post to talk about the new Men In Black game just announced by Activision.

Launching for “consoles and handhelds” alongside Men In Black III‘s Spring 2012 theatrical opening, the Men In Black game will be a standalone story that builds on the universe established in the movies to “bring back familiar faces, while also introducing new foes.” We have also been promised “action-packed, yet light-hearted gameplay mixed with edge-of-your-seat shooting excitement from the universe’s most elite peacekeeping force.”

“The Men In Black franchise is an unbeatable starting point to deliver a genre-bending gaming experience with a level of production value on par with Hollywood,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President of Activision Publishing.

Activision has promised to reveal more gameplay details and characters (hopefully that means Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith) in the future, so don’t forget about the Men In Black!

Posted in 3DS, DS, News, PS3, Vita, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Daytona USA drives onto PSN, XBLA this month

Posted on October 13, 2011 by John Scalzo

I can’t even begin to calculate how many quarters I pumped into the Daytona USA machine at my local mall back in 1993. And the mall in the next town over. And at the mini-golf course. And at rest stops during family vacations. Yeah, I played a lot of Daytona USA.

But it’ll only take 40 quarters (AKA $10 AKA 800 Microsoft Points) to relive those memories in my living room on October 25 when Sega adds Daytona USA to the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Arcade. The downloadable port will feature enhanced graphics (but really, how can you enhance those polygons?), steering wheel support and online play. Up to eight players will be able to race around the game’s three tracks, simulating the system link feature Daytona USA was known for.

The PSN/XBLA version will also retain the game’s iconic soundtrack, but now there’s a Karaoke Mode because, according to Sega, “you know you have been singing along anyway.”

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

G4 turning Mario Kart, Duck Hunt, Angry Birds into scary short films

Posted on October 12, 2011 by John Scalzo

Hey, did you know G4 makes short movies under the banner G4 Films? Yeah, me neither. But apparently this month marks their first ever Epictober Film Festival. Starting October 24, G4 Films will be streaming three short films based on Mario Kart, Duck Hunt and Angry Birds at G4TV.com/g4films.

However, the best part is that each of these iconic games has undergone a terrifying transformation on their way to your computer screen.

Duck Hunt has become “The Hunt,” a tale of three hunters who come face to face with a monstrous entity keen on their demise. it sounds like everyone that’s ever wanted to zap that annoying dog will be in for a treat. Unless the dog has the last laugh. “The Hunt” was directed by Sam Balcomb and will make its online debut on October 24.

The colorful bounciness of Mario Kart has been washed away to create “Kart Driver,” a film that may have come from the mind of Martin Mario Scorcese. Actually, it was directed by Drew Daywalt and is a story of “fury and obsession” as a heroic plumber seeks out his damsel in distress, even if it means facing off with a creature from the very bowels of hell. “Kart Driver” will be available for viewing on October 25.

Finally, “The Birds of Anger” will show that the Angry Birds don’t just have it in for pigs. Riffing on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic The Birds, the short was directed by directed by Gregg Bishop, who also created the excellent feature-length film Dance of the Dead. “The Birds of Anger” flies online on October 26.

Posted in Etcetera, News |

Guardian Heroes, Real Steel added to XBLA today

Posted on October 12, 2011 by John Scalzo

Microsoft has added a pair of very different beat ’em ups to the Xbox Live Arcade today.

The first is Guardian Heroes, a medieval beat ’em up that was originally released for the Sega Saturn. Developed by Treasure, this remade rendition of Guardian Heroes includes enhanced graphics and online play.

The second is a game adaptation of the Hugh Jackson fighting film Real Steel. Customize your robotic boxer and take it into the ring against other steel-plated pugilists. Hugh Jackman not included.

Both games have been priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10) apiece.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,

Microsoft purchases Twisted Pixel, has no plans to straighten them

Posted on October 12, 2011 by John Scalzo

Before now, indie developer Twisted Pixel has always created games exclusively for the Xbox 360. Today, Microsoft has decided to make it official by purchasing the company and making them a part of their Microsoft Studios network.

“Twisted Pixel has an incredible track record of innovative, critically acclaimed, and most importantly, fun, games,” said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president, Microsoft Studios. “Microsoft Studios is home to cutting-edge entertainment experiences, and the incredible creativity of the Twisted Pixel team will help drive further innovation around Kinect and Xbox Live.”

The developer’s most recent game, The Gunstringer, was released a few weeks ago. In addition to that undead, Kinect-powered puppet show, Twisted Pixel has created a quartet of comically twisted games: Splosion Man, The Maw, Comic Jumper and Ms. Splosion Man.

Let’s hope Microsoft doesn’t make them change their wacky ways; it’d be a crime.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 |