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.

Bethesda officially announces Rage 2

Posted on May 14, 2018 by John Scalzo

After a spate of rumors pointed to an impending announcement for Rage 2, Bethesda has thrown up their hands and officially announced that the game is in development at id Software for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. A short Teaser Trailer has been embedded above, and a longer Gameplay Trailer will be unveiled tomorrow. If the Teaser Trailer is any indication, the next Rage will be considerably sillier than its predecessor.

Rage ended on a huge cliffhanger, and while it wasn’t as well-loved as Doom or Quake, fans have been hoping that the developer would return to the game’s post-apocalyptic world in a sequel. Bethesda has also recruited Avalanche Studios, the team responsible for 2015’s Mad Max game, to assist in the creation of Rage 2.

The announcement of Rage 2 also ups the possibility that the rest of the games included in the recent Walmart Canada leak (as reported by Polygon) are real. So don’t be surprised when game publishers start announcing Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 6, Lego DC Supervillains, Gears of War 5, Assassin’s Creed 2018, and Just Cause 4 over the next few weeks.

A release date for Rage 2 has yet to be announced.

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

NES Classic Edition returns to stores on June 29, 2018

Posted on May 14, 2018 by John Scalzo

The time has finally come…

Late last night, Nintendo said that the NES Classic Edition microconsole will once again be available in retail stores on Friday, June 29. This re-release of the NES Classic Edition will still contain 30 NES games (including Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, Ninja Gaiden, Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream, and many more) and once again be priced at $59.99:

As you can see, Nintendo also confirmed that the Super NES Classic Edition will continue to be available through the end of the year.

Posted in News, Retro |

New Retail Releases: State of Decay 2 Ultimate Edition, Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition, Dragon’s Crown Pro, More

Posted on May 14, 2018 by John Scalzo

We’re coming around again on a lot of great new games this week, but first, Microsoft and Undead Labs have teamed up for a second time to bring us State of Decay 2 for the Xbox One. The zombie survival simulation includes cooperative multiplayer for up to four players, and the “Ultimate Edition” comes bundled with its predecessor, State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition.

But if you’re looking to replay an old favorite, or try it out for the first time in a spiffy new edition, there’s plenty of choices to be had…

Nintendo will re-release Hyrule Warriors for the Switch in a special Definitive Edition that includes everything from the action-packed Wii U game (Hyrule Warriors), as well as the bonus contest from the subsequent 3DS re-release (Hyrule Warriors Legends), and a pair of new costumes for Link and Zelda from Breath of the Wild.

Atlus is also upgrading one of their biggest titles from the previous generation, and the publisher will bring Dragon’s Crown Pro to the PS4 this week. The updated side-scrolling brawler will include English and Japanese audio options, as well as a newly recorded soundtrack, support for 4K visuals, and all previously-released downloadable content.

Atlus is also pulling the same trick on the 3DS this week with the launch of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux. The DS RPG has been upgraded with new story content, additional endings, and a new dungeon to explore.

Other games with new homes this week include THQ Nordic’s Battle Chasers: Nightwar (the RPG moving to the Switch), Red Star’s Hello Kitty Kruisers (the kart racer is also coming to the Switch), and IO Interactive’s Hitman: Definitive Edition (all previously-released content is now available in a single package for the PS4 and Xbox One.

Posted in 3DS, News, PS4, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , ,

Square Enix once again reiterates that Kingdom Hearts III will be released in 2018

Posted on May 12, 2018 by John Scalzo

Square Enix hosted another quarterly financial briefing for investors this week, and the Japanese publisher once again reiterated that Kingdom Hearts III is on track to be released in 2018.

Kingdom Hearts III was first announced all the way back in 2013, and Square Enix has been slow to share more information about the RPG in the years since. However, several new trailers for the company’s latest Disneyfied crossover were released earlier this year, including one that revealed a world based on Monsters Inc and another that showcaseed the LCD-inspired Classic Kingdom.

If Kingdom Hearts III really is launching for the PS4 and Xbox One in 2018, we’ll likely learn more about it during this year’s E3 Expo.

Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Death Road to Canada, Laser League, more added to Xbox Store

Posted on May 11, 2018 by John Scalzo

We’re heading into the weekend with a handful of a new Xbox One games as part of today’s Xbox Games Store update…

Rocketcat’s Death Road to Canada is sitting at the front of the pack, and players will be able to randomize the game’s apocalypse with a different (and increasingly absurd) story every time they play. Also available to download today is Laser League, a neon-coated future sport from developer Roll7.

You can learn more about both of these games, and the rest of today’s additions to the Xbox Games Store, after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged

Blizzard adds “Pink Mercy” Skin to Overwatch until May 21 to support Breast Cancer research

Posted on May 11, 2018 by John Scalzo

For the next two weeks, the Heroes from Overwatch will do battle against Breast Cancer thanks to a new partnership between Blizzard and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

A brand new “Pink Mercy” Skin is now available to download for $14.99 on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. All proceeds from sales of the Skin will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, as will 50% of all proceeds from sales of a “Pink Mercy” T-Shirt at the Blizzard Gear Store. Both the in-game Skin and the real-world T-Shirt will be available until May 21.

You can hear Game Director Jeff Kaplan talk a bit more about the “Pink Mercy” campaign in the new Developer Update episode embedded above.

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

Sony’s E3 2018 Showcase will feature previews of Death Stranding, Spider-Man, Ghost of Tsushima, and The Last of Us Part II

Posted on May 11, 2018 by John Scalzo

It looks like Sony wants to do things a bit different at this year’s E3 Expo. Over on the PlayStation Blog, the consolemaker has made “a rare break from tradition” and pre-announced the games that will take center stage at their E3 Showcase.

Drumroll, please.

Sony’s E3 Showcase will take place on June 11 at 6:00 PM (Pacific Time), and a team from Sony Worldwide Studios will provide “exclusive” previews of Kojima Productions’s Death Stranding, Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima, Insomniac’s Spider-Man, and Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II. A smattering of additional announcements from “third-party publishers and independent developers” will round out the show.

For fans watching at home, Sony’s E3 Showcase will be livestreamed in its entirety on Playstation.com, Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged , , , ,

N++: Ultimate Edition will leap onto the Switch on May 24

Posted on May 11, 2018 by John Scalzo

The parade of critically-acclaimed indies in development for the Switch continues to get longer. This morning, Metanet Software confirmed that N++: Ultimate Edition will be released for Nintendo’s newest console on May 24.

Players take control of a graceful ninja in N++: Ultimate Edition, and they’ll need to stealthily avoid machine gun turrets, missiles, and whirring buzzsaws if they want to steal enough gold:

N++ is a fast-paced, momentum-based platformer where you get to play as a badass parkour-loving ninja, narrowly escaping enemies and collecting gold in sci-fi landscapes.

Smooth, sleek and thrilling. 4,340 hand-crafted, finely tuned levels in three game modes: Solo, Co-op, and Race. Over 100 colour schemes and 6+ hours of the coolest electronic music the world has to offer. Get ready!

Cooperative play is available for up to four players in N++: Ultimate Edition across all of the game’s 4,340 levels. A new trailer for the minimalist platformer’s Switch debut has been embedded above.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged