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.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate will be released for Switch this Summer

Posted on May 10, 2018 by John Scalzo

Monster Hunter Generations was originally released for the 3DS in 2016, and Capcom eventually brought an enhanced port of the monster-hunting action-adventure game to the Switch in Japan a year later. This Summer, that version of the game will make its international debut as Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate features a blend of classic gameplay and unique new twists, brand new explorable areas and monsters, plus returning fan-favorites like the lightning fast Zinogre and the stealthy long-tailed Nargacuga. This release introduces a new quest level called “G” rank that features even more formidable versions of familiar foes, truly testing experienced hunters’ battle tactics now with different moves and abilities never before seen in the wild!

Hunters can face off against the series’ largest roster of unique monsters in this nostalgic look back at the series’ beginnings and evolutions. Take on the role of a brave hunter on an adrenaline-fueled adventure challenging larger-than-life beasts. Completing quests will yield valuable resources for crafting countless distinct weapons and equipment fashioned after players’ defeated foes. Along their journey, hunters must defend each of the game’s four villages from major threats known as the Fated Four, plus an even more dangerous new Elder Dragon.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate will let players join hunting parties (of up to four players) thanks to its online multiplayer support, and two brand new Hunting Styles will give players the chance to experiment with new offensive capabilities. With Brave Style, “[players are rewarded] with new moves for landing successive attacks.” And Alchemy Style is “a support style that grants the ability to create useful items on the fly during combat.”

Capcom will bring a playable demo of Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate to this year’s E3 Expo, but everyone will get a chance to play it on the Switch after it launches on August 28. The first trailer for Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate has been embedded above.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged ,

Battle Chasers: Nightwar, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux, Garage, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week

Posted on May 10, 2018 by John Scalzo

The urban weirdness of 80s action staples like Big Trouble In Little China, They Live, and The Golden Child is alive and well in TinyBuild’s Garage, an overhead shooter for the Switch that takes place in a parking garage with “a passageway to a supernatural world that has never seen the light of day.”

Also set to launch for the Switch later this week is Battle Chasers: Nightwar, a traditional turn-based RPG from Nordic Games and Airship Syndicate that’s based on Joe Madureira’s cult comic series. It’ll be available to download on Tuesday, May 15.

Also on May 15, 3DS owners will be able to download Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux, an enhanced remake of Atlus’s Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. Originally released for the DS in 2010, the remake features “new story content, additional endings, a new dungeon to explore, brand-new illustrations by Masayuki Doi, updated visuals and UI tweaks, and more.”

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop (including One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 – Deluxe Edition, Hyper Sentinel, The Fall, and more) after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Switch | Tagged ,

Descenders rides onto the Xbox One in Game Preview on May 15

Posted on May 9, 2018 by John Scalzo

No More Robots has announced that RageSquid’s Descenders, a procedurally-generated downhill biking game, will be released for the Xbox One through the Game Preview program on May 15.

Descenders is downhill mountain biking for the modern era, with fast-paced extreme action that’s easy to pick up, but difficult to master. A deep physics system and tight controls allow players to string together incredible trick combos, as you make your way down the mountain and attempt to reach the bottom with as few scratches as possible.

Procedurally generated worlds mean that no two runs are ever the same, with special challenge nodes to discover and nerve-racking Boss Jumps that truly sort the casuals from the pros. But linger for too long and the sun will begin to set, forcing you to ride through the night to get the job done.

Descenders is currently available for the PC, and its Xbox One debut will coincide with the launch of the “Rogue-Bike Update,” which will overhaul the game’s Rep system, as well as add a randomized world map, and a new skills system based on unlocking Crew Members. No More Robots recently offered up a few details about the “Rogue-Bike Update” on Descenders’s Steam page.

The publisher also confirmed that Descenders will feature enhanced visuals on the Xbox One X, along with interactive elements during Mixer livestreams that “[allow] viewers to help or hinder the streamer while they play.”

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged

Trailblazers, Conan Exiles, Raging Justice, more added to Xbox Store

Posted on May 9, 2018 by John Scalzo

Welcome to the mid-week Xbox Games Store update. Here’s what Microsoft has added to their digital storefront today…

Supergonk mashed together elements from two of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises in Trailblazers, and the Xbox One game is a team-based futuristic racing game where players paint the track to create burst lanes. A slightly less fun future can be found in Subaeria, a puzzle-platformer for the Xbox One where players must pit hordes of murderous robots against each other.

If you’d rather give in to your berserker rage, Funcom’s Conan Exiles graduated from the Game Preview program today, and MakinGames’s Raging Justice tasks players with cleaning up the streets in classic beat ’em up style.

Finally today, WayForard is packaging together Shantae: Half-Genie Hero and both of its expansions into a new Ultimate Edition.

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

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Tacoma, Trailblazers, Laser League, more coming to PS Store this week

Posted on May 9, 2018 by John Scalzo

It looks like a big batch of new PS4 games will be added to the PlayStation Store this week…

Leading the way is Fullbright’s Tacoma, an adventure game that tasks players with discovering what happened to the six crewmembers aboard a doomed space station. However, sunnier options are also available.

Supergonk’s Trailblazers mixes the futuristic racing of F-Zero with Splatoon’s competitive painting. Roll7’s Laser League borrows the neon-heavy aesthetic of Tron for a team-based future sport. MakinGames rolled the clock back to the punk stylings of Streets of Rage to inform their side-scrolling beat ’em up, Raging Justice. And Idea Factory’s Megadimension Neptunia VIIR gives the latest entry in the popular RPG franchise a VR-infused makeover.

Also set to launch this week is the post-apocalyptic Death Road to Canada, the survival-adventure of Conan Exiles, and puzzle-platformer Subaeria. WayForward will also release Shantae: Half-Genie Hero – Ultimate Edition, a bundle that includes the original game and both expansions.

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

Posted in News, PS4, Vita | Tagged , , , ,

Limited-time Avengers: Infinity War crossover event is now available in Fortnite

Posted on May 8, 2018 by John Scalzo

Avengers: Infinity War is the hottest ticket in movies right now, so it seems only natural that Marvel is teaming up with Epic Games to bring Thanos to Fortnite. Fortnite players will be able to take control of “The Mad Titan” in the limited-time “Fortnite X Avengers Mode,” which is available now on the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices:

Wield true power… the Infinity Gauntlet. Starting now, you can become Thanos in the Infinity Gauntlet Limited Time Mashup.

Drop in Solo as you hunt for and fight over the Infinity Gauntlet. The first to equip the Gauntlet will transform into the mighty Thanos and wield the Gauntlet’s power! You will need some serious firepower to take down Thanos. Only Rare, Epic and Legendary weapons appear in this Limited Time Mashup. Take down Thanos, equip the Gauntlet and claim Victory!

It’s unknown how long “Fortnite X Avengers Mode” will be available, but a short trailer teasing the crossover event has been embedded above.

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Launch Trailer for Trailblazers shows off its Splatoon-inspired futuristic racing style

Posted on May 8, 2018 by John Scalzo

The Launch Trailer for Supergonk’s Trailblazers has been embedded above, and as you can see, it mixes the futuristic racing of the F-Zero franchise with Splatoon’s team-based painting mechanic to create a type of game we’ve never really seen before. But how does it work? Glad you asked…

Experience vibrant visuals, mesmerizing track designs, and the scorching sensation of speed where players use the on-track game mechanic of painting the track to create boosting lanes for each team. Racing together in teams of up to three racers, gamers will cover key areas of the racing line as well as painting over opponents’ painted paths to gain the advantage. Racers who drive with flair and style will also amass skill points to blaze their way to victory!

Trailblazers will feature a variety of procedurally-generated tracks that take players through “mountain ranges, lush forests, and arid desert valleys.” And you’ll be able to tackle these locales by taking control of multiple characters and race cars, each with their own unique stats and skills. A Campaign Mode, featuring story elements and Single-Player Challenges, as well as local splitscreen multiplayer and online play, will be available in the game.

Trailblazers will be published by Rising Star Games, and it launched today on the PC and PS4. It’ll also be available to download for the Xbox One beginning tomorrow.

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

Nintendo Switch Online service coming in September with NES Library, Cloud Saves, online play, more

Posted on May 8, 2018 by John Scalzo

Nintendo has announced the first official details for their Nintendo Switch Online service, which we now know will go live in September 2018. As expected, the service will be priced at $20 per month, though “$4 for One Month” and “$8 for Three Months” plans will also be available. A Family Membership (12 Months for $35) will include access to the Nintendo Switch Online service for up to eight Nintendo Account holders.

We already knew the basics of Nintendo’s service, and the consolemaker reconfirmed that Switch owners will need to subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online service if they wish to play online. But also revealed that the service will include an option for Save Data Cloud Backup, giving Switch owners the chance to “retrieve their data if they lose, break, or purchase an additional Nintendo Switch system.”

But I think that most Switch owners will list the NES Library as the biggest perk of the Nintendo Switch Online service. The NES Library will initially launch with access to 20 games, and more will be added on a regular basis. For now, Nintendo has announced that subscribers will be able to play Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong, Dr. Mario, Ice Climber, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros., Soccer, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, and Tennis. Best of all, all games will include a Spectator Mode, as well as online competitive or co-op multiplayer (if the original game offered multiplayer options, of course). The other ten titles as part of the NES Library’s launch will be revealed at a later date.

If this sounds like a rebranded “Virtual Console,” you’re not far off. After making this announcement, Nintendo reached out to Kotaku to confirm that the “Virtual Console” branding won’t be used on the Switch. Instead, games from previous Nintendo consoles will be offered through Nintendo Switch Online, individually through the eShop (like Sega and Hamster are doing), or in packaged collections (like Capcom is doing with the Mega Man franchise):

“There are a variety of ways in which classic games from Nintendo and other publishers are made available on Nintendo Switch, such as through Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online, Nintendo eShop or as packaged collections,” the Nintendo spokesperson said. “Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online will provide a fun new way to experience classic NES games that will be different from the Virtual Console service, thanks to enhancements such as added online play, voice chat via the Nintendo Switch Online app and the various play modes of Nintendo Switch.”

It’s currently unknown if Nintendo will add other platforms to Nintendo Switch Online’s playable library of games, but hopefully they’ll have more to say about the service at this year’s E3 Expo.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged , , ,