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.

New Releases: NCAA Football 12, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, More

Posted on July 9, 2011 by John Scalzo

As the Player’s Association and the NFL slowing grind towards a deal to prevent the cancellation of the 2011-12 season, EA Sports wants to know if you’re ready for some college football as NCAA Football 12 will be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 this week. Also available this week is the final entry game adaptation of a Harry Potter movie as EA plans to release Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 for the DS, PC, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360.

The final major release for this week is a game that’s actually five years old. It’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – 5th Anniversary Edition and it includes all the previously released DLC, both expansions and a coupon for $10 off this Fall’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Check out the full list of the rest of this week’s new releases after the break. (more…)

Posted in DS, News, PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,

Fortified Zone, Qix added to 3DS eShop

Posted on July 7, 2011 by John Scalzo

Nintendo has unleashed the latest Nintendo Download and it is chock full of Virtual Console goodness on the 3DS eShop.

The service will be receiving two Game Boy classics today: the run-and-gunner Fortified Zone and the puzzler Qix.

3DS owners will also have access to the four games being added to the DSiWare Shop today. They include Jewel Keepers: Easter Island, a match-3 puzzler; Make Up & Style, a makeup artist sim; Farm Frenzy, a farming sim; and Roller Angels, an insanely colorful platformer.

Nintendo didn’t forget Wii owners eithers as the WiiWare service will receive Just Jam, a rhythm game that lets you “mix, match and lay down your own tunes.”

More information on all of these titles can be found at the Nintendo Download weekly newsletter.

Posted in 3DS, DS, News, Wii |

Modders turn COD4 into Star Wars: Galactic Warfare

Posted on July 7, 2011 by John Scalzo

Do you still have a copy of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the PC lying around? If the answer is yes, go download the Star Wars: Galactic Warfare total conversion mod right now. The mod recasts Call of Duty 4’s Marines, SAS soldiers and terrorists as Imperial Stormtroopers and Rebel Alliance members in an all-out battle for control of one of seven maps: “Mos Eisley,” “Bespin,” “Bestine,” “Not A Cave,” “Jundland,” “Jundland Dusk” and “Anchorhead.”

So what are you waiting for? Download the Galactic Warfare mod from the official site of developer BlackMonkeys.de now.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

Bethesda reveals Dishonored, a new FPS from Arkane Studios

Posted on July 7, 2011 by John Scalzo

Bethesda announced that they had acquired Arkane Studios at last year’s QuakeCon. Today, they’re finally ready to talk about the developer’s next project. Arkane Studios, with Raphael Colantonio (Arx Fatalis and Harvey Smith (Deus Ex) at the helm, will be bringing Dishonored to the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2012.

Publisher and developer had very little to say about Dishonored after that, but thankfully, they talked to Game Informer and the magazine plans to put the game on the cover of its August 2011 issue. Along with that cover story comes the first real description of the game:

Dishonored is the antithesis of a edge-of-your-seat roller-coaster ride. It’s a game about assassination where you don’t have to kill anyone. It’s a game about infiltration where you can set up traps and slaughter the entire garrison of an aristocrat’s mansion rather than sneak in. It’s a game about brutal violence where you can slip in and out of a fortified barracks with nobody ever knowing you were there. It’s a game about morality and player choice where the world you create is based on your actions, not navigating conversation trees.

Sounds intense. We’ll learn more when the August 2011 issue of Game Informer hits newsstands, which should be happening any day now.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Sony confirms Resistance 3 will require PSN Pass

Posted on July 6, 2011 by John Scalzo

Earlier today, we reported on the possible requirement of a “PSN Pass” to play the online portion of the upcoming PS3-exclusive Resistance 3. Now, Sony has issued a statement to IGN confirming the existence of the PSN Pass and its inclusion in Resistance 3:

“We are always evaluating new programs for our online offering, and starting with Resistance 3 this September, we will be instituting a network pass program for PS3 games with online capabilities. This program will be game-specific. Games that are a part of this program will include a single-use registration code that grants the account holder redeeming the code full online access for that title,” a Sony spokesperson said.

As expected, if you purchase a used copy of Resistance 3 (or any game that uses the PSN Pass system), Sony will generously offer to sell you a PSN Pass through the PlayStation Store. Other publishers, such as EA, THQ and WB Games, use a $10 price for their “online passes.” I’d expect Sony to offer the PSN Pass at a similar price.

Posted in News, PS3 | Tagged

Wii U to include 3DTV support

Posted on July 6, 2011 by John Scalzo

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata recently sat down for an interview with the San Jose Mercury News and during the short Q&A he confirmed that the Wii U will include 3DTV support:

If you are going to connect Wii U with a home TV capable of displaying 3-D images, technologically, yes, it is going to be possible, but that’s not the area we are focusing on.

When it comes to 3-D, we already have the 3DS, and each owner of the Nintendo 3DS is capable of viewing 3-D images. However, when it comes to the home console, it depends upon the availability of 3-D TV sets at home, which, unfortunately, is not expanding enough. And rather than pouring a lot of energy into that kind of area, with the Wii U we’d like to focus more on each Wii U owner being able to have an equal opportunity to enjoy it.

So basically, it sounds like the Wii U will support 3DTVs, but don’t expect a lot of 3D content from Nintendo.

Posted in News, Wii U |

XBLA Today: Dead Block, Deadliest Warrior 2, MLB Bobblehead Pros

Posted on July 6, 2011 by John Scalzo

As the 2011 Summer of Arcade approaches, Microsoft has opened the Xbox Live Arcade floodgates and added three titles to the service today.

Dead Block goes all Night of the Living Dead on us as three survivors are trapped in a house with the zombie horde banging on the door. But instead of shooting their way out, this trio must barricade themselves inside and set traps for the unstoppable undead.

Deadliest Warrior: Legends is the sequel to last year’s XBLA fighting game and features a new assortment of historical personages battling it out for historical bragging rights. Dracula versus Braveheart, why didn’t I think of that?

Finally, Konami brings their cartoony take on the national pasttime, MLB Bobblehead Pros, to the XBLA just in time for next week’s All-Star Game.

All three games have been priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10) and more information on each title can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged

PlayStation Move Ape Escape added to PS Store; Uncharted 3 beta available to all

Posted on July 5, 2011 by John Scalzo

Sony has updated the PlayStation Store with a new Move-enabled game, two PSone imports straight from Japan and a quartet of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Oh, and the Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception multiplayer beta is now available for all.

Move owners will get the chance to download PlayStation Move Ape Escape, a new take on the series that very closely resembles a light gun shooter. Import fans have two new games to choose from this week: Rapid Angel, a beat ’em up/platformer; and Yakiniku Bugyou, a cooking sim.

If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you’ll receive several free games this week including:

  • Alien Zombie Death (PSP Mini, $3.99 value)
  • Bomberman Ultra ($9.99 value)
  • Me Monstar: Hear Me Roar (Exclusive to Plus)
  • Medievil (PSone Classic, $5.99 value)

More details about this week’s new releases can be found after the break. A complete rundown of new Store content can be found at the PlayStation.Blog. (more…)

Posted in News, PS3, PSP | Tagged ,