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.

Night Trap: 25th Anniversary Edition will be released for Switch this Summer

Posted on April 21, 2018 by John Scalzo

In 1993, Nintendo of America Chairman Howard Lincoln testified before Congress about the growing debate around “Violent Video Games.” Lincoln’s testimony tried to shift the blame away from Nintendo, and accused Sega and Midway of peddling their gory games directly to children. To say it wasn’t his finest hour might be an understatement.

But he also made sure that the assembled senators (and everyone watching on C-SPAN) knew that Night Trap would never appear on a Nintendo system:

In the past year, some very violent and offensive games have reached the market. And of course I’m speaking about Mortal Kombat and Night Trap. And let me say that for the record, I want to state that Night Trap will never appear on a Nintendo system. Obviously it would not pass our guidelines. This game… which, as you’ve indicated… promotes violence against women, simply has no place in our society.

Somewhere, Howard Lincoln is dining on a large plate of crow, as Screaming Villains has announced that Night Trap: 25th Anniversary Edition will be released for the Switch this Summer.

Players must operate a trap-based security system to keep a group of teenage girls safe from a pack of invading vampires in Night Trap, and the game, which popularized the Full Motion Video genre, will be available to download through the Nintendo eShop. A special physical release of Night Trap (a game-only Standard Edition and a to-be-announced Collector’s Edition) will also be available from Limited Run Games.

The first trailer for Night Trap: 25th Anniversary Edition’s Switch debut has been embedded above.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Phantom Trigger, Samurai Shodown IV, more added to Xbox Store

Posted on April 20, 2018 by John Scalzo

It’s Friday, and Microsoft has added a handful of new games to the Xbox Games Store…

First up is Phantom Trigger, a “neon slasher” with RPG and roguelike elements from TinyBuild and Bread Team. Xbox One owners who purchase Phantom Trigger will also receive a copy for their Windows 10 PC through the Xbox Play Anywhere program. Also available to download today for the Xbox One is Samurai Shodown IV, yet another one-on-one fighting game that originally appeared on the NeoGeo.

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

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One |

PEGI rates 20XX for Switch and Xbox One

Posted on April 20, 2018 by John Scalzo

20XX is a roguelike platformer from Batterystaple Games that was very obviously influenced by Capcom’s Mega Man X. The procedurally-generated game is currently available for the PC, but back in December, we learned that it was making the leap to the PS4 in “Early 2018.”

Since we’re now well into April, that obviously didn’t happen. But a new rating for 20XX from Europe’s PEGI organization has confirmed the game will also be coming to the Switch and Xbox One.

We still don’t know when 20XX will make its console debut, but it’s nice to know that more people will get the chance to play Batterystaple’s excellent spin on the Mega Man formula.

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

South Park: The Fractured But Whole, Death Road to Canada, Wild Guns Reloaded, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week

Posted on April 19, 2018 by John Scalzo

UPDATE: Death Road to Canada‘s publisher, Ukiyo Publishing, has delayed the game until further notice after the recent terrorist attack in Toronto… “We feel it would be deeply inappropriate to launch the game at such a time,” said Paul Hann, Managing Director of Ukiyo Publishing. “We would like to express our deepest condolences to everyone affected by the tragic events in Toronto.”

ORIGINAL STORY: It looks like another big batch of Switch games will be added to the Nintendo eShop over the next seven days. Here’s what we can look forward to this week…

Ubisoft will bring South Park: The Fractured But Whole to the Switch on Tuesday, April 24. This time out, the boys are skewering superhero movies, and players will be able to “create [their] own superhero, build up [their] notoriety and use [their] superpowers to save South Park.” Also next week, Rocketcat Games will bring Death Road to Canada, their procedurally-generated post-apocalyptic adventure game, to the Switch on Wednesday.

But if you’re looking for something to download today, Natsume has re-released Wild Guns, a cult classic originally available for the Super NES, as Wild Guns Reloaded. This version of the game will include new characters and modes, as well local multiplayer support for up to four players.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop (including Real Bout Fatal Fury Special, Gal*Gun 2, and more) after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Switch | Tagged

Disgaea 1 Complete will be released for PS4 and Switch this Fall

Posted on April 19, 2018 by John Scalzo

The Disgaea franchise is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2018, and fans will get the chance to join the festivities thanks to Disgaea 1 Complete, an updated re-release of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness for the PS4 and Switch, and it’ll be available this Fall.

According to NIS America, Disgaea 1 Complete will recreate the RPG’s “classic gameplay,” with “upgraded graphics” built for modern consoles:

About Disgaea 1 Complete
The Overlord is dead. The Netherworld is in turmoil. Time to kick some ass! Netherworld Prince Laharl awakens to fight for his throne and it’s up to him and some unlikely allies to defend what is rightfully his. Together with his devious vassal Etna, the angel trainee Flonne, and a whole cavalcade of explosive characters, Laharl will slash, shoot, and punch his way to the top. Build your squad to level 9999 and unleash crazy special skills, team attacks, and spells to deal millions of points of damage in this zany high-definition remake of an RPG classic.

Disgaea 1 Complete Features

  • Feel the Wrath of Laharl! – Take control of Prince Laharl as he conquers the Netherworld to become the Overlord in this zany story of assassins, Prinnies, and robots!
  • Hours of Darkness! – The original Disgaea is back and better than ever! Play through the main story, or try Etna Mode with extra characters not found in the original release! Get lost in the Item World for hundreds of hours of fast-paced strategy RPG action, now in HD for the first time!
  • LEVEL UP, DOOD! – Level up anything from characters to items to shops, all while wearing 100-ton boxers! Things not working out in your favor? Head to the Dark Assembly, and change the laws of the Netherworld!

In addition to the Standard Edition of the game, Disgaea 1 Complete will also be available exclusively through the NIS America Online Store in a special Rosen Queen’s Finest Edition. Priced at $99.99, the Rosen Queen’s Finest Edition the game, the Official Soundtrack, an Official Hardcover Art Book, an Enamel Pin Set (Set of Nine), an Orthodox Prinny Coaster Set, a Noppai Etna Flat Mousepad, two posters (the “Poster of Darkness” and the “Netherworld Unbound”), a Prinny Cube Plush, and a Rosen Queen Certificate of Authenticity. To top it all off, the entire package will be housed in a Prinny Pouch Collector’s Box.

You can get a closer look at the contents of the Rosen Queen’s Finest Edition after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PS4, Switch | Tagged

Casey Powell Lacrosse 18 and I, Hope added to Xbox Store

Posted on April 18, 2018 by John Scalzo

Two new Xbox One games are now available to download through the Xbox Games Store…

Casey Powell Lacrosse 18 is the latest lacrosse simulation from Big Ant Studios, and it features “a completely reworked series of faceoff, shot, stick, and dodging controls.” Also available today is I, Hope, a game where a young girl battles “a dark monster called Cancer.”

You can learn more about both of these games right here…

Now Available on Xbox Games Store – 4/18/18 [Major Nelson]

Casey Powell Lacrosse 18
Casey Powell Lacrosse 18 offers sports fans a dynamic, fast, and challenging experience, with all the excitement, speed, and scoring of real-life lacrosse, including a completely reworked series of faceoff, shot, stick, and dodging controls. It also features enhanced AI that responds to the complex 6v6 tactics of lacrosse. New motion capture animations for everything from faceoffs and shooting to post-goal celebrations add even further realism to the game.

I, Hope
A young girl named Hope lives peacefully with her Grandpa upon an island floating in the clouds. That is, until one day, a dark monster called Cancer attacks and destroys her village, ensnaring the surrounding islands with its evil tentacles. Hope must travel to these islands to free their creatures and acquire the weapons she will need to defeat her ultimate enemy.

Developed in partnership with hospitals and child researchers to have a poignant impact on the lives of children fighting cancer, I, Hope is also donating fully 100% of all sales to GameChanger Charity, an organization that supports children and families fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Posted in News, Xbox One |

God of War, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, more coming to PS Store this week

Posted on April 18, 2018 by John Scalzo

This week’s PlayStation Store update doesn’t offer a deep bench, but it includes possibly the best one-two punch of the year.

The first swing comes from Sony Santa Monica, and that’s because they’re bringing Kratos back for his first appearance on the PS4. But this isn’t the same rage-filled Kratos that we all know and love. The God of War must protect his son as they explore the unfamiliar lands and unexpected threats of the Norse pantheon.

While Kratos gets a new start this week, another unlikely hero from the PlayStation era is riding off into the sunset. Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, will take on the Japanese underworld for the last time in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, which is now available to download for the PS4.

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

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged ,

Super Mega Baseball 2 slides into home on the PC, PS4, Xbox One on May 1

Posted on April 18, 2018 by John Scalzo

Metalhead Software has announced that Super Mega Baseball 2 is getting “The Call” in just a few weeks, and it’ll be available to download for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on May 1. A trio of DLC Packs featuring “additional cosmetic customization content” will also be available on the same day.

Super Mega Baseball 2 will add the much-requested new feature of competitive and cooperative online play, as well as a revamped graphical presentation and expanded customization options:

Super Mega Baseball 2 Features

  • Overhauled Presentation including eight stadiums built from the ground up, more realistically scaled character models, and new, more athletic player animations
  • Comprehensive Customization of leagues, team logos and uniforms, and player gear
  • New Competitive and Co-Operative Online Modes, utilizing dedicated servers
  • Cross-Platform Play between PC and Xbox One, and between PC and PS4
  • Refined Baseball Simulation with visceral physics and realistic play outcomes
  • Enhanced Image Quality on Xbox One X and PS4 Pro

“With Super Mega Baseball 2 we’ve put together a more sophisticated baseball simulation for the baseball purists, but we’ve also been careful to maintain the pick-up-and-play nature that made the original as accessible as it was,” said Scott Drader, Metalhead’s Co-Founder. “Community feedback massively influenced our design choices for the sequel and we’ll be listening carefully to the community again this time when we’re considering further changes and additional content.”

To get a closer look at all the changes Metalhead made to the sequel, a massively in-depth Gameplay Trailer has been embedded above.

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