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.

4/1: Master Chief is NOT busting a move in Halo Dance Central

Posted on April 1, 2011 by John Scalzo

So you’ve danced your heart out in Dance Central, but where do you go next? The answer is obviously Halo Dance Central.

1UP got a sneak peek at the 343 Industries/Harmonix team-up and helped the Master Chief put the moves on noobs and campers across the world.

Gag Reflex: Like most of 1UP’s April Fool’s jokes, there are probably a lot of people who would buy this if it were real. Impressive, but not nearly as funny (or believable) as last year’s Pokemon Kart.

Posted in News |

4/1: EA is NOT working on a Mature-rated Harry Potter game

Posted on April 1, 2011 by John Scalzo

All the books have been written. All the movies have been filmed. All the video games have been developed. The Harry Potter series has reached the end. Or has it?

IGN is reporting that FX is working with “The Shield” producer Shawn Ryan on a gritty reboot of the franchise that is tentatively known as “The Aurors.”

Naturally, the network has enlisted EA to create a video game tie-in, in this case a Mature-rated affair that’ll include “‘dynamic rooftop spell battles’ and an interrogation system similar to the one seen in Rockstar’s L.A. Noire.”

Gag Reflex: Bravo IGN. Mocking both the culture of “gritty reboots” while simultaneously riffing on the Mortal Kombat: Rebirth short makes this a classic prank.

Posted in News |

Dead Presidents Battle Monsters in The Undead States of America

Posted on April 1, 2011 by John Scalzo

UPDATE: As you may have guessed by the publication date, The Undead States of America is an April Fools’ Day gag and not a real game. But if any developers out there in the great, wide world are interested in turning it into a real game, I’d love to hear about it.

The original article begins here:

With the continued success of Call of Duty: Black Ops and the recent release of new maps for the game’s online multiplayer, Activision has discovered the joy of American history. They’ve also realized that everything is better with zombies. And it looks like that trend will continue next year.

Warp Zoned has learned, from a source close to the development team, that the publisher has acquired the rights to create a game adaptation of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The game will be released alongside the novel’s film adaptation, which is currently on track for a June 22, 2012 opening. We’ve also learned the game will feature more than President Lincoln’s battle with the bloodsuckers in the 1800s.

The current working title of the game is The Undead States of America and Honest Abe’s story will be just one of seven chapters, covering multiple eras in US history, that will appear in the game. It is also, in a small way, a retelling of some of the publisher’s best moments in gaming. (more…)

Posted in Features |

Spider-Man: Edge of Time slinging into stores this Fall

Posted on March 31, 2011 by John Scalzo

Scheduled to make its worldwide debut at WonderCon this Saturday, Activision has announced that Spider-Man: Edge of Time will be available this Fall.

Once again developed by Beenox, Edge of Time builds on the multi-world concept seen in the wallcrawler’s last game, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. This time out, Spider-Man 2099 (Miguel O’Hara) must reach across time to prevent the untimely death of The Amazing Spider-Man (Peter Parker).

“At Beenox, we are constantly listening to the fans and looking for new and creative ways to innovate the gameplay experience for them,” said Dee Brown, Studio Head, Beenox. “We want to create a totally distinct experience in Spider-Man: Edge of Time by working with Peter David [co-creator of the Spider-Man 2099 comic book series] on the story and creating this urgent, high-stakes experience where time is working against you and the fate of Spider-Man hangs in the balance.”

Like Shattered Dimensions, players will be able to control both Spider-Men as they attempt to fix the frabic of time. Gameplay details are currently harder to come by than a One More Day fan, but Activision is touting a “cause-and-effect” mechanic that is said to cause changes to one timeline as players make choices in the other.

Which platforms the game will be available for weren’t revealed, but Shattered Dimensions was released on the DS, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360, so I’d expect a similar release schedule for Spider-Man: Edge of Time.

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

“Killzone Universe” shows a different side of Helghan

Posted on March 31, 2011 by John Scalzo

Sony has been working hard to expand the Killzone universe, including through a detailed backstory, a series of novels and a new short film posted on the PlayStation.Blog.

“Killzone Universe” is said to tell the tale of two friends, one on Vekta and one on Helghan, before the war began. The war hasn’t started yet, but the two friends comes from different backgrounds and their separation causes them to become increasingly alienated from one another.

Give it a watch for another take on the Killzone universe.

Posted in Etcetera, News, PS3 | Tagged

Mafia II takes the cannoli and leaves a Director’s Cut

Posted on March 31, 2011 by John Scalzo

2K Games has announced that Mafia II has become a “made man” and is now available as a “Director’s Cut” on the PS3 (as part of the “Greatest Hits” line) and Xbox 360 (as part of the “Platinum Hits” line). The re-release, which will retail for a wallet friendly $29.99, should be available in select stores now and will be more widely available in April. As a bonus, the Mafia II “Director’s Cut” now includes all of the game’s previously released downloadable content.

With the “Director’s Cut” version, Xbox 360 players will be able to play the “Betrayal of Jimmy” expansion for the first time. It’ll be joined by the further downloadable adventures “Jimmy’s Vendetta” and “Joe’s Adventure.” A quartet of style packs will round out the bonus content in the re-release.

The Mafia II “Director’s Cut” will also be available for the PC “in the coming months.”

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

Rush ‘N Attack, Strania, Islands of Wakfu on XBLA this week

Posted on March 30, 2011 by John Scalzo

The Xbox Live Arcade was updated today with three new releases. All three titles are available to download for 800 Microsoft Points ($10) apiece.

Konami’s Rush ‘N Attack: Ex-Patriot brings their other side-scroller shooting series into the 21st century. Strania: The Stella Machina is a shooter from G.Rev designed for those of us who are nostalgic for arcade shooters from the 1980s. And Islands of Wakfu is an action/adventure spin-off of the Wakfu MMORPG.

More information on all three games is available after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Cars 2: The Game races into 3D on PS3

Posted on March 30, 2011 by John Scalzo

Disney’s Cars 2 will be racing to theaters this Summer and, as expected, the Pixar production will be towing a video game adaptation behind it.

Cars 2 on the PS3 will take things a step further by bursting out of the screen in full 3D. If the game detects a 3D TV, the it will automatically adjust so gamers “experience 3D in every aspect of gameplay” including combat racing, menus and multiplayer.

“The advancement of 3D technology will allow us to immerse the player into the Cars 2 game environment in a whole new way,” said John Blackburn, vice president and general manager of Avalanche Software, developer of Cars 2. “The 3D effects will ratchet up gameplay in ways that will have fans’ hearts pounding when they embark on dangerous spy missions, while our innovative multiplayer with four simultaneous 3D ports will bring a whole new dimension to PS3 gaming.”

Cars 2 will be available for the DS, PC, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 on June 21st.

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