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.

Weekly Warp-Up: Play Me Off Johnny

Posted on February 20, 2011 by John Scalzo

No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…

In case you missed it, we’re giving away a download code for the Xbox Live Arcade version of Super Meat Boy. A winner will be chosen tomorrow, so now’s your last chance to win one of the best XBLA games of 2010.

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It wasn’t too surprising when Activision announced that they’re retiring the plastic instruments for 2011. So instead of an encore, we delivered A Eulogy For Guitar Hero and talked a little about how the series should change if it ever comes back. We also discuss the demise of the Hero franchise in Episode 4 of the Warp Zoned Podcast, along with a disturbing amount of Poke-love.

With the Hero franchise unplugged for the time being, Activision’s got their plate full with a bevy of licensed titles including a Spider-Man game scheduled for release this Fall. The company is also likely producing a game based on next year’s The Amazing Spider-Man film and we speculated on what that game might look like.

And speaking of speculation, we examined the State of the Video Game Magazine as of 2011 and discovered that the magazine may not be as dead as we all thought it was.

Hit the jump for the rest of the Weekly Warp-Up. (more…)

Posted in News |

Medal of Honor sequel confirmed

Posted on February 19, 2011 by John Scalzo

Danger Close’s Medal of Honor was released to very polarizing reivews last year. Some loved it for it’s authenticity while others hated it as a pale imitation of other modern first person shooters. But even with the mixed reviews, the game was a huge blockbuster, ultimately selling over five million copies on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

So, naturally, EA is planning a sequel. Executive Producer Greg Goodrich confirmed the development of Medal of Honor 2 on the game’s official blog and thanked the community for their reaction to the game’s storyline:

As you all know, our goal was to tell the story of today’s soldier and to do so with the utmost respect and reverence. We’ve received many letters, emails and messages from active servicemen and women from around the world, along with veterans and their families, with appreciation for our recent depiction of their community. I can’t tell you how important this is to everyone here at Danger Close Games. You are the heartbeat of this team and this franchise and we are privileged and honored to tell your story. Medal of Honor has always been fueled by the passion of our fans and the commitment and sacrifice shown by the men and women of our armed services.

No other details were revealed, but Goodrich did say “We can’t wait to tell you more about it.”

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

First look at Felicia Day in Dragon Age: Redemption

Posted on February 19, 2011 by John Scalzo

Dragon Age II will be released on March 8th and BioWare plans to follow up the RPG sequel with a webseries titled Dragon Age: Redemption. The webisodes will star The Guild creator Felicia Day as an elf assassin named Tallis.

BioWare has released a teaser trailer for Redemption showcasing Day’s ninja-like moves, which you can watch above. Maybe it’s just me, but I have a feeling Redemption will quickly gain a reputation as “Felicia Day: Warrior Princess.”

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

New Releases: Killzone 3, Bulletstorm, De Blob 2, More

Posted on February 19, 2011 by John Scalzo

Two pairs of heavyweights in their respective genres go head-to-head in this week’s new releases.

First up, we have the launch two major first person shooters… Sony’s continued fight against the Helghast in Killzone 3 (PS3) versus Epic Games’ latest fragfest, Bulletstorm (PC, PS3, Xbox 360). Don’t forget, the Xbox 360 version of Bulletstorm comes in an “Epic Edition” that inlcudes a few in-game goodies and access to the Gears of War 3 beta.

The next fight is a little less high profile (and both games come from the same publisher), but in a battle between handheld RPGs… Atlus is bringing Radiant Historia to the DS and also bringing Ys I & II Chronicles to the PSP.

Standing alone is THQ’s De Blob 2 (DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360), which would probably be a unique title at any time of the year.

The full list of the rest of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

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

Latest Rage trailer heads out to the Wasteland

Posted on February 18, 2011 by John Scalzo

Cory Barlog may never get his proposed Mad Max game off the ground, but it looks like we’ll get a reasonable facsimile when id Software releases Rage for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 13.

The new trailer above showcases The Wasteland, a desolate place populated by mutants, bandits, monsters and roving gangs of dune buggy riders. Yup, sure sounds like Mad Max to me. The game even appears to bhave its own version of Thunderdome, a place where two (or maybe more) men enter, but only one man leaves.

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

Operation Flashpoint: Red River deploys on April 26

Posted on February 18, 2011 by John Scalzo

Codemasters gave the order today that Operation Flashpoint: Red River will be released for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on April 26th in North America (April 21st in Europe). In honor of the new release date, Codemasters has released the new gameplay trailer you see above, “which introduces the game’s conflict in Tajikistan from the perspective of Corporal Ryan Balletto”:

With footage showing the epic landscapes players will experience and battle through in Operation Flashpoint: Red River, Marines are shown protecting convoys, attacking dug-in insurgents and setting up ambushes against the backdrop of Tajikistan’s beautiful countryside and spectacular mountain ranges.

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

The Walking Dead, Fables games in production at Telltale

Posted on February 18, 2011 by John Scalzo

More Telltale Games news has emerged thanks to the Wall Street Journal’s technology blog, All Things Digital. The report focuses on the future of the download-focused developer and reveals two new episodic games that will be a part of that future: The Walking Dead and Fables.

The Walking Dead will be based on the zombie-infested comic book series, which was recently turned into an AMC television show of the same name. The series is heavily slanted towards the survival aspects of living in a post-apocalyptic world and focuses less on headshotting the undead. This concept will definitely play towards Telltale’s strengths as an adventure game developer.

Fables is a modern-day take on fairy tales from around the world and will be based on the DC Comics series. Telltale will be co-publishing the game with WB Games.

No other details about either game were revealed, but All Things Digital did say both titles would be released sometime in 2011.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged ,

Telltale welcomes you to Jurassic Park in April

Posted on February 18, 2011 by John Scalzo

Telltale Games has revealed that the first episode in their series of games based on Jurassic Park will be released this April for the PC and Mac. Jurassic Park: The Game will take place concurrently with the events of the first film and involve Biosyn’s search for Dennis Nedry’s missing shaving cream can full of dinosaur embryos. Somehow, a little girl manages to get stuck on Isla Nublar as well.

You can check out the first trailer above or pre-order the entire episodic series at Telltale’s website for $29.99, a $5 discount over the regular price.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged