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.

Nintendo will add a ton of new features and options to Splatoon 2 in upcoming updates

Posted on November 21, 2017 by John Scalzo

Nintendo has big plans for Splatoon 2, and several upcoming updates will add a wide variety of new features to the game.

Beginning November 23, players will be able to unlock new Gear and new Hairstyles for their Inkling. They’ll also be able to reach an even higher level cap and change gear between online battles (which was definitely a much-requested feature). Nintendo also plans to add four new battle stages to the game over the next few weeks.

A full rundown of the November 23 Update can be found right here:

November 23 Update

  • Four New Battle Stages: While four new battle stages are coming to Splatoon 2, they won’t all be available immediately after downloading the update. Like with previous additions, the stages will roll out over the subsequent weeks, giving players new surprises as they play throughout the holiday season and beyond. The first new battle stage, MakoMart, will be available to play on Black Friday, November 24, with Shellendorf Institute, Walleye Warehouse and Arowana Mall coming soon. The new MakoMart stage is a giant superstore-style stage, so what better time to play than on Black Friday! Shellendorf Institute is new to the series, while Walleye Warehouse and Arowana Mall are popular stages returning from the original Splatoon game.
  • New Salmon Run Stage: Fan-favorite multiplayer mode Salmon Run is getting a new stage. After downloading the update, Salmonid Smokeyard will be added to the stage rotation. In Salmonid Smokeyard, a wide gap on the beach divides two upper platforms, with fan lifts being the quickest way to traverse the two platforms. Teamwork is required to use the fan lifts effectively.
  • New Gear: Approximately 140 pieces of gear are being added to Splatoon 2. These include shoes, headgear and clothes, like a motocross mask, and additional winter clothing (perfect for the cold weather!), as well as returning items from the original Splatoon game.
  • New Battle Music: Two new bands have been gaining popularity in Inkopolis! The punk-flavored Bottom Feeders and classically trained avant-garde-style Ink Theory are contributing new songs to the already music-rich game.
  • New Hairstyles: When customizing an Inkling, four new hairstyles will be available to choose from – two each for female and male characters.
  • Higher Level Caps: Currently, players are maxed out at Level 50. After downloading the update, the new maximum level will be raised to 99. If players talk to Judd when they reach Level 99, they’ll have the option to reset their level display to Level ★1 so they can continue raising their level.
  • New Amiibo Functionality: Tapping a compatible Amiibo figure after the update will let players take and share in-game photos in preset locations in Battle Stages, in addition to being able to take photos in Inkopolis Square. Players can also add fun filters to their images.
  • Convenient Gear Swapping: Players that want to change gear between battles in Regular Battle, Ranked Battle, and Splatfest Battle (Solo) won’t have to exit to the lobby anymore! After downloading the update, gear can be swapped out without leaving the match room, making it quicker to get back to splatting. For Regular Battle, this also means players can play the next battle with the same players.

Nintendo will also roll out another major update in mid-December, which will add a new Ranked Battle mode to Splatoon 2:

Clam Blitz: In Clam Blitz, competing Inklings are tasked with collecting clams scattered around the stage. After one is picked up, the clam follows the player. The objective is to throw the clam into the basket near the opponent’s base. The first team to score 100 points wins! But, of course, this being the fiercely competitive world of Splatoon 2, things are not as easy as they seem. The baskets are protected by a barrier, which much be destroyed first. After collecting 10 clams, the player will earn a Power Clam. These super-powered clams are the key to breaking the barrier, so strategy will definitely be involved in which clams are used to destroy the barrier and which are used to earn points. Not to mention the extra-satisfying opportunity to steal opponents’ clams by splatting them…

You can catch a glimpse at all the additions coming to Splatoon 2 in the brand new trailer that’s been embedded above.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

New Retail Releases: Axiom Verge, Rime, River City Rival Showdown, More

Posted on November 20, 2017 by John Scalzo

The smell of stuffing, cranberries, and turkey is in the air… and that means most game publishers have taken the week off. But not to worry! Several interesting will make their retail debut this week.

That includes games like Axiom Verge, the “MetroidVania” from Thomas Happ that previously found fame on digital storefronts for multiple platforms. This week, the game will receive a special retail release, the Multiverse Edition, for the PS4, Switch, and Vita. Other Switch games making the jump from the eShop to the retail shelf this week include Tequila Works’s Rime and Inti Creates’s Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack.

A full list of new releases can be found right here:

New Releases: Week of November 20, 2017

3DS

PlayStation 4

Switch

Vita

Posted in 3DS, News, PS4, Switch, Vita | Tagged ,

Valkyria Chronicles 4 will be released for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch in 2018

Posted on November 20, 2017 by John Scalzo

Sega has announced they’re bringing back the Valkyria Chronicles series with the launch of Valkyria Chronicles 4 for the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch next year. The franchise’s “familiar-yet-refined tactical RPG battle system” will return, alongside a brand new art style inspired by watercolors compositions and a story that takes place during an alternate World War II:

It is the year 1935 EC…
The continent of Europa is engulfed in the flames of the Second Europan War between the Atlantic Federation and the Autocratic Eastern Imperial Alliance. Although the Federation struggles valiantly against the Empire’s forces, the relentless imperial military machine threatens to consume them. With victory slipping away, the Federation executes Operation Northern Cross: a last-ditch attempt to capture the imperial capital and end the war.

Commander Claude Wallace and his loyal childhood friends in Squad E are sent to fight for the desperate operation’s success, but they will have to endure harsh bone-chilling elements, waves of imperial soldiers, and the terrifying Valkyria… and unravel a grave truth that will shake them to the core.

In addition to detailing the story, Sega also unveiled a deeper look at Valkyria Chronicles 4’s feature set and a debut trailer (which has been embedded above):

Features

  • A Coming-of-Age Story in a Time of War – Valkyria Chronicles 4 takes place in the same timeframe as the original Valkyria Chronicles, but focuses on a whole new cast of main characters. Players will take command of the eager, young Commander Claude Wallace, engineer/heavy weapons extraordinaire Riley Miller, hotheaded Darcsen Raz, ice-cold ace sniper Kai Schulen, and more. Together, they will experience the painful realities of war–but will the bonds of Squad E’s friendships survive the frozen battlefield?
  • The Next Generation “BLiTZ” Battle System – The part overhead turn-based strategy, part RPG, and part real-time 3rd person shooter “BLiTZ” battle system returns to the field. New features include an explosive new class called the Grenadier, numerous offensive/defensive battleship support options, chances for a unit to have a “Last Stand” action before death, and more. Plus, fight the imperial threat with more units on larger-scale maps than ever before.
  • CANVAS Aesthetics – The series’ signature hand-drawn visual style is back and overhauled for the newest generation. Inspired by watercolor compositions, the CANVAS Graphics Engine blends visual elements of reality and imagination to create an expressive world filled with colorful emotions. Watch the journey of Squad E unfold like an interactive painting!
  • The Return of a Legendary Composer – The illustrious Hitoshi Sakimoto, original composer of the Valkyria Chronicles series and countless other emotional epics, returns to provide a sweeping orchestral soundtrack for the game.

Finally, fans can peruse the game’s official website, which went online this morning.

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

EA turns off all microtransactions in Star Wars: Battlefront II after fan backlash

Posted on November 17, 2017 by John Scalzo

The run-up to Star Wars: Battlefront II‘s launch has been filled with more fireworks than Luke’s trench run through the Dark Star in the first film. Many fans were disappointed in the beta, and many reviewers took issue with the game’s progression system, which seemed overly-dependent on purchasing in-game currency with real money.

Rather than ignore the outcry, Electronic Arts and DICE responded to these complaints with a statement about the future of the game from DICE’s General Manager, Oskar Gabrielson. According to Gabrielson, the developer and publisher have decided to turn off the online storefront for Battlefront II’s in-game currency. For now, players will only be able to unlock the game’s more advanced features (including the ability to play as Darth Vader) through gameplay.

However, EA and DICE also announced plans to restore Battlefront II’s microtransactions after they rework the game’s progression system:

[A]s we approach the worldwide launch, it’s clear that many of you feel there are still challenges in the design. We’ve heard the concerns about potentially giving players unfair advantages. And we’ve heard that this is overshadowing an otherwise great game. This was never our intention. Sorry we didn’t get this right.

We hear you loud and clear, so we’re turning off all in-game purchases. We will now spend more time listening, adjusting, balancing and tuning. This means that the option to purchase crystals in the game is now offline, and all progression will be earned through gameplay. The ability to purchase crystals in-game will become available at a later date, only after we’ve made changes to the game. We’ll share more details as we work through this.

Star Wars: Battlefront II is now available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Gabrielson’s full statement can be found on Electronic Arts’s official website.

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

Star Wars: Battlefront II, The Sims 4, Karnov’s Revenge, more added to Xbox Store

Posted on November 17, 2017 by John Scalzo

It’s Friday… so it’s time once again for an Xbox Games Store update.

Electronic Arts has a two-fer for Xbox One owners today, launching both Star Wars: Battlefront II and The Sims 4. Also available to download today is Karnov’s Revenge, a fighting game that was originally released during the NeoGeo era by Data East.

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

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Super Mario Odyssey are October 2017’s best-selling games

Posted on November 16, 2017 by John Scalzo

A northeastern cold snap proves that Fall is all… as does the massive number of new releases that cracked The NPD Group’s list of best-selling games from October 2017. WB Games’s Middle-Earth: Shadow of War lead the way at #1, but it was closely followed by Assassin’s Creed Origins at #2, Super Mario Odyssey at #3, and South Park: The Fractured But Whole at #4.

Nintendo actually had a huge month, placing four titles in the Top 20 (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#15), Mario Kart 8 (#16), and Fire Emblem Warriors (#17) were the others), as well as owning the top two hardware platforms. However, GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that overall industry sales still dropped 11% versus October 2016 to $825 million:

With interest in the Switch and the Super NES Classic still sky-high, Nintendo hardware managed to account for two-thirds of the hardware sales generated. That being said, NPD noted that Sony’s PlayStation 4 is still the best-selling hardware platform year-to-date. Furthermore, in the accessories category, the black DualShock 4 wireless controller was both the best-selling accessory of October, and the best-selling accessory year-to-date.

The complete Top 20 from October 2017 can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Skyrim, Pokemon UltraSun/UltraMoon, Rive, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week

Posted on November 16, 2017 by John Scalzo

Nintendo Switch owners will be able to hit the road with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim beginning this week. Even though Bethesda’s massive RPG adventure is more than five years old, the fact that it’s now available to download from the Nintendo eShop is still exciting news.

Another diverse batch of games for the Switch will also available to download this week, including a food-based monster battler (Battle Chef Brigade… out November 20), a racing simulation (Gear Club Unlimited… out November 21), and a side-scrolling shooter from Two Tribes (Rive: Ultimate Edition… out now).

3DS owners will also have something new to play this week with the launch of Pokemon UltraSun Pokemon UltraMoon on November 17. Based on last year’s Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, they’ll be the last mainline Pokemon games to appear on the 3DS. Finally this week, the River City Ransom franchise returns on November 21 with the release of River City: Rival Showdown.

You can learn more about all of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop (including a few Wii U games) after the break. (more…)

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , ,

NetherRealm adds special Gear from Justice League film to Injustice 2

Posted on November 16, 2017 by John Scalzo

After laying the seeds of their cinematic universe with last year’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and this Summer’s Wonder Woman, Warmer Bros. is finally ready to open their Justice League film this week. Naturally, NetherRealm Studios has created new gear for Injustice 2 to tie-in with the theatrical event.

Players on all platforms will be able to tackle new challenges in the Multiverse for a chance to unlock Justice League-inspired looks for Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash.

A new trailer showcasing some of this Gear (alongside a few clips from Justice League) has been embedded above.

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