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 and Bandai Namco will release Mario Kart Arcade Grand Prix VR in Japanese arcades

Posted on July 13, 2017 by John Scalzo

Nintendo and Bandai Namco have teamed up to produce three games in the Mario Kart franchise exclusively for arcades. Mario Kart Arcade GP kicked things off in 2005, and it was followed by Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 in 2007, and Mario Kart Arcade GP DX in 2013. Tomorrow, the latest game in this partnership will power slide its way into Japanese arcades… Mario Kart Arcade Grand Prix VR.

As you might have guessed from the title, this version of Mario Kart includes a virtual reality twist, and players will be able to sit inside a life-size kart and use a special wrist peripheral to toss Green Shells at their opponents. Mario Kart Arcade Grand Prix VR is powered by HTC’s Vive headset, and will only be available at the VR Zone arcade in the Shinjuku region of Tokyo.

The rest of us will have to make do with the awesome Launch Trailer embedded above and the handful of screenshots available at VR Zone’s official website.

Posted in News |

The most popular game show in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is “German… Or Else!”

Posted on July 13, 2017 by John Scalzo

Bethesda and MachineGames helped build the alternate universe of Wolfenstein: The New Order through an awesome collection of supplemental material including its Nazi Pop soundtrack and chilling “newsreel” footage of a Swastika on the Moon.

Though B.J. Blazkowicz survived to star in this Fall’s sequel, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, things still aren’t looking great for the citizens of the United States. The Nazis control everything… even the airwaves. And this short clip from German… Or Else, the most popular game show in the game’s universe, is absolutely terrifying:

It’s not enough for the Nazis to simply subjugate the planet. That’s why they are even imposing their will on pop culture, taking what would have been iconic American TV shows and producing them with a uniquely German attitude. Watch an episode of German… Or Else! right now to get a feel for life under Nazi tyranny in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.

Yikes. This is actually the second entry in a series of videos created by Bethesda and MachineGames depicting the German takeover of American television. You can find the Lassie-inspired adventures of Liesel, a massive robotic attack dog, after the break.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 27. (more…)

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

Gran Turismo Sport will finally race into stores on October 17

Posted on July 13, 2017 by John Scalzo

It’s been a rocky road for Gran Turismo Sport.

The racing sim has suffered multiple delays since its initial announcement back in 2015, but it looks like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Polyphony’s Kazunori Yamauchi took over the PlayStation Blog today to confirm that it’ll officially launch for the PS4 this Fall on October 17:

Hello GT Fans! I’m extremely excited to confirm that Gran Turismo Sport will be launching on October 17 in North America. Following the successful completion of our Closed Beta phase, as announced earlier this week, we are now entering the final stages of polishing as we prepare for launch.

In the meantime, I’d like to take this opportunity on behalf of myself and PDI to express my gratitude for the continued support of GT fans and PlayStation supporters around the world during this beta period. We’re as keen as all of you to get the game into players’ hands, and can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks of the game when it launches in October.

In addition to the launch date, Sony also revealed a pair of special editions for Gran Tursimo Sport:

Gran Turismo Sport Limited Edition ($69.99)

  • Gran Turismo Sport Starter Pack (8 Cars)
  • $1MM In-Game Credits
  • Livery Sticker Pack
  • 30 Gran Turismo Sport Themed Avatars
  • Chrome Racing Helmet for Driver Profile
  • Limited Steel Book and Packaging

Gran Turismo Sport Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99)

  • Gran Turismo Sport Starter Pack (12 Cars)
  • $2MM In-Game Credits
  • Livery Sticker Pack
  • 60 Gran Turismo Sport Themed Avatars
  • Chrome Racing Helmet for Driver Profile

The consolemaker plans to announce more information connected to Gran Turismo Sport as we get closer to the release date, including additional details on the Campaign Mode, various creative tools, and a final tally of all cars and tracks.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

Travel back to the 1930s and watch Conan play Cuphead with Kate Upton on Clueless Gamer

Posted on July 13, 2017 by John Scalzo

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Conan O’Brien and another episode of Clueless Gamer!

The comedian traveled down to the dingy Clueless Gamer set last night to play Studio MDHR’s Cuphead. Heavily inspired by 1930s animation (like Fleischer’s Superman cartoons), Cuphead is a side-scrolling shooter that’s designed for two players. So naturally, Conan decided to call up supermodel Kate Upton and asked her to hold his second controller.

Upton wasn’t very interested in their “date,” but she was actually pretty good at Cuphead. If this whole modelling thing doesn’t work out, she’s definitely got a future in the video game industry.

The highly-anticipated Cuphead is currently in its final stages of development, and will be released for the PC and Xbox One on September 29.

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One | Tagged

Bandai Namco pushes launch of Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom back to January 2018

Posted on July 13, 2017 by John Scalzo

Bandai Namco revealed this morning that Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom will miss its previously-announced November 10th release date. Citing a need for more time to ensure the game is as good as it can be, Level-5 CEO and President Akihiro Hino offered an apology to fans:

“We have decided that more development time is required in order to deliver the full Ni No Kuni II experience to our fans,” said Hino. “I deeply apologize to those who have been looking forward to the game’s release. Please rest assured, however, that we will continue to strive to provide a deep and satisfying single player experience that our fans can look forward to enjoying.”

Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom will be released for the PC and PS4, and a new launch date has been scheduled for January 19, 2018.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 | Tagged

What Remains of Edith Finch will be released for the Xbox One next week

Posted on July 12, 2017 by John Scalzo

Annapurna Interactive and Giant Sparrow have announced that What Remains of Edith Finch, their “collection of strange tales about a family in Washington State,” will soon be available to download for the Xbox One. The adventure game received rave reviews (which are front and center in the new trailer embedded above) after its debut on the PS4 and PC earlier this year, and the mysterious story at its center is a big reason why:

As Edith, you’ll explore the colossal Finch house, searching for stories as she explores her family history and tries to figure out why she’s the last one in her family left alive. Each story you find lets you experience the life of a new family member on the day of their death, with stories ranging from the distant past to the present day.

What Remains of Edith Finch will be released for the Xbox One on July 19.

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged

Xbox Store Today: Minecraft Story Mode S2E1, Iron Crypticle, MotoGP 17, more

Posted on July 12, 2017 by John Scalzo

A quartet of new games are now available to download from the Xbox Games Store for the Xbox One…

We start things off with Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2, the latest episodic adventure series from Telltale Games. Season 2 picks up right where the first season left off, and Episode 1: Hero In Residence introduces a mysterious gauntlet for Jesse and friends to deal with, as well as an ancient underwater temple and “at least one” temperamental llama.

Speaking of creepy crypts, the developers at Confused Pelican and TikiPod will bring Iron Crypticle to the Xbox One today. It looks like the twin-stick shooter was inspired by Smash TV and Gauntlet, and it also features four-player cooperative gameplay and a feline shopkeeper that’s always one step ahead of you.

If you’re looking for tricky puzzles, Black the Fall from Sand Sailor Studio and Square Enix might be for you. Starring an old machinist toiling under an oppressive dictatorship, players will need to figure out a way to escape this dystopian nightmare.

Finally today, Milestone is back with another motorcycle racing sim for the Xbox One. MotoGP 17 includes all the bikes, teams, and tracks from the 2017 Championship season, as well as online play and a new cooperative mode.

You can learn more about all of these games after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Nintendo’s Eiji Aonuma is “gathering ideas” for next Legend of Zelda game but it will require a “long period” of development

Posted on July 12, 2017 by John Scalzo

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been a massive hit for Nintendo. It’s garnered rave reviews from critics and fans alike, and it instantly solidified the Switch as piece of must-have tech for a consolemaker in desperate need of a win. But if you were hoping that Nintendo was secretly working on the next game in franchise, I’ve got some bad news for you.

Franchise Producer Eiji Aonuma recently sat down with Gamereactor, and he confirmed that Nintendo is currently in the “gathering ideas” phase for a new entry in the Zelda series, but he also said that the game is still “far” off and will require a “long period” of development:

Gamereactor: Regarding the next Zelda, is there a schedule settled on yet? Could you give us any exclusive insights into that?

Eiji Aonuma: No, you will not get a scoop! Sorry, my dear friend [laughs]. We have no plans for a future Zelda, we are still far from all this unfortunately for you. Today, I’m at a stage where I’m trying to gather a number of ideas for a sequel, but I cannot do it alone. It’s a lot of work that will have to be done over a long period of time, and we’re still far from having planned anything. Leave us a little time…

For now, it looks like Zelda fans will have to make do with Breath of the Wild’s Expansion Pass. The first add-on, The Master Trials, was released two weeks ago. The second, The Champion’s Ballad, will be available this Fall.

Posted in News, Switch, Wii U | Tagged