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.

Natsume will bring several Harvest Moon and River City games to E3 2017

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Natsume has announced their lineup of games for this year’s E3 Expo, and fans of Harvest Moon and River City Ransom should be very happy with what they have to announce. During next week’s industry showcase, the publisher plans to fully unveil Harvest Moon: Light of Hope (which is coming to the PC, PS4, and Switch), River City: Knights of Justice, River City: Rival Showdown, and more:

Natsume’s E3 2017 Lineup

Harvest Moon: Light of Hope (PC, PS4, Switch)
In Harvest Moon: Light of Hope, players begin the game as they set out looking for a fresh start and new surroundings. During their voyage, their ship is hit by a monsoon and goes down. As they drift into a small harbor town, now in a shambles from the storm, it will be up to the player to help rebuild the town and save the lighthouse…but it won’t be easy! Nevertheless, with some hard work growing crops, tending livestock, and gathering materials for repairs, players will be able to make new friends, start a family, revive the lighthouse, and save the town!

Wild Guns Reloaded (PC)
In Wild Guns Reloaded, Annie has tracked down the famed bounty hunter Clint to get revenge on the Kid Gang. With eight stages, each with three zones, there’s plenty of bad robots to blast away. With a true arcade game feel, Wild Guns was the first sci-fi western to arrive on home consoles, and to this day, there really isn’t any other game like Wild Guns!

River City: Knights of Justice (3DS)
River City: Knights of Justice (known in Japan as Nekketsu Mahou Monogatari), is scheduled to launch as a 3DS eShop exclusive this Summer. Kunio and his friends go medieval in this unique entry to the River City series, as they are transformed into heroes and villains that would be home in any RPG! Players will use swords, staves, and even magic to bring peace back to Riverandia!

River City: Rival Showdown (3DS)
River City: Rival Showdown (known in Japan as Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari SP), will launch this Fall for the Nintendo 3DS. One night, Kunio is attacked by two mysterious individuals. On top of that, Riki’s girlfriend has disappeared, and it’s up to Kunio to find out the truth! Kunio has just 3 days to unravel the mystery, and he’ll need your help to take down all who stand in his way! Take on some familiar faces from the River City games and meet new ones in this fast-paced beat-’em-up RPG.

Harvest Moon 20th Anniversary
Natsume’s European publishing partner, Rising Star Games, will be showing titles in the booth as well, including Harvest Moon: Lil’ Farmers (Android, iOS) and the European version of Harvest Moon: Skytree Village. As part of the year-long 20th anniversary celebration, Natsume has also unveiled a re-release of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life – Special Edition and Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland for the PlayStation 4, both of which will be available to play at the show.

The 2017 E3 Expo kicks off on Tuesday, July 13.

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Here’s a Launch Trailer for Telltale’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Episode 2: Under Pressure

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Star-Lord comes back from the dead… Drax wants to kill someone… and Rocket reminisces about his part… just your average afternoon for the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Marvel’s cosmic superteam has returned this week for Under Pressure, the second chapter in Telltale’s episodic adventure series, and Telltale has released a brand new Launch Trailer for the add-on:

The Guardians just can’t seem to outrun the past (or their tab), but if they figure out how to control the untold power of their mysterious new relic, they might not have to. With help from dubious old friends and unwilling new allies, Star-Lord and company scour the galaxy for answers. But how long can they elude the genocidal maniac hunting them? And will simmering tensions finally tear the team apart?

Guardians of the Galaxy – Episode 2: Under Pressure should be available to download for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices beginning today.

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Nintendo announces Pokken Tournament DX for Switch, as well as Pokemon UltraSun/UltraMoon and Gold/Silver for 3DS

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Nintendo hosted a special Pokemon Direct livestream this morning, and they revealed that three games from the massive franchise will be re-released in new editions (and on new platforms) this Fall.

First up, Pokken Tournament will make the leap to the Nintendo on September 22 as Pokken Tournament DX. The expanded re-release will include five new Pokemon (Darkrai, Scizor, Empoleon, Croagunk, and Decidueye), as well as 3v3 Team Battles, Daily Challenges, and Friends-only Group Matches.

Also on September 22, Nintendo will add Pokemon Gold and Silver to the Virtual Console section of the 3DS eShop. Originally released for the Game Boy Color in 2000, Pokemon Gold and Silver introduced the Johto region and the franchise’s internal clock.

Finally, Nintendo announced plans to re-release Pokemon Sun and Moon on the 3DS as Pokemon UltraSun and UltraMoon. The expanded RPG will launch on November 17, and include an alternate storyline and new Pokemon not seen in Sun and Moon.

Sadly, the heavily-rumored Pokemon Stars was not announced for the Nintendo Switch… perhaps it’ll be included in Nintendo’s E3 2017 festivities. But the consolemaker did promise that we’ll hear more about Pokken Tournament DX, Pokemon UltraSun and UltraMoon, and Pokemon Gold and Silver next week during the industry’s annual showcase.

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Capcom officially announces Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 for PC, PS4, Xbox One

Posted on June 5, 2017 by John Scalzo

Confirming an earlier leak by the South Korean Game Rating and Administration Committee, Capcom has officially announced that Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 will be released this Summer.

The compilation will include the latter four games in the “Mega Man Classic” franchise, including Mega Man 7 (which originally launched exclusively for the Super NES in 1995), Mega Man 8 (the only game in the series for the PlayStation/Saturn), and Mega Man 9 and Mega Man 10 (two retro-style continuations developed by Inti Creates almost a decade ago).

Like the previous Legacy Collection, Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 will include the original games, dozens of remixed Challenge Stages, a Museum Mode with production art, and other game-tweaking options:

A compilation of four timeless adventures in one package, Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 features the most recent entries in the classic side-scrolling series. The collection also includes a Museum jam-packed with history and production art, challenge remix stages for long-time fans, and first-timer friendly options like added armor and checkpoint saves for easy reload.

Journey through the later entries in the series with these four titles: Mega Man 7 introduced mysterious rival Bass and his companion Treble, while Mega Man 8 featured the series’ first impressively animated and fully voiced cutscenes; Mega Man 9 marked the series’ return to its roots with 8-bit visuals, music, and gameplay; Mega Man 10 retained these features and included three playable character options.

Capcom will devote a lot of real estate in their booth at this year’s E3 Expo to Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, which will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on August 8.

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FIFA 18 will be available on September 29 with Cristiano Ronaldo on the cover

Posted on June 5, 2017 by John Scalzo

EA Sports has announced that FIFA 18 will be released across the globe on September 29. The publisher also confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo, the award-winning forward for Real Madrid and Portugal’s National Team, will serve as the game’s global cover athlete.

Ronaldo also lent his “footballing” expertise to FIFA 18’s development team with a motion capture session that will inform “important gameplay elements” in the game:

To deliver innovation in FIFA 18, Cristiano Ronaldo’s data was recently recorded during a training session at a mobile EA Capture studio in Madrid. Data capture of Ronaldo’s acceleration, run cadence, skills, and shooting technique were all recorded to bring veracity to his likeness and personality in FIFA 18. His data also informed important gameplay elements including fluidity, player responsiveness, and explosiveness.

The first trailer for FIFA 18 has been embedded above, and EA Sports has promised to reveal more details about Ronaldo’s contributions to the game during their E3 Press Conference, which is scheduled to take place this Saturday, June 10 at 3:00 PM (Eastern Time). A livestream of the presentation will be available to watch on EA.com.

FIFA fans will also be able to purchase a special Ronaldo Edition of FIFA 18 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The Ronaldo Edition will grant access to FIFA 18 three days early, and come bundled with bonus content for FIFA Ultimate Team including 20 Jumbo Premium Gold Packs, eight Special Edition Kits, and a Cristiano Ronaldo Loan Player for five matches.

FIFA 18 is in development at EA Vancouver and EA Romania, and will be available on September 29 for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

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Starbreeze and Behaviour will release Dead By Daylight for PS4, Xbox One on June 20

Posted on June 5, 2017 by John Scalzo

Starbreeze Studios and Behaviour Interactive have announced they’ll bring Dead By Daylight, another multiplayer game where one player takes control of a vicious slasher movie villain and four others attempt to flee with their lives, to the PS4 and Xbox One:

Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical multiplayer (4vs1) horror game that casts one savage Killer and up to four Survivors that desperately try to survive a terrifying nightmare. Survivors play in third-person with a strong situational awareness to avoid being caught, tortured and slayed. The Killer plays in first-person, focused on hunting down and killing their victims.

Dead By Daylight was originally released for the PC in 2016, and console players will get the chance to purchase a Special Edition of the horror game on June 20. The package will come bundled with the original game, as well as new Killers, new Survivors, new Maps, and new Outfits.

A new trailer promoting Dead By Daylight’s console debut has been embedded above.

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Ubisoft’s E3 2017 teaser is full of surprises (that Ubisoft doesn’t want to talk about yet)

Posted on June 5, 2017 by John Scalzo

Ubisoft has a bit of a problem. The publisher wanted to create an “iconic” E3 2017 teaser to get their fans hyped for gaming’s biggest showcase, but unfortunately, most of the games they want to talk about are still shrouded in secrecy.

So what’s a publisher to do? Ubisoft decided to give their fans a few seconds of footage from South Park: The Fractured But Whole and Far Cry 5 interspersed with redacted images from their upcoming Press Conference. Viewers who tune in to the presentation will learn all about a variety of new games including a “Conference Exclusive,” a “New IP Saved for Conference,” and another “Conference Exclusive.”

It’s not much to go on, but we do know that Ubisoft plans to officially announce The Crew 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2017 during this year’s E3 Expo… so two of those slots may already be spoken for.

Ubisoft’s 2017 E3 Press Conference will take place on Monday, June 12, at 4:00 PM (Eastern Time). You can view it at home through Ubisoft.com.

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New Retail Releases: ESO Morrowind, Wipeout Omega Collection, Dirt 4, More

Posted on June 4, 2017 by John Scalzo

Gamers don’t have a “Summer Gaming Season” the way moviegoers do, but the first full week of June does include several interesting new releases…

Elder Scrolls fans will be able to return to Vvardenfell this week, as Bethesda will release The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Players of the popular MMO will be joined in battle by a fearsome War Bear as they attempt to stop a meteor from hitting Vivec City.

Also this week, Sony will bring back the Wipeout franchise’s brand of futuristic racing with the Wipeout: Omega Collection. Set to be released for the PS4 on Tuesday, the Omega Collection includes a trio of enhanced remakes (Wipeout HD, Wipeout HD: Fury, and Wipeout 2048) and full PS4 Pro support. Sony is extremely proud of the remade graphics featured in the Omega Collection, and they’re boasting that players will be able to “read some of the small text on the ships for the first time.”

Finally this week, Codemasters will launch Dirt 4 on the PS4 and Xbox One. The off-road racing series returns with more than 50 vehicles and five locations that contain “millions” of routes.

The full list of this week’s new retail releases can be found after the break. And we’ll be back in a few days to look at the new additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop. (more…)

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