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.

NBA 2K18 Legend Edition will feature Shaquille O’Neal

Posted on May 8, 2017 by John Scalzo

Shaquille O’Neal will crash NBA 2K’s “Legend Edition” fraternity this Fall, joining previous honorees Michael Jordan (NBA 2K16) and Kobe Bryant (NBA 2K17). Scottie Pippen continues to wonder when it’ll be his time to shine.

“Shaq” was a larger-than-life player for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers, but O’Neal’s post-basketball life has seen him transform into an even bigger pitchman and NBA commentator. Naturally, 2K Games is creating a Legend Edition and a Gold Legend Edition for NBA 2K18 that befits his stature.

Set to launch on September 15, the Legend Edition ($99.99) will include a limited-edition poster, five Panini trading cards, exclusive stickers, and a variety of in-game content. The Gold Legend Edition ($149.99) will add five more trading cards, a lenticular poster, and more in-game content.

2K Games will release the Legend Edition and the Gold Legend Edition for the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The Legend Edition will be available at a wide array of retailers, but fans will need to visit their local GameStop if they’re interested in purchasing the Gold Legend Edition.

“I want to thank NBA 2K for their continuous support of my basketball and broadcast career,” O’Neal said. “I’m excited to be on the cover of the NBA 2K18 Legend Edition and I hope my fans have a blast playing it up big man style and re-creating my most legendary in-game moments!”

The Standard Edition of NBA 2K18 will be available for the PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on September 19. A closer look at the contents from the Legend Edition and the Gold Legend Edition can be seen after the break. (more…)

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

The launch date for Overkill’s The Walking Dead shambles into 2018

Posted on May 7, 2017 by John Scalzo

Starbreeze announced that Overkill’s The Walking Dead, a team-based shooter based on Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic, won’t be released in the second half of 2017 as orginally planned. The publisher has pushed the game’s launch date back a year, and it’ll now make its PC, PS4, and Xbox One debut in the Summer/Fall of 2018.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first delay for Overkill’s The Walking Dead. The game was originally announced more than two years ago and, at the time, Starbreeze expected to release it in 2016. In a statement, CEO Bo Andersson Klint said this most recent delay is needed so the game can reach its “full potential”:

“We, together with the developer of Overkill’s The Walking Dead, decided to extend the production schedule to pursue our original vision a step further and so that the title will reach its full potential. Together with Skybound Entertainment, we are fully dedicated to releasing an unforgettable experience for fans throughout the world and then continuing to support it with high quality content in the coming years.”

Starbreeze plans give fans their first real look at Overkill’s The Walking Dead next week during StarStream, a livestreamed showcase of the company’s upcoming titles. StarStream will broadcast this coming Wednesday, May 10, at 12:00 noon (Eastern Time), and you can view it on Twitch.

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

New Retail Releases: Birthdays the Beginning

Posted on May 7, 2017 by John Scalzo

Just one new game will grace retail shelves this week and it’s Birthdays the Beginning, a life simulation from NIS America and Toybox Games. Created by Yasuhiro Wada (best known for his work with the Harvest Moon franchise), Birthdays the Beginning features cube-shaped worlds that give players the chance to shape and mold an entire ecosystem:

From legendary creator Yasuhiro Wada comes Birthdays the Beginning, a new sandbox game in which players create cube-shaped worlds that give rise to diverse and unique life forms. With careful experimentation, players can shape the geography and alter the temperature of each world to create the conditions for life and witness the birth of an entire ecosystem.

Birthdays the Beginning will be released for the PS4 on Tuesday. The game will also be available as a digital download through Steam on the same day.

That’s all for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at the newest additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 |

Xbox Store Today: Prey, Dreamfall Chapters, AFL Evolution, more

Posted on May 5, 2017 by John Scalzo

It’s almost time for the weekend, which means it’s also time for today’s Xbox Games Store update.

Bethesda and Arkane lead things off with Prey, their new first person shooter that doesn’t have anything to do with the 2006 shooter of the same name. Now available to download for the Xbox One, players will awaken on a space station overrun by hostile aliens who have a penchant for human experimentation.

Also available today is AFL Evolution, an Australian rules football sim; World to the West, Rain Games’s followup to the well-received Teslagrad; and Dreamfall Chapters, a brand new entry in the Longest Journey series.

More information about all these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Fire Emblem Echoes will likely be the last game in the series to be released on the 3DS

Posted on May 5, 2017 by John Scalzo

After its splashy reveal last year, everyone assumed that the hybrid nature of the Nintendo Switch meant the 3DS was most likely on its way out. Further proof to that fact was delivered this week with the revelation that Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia will probably be the last “mainline” game in the series to appear on the handheld.

Fire Emblem Series Producer Hitoshi Yamagami confirmed this end of an era in a recent chat with Japanese magazine Dengeki Nintendo (via Game Memo).

However, Yamagami is also looking towards the future of the Fire Emblem franchise, including a Switch-exclusive Fire Emblem game that’s set to launch sometime in 2018. Koei Tecmo and Omega Force are also hard at work on Fire Emblem Warriors, which will launch for the New 3DS and Switch this Fall.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia will be available on May 19, and in case you missed it, Nintendo recently unveiled a few details about the game’s Season Pass.

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged

Respawn announces new RTS Titanfall Assault for mobile devices

Posted on May 5, 2017 by John Scalzo

Respawn Entertainment, Nexon, and Particle City teamed up to produce Titanfall: Frontline for mobile devices last year, but after a poorly-received beta test, the game was shut down earlier this year.

However, the three companies will team up once more for Titanfall Assault, a new real-time strategy game for mobile devices:

Join the fight for The Frontier in this fast and fluid real-time strategy game. Combine towering Titans and agile Pilots to build an unstoppable force.

Put your skills to the test as you assemble the ultimate deck of Pilots and Titans paired into heroic duos. Collect and upgrade dozens of cards including tactical Burn Cards providing powerful battlefield support. Strategize your way to victory over enemy forces in epic PvP battles and compete for glory and rewards on the leaderboards.

Combine and conquer. Unite and destroy. And lead your forces to victory in The Frontier War.

Titanfall Assault is currently in development for iOS and Android devices, and you can sign up to be notified when it launches at the game’s official website.

You can find the first set of screenshots from Titalfall Assault after the break. (more…)

Posted in Mobile, News | Tagged

Thumper will be released for the Nintendo Switch on May 18

Posted on May 5, 2017 by John Scalzo

Drool has announced that Thumper, their “rhythm violence” game, will be released for the Nintendo Switch on May 18. However, the developer has decided to update their two-word pitch for Thumper’s Switch debut to “Rumble Violence” in honor of the console’s HD Rumble feature:

Thumper originally launched last October for the PC and PS4 (with PlayStation VR support), and it’s also currently in development for the Xbox One.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Injustice 2’s Fighter Pack 1 will include Sub-Zero, Starfire, and Red Hood

Posted on May 5, 2017 by John Scalzo

Injustice 2 will launch in less than two weeks on the PS4 and Xbox One, but NetherRealm Studios decided to reveal the first three post-launch downloadable characters this morning.

Fans of the Teen Titans will be thrilled to learn that Starfire will join the fighting game as part of Fighter Pack 1. She’ll fight alongside Red Hood, the rather violent alterego of Jason Todd, and originally a Robin that was killed by The Joker in the famous A Death in the Family storyline (he was later resurrected because… comic books).

These hot-headed characters will have a chance to chill out with Fighter Pack 1’s third character, Sub-Zero. The Mortal Kombat mainstay will be added to Injustice 2 as the game’s first guest character, and his monstrous new appearance fits in well with the DC Universe.

Injustice 2 owners will have the chance to purchase Fighter Pack 1 as a standalone download, or they can receive access to it for free through the game’s Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99). Fighter Pack 1 will also be included with the Ultimate Edition ($99.99), which will come packed with a download code to unlock an additional six characters (presumably as part of Fighter Pack 2 and Fighter Pack 3).

And speaking of future Fighter Packs, the very end of the Fighter Pack 1 trailer includes silhouettes of the remaining downloadable characters and eagle-eyed viewers will easily be able to make out Black Manta (on the left) and Raiden (on the right).

Injustice 2 will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on May 16.

Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged