Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books Gets a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
- GDC Awards: All the Winners from 1996 to Today
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins “Game of the Year” at 2025-2026 GDC Awards
- Silent Hill, Dragon Quest, Skyrim, and More Announced as Finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- We Pitched a Museum a 1993 Game Hint Line (And They Actually Said Yes) – Yarn Spinner (2026)
- The History Of The Word “Metroidvania” And How It Spread – A Critical Hit (2025)
- Creator of Hit Game Shovel Knight Is at a ‘Make or Break’ Moment – Bloomberg (2025)
- Shadow of the Colossus: An oral history – Design Room (2025)
- In 2005, games started rewiring our brains – The AV Club (2025)
Author: John Scalzo
Nintendo Download: Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, Mr. Shifty, Bye-Bye BoxBoy!, more
Nintendo added two surprising new 3DS games to the Nintendo eShop this morning…
Team Kirby Clash Deluxe is a standalone expansion of the “Team Kirby Clash” minigame included with Kirby: Planet Robobot. The game is free-to-start and features four different Kirbys battling it out with a series of giant boss monsters.
Also available to download for the 3DS today is Bye-Bye BoxBoy!, the conclusion to the black-and-white BoxBoy trilogy. This time around, Qbby has to overcome obstacles and rescue the Qbabies in this new side-scrolling platformer from developer HAL Laboratory.
Switch owners will get the chance to purchase several new games this week as well, and TinyBuild and Team Shifty added Mr. Shifty to their side of the eShop today. The overhead action game mixes will look familiar to fans of Hotline Miami, but Mr. Shifty is a thief with superheroic teleportation abilities and a penchant for “distraction and trickery.”
Finally today, Jackbox launched The Jackbox Party Pack 3 for the Switch, and it includes five new party-friendly games… “Quiplash,” “Trivia Murder Party,” “Guesspionage,” “Tee K.O.,” and “Fakin’ It.”
You can learn more about all of these games (and a few more new additions to the Nintendo eShop) after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged Mr. Shifty
Nintendo is discontinuing the NES Classic Edition
This is surprising…
In a statement provided to IGN, Nintendo has confirmed that production of the NES Classic Edition will soon be discontinued:
“Throughout April, NOA territories will receive the last shipments of Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition systems for this year. We encourage anyone interested in obtaining this system to check with retail outlets regarding availability. We understand that it has been difficult for many consumers to find a system, and for that we apologize. We have paid close attention to consumer feedback, and we greatly appreciate the incredible level of consumer interest and support for this product.”
“NES Classic Edition wasn’t intended to be an ongoing, long-term product. However, due to high demand, we did add extra shipments to our original plans.”
The NES Classic Edition was originally released on November 11, and came packed with 30 well-known titles from the Nintendo Entertainment System’s heyday. Fans fell in love with the microconsole and supply quickly exceeded demand. Even today, the NES Classic Edition is next-to-impossible to find on store shelves. So it’s a bit baffling that Nintendo is already doing away with such a successful product.
However, Nintendo also launched the Switch this past March, and the consolemaker has likely decided to pour their considerable marketing muscle towards this new platform.
You can currently purchase an NES Classic Edition from a third-party seller on Amazon for $220. I wouldn’t expect that price to drop any lower anytime soon.
Scarecrow is frightening in the newest Injustice 2 trailer
In the various Batman comics and cartoons, The Scarecrow isn’t usually portrayed as an offensive powerhouse. Just look no further than the tasering he receives during the finale of Batman Begins. But NetherRealm Studios has different plans for the “Master of Fear,” which are on full display in the character’s “Introducing Scarecrow” trailer.
In Injustice 2, Scarecrow will become a hulking beast (in the eyes of his opponents) thanks to a dose from his Fear Toxin. And after his transformation, the character will deliver a stinging series of blows from his whip-like scythe. It’s going to take a lot more than a stun gun to drop this version of Dr. Jonathan Crane.
Injustice 2 will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on May 16.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Injustice 2
A new version of Namco Museum is coming to the Nintendo Switch this Summer
People love to play classic arcade games on the go with their mobile device, but the touchscreen controls leave a lot to be desired. Thankfully, Bandai Namco and Nintendo are getting together this Summer to release a new version of Namco Museum on the Switch.
The compilation will feature arcade perfect recreations of ten titles including Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaga 88, Dig-Dug, The Tower of Druaga, SkyKid, Splatterhouse, Rolling Thunder, Rolling Thunder 2, and Tank Force. A series of Special Challenge Modes will also be included.
The first trailer for Namco Museum has been embedded above.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Namco Museum
Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition will include Super Mario Mash-Up Pack when it launches on May 11
Even though its available for nearly a dozen other platforms, Minecraft fans are probably pretty excited about its upcoming launch on the Nintendo Switch. Yesterday, the consolemaker confirmed that Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition will be available to download through the Nintendo eShop on May 11.
Minecraft’s Nintendo Switch Edition will come bundled with the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack, which transports your Minecraft experience to the Mushroom Kingdom:
Super Mario Mash-Up Pack Features
- 40 Super Mario‐Themed Skins! Including Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach, as well as troublemakers like Bowser, Wario, and all seven Koopalings.
- Super Mario World itself! Professional Minecraft builders have remade the likeness of the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond, with Mario‐themed versions of the Overworld, The Nether, and The End for you to explore.
- So Many Mario‐Inspired Surprises to Discover! from islands shaped like Warp Pipes to towering sculptures of Nintendo’s iconic characters. We’ve recreated villainous hideouts, too: like Bowser’s Castle, Bowser’s ship, and Boo’s House.
- And More! Super Mario‐style textures, numerous Mario‐themed puzzles, dozens of character skins, and music from Super Mario 64 to enjoy.
Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition will also include local multiplayer for up to four players (in TV Mode and Handheld Mode), as well as online multiplayer for up to eight.
A retail release for Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition is also in the works, and it’ll be available at a later date.
Get a quick glimpse at a side-scrolling stage from Sonic Forces right here
Sonic the Hedgehog only got a few seconds to shine during yesterday’s Nintendo Direct presentation, but Sega delivered by showcasing a side-scrolling stage from Sonic Forces during that time.
If you’re more of a fan of “Classic Sonic,” don’t worry, the publisher used the remainder of their time to show off a little more gameplay from the retro-styled Sonic Mania.
Sonic Forces will be released this Fall, while Sonic Mania will be available exclusively as a digital download this Summer. Both games are in development for the Nintendo Switch, as well as the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Sonic Forces, Sonic Mania
Splatoon 2 adds a wave-based Salmon Run mode when it launches on July 21
After last month’s Global Testfire, fans of the franchise were very curious if Splatoon 2 could live up to its status as a full-fledged sequel. Those fears were alleviated a tad during yesterday’s Nintendo Direct presentation, which introduced a co-op mode known as Salmon Run.
In Salmon Run, four Inklings will team up to battle wave after wave of Salmonids, a species of walking fish that have overtaken an abandoned oil rig. Defeated Salmonids drop Power Eggs and Golden Eggs, which can be exchanged for “Fresh” new equipment in Splatoon 2.
Nintendo also unveiled a second series of Amiibo figures for Splatoon. The Splatoon 2 Series, which will unlock specialized gear and “remember” your favorite outfits, will include new figures for the Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, and Inkling Squid.
The consolemaker also announced that new details about the single-player campaign will be revealed during a future Direct presentation.
Finally, Nintendo confirmed that Splatoon 2 will be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on July 21. The new Amiibo figures will be available on the same day.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Splatoon 2
Arms will be available for the Nintendo Switch on June 16
Nintendo mapped out the Switch’s Summer release schedule during yesterday’s Nintendo Direct presentation, and they kicked things off with Arms.
The consolemaker gave fans an extended look at their upcoming stretchy-armed boxing game with a brand new gameplay trailer narrated by Biff, the Arms League Commentator. In addition to briefly discussing the Arm Types and their special abilities, Biff introduced viewers to another playable character: Min Min, “The Ramen Bomber.”
She’s a martial artist with a fire-breathing Dragon Arm that’s able to hold a longer charge, and Nintendo pitted her against Spring Man in a full match. The two characters ducked, dodged, and counterpunched as they circled the arena, and we learned that you can disable your opponent’s arms. The match showcased the many strategic options players will have in Arms, but Min Min ultimately emerged victorious thanks to her powerful Dragon Arm.
Finally, Nintendo also confirmed that Arms will include 2v2 fights. We’ll likely hear more about those in a future Nintendo Direct.
Arms will launch for the Switch on June 16, alongside the separate release of a special Neon Yellow Joy-Con set and a Joy-Con AA Battery Pack.