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.

Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment Review: Death Takes Over in a Perfect Prequel

Posted on March 15, 2017 by John Scalzo

Yacht Club Games has built a strong reputation over the years for their ability to deconstruct, modernize, and regenerate the side-scrolling platformer. Using Ducktales and Mega Man as a template, the original Shovel Knight was a game that honored the past, while only being able to exist in the present. Meanwhile, its first expansion, Plague of Shadows, brought back the gadget platformer in a unique adventure that felt more like a true sequel than an add-on.

The developer must have had the same thought, as Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is the first game in the franchise’s rapidly-growing expanded universe to be available as a standalone game as well as a free expansion. Widening their playing field has also lead Yacht Club to tackle the cinematic storytelling and swordplay found in the NES era’s ninja platformers, best exemplified by Ninja Gaiden. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, PC, PS3, PS4, Reviews, Switch, Top Story, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Xbox Store Today: Styx Shards of Darkness, Death Squared, Trove

Posted on March 15, 2017 by John Scalzo

Three new games are now available to download for the Xbox One through the Xbox Games Store today. Ready? Here we go…

Styx: Shards of Darkness is a stealth action game from Cyanide Studio and Focus Home Interactive that stars a goblin assassin named Styx. To complete his mission, Styx will have to sneak past enemies or silently dispatch them in a variety of lethal ways.

Also available to download today is Death Squared, a cooperative puzzle game where players need to guide a robot to a color-coded goal. But remember to watch out for traps.

Finally, Trove is a free-to-play (and voxel-based) MMO where players set off for adventure to battle deadly monsters.

You can learn more about Styx: Shards of Darkness, Death Squared, and Trove after the break. (more…)

Posted in News |

NIS America will also release Culdcept Revolt in a special Limited Edition

Posted on March 15, 2017 by John Scalzo

Culdcept Revolt made its Japanese debut back in July, but NIS America wants to ensure players are just as impressed by its US launch. The publisher has announced that a special Limited Edition for the game will be available alongside the Standard Edition and the digital download on the 3DS eShop.

Culdcept Revolt’s Limited Edition will be sold exclusively through the NIS America Online Store. Players who purchase the premium version of the newest entry in a franchise that melds Monopoly with Magic: The Gathering will receive the following extra items:

Culdcept Revolt Limited Edition

  • Culdcept Revolt for Nintendo 3DS
  • Collectors Box
  • Hardcover Art Book
  • Official Soundtrack (1 Disc)
  • Oversized Foil Cards (Set of 7)
  • Metal Culdcept Revolt Dice (Set of 2)

Culdcept Revolt’s Limited Edition will be priced at $59.99, and NIS America will release the game in the US this Summer.

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged

Danganronpa 1-2 Reload, Styx: Shards of Darkness, Momodora, more added to PS Store

Posted on March 15, 2017 by John Scalzo

With the northeast buried under a literal mountain of snow, now’s a great time to explore this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store…

After slowly gaining momentum with PS Vita and PC players over the past few years, NIS America will bring the first two murder mysteries in the Danganronpa franchise (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair) to the PS4 this week as Danganronpa 1-2 Reload. Also available to download this week for the PS4 is Styx: Shards of Darkness, a stealth adventure from Cyanide Studio and Focus Home Interactive.

And later this week, PS4 owners will be able to download Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, a “MetroidVania” with “highly satisfying combat and gorgeous pixel art.”

So keep shoveling and dig into more details about all these games (and the rest of this week’s new releases) after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita | Tagged ,

Two new Mario Sports Superstars trailers now available ahead of March 24 launch

Posted on March 15, 2017 by John Scalzo

Mario Sports Superstars will be released for the 3DS in North America beginning next week, which makes now the perfect time for Nintendo to release two new trailers for the multi-sport package.

Nintendo of America has decided to focus on the “5 Sports in 1 Game” aspect of Mario Sports Superstars, and their trailer highlights the Mushroom Kingdom’s obsession with soccer, baseball, tennis, horse racing, and golf.

Meanwhile, Mario Sports Superstars is already available in the UK and Australia, so Nintendo UK produced a “Launch Trailer” that features more gameplay footage, as well as a look at extra capabilities that can only be unlocked by a new series of Amiibo Cards.

Both trailers for Mario Sports Superstars can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged

Play Collective promo unveils PS Store release dates for PaRappa the Rapper, Cosmic Star Heroine, What Remains of Edith Finch, more

Posted on March 14, 2017 by John Scalzo

Last Spring, Sony promoted a series of indie games on the PlayStation Store through the Launch Party promotion. Exactly twelve months ago, PS4 owners got the chance to try out games like Invisible Inc, Day of the Tentacle Remastered, Alienation, and more.

Today, Sony announced a similar promotion for 2017, Play Collective, and release dates for another batch of intriguing indie games including Zeboyd’s Cosmic Star Heroine, Giant Sparrow’s What Remains of Edith Finch, Double Fine’s Full Throttle Remastered, and Videocult’s Rain World. The Play Collective promotion will also include a release date for Sony’s PaRappa the Rapper Remastered.

Play Collective kicks off on March 21 with the release of Double Fine’s Everything, but PlayStation Plus subscribers can lock in a 20% discount on any (or all) of the games right now by pre-ordering them through the PlayStation Store.

A full rundown of the Play Collective schedule, and more information about all six games, can be found after the break (and at the PlayStation Blog). (more…)

Posted in News, PS4, Vita | Tagged , , ,

Strafe’s release date sidesteps to May 9 on PC and PS4

Posted on March 14, 2017 by John Scalzo

Cheekily citing “an unforeseen polygon shortage,” Pixel Titans has announced that their retro-styled first person shooter, Strafe, won’t be released on March 28 as planned.

“Strafe requires over 150,000 meticulously placed polygons to create its bleeding edge graphics,” Game Director Thom Glunt said. “Through an unexpected legal entanglement and a series of clerical errors, nearly 25,000 of those polygons arrived late to Pixel Titans world headquarters thus delaying the game by a few weeks.”

Glunt’s obsession with polygons is rather understandable when you remember that Strafe is a procedurally-generated first person shooter that’s patterned after the genre’s 1996 heyday.

Believe it or not, but there’s is somewhat of a silver lining to Strafe’s delay. Previously, Pixel Titans expected the PS4 version of the game to launch sometime after the PC version. But now, Strafe will be available for both platforms on May 9.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 | Tagged

Injustice 2 goes nuclear with the addition of Firestorm

Posted on March 14, 2017 by John Scalzo

Firestorm made his DC Comics debut in 1978, and it looks like the nuclear-powered character will make his first major foray into video games later this Spring in Injustice 2.

Firestorm was revealed as the game’s newest playable character on UpUpDownDown, the game-focused YouTube show hosted by WWE wrestler Austin “Xavier Woods” Creed. He recently paid a visit to NetherRealm Studios, had a brief chat with Creatvie Director Ed Boon, and got to test out Firestorm’s Special Moves with the help of Kofi Kingston, Sasha Banks, and Bayley.

The full Firestorm reveal is available as part of the UpUpDownDown episode embedded above, but I can’t get over how much the superhero resembles Fire Man from the original Mega Man.

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

Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged