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.

Dragon Quest Heroes II Explorer’s Edition will be available for PS4 and PC on April 25

Posted on February 23, 2017 by John Scalzo

Square Enix has announced they’ll bring Dragon Quest Heroes II to the PC (via Steam) on the same day, April 25, as its PS4 launch.

The publisher also revealed that early adopters on both platforms will be able to purchase the Explorer’s Edition, which will come packed with 15 in-game bonus weapons. And players who purchase the Explorer’s Edition of Dragon Quest Heroes II through the PlayStation Store will also receive an exclusive PS4 Theme, a “Dragon Quest I Hero Costume,” and a special “Healix the Hero Recipe” for Dragon Quest Builders.

Finally, Square Enix wants everyone to watch Dragon Quest Heroes II’s new Overview Trailer to see the “tons of characters, vast landscapes, fast action, customizable classes, and online multiplayer” the game will offer.

A closer look at the 15 bonus in-game weapons available as part of the Explorer’s Edition can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, PS4 | Tagged ,

New Injustice 2 trailer shows how Superman turned to the dark side and introduces Cyborg

Posted on February 23, 2017 by John Scalzo

Batman and his allies will have their hands full with Brainiac and Darkseid in Injustice 2, but they’ll also have to deal with Superman and the remnants of his evil Regime. In “Shattered Alliances Part 1,” the latest trailer for the one-on-one fighting game, fans will get a glimpse into the reasons for Superman’s turn to the dark side.

In addition to a mad dash through the majority of Injustice 2’s characters, “Shattered Alliances Part 1” also gives fans their first look at Cyborg. Originally introduced in Injustice: Gods Among Us, Cyborg is still fighting against Batman in support of Superman’s Regime.

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

Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Old Time Hockey will be released for PC, PS4 on March 28; Xbox One and Switch launch will come later

Posted on February 23, 2017 by John Scalzo

V7 Entertainment has announced that Old Time Hockey will be released for the PC and PS4 on March 28. The retro-styled hockey sim is also in development for the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, but players on those platforms will have to wait a bit longer. The game will launch for Microsoft’s console this Summer and on the Switch sometime after that.

In addition to announcing a release date (and uploading a brand new Release Date Trailer), the developer also unveiled the ten teams that make up Old Time Hockey’s fictional Bush Hockey League. You can read all about them after the break. (more…)

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

Shovel Knight and FAST RMX will be available to download for the Switch on March 3

Posted on February 23, 2017 by John Scalzo

One of the strangest complaints about Nintendo’s marketing strategy for the Switch has been, “Will the eShop be ready on March 3?” Square Enix announced a launch day digital release for I Am Setsuna a month ago, and Tomorrow Corporation followed that up with a similar announcement for World of Goo, Human Resource Machine, and Little Inferno.

Today, Nintendo added three more titles to the Switch’s launch day lineup of digital titles including Yacht Club’s Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove and Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, as well as Shin’en Multimedia’s FAST RMX:

  • FAST RMX (Shin’en Multimedia): Challenge your friends to local split-screen competition or take part in online races against players from all over the world. This lightning-fast anti-gravity racer is exclusive to Nintendo Switch.
  • Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (Yacht Club Games) The latest DLC for the critically acclaimed hit Shovel Knight is a full-featured game starring Specter Knight, one of the enemies from the original game. The massive campaign includes even more content than the last DLC, Plague of Shadows. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is exclusive to Nintendo Switch for a limited time.
  • Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (Yacht Club Games): For Shovel Knight’s biggest fans, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove includes the original Shovel Knight game, as well as all previously released DLC – even Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment! Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove will be exclusive to Nintendo Switch for a limited time.

In other Nintendo eShop news, the consolemaker has confirmed that they’re won’t be any Virtual Console titles ready on launch day. But they will host a Nindies Showcase on Tuesday, February 28, at 12:00 noon (Eastern Time) to “celebrate many of these upcoming Nindie creations before launch.” Fans can tune in to the livestream at live.nintendo.com to watch.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged , ,

Xbox Store Today: Halo Wars 2, Zombie Vikings, Shift Happens, more

Posted on February 22, 2017 by John Scalzo

Today’s Xbox Games Store update includes four heads for the future in one game and to the past for three retro-inspired games.

Fans have been asking for a sequel to Halo Wars for years, and now Microsoft has delivered with the Xbox One release of Halo Wars 2. Fans who purchase the Xbox One edition through the Xbox Games Store will also receive access to the game on Windows 10 thanks to the Xbox Play Anywhere program, but everyone will get a chance to guide their futuristic soldiers with its real-time strategy gameplay.

Also available to download today for the Xbox One is Zombie Vikings, a side-scrolling hack and slash starring the “most fearsome Vikings ever raised from Norse soil.” Up to four players will be able to fight back against a menagerie of monsters as they search for Odin’s missing eye. The Xbox One is also home to a second new side-scroller today with the release of Shift Happens. Players will solve puzzles, collect coins, and go on a “comical yet dramatic” adventure.

Finally today, Xbox One owners will have the chance to download Vaccine, a survival horror game inspired by the genre’s PSone-era beginnings. As part of a special bio-hazard rapid response team, players will have to race against time to find a cure for a deadly disease in a house full of mutated monsters.

That’s all for today, but you can learn more about any of these titles after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One | Tagged

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, Night in the Woods, Berserk, more added to PS Store

Posted on February 22, 2017 by John Scalzo

It’s a weird, weird world in this week’s PlayStation Store update.

First up, PS4 players will get to return to the world of Psychonauts for the first time in more than a decade in Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin. Only playable with a PlayStation VR headset, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin will bridge the gap between the original game and its upcoming sequel with Raz’s first mission as a full-fledged member of the Psychonauts.

Also available to download this week for the PS4 is Night in the Woods, a stylish adventure game about the strange things in the woods that go bump in the night. The alphabetical platforming adventures found in Typoman will also offer PS4 owners another unique world to explore this week.

Finally, Koei Tecmo and Omega Team will bring the latest Warriors spinoff, Beserk and the Band of the Hawk, to the PS4 and Vita this week. Based on the Berserk manga by Kentaro Miura, the game follows the Band of the Hawk as they battle giant monsters.

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

Posted in News, PS4, Vita | Tagged , ,

Microsoft’s “Epic 2017” includes Crackdown 3, Sea of Thieves, Tacoma, Cuphead, and more

Posted on February 21, 2017 by John Scalzo

We’re nearly to the end of February, but Microsoft thought today was a great day to launch their first major game of 2017, Halo Wars 2. To celebrate, the consolemaker turned the spotlight on their “Epic 2017” in a special episode of This Week on Xbox.

Besides delving deeper into the latest addition to the Halo franchise, Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb and friends explore Crackdown 3, Phantom Dust, Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, and several indie games (including Ron Gilbert’s Thimbleweed Park and Studio MDHR’s Cuphead) set to launch this year through the ID@Xbox program.

Microsoft’s Chris Charla also confirmed that ID@Xbox developers will have a major presence at GDC 2017, and Microsoft’s Showcase will include more than 20 titles. GDC attendees will get a chance to play Fullbright’s Tacoma (and many others) when the conference kicks off in San Francisco next week.

Finally, Phil “Head of Xbox” Spencer had a few more words to say about Microsoft’s “Epic 2017” on the Xbox Wire, and he also confirmed that a remake of Voodoo Vince will be available for the PC and Xbox One this Spring.

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

Retro-themed brawler Full Metal Furies will be out this year from Cellar Door Games

Posted on February 21, 2017 by John Scalzo

Cellar Door Games exploded onto the scene in a big way back in 2013 with the release of Rogue Legacy, their roguelike platformer for the PC. In the years since then, they found new fans for Rogue Legacy on the PS3, PS4, Vita, and Xbox One. But they also spent that time working in secret on a new game… Full Metal Furies.

In development for the PC and Xbox One, Full Metal Furies is a retro-themed brawler for up to four players and an RPG-like leveling system. With its unique character classes, Cellar Door believes that Full Metal Furies is “Not Your Typical Brawler,” and they set out to prove it in a new post on Xbox Wire:

  • Tired of button mashing? The game features four unique character classes with their own skills and attacks. Engage from afar as the Sniper, slam up close as the Fighter, or prep turrets in people’s faces with the Engineer.
  • Say goodbye to wonky hit detection. FMF uses complex attack logic to ensure obtuse depth perception is a thing of the past.
  • No more cannon fodder. Fragile Artillerists will stay away and call air strikes from afar, while heavy-duty Minitaurs will charge at you and get up-close and personal. Every enemy is a threat.

    Full Metal Furies is being designed from the ground up for co-op play, but players will also be able to tackle the adventure solo if they so choose. Using a “Quick-Swap System,” players will be able to switch off between two characters as they play… which becomes doubly important because certain enemies can only be damaged by attacks from specific classes.

    To further foster cooperation amongst all your friends, Cellar Door Games will release Full Metal Furies as an Xbox Play Anywhere with Cross Play support on Windows 10 PCs and the Xbox One sometime this year.

    Posted in News, PC, Xbox One | Tagged