Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- BAFTA Games Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books to Get 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
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
Weekly Warp-Up: The Avengers Will Reassemble for Square Enix…
No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…
Ever since WB Games released Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, everyone has been wondering when Marvel would hire a quality developer to adapt their beloved characters (even though the excellent X-Men Origins: Wolverine was released a few months earlier). But the “True Believers” won’t have to wait much longer, as Square Enix and Marvel have teamed up for a multi-game Avengers Project that’ll be developed by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal.
And speaking of past Marvel successes, we reviewed the PS4 re-release of Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 earlier this week.
While the Avengers Project is at least a year away, we can still celebrate the best games from last year with the 2017 SXSW Gaming Awards. Dishonored 2, Doom, Overwatch, Titanfall 2, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will compete for the “Video Game of the Year” award at the annual ceremony.
Finally this week, our latest essay looking at the history behind “The Scientifically Proven Best Video Games of All Time” focused on Resident Evil and how its popularity helped resurrect the zombie genre.
We hope all our readers at PAX South are having fun in San Antonio, and more news from the past seven days can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News
New Retail Releases: Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World, Hitman Season One, Digimon World Next Order, More
Yarn Yoshi is is back, and as adorable as ever, in Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World for the 3DS. Nintendo will re-release the side-scrolling platformer for the 3DS this week, and players can expect to find the complete Wii U experience along with new levels starring Yoshi’s pal Poochy.
Another re-release will also be available on store shelves this week as Square Enix will collect Hitman‘s “Complete First Season” in a retail package for the PS4 and Xbox One. In addition to all of Agent 47’s previously-released missions, Hitman: The Complete First Season will also include a trio of bonus missions and the Requiem Blood Money Pack, which includes “the signature Blood Money White Suit, White Rubber Duck, and Chrome ICA Pistol.”
Switching gears entirely, anime fans will find a pair of new games on stores including Digimon World: Next Order for the PS4 and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 – Road to Boruto for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Finally this week, 505 Games and Giant Squid will bring the oceanic exploration of Abzu to the PS4 and Xbox One. Originally released through the PlayStation Store and Xbox Games Store in August, this retail re-release will give the public a second chance to check it out.
That’s it for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at the latest digital releases on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Hitman, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Yoshi's Woolly World
8-Bit Cinema reimagines Star Wars: Rogue One as a simplistic 8-bit shooter
You knew it was only a matter of time until Rogue One: A Star Wars Story received the 8-Bit Cinema treatment… and here it is… reimagined as a budget-priced NES shooter by Cinefix.
I’m not going to lie, even though it’s a pretty simplistic-looking adaptation, I teared up again after K-2SO’s death. That droid was definitely a leaf on the wind.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has earned more than $516 million at the US box office since it was released on December 16, and it recently pushed past Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace to capture 7th place on the list of highest-grossing movies of all time. There’s still time to catch it in theaters for a second (or third or fourth) viewing, but Lucasfilm is also expected to release the first “Star Wars Anthology” film as a DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Download this Spring.
Nintendo’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe commercial wants you to play the Switch on the toilet
Nintendo is using the tagline “Play Anytime, Anywhere” to sell their upcoming Switch console in Europe. And they mean it too. A recently-released commercial for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe opens with a disheveled-looking man enjoying some Mushroom Kingdom kart racing while also partaking in his morning bowel movement.
Now, to be fair, the advertisement also showcases the portability of the Switch with an intense Battle Mode contest in a living room and an impromptu multiplayer session on a college campus. Still… eww.
The Nintendo Switch will launch worldwide on March 3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will be available on April 28. And if you take your Switch with you into the bathroom, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, never tell me.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Mario Kart 8
The Video Game Canon – Resident Evil
Dig deeper into the Video Game Canon with a look at how Resident Evil brought the then-moribund zombie genre back to life. Here’s a teaser…
If a Bizarro Universe doppelganger of Jerry Seinfeld was a hacky comedian who worked the nerd belt, I have a feeling he’d start off every set with, “What’s the deal with all the zombies?” And he wouldn’t be wrong. Zombies are everywhere. Just absolutely everywhere. But why? And why now? If you trace the epidemic all the way back to patient zero, it leads to a publisher named Capcom and their desire to create a scary game with zombies known as Resident Evil.
George A. Romero is rightly considered the godfather of the modern zombie movie. Starting with 1968’s Night of the Living Dead, his first film inspired a horde of filmmakers and lead to a pair of sequels in 1978 and 1985. But after the release of Day of the Dead and Dan O’Bannon’s Return of the Living Dead, the genre fell out of favor with the moviegoing public and was reanimated only when some low-budget film studio wanted to add something to the direct-to-video slush pile. Not even Romero himself, who helped visual effects master Tom Savini remake Night of the Living Dead in 1990, could bring it back to life.
Six years later, Capcom brought the zed menace back in a big way with Resident Evil. First released on Sony’s fledgling PlayStation console (and eventually re-released 12 times over the next 20 years), the game’s amateurish acting and stiff tank-like controls never obscured the terrifying zombie tale underneath. You might say that exploring Spencer Mansion and delving deeper into the story behind the T-Virus infected players in a way that few games ever had before.
Visit VideoGameCanon.com to continue reading this article and to explore the complete Top 1000.
Xbox Store Today: The Sun and Moon, Subterrain, Doodle God Ultimate Edition
A minimalist platformer, an overhead survival shooter, and a divine puzzle game make up today’s additions to the Xbox Games Store.
The platforming action of The Sun and Moon, which first gained fame as the winning entry from Ludum Dare 29, is now available to download for the Xbox One. Developed by Digerati Distribution, players will attempt to complete the game’s minimalist levels by flinging themselves high into the air or burrowing deep beneath the surface.
Today’s second new Xbox One release, Subterrain, also delves deep into events that happen beneath the surface. Players will take control of Dr. West as he battles Martian mutants and gathers resources to survive within the bowels of the red planet in this overhead shooter.
Finally today, Xbox One owners will be able to download Doodle God: Ultimate Edition, a puzzle game where players combine elements to build their universe, that originally launched for mobile devices in 2010.
More information about all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Obsidian announces Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire… and its already fully-funded on Fig
Obsidian Entertainment was well-known for working as a hired gun for publishers such as LucasArts, Sega, Ubisoft, and Bethesda during the 2000s. But after dealing with some financial struggles in 2012, the developer turned to Kickstarter to self-fund their next project, Pillars of Eternity. The crowdfunding campaign was a massive success and eventually launched to near-universal acclaim in 2015.
Yesterday, Obsidian announced that Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is officially in the works, and kicked off a new crowdfunding campaign on Fig. Obsidian is seeking $1.1 million to finish development, but if you’re worried that lightning won’t be able to strike twice, you can relax. More than 10,000 backers have banded together to pledge the full amount needed for Pillars of Eternity II’s development over the last 24 hours.
So with the hard part out of the way, let’s see where Obsidian wants to take the sequel:
Eothas has returned. The god of light and rebirth was thought dead, but he now inhabits the stone titan that sat buried under your keep, Caed Nua, for millennia. Ripping his way out of the ground, he destroyed your stronghold and left you at the brink of death. To save your soul, you must track down the wayward god and demand answers – answers which could throw mortals and the gods themselves into chaos.
Your hunt takes you to the Deadfire Archipelago. Located even farther east than the colonies of the Eastern Reach, Deadfire comprises hundreds of islands spanning thousands of miles – ranging from lush tropics to barren deserts. Many of these lands have never been charted, while others are inhabited by rich native cultures and a new wave of colonial settlers.
You can learn more about Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire with the Fig campaign page and the trailer embedded above. If all goes well, Obsidian plans to release the RPG exclusively for the PC in Early 2018.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Dirt 4 will race onto the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on June 6
Codemasters connected with their sizable fanbase offer incremental updates to Dirt Rally through the Early Access platform back in 2015. But they’re taking a more direct route with the upcoming Dirt 4, and have announced plans to release it for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on June 6.
According to the developer, their plan for Dirt 4 is to “combine the levels of thrill and realism” from Dirt Rally with the “fearless excitement, accessibility, and adrenalin-fueled contests” from 2009’s Dirt 2 and 2011’s Dirt 3. Part of this plan includes an all-new track creation system known as Your Stage:
Dirt 4 sports an all-new system called Your Stage, an innovative rally route creation tool that allows you to produce a near infinite number of unique stages at the touch of a button. Choosing your location and setting the route parameters, Your Stage does the hard work to create a unique rally stage that you can race, share with your friends and then challenge them to beat your time. Your Stage allows experienced rally players to create longer, more technical routes, whilst newcomers can create simpler shorter routes as they hone their skills.
Codemasters also plans to pack Dirt 4 with a number of new and returning features that are sure to impress rally racing fans the world over:
Dirt 4 Features
- Over 50 of the Most Breath-Taking Off-Road Cars Ever Built – Including Ford Fiesta R5, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, Subaru WRX STI NR4, and Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2
- 5 Incredible Rally Locations With Millions of Routes – Australia, Spain, Michigan, Sweden, and Wales
- The Official Game of the FIA World RallyCross Championship – Race at Montalegre, Lohéac Bretagne, Hell, Holjes, and Lydden Hill in a multitude of different series
- Landrush – Short-course dirt track racing in Pro Buggies, Pro-2 Trucks, Pro-4 Trucks, and Crosskart vehicles in California, Nevada, and Mexico
- Joyride> –Dirt Academy – Taking place at the DirtFish Rally School in Washington, USA. Learn the skills, techniques, and practice to become the best!
- Career Mode – create your driver, compete across the disciplines, gain sponsors, and build your team with clear goals and rewards
- Competitive Gaming – Daily, Weekly, and Month-Long Challenges against fellow players from around the world
- Next Generation of RaceNet – Live ladder, leagues, and tournaments. Cross-platform leaderboards and enhanced CREST telemetry system
- Tuning – Tweak your set-up based on vehicle, track, and weather conditions to best suit your racing style
- Damage and Repairs – Wear and tear is faithfully recreated with an improved and realistic damage model. Damage can be repaired by hiring engineers to work in the team’s Service Area between stages but with a finite amount of time available.
Codemasters has promised to release more details about Dirt 4 between now and its June 6th launch date. For now, a teaser trailer for the game has been embedded above.