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
4v1 horror game Last Year pops back into existence with a new trailer
Last Year is a 4v1 horror game that uses classic slasher tropes to pit a deranged Killer against four frightened teens. Originally announced in 2014, the game was quickly buried under legal troubles and the higher profile of Summer Camp/Friday the 13th: The Game (which was announced just a few days earlier). But developer Elastic Games has been quietly working on the project all this time, and they’ve just released a new trailer showcasing Predator Mode.
Like Jason Voorhees or Michael Meyers before him, the Killer in Last Year is able to sneak away from the action and reappear somewhere else in the blink of an eye. He’s able to do this thanks to Predator Mode, which allows the Killer to become invisible and move very fast throughout the environment. Then, when you least suspect it, he crashes through a skylight and decapitates a stereotypical teen. Ch Ch, Ch, Chhh! Ah, Ah, Ah, Ahhh!
Last Year is in development exclusively for the PC and will be released sometime in 2017.
Aksys will release 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward collection on PS4, Vita in Spring 2017
Over the Summer, Aksys Games announced plans to bring Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (999) and Virtue’s Last Reward to “other platforms” in the near future. Today, the publisher confirmed that both games will be bundled together in Zero Escape: The Nonary Games for the PS4 and Vita.
Aksys delivered this news through the PlayStation Blog, where they also confirmed that 999 will receive a complete graphical overhaul:
What’s that? You’ve already managed to escape the clutches of death and played both games through to completion? Fear not! 999 has been rebuilt from the ground up and now features HD graphics, as well as English and Japanese voice acting. Prepare to experience 999 as it was intended, and lose yourself in unparalleled immersion.
Zero Escape: The Nonary Games will be released in Spring 2017.
UPDATE: Late last night, developer Spike Chunsoft tweeted that Zero Escape: The Nonary Games will also be released for the PC next Spring.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Vita
Tagged Zero Escape: Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
Google’s playable Halloween Doodle asks players to cast spells to bust ghosts
Oh no, Magic Cat Academy is under attack by a gaggle of ghosts! Quick, help Momo the Cat use her magic wand to expel the sinister spirits!
Magic Cat Academy is also the name of Google’s latest Doodle, and it’s a five-level spellcasting game where players draw symbols with their mouse to defeat an army of ghosts. Each level takes place in a different room at the titular school, and it’s up to Momo the Cat to save her friends.
The game start off easy enough, but players will have to perform some quick-thinking and do some heavy strategizing once they take on ghosts powered by multiple symbols.
Magic Cat Academy can currently be found on Google’s homepage, as well as at its permanent home in the Google Doodle Archive.
Nintendo Switch is not a replacement for 3DS; Also “can’t say no” to possibility of VR support in the future
Nintendo’s Tatsumi Kimishima recently sat down with Bloomberg to talk about his first year as company president after the untimely death of Satoru Iwata, as well as what the future may hold for the 3DS, Switch, and virtual reality.
When discussing the Switch, Kimishima said that it wasn’t designed as a successor to the Wii U or the 3DS, instead referring to the hybrid console as a “new experience.” He also promised that the 3DS will continue “in its own form” because of growing sales:
Bloomberg: Will you discontinue the 3DS?
Kimishima: Thanks to our software, the 3DS hardware is still growing. So that business still has momentum. And certainly rather than being cannibalized by the Switch, we think the 3DS can continue in its own form.
Nintendo made similar comments back when the DS first launched (calling it a “third pillar”) and said it shouldn’t be looked at as a replacement for the Game Boy line. However, that’s exactly what happened, so Kimishima is possibly being diplomatic about the future of the 3DS.
The President was also rather diplomatic about Nintendo’s attitudes towards virtual reality, refusing to confirm that they have a Switch-compatible headset in the works, while also admitting that he can’t say it could never happen:
Bloomberg: Will Switch have VR capabilities? Are you developing VR that will connect to Switch?
Kimishima: If you asked as if this might be possible in the future, certainly we can’t say no. In terms of how it can be used for gaming, it’s something we must consider. It depends on the system specifications.
The Nintendo Switch will be released in March 2017, and Nintendo will fully unveil the console during a special presentation on January 12.
Koei Tecmo will bring Nobunaga’s Ambition franchise to Nintendo Switch
Koei Tecmo was one of the first publishers to pledge support to Nintendo’s Switch, all the way back in April when they revealed that at least one game was in the works for the console.
While many fans were hoping for a Hyrule Warriors sequel, Koei Tecmo’s Kou Shibusawa recently confirmed that the company’s first project for the Switch will be a game Nobunaga’s Ambition. The strategy franchise has a long history with Nintendo consoles, and previous entries have appeared on the NES, Super NES, and Game Boy. Though in more recent years, it’s found a home on the PC, PS3, and PS4.
The news was delivered during a Historical Simulation Game Day livestream (translated by Gematsu) with Shibusawa, who couldn’t confirm if the franchise’s Switch debut will be a new entry in the series or a port of a previously-released game.
The most recent game in the series, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence – Ascension, was released for the PC and PS4 earlier this week.
Weekly Warp-Up: Let’s Switch Things Up… and Keep Talking About the Nintendo Switch
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…
Nintendo officially unveiled their Switch console last week, but kept talking about it this week, confirming the Switch won’t offer a “second screen” option like the Wii U, but that it will support Amiibo figures. After that, Nintendo went silent, eventually saying they would unveil the launch date, games lineup, and price for the Switch on January 12.
So in the meantime, it’s back to the rumor mill for us, including a report stating the Switch will feature a multi-touch touchscreen. Also, a pair of indie adventures, Monster Boy and Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, were announced for the Switch.
Elsewhere on Warp Zoned this week, we got ready for Halloween by looking back at one of the most important horror games from the late 90s. Prepare yourself, because… It Came From 19XX: Silent Hill.
More news from the rest of the week can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News
New Retail Releases: CoD Infinite Warfare, Mario Party Star Rush, SteamWorld Collection, More
After the Battlefield franchise brought the fight all the way back to World War I, Activision decided to take the Call of Duty series even further into the future with this week’s release of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Developer Infinity Ward has fully embraced the science fiction genre this time around with lasers, robots, space battles, and a whole lot more.
This pivot to the future shouldn’t be that surprising as the Call of Duty franchise first broke through in a big way with the release of 2007’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. PS4 and Xbox One owners will get a chance to relive that seminal entry in the entry if they purchase Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – Legacy Edition, which includes access to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered.
A different kind of war will take place this week in Mario Party: Star Rush for the 3DS. Nintendo’s series of Mario-themed board games has always provided plenty of multiplayer shenanigans, and Star Rush will likely be no different.
Finally this week, a handful of games that were previously only available as digital downloads will be released in special retail version this week. Image & Form will package together SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Heist in SteamWorld Collection for the PS4 and Wii U. 13AM Games will release a Runbow: Deluxe Edition for the Wii U. And Bandai Nacmo will bring Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 + Arcade Game Series to the Xbox One.
The full list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Mario Kart 8 sells 8 million copies as Nintendo updates their best-selling Wii U and 3DS titles
Nintendo fans are absolutely giddy with excitement about the company’s upcoming Switch console, but we shouldn’t forget about the Wii U and 3DS. Earlier this week, the consolemaker updated investors on their best-selling titles for the Wii U and 3DS, as of September 30, 2016.
As the biggest-selling Nintendo-published game on the Wii U, Mario Kart 8 recently tallied total sales of eight million copies. The game’s success was measured using worldwide numbers for retail sales and digital downloads. While Mario Kart 8 is far and away the most popular game for the Wii U, Splatoon’s sales (4.57 million copies) are pretty impressive for a new franchise. Here’s the full top ten:
Best-Selling Nintendo-Published Games on the Wii U
- 1. Mario Kart 8 — 8 Million
- 2. New Super Mario Bros. U — 5.45 Million
- 3. Super Mario 3D World — 5.19 Million
- 4. Nintendo Land — 5.13 Million
- 5. Super Smash Bros. For Wii U — 4.99 Million
- 6. Splatoon — 4.57 Million
- 7. Super Mario Maker — 3.73 Million
- 8. New Super Luigi U — 2.74 Million
- 9. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD — 1.98 Million
- 10. Mario Party 10 — 1.94 Million
Over on the 3DS, Pokemon X/Y proved that the RPG franchise is still first in the minds of Nintendo fans, with total sales of 15.64 million copies. Once again measured using worldwide numbers for retail sales and digital downloads, it finished slightly ahead of Mario Kart 7, which almost lapped its console-based big brother with total sales of nearly 14 million copies. Here’s the full top ten:
Best-Selling Nintendo-Published Games on the 3DS
- 1. Pokemon X/Y — 15.64 Million
- 2. Mario Kart 7 — 13.94 Million
- 3. Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire — 13.18 Million
- 4. Super Mario 3D Land — 10.98 Million
- 5. New Super Mario Bros. 2 — 10.6 Million
- 6. Animal Crossing: New Leaf — 10.34 Million
- 7. Super Smash Bros. For 3DS — 8.35 Million
- 8. Tomodachi Life — 5.3 Million
- 9. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon — 5.03 Million
- 10. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D — 4.52 Million
The Wii U has struggled on store shelves since it was released in late 2012. The console currently has an install base of just 13.36 million, which is just a shade over 10% of the Wii’s final sales total. Meanwhile, the 3DS can claim an install base of 61.57 million, which is impressive, but still a far cry from the record-breaking sales of 154.02 million units for the DS.
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8, Mario Party 10, New Super Luigi U, New Super Mario Bros. 2, New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo Land, Pokemon X/Y, Pokemon: Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby, Splatoon, Super Mario 3D Land, Super Mario 3D World, Super Mario Maker, Super Smash Bros. For 3DS, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Tomodachi Life