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.

ESRB Rating Summary for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard revealed… and then removed

Posted on August 26, 2016 by John Scalzo

residentevil7-header

For a brief window of time this morning, the Rating Summary for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard could be found on the ESRB’s website. It’s offline now, but the short paragraph did reveal a bit more information about the mysterious game, which Capcom is keeping tightly under wraps.

According to the Rating Summary, Resident Evil 7 will star Ethan, “a man searching for his missing wife.” We first heard Ethan’s name during the recently released Gamescom trailer, and it looks like the character will be knee deep in the dead during his quest:

This is a survival-horror game in which players assume the role of Ethan, a man searching for his missing wife in a derelict mansion. Combat is accompanied by realistic gunfire, screams of pain, and exaggerated blood-splatter effects. As players progress through the story, cutscenes can depict instances of gore and intense acts of violence: a character’s arm dismembered by a chainsaw; a man’s leg taken off at the knee with a shovel; a character impaled through the face with a shovel. Some areas also depict mutilated corpses with exposed organs/viscera. The words “f**k” and “sh*t” are heard in the dialogue.

While this certainly sounds like the Resident Evil we all know and love, Capcom hasn’t even hinted at the level of intense combat that’s supposedly contained within the game. At the very least, fans of Resident Evil 4 should be happy.

But we’ll all find out together when Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on January 24, 2017.

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

SteamWorld Collection will package together Dig and Heist on a single disc this October

Posted on August 25, 2016 by John Scalzo

Image & Form has announced a partnership with Rising Star Games to publish SteamWorld Collection, a disc-based compilation of SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Heist, this Fall:

Drill down into a platform, mining adventure game full of secrets, treasure and terrors in SteamWorld Dig, and discover a world of steam-driven robots, inspired by Western and Steampunk themes.

SteamWorld Heist on the other hand offers turn-based strategy with a twist: manually aim the guns of your robots, allowing for insane skill shots and bullet-bouncing action. Board, loot and shoot your way through enemy spaceships and upgrade your recruits with unique abilities, weapons and, of course, stylish hats!

The SteamWorld Collection will be released for the PS4 and Wii U this October.

Posted in News, PS4, Wii U | Tagged ,

Nintendo Download: Super Mario 64 DS, a trio of Street Fighter games, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice demo, more

Posted on August 25, 2016 by John Scalzo

Welcome to this week’s Nintendo eShop update, where Wii U owners can now download the handheld remake of Mario’s first foray into the 3D space, Super Mario 64 DS. I’ve never thought about it before, but the Virtual Console can get weird sometimes.

Speaking of weird, 3DS owners will be able to download a Demo Version of Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice beginning today. The game, which will be available exclusively through the 3DS eShop on September 8, features a section from the game’s first courtroom clash between Phoenix Wright and his new adversary, Royal Priestess Rayfa.

Capcom is tripling down on the 3DS eShop with a trio of Street Fighter games that were originally released for the Super NES back in the go-go 90s.

First up is Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting, the first update to the original Street Fighter II. Capcom exponentially increased the speed of the game and fans were finally able to play as M. Bison and the other bosses. Next, we’ve got Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers, the final update to Street Fighter II on the Super NES, and the game that added Cammy to the franchise. Finally, the Super NES adaptation of the second game in the “Alpha” prequel series, Street Fighter Alpha 2, comes to the Virtual Console this week.

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

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Nintendo eShop’s Nindies Summer Jam kicks off on September 1

Posted on August 25, 2016 by John Scalzo

The Nindies are coming! The Nindies are coming!

Nintendo has announced that they’re ending this Summer with a bang… or more specifically, a Jam. The Nindies Summer Jam will kick off on September 1 and that means that Nintendo fans will find a new “Nindie” game on the eShop for the 3DS or Wii U (or sometimes both) every Thursday. All Nindie Summer Jam titles will receive a 10% discount during their first week of availability, and you can find the full lineup right here:

September 1
Axiom Verge (Wii U)
In this retro-style action-platform-exploration game, use the Wii U GamePad as your map, a way to easily swap between weapons or for Off-TV Play. A failed scientist dies in an accident, only to awaken in a mysterious, alien world. Where is he? How did he get here? And why do the fundamental laws of reality appear broken? Life. Afterlife. Real. Virtual. Dream. Nightmare. It’s a thin line. It’s Axiom Verge.

September 8
Jotun: Valhalla Edition (Wii U)
Jotun is a hand-drawn action-exploration game set in Norse mythology. In Jotun, you play Thora, a Norse warrior who died an inglorious death and must prove herself to the Gods to enter Valhalla. Jotun: Valhalla Edition features Valhalla Mode, a boss rush mode with even fiercer versions of the already challenging jotun. Exclusive to the Wii U version, the map is always displayed on the GamePad and God Powers can be activated using the touch screen. Impress the Gods!

September 15
Noitu Love: Devolution (3DS and Wii U)
The year is 2288. The city is protected by an organization called “The Peacekeepers League” and everything is swell except that it’s under attack by a robot army lead by professor Darnacus Damnation! Or is it… ?

September 22
Severed (Wii U)
Take control of a one-armed warrior named Sasha, who wields a living sword on her journey through a nightmare world in search of her family. Features include Cross-Buy between Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, Wii U Off-TV Play, in-game Achievements, HD graphical optimizations.

September 30
Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 (3DS)
Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 is a 2D action-platforming game in the style of the Japanese classics of yesteryear. The great controls, crisp graphics, unique play mechanics and epic boss battles from the first installment are all here, along with a host of new features.

“Our Nindie partners have been hard at work creating amazing content for Nintendo fans,” said Nintendo of America’s Damon Baker. “The Nindies Summer Jam promotion not only makes it easy for fans to check out all the latest and greatest indie games on Nintendo eShop, but to also learn more about the developers that have worked so hard to create them.”

Nintendo also plans to add more than a dozen other Nindies to the Nintendo eShop throughout the Fall. That schedule is available after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U | Tagged ,

Closed Beta for The Behemoth’s Pit People will begin on September 8

Posted on August 25, 2016 by John Scalzo

Behold! The Behemoth has unveiled a brand new trailer for Pit People, and just like the game, it’s narrated by the mellifluous Will Stamper.

Have you soaked it all in? I hope so, because you might also be interested to learn that Pit People’s Closed Beta will begin on September 8. Xbox One players will get a full week, until September 15, to test out The Behemoth’s somewhat bizarre strategy game. A second Closed Beta, this one for PC players, will held at a later date.

And don’t worry, if you haven’t registered for a chance to join the Closed Beta, there’s still time. Head over to the PitPeople.com/beta and sign up today.

Pit People will be released for the PC and Xbox One before the end of the year.

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One | Tagged

Experience the end of the Zombies saga with CoD: Black Ops III’s Salvation DLC Pack

Posted on August 25, 2016 by John Scalzo

This is it… Treyarch’s Zombies saga, which began in Call of Duty: World At War, comes to and end in “Revelation.” The final episode in the Call of Duty franchise’s popular co-operative multiplayer mode will be included in Call of Duty: Black Ops III‘s Salvation DLC Pack, which will be available to download for the PS4 on September 6:

In “Revelations,” we meet up with the Origins characters after they’ve taken an epic journey through space and time – all of their struggles lead to this very moment. In this, the final chapter of the Zombies experience, Richtofen, Dempsey, Takeo, and Nikolai finally come face to face with the mysterious Doctor Monty in The House. Confronted by an ancient evil, our heroes must fight the zombie horde once more in the final battle to save their immortal souls.

“With the release of Zombies as an Easter Egg in 2008’s Call of Duty: World at War, Treyarch set forth on a journey – or, really a conversation – with fans, and Revelations is the final punctuation mark,” said Jason Blundell, Treyarch’s Director of Zombies. “The secrets we laid out years ago will finally make sense – we’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

The Salvation DLC Pack will also include two brand new multiplayer maps and two remade maps:

  • Citadel: Once home to a powerful medieval army, this ancient castle now sits broken and abandoned. Tight corners force close-quarters engagements, while the moat and drawbridge allows for unique player movement opportunities in this mid-sized map. The last trespassers didn’t make it out alive – maybe you’ll have a better shot.
  • Micro: What’s better than a BBQ on a hot summer day? A miniaturized war zone that takes place on a well-stocked family picnic table, that’s what! Navigate this bite-size battlefield for a larger-than-life experience.
  • Outlaw: Gear up for a showdown in Outlaw; a western-style re-imagining of the fan favorite map Standoff from Call of Duty: Black Ops II. This rough-and-tough medium-sized map brings classic engagements, flanking routes and strategic positions for long and medium ranged combat.
  • Rupture: The Call of Duty: World at War classic Outskirts is re-imagined as a high-tech facility, designed by a futuristic society desperate to repair the Earth’s atmosphere.

The Salvation DLC Pack will be available as a free download for owners of the Black Ops III Season Pass, but it will also be available as a standalone download for $15. And don’t worry, Treyarch will likely make the expansion available to PC and Xbox One owners sometime in early October.

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

Link slices and dices in another Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild mini-trailer

Posted on August 24, 2016 by John Scalzo

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s mini-trailer (which focused on Runes), comes another short Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild video that features short snippets of Link using a variety of weapons.

In addition to his trusty sword, Link battles some beasties in Hyrule using the Woodcutter’s Axe, the Fire Rod, and a Bokoblin Arm. By the way, the arm explodes when you throw it.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be available for the Wii U and NX sometime in 2017. And in case you missed it, another short trailer introducing us to the mischievous Koroks is available after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Switch, Wii U | Tagged

Xbox Store Today: Deus Ex Mankind Divided, Madden NFL 17, Worms W.M.D., more

Posted on August 24, 2016 by John Scalzo

We’re heading back to the future for today’s Xbox Games Store update, as Square Enix and Eidos Montreal have launched Deus Ex: Mankind Divided on the Xbox One. Take control of Adam Jensen, a cybernetically-enhanced secret agent, once again as he deals with the aftermath of a terrorist attack on the augment community. And for a limited time, players who purchase Mankind Divided through the Xbox Games Store will also receive a free download of Deus Ex: Human Revolution for the Xbox 360, along with its expansion, The Missing Link. As you might expect, Human Revolution is on Microsoft’s Backwards Compatibility list, so it’s also playable on the Xbox One as well.

Also new this week is Madden NFL 17, the latest game in EA Sports’s football franchise. Available to download now on the Xbox One and Xbox 360, Madden NFL 17 features and expanded and updated Franchise Mode for players who are serious about their virtual football career.

Finally this week, Team17 brought the Worms franchise to the Xbox One with Worms W.M.D. The 2D strategy game includes a Campaign with 30 levels and more than 80 weapons and utilities to ramp up the chaos.

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

Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged ,