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
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is now available on GOG.com for Star Wars Day
The intergalactic haberdashers at good old GOG.com have made this a Star Wars Day (AKA “May the Fourth Be With You”) to remember by re-releasing the Windows version of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire through their digital storefront.
Originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1996, and later ported to the PC a few months later, Shadows of the Empire was Lucasfilm’s first attempt at a cross-media “sequel” to the original trilogy. Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the game (and companion novel) stars roguish smuggler Dash Rendar, and follows his journey to help the Rebellion in Han Solo’s absence.
Like a lot of games from the late 90s, the third-person controls were a bit unforgiving, and you needed to be one with The Force to competently play Shadows of the Empire back in the day. But its depiction of the Battle of Hoth is legendary, and is the reason why game developers keep returning to the icy planet after all these years.
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire will be regularly priced at $5.99, but nostalgic fans who grab it from GOG.com in the next seven days can pick it up for just $4.79.
Handicapping the 2016 World Video Game Hall of Fame Finalists
We’re just a few days away from learning which games will be inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame this year. In 2015, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., Pong, Doom, World of Warcraft, and Pac-Man were selected as the inaugural class by the institution’s induction committee. The Hall’s Class of 2016 will be announced on Thursday, May 5, and five or six games are once again expected to rise above the other finalists.
But which of the 15 finalists will be honored this year? Using the Hall’s induction criteria as a guide, I can think we can determine the odds of which games will make it in and which will have to wait until next year. (more…)
Wii U owners can dig into Terraria beginning on June 28
After more than a year of waiting, Wii U owners will finally be able to get their hands on Terraria starting next month.
The Wii U Edition of Terraria will include all the same digging, building, exploration, and fighting that fans have come to expect from the game. But it’ll also include an option for touchscreen controls with the Wii U GamePad, along with four-player splitscreen multiplayer and online play for up to eight players. Other features found in Terraria’s Wii U Edition include:
- 14 different environments such as eerie dungeons, slippery ice wastes, wild jungles and more
- Hundreds of craftable weapons, armor and items
- More than 150 enemies ranging from zombies to armies of goblins
- Epic boss battles that test players’ combat skills
- Vast worlds of exploration that introduce new potions, magic, gear and more
According to publisher 505 Games and developer Re-Logic, Terraria will be available for the Wii U on June 28.
Relic unveils Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III with an epic announcement trailer
Relic Entertainment has announced they will make their glorious return to the Warhammer 40,000 universe with the upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III. So feast your eyes on the epic announcement trailer embedded above, and get yourself reacquainted with the Space Marines, Eldar, and Orks as they continue to wage endless war on each other.
According to the developer, Dawn of War III will “combine the epic scale of Dawn of War, with the customization and elite heroes of Dawn of War II.” Relic is also promising to deliver a “rich strategic experience” and “stunning visuals” as they bring the franchise into the modern age.
“This is the Dawn of War that fans have been waiting for,” said Executive Producer Stephen MacDonald. “Our biggest units ever? Check. Giant orbital lasers? Check. Base-building, epic heroes, huge battles, it’s all in there. Get ready for the biggest Dawn of War yet. For the Emperor!”
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III is currently in development exclusively for the PC, but Relic isn’t ready to announce a release date just yet.
Dishonored 2 will sneak into stores on November 11; Full reveal planned for E3 2016
Bethesda and Arkane Studios have kept quiet about Dishonored 2 since its E3 2015 debut, but that all changes today as the publisher and developer confirmed that it’ll be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 11.
In the stealthy sequel, players will have a choice of two playable characters: Corvo Attano or Empress Emily Kaldwin. Both characters are front and center on the cover of this month’s issue of Game Informer, which will also include an in-depth discussion with the team behind Dishonored 2 including Creative Director Harvey Smith, Lead Designer Dinga Bakaba, and Art Director Sebastien Mitton.
Bethesda also promised to give the public their first look at actual gameplay from Dishonored 2 during their 2016 E3 Showcase, which will take place just ahead of the E3 Expo on Sunday, June 12.
Splatoon’s Squid Sisters will get their own Amiibo figures on July 8
There’s no question that Splatoon‘s Squid Sisters, Callie and Marie, have become Nintendo’s newest stars. Obviously, the game’s fantastic online multiplayer modes struck a chord with Wii U fans in 2015, but the freshest MCs in the business stole the show every time they introduced new maps or hosted a Splatfest. And now, thanks to their popularity, Nintendo plans to immortalize the Squid Sisters in plastic with an Amiibo 2-Pack this Summer.
The Squid Sisters 2-Pack will be released on July 8, and it’ll be priced at $24.99. After tapping either of the Amiibo figures to the Wii U GamePad, Callie and Marie will bust out some “squidtastic dance moves” in a series of brand new music videos. More Splatoon figures will be available this Summer as Nintendo will also re-release the Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy, and Inkling Squid Amiibo in new colors on July 8. The Inkling Boy and Inkling Girl will be sold individually for $12.99 apiece, or you can grab all three figures in a special 3-Pack for $34.99.
Believe it or not, Callie and Marie performed their first live show at the Niconico Tokaigi gaming event in Japan. You can get a glimpse of their mind-melting performance after the break. (more…)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered will not be available as a standalone download
The Call of Duty news continues to roll on today, and now we’ve learned that Activision has no plans to sell Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered as a standalone download. According to an FAQ on the publisher’s official website, Modern Warfare Remastered will only be available as an add-on bonus bundled with special edition copies of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare:
6. How can I get Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered is only available through the Legacy, Legacy Pro, and Digital Deluxe editions of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.7. Can I play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered without buying Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare?
No, you must own Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in order to get Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered.
The Legacy, Legacy Pro, and Digital Deluxe Editions of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare are all priced at a $20 premium over the standard edition, so if you want Modern Warfare Remastered, it looks like you’re going to have to pay extra for it. However, the FAQ’s wording doesn’t rule out the possibility that it’ll be available as a standalone download at a later date. But for now, the only way to make sure you receive a copy is to purchase a pricey special edition of Infinite Warfare.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Mighty No. 9 release date is “set in stone” for June 21
After a seemingly neverending series of delays, Keiji Inafune and his team at Comcept have announced that Mighty No. 9 has finally completed development and officially “gone gold.” The side-scrolling platformer, which Inafune designed as a spiritual successor to his long-running Mega Man series, will be released for the PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on June 21. Portable versions for the 3DS and Vita will launch at a later date.
In addition to the release date announcement, Inafune also delivered a message for fans on Mighty No. 9’s Kickstarter page, where he once again apologized for the many delays and confirmed that its June 21 release date is “set in stone.”
Inafune’s complete statement has been reproduced after the break. (more…)