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.

Lucid’s followup to Geometry Wars 3 is an “exciting” arcade action game

Posted on July 7, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Liverpool’s Lucid Games has been very busy in the last three years. Since their founding in 2011, the studio has produced a wide variety of mobile titles (including Grand Theft Auto V‘s iFruit companion app), as well as the Xbox One/Xbox 360 port of Goat Simulator. But they’re perhaps best known as one of the many studios to emerge from the closure of Bizarre Creations. In 2014, Lucid tapped the mathematical knowledge of their founders to create Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, the third entry in the wildly beloved twin-stick shooter series.

On the eve of Geometry Wars 3’s Vita launch, I got the chance to talk with Lucid’s Creative Director, Craig Howard, about the game. In addition to discussing Dimensions, Howard was also eager to talk about the team’s next game. If you’re a fan of the “arcade action” found in Geometry Wars 3, you’ll want to pay close attention to what he said: “Our core console/PC teams are working on a very exciting action game at the moment which will really appeal to a lot of our arcade action fan base. I hope we can announce more details of that game very soon as it’s really exciting.”

Be sure to read the rest of the interview to learn more about the development of Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions. And don’t forget, it’s available to download today from the PlayStation Store for the Vita. The Evolved update is also now available for iOS and Android devices.

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

Interview: Looking at Geometry Wars 3 From All the Angles With Creative Director Craig Howard

Posted on July 7, 2015 by John Scalzo

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I thought the Geometry Wars series had gone dark forever after Bizarre Creations closed its doors in 2011. It was a surprising end for the developer that had created Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, a simple twin-stick shooter that many people consider the first great Xbox 360 game. Retro Evolved was followed by a well-received sequel in 2008, which lead Bizarre’s Craig Howard to admit to the MTV Multiplayer Blog that a third game in the series was already in the works.

Howard moved on after Bizarre’s closure and he’s now the Creative Director at Lucid Games, which teamed up with Activision’s Sierra Games imprint to finally release Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions last year. The game was an instant smash hit was fans of the series, as it expanded the playing field into the third dimension and added a wide variety of new weapons and modes to the franchise’s standard formula. But rather than jump right into Geometry Wars 4, Lucid doubled the size of Dimensions earlier this year with the Evolved expansion. The developer also wanted to take Geometry Wars 3 on the road with portable ports for iOS, Android, and the Vita.

I recently got the chance to talk with Howard about Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, which will be available for the Vita beginning today, and Lucid’s journey to bring the franchise back. (more…)

Posted in Features, Interviews, Mobile, PC, PS3, PS4, Top Story, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Capcom promises “exclusive reveals” for 2015 San Diego Comic-Con… and they’re selling a wearable Mega Man helmet

Posted on July 7, 2015 by John Scalzo

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The San Diego Comic-Con kicks off this weekend and Capcom plans to be in attendance with playable demos of several upcoming games at their booth.

The publisher will give players the chance to try out Resident Evil 0, a remastered version of the franchise’s origin story; Mega Man Legacy Collection, a remastered collection of the Blue Bomber’s 8-bit history; and Street Fighter V, the next entry in the seminal fighting series. Kiosks for a few currently available titles will also line the Capcom booth including Resident Evil Revelations 2, Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition, and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.

Capcom will also host a pair of panels this weekend, including their semi-annual “World of Capcom” panel, which will include an overview of the publisher’s upcoming game schedule. In addition to updates on Street Fighter V and Resident Evil 0, fans should be on the lookout for “exclusive first-looks, reveals, and special surprises.”

Panel: Street Fighter V
Thursday, July 9 at 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM (Room 6BCF)
Capcom’s Street Fighter experts will share the latest news on Street Fighter V, which will include a special guest appearance from Yoshinori Ono (Executive Producer, Street Fighter franchise). Learn how you can earn big money and everlasting fame by competing in the Capcom Pro Tour culminating in the Capcom Cup Finals later this year. Plus, get a first look at all the must-have Street Fighter licensed goods in store for the rest of the year.

Panel: World of Capcom
Thursday, July 9 at 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Room 7AB)
The Capcom team will share the latest updates on all the new and upcoming Capcom games including Street Fighter V, Resident Evil 0 and more, plus sneak peeks at all the latest Capcom merchandise and licensing products coming your way soon. There will also be some exclusive first-looks and reveals just for SDCC.

Finally, Capcom will erect a portable version of their Capcom Store, which will be packed the Capcom-iest merchandise around including two differnt light-up Ryu statues, a Street Fighter-branded PS3/PS4 fight stick, Monster Hunter clothing and pillows, and a Mega Man mini-helmet collection. Capcom’s Comic-Con store will give fans the chance to pre-order a life-size Mega Man helmet with working LED lights. And in case you were wondering, yes, you can wear it. Be sure to visit the Capcom-Unity blog for a few pictures of the Mega Man helmet in action.

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , ,

Enhanced “Slayer Edition” of Gauntlet reboot will arrive on PS4 on August 11

Posted on July 7, 2015 by John Scalzo

Arrowhead’s Gauntlet reboot will finally make its way to consoles next month as Gauntlet: Slayer Edition. The Slayer Edition will be available to download through the PlayStation Store beginning on August 11, though players can pre-order the game starting today.

The Warrior, Wizard, Valkyrie, and Elf will make their PS4 debut alongside include “new weapons and abilities, new monster types, additional features that increase team dynamics and strategy, and new gameplay modes.” Arrowhead hopes this enhanced edition of the game will feel brand new even to people who previously played it on the PC. Writing on the PlayStation Blog, Game Director Emil Englund outlined what else players can expect to find in the Slayer Edition:

This time around, we wanted to explore the Heroes and their Abilities more in-depth giving them a bigger toolset for players to explore, as well as a new Game Mode in which to exercise their rights as self-proclaimed monster slayers.

Since Hero Equipment plays a larger role now, we have reworked the loadout mechanic so that it can be done by four players simultaneously and regardless of game mode.

For the story campaign we wanted to give the feeling that you are descending deeper and deeper into the Gauntlet, while at the same time giving players more control over level selection. We have also pushed the differences in each environment more, increasing variation both visually and in monster encounters.

It’s currently unknown if the Gauntlet: Slayer Edition will ever make it to the Xbox One.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth coming to 3DS, Wii U, Xbox One on July 23

Posted on July 7, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Nicalis has announced (via Twitter) that The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth will be released for the 3DS, Wii U, and Xbox One on July 23…

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth was originally released for the PC, PS4, and Vita on November 4, 2014. It was developed by Edmund McMillen, one half of Team Meat and the co-creator of Super Meat Boy.

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

Video Game Release Calendar Changelog: Post-E3 2015 Update

Posted on July 6, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Don’t Forget! This is just a changelog of recently announced release dates. Warp Zoned’s complete Video Game Release Calendar includes every title we could find with a 2015, 2016, 2017, or unannounced release date.

This year’s E3 Expo was, by almost any measure, one of the biggest ever. It was so big that we’re still sorting through all the announcements, trailers, and gameplay demos. But time marches on and the Video Game Release Calendar Changelog must be updated. So in case you missed them, here’s a few important dates to circle on your calendar:

And that’s just games we can expect to see this year. Even more new release dates from this edition of the Video Game Release Calendar Changelog can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One |

Lab Zero Games announces action RPG Indivisible

Posted on July 6, 2015 by John Scalzo

Lab Zero Games, the team behind Skullgirls, has announced their next project will be an action RPG known as Indivisible:

Indivisible is a new action/RPG IP, starring Ajna (AHZH-na), a girl who sets out on a globe-spanning journey to discover the truth behind her mysterious powers. On her quest she’ll be joined by a variety of unique heroes and gain new abilities to traverse the environments and defeat the enemies they’ll encounter along the way.

According to the developer, Indivisible was inspired by side-scrolling classics such as Valkyrie Profile and Super Metroid. And like Skullgirls, Indivisible will feature hand-drawn 2D art and animation that will serve “a deep storyline inspired by southeast Asian and other world mythologies.” To top it all off, the game’s soundtrack will be composed by Hiroki Kikuta, though you might know him best as the composer behind Secret of Mana.

We’ll learn more about Indivisible in short order as Lab Zero has promised a playable prototype of the game and an Indiegogo campaign to acquire funding will both be available soon.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

New trailer, PS4-exclusive Collector’s Edition revealed for Tales of Zestiria

Posted on July 6, 2015 by John Scalzo

During this weekend’s Anime Expo in Los Angeles, Bandai Namco released a brand new trailer for Tales of Zestiria, which has been embedded above. The publisher also announced that players who opt to purchase the RPG on the PS4 will be able to acquire it as a fully-loaded Collector’s Edition.

Priced at $129.99, the Collector’s Edition will include the following bonus items:

  • Tales of Zestiria Game Disc
  • Serial-Numbered Premium Box Packaging
  • Exclusive SteelBook Game Case
  • Chibi Kyun Chara Figure Set
  • Downloadable Content: Mystic Arte
  • Downloadable Content: Alisha’s Story
  • Hardcover Art Book
  • Three Pixel-Style Character Keychains
  • 40-Minute OVA Anime: “Dawn of the Shepherd” on Blu-ray

The Collector’s Edition of Tales of Zestiria will be available exclusively for the PS4 on October 20. The standard edition will launch on the same day for the PS4, PS3, and PC (Via Steam).

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4 | Tagged