Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Jordan Minor’s “Boss Fight Books: Super Mario Galaxy” is Now Available for Pre-Order
- Angry Birds, Dragon Quest, FIFA Soccer, and Silent Hill are the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
- 2025 GOTY Scoreboard: In Progress
- 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
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- With Grand Theft Auto 6 poised to take over the world, I reached out to Jack Thompson and it did not go well – PC Gamer (2026)
- Vib-Ribbon: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- How a Second-Grade Teacher Revived a Beloved Video Game – The New York Times (2026)
- Spore: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- Diablo IV PC Cooled With Real Human Blood Is Still Going Strong Two Years Later, Says Guy Who Won It – Aftermath (2026)
Author: John Scalzo
Nintendo approached Criterion to create a new F-Zero game for Wii U back in 2011
In 2013, Shigeru Miyamoto famously said that he has “no good ideas” for a new game in the F-Zero franchise. But it looks like the series of false starts that have plagued the franchise actually go back much further than that.
According to Nintendo Life, Nintendo of Europe asked Criterion to pitch a new F-Zero game, which would have been announced during the Wii U’s unveiling at the 2011 E3 Expo. However, because the studio was working on Need For Speed: Most Wanted at the time, they couldn’t commit to producing the playable demo that Nintendo wanted. If Criterion and Nintendo had come to an agreement, the game likely would have been released in November 2012, right around the Wii U’s launch window.
Though Nintendo continues to create every Mario game in-house, these types of partnerships have come to define the company in the GameCube/Wii/Wii U era. In fact, the consolemaker previously partnered with Sega to develop F-Zero GX for the GameCube, the most recent console game in the F-Zero series. An arcade adaptation, F-Zero AX, was also produced by Sega.
Nintendo might be giving more thought to the F-Zero series nowadays as it was resurrected, in a manner of speaking, through Mario Kart 8‘s first downloadable expansion pack. The Legend of Zelda X Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack included F-Zero’s signature racing machine, the Blue Falcon, as well as a new track based on the futuristic Mute City.
Europe is getting a PS4 console with 1 TB hard drive on July 15
Microsoft upped the Xbox One’s storage capacity to 1 TB a few weeks ago and now Sony looks ready to do the same for the PS4… but only in Europe. The PS4 “Ultimate Player Edition” will come packed with a 1 TB hard drive when its released across the pond on July 15. Pricing information wasn’t announced, though the PlayStation Blog Europe says to “check with your local retailer.”
Sony Computer Entertainment America has yet to make an official announcement, but the “Ultimate Player Edition” will likely make its way to North America soon.
Buy an Xbox One this week and get a free game (including Batman: Arkham Knight)
This week only, Microsoft is bundling an additional game with the purchase of any Xbox One console. Rather than limit players to a list of pre-selected titles, the free game offer will extend to every currently-available Xbox One game, including Batman: Arkham Knight (which was released today).
Microsoft’s “Buy An Xbox One, Choose A Game For Free” promotion will expire on Saturday, June 27. More details are available at Major Nelson’s Blog.
Phantom Dust 2 hasn’t been canceled, but it doesn’t have an “active developer” right now
The 2015 E3 Expo may be over, but news continues to pour out of the industry’s showcase event.
Gamertag Radio got the chance to speak to Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft’s Senior Director of Marketing, during the big show and they asked him about the reboot/sequel to Phantom Dust, which was originally announced last year. Greenberg had some bad news, and told the interviewers that the game isn’t currently in development. However, he did stress that it hasn’t been canceled:
“It has been a passion project for Phil [Spencer] and a lot of folks on the team and we are currently exploring what we are going to do longer term with Phantom Dust. The project is not cancelled, but we don’t have an active developer on it right now.”
The Phantom Dust reboot was originally in development at Darkside Games. The studio was forced to close after Microsoft shut down production of Phantom Dust earlier this year.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged E3 2015, Phantom Dust 2
GameStop opens Retro Classics store on their website
GameStop executives first began discussing the retailer’s “vintage sales” initiative back in 2012. After three long years, GameStop has finally opened a Retro Classics storefront on their website, offering games that originally appeared on the NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64, Genesis, PlayStation, and Dreamcast.
But you better bust open your piggy bank, because most of these games will set you back a fair bit of coin.
Some of the “Featured” titles include games available through the Nintendo eShop for under $10, such as Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! for $34.99, Super Castlevania IV for $44.99, and Contra III: The Alien Wars for $49.99. But there are also some relatively rare titles for sale including PaRappa the Rapper for $34.99, Mega Man Legends for $34.99, and Intelligent Qube for $49.99. None of these titles are available as legal downloads, but that could change at any time.
So remember kinds, retro gaming is great, but don’t forget to shop around.
Tom Happ says Axiom Verge will probably be released for Wii U in 2016
Axiom Verge is currently only available on the PS4 and PC, but that will likely be changing in 2016. Tom Happ recently stopped by the comments section at Destructoid to say that the game will “probably” be available for the Wii U sometime in 2016:
I can’t commit to anything, but Axiom Verge will *probably* be available for Wii U in 2016. 3DS is quite a bit more difficult since the hardware is so completely different. Should Nintendo be reading this and decide to lend me a hand, that’d be VERY appreciated!!
Again, note the “probably” and the “I can’t commit to anything” just in front of it. Axiom Verge appearing on the Wii U in 2016 sounds like far from a done deal, but it also sounds like the game will appear on the platform eventually.
In the more immediate future, Axiom Verge will be released for the Vita sometime this year.
Posted in News, Wii U
Tagged Axiom Verge
First Tales of Berseria Japanese-language trailer released by Bandai Namco
Gamers got their first look at the next entry in the Tales series, Tales of Berseria, over the weekend when Bandai Namco released the game’s first Japanese-language trailer.
As of right now, there’s not much to go on. The trailer cuts through a number of different locales including a wintry village, a sunny beach, a dense forest, and the high seas. The final image before the title card is that of a determined-looking dark-haired woman.
Tales of Berseria is currently in development for the PS4 and PS3, though a North American/European launch date hasn’t been announced. However, Bandai Namco has a good reason, it doesn’t have a release date in Japan either.
Posted in News, PS3, PS4
Tagged Tales of Berseria
Weekly Warp-Up: The A-Z of E3 2015
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…
It’s time to put a lid on yet another E3 Expo. But this year’s show wasn’t an ordinary E3, it was a like a fan-fiction version of the big show where fans got everything they ever wanted including a Final Fantasy VII remake, The Last Guardian, Shenmue III, Earthbound Beginnings (AKA Mother), Gears of War 4, a Rare compilation including Battletoads and Conker, something new from Rare, and on and on and on. I still feel like I missed something after an entire week of E3-mania.
That said, our own Andrew Rainnie has some advice for Nintendo after their lackluster showing in his editorial, 5 Things Nintendo Needs to Hear After Negative E3 Reaction. But there isn’t anything negative to say about the Nindies@Home offer, that was brilliant.
Anyway, our annual alphabetical rundown of everything E3-related is available after the break. (more…)