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
New trailer reveals Xenoblade Chronicles X will launch on December 4
As part of their flurry of E3 announcements, Nintendo has announced that Xenoblade Chronicles X will be released in North America on December 4, 2015. A new trailer for Monolith Soft’s science fiction saga is also available, and its been embedded above. If you’re unfamiliar with the RPG franchise, here’s what you can expect, courtesy of Nintendo:
Amid an intergalactic war between aliens and human survivors, players fight for survival while exploring the massive expanses of an unknown planet. Weaponized mechs called “Skells” let players access every location they see. Players also can customize a lethal skill set of combat and defensive skills, called Arts, to strengthen their strategies and defeat enemies efficiently.
Monolith Soft considers Xenoblade Chronicles X a spiritual successor to 2012’s Xenoblade Chronicles, which was released for the Wii in North America after an outpouring of fan requests.
Posted in News, Wii U
Tagged E3 2015, Xenoblade Chronicles X
Super Mario Maker will ship with pre-made courses including the four from NWC 2015
Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka stopped by the Nintendo Treehouse Live set yesterday to talk about Super Mario Maker and the two legendary developers dropped a few big Bob-Ombs.
First, they said that players won’t be able to upload every course they create. Don’t worry, Nintendo isn’t putting any restrictions on what kinds of courses you can create in Super Mario Maker. But they are requiring that you can beat your own course before you upload it for the world. “It’s only fair,” said Tezuka.
But the big news is that the four ridiculously insane courses created for the 2015 Nintendo World Championships, along with other pre-built courses, will be included in Super Mario Maker:
Mr. Miyamoto & Mr. Tezuka just announced that the 4 #SuperMarioMaker courses from #NWC2015 will be in the game! pic.twitter.com/po3pHlHQ4C
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 17, 2015
Super Mario Maker will be released for the Wii U on September 11.
Posted in News, Wii U
Tagged E3 2015, Super Mario Maker
Guitar Hero Live is coming October 20; Here’s your first look at GHTV
Here it is, your first momentous look at Guitar Hero Live‘s GHTV mode. Are you ready? Here it comes…
Wait, it’s just a Guitar Hero note highway overlaid on top of a music video. The list of available music videos will be periodically updated and players can opt to play individual songs or a themed series of videos. That’s exactly how Activision said GHTV would work when the game was announced a few months ago.
OK, Guitar Hero Live’s E3 2015 trailer is a bit of a bust, but we did also learn that the game will be released on October 20 for the PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and “select mobile devices.” If you’re thinking of pre-ordering Guitar Hero Live, you might also be interested to know that Activision has partnered with Avenged Sevenfold to create exclusive bonus content for fans of the rhythm game franchise. Prospective pre-order purchasers of the game will receive access to a playable concert performance featuring the heavy metal band in Guitar Hero Live’s GHTV mode. More information is available at GuitarHero.com/bonus.
Guitar Hero Live is in development at FreeStyleGames, the same studio that was responsible for DJ Hero and DJ Hero 2.
PS Store Today: Payday 2 Crimewave Edition, Nova 2001
We interrupt your regularly scheduled E3 extravaganza to bring you this week’s PlayStation Store update.
Just two games were added to Sony’s digital storefront today. First up is Overkill’s Payday 2: Crimewave Edition, an enhanced PS4 port of their heist simulator sequel, which was originally released for the PS3 in 2013. Also available this week is Nova 2001, an arcade shooter from 1983, and the latest addition to the Arcade Archives series.
Look below for more information on both games and don’t forget to visit the PlayStation Blog for a rundown of this week’s new game add-ons and discounts.
PS4 Games
Payday 2: Crimewave Edition ($49.99)
Payday 2: Crimewave Edition is an action-packed, four-player co-op shooter where you rob banks and get paid. The Crimewave Edition includes an enhanced graphic engine. Up to four friends cooperate on the hits and as the crew progresses the jobs become bigger, better, and more rewarding. Rebuilt visuals bring heisting into 1080p resolution. See every bank note fly & feel every bullet blast past your head in full HD.Nova 2001 ($7.99)
Nova 2001 is a shooting game that was released from the UPL in 1983.
Players control a fighter which can shoots in all directions. Its main purpose is to continue to defeat a variety of enemies that appear in each stage.
Square Enix will release Project Setsuna for consoles in 2016
Square Enix has announced the formation of Tokyo RPG Factory, a new internal team that is dedicated to creating Japanese RPGs. Their first project is the mysterious Project Setsuna, which will be released for unnamed consoles in 2016. Project Setsuna is currently being kept under lock and key by Square Enix, but the publisher did release a few pieces of concept art for the game. The storybook-like visuals can be seen after the break.
“RPGs are a major part of the Square Enix legacy, including Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts,” said Yosuke Matsuda, the President of Square Enix. “RPG fans from all over the world have supported us along the years. To keep creating incredible new RPG titles, we started Project Setsuna and it is developed by Tokyo RPG Factory, a newly established studio for the project.”
Square Enix plans to release more information about Project Setsuna later this year. (more…)
Posted in News
Tagged E3 2015, I Am Setsuna
Destiny expands again with The Taken King on September 15
Activision and Bungie will continue to expand the world of Destiny this Fall with Destiny: The Taken King for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Available September 15, The Taken King will add “an all-new campaign, three new Guardian subclasses, a massive arsenal of new armor, weapons and exotics, new Strikes and Crucible maps, a new Raid that will put players to the ultimate test, and more.” PS3 and PS4 players will also receive exclusive early access to an additional Crucible map, Strike, three sets of gear, and an exotic weapon.
So where will this new campaign take players? Here’s what Activision had to say:
Oryx, The Taken King has arrived in our solar system, bringing with him a corrupted army to exact revenge on the Guardians who destroyed his son, Crota, and to consume our worlds. Arm yourself with newfound abilities, weapons, and gear. Defeat the Taken hordes. Make your way aboard the Dreadnaught, and face Oryx himself within his inner sanctum.
For players who have yet to dive in to the world of Destiny, Activision and Bungie will release a special Legendary Edition of the game which will include Destiny, Expansion I: The Dark Below, Expansion II: House of Wolves, and The Taken King. A special Collector’s Edition of Destiny: Legendary Edition, packed with bonus items and in-game content, will also be available. More information on the Collector’s Edition can be found at Destiny’s official website.
Finally, Bungie has released a new behind-the-scenes video that goes deeper into The Taken King. You can find it after the break. (more…)
Another Super Mario Maker trailer reveals September 11 release date and Amiibo support
Nintendo already gave us an amazing look at what’s possible in Super Mario Maker during the final round of this year’s Nintendo World Championships. But that didn’t stop them from releasing another trailer for the Wii U game, which showcases a ton of even crazier Mario moments.
For example, towards the end of the trailer, you see a a person tapping a Link Amiibo figure. Rather than give Mario a Link costume or something silly like that, the Amiibo literally drops Link into the game. These “Mystery Mushroom” characters can be unlocked for a number of other Amiibo figures including Kirby and Wii Fit Trainer. But don’t worry, all of the characters will be available without Amiibo assistance if you complete their corresponding “100 Mario Challenge” in the game.
An additional pair of 30th Anniversary Amiibo figures will be available alongside the game. Depicting Mario in all his pixelated glory, the Classic Mario and Modern Mario figures (sold separately) will unlock a Big Mushroom to allow in-game Mario to go stomping through a level as an unstoppable giant.
Finally, each copy of the game will include a 100-page book with tips and tricks “that illustrate the boundless possibilities” in the game. All courses created in the game will be shareable online, and I can’t wait to see what people come up with when Super Mario Maker is released exclusively for the Wii U on September 11.
Posted in News, Wii U
Tagged E3 2015, Super Mario Maker
Star Fox Zero slips out on the Wii U this Fall
It’s Nintendo’s turn to deliver a massive batch of new game announcements in this already ridiculously packed E3 season and the consolemaker has delivered with our first extended look at Star Fox Wii U… now known as Star Fox Zero. While you might assume that “Zero” means the game is a prequel, you’d be wrong. Apparently, Shigeru Miyamoto just likes how the kanji for “Zero” looks and considers Star Fox Zero “its own thing.”
In Star Fox Zero, players will experience a pretty typical-looking Star Fox game on their televisions, but if they look down at the Wii U GamePad, they’ll get a close-in “cockpit view” for precision aiming. But that cockpit won’t be limited to just an Arwing. With the push of a button, players will be able to transform their craft into a Landmaster Tank, a chicken-like Walker, or a drone-like Gyrowing.
A trailer for Star Fox Zero, which is being co-developed by Platinum Games, has been embedded above. And don’t worry, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy are all coming back to do a barrel roll with Fox.
Posted in News, Wii U
Tagged E3 2015, Star Fox Zero