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.

Mortal Kombat X will not include platform-specific characters

Posted on December 11, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Trolling Twitter is practically Ed Boon’s full-time job. The Creative Director of NetherRealm Studios (you know, his actual full-time job) has been dropping hints about platform-specific characters coming to Mortal Kombat X on the social media service for quite a while now. A few months ago, the online scuttlebutt said that The Predator would be playable in the game while Twisted Metal‘s Sweet Tooth became the guest du jour just before the PlayStation Experience.

But Shaun Himmerick, the game’s Executive Producer, put the kibosh on his boss’s teasing by telling Hardcore Gamer that Mortal Kombat X will not include platform-specific characters:

Hardcore Gamer: Which brings me to a good followup question, are there any plans for platform-specific characters like Kratos in Mortal Kombat 9?

Himmerick: We have no platform exclusive characters planned for MKX.

Obviously, anything could happen between now and the game’s April 2015 launch date. But as of today, don’t expect to base your PC vs Xbox 360/Xbox One vs PS3/PS4 purchasing decision on which platform has the coolest exclusive character.

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Xbox Store Today: Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Juju

Posted on December 10, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Lara Croft will make her debut as an Xbox-exclusive character in next year’s Rise of the Tomb Raider, but first she’ll star in Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (Xbox One), which is available on the Xbox Games Store today. A sequel to 2010’s Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Lara’s second isometric multiplayer puzzler ups the number of players to four and features a whole new cast of characters in a brand new tomb. Also available today is Juju, a colorful side-scrolling platformer for the Xbox 360.

More details about both games can be found below:

Xbox One Games

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris ($19.99)
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. This all-new adventure takes place in the Temple of Osiris, hidden deep in the deserts of Egypt. Lara Croft arrives at the temple, hoping to be the first inside, but rival treasure hunter Carter Bell has beaten her to the entrance. They each seek the Staff of Osiris, but they discover more than they bargained for. Upon entering the tomb, Carter removes the mythical Staff from its resting place and inadvertently triggers a trap cursing them both and unleashing the evil god Set. But the staff also awakens the gods Horus and Isis, the son and wife of Osiris. Now free from their ancient prison, they join forces with Lara and Carter in order to resurrect Osiris, the only god capable of removing the curse.

Xbox 360 Games

Juju ($14.99)
Journey with the shaman panda, Juju, and his lizard sidekick, Peyo, as they embark upon a dangerous and mystical journey to save Juju’s father and the world from an ancient evil. Run, bounce, chant, and battle humongous bosses with a friendor family member in this beautifully animated, lighthearted adventure.

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Sega adds Nightmare and Novice difficulty levels to Alien: Isolation

Posted on December 10, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Creative Assembly has said time and again that the guiding design principle behind Alien: Isolation is that the Xenomorph should be thought of as an unstoppable force of nature that cannot be killed. Instead, the developer went back to the roots of the film franchise and encouraged players to evade the star beast and pray they remain undetected.

But things are about to get much easier for all the Alien: Isolation players out there as Sega and Creative Assembly have made a new “Novice” difficulty level available as part of the game’s latest update. But what if you’re part of the vocal contingent that wants the Xenomorph to be more diabolical and even harder to hide from? You might be interested in the brand new “Nightmare” difficulty level that makes things considerably tougher:

One of the most requested features from fans, Nightmare Mode ramps up the difficulty to a frightening level. Gamers with a strong disposition are challenged to venture into Sevastopol Station with a broken motion tracker featuring a distorted display and unreliable information. Resources are limited, androids and survivors are more deadly and the map systems have gone offline. The Alien AI has been upgraded, ramping up its aggression to punishing levels. It’s more adaptive, learning players’ tactics faster, has heightened senses and will give players no ‘second chance’ encounters. Nightmare Mode is the ultimate Alien experience.

The “Novice” and “Nightmare” difficulty levels are part of a free update that is available today for Alien: Isolation on every platform (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One).

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

Square Enix will release Theatrhythm Dragon Quest in Japan in March 2015

Posted on December 10, 2014 by John Scalzo

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The Theatrhythm series will expand beyond the Final Fantasy franchise next year with the release of Theatrhythm Dragon Quest in Japan. According to the game’s official website, Square Enix will release the next game in their musical RPG battler series for the 3DS on March 26, 2015.

Destructoid decoded the Japanese characters on the page and determined that the first trailer for the game will be released during next weekend’s Jump Festa in Chiba, Japan.

Hopefully, Square Enix will announce an American release date soon.

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is bound for the Vita too

Posted on December 10, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Sierra Games has confirmed that Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions will soon make its Vita debut in the near future. Geometry Wars 3 was developed by Lucid Games and serves as the sequel to the much-loved Geometry Wars 2: Retro Evolved. Released last month for consoles and the PC, Dimensions adds an Adventure Mode campaign, boss battles, companion drones, special weapons, and a variety of new gameplay modes to the Geometry Wars formula.

That’s all we know for now, but Sierra has promised that more information will be available soon.

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20th Anniversary PS4 consoles going for $20,000+ on eBay

Posted on December 10, 2014 by John Scalzo

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It might be an understatement to say that the launch of Sony’s 20th Anniversary Edition PlayStation 4 console has been a bit of a mess. Only 12,300 consoles were produced and each region can set their own distribution rules for the system. In Spain, Sony will auction off their allotment of consoles with the proceeds going to charity. And according to Kotaku UK, 94 Anniversary Edition consoles were sold this weekend at a small “pop-up shop” for £19.94 each (about $31).

However, things worked a bit differently in America. A good portion of North America’s allotment were handed out to attendees of last weekend’s PlayStation Experience at random. That makes perfect sense. Sony should be rewarding their most fervent fans with a Limited Edition console. And a random lottery is the most fair system. However, the remaining stock were sold online with no warning through a website that couldn’t handle the load. There was no lottery and it was first come, first serve, and hope the server doesn’t crash. Naturally, this has lead to insane bidding wars over at eBay.

Over on the auction site, 20th Anniversary Edition PS4 consoles are selling for as much as $20,000. That’s the most ridiculous ending bid, but other bidders shelled out between $2,000 and $15,000 to own a piece of PlayStation history.

Actually, the most ridiculous thing might be that what each of these bidders are actually buying are email confirmations from Sony for a 20th Anniversary Edition “Pre-Order Receipt.” The actual consoles aren’t available for shipping just yet.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

Lara Croft: Temple of Osiris, Suikoden II, Game of Thrones: Ep1 PS3, more added to PS Store

Posted on December 10, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Some of the last major releases of 2014 are now available on the PlayStation Store, but a PSone-era re-release is stealing the spotlight away from them. Konami’s Suikoden II is one of the rarest games in the PSone’s entire library, with copies fetching more than $100 for resellers. But now the well-regarded RPG is available to anyone with a PS3 or Vita for $9.99. Maybe there’s something to be said for this digital future.

Also available this week is Square Enix’s isometric multiplayer puzzle platformer, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris. The PS4 game is a sequel to 2010’s Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. And after launching for the PS4 last week, Telltale has released their first Game of Thrones adaptation, Game of Thrones: Iron From Ice, on the PS3.

More information on all of these games (and a few others) can be found after the break. And a complete rundown of this week’s new game add-ons and temporary discounts can be found at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)

Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita | Tagged ,

MLB 15: The Show slides home on March 31 with Yasiel Puig on the cover

Posted on December 9, 2014 by John Scalzo

Sony’s MLB: The Show series is the only game in town when it comes to baseball simulations and the publisher has announced that MLB 15: The Show will be released for the PS3, PS4, and Vita on March 31, 2015. Yasiel Puig, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ eccentric outfielder, will serve as the game’s cover athlete.

According to the PlayStation Blog, MLB 15: The Show will have “enhanced visuals, new gameplay features, and an improved online experience” over previous editions of the game. And in a first for the franchise, MLB 15 will include licensed equipment just like the pros use.

You can check out the game’s debut trailer above, as well as a behind-the-scenes video with Puig after the break. (more…)

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