Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books Gets 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
- Silent Hill, Dragon Quest, Skyrim, and More Announced as Finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
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
Tony Hawk’s Shred Session officially announced for mobile devices
Back in February, Activision confirmed that the virtual version of Tony Hawk would return to video games sometime this year. Now, they’ve officially confirmed that Tony Hawk’s Shred Session will be available for iOS and Android devices this Summer.
When it’s release, Shred Session will include two very different gameplay modes. “Survival” turns the Tony Hawk series into an endless skater that requires players to swipe and tap to pull off continuous tricks and combos for as long as they can. Meanwhile, “Shred Sessions” offers a more traditional Tony Hawk experience, asking players to complete classic objectives and rack up the highest score possible.
Tony Hawk, who is almost 50 years old, said that he is “stoked that Activision shares [his] vision for an original skateboarding game on mobile.” He is also looking forward to “[evolving] with new technologies” and taking Shred Session in a “whole new direction.”
Even with its smaller stature, Tony Hawk’s Shred Session will include a host of customization options including multiple pro skaters (Chris Cole, Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, Lizzie Armanto, David Gonzalez, Riley Hawk, and Tony Hawk), real skate brand apparel, and deck designs that bestow bonus points upon your tricks.
Posted in Mobile, News
Tagged Tony Hawk's Shred Session
Activision unveils Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare trailer a bit early after leak
Activision was all set to unveil Call of Duty 2014 on Sunday, May 4. But late last night, the trailer found its way onto the Internet (specifically, Destructoid), so Activision sped up their timetable.
The next Call of Duty game will be titled Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and it will star Kevin Spacey as a private military contractor who is attempting to take over the world. To do that, Spacey’s character has outfitted his troops with power armor, cloaking devices, Spider-Man-esque climbing gloves, hoverbikes, portable bulletproof walls, and other futuristic weaponry.
Activision trademarked the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare name in 2010 (along with Future Warfare and Space Warfare), so it good to see them finally doing something with it. The game is in development at Sledgehammer Games and will be released on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One (with possibly more platforms to come) on November 4.
Call of Duty 2014 to focus on private military contractors; full reveal set for Sunday
Activision has confirmed that the next Call of Duty game, the Sledgehammer-developed Call of Duty 2014, will be fully unveiled on Sunday, May 4. Aside from a single image, the game has been kept heavily under wraps. But a teaser video posted to the franchise’s official YouTube channel has confirmed that Call of Duty 2014 will focus on a private military corporation (PMC) takeover of the United States.
To promote the reveal, Activision has partnered with Vice to produce a mini-expose on PMCs, which is embedded above. The video takes a very dim view of PMCs, so it will be interesting to see how the game’s story will handle PMCs and the soldiers that work for them.
Call of Duty 2014 will be released this November and is in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The game is also likely in development for the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U as well, but we won’t know for sure until Sunday.
Nintendo Download: Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Mario Golf 3DS, Mega Man Xtreme, more
It’s a big week for the Nintendo as Mega Man makes May mega and two major 3DS games get added to the service.
Capcom is promoting the month of May as “Mega May” as they plan to add five Game Boy titles starring the Blue Bomber to the 3DS eShop. The first game out of the gate is Mega Man Xtreme, the first Game Boy Color game to star the character. But if you’re looking for something new for your 3DS, today also marks the release of Picross E4, the latest game in Nintendo’s puzzle series. Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Mario Golf: World Tour, the first game in both franchises to make it to the 3DS, will both be available tomorrow. Over on the Wii U, Stick It To the Man, a puzzle platformer, is available to download today.
More details on all of these games (as well as a few more 3DS and Wii U releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Mario Golf: World Tour
Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes flies high this Fall
It’s official, the next addition to the Disney Infinity franchise will feature Marvel characters.
Thanks to yesterday’s big announcement, we now know that Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes will be released for the PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One this Fall. A special edition of the game will also be available for iOS devices. Figures depicting Iron Man, Thor, and Black Widow will be included with the PC/console Starter Pack, with a promise of many more to come. From the game’s debut trailer we know that the rest of The Avengers (Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk, and Nick Fury) will be part of the game’s initial lineup as well as Loki, MODOK, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, The Green Goblin, and Spider-Man. In all, Disney plans to release 20 figures in the first wave after the game’s launch.
Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes will be backwards compatible with all characters and power discs previously available for Disney Infinity. But Marvel Super Heroes (which Disney is calling the “2.0 Edition”) will also include a brand new storyline (penned by comics legend Brian Michael Bendis) and an easier-to-use Toy Box mode. Best of all, the new locations in Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes will be much larger than those found in the first Disney Infinity because now characters can fly.
XBL Store Today: Child of Light
Ubisoft’s side-scrolling RPG, Child of Light, is today’s addition to the Xbox Live Game Store (and pretty much every other platform under the sun). It’s available for the Xbox One and the Xbox 360 and has been priced at $14.99 for both platforms. You can read more about Child of Light right here:
Xbox One Games
Child of Light ($14.99)
Child of Light is a coming-of-age story about a young girl named Aurora from 1895 Austria who wakes up to find herself on the lost fairytale continent of Lemuria. To get home she must fight against the dark creatures of the Queen of the Night, who have stolen the sun, the moon and the stars.Xbox 360 Games
Child of Light ($14.99)
The Black Queen has stolen the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. You play as Aurora, a young princess with a pure heart whose soul is brought to the kingdom of Lemuria. Embark on a quest to recapture the three sources of light, defeat the Black Queen and restore the kingdom of Lemuria.
Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Child of Light
Mario Kart 8 Wii U Bundle and free game offer announced
Nintendo really wants to make it worth your while to purchase Mario Kart 8. If you already own a Wii U and you purchase the next kart racer starring Mario and all his friends, you’ll be entitled to a free download of one of four Wii U games: New Super Mario Bros. U, Pikmin 3, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD or Wii Party U.
However, if you don’t own a Wii U, starting May 30, you can purchase one as part of a Mario Kart 8 Bundle (priced at $329.99) that includes the console, the game, a Wii Wheel, and a Mario Red Wii Remote Plus. A free download of New Super Mario Bros. U, Pikmin 3, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD or Wii Party U is also included with the console bundle.
If you still need convincing, Nintendo hopes a closer look at the game will make you push that pre-order button. The publisher has posted video walkthroughs of all 32 tracks (and all eight Battle Arenas) on Mario Kart 8’s official website.
This is all on top of the news that the game will be adding two more characters (Pink Gold Peach and Baby Rosalina) and several new items. The Super Horn pushes away nearby drivers and any projectiles sent flying your way (including the dreaded Blue Shell) while the Crazy Eight is “a swirl of eight different items that lucky players can use one by one.”
You can check out the newly announced drivers and items in the trailer above. And don’t forget, Mario Kart 8 will be available exclusively for the Wii U on May 30.
Posted in News, Wii U
Tagged Mario Kart 8
Movie Mario Bob Hoskins has died at age 71
The BBC is reporting that Bob Hoskins, the man who brought “Mario Mario” to life in 1993’s Super Mario Bros. movie and played Eddie Valiant in 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, has died at the age of 71. Hoskins had been battling Parkinson’s Disease since 2012 and his agent said he died of pneumonia on Tuesday, “surrounded by family.”
John “Luigi Mario” Leguizamo wrote in his autobiography, Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas, and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends, that he and Hoskins bonded on the Super Mario Bros. set by drinking copious amounts of alcohol and laughing about how stupid the whole thing was. Hoskins had a few other choice words about his most-hated role for The Guardian in 2007:
“The worst thing I ever did? Super Mario Bros. It was a f*****’ nightmare. The whole experience was a nightmare. It had a husband-and-wife team directing, whose arrogance had been mistaken for talent. After so many weeks their own agent told them to get off the set! F*****’ nightmare. F*****’ idiots.”
Our thoughts go out to Hoskins’ family and friends.