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.

Gonna Fly Now! Little Mac joins Super Smash Bros. 4

Posted on February 14, 2014 by John Scalzo

After taking out Mike Tyson, putting Mr. Dream to sleep, bashing Nick Bruiser, and saying night-night to Mr. Sandman, Little Mac has made quite the name for himself in the World Video Boxing Association. Naturally, he needs a new challenge, so he’s gonna fly now to Super Smash Bros. 4 for the 3DS and Wii U.

Super Smash Bros. 4 still doesn’t have a release date, but with the inclusion of Little Mac (and Mega Man), it now has my pre-order money.

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

The Evil Within will scare you silly on August 26

Posted on February 14, 2014 by John Scalzo

theevilwithin-logoBethesda has announced that Shinji Mikami’s return to horror, The Evil Within, will be released on August 26. Not only does The Evil Within mark Mikami’s return to the survival horror genre, but it also echoes the haunted house shenanigans of his first hit, Resident Evil:

While investigating the scene of a gruesome mass murder, Detective Sebastian Castellanos and his partners encounter a mysterious and powerful force. After seeing the slaughter of fellow officers, Sebastian is ambushed and knocked unconscious. When he awakens, he finds himself in a deranged world where hideous creatures wander among the dead. Facing unimaginable terror, and fighting for survival, Sebastian embarks on a frightening journey to unravel what’s behind this evil force.

The Evil Within is in development at Mikami’s new studio, Tango Gameworks, for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

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

GOG.com and EA are giving away the original Dungeon Keeper for free

Posted on February 14, 2014 by John Scalzo

EAlogoTo put it charitably, EA’s launch of the mobile version of Dungeon Keeper has been a bit of a disaster. But it looks like the company is ready to make amends. This weekend, they’re teaming up with GOG.com to give away free copies of the original PC game, Dungeon Keeper Gold. Whether this is their mea culpa for tarnishing a beloved franchise with excessive in-app purchases or just a canny way to promote the mobile game, I can’t say. But hey, free game!

Beginning today, all you have to do is visit GOG’s homepage and click the “Get It Now!” button on the “Dungeon Keeper For Free” banner. That’s it. But don’t dawdle, the offer expires on Sunday, February 16 at 6:00 AM.

The Dungeon Keeper giveaway is part of GOG’s Valentine’s Day promotion that focuses on “titles that can be played with-or against-a gamer’s favorite Player 2.” The Valentine’s Day sale slashes the price on 29 games including Dungeon Keeper 2 ($1.49), the rebooted Rise of the Triad ($2.99), Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition ($1.19), System Shock 2 ($1.49), and many more.

So go get your sweetheart some games this weekend… they’re definitely better than Candy Hearts.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

Nintendo Download (Part 2): Steel Diver: Sub Wars, Inazuma Eleven

Posted on February 13, 2014 by John Scalzo

Now we know why this week’s Nintendo Download felt a little light. Apparently, Nintendo wanted to save a pair of 3DS games until after the first Nintendo Direct presentation of the year. But now that President Satoru Iwata has given his speech, the publisher is ready to reveal…

  • Steel Diver: Sub Wars, a sequel to a very interesting 3DS launch game and Nintendo’s first free-to-play game.
  • Inazuma Eleven, Level-5’s wacky soccer RPG, which is already a hit in Japan and Europe.

Are you interested in either of these titles? Then I recommend reading more about them after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged

CoD: Ghosts is the best-selling game of the month for the third straight month

Posted on February 13, 2014 by John Scalzo

callofdutyghosts-header

The results are in and, according to The NPD Group, Call of Duty: Ghosts is once again the best-selling game of the preceding four weeks. After reigning supreme during November and December, the military shooter has emerged victorious against a particularly weak January release slate.

In fact, the only other new release in this month’s top ten is the “Definitive Edition” of Tomb Raider, which, along with sales of the “Game of the Year Edition” on the PS3/Xbox 360, helped Lara Croft’s latest adventure take the #10 spot.

Post-Christmas gift cards likely played a role in determining January’s biggest moneymakers as many of 2013’s biggest games staked out the remaining eight spots. NBA 2K14, lead by a strong performance on the PS4, landed at #2 and Battlefield 4, despite its continued online woes, was the #3 best-selling game of the month. And what about the next-generation consoles? Well, the NPD revealed that the PS4 is currently the #1 next-generation console in the US with the Xbox One close behind.

A complete look at last month’s top ten best-selling games can be found after the break. (more…)

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

The Koopalings join Mario Kart 8 as Nintendo announces May 30 release date

Posted on February 13, 2014 by John Scalzo

Mario Kart 8 will add hover-karts and anti-gravity tracks to the Mario Kart formula, but it’ll also include something else never-before-seen in the series before: All seven Koopalings.

That’s right… Iggy, Larry, Lemmy, Ludwig, Morton, Roy, and Wendy will all join the race alongside their papa, Bowser. Their inclusion balloons the game’s cast to 24 characters, one of the largest ever in the series. And there’s no indication that Nintendo is done adding characters before Mario Kart 8’s release.

Oh, and speaking of Mario Kart 8’s release date, Nintendo also announced that the game will be available in stores and on the Wii U eShop on May 30.

Posted in News, Wii U | Tagged

The Last of Us, GTA5 lead 2014 BAFTA nominees

Posted on February 13, 2014 by John Scalzo

baftagameThe nominees for the 2014 BAFTA Awards have been announced and… drumroll please… The Last of Us and Grand Theft Auto V both racked up a ton of nominations.

Both games will be competing for the coveted “Best Game” award against Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Tearaway, Super Mario 3D World, and Papers Please. Due to its British origins, GTA5 is also competing in the “British Game” category against Tearaway, The Room Two, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Gunpoint, and DMC: Devil May Cry.

In addition to “Best Game,” The Last of Us was nominated for nine awards including “Artistic Achievement,” “Audio Achievement,” “Game Design,” “Original Music,” “Story,” “Action and Adventure,” and “Multiplayer.” Two “Performer” nominations (one each for Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson) round out the game’s honors. As for GTA5, it received seven additional nominations including “Audio Achievement,” “Game Design,” “Game Innovation,” “Story,” “Action and Adventure,” “Multiplayer,” and “Performer” (for Steven Ogg as Trevor Phillips).

The 2014 BAFTA Awards will be awarded on Wednesday, March 12. The complete list of nominees can be found after the break. (more…)

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

Let the latest Bayonetta 2 trailer bewitch you

Posted on February 13, 2014 by John Scalzo

“I’m on my way. Just behave yourself for a bit longer.”

Nintendo and Platinum Games still haven’t settled on a final release date for Bayonetta 2. The Wii U-exclusive sequel will be released sometime this year but “TBA 2014” is all we get for now. However, that hasn’t stopped Platinum from releasing the beautiful new trailer above as part of today’s Nintendo Direct presentation. I will behave, Bayonetta, I will behave.

On the other hand, Captain Reynolds would be so disappointed in me if I did.

Posted in News, Wii U | Tagged