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.

Capcom will release Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate for 3DS in early 2015

Posted on January 29, 2014 by John Scalzo

Capcom has announced that they will bring Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate to the 3DS in early 2015. MH4 Ultimate is an enhanced and expanded re-release of Monster Hunter 4, which was released in Japan in September. The Japanese version of Ultimate, which is known as Monster Hunter 4G, will be released in its home country this Fall.

To help get western fans excited for MH4 Ultimate, Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto has created the above video and revealed a few details about the game. With MH4 Ultimate, Capcom wants to “evolve the series in a new direction” by including more vertical movement and “more multiplayer options than ever before.” In a first for the series, those options will include local wireless play and online muliplayer.

Capcom has promised more details about Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate will be revealed soon.

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged

Nintendo President cuts salary in wake of poor Wii U sales

Posted on January 29, 2014 by John Scalzo

Nintendo’s President, Satoru Iwata, has already apologized to shareholders for the poor sales performance of the Wii U in 2013. But now the beleaguered executive is going one step further and slashing his salary to atone for Nintendo’s overly optimistic Wii U sales forecast.

Iwata will take a 50% reduction in his salary for the next six months. At that time, if Nintendo is still hurting financially, Iwata said he may continue to discount his salary through the Summer and beyond. Other members of Nintendo’s Board of Directors, including legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, will also reduce their salaries by 20 to 30 percent.

This isn’t the first time Iwata has cut his salary to save face in front of investors. In 2011, poor sales of the 3DS also forced Iwata to take a 50% pay cut.

[Source: AFP]

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U |

XBL Store Today: Tomb Raider Xbox One, Rekoil, Hot Wheels: World’s Best Driver

Posted on January 29, 2014 by John Scalzo

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After taking a few weeks off for Christmas and New Year’s, Microsoft is back with another Xbox Live Game Store update.

Today, Xbox One owners can download Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, the ultimate version of Lara Croft’s latest adventure. Also available today is Rekoil: Liberator, an arena shooter for the Xbox Live Arcade, and Hot Wheels: World’s Best Driver, a new Hot Wheels racing game downloadable through the Xbox 360 Games on Demand service.

More details on this trio of games can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Bethesda unveils Elder Scrolls Online Imperial Edition, new cinematic trailer

Posted on January 29, 2014 by John Scalzo

elderscrollsonline-imperialeditionA few days ago, Bethesda announced an impressive voice cast for The Elder Scrolls Online. Today, they’ve unveiled an equally impressive special edition for the game.

The “Imperial Edition” will be available in both digital and physical formats. The $79.99 Digital Edition will feature a variety of in-game gear including:

  • Play as an Imperial: Become an Imperial and play in any Alliance. Gain unique bonuses, crafting styles, gear, and more.
  • White Imperial Horse: Summon this Imperial mount and journey through Tamriel with speed.
  • Mudcrab Vanity Pet: Explore Tamriel with a mudcrab pet scuttling along by your side.
  • Rings of Mara: Complete the Ritual of Mara with a friend and receive an experience bonus when you play together.

The Physical Edition has been priced slightly higher, $99.99, but it will include all the Digital Edition content as well as several goodies you can touch and feel:

  • Molag Bal Statue: A 12” statue featuring Molag Bal, Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement.
  • The Improved Emperor’s Guide to Tamriel: A 224-page illustrated guide annotated by the Imperial scholar, Flaccus Terentius.
  • Physical Map of Tamriel: A 21” x 26” printed map detailing Alliance-controlled zones and the ultimate conquest: Cyrodiil.
  • Steelbook Packaging: A limited edition steel case decorated in the color of the Imperials.

Players who pre-order either edition (or the $59.99 Standard Edition) will also receive the Explorer’s Pack, a special bit of DLC that includes a Scuttler vanity pet, four bonus treasure maps, the ability to play as any of the nine races in any Alliance, and five days of Early Access ahead of the game’s April 4 launch. The Elders Scrolls Online will also be available for the PS4 and Xbox One in June.

And if you’re desperate for more ESO, we’ve got a brand new cinematic trailer, “The Arrival,” after the break. (more…)

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

Tomb Raider PS4, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z, more added to PS Store

Posted on January 29, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Two big games were added to the PlayStation Store yesterday, perfect for fans of big fighting and big adventure.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition brings Lara Croft’s latest adventure to the PS4, enhanced with all the latest technology that the next-generation system can muster. And Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z for the PS3 and Vita is a multiplayer brawler and the latest game in the Dragon Ball series of game adaptations. But sorry, there’s no Cross-Buy option.

Also available this week are a trio of PSone/PS2 Classics: Mark Davis Pro Bass Challenge, a PS2 fishing game; Cyber Sled, a futuristic vehicle fighter originally for the PSone, and The Firemen 2: Pete & Danny, a PSone firefighter sim that was previously only available in Japan.

More on all of these titles can be found after the break and a full list of this week’s new game add-ons can be found at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)

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

Gears of War acquisition may have killed Black Tusk’s current project

Posted on January 28, 2014 by John Scalzo

Yesterday, Marcus Fenix and the rest of the Gears of War gang moved from Epic Games to Black Tusk Studios as Microsoft acquired the publishing rights to the long-running Xbox-exclusive series. But it’s beginning to look like this acquisition will kill Black Tusk’s in-development “AAAA” project, which was first revealed at last year’s E3 Expo.

According to the official “XboxJobs” Twitter account, Black Tusk and Microsoft executives are currently determining if the project will continue:

Also yesterday, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer told reporters, “I wouldn’t say things have been shelved,” implying that development on Black Tusk’s “AAAA” game would continue. Hopefully, the status of Black Tusk’s future projects will be announced soon.

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged

The first million is the hardest, but Minecraft: PS3 Edition did it

Posted on January 28, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Hey, did you know that Mojang has sold a ton of copies of Minecraft? Hard to believe, I know, but it’s true. Minecraft on the PC is approaching 14 million copies sold and the Xbox 360 Edition has sold more than 10 million copies since its introduction in May 2012. Now it’s the PS3 Edition‘s turn to join the million-seller club.

Minecraft: PS3 Edition was first made available to download through the PlayStation Store on December 17 and, according to Mojang, it has sold more than a million copies in a little over a month. That’s pretty impressive for a game that was initially released for the PC in 2011.

Minecraft will make the jump to three additional platforms this year as an Xbox One Edition, a PS4 Edition, and a Vita Edition are all in development at 4J Studios under Mojang’s supervision.

Posted in News, PS3 | Tagged

New Earth Defense Force 2025 trailer shows off new enemies

Posted on January 28, 2014 by John Scalzo

The Earth Defense Force will make their long-awaited next month in Earth Defense Force 2025. After Vicious Cycle Software handled the previous entry, 2011’s Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon, the series has returned to its original developer, Sandlot.

Sandlot is expanding the EDF world to include multiple character classes, more enemy types, more vehicles, and more missions. They’ve even managed to shoe-horn a dragon into the game. You can check out all the additions to EDF 2025 for yourself in the brand new trailer above.

Earth Defense Force 2025 will be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on February 18. EDF! EDF! EDF!

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged