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.

Be thankful for a PSN update including Epic Mickey 2, PS All-Stars, Family Guy, more

Posted on November 21, 2012 by John Scalzo

PS3, Vita, and PSP owners will have a lot to be thankful for this week as Sony has added more than a dozen games to the PlayStation Store in an attempt to steal some of your Black Friday dollars.

Leading the way are a trio of PS3 Full Games that includes mascot brawler PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale, artistic sequel Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, and the cartoonish chaos of Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse. PlayStation All-Stars is also available to download on the Vita.

But there’s even more to be thankful for, including…

  • The final episode of Telltale’s The Walking Dead adaptation, “No Time Left.”
  • Doom Classic Complete, a PS3 compilation that includes Ultimate Doom, Doom II (plus “The Master Levels”), and Final Doom.
  • A Vita-exclusive remake of Persona 4, subtitled “Golden.”
  • The wild Grasshopper Manufacture shoot ’em up Sine Mora (on PSN and Vita).
  • The Vita remake of Sega’s cult classic, Jet Set Radio.

And that’s still not everything that was added to the PlayStation Store yesterday. You can hint the break for more information on every new release or visit the PlayStation Blog for a list of this week’s new game add-ons. (more…)

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

The Last Story is XSEED’s most successful game ever; price drop announced

Posted on November 20, 2012 by John Scalzo

Nintendo is the proud publisher of some of the bestselling video games of all time. Super Mario Bros. 3 has sold 18 million copies. Wii Fit has moved 22 million. The original Super Mario Bros. produced 40 million in sales as the pack-in game for the NES. Wii Sports has done 80 million in sales due to a similar arrangement with the Wii. A little RPG like The Last Story never stood a chance.

So Nintendo passed on publishing the game in North America and XSEED Games stepped in. Since its August release, The Last Story has gone on to become XSEED’s most successful game release ever. Though it surely hasn’t sold anywhere in the neighborhood of Nintendo’s biggest hits.

Sales figures for The Last Story weren’t released, but XSEED plans to celebrate by publishing a second printing of the game at a new low price of $29.99.

This new edition won’t contain the art book or the custom packaging of the Special Edition, but if you can still find that in stores, it’s received a price drop as well. The limited Special Edition can now be had for $39.99.

Posted in News | Tagged ,

Nintendo is done with Wii development

Posted on November 20, 2012 by John Scalzo

We all suspected as much, but Bill Trinen, Nintendo’s Director of Product Marketing, has confirmed it… Nintendo has no plans to develop any additional games for the Wii.

Speaking to GameSpot, Trinen revealed the sad news that the company’s most successful console ever is counting down to its final days.

GameSpot: Is Nintendo developing internally any Wii games? Are there any projects in the pipeline?

Trinen: No, there are not right now.

This means that Kirby’s Dream Collection, which was released in September, will go down as the last Nintendo-published game on the system. This also means that the action RPG Pandora’s Tower remains in limbo and will likely not make its way across the Pacific (unless a kindly third party publisher steps up again).

Posted in News | Tagged

Sony adds nine more Ultimate Editions to PS Store

Posted on November 20, 2012 by John Scalzo

Sony is expanding their line of “Ultimate Editions” today with nine new game + downloadable content bundles. Each Ultimate Edition includes a downloadable version of the original game along with all DLC currently available. And for this week only (today until November 26), each Ultimate Edition has been discounted by up to 66% (up to 73% for PlayStation Plus subscribers).

So which games made the cut for the second wave of Ultimate Editions? Check ’em out…

Alice: Madness Returns
Total Value of the Game With All DLC: $31.97
PSN Price: $19.99 ($15.99 for PlayStation Plus members)

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Total Value of the Game With All DLC: $39.99
PSN Price: $27.99 ($22.39 for PlayStation Plus members)

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Total Value of the Game With All DLC: $53.99
PSN Price: $49.99 ($39.99 for PlayStation Plus members)

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Total Value of the Game With All DLC: $50.46
PSN Price: $34.99 ($27.99 for PlayStation Plus members)

Homefront
Total Value of the Game With All DLC: $58.95
PSN Price: $19.99 ($15.99 for PlayStation Plus members)

Mass Effect 2
Total Value of the Game With All DLC: $49.96
PSN Price: $34.99 ($27.99 for PlayStation Plus members)

Red Faction: Armageddon
Total Value of the Game With All DLC: $43.95
PSN Price: $24.99 ($19.99 for PlayStation Plus members)

Saints Row 2
Total Value of the Game With All DLC: $36.97
PSN Price: $24.99 ($19.99 for PlayStation Plus members)

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Total Value of the Game With All DLC: $79.97
PSN Price: $29.99 ($23.99 for PlayStation Plus members)

Sony has also announced another PSN rebate offer, so if you spend $60 on the PlayStation Store this week, they’ll send you a $10 PSN Voucher in December.

Posted in News, PS3 | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Wii U sold out practically everywhere

Posted on November 19, 2012 by John Scalzo

Are you still looking for a Wii U? Then you’re in luck, because they’re in stock at…

Nah, I’m just yanking yer chain. Nintendo’s most recent console launch is sold out for all practical purposes. Target.com and Walmart.com both list the Wii U as available for in-store pickup, but after a frantic round of phone calls, I learned that not a single store from either retailer has the system in stock in Western New York. Your location may vary, but I think it is safe to say that Nintendo has a sellout on their hands (and definitely ignore the Target press release that says they still have them in stock).

However, if you really NEED to acquire a Wii U today, there’s always the secondhand sellers at Amazon and eBay.

Posted in News, Wii U |

Rockstar “considering” other platforms for Grand Theft Auto V

Posted on November 19, 2012 by John Scalzo

As of right now, Grand Theft Auto V has officially only been announced for the PS3 and Xbox 360. But what about the PC, and more importantly, the Wii U? Well, according to an IGN interview with Rockstar President Dan Houser, anything is a possibility.

IGN: GTA V is only confirmed for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Why not the PC, Wii U and so on?

Houser: Everything else is up for consideration. That’s all I can give you. The main thing is we are not… we are a third-party publisher. We’re not Nintendo, we’re not Sony, we’re not Microsoft. We love all of them in different ways. But we can do what we want wherever there’s the appropriate business opportunity and chance to find a market.

So there you have it. It’s not not coming to the PC and Wii U, but nothing is ready to be officially announced. That said, I would be shocked if Grand Theft Auto V didn’t make it to the PC and Wii U in some form before the end of 2013.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Black Friday Game Deals 2012: Amazon’s Weeklong Lightning Deals

Posted on November 18, 2012 by John Scalzo

There’s no need to decode cryptic messages and no need to wait for Black Friday, because Amazon has laid out their weeklong batch of video game Lightning Deals right here: Amazon’s Black Friday Week Lightning Deals.

So if you’re looking for a good price on a variety of EA Sports titles, Lego games, or hot new releases like Darksiders II and Dishonored, then Amazon is the online retailer to see.

You can find the complete list of deals and discounts after the break. (more…)

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

Weekly Warp-Up: Wii U Launch Day Edition

Posted on November 18, 2012 by John Scalzo

No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…

Ladies and gentlemen, the Wii U has arrived! I understand if you’re a bit too busy playing brand new games on your brand new console, but it’s also important to note that Black Friday is only five days away. So if you’re looking to pick up some new games or consoles (though not a Wii U, because those are sold out), you might want to check out what Target, Best Buy, and Toys R Us will have on offer. Spoiler alert: Toys R Us is having a big sale on Wii U games.

The rest of this week’s news recap can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News |