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.

Latest CoD: Black Ops 4 trailer includes a glimpse at the Zombies story… and a zombie tiger

Posted on July 17, 2018 by John Scalzo

Activision and Treyarch have unveiled a brand new trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 that provides a deeper look at the time-travelling storyline at the center of the game’s Zombies Mode:

Scarlett Rhodes is out to solve her eccentric father’s mysterious disappearance. With the help of three loyal outcasts, she’ll fight waves of the undead and uncover a prized relic wielding an extraordinary power that threatens all of humanity.

It looks like Scarlett, and her compatriots, will jump between the waterlogged interiors of the Titantic in “Voyage of Despair” to the gladiatorial combat of “IX” (but carrying their futuristic weaponry the entire time). I’m sure it’s a longshot, but I’m hoping the zombified tiger makes his way into every timeline.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 12.

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

Nintendo will bring eight games to Comic-Con 2018 including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Posted on July 17, 2018 by John Scalzo

Those who visit the Nintendo Gaming Lounge at Comic-Con this week will get a chance to compete against their fellow congoers in Nintendo’s highly-anticipated Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Seven other games will also be available in the Nintendo Gaming Lounge, which will be located in the San Diego Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis & Marina adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center:

Games Available at the Nintendo Gaming Lounge

  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
  • Mario Tennis Aces
  • Super Mario Odyssey
  • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
  • Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
  • Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
  • Overcooked! 2 (Published by Team17)
  • FIFA 19 (Published by Electronic Arts)

“San Diego Comic-Con is a great opportunity to welcome new fans into the Nintendo family and for some of our biggest fans to interact with Nintendo in fun and creative ways,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “This year we’re really excited to see fans play the newly announced Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. We encourage fans of all ages to bring their friends and families to experience what Nintendo has to offer this year.”

The Nintendo Gaming Lounge will be open on July 19-21 from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM (Pacific Time) and 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM (Pacific Time) on July 22.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged ,

Capcom is bringing Mega Man 11, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2, and Resident Evil 2 to Comic-Con 2018

Posted on July 17, 2018 by John Scalzo

The organizers of the San Diego Comic-Con will open the doors on this year’s convention later this week, and Capcom will be there with dozens of demo stations for their upcoming games. According to the Capcom-Unity blog, attendees will be able to try out the Resident Evil 2 remake, Mega Man 11, and all eight games that’ll be included in Mega Man X Legacy Collection and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2:

Demos
Resident Evil 2 (Available January 25, 2019) – Once again, enter the survival horror when Resident Evil 2 comes to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC! Raccoon City has been rebuilt from the ground-up to offer a new gameplay experience in a hauntingly familiar environment. Be one of the first to play this highly anticipated remake, with a demo featuring Leon S. Kennedy as he explores the Raccoon City Police Department.

Mega Man 11 (Available October 2) – Get equipped with classic gameplay combined with fresh new abilities in the Blue Bomber’s new quest! Play through Block Man’s colorful and challenging stage in Mega Man’s latest adventure crafted by a veteran development team at Capcom, and utilize the new Double Gear System to enhance Mega Man’s abilities in a fun new way. Mega Man 11 is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC later this year.

Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 (Available July 24) – The world of Mega Man X is at your fingertips with eight futuristic adventures featuring X, Zero, and Axl battling against Mavericks, high-tech robots gone bad. Check out all eight games ranging from 16-bit to 32-bit and beyond, and test your skills in the new X Challenge mode, pitting X against pairs of Mavericks ahead of next week’s launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC!

Capcom is also hosting a quartet of panels during this year’s Comic-Con (including their always-popular “World of Capcom” panel), so we might get new trailers for all the aforementioned games:

Panels
Mega Man 30th Anniversary – Celebrate 30 years of the Blue Bomber with the talented developers veterans from Capcom. Producers Kazuhiro Tsuchiya (Mega Man 11) and Nonaka Daizo (Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2) discuss their exciting work on the iconic side-scrolling series in a panel moderated by Capcom’s Tim Turi. Get equipped with behind-the-scenes insight on the brand-new Mega Man 11 and other recent titles. The festivities will include trivia, prizes, and more.

World of Capcom – If you have played video games at all in the last thirty years, chances are you may have played a game from Capcom. Think Resident Evil, Street Fighter or even the latest hit Monster Hunter World. Capcom continues to develop original and exciting game franchises for next generation game consoles. Come sit with the team from Capcom and learn about what is coming next!

Resident Evil Video Games – You have once again entered the world of survival horror. Hear from the producer (Yoshiaki Hirabayashi) and staff of the recently announced Resident Evil 2 on how Capcom reinvented a celebrated classic 20 years later. Get an exclusive behind the scenes look at Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, the Raccoon City outbreak and a few other surprises you won’t want to miss. Cosplay is encouraged.

Building Powerful Characters Featuring Street Fighter – Celebrating 30 years as the iconic fighting game franchise, Street Fighter features a cast of characters with something for everybody. In this very special event perfect for curious new challengers and seasoned champs alike, Capcom staff from the US and Japan will give you an exclusive peek behind the creation of Cody, the latest character in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition.

The 2018 San Diego Comic-Con kicks off this Thursday, July 19.

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

Professional awesome guy Nathan Fillion is Nathan Drake in this Uncharted fan film

Posted on July 16, 2018 by John Scalzo

If all goes according to plan, Tom Holland will soon put his Spider-Man suit in the closet and head out on an adventure as a young Nathan Drake in an Uncharted movie adaptation.

It’s been a very winding road for the film adaptation of Sony’s wildly popular action-adventure series, and one point in time, fans were pushing hard to give the role to Nathan Fillion. The star of Firefly and Castle was very interested in the idea, but Sony’s prequel plans have seemingly put a stop to that.

So instead, Fillion teamed up with director Allan Ungar to create a live-action fan film based on the franchise. The 15-minute short also features plenty of excitement, as well as Stephen Lang as Victor “Sully” Sullivan, Mircea Monroe as Elena Fisher, Geno Segers as Diego, and Ernie Reyes Jr (Keno from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II!) as El Tigre.

Fillion expounded a bit on what making the fan film meant to him on Instagram:

This is something I’ve wanted to do, but more importantly, something I’ve wanted to see for a long time. If you’ve ever pinned a towel around your neck for a cape, or donned a fedora and nearly put your eye out with a homemade whip, this is for you. Thank you, [Allan Ungar], for letting us all scratch this itch. Thank you, [Naughty Dog], for creating such a wonderful archetype. Thank you fans, for your excellent taste. You know who you are. Enjoy.

The Uncharted fan film directed by Allan Unger, and starring Nathan Fillion as Nathan Drake, is embedded above.

Posted in Etcetera, News, PS3, PS4 | Tagged

Enter the Gungeon’s Advanced Gungeons & Draguns expansion will be available on July 19

Posted on July 16, 2018 by John Scalzo

Dodge Roll Games has announced that Enter the Gunegon‘s massive new expansion, Advanced Gungeons & Draguns, will be available to download on July 19.

In a followup post on Twitter, the developer revealed that the expansion will include hundreds of new rooms, dozens of new weapons, and the ability to slide over tables and coffins:

Advanced Gungeons & Draguns includes hundreds of new rooms with dozens of new weapons, items, enemies, and ammo types. Hundreds of new, wild synergies. More generous drops rates. Slide over tables and coffins. Lots more…

Best of all, the developer also confirmed that Advanced Gungeons & Draguns expansion will be a free download for all owners of Enter the Gungeon on all platforms (PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One).

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

Sega has several Sonic-related announcements planned for San Diego Comic-Con this week

Posted on July 16, 2018 by John Scalzo

Sega is dashing off to San Diego to talk about the future of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise at San Diego Comic-Con this week.

The publisher’s red-sneakered mascot will be front and center for “Sonic the Hedgehog’s Way Past Cool Panel” this Thursday, July 19, at 2:00 (Pacific Time). The writers of Sonic’s brand new comic will talk about his hand-drawn adventures, and Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka will be on hand to make some “surprise announcements”:

Sonic the Hedgehog’s Way Past Cool Panel
Thursday, July 19, at 2:00 PM
Sonic The Hedgehog has raced back into comics, bringing old enemies and new friends along for the ride. IDW editors Joe Hughes and David Mariotte, artist Evan Stanley, Sega licensing specialist Michael Cisneros, director of product development Austin Keys, and head of Sonic team Takashi Iizuka discuss comics and upcoming games, make some surprise announcements, and more!

With Team Sonic Racing set to launch this Fall/Winter, Sega likely has a lot to talk about. But I’m looking forward to a few Sonic-sized surprises as well.

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

New Retail Releases: Sonic Mania Plus, Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion, Tempest 4000, More

Posted on July 16, 2018 by John Scalzo

Gotta go fast… to get your first look at this week’s new retail releases.

Sega is bringing Sonic Mania to retail stores this week as Sonic Mania Plus for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. The side-scrolling homage to Sonic’s 90s heyday is a beautiful mix of new and old, and Sega is enhancing the package with new characters, an Encore Mode, and a 32-page artbook.

Also available to purchase this week for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One is Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion, which sends Finn, Jake, BMO, and Marceline on a pirate-themed adventure across the Land of Ooo.

But speaking of retro resurrections, Atari is bringing the tube shooter to the PS4 and Xbox One this week with the release of Tempest 4000. Original designer Jeff Minter returns to provide more trippy visuals and intense shooting action.

And finally this week, NIS America will launch Touhou Genso Wanderer Reloaded for the PS4 and Switch. This “definitive edition” of the roguelike dungeon-crawler will include “a ton of new content” for Reimu Hakurei to discover on her adventure.

That’s all for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at all the new additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

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

Nintendo is planning “further updates” for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Posted on July 13, 2018 by John Scalzo

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe already includes dozens of tracks and characters from across Nintendo’s wide stable of franchises. But it’s about to get even bigger sometime in the near future.

Shinya Takahashi, the General Manager of Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning and Development division, recently sat down to talk about some of his favorite Switch games in a new video on Twitter. Before discussing his love for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Splatoon 2, the developer confirmed that “further updates” are coming soon to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe:

Now you are able to play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe using the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con Motorbike. So whether you’ve been using bikes in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or not, please try playing with the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con Motorbike. There will be further updates for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, so please look forward to it.

Personally, I’d love to see Samus Aran make her Mario Kart debut in a future update (she wouldn’t even need a kart!).

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged