Author: Nicole Kline

Nicole Kline is Warp Zoned's Senior Editor. She first began preparing for the job by climbing a milk crate to play Centipede in an arcade. You can find her on PSN under the name toitle or you can email her at nicole AT warpzoned DOT com.

Daily Scoop: September 24, 2013 – The Scoop Returns

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Nicole Kline

Hello, friends! It’s been quite some time since I’ve written a scoop – mostly because of the insanity that was PAX Prime. Life has been so busy it’s been hard to get my bearings! But I’m here to tell you, first and foremost, about the Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day – it’s Saints Row IV! You can save 30% on all of the different versions, including the Wub Wub edition, bringing it down to $70 from $100. I just might use this as an excuse to pick it up! There are lots of other Lightning Deals happening today as well, so keep refreshing that page for more discounted games.

Also, in case you didn’t know about it, you’ve got one day left to pick up the amazing Humble Bundle happening now. Pay what you want for amazing games like Mark of the Ninja and Trine 2, and pay more than the average to get Faster Than Light and Fez, among others. Even if you’re like me and already own most of them, it’s worth the $5 to pick up the ones you’re missing.

If you love video game music as much as I do, you’ll definitely want to check out World 1-2: The Complete Collection, which has even more amazing music than the original. And instead of just being available digitally, you can order a physical CD with lots of awesome artwork. This one is worth picking up!

Other than that, there are a million great shirts up for sale today! (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Transistor PAX Prime 2013 Impressions: The Impossible Elegance of Supergiant Games

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Nicole Kline

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Any fan of the hit indie game Bastion already knows the name Supergiant Games, and is probably already following their latest work of art, Transistor. In fact, Warp Zoned’s very own John Scalzo played Transistor at PAX East, and he had nothing but wonderful things to say about it. I played it at PAX Prime, after the game had been announced for the PlayStation 4, and I was ecstatic at the gameplay (and at getting my hands on a DualShock 4). I loved Transistor so much that I went straight home from Seattle and immediately began playing Bastion, from start to finish, over the course of three days. All it did was make me wish it was 2014 already so I could play the rest of Transistor. (more…)

Posted in PC, Previews, PS4, Top Story | Tagged ,

Pokemon X/Y Hands-On Preview: The 3DS Game You’ve Been Waiting For

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Nicole Kline

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Pokemon X and Pokemon Y are the first “main series” Pokemon games to be rendered completely in 3D, which is something fans of the series have been waiting for since the 3DS system itself was announced. Because of this, there’s a lot of excitement about the new titles, and a lot of healthy skepticism. Pokemon Black and White (and Black 2 and White 2) didn’t really do a whole lot that was innovative, but it seems that X and Y are going places the series never has before. Nintendo has added in a lot of extra features – some obviously just there for the adorability factor – that are going to make players happy, especially players who want to interact more with their Pokemon. And I got all of that just from playing a seven-minute demo at PAX Prime 2013 – which was the first time Nintendo showed off the new game in America. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, Previews, Top Story | Tagged ,

Borderlands 2: T.K. Baha’s Bloody Harvest Preview: I Hope You Like Boss Battles

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Nicole Kline

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I finally got a chance to get back to PAX Prime this year after a two-year hiatus from what may always be my favorite gaming expo. And, unsurprisingly, the first thing I got to play on the show floor at PAX Prime was the new Headhunters Pack for Borderlands 2, T.K. Baha’s Bloody Harvest. This new series of smaller DLCs are heavily focused on boss fights, and that was immediately clear in what we got to play. We also got to spend some time with Josh Jeffcoat, the Game Designer on the Headhunters Pack. (more…)

Posted in PC, Previews, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,

The PAXpocalypse List: The Best of PAX Prime 2013

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Nicole Kline

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This year’s PAX Prime was one of the best gaming experiences I’ve ever had. And even with four days, I still didn’t get a chance to play everything – or even see everything. Lines were long, crowds were huge, and once I got started in on a good game, I wanted to play it as much as I could. We were originally only going to award ten games, but by Monday, we couldn’t narrow it down, so we ended up adding in two more. Here is the PAXpocalypse List for PAX Prime 2013 – the twelve games we’d love to be stranded with if this little convention in Seattle was the end of the world. And they’re in alphabetical order… because that’s how it’s done when you can’t pick favorites. (more…)

Posted in Features, PC, PS4, Top Story, Vita | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Bugs vs. Tanks! Review: Not A Perfect Shot

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Nicole Kline

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Bugs vs. Tanks!, Keiji Inafune’s contribution to Level-5’s collaboration collection, “Guild02,” is now available through the 3DS eShop. The Mega Man creator’s game has you playing as Nazi soldiers during World War II. Somehow, your tank battalion has been shrunk down to be smaller than insects, and you find yourself fighting giant ants just to survive. While the game did have its ups and downs, I actually grew to like it, and found myself compelled by the gameplay. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, Reviews, Top Story |

Borderlands 2 will be released for Vita in 2014

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Nicole Kline

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OK, are you sitting down? No, seriously, I think you should probably sit down for this one. There’s lots and lots (and LOTS) of news coming out of this year’s Gamescom, but the only thing I care about is that Borderlands 2 is coming to Vita in 2014.

According to the PlayStation Blog, “PS Vita gives Borderlands 2 fans the ability to play the game anywhere they want, complete with of all the unique benefits of the Vita system, and will truly bring the four-player cooperative experience to the palms of your hands.” Does this mean PS3/Vita cross-play? It’s neither confirmed nor denied, but it’s one of those things that just makes sense and needs to happen. What game could highlight that functionality better?

This was also part of the announcement: “You spoke, we listened, and with the wonderful collaboration between 2K, PlayStation and the team at Iron Galaxy Studios – makers of indie fighting game Divekick – we can finally make Borderlands 2 on PS Vita a reality!” Yes, that’s right, the creators of Divekick are involved. There’s too much awesome happening in this article.

Posted in News, Vita | Tagged ,

Daily Scoop: August 14, 2013 – Anniversary edition

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Nicole Kline

Hello hello, faithful Warp Zoneders! I’m happy to announce that today is my two-year anniversary with the amazing Anthony Amato! It’s been an incredible ride, and I’m so happy to have shared these last two years with him. In a few weeks, we’ll be going to our first PAX Prime together! I’m so excited to be returning to Seattle and to be able to go with him. Happy anniversary, Anthony! Let’s go home and play some Dragon’s Crown.

Well, actually, what we’ll be doing tonight is heading to Redcap’s Corner for Session 0 of the new Encounters season! It’s character creation, so if you want in on the party, stop on by!

Not a lot going on with deals, other than tons of cheap DS and 3DS games keep popping up on my recommended sidebar on Amazon. The Legendary Starfy is $9.23, Shinobi is $7.99, Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters is $6.79, Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir is $9.69, and Shifting World is $9.27. Whew!

As always, there’s a few great shirts to share! (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |