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.

Pokemon Black 2/White 2 Review: Nothing Evolving Here

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Nicole Kline

Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 are follow-ups to Pokemon Black and White from 2011, which I was less than impressed with. These sequels are more like rehashes – set in the same area with many of the exact same characters (who reference the previous games a lot), there’s not much at all that has changed. Sure, there are new Pokemon, and you play as a new trainer, but your starting Pokemon are the same three options, and just about every aspect of the game is the same save a few small changes. So should you bother to get this game? (more…)

Posted in DS, Reviews, Top Story | Tagged

Daily Scoop: December 11, 2012 – Gold Box Event!

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Nicole Kline

Good morning, everyone! I decided to take the plunge last night and start playing The Walking Dead. I played the entire first episode in just under two hours. It was really intense! I’m looking forward to playing the other four as well.

But the real news today is that it’s an all-day video game Gold Box event at Amazon! The deal of the day is Assassin’s Creed III for $33 as well as 3 $3 Amazon credits (say that three times fast!). Here are the rest of the deals:

  • 12:00 AM PST/3:00 AM EST – Tera for $5.00!
  • 5:00 AM PST/8:00 AM EST – The ultimate Grand Theft Auto IV game experience! – Grand Theft Auto IV & Episodes from Liberty City: The Complete Edition for $17.99!
  • 7:00 AM PST/10:00 AM EST – Groove with Raphael through the City of Light – it’s Rhythm Thief for $19.99!
  • 8:00 AM PST/11:00 AM EST – Cheese it, the fuzz! – This one’s Need for Speed Most Wanted for $24.99-$34.99
  • 10:00 AM PST/1:00 PM EST – This headset puts you in the middle of the action with Dolby surround sound and a stunning 3D audio environment. – Turtle Beach Ear Force X42 Wireless Dolby Surround Sound Gaming Headset for $99.99
  • 12:00 PM PST/3:00 PM EST – Sneak or slash your way to revenge and redemption. – It’s Dishonored for $29.99!
  • 4:00 PM PST/7:00 PM EST – Headset built for both the new GamePad controller and multiplayer online environments of the Wii U
  • 6:00 PM PST/9:00 PM EST – Saddle up for this Western epic! Could it be Red Dead Redemption?
  • 8:00 PM PST/11:00 PM EST – Save the Garbage Princess! Yay, Adventure Time!
  • 9:00 PM PST/12:00 AM EST – This 7.1 Dolby wireless surround headset is a truly wireless Xbox 360 surround sound headset.

I was just complaining about the lack of post-Black Friday deals. Thanks for helping me out, Amazon!

And now, for the t-shirts! (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Daily Scoop: December 10, 2012 – Go Sportsfriends!

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Nicole Kline

Well, there’s great news in the independent game community – Sportsfriends got funded! This collection, which includes the quirky Johann Sebastian Joust, was successfully funded on Kickstarter today, its last day. Don’t know anything about it? Go click on that link and be amazed!

There are a few clearance deals, including Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – Game of The Year Edition for $17.91, Wii DJ Hero Renegade Edition Featuring Jay-Z and Eminem for $79.38, and Dungeon Siege III for $18.31. Not bad!

There are quite a few awesome t-shirts today, including one that I might end up purchasing… (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Spike TV VGAs: Dark Souls II is back to kill you

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Nicole Kline

This world premiere was brought to you by Jessica Alba, who was as sexy as ever. As soon as I saw the first few moments, I said, “Oh god, oh god, is this another Dark Souls game?” The first words… as a knight is walking across a barren land… are, “You are the undead, forever without hope, forever without light.”

The knight reaches a cave and sees the giant skeleton of a dragon. A group of frightening humanoids with masks. Then the same knight is filled with arrows. Hopefully, this is the start of a badass fight with a dragon but, knowing From Software, is more like you getting killed in the tutorial. Yes, it’s Dark Souls II… and it’s coming for you.

Dark Souls II is in development for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. No release date has been announced.

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

Spike TV VGAs: The Phantom Pain trailer asks a lot of questions

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Nicole Kline

Moby Dick Studio’s The Phantom Pain definitely had a strange world premiere at this year’s Spike TV Video Game Awards. A soldier wakes up from a coma in a hospital, and he’s got a hook hand and is in pretty bad shape. But suddenly, the hospital is attacked, and soldiers in full uniform start killing off the patients in the hospital as the building burns around them. Questions flicker across the screen – “Why am I here?” and “Have I gone to hell” and “Why do they want me?”

Suddenly, one important message flickers: “Open your eyes.” A man on fire appears to change into a beast, and a great beast overtakes a helicopter. There was definitely a lot of strange stuff going on, and I’m still not sure what the game was about (though rumors are swirling that it’s somehow related to Metal Gear Solid 5). Whatever it is, it looks badass.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Spike TV VGAs: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 takes a bite out of modern day

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Nicole Kline

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is not messing around. Gabriel Belmont wakes up weak and unable to remember how he got to where he is. “Waters of life flow ever on, never stopping,” he says. He is weak and thin, but he remembers when he was regal and powerful. The trailer features huge monsters, gorgeous gamescapes, and… surprise! It’s in modern time. Get ready to have a modern-day vampire experience with a Castlevania game. I guess I better go buy the first one.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 sometime in 2013.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Spike TV VGAs: The Last of Us will be released on May 7

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Nicole Kline

For the first time, we get to see the characters we know from The Last of Us interact with other groups of survivors. “Once upon a time,” a character says as the trailer begins, “I had somebody I cared about. And in this sort of world, that’s only good for one thing: getting you killed.” There’s more gameplay, more gamescape, and more of those crazy rage monsters. Naughty Dog has hit it out of the park yet again.

I can’t wait until The Last of Us’s release on May 7.

Posted in News, PS3 | Tagged

Spike TV VGAs: Check out the latest BioShock Infinite gameplay trailer

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Nicole Kline

Ken Levine was on hand at the 2012 Spike TV Video Game Awards to introduce the world premiere of some new BioShock Infinite gameplay. He didn’t mention the game’s delay, but went right into discussing the trailer and what to expect.

First, we see Booker in his first meeting with Elizabeth (and, for the first time, I notice that her right pinky finger is missing, and there’s a thimble in its place). He gives her a key with a songbird on it. They transition into the second scene, in which we see a chaotic battle fought in the sky. Booker uses his special hook hand to jump the rails while shooting at enemies below. We also get to see the Handyman jump onto a ship and smash it in half with his giant hands. He jumps up on the rails and electrocutes them, forcing Booker to jump down. Oh, and Elizabeth tosses you ammo as you’re fighting. At the end, she does her weird terrain-changing trick, and the clip is over.

Can March 26 get here any more slowly?

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