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: February 3, 2011 – No, really, it’s a trap

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Nicole Kline

Good morning, dear readers! Welcome to another edition of the Daily Scoop. Today we’ve got an Amazon Deal of the Day in video games, and it’s one that I find to be winter-friendly. It’s Activision’s Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 with Top Shot Elite for the Wii. Buy this for the gamer who likes to hunt but not when it’s ridiculously frigid outside. It’s $39.99 from $59.99, so grab it while it’s hot.

Remember that addiction I talked about in yesterday’s Scoop? Well, I don’t think I’m going to be able to stop myself this time. I mean…just look at today’s shirt.w00t:

My threshold for temptation is being tested. Will I be able to resist?

Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Daily Scoop: February 2, 2011 – I love t-shirts

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Nicole Kline

It’s no secret that I have a pretty serious t-shirt addiction. I had a lot of t-shirts before my first PAX, and now, four PAXes later, I’ve got another 50 – and that’s just the free ones. E3 wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but I still got a handful of shirts there, too. No matter what the vessel, this addiction has been getting fed pretty regularly.

Anyway, writing this Daily Scoop has done nothing to curb it – if anything, it’s made it horribly difficult to stop myself from buying these shirts every day. This one from Tee Fury is certainly not helping:

I mean, really. Just look at that. I feel like some days, these daily t-shirt sites are singing songs to me, asking me to show them what love is.

That’s all for now. Oh wait, it’s not. Go read my review of Dead Space 2!

Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Dead Space 2 Review: Eviscerates the Hype With a Frighteningly Good Game

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Nicole Kline

EA’s Visceral Games got the attention of the gaming community back in 2008 with the original Dead Space. The universe has since expanded, spawning comics, novels, animated movies, and a Wii rail shooter. Dead Space 2 is a superior game to the first one, but not at the expense of it. The original is excellent, but the second took every aspect of the first game and made it better, from the character development to the navigation in zero gravity. Even the story and characters have a depth the first did not and, to make matters even better, now there’s multiplayer, bringing Necromorphs to life in unimaginable ways. Isaac Clarke is back, and – despite a little issue of not remembering what happened in the last three years since the first game ended – he’s tougher than ever. The sequel has better graphics, better guns, and better mechanics – but does it live up to the hype that’s been building up around the series for more than two years? (more…)

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

Ico novel, Castle of the Mist, finally coming to America

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Nicole Kline

Ico fans rejoice: Miyuki Miyabe’s Ico novel, Castle of the Mist, is at last being translated into English and is coming to America July 19th, according to Anime News Network (although the publisher’s website actually says on or around August 16th). According to the blurb, “Based on the video game filmmaker Guillemo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth) called a ‘masterpiece,’ Japan’s leading fantasist Miyuki Miyabe has crafted a tale of magic, loss, and love that will never be forgotten.” Miyabe is known in America for her novel Brave Story, which was made into an animated film, manga series, and several video games.

Wow. Just. Seriously. I am nearly speechless. Two years ago I read – and re-read – and re-read again – the first two chapters of this novel. I found a fanslation somewhere on the Internet and inhaled it over and over, eager for more Ico. Like the game, it’s charming and haunting, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the story. For those of you who haven’t played the game yet, you’re in luck – the game will be re-released in HD and full 3D with Shadow of the Colossus on March 31. I’ve been having sweet dreams of sitting with Yorda on the couch, with that delightful music playing in the background. In the meantime, I’m still playing LittleBigPlanet 2 as Ico, and I’ve been listening to the soundtrack. I’m trying to be patient. Really.

Posted in Etcetera, News | Tagged , , , ,

Daily Scoop: February 1, 2011 – When it rains, it pours

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Nicole Kline

So it’s been slim pickings lately, but today…TODAY!!…it’s really exploding. There’s a lot going on! Not to mention it’s finally February, which means it’s one step closer to saying goodbye to this bipolar winter. Woo!

Today’s Amazon Deal of the Day in video games is Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 for the Wii. It’s just $9.99 today from $19.99, so if you don’t have a copy, you don’t really have any excuse not to pick this up. My excuses are that I’m broke and already have a billion games I need to play. But really, are those such good excuses?

In the t-shirt world, we have a lot going on. Today’s Tee Fury t-shirt is one of those “Coexist” shirts, but each letter is from something famous in science fiction or fantasy. I don’t know if those two things will ever have equal footing, though. It reminds me of Thinkgeek’s Coexist shirt, which uses letters in fonts from several different major console brand names.

But the proverbial cake is taken by shirt.w00t.com today, because seriously, there’s so much awesome I might just be forced to buy this. It is pure brilliance.

Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Daily Scoop: January 31, 2011 – Just another Monday edition

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Nicole Kline

Ah, Monday. Your annoyingness knows no bounds. I’m still exhausted from Global Game Jam, but it was absolutely worth it. We’ll be posting some awesome interviews with local Philadelphia-area game developers, so be on the lookout!

There aren’t too many deals today, I’m afraid. There’s no video game deal of the day over at Amazon. But Buy.com is selling Xbox Live 12 month Gold subscription cards for $39.99, which is a pretty darn good deal. Anyone looking to re-up before tomorrow’s drop of the first CoDBlOps DLC is in luck.

Also, and this is not game-related, but this Rain-Bo shirt at shirt.w00t made me laugh, so I thought I’d share it.

Take that, Monday!

Posted in Daily Scoop |

Daily Scoop: January 28, 2011 – TGIF edition

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Nicole Kline

I don’t think I’ve ever been so grateful to see a Friday. This weather is really dragging me down – not to mention the fact that it takes easily twice as long to get anywhere or do anything once you leave the house. But the good news is, Global Game Jam begins tonight! Woo!

Today’s Amazon Deal of the Day in video games is the PS3 Move Battle Rifle by Icon. While I don’t really understand plastic add-ons for motion controllers, this has to be on someone’s wish list. Get it today for just $20.99 down from $29.99, and help satiate that special someone’s desire to squelch their imagination as much as possible.

On an excellent note, today’s Tee Fury t-shirt is affectionately entitled “Gotta Trap ‘Em All” and is a delightful mash-up of Ghostbusters and Pokemon.

When you’re serious about catching them all, you have to come prepared for anything!

Posted in Daily Scoop |

Daily Scoop: January 27, 2011 – Snow, snow, snow

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Nicole Kline

The snow fell all night, and now we’ve got about a foot of it outside. I already said I surrendered, winter! What gives?!?!

Today’s Amazon Deal of the Day in video games is Disney’s Phineas and Ferb for the DS. Inspired by the cartoon, it actually looks kind of cute. It’s $12.99 today down from $19.99, so buy it for the child who already beat all of his Christmas gifts.

Not much else going on other than a boatload of Dead Space-related stuff, as well as a little announcement last night about Sony’s new handheld. I’m loving the game lineup so far. Handhelds for grown-ups are my kind of thing.

Posted in Daily Scoop |