Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Angry Birds, Dragon Quest, FIFA Soccer, and Silent Hill are the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
- BAFTA Games Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books to Get a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
- GDC Awards: All the Winners from 1996 to Today
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- Spore: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- We Pitched a Museum a 1993 Game Hint Line (And They Actually Said Yes) – Yarn Spinner (2026)
- The History Of The Word “Metroidvania” And How It Spread – A Critical Hit (2025)
- Creator of Hit Game Shovel Knight Is at a ‘Make or Break’ Moment – Bloomberg (2025)
- Shadow of the Colossus: An oral history – Design Room (2025)
Most Recent: News
Dark Souls Remastered Network Test coming to PS4, Xbox One on May 11-13
Bandai Namco has announced plans to host a Network Test for Dark Souls Remastered later this month on the PS4 and Xbox One.
If you want to get involved, you’ll need to download the Network Test client beforehand, and it’ll be available as a free download through the PlayStation Store and Xbox Games Store beginning on Wednesday, May 2, at 3:00 AM (Eastern Time). PS4 and Xbox One owners will have until the following Wednesday, May 9, to grab the client, but after that, “no new participants will be accepted.”
The Network Test itself will begin on Friday, May 11 (at 9:00 PM Eastern Time), and continue until the early morning hours of Sunday, May 13 (the servers will go offline at 3:00 AM Eastern Time, to be exact). According to the publisher, the test will take place within the game’s “Undead Parish” location and players will be asked to summon co-op partners or invade the games of other players.
Dark Souls Remastered will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on May 25. Switch owners will get the chance to purchase Dark Souls Remastered later this Summer, and Bandai Namco is planning a second Network Test before the game’s launch on Nintendo’s newest console.
Posted in News, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Dark Souls
Free 2018 World Cup Update coming to FIFA 18 on May 29
EA Sports is bringing the World Cup to FIFA 18 owners next month, as they’ve announced plans to release a 2018 World Cup Update for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch on May 29.
The free update will include all 32 teams from this year’s World Cup in Russia, as well as the ability to redo the tournament draw with national teams that didn’t qualify for the Group Stage (including the USA and Italy):
The 2018 FIFA World Cup update will deliver a complete and official tournament experience through official FIFA World Cup elements, including authentic teams, stadiums, kits, badges, Official Match Ball, and the Official Winner’s Trophy.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia update lets players choose one of 32 qualified nations to live out their FIFA World Cup dream and write their own history from the group stage to the final in Moscow in Online Friendlies and Online Tournament modes. Dive into Custom Tournament mode to select any licensed national team in FIFA 18 to create a unique tournament draw with non-qualified nations, including Italy, Chile, USA, among others. Additionally, experience the authentic stadium atmospheres in a quick Kick-Off experience, either solo or with friends.
A new trailer for FIFA 18’s 2018 World Cup Update has been embedded above.
New Retail Releases: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Nintendo is bringing another Wii U re-release to the Switch in the very near future, and it’s set to be the lone new game available on retail shelves this week.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was originally released in 2014 by Retro Studios, and since then, Nintendo’s secretive American partner has been working on something that’s… wait for it… super-secret. We don’t know if we’ll learn more about their next game anytime soon, but we do know that Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has been enhanced and expanded for its Switch debut this coming Friday, May 4:
Barrel-blast into a critically acclaimed Donkey Kong adventure as this beloved franchise makes its Nintendo Switch debut with a banana-bunch of new features. Traverse islands packed with platforming perfection and nonstop action as the classic Kongs in the original game, or mix things up by playing the story as Funky Kong in new Funky Mode!
Arctic invaders have turned Donkey Kong Island into their personal frozen fortress, and it’s up to you to save the day. Play as Donkey Kong in Original Mode and team up with Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Cranky Kong—each with unique abilities—to overcome platforming challenges and frosty foes.
For a more accessible experience, start a game in Funky Mode to enjoy a range of gameplay updates and a new main-character option, spectacular surfing simian Funky Kong! His extra hearts and unique abilities make for a more relaxed gaming experience. And no matter which mode you choose, a wealth of collectibles and two-player co-op round out the fun!
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, Switch
Tagged Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Agatha Knife, Korgan, DragoDino, more added to Xbox Store
A quartet of new Xbox One games are now available to download through the Xbox Games Store…
Agatha Knife is a “satirical adventure” about convincing animals to become dinner, Korgan is an “episodic dungeon-crawler,” DragoDino is a side-scrolling platformer about the titular creatures trying to get back a lost egg, and Ghost Pilots is a vertically-scrolling shooter that was originally released for the NeoGeo in 1991.
You can learn more about all of today’s additions to the Xbox Games Store after the break. (more…)
Square Enix reveals Croft Steelbook Edition and Ultimate Edition for Shadow of the Tomb Raider
If you’re interested in obtaining some actual treasure with your copy of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Square Enix has two additional purchasing options for you: the Croft Steelbook Edition ($89.99) and the Ultimate Edition ($199.99).
The Croft Steelbook Edition contains the base game, as well as the Season Pass, the Original Game Soundtrack, three Collectible Art Cards, three Outfit/Weapon Packs, and Steelbook packaging. Meanwhile, the Ultimate Edition includes everything from the Croft Steelbook Edition, as well as a Climbing Axe Bottle Opener, a Replica Flashlight, and a Lara Croft “Terrifying Tombs” Statue.
Players who pre-order either edition will also receive Early Access to the game, and they can begin playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider two days early on September 12.
According to Square Enix, both the Croft Steelbook Edition and the Ultimate Edition of Shadow of the Tomb Raider will be available for the PS4 and Xbox One… sorry PC players.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s Season Pass detailed by Square Enix
In addition to pulling the curtain back on the first trailer for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Square Enix also announced a Season Pass for the upcoming action-adventure game. Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s Season Pass will be priced at $19.99 (or included with the Croft Steelbook Edition or the Ultimate Edition), and include access to seven add-ons known as “Paths.”
More information about the content contained within each “Path” can be found at the game’s official website:
The Season Pass delivers seven new adventures called “Paths,” with each Path including new narrative, new missions, a Challenge Tomb, a new weapon, a new outfit, and a new skill. The first Challenge Tomb will also introduce new co-op functionality. Finally, Season Pass owners receive an exclusive weapon, outfit, and skill on Day One!
Shadow of the Tomb Raider will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 14. A monthly release schedule for each new “Path” is planned after the game’s launch, with the first penciled in for October, while the seventh will appear the following April.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Square Enix officially unveils Shadow of the Tomb Raider in a new trailer
As promised, Square Enix has unveiled our first look at Shadow of the Tomb Raider in a brand new trailer. Dubbed “The End of the Beginning,” it looks like players will close out this chapter of Lara Croft’s life as she takes her rightful place in the world as the “Tomb Raider”:
Experience Lara Croft’s defining moment as she becomes the Tomb Raider. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Maya apocalypse, Lara will ultimately be forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be.
Key Features
- Survive and Thrive In the Deadliest Place on Earth: Master an unforgiving jungle setting in order to survive. Explore underwater environments filled with crevasses and deep tunnel systems.
- Become One With the Jungle: Outgunned and outnumbered, Lara must use the jungle to her advantage. Strike suddenly and disappear like a jaguar, use mud as camouflage, and instill fear in enemies to sow chaos.
- Discover Dark and Brutal Tombs: Tombs are more terrifying than ever before, requiring advanced traversal techniques to reach them, and once inside they are filled with deadly puzzles.
- Uncover Living History: Discover a hidden city and explore the biggest hub space ever found in a Tomb Raider game.
While today’s trailer lays out the main story of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, fans will get their first look at a Gameplay Trailer during this year’s E3 Expo in June.
Square Enix also announced that Camilla Luddington will once again portray Lara Croft in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, reprising her role from Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider. And she’ll continue to tell Lara’s story beyond the release of the game, as the publisher is planning to launch seven downloadable add-ons to Shadow of the Tomb Raider in the months that follow.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is currently in development at Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. And it’ll be released on September 14.
Splatoon 2’s next Splatfest is a three-week showdown to determine the best Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
Nintendo has scheduled the next Splatfest for Splatoon 2, and it looks like fans are in for a “radical” reinvention of the monthly event.
This time, Nintendo has partnered with Nickelodeon to determine everyone’s favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. But wait, I hear you saying, there are four Ninja Turtles, how will this work? I’m glad you asked, imaginary Internet person, because Nintendo has come up with a “bodacious” solution.
The “Ninja Turtles Splatfest” will take place over three rounds, with fans first choosing between Raphael and Leonardo on May 5th. A second preliminary round will pit Michelangelo against Donatello on May 12th, before the winners battle it out in a third round on May 19th.
“We love working with unexpected partners to expand our brand and bring smiles to people’s faces in surprising ways,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Teaming up with Nickelodeon and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made perfect sense, as we share many of the same fans who enjoy family-friendly entertainment and classic characters.”
You can catch a glimpse of the Inklings in their Turtles-inspired t-shirts after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Splatoon 2