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
Weekly Warp-Up: April No Fool’s 2015 Edition
No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…
April Fool’s Day is usually a terrible time to be a video game fan because terrible people make terrible jokes about things that aren’t real. Thankfully, that didn’t really happen this year. Google initially threw down the gauntlet with a playable Pac-Man Map option added to Google Maps. Then Techland revealed a one-day-only superpower boost for Dying Light. Nicalis followed that up by announcing The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth for the New 3DS, Wii U, and Xbox One in the most insane way possible. I even rather enjoyed Sony’s ridiculous (but obvious) PlayStation Flow prank.
The Nintendo blew it all up with a Nintendo Direct packed with new information about a ton Nintendo games. Who cares about April Fool’s jokes when there is real news to read? Nintendo killed April Fool’s Day and I hope it becomes an annual tradition. Especially because we got to find out about 200cc Class in Mario Kart 8, the American release of Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains, Mario Maker‘s release date, and Splatoon‘s release date. Even Fatal Frame 5 got an official US launch date.
And because it was the first of the month this week, the Warp Zoned staff got together to reveal our Games of April 2015 and What We Played in March 2015. One of those games was the excellent Axiom Verge, which was awarded a perfect score by Staff Writer Mike Ryan.
More news from the week that was can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News
New Releases: Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, Dark Souls II: First Sin, Etrian Mystery Dungeon
Just a few new releases will make their way to retail shelves this week, but they’re definitely games people have been waiting for…
Nintendo will release Xenoblade Chronicles 3D this week. The enhanced remake of the Wii RPG will include 3D visuals and a map/stats screen on the handheld’s second screen. Prospective purchasers might also want to know that Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is only compatible with the New 3DS XL and will not run on a standard 3DS or a 2DS. As you can see from the boxart, the game will also include Amiibo support, but good luck finding a Shulk Amiibo right now…
Another enhanced remake comes to the PS4 and Xbox One this week. From Software’s Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin will be available for the PS4 and Xbox One for the first time and it’s packed with all three downloadable expansions, rebalanced difficulty, and new characters to help propel the story forward. This “Director’s Cut” version of the game will also be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Finally this week, Atlus and Spike Chunsoft will bring Etrian Mystery Dungeon to the 3DS. The turn-based action RPG will feature roguelike elements and an infinite number of procedurally-generated dungeons.
Posted in 3DS, News, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Dark Souls II, Xenoblade Chronicles
Goro lives in this new Mortal Kombat X trailer
NetherRealm Studios has been teasing Goro’s inclusion in Mortal Kombat X for more than six months, but today we finally got our first look at the four-armed Shokan Prince in action. The trailer is a bit on the short side, but stick with it until the end to have a peek at one of Goro’s awesome fatalities. Sometimes, four arms come in handy.
Fans will be able to play as Goro if they pre-order Mortal Kombat X before its release for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on April 14. Goro will also be playable in the PS3 and Xbox 360 editions of Mortal Kombat X, which will be released in the Summer.
Xbox Store Today: Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones
I think puns that follow the “Game of [Something That Rhymes With Thrones]” pattern have kinda run their course, but don’t tell that to Curve Digital. Their latest puzzle platformer, Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones, is now available for the Xbox One through the Xbox Games Store. Of course, the title is not altogether misleading. It is a game and you do play as a clone who is attempting to escape a “sinister testing facility.”
More information on Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones, straight from the publisher, can be found right here:
Xbox One Games
Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones ($14.99)
Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones is a puzzle platformer where you play the role of a clone escaping a sinister and high-tech testing facility. Stealth Inc. 2 tests both your brain and your reflexes over 60 varied levels linked together by a sprawling and detailed overworld.
Nintendo is holding a fan vote to add new characters to Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U
Who do you want to see added to Super Smash Bros. For 3DS and Super Smash Bros. For Wii U? No, really, Nintendo wants to know and they plan to take a few of these fan suggestions and actually put those characters into the game.
While announcing the upcoming inclusion of Mewtwo and Lucas to the latest Smash Bros. games, Nintendo also revealed the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot. Fans are encouraged to suggest a character, list the game they’re best known for, and write up to 500 words about why you think they belong in Smash. Nintendo will continue accepting suggestions until October 3, so it might be a while before we find out who made the cut.
At least one developer has decided to use this opportunity to get one of their characters into Smash Bros. Yacht Club Games has launched the #ShovelKnightForSmash campaign on Twitter to gather votes for Shovel Knight. I don’t know if it’ll work, but they can definitely count on my vote.
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Super Smash Bros. For 3DS, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U
Mewtwo joins Smash Bros Wii U/3DS on April 28; Mother 3’s Lucas to follow in June
Nintendo has announced that Mewtwo will be available to download as a bonus fighter in Super Smash Bros. For 3DS and Super Smash Bros. For Wii U on April 28. Players who registered both Smash Bros. games through Club Nintendo will receive the 150th Pokemon for free. The rest of us will be able to add him to either version of the game for $3.99. A 4.99 3DS/Wii U bundle pack will also be available.
Nintendo has a second downloadable character planned for release June. Lucas, from Mother 3/Earthbound 2, will be available to download on the 3DS and Wii U. Lucas previously appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl alongside Earthbound star Ness. Pricing has yet to be announced, but a Lucas trailer is available after the break.
As with any Mother 3/Earthbound 2-related announcement, it’s important to note that this does not mean Nintendo plans to finally bring the oft-requested RPG to America. But it won’t hurt if we all cross our fingers… one of these days, it might just work. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Super Smash Bros. For 3DS, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U
Nintendo Download: Super Mario 64 + Yoshi’s Island DS on Wii U, Story of Seasons, more
Nintendo 64 and DS games have been added to the Wii U eShop… and it’s about time!
Announced yesterday as part of Nintendo’s latest Nintendo Direct presentation, Super Mario 64 and Yoshi’s Island DS are both now available to download on the Wii U. And if you’re going to start offering games from a new platform on the Virtual Console, it’s definitely a good idea to start with a pair of critically-acclaimed titles such as these.
More N64 and DS games will follow in the future with WarioWare: Touched! penciled in for April 9 and Donkey Kong 64 for April 16.
But if you’re looking for new releases on the 3DS available this week, there’s a few of those too. First up is Story of Seasons, the next official game in the Harvest Moon series from Marvelous. If you’re wondering about the name change, it’s because the separation of developer Marvelous and former publisher Natsume. Natsume owns the “Harvest Moon” trademark and they weren’t willing to sell it to the developer or new publisher XSEED. Also available is BoxBoy!, a black-and-white puzzle platformer from the creators of the Kirby franchise.
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News
Tagged 3DS, Story of Seasons, Super Mario 64, Wii U
Quantum Break’s release date time skips into 2016
Thanks to the timestream shenanigans of Quantum Break‘s story, a jokey headline just seems to write itself now that the game has been delayed. Or maybe it was delivered subconsciously from my future self to my present self. Either way, the game will miss its planned 2015 release date and will now be released sometime next year. Speaking to Xbox Wire, Remedy’s Sam Lake confirmed the delay is due to a desire to “polish and fine tune” the game.
“We’re really proud to be part of the incredible Xbox One line-up,” said Lake. “We thank our fans for their patience, and want them to know that the team is taking advantage of this opportunity to polish and fine tune the game to create the kind of standout entertainment experience they’ve come to expect from us.”
The Xbox One title joins a number of other recent high profile delays. Last week, Nintendo pushed The Legend of Zelda Wii U into 2016 and Sony did the same for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End a few weeks before that.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Quantum Break