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
- 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)
- In 2005, games started rewiring our brains – The AV Club (2025)
Most Recent: Top Story
Warpback: What We Played in August 2011
Here comes the Fall with a chill in the air, a return to school and football on the tube. But you know what else is on the tube? The Fall’s biggest games. So we close out the Summer with a look back at what we played in August… even if August didn’t have much in the way of new releases. (more…)
Warp Zoned Podcast: Episode 18
Welcome to Episode 18 of the Warp Zoned podcast! In this exciting episode, Nicole Kline, Ryan Littlefield, and John Scalzo discuss what they’re playing, as well as what they’re reading (and no, Ryan hasn’t gotten any further in A Game of Thrones).
After that, they talked about how only 10% of games get finished these days, and then discussed their favorite Gamescom reveals, which descends into a discussion of Zelda. They wrap it up with a discussion about Diablo III coming to consoles, which has Nicole threatening Ryan through the Internet as he badmouths Diablo II. Somewhere in there, they even talk about Operation Rainfall, and how Ryan has too much time on his hands.
Tell us what you think and what you want to hear on our next episode by emailing us at mailbag [at] warp zoned [dot] com or Twitter-mention us at @WarpZoned!
And be sure to check back next week for Episode 19!
Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America Review: Mario, This Is Your Life!
Over his nearly 30-year career, Mario has become the face of the video game industry. So it’s no wonder that author Jeff Ryan used the plumber’s pixelated visage as the focal point in Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America, his retelling of Nintendo’s history. Beginning with the company’s first arcade title, Radar Scope, and culminating with the jump to the top of the flagpole that was the Wii, it’s a wild ride that ultimately gets smashed by a Blue Shell. (more…)
Warp Zoned Wish List: What We Want From Borderlands 2
When Borderlands first came out back in October of 2009, I was smitten. I got it, played every single mission alone, and basically just devoured the game. Playing it on the PS3 was what some saw as my major handicap; most of my friends had it for the Xbox 360. However, I had a fantastic time playing the game alone. I played as Lilith the Siren, friendless and badass; I made that game my bitch, and then set it aside to move onto the next one. By the time the DLC came out, I was involved in other games.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when Borderlands was on sale for $14.99 – with all of the DLC – for PlayStation Plus subscribers. I gobbled it up, lent my hard copy to a friend, and dove right back in again. Podcast Producer Ryan Littlefield and I beat the game in just two short weeks, and as we approached the vault, he told me he’d found a copy of the GOTY edition at Target for $8 in the clearance section. “Of course you did,” I laughed, “they’re probably doing all this to gear up for the announcement of Borderlands 2.” That night, the rumor broke on Eurogamer; the next morning, Borderlands 2 was officially announced by 2K Games.
What this means is that there is massive potential here for a sequel that goes off the charts. There’s so much awesome in the first game, but there’s so much that could be adjusted to make the sequel even better. If they find the right balance, Borderlands fans will have much to rejoice about – and many more players to rejoice with. What follows is a detailed list of what I think should be included, discluded, and just plain married to Borderlands 2. (more…)
Toy Soldiers: Cold War Review: You Want a War? You Got a War!
Seattle-based Signal Studios delighted gamers last year with their debut title Toy Soldiers, a tower defense game that oozed style as you fulfilled your childhood fantasies of blowing the crap out of little plastic soldiers and tanks. Now they’re back with a sequel, which moves the conflict from World War I to the good ol’ days of the Cold War – because, well, who doesn’t enjoy blasting commie toys to smithereens? (more…)
Posted in Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360
Tagged Toy Soldiers: Cold War
Bastion Review: The Kid May Be Mute, But He Talks a Good Game
Bastion is an action RPG for The Kid in all of us. Developed by Supergiant Games, Bastion is clearly a love letter to the bygone days of the Super NES. Anyone who grew up on The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past or Secret of Mana will know exactly what to do after a world-shattering Calamity opens the game.
But if you don’t know where to start, a powerful voice will guide you through the world of Bastion… and at no time will he screech “Hey! Listen!” (more…)
BioShock: Rapture Review: A Man Chooses… To Not Read This Book
BioShock: Rapture is a prequel novel to the BioShock video game series. Author John Shirley takes us from the inception of Rapture: from an idea blossoming in the mind of Andrew Ryan, to its violent and inevitable descent into madness. Though Shirley has so much material to work from, he doesn’t quite bring it all together in a way that is satisfying; in fact, he does little to bring anything to life that wasn’t already in our imaginations from the games themselves. (more…)
Warp Zoned Podcast: Episode 17
This week on the Warp Zoned Podcast, Nicole Kline, Ryan Littlefield, John Scalzo, and special guest Anthony Schneegas discuss a very important topic: Borderlands! What they love, what they hate, and most importantly, how to catch a riiiiiiiiiiiiiiide. Oh, and they also talked a bit about the new 3DS Ambassador program Nintendo unveiled, which has Ryan and Nicole pretty darn excited. They round it out with whether or not games are too expensive, what’s too much to pay for a game, and why some developers can be real hypocrites about it. If you’re playing Borderlands right now and want some company, feel free to add Nicole and Ryan on the PSN – her name is toitle and his is rightontargt4. And remember, we want your questions! Email us at mailbag [at] warp zoned [dot] com or Twitter-mention us at @WarpZoned.
And be sure to check back next week for Episode 18!
Posted in Podcast, Top Story
Tagged Borderlands 2