Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books Gets a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
- GDC Awards: All the Winners from 1996 to Today
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins “Game of the Year” at 2025-2026 GDC Awards
- Silent Hill, Dragon Quest, Skyrim, and More Announced as Finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
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: 3DS
Nintendo eShop will go offline for maintenance today at 4 PM
Nintendo has announced (via their Facebook page) that the Nintendo eShop will go offline for maintenance today beginning at 4:00 PM (Eastern Time). The online storefront will reopen tomorrow at 4:00 AM (Eastern Time). Due to this maintenance period, today’s release of the Pokemon Bank app has been delayed. A new release date hasn’t been announced, but hopefully it’ll be available soon.
Here’s Nintendo’s full statement:
We sincerely apologize for the connection problems in the Nintendo eShop. We understand this is taking longer than expected, but we can assure you that providing a solution is our top priority. We are determined to make sure everyone can enjoy all that Wii U and Nintendo 3DS have to offer. In an effort to manage the high volume of traffic and ultimately improve your experience, we are temporarily taking the Nintendo eShop services offline between the hours of 4 PM – 4 AM ET. Thank you so much for your continued patience. We will keep you updated.
Nintendo Download: Dr. Luigi, Super Punch-Out!!, Pokemon Bank, more
UPDATE: Nintendo has delayed the release of Pokemon Bank due to the eShop’s continued connectivity problems.
ORIGINAL STORY: Nintendo’s online marketplace is currently experiencing technical difficulties due to all of the people who found Wii Us and 3DSs under the tree yesterday. But that hasn’t stopped The Big N from updating their eShops.
Tuesday, December 31 will close out the “Year of Luigi” in style as Nintendo plans to add Dr. Luigi to the Wii U eShop before the calendar turns. But if you’re looking for something to download today, might I suggest two Virtual Console release: Super Punch-Out!! (Wii U) and Mario Tennis (3DS).
And if you’re a big Pokemon player, you might want to keep an eye out for Pokemon Bank, which will be added to the 3DS eShop tomorrow, December 27. The app allows Pokemon X/Y players to store/manage their captured Pokemon online. A $4.99 annual subscription cost will accompany the Bank, but Nintendo is offering a free trial until January 31.
You can find more details on all of these games and the rest of today’s eShop offerings after the break. (more…)
Nintendo Download: Knytt Underground, 3D Streets of Rage, Castlevania, more
Nintendo delighted everyone with the surprise releases of NES Remix and Wii Sports Club: Golf on the Wii U eShop yesterday. And while today’s regular update isn’t quite that astounding, it is pretty good…
The last two “Sega 3D Classics” (for now) have been added to the 3DS eShop. 3D Streets of Rage and 3D Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master will ensure that plenty of punks will be punched in a side-scrolling setting this weekend. More punks can be pounded in the NES-era River City Ransom spinoff Crash ‘n the Boys: Street Challenge, which is also now available through the 3DS eShop. Wii U owners will get a chance to smack some side-scrolling baddies too as Konami has added Castlevania to the Wii U Virtual Console.
In original games this week, there’s Knytt Underground for the Wii U and Banana Bliss: Jungle Puzzles for the 3DS. Knytt Underground is a stylish and moody platformer that previously found a home on the PC, PS3, and Vita. Meanwhile, Banana Bliss is a puzzle game that takes place in the jungle.
More information about all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Lego The Hobbit’s first trailer is here and back again
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug cruised to the top of the box office heap this weekend with a total ticket take of $73 million. So now seems like a perfect time for Warner Bros. Games to unveil the first trailer for Lego The Hobbit, which is due to be released in 2014.
After watching this trailer, I think it’s official, Martin Freeman and Ian McKellan need to be in everything. Lego The Hobbit will be released for (deep breath) the PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, and 3DS.
CoD: Ghosts, Battlefield 4 march to the top of November 2013’s best-selling games chart
With the PS4 and Xbox One now available in stores across the country, the NPD Group is ready to talk about the financial health of the video game industry with their most recent monthly report. Total sales of $2.7 billion fueled the game industry in November, an increase of seven percent over November 2012’s sales numbers. The next-generation had a lot to do with the inflated number, as hardware sales were listed at $1.3 billion for the month, a 58% increase year-over-year.
But what about the games? Well, new releases Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4, and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag marched to the top three spots. Below that is a trio of non-November releases (Madden NFL 25, Grand Theft Auto V, NBA 2K14) and below that is a trio of family-friendly titles (Skylanders Swap Force, Just Dance 2014, Disney Infinity). FIFA 14 rounded out the top ten.
The top ten brought with it an interesting comparison between the two next-generation consoles and there seemed to be no clear-cut winner. According to Joystiq, the PS4 versions of Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4, Assassin’s Creed IV, Madden NFL 25, NBA 2K14, and FIFA 14 outsold their Xbox One counterparts. But the Xbox One can claim sales superiority with Skylanders Swap Force and Just Dance 2014 among multiplatform releases.
Finally, it was a bad month to be a platform-exclusive game as major releases like Super Mario 3D World, Killzone: Shadow Fall, Forza Motorsport 5, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds failed to crack the top ten.
You can find the complete chart of November 2013’s best-sellng games after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Disney Infinity, FIFA 14, Grand Theft Auto V, Just Dance 2014, Madden NFL 25, NBA 2K14, NPD, Skylanders Swap Force
Nintendo Download: Double Dragon, 3D Ecco, 3D Galaxy Force II, more
“You got 50,000 on Double Dragon?”
Even though it’s a silly milestone (the average player will cross 50,000 points sometime in the third level), I always felt a point of pride when I matched the performance of Fred Savage’s little brother from The Wizard. And now I get to do it all over again as the NES version of Double Dragon is now available on the Wii U eShop and the 3DS eShop. Sadly, there doesn’t appear to be any PS Store-style Cross-Buy option.
Additional titles available this week include two new title in Sega’s 3D Classics series: the dolphin adventure 3D Ecco the Dolphin and the rail shooter 3D Galaxy Force II. Naturally, both will be available through the 3DS eShop. Also set for release this week is the Two Tribes-developed puzzler Rush (Wii U eShop), and many more.
More details on all of these titles, as well as a few others, can be found after the break. (more…)
Regular Show: Mordecai & Rigby in 8-Bit Land Review: Hmmm, Hmmm
I am a huge fan of Regular Show. I remember seeing a promo for the cartoon and thinking, “Well, this sure looks strange.” When I finally got a chance to see it, I was instantly hooked. The episode, entitled “High Score,” featured the show’s main characters, Mordecai the blue jay and Rigby the raccoon, attempting to earn respect by getting high scores in an arcade game. As both a gamer and a child of the 80s, this episode really drew me in. It featured old-school arcade games, a New Kids on the Block song, and a perfect parody of 80s arcade icon Billy Mitchell. It even had the universal sign of “I got next” by putting a quarter on the arcade cabinet monitor.
As I got more involved with the show, I noticed more and more retro video game references popping up. Even the Sega Master System makes an appearance in several episodes. It quickly became obvious to me that series creator JG Quintel is a huge fan of retro video games and the generation from which they came, and his love of 80s culture is proudly displayed in every episode. Having understood this, I could only imagine how amazing a Regular Show video game would be. My excitement grew when I heard that not only was a game being made, but it was also being programmed by WayForward, one of my favorite developers. I thought that there was no way that this game would be anything short of perfect. Now, having completed Regular Show: Mordecai & Rigby in 8-Bit Land, I found myself feeling that, while the game is fun, it could have been so much more. So much more. (more…)
GTA5 is “Game of the Year” at the 2013 VGX Awards
The first ever VGX Awards (formerly known as the Spike TV Video Game Awards) were held last night and the best games of 2013 were once again crowned by GameTrailers.com’s Geoff Keighley (with an assist from Community‘s Joel McHale). The general consensus among the Internetatti is that the show still doesn’t know what it wants to be and that the “intimate studio setting” (and McHale) made the whole thing feel a bit bizarre. But what about the award winners?
In what is sure to be the first of many, Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V was named “Game of the Year” by the VGX Advisory Council. Rockstar’s crime saga also took home “Best Soundtrack.” But, the developer missed out on “Studio of the Year” honors. That award went to Naughty Dog for their work on The Last of Us. Their apocalyptic story was also awarded “Best PlayStation Game.” “Best Voice Actor” (Troy Baker), and “Best Voice Actress” (Ashley Johnson). Other multiple award winners include indie sensation Gone Home (“Best PC Game” and “Best Independent Game”) and BioShock Infinite (“Best Shooter” and “Best Song in a Game”).
A complete list of this year’s winners, including the remaining genre awards, “Best Xbox Game” (the surprising Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons), and “Best Nintendo Game” (Super Mario 3D World), can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, BioShock Infinite, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, Forza Motorsport 5, Gone Home, Grand Theft Auto V, Injustice: Gods Among Us, NBA 2K14, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Super Mario 3D World, The Last of Us, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, VGX 2013