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
New Releases: Diablo III, Max Payne 3, Game of Thrones, More
It’s finally time to give the devil his due, Diablo III will be available in stores this week. With a whole mess of big releases, this marks the end of the “new game drought” that has been plaguing gamers all throughout the month of April. And Diablo III isn’t even the only long-awaited return this week…
- Max Payne is back for another round of stylized neo-noir action in Max Payne 3 for the PC, PS3, Xbox 360.
- George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones makes the jump to the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 courtesy of Atlus.
- The Test Drive series returns to its roots in Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends (PS3, Xbox 360).
- Rising Star Games makes it US debut with Cave’s sidescrolling shooter Akai Katana (Xbox 360).
- And there’s Battleship, the game-based-on-the-movie-that-was-based-on-the-board-game is now available for the 3DS, DS, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360.
This week is so chock full of new releases, there’s even more after the break! (more…)
Posted in 3DS, DS, News, PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
Tagged Akai Katana, Diablo III, Game of Thrones, Max Payne 3, Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends
Rumor: Lego Lord of the Rings game set for this Fall
When Lego sets based on the Lord of the Rings movies were first revealed, the collective Internet naturally assumed that a Lego Lord of the Rings video game wouldn’t be far behind. That assumption is one step closer to becoming a reality as Lego fansite BrickUltra has discovered a teaser poster for Lego Lord of the Rings: The Game.
The poster includes minifig versions of Frodo, Aragorn, and Gandalf along with logos from developer TT Games and publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Several platform logos are also listed on the poster including the 3DS, Wii, Xbox 360, and a generic “PlayStation” logo. A Kinect trademark appears in the fine print along the bottom, so expect Kinect support as well.
Lego Lord of the Rings: The Game will likely be released this Fall, which will put in stores just in time for the Christmas rush and the opening of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit.
Monster World takes over this week’s Nintendo Download
Sega’s Monster World franchise takes over this week’s Nintendo Download as two games from the series (that were originally released on the Genesis) were added to the Virtual Console today. For Monster World IV, this is the first time it’s been available outside Japan.
Also in this week’s update there’s a DSiWare shooter and yet another rendition of Sudoku for the 3DS:
Sudoku by Nikoli (3DS eShop) – Enjoy 50 high-quality sudoku puzzles created by Nikoli, who gave the world-famous puzzle its name.
Paul’s Shooting Adventure 2 (DSiWare) – The player controls Paul and his brother, twins of a super hero family who were born with innate super powers. The two brothers have the ability to take flight and attack with powerful projectile energy.
Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Wii Virtual Console) – The once-beautiful kingdom of Wonder Land has been thrown into chaos by a ferocious, fire-breathing dragon called MEKA dragon. The dragon and his monstrous henchmen conquer the peaceful world, turning it into Monster Land.
Monster World IV (Wii Virtual Console) – For the first time outside of Japan, experience the final chapter in the classic Monster World series! One day, a young, green-haired girl names Asha, hears spirits calling out for help. Upon hearing the spirits, she leaves her village and sets forth on a grand adventure into Monster World.
Nintendo Download: Super Hang-On, Amoebattle, Bird Mania 3D
Whoa, two weeks in a row with a new Virtual Console release!
For this week’s Nintendo Download, the publisher has added the Genesis classic Super Hang-On to the Wii’s Virtual Console. In addition to being the greatest motorcycle game ever… wait, being the greatest motorcycle game ever is more than enough reason to play it.
Also available this week is the DSi Shop title Amoebattle, an underwater puzzle game; and on the 3DS eShop, Bird Mania 3D, “a skill-based action game in which you steer a little birdie on his way to Africa.”
Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed announced
After originally being revealed at the New York Toy Fair earlier this year, Sega is ready to officially announce Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed. The kart racing sequel is once again in development at Sumo Digital and is planned for a late 2012 release on the 3DS, PC, PS3, Vita, and Xbox 360.
Sega is planning to make Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed an all-terrain affair with karts that transform into boats on the water and planes in the air. Why yes, it does sound a bit reminiscent of Mario Kart 7. But what’s new is the game’s unique “fair weapon system.” As they race, players will gain skills for their chosen racer, including the ability to “[block or evade] weapons fired at your vehicle.” Awesome!
Also new is a pair of debuting racers, Gilius Thunderhead of Golden Axe and Vyse of Skies of Arcadia. Both were up for inclusion in the first game, but for some reason, were left on the cutting room floor.
I’ll be very surprised if the “fair weapon system” doesn’t end up in the next Mario Kart game.
3DS, Wii U retail games to be sold digitally… starting with New Super Mario Bros. 2
The 3DS eShop just got a whole lot cooler. Nintendo has announced that, beginning this August, the online store will offer downloadable versions of retail games. First on the list… New Super Mario Bros. 2.
Like current 3DS eShop downloads, downloadable retail games must be stored on an SD card and will only be playable on the handheld they were purchased on. If you’re one of those people who are still uneasy about using a credit card on the Internet, brick-and-mortar retailers will also sell download codes for 3DS digital downloads. Best of all, retailers can set the price for a download code just as they can for a cartridge game, so we might see some big sales for downloadable 3DS games.
Nintendo also announced that “Onitore,” the game more popularly known as Brain Age: Devil Training, will receive a US release and that it too will be available sometime this year as both a retail release and a digital download.
Finally, Nintendo confirmed that the same retail/digital download deal will apply to Wii U games when the system launch’s this Fall. So shoppers will be able to download any Nintendi-publisher Wii U title at the same time the game is released in stores.
Hey! Nintendo can finally say they’ve one-upped Sony and Microsoft in the online arena for something!
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Brain Age: Devil Training, New Super Mario Bros. 2
Nintendo Download: 3DS system update, Super Street Fighter II, more
Nintendo has pushed out a system update for the 3DS as part of their weekly Nintendo Download offerings. The update adds the ability to place folders on the handheld’s Home Screen as well as streamlines browsing in the 3DS eShop.
And speaking of the 3DS eShop, Nintendo has added a new game to the online store today as well. Titled Block Factory, it’s, you guessed it, a puzzle game that features falling blocks. On the DSi Shop, Nintendo has Chuck E. Cheese’s Arcade Room, which promises to “recreate the magic of being at Chuck E. Cheese’s!” Unless it includes a miniature copy of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game, I doubt it could recreate my favorite memories of Chuck E. Cheese.
Finally, Nintendo remembered that the Virtual Console still exists on the Wii and has added Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers to the Wii Shop. Unlike your typical Virtual Console game, Super Street Fighter II adds online multiplayer to the mix.
More information on all of these titles can be found after the break. (more…)
New Releases: Prototype 2, Risen 2, Shifting World, More
April continues to lumber along with yet another small batch of new releases.
This week, Prototype 2 brings us back to Radical’s demented vision of open world games where a helicopter is something to be thrown and the best way to take out an enemy is by eating them! Yummy! Prototype 2 will be available for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
Also available this week is the pirate RPG Risen 2: Dark Waters (PC) and the PC version of Sega’s Binary Domain.
Finally, a pair of 3DS games will be new to store shelves: the shifting plotline of Shifting World and the 3D firefighting of Firefighter 3D.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Binary Domain, Prototype 2, Risen 2: Dark Waters