Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Meet the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025: Quake, GoldenEye 007, Defender, and Tamagotchi
- The BAFTA Games Awards Polled the Public and Shenmue is “The Most Influential Video Game of All Time”
- 2024 GOTY Scoreboard: Astro Bot, Balatro, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, More
- The Strong Museum of Play Acquires Prototypes and Development Documents from Volition’s 30-Year History
- Minecraft’s Volume Alpha Soundtrack Has Been Added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- It’s beginning to feel like gaming isn’t for everyone – Digital Trends (2025)
- 22 years later, modders are keeping SimCity 4 alive – The Verge (2025)
- The B-movies of Paul W.S. Anderson double as acts of devotion to his muse, Milla Jovovich – The AV Club (2025)
- Breakout, Ripoff, Genre: How Fiction Outgrows Originality – Uncanny Magazine (2025)
- ‘I Could Make “Fart Fart Boobie Fart: The Game” and Maybe It Would Eventually Get Taken Down’ – Devs Reveal Why the Consoles Are Drowning in ‘Eslop’ – IGN (2025)
Most Recent: 3DS
Video Game Release Calendar Changelog: September 2015 Update
Don’t Forget! This is just a changelog of recently announced release dates. Warp Zoned’s complete Video Game Release Calendar includes every title we could find that’s scheduled for release in 2015, 2016, 2017, or beyond.
We have officially turned the calendar over to September and that means the Fall gaming rush is right around the corner. Thankfully, that means a number of publishers have nailed down final release dates for many of their major releases. Nintendo has been especially busy filling in their monthly planner, announcing release dates for Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water (October 22), The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (October 23), Yo-Kai Watch (November 6), Star Fox Zero (November 20), and Devil’s Third (December 11).
Looking beyond the end of the year, 2016’s Winter/Spring period is also filling up fast including a launch date for Lego Avengers in January (January 26) and a bevy of titles in February (XCOM 2 on February 5, Battleborn on February 9, and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided on February 23). A few weeks later, Nathan Drake makes his PS4 debut in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End on March 18. Microsoft has also staked a Spring claim with the release of Quantum Break on April 5.
Finally, we circle back around to Nintendo with the announcement of an official launch window (“Spring 2016”) for the Wii U version of Pokken Tournament. We all knew it was happening, so I’m not sure what took them so long.
Even more new release dates from this edition of the Video Game Release Calendar Changelog can be found after the break. (more…)
New Releases: Super Mario Maker, Tearaway Unfolded, Hatsune Miku Project Mirai DX, More
Nintendo is finally ready to let fans unleash their inner Miyamoto this week with the release of Super Mario Maker for the Wii U. The course creator will let players design and upload a neverending stream of Mario levels, along with being able to play the dozens of courses already on the disc. Players will even have the ability to bring characters like Link and Samus Aran into a Mario game for the first time through an Amiibo tap or by unlocking the character through the Challenge Mode. Super Mario Maker may be the last video game we ever need.
However, if the idea of Super Mario Maker as the last video game you’ll ever play isn’t appealing, there are a few other new releases this week. Chief among them is Tearaway Unfolded, Media Molecule’s PS4 adaptation of their puzzle platformer, which was originally released for the Vita in 2013. Players can jump back into Atoi’s papercraft world to solve puzzles using the unique features of the DualShock 4 such as illuminating a dark room with the Light Bar or whipping up a windy storm with the controller’s built-in motion sensor.
Finally this week, we have a pair of brand new 3DS games… Sega plans to release Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX, an idol/maker/rhythm game, for the handheld. Meanwhile, Jeff Foxworthy will host another interactive adaptation of his game show, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
Nintendo Download: Vs. Excitebike, Gunman Clive HD Collection, Mario Golf, more
A small handful of new games are now available through the Nintendo eShop as part of this week’s Nintendo Download and fans of retro games will definitely want to pay attention as most of this week’s new releases have a throwback aesthetic. Though, to be fair, some of them are just old:
- Available on the Wii U for the first time, the Gunman Clive HD Collection combines the two 3DS side-scrolling shooters into a single package of bandit, robot, and dinosaur hunting.
- Vs. Excitebike added splitscreen multiplayer to the Excitebike franchise when it originally launched on the Famicom Disk System in Japan. Never before released in the US, Vs. Excitebike is now available for the Wii U.
- Mario Golf was originally released for the Nintendo 64 and was the first Mario Golf game developed by Camelot. Fans have always loved the first game in the series and its now available to download on the Wii U.
- Finally this week, Jeff Foxworthy brings his throwback comedy to the 3DS with a portable adaptation of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Look at that… everything fits the theme this week.
More information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Capcom announces Ace Attorney 6 in Japan; US release confirmed
Unless you have an objection, Capcom has announced that Ace Attorney 6 is in development for the 3DS. The game will be playable at this year’s Tokyo Game Show and the publisher has already gone ahead and confirmed that a North American release is in the works:
You heard Wright! Ace Attorney 6 (working title), announced in Japan today, is also in development for the west!
— Ace Attorney (@aceattorneygame) September 1, 2015
Ace Attorney 6 will be the first game released in the franchise’s “main series” since Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies in 2011. However, that doesn’t mean the Ace Attorney crew has been idle all this time. A crossover game, Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney, was released for the 3DS last year. More recently, The Great Ace Attorney, a spinoff set in the 19th century, was released exclusively in Japan just a few weeks ago. Even though the main character hobnobs with Sherlock Holmes and helps the famous detective solve a case, an American release for The Great Ace Attorney has yet to be announced.
The 2015 Tokyo Game Show kicks off in two weeks, so expect to hear more about Ace Attorney 6 then.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice, TGS 2015
Non-XL New 3DS comes to US on September 25 in Animal Crossing Bundle
Nintendo’s New 3DS XL, which includes a second analog stick and built-in NFC support, received a North American launch in February. Fans were immediately smitten with the redesigned handheld, but were slightly disappointed that American gamers could only purchase the bulkier XL model and not the standard size New 3DS model.
That all changes this September with the release of the Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer system bundle on September 25. The package, which will retail for $219.99, includes the more compact New 3DS, a digital copy of the game, two cover plates, and one Amiibo Card.
In other 3DS news, Nintendo will release a “Hyrule Edition New 3DS XL” on October 30. Priced at $199.99, the handheld features a gold chassis with an intricate Hylian Crest design on the front. The handheld’s design is inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, which will be released on October 23, but it won’t include a copy of the game. For emphasis, let me repeat that… the “Hyrule Edition New 3DS XL” WILL NOT include a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes.
Worldwide, Nintendo has sold more than 53 million systems in the 3DS family of handhelds since it first became available in 2011. Even though most gamers already own one, a new design or two is never bad for Nintendo’s bottom line.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
Shovel Knight Amiibo figure (and possibly a sequel) officially announced by Nintendo
Wii U and 3DS owners were left out in the cold earlier this year when Shovel Knight‘s PS4 and Xbox One debut included exclusive platform-specific content. We could only sit back and watch as our knightly brethren did battle with Kratos and the Battletoads. However, the wait was probably worth it as Yacht Club Games had a very important Shovel Knight-related announcement to make during Nindies@Night, Nintendo’s pre-PAX event at the EMP Museum.
This news is three-pronged, and huge, so let’s start small. You know what else is small? Amiibo figures are small. Even a Shovel Knight Amiibo figure, which will be available this Fall and which unlocks exclusive content in the 3DS and Wii U game. On the Wii U, players will be able to team up with a friend and take on the Order of No Quarter in a co-op mode. In addition, customizable gear (featuring new visual enhancements, relics, and abilities) and a special Challenge Mode will also be available on the Wii U and the 3DS.
Let me pause for a moment and mention that Nintendo did not announce Shovel Knight’s addition to the DLC slate for Super Smash Bros. For 3DS/Wii U, even though an extensive fan campaign has been pushing for the character’s inclusion in the fighting game for months. However, the commission of an Amiibo figure (the first to be compatible with a Nindie game) is certainly a strong indicator that Nintendo is at least considering it.
Moving on, Nintendo also confirmed that the Shovel Knight Amiibo will be compatible with future games released for Nintendo platforms. So, in a roundabout way, Nintendo just confirmed the existence of Shovel Knight 2 (or a Shovel Knight appearance in Super Smash Bros. For 3DS/Wii U).
Yacht Club teased a “MEGATON” announcement earlier this week, and the announcement of a sequel to their beloved debut game (or an appearance in Smash Bros.) certainly fits the bill. Though, I suppose, the upcoming expansions would also count as “future games.” So we probably shouldn’t start talking sequel just yet.
Finally, the developer revealed that the Plague of Shadows expansion will be available to download in September. And if you’re interested in seeing the Shovel Knight Amiibo figure “in action,” I recommend checking out the comedic trailer from Game Grumps after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged PAX Prime 2015, Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows
Nintendo Download: Disney Infinity Star Wars, Runbow, Sin & Punishment 1 & 2
Today’s Nintendo Download is a big one for the Wii U as a pair of highly-anticipated titles and another pair of Nintendo classics are now available to download (or will be soon):
- Available on August 30, Disney Infinity: Star Wars will bring the Disney Infinity formula to the Star Wars universe, including a brand new series of figures.
- But available today is Runbow, a “frantic party-platforming game” for up to nine players that will also include a huge number of guest characters from Nintendo’s ever-expanding slate of “Nindies.”
- Rounding this week’s new releases are Sin & Punishment and Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, a beloved pair of rail shooters that are available to download on the Wii U for the first time.
More information on all of these games (and a few others) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Disney Infinity: Star Wars, Runbow
Nintendo dates Star Fox Zero, Fatal Frame 5, Devil’s Third, and more games for this Fall
While most Nintendo fans are pretty broken up about The Legend of Zelda Wii U‘s delay, the consolemaker still has an extensive lineup of games on track to launch this Fall. Earlier this week, they announced official release dates for three of these games…
- Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, a horror game developed in collaboration with Koei Tecmo, will be available exclusively through the Wii U eShop on October 22. Players will also be able to download a free-to-start demo that includes the prologue, the first chapter, and a good portion of the second.
- Star Fox Zero, the first game in the franchise for the Wii U, will be released on November 20.
- Devil’s Third, a melee brawler for the Wii U from Tomonobu Itagaki, will be released on December 11.
In addition to these three titles, Nintendo also nailed down release dates for several new Amiibo figures. The Mii Fighters 3-Pack, which is compatible with Super Smash Bros. For 3DS and Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, will be released on November 1. It’ll be followed by Mewtwo on November 13, Mega Yarn Yoshi (for use with Yoshi’s Woolly World) on November 15, and Falco on November 20.
And don’t forget about Mario. A Wii U System Bundle featuring Super Mario Maker will be available exclusively at Walmart on September 11. The bundle, which will retail for $299.96, will include the system, the game, an Idea Book, and a 30th Anniversary Mario Amiibo in “Modern Colors.” Mario’s first Wii U adventure will even get a makeover this Fall as a special New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U package will be released on October 16 with a $59.99 price tag.
Finally, Nintendo promised that Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival and Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, both of which are in development for the Wii U, will be released sometime during the “Holiday” season. I guess it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas…