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”
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- 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
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- 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
Puzzle & Dragons Z is still on track for a western release
With the recent announcement of Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, some people have become worried that the North American release of the previously-announced Puzzle & Dragons Z would be canceled.
But the Twitter account for publisher GungHo Online has confirmed that there’s no need to worry, as it looks like the 3DS game is still on track for a North American (and likely European) release:
@Emolyptic actually P&D Z was officially announced for a western release by our company president – no details at this time, but stay tuned!
— GungHo Online (@GungHo_America) January 8, 2015
Puzzle & Dragons Z is a match-3 puzzler that includes RPG elements. It is extremely popular in Japan, where it has sold more than 1.3 million copies since its release in December 2013.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Puzzle & Dragons Z
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor leads the pack with 5 nominations at 2015 GDC Awards
The nominees for this year’s Game Developers Choice Awards have been announced and, unsurprisingly, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor leads the way with five nominations, including “Game of the Year.”
Shadow of Mordor will compete for the top prize with other four multi-category nominees including Alien: Isolation, Bayonetta 2, Destiny, and Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. Believe it or not, the next-most-nominated game, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, was actually shut out of the “Game of the Year” category. The Astronauts’ mystery title was nominated for “Best Narrative,” “Best Audio,” the “Innovation Award,” and “Best Debut.”
Alien: Isolation (“Best Visual Art” and “Best Audio”), Destiny (“Best Audio” and “Best Technology”), and Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (“Best Design” and “Best Handheld/Mobile Game”) are each up for two additional awards while Bayonetta 2 is also up for “Best Visual Art.”
A complete list of the nominees for this year’s Game Developers Choice Awards can be found after the break. And be sure to check back for a look at the winners, which will be announced on March 4 during the Game Developers Conference.
[Source: GamesIndustry.biz] (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Alien: Isolation, Bayonetta 2, Destiny, GDC 2015, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
This War of Mine, The Talos Principle, 80 Days lead nominees of 2015 IGF Awards
The Independent Games Festival has unveiled the nominees for their 17th annual awards show, which will take place on March 4, just before the GDC Awards during this year’s Game Developers Conference. Leading the way is Inkle Studios’ 80 Days, which was nominated for three awards. 11 Bit’s This War of Mine and Croteam’s The Talos Principle weren’t far behind, as each garnered two nominations apiece.
All three games will be competing for the “Seumas McNally Grand Prize” against Klei’s Invisible Inc., Team Outer Wilds’ Outer Wilds, and Patrick Smith’s Metamorphabet.
You can find a complete list of finalists and honorable mentions for all six awards (including “Excellence In Visual Art,” “Excellence In Narrative,” “Excellence In Design,” “Excellence In Audio,” and the “Nuovo Award”) and the Student Showcase after the break. (more…)
Nintendo Download: Chariot, Mega Man Battle Network 2, Adventures of Lolo, more
Welcome to another edition of the weekly Nintendo Download. This week, Wii U and 3DS players will be able to download…
- Chariot (Wii U), a physics-based platformer where two players guide a deceased monarch to his final resting place.
- Mega Man Battle Network 2 (Wii U), Mega Man does the RPG thing in this Game Boy Advance favorite.
- Adventures of Lolo (3DS), an NES puzzler starring Lolo, a puffy blue ball.
More information about all of these games (and a few others) can be found after the break. (more…)
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition is coming to the 3DS
Puzzle & Dragons is a match-3 mobile game that is extremely popular in Japan and reasonably well-regarded in the rest of the world (though lagging behind big hitters like Angry Birds and Clash of Clans). If you’re not one of the game’s 41 million players, that may change when developer GungHo teams up with Nintendo to bring a Mario-themed version of the game to the 3DS as Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition.
The Super Mario Bros. Edition of Puzzle & Dragons will be released in Japan on April 29, but GungHo has confirmed that a North American release is also in the cards:
Details are forthcoming, but an overseas release of Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Edition via Nintendo has been announced.
— Puzzle & Dragons NA (@PuzzDragNA) January 8, 2015
As the publisher, Nintendo will likely announce a North American release date for Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition soon.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D Limited Edition will include Skull Kid statue
Nintendo has announced that The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D will be sold in two different packages when it launches this Spring. For players who just want the game, a game-only edition will be available in stores and through the 3DS eShop. But for those looking for a little something extra, a Limited Edition will come packed with the game and a special statue of the Skull Kid:
Now fans can own a beautiful collectible Skull Kid figurine to accompany them on their adventures by purchasing the limited-edition The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D bundle at select retailers at a suggested retail price of $49.99.
But if you were hoping to find out when you can get your hands on the 3DS re-release, Nintendo stated that the launch date for The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D will be announced sometime in the future.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Nintendo Download: Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, Bionic Commando: Elite Forces
Nintendo takes no holiday off! While much of the world is resting after a night of New Year’s Eve festivities, Nintendo has updated their eShop storefront like they do every Thursday. Though it should be noted that only a pair of new titles are available today… and both are Virtual Console re-releases. But first, if you haven’t purchased Shovel Knight yet, now’s the time. The game, which is available for both the Wii U and 3DS, is on sale for $9.99 (a 33% discount off the regular price).
Now, about those new releases. Available on the Wii U eShop, Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire was originally released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003 and I think the title says it all… it’s a pinball game with a Pokemon twist. Over on the 3DS eShop, Capcom has released Bionic Commando: Elite Forces, the Game Boy Color sequel to the classic NES side-scroller. More information about both titles can be found right here:
Wii U eShop Games
Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire – Much more than a regular pinball game, Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire combines fast flipper action with a unique way to catch your favorite Pokemon. Control the flippers to shoot the Poke Ball at targets on one of two PlayFields. Play on either the Ruby or Sapphire Field to rack up as many points as possible. The game lets players catch more than 200 Pokemon and features characters from the Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire games.
3DS eShop Games
Bionic Commando: Elite Forces – You are the perfect combination of man and machine – a Bionic Commando equipped with a Bionic Claw that will be extremely handy when infiltrating the danger zone. Blast through enemy lines as you grapple, swing and scale more than 20 levels of forests, deserts, mountains and futuristic cities. You are the last hope in saving your homeland from utter destruction. Suit up, soldier!
Inafune confirms that development on Mighty No. 9 is almost done in this New Year’s video
Keiji Inafune has posted a short “New Year’s” video to update fans of Mighty No. 9 on the game’s progress. According to the Mega Man creator, full development on Mighty No. 9 is almost complete and the only step left is porting the game to all the platforms it’ll be available on this Spring. But that’s a pretty important step as Inafune and his team at Comcept (and co-developer Inti Creates) plan to bring Mighty No. 9 to a boatload of platforms including the PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, 3DS, and Vita.