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
- 2025 GOTY Scoreboard: In Progress
- 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”
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- With Grand Theft Auto 6 poised to take over the world, I reached out to Jack Thompson and it did not go well – PC Gamer (2026)
- Vib-Ribbon: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- How a Second-Grade Teacher Revived a Beloved Video Game – The New York Times (2026)
- Spore: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- Diablo IV PC Cooled With Real Human Blood Is Still Going Strong Two Years Later, Says Guy Who Won It – Aftermath (2026)
Most Recent: PS4
The wind-controlling Rashid is the second new character to be added to Street Fighter V
After revealing Necalli, Street Fighter V‘s first original fighter, Capcom promised that three additional new characters would be part of the game’s final roster. Yesterday, the second original character, Rashid, made his debut at the Games 15 event in Dubai.
Introduced by Street Fighter Series Producer Yoshinori Ono, Rashid is a Middle Eastern character who can control punishing gusts of wind. He is also said to have “an affinity for technology” and a “casual” fighting style. You can take a look at Rashid’s parkour-inspired moves in the trailer embedded, while the Capcom-Unity blog has revealed a bit more about the character, including his V-Skills and V-Triggers:
About Rashid
Joining the series from the Middle East, Rashid is an easy going and laid back character that has a very keen interest in technology and the latest gadgets on the market. His fighting style takes cues from parkour and he mixes it up with his unique ability to harness the power of wind. Always first in line to buy new tech, he uses these devices to research and create his fast-paced acrobatic moves, leaving his opponents in the dust and wondering what’s coming next.V-Skill 1 (MP+MK): Front Flip
Rashid performs a high flying flip over the opponent. Pressing kick during the Front Flip results in Rashid performing a divekick.V-Skill 2 (Down+MP+MK): Rolling Assault
Rashid closes the gap between himself and the opponent with a quick front roll. Pressing kick during Rolling Assault results in Rashid kicking upward at the opponent.V-Trigger (HP+HK): Ysaar
Rashid throws out a slow moving whirlwind that closes in on the opponent and causes damage to them if they touch it. While the whirlwind is out, Rashid can use it to increase his movement on any attack that propels him forward.
Capcom previously announced plans to include 16 characters in Street Fighter V when its released for the PC and PS4 in Spring 2016. Rashid is the 12th character announced so far, after Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Cammy, Vega, M. Bison, Birdie, Charlie Nash, Necalli, R. Mika, and Blanka (who remains officially unannounced, though he was all but confirmed two months ago). So that means there’s still four more character reveals to come, including two more brand new fighters.
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged Street Fighter V
New Releases: Destiny: The Taken King, Forza 6, Skylanders SuperChargers, More
We’ve got a lot of ground to cover in this week’s new release report, so let’s get right to it…
Destiny’s “Year One” slate of content will come to a close as Activision and Bungie will release the last major update Destiny: The Taken King for the PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360. The expansion will add a variety of missions and tweaks to the team-based shooter, but the biggest is likely Nolan North’s replacement of Peter Dinklage as the voice of Ghost.
Microsoft and Turn 10 will release their latest automotive simulator, Forza Motorsport 6, for the Xbox One. It astounds me that while Sony continues to struggle with DriveClub and the seemingly non-existent Gran Turismo 7, Microsoft has developed and published two critically-acclaimed Forza games.
If you’re looking for something for the kids, Activision will release Skylanders SuperChargers this week. The popular game franchise has a racing theme this time out for the Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360… and dozens of new Skylanders action figures have begun appearing on store shelves. A Dark Edition will also be released and a spinoff game, Skylanders SuperChargers Racing, will be available for the 3DS and Wii U (complete with an exclusive Skylanders/Amiibo hybrid figure for each platform).
To close out the week in new games, a pair of popular sports simulations will also be available. EA Sports will bring NHL 16 to the PS4 and Xbox One (and NHL: Legacy Edition to the PS3 and Xbox 360), while Konami will publish Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Finally this week, a number of new console bundles will be released. Sony will launch a 500GB PS4 + Destiny: The Taken King Limited Edition Bundle, while Microsoft is prepping a 1TB Xbox One + Forza Motorsport 6 Limited Edition Bundle. Both feature custom case designs (the Forza Blue color scheme is particularly nifty), one controller, and bonus downloadable content for their respective games. A 1TB Xbox One + FIFA 16 Bundle will also be available, but it doesn’t feature a custom paint job.
More information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Destiny, Forza Motorsport 6, NHL 16, Pro Evolution Soccer 2016, Skylanders SuperChargers, Skylanders SuperChargers Racing
Darksiders II comes to PS4 on October 6; Xbox One release date to be announced soon
Nordic Games has announced (via Twitter) that the PS4 launch of the Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition is fast approaching. According to the publisher, the end of days will officially begin on Sony’s system on October 6:
#Darksiders II #Deathinitive Edition arrives October 6th on PS4! Pre-Order on Play Station Store US http://t.co/CVpMPD875p (save 10%)
— Darksiders (@darksiders) September 11, 2015
Unfortunately for Xbox One owners, Nordic Games is currently unable to nail down a final release date for Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition on Microsoft’s new-generation console. Business & Product Development Director Reinhard Pollice confirmed (also via Twitter) that “they’re working on it” and that an announcement would be made soon.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Darksiders II
BOOM! Madden NFL 16 is the best-selling game of August 2015
Whatever your opinion of Tom Brady and Deflategate (for the record, I agree with Tony Kornheiser, the suspension was “completely unjust”), it looks like nobody can take the air out of EA’s Madden NFL franchise. And don’t just take my word for it. The latest entry in the series, Madden NFL 16, topped the NPD Group’s newest monthly report and was declared the best-selling game of August 2015.
Madden NFL 16’s ascendance to the top of the list was a foregone conclusion, but August was an unusually quiet month for new releases. Just look at the three remakes/re-releases that broke into the top ten. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition chainsawed its way into the #3 spot, while the 30 games in the Rare Replay compilation collectively landed at #6. Finally, a Combo Pack containing Call of Duty: Black Ops + Call of Duty: Black Ops II claimed the #8 position (two spots ahead of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare at #10, I might add). The only other new release to crack the top ten was Sony’s Until Dawn at #7.
But the real story of the month might be that Minecraft continues to sell. Even though its been available on the PS4 and Xbox One since last year (and another year on the PS3 and Xbox 360), the game continues to sell month after month. Only Madden NFL 16 was able to outpace Mojang’s creation in August as Minecraft is sitting at #2 on the best-sellers list.
A complete look at August 2015’s top ten is available after the break. (more…)
Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows will infect all platforms on September 17
Yacht Club Games has announced that Shovel Knight‘s Plague of Shadows expansion will be available to download on all platforms and in all regions on September 17. The free update will completely transform the game, allowing players to take control of the villainous Plague Knight as he does battle with his fellow knights of The Order of No Quarter.
However, this challenge is only for expert players as the Plague of Shadows campaign will remain locked unless you’ve beaten the game as Shovel Knight.
Unlike some cinematic knights, prospective Plague of Shadows players won’t need to choose wisely as Shovel Knight is currently available for the PC, 3DS, Wii U, PS3, PS4, Vita, and Xbox One. Yacht Club will continue to expand the world of Shovel Knight in the future as campaigns centered around King Knight and Specter Knight are in the works. In the nearer future, a Shovel Knight Amiibo figure, which will unlock a Co-Op Campaign on the 3DS and Wii U, will be released sometime this Fall.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows
Guitar Hero Live goes to 110 as Activision adds ten more songs to the game
After a few weeks of radio silence, Activision announced today that ten more songs will be added to Guitar Hero Live‘s gargantuan setlist. Once again, the selections run the gamut from radio friendly pop (Passenger’s “Let Her Go”) to indie favorites (Haim, Wavves) to the hard stuff (Lamb of God’s “Ghost Walking”). If you’re looking for all ten new tracks, they can be found right here:
- 36 Crazyfists – “Also Am I”
- Gerard Way – “No Shows”
- Haim – “The Wire”
- Lamb of God – “Ghost Walking”
- Orianthi – “According to You”
- Passenger – “Let Her Go”
- Pearl Jam – “Sirens”
- Surfer Blood – “Demon Dance”
- Tonight Alive – “The Ocean”
- Wavves – “Demon to Lean On”
Guitar Hero Live will be released for the PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and mobile platforms on October 20.
PS Store Today: Tearaway Unfolded, Rugby World Cup 2015, Beyond Eyes, more
It’s a short week for Sony’s PlayStation Store as only a handful of titles were added to the online storefront today. However, one of this week’s new games is Tearaway Unfolded, Media Molecule’s PS4 adaptation (definitely don’t call it a port) of their handheld platformer. Tearaway didn’t find much of an audience on the Vita, but Media Molecule was quite proud of it. Hopefully, they find more success on the PS4.
A number of other titles are also available to download through the PlayStation Store this week:
- Rugby World Cup 2015 (PS4, PS3, Vita) is the latest Rugby simulation from HB Studios and Bigben Interactive.
- Beyond Eyes (PS4) asks players to help a blind girl journey through the world in search of her pet cat.
- Hyper Void (PS4 + PS3 Cross-Buy) is a wild space shooter.
- And Ascendant (PS4) is… believe it or not… a roguelike beat ’em up.
More information on all of these games (and a few others) can be found after the break. And a complete rundown of this week’s new game add-ons and discounts is available at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)
Prepare yourself for Destiny: The Taken King with this Cinematic Trailer
The launch of Bungie’s Destiny: The Taken King is exactly one week away, so Activision has released a new Cinematic Trailer to get players up to speed on the expansion’s story. The Taken King, Destiny’s third major expansion after The Dark Below and House of Wolves, serves as the finale to “Year One” of Destiny. Hoping to rule the galaxy as father and son, Oryx is none too happy about the death of Crota, the main baddie from Destiny:
Oryx is here. He’s hellbent on revenge, and he’s brought an army of Taken with him. Infiltrate his fortress, fight through his army, and Face The Taken King.
I’m not too well-versed in Destiny’s lore, but it all looks very Star Wars-y to me. Destiny: The Taken King will be available for the PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360 on September 15.