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: Switch
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition will be released for the Switch this Spring
It looks like the rumors were true, and the newest Nintendo Direct presentation has just been unleashed upon the world. Though the video clocks in at just over 14 minutes, this “Nintendo Direct Mini” still features a treasure trove of new announcements for the Switch.
Hyrule Warriors was one of my favorite games on the Wii U, and it was later expanded with a ton of downloadable content, and then re-released on the 3DS with even more characters. Today, Nintendo confirmed that the complete Hyrule Warriors experience (“every map and mission, plus all 29 playable characters, along with all of the previous paid downloadable content”) will be released for the Switch this Spring:
A new, ultimate version of the exhilarating action game set in the Zelda universe will include every map and mission, plus all 29 playable characters from both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions of the game, along with all of the previous paid downloadable content. Play as Link, Zelda, Midna, Skull Kid and dozens more in action-packed battles at home or on the go.
The Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition will also include improved graphics, a two-player splitscreen mode (even in Tabletop Mode), and new outfits for Link and Zelda from Breath of the Wild.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Hyrule Warriors
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze will surf onto the Switch in May
It looks like the rumors were true, and the newest Nintendo Direct presentation has just been unleashed upon the world. Though the video clocks in at just over 14 minutes, this “Nintendo Direct Mini” still features a treasure trove of new announcements for the Switch.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze made a big splash on the Wii U in 2014, and Nintendo has announced that it’ll also make its way to the Switch this Spring. The side-scrolling platformer will add Funky Kong as a playable character in a new “beginner-friendly mode”:
Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Cranky Kong return for the franchise’s debut on Nintendo Switch. This title includes all the fun and challenge of the original game, plus a new beginner-friendly mode that lets players enjoy this critically acclaimed adventure as groovy surfing simian Funky Kong. Funky Kong can double jump, hover, perform infinite rolls and even perform infinite underwater corkscrews. Thanks to his sturdy surfboard, even spikes can’t slow him down.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze will be released for the Switch on May 4.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Dark Souls Remastered will be released for the Switch on May 25
It looks like the rumors were true, and the newest Nintendo Direct presentation has just been unleashed upon the world. Though the video clocks in at just over 14 minutes, this “Nintendo Direct Mini” still features a treasure trove of new announcements for the Switch.
Nintendo, Bandai Namco, and From Software are teaming up to bring Dark Souls to the Nintendo Switch this Spring. The re-release will be known as Dark Souls Remastered, and it’ll include improved graphics, a higher framerate, and the Artorias of the Abyss expansion:
Dark Souls Remastered The first title in the genre-defining action role-playing franchise is coming to Nintendo Switch. Dark Souls Remastered includes the Artorias of the Abyss DLC, as well as improved framerate and resolution from the original Dark Souls game for an exhilarating return to Lordran. This marks the franchise’s debut on a Nintendo platform, and now for the first time ever, this revered (and challenging) game can be played on the go.
This is the first time a Dark Souls game will appear on a Nintendo platform, and Dark Souls Remastered will launch for the Switch on May 25.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Dark Souls
Warp Zoned’s 2017 Golden Pixel Awards: A New Beginning for Video Games
When we looked over the gaming landscape at the beginning of 2017, we opined that game publishers had done their best to wipe the slate clean throughout all of 2016. Many of gaming’s most mysterious projects were finally released, Nintendo closed the door on the Wii U, the VR revolution was in full swing, and upgraded versions of the PS4 and Xbox One were on the horizon.
In these first few days of 2018, I think it’s safe to say the last 12 months definitely fulfilled that promise. Nintendo’s Switch roared out of the gate in March and the consolemaker filled the calendar with big titles on “Day One” and throughout the rest of the year. Night in the Woods, Persona 5, and Golf Story told new kinds of stories that gamers had never seen before. Cuphead delivered a decidedly retro side-scroller packaged within a unique visual playground packaged. And someone even managed to create a fun Friday the 13th game.
It was quite a year, and you can find more of our favorites from 2017 after the break. (more…)
Posted in Etcetera, Features, PC, PS4, Switch, Top Story, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Crash Bandicoot, Cuphead, Friday the 13th, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Injustice 2, Mario Kart 8, Night in the Woods, Persona 5, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Horizon: Zero Dawn lead all nominees at 2018 GDC Awards
The organizers of the Game Developers Conference have announced the nominees for this year’s Game Developers Choice Awards.
Nintendo and Sony have a lot to celebrate this year as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Horizon: Zero Dawn tied for the most nominations, with six apiece. Both games are in the running for “Game of the Year,” and both were also nominated in the “Best Audio,” “Best Design,” “Best Technology,” and “Best Visual Art” categories. Breath of the Wild tacked on one more nominations for the “Innovation Award,” while Horizon nabbed a nomination for “Best Narrative.”
Both games should probably be considered the frontrunners for the “Game of the Year” award, but they’ll also have to compete with PUBG Corporation’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Platinum Games’s Nier: Automata, and Nintendo’s Super Mario Odyssey for the coveted honor.
Outside of the “Game of the Year” competition, Studio MDHR’s Cuphead captured three nominations for “Best Audio,” “Best Debut,” and “Best Visual Art.”
The 2018 GDC Awards ceremony will take place on on Wednesday, March 21, at 6:30 PM (Pacific Time). The full list of nominees, and all the Honorable Mentions, can be found after the break. (more…)
Nintendo sold 4.8 million Switch consoles in US in 2017… a record-setting start for a console
The Nintendo Switch continued its record-breaking streak today.
Nintendo has announced that 4.8 million Switch consoles were sold in the United States in 2017, making it the fastest-selling console of all time. The previous record holder, the Wii, sold four million consoles in the US during its first ten month on sale in 2006-2007.
“Fans across the country have experienced the joy of playing their favorite games at home or on the go,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s President and COO. “Now that many more people have received Nintendo Switch systems for the holidays, we look forward to bringing them fun new surprises in 2018 and beyond.”
As part of the announcement, the consolemaker also revealed a few impressive sales figures for a handful of first-party games. Super Mario Odyssey was the Switch’s best-selling game during its first calendar year, and more than 60% of Switch owners in the US purchased the game (which translates to about 2.9 million copies). It was followed closely by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of Wild, which is owned by 55% of Switch owners (totaling 2.6 million copies). In third place, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was purchased by 50% of Switch owners (for sales of 2.4 million copies) and Splatoon 2 inked an ownership agreement with 20% of Switch owners (totaling almost a million copies in sales).
Finally, Nintendo confirmed that Switch owners can look forward to new games from EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Capcom, Sega, Take Two, and Bethesda in 2018. This is interesting as EA, Activision, and Take Two have yet to announce any further games for the Switch. So I guess we can look forward to announcements from all three companies in the very near future.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Kirby: Battle Royale demo, Stikbold Deluxe, King of the Monsters, more added to Nintendo eShop
Nintendo is ringing in 2018 with a quartet of new additions to the Nintendo eShop, as well as a downloadable demo for Kirby: Battle Royale on the 3DS.
Beginning today, Switch owners will be able to purchase Grand Prix Rock ‘N Racing, an overhead racing game; Pic-A-Pix Deluxe, a “picture crossword” game; Stikbold! Deluxe, a dodge ball adventure with a 70s twist; and King of the Monsters, a classic fighting game from the NeoGeo’s heyday.
You can learn more about all of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop after the break. (more…)
The Games of January 2018
It’s a new year and time for a brand new batch of video games from developers both big and small.
Fighting game fans will have a lot to look forward to in January with the launch of Bandai Namco’s Dragon Ball Fighter Z, Square Enix’s Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, and Capcom’s Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition. And if you enjoy games with a retro aesthetic, you might want to keep an eye out for Cellar Door’s Full Metal Furies, Square Enix’s Lost Sphear, and Nintendo’s 3DS re-release of Pokemon Crystal.
You can find what we’re looking forward to after the break, along with a complete release schedule for all of this month’s new releases. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Features, Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, Top Story, Vita, Xbox One
Tagged Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Full Metal Furies, Lost Sphear, Pokemon Gold/Silver