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
The first downloadable character for Arms is Max Brass… and he’s coming next month
The Switch’s game library grew by one earlier today when Nintendo unleashed Arms on the gaming public. The springy-armed boxing game is absolutely brimming with style, and Nintendo plans to add even more characters to the game in the coming months.
On that note, Nintendo announced this week that the first addition to Arms’s roster of playable fighters will be Max Brass, an “all-around fighter” who is “basically the greatest champion in the history of the Arms Grand Prix.” Basically, you can think of Max Brass as the Michael Jordan of the Arms Grand Prix, especially since he serves as the final boss in the game’s single-player mode. Also, and I cannot stress this enough, his arms are made out of championship belts.
You can get a glimpse at Max Brass in action by fast-forwarding to 22:40 in the video embedded above.
Max Brass will be available to download in Arms (for free) as part of the July update. Nintendo is also hoping to add a Spectator Mode to the game as part of the first free update, which should be available sometime in the next weeks.
New Sonic Forces trailer introduces the villains
Each new Sonic Forces trailer is more serious than the last. And the trailer that Sega created for this year’s E3 Expo is no exception.
The trailer gives us our first glimpse at Infinite, the ultimate evil behind the post-apocalyptic world of Sonic Forces. And also say hello to the rest of the game’s villains in a dark and moody new video that reintroduces Dr. Eggman, Metal Sonic, Chaos, Shadow, and Zavok:
The Villains of Sonic Forces
- Doctor Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik: The original Mad Genius Doctor, and Sonic’s nemesis. After countless failed attempts, his plan to take over the world seems to finally be succeeding.
- Metal Sonic: One of the evil doctor’s most powerful creations, Metal Sonic first appeared in Sonic CD, and has returned at a few key moments since.
- Chaos: An ancient power thought to have been quelled after the events of Sonic Adventure. His return is a mystery.
- Shadow: Once called “The Ultimate Life Form,” Shadow fights for his own reasons. He appeared in Sonic Adventure 2.
- Zavok: The leader of a group known as The Zeti, Zavok is a powerful warrior who was first seen in Sonic Lost World.
Sonic Forces will be released for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch this Fall.
Yoshi will explore a diorama world on the Switch in 2018
Yoshi is putting away his yarn for his first adventure on the Nintendo Switch. Instead, Mario’s dinosaur pal will explore a world made up of papercraft monsters and cardboard dioramas. The new art style will also allow players to spin each stage and explore the “Flip Side” for more secrets.
Yoshi will be released for the Switch sometime in 2018.
Kirby will be released for the Nintendo Switch in 2018
Nintendo announced another Kirby game at this year’s E3 Expo… and this one will be available for the Switch sometime in 2018.
This new Kirby adventure is a side-scroller that gives the pink puffball a pocketful of hearts to recruit up to three enemy characters. These companions can be CPU-controlled, or a friend with an extra Joy-Con can jump in to lend a helping hand. Kirby and his new friends can also combine their powers to cut a team-powered path of destruction through the world. The first trailer for Kirby is been embedded above.
Kirby is going to be quite busy this year and next. Kirby’s Blowout Blast will be available to download through the 3DS eShop this Summer, and an untitled multiplayer game for the 3DS will launch this Fall.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged E3 2017, Kirby Switch
Nintendo reconfirms that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will be available this Fall in E3 2017 trailer
While Nintendo has been busy touting Splatoon 2 and Super Mario Odyssey as the next great games for the Switch, it’s easy to forget the consolemaker is also hard at work on a new title in the massively popular Xenoblade franchise… Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an RPG that follows a young boy named Rex and his companion, a living sword known as Pyra, as they search for the paradise of Elysium. You can get a glimpse of their adventure in the new E3 2017 trailer embedded above:
Explore an endless ocean of clouds, where the last remnants of civilization live on the backs of colossal beasts called Titans. Experience the story of Rex and his new friend, Pyra, a mysterious being known as a Blade who grants him tremendous power. Together, search for Pyra’s long lost home Elysium, the ultimate paradise for all of humanity.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 doesn’t have a confirmed launch date, but it’s currently scheduled to be released for the Switch sometime this Fall.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged E3 2017, Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Super Mario Odyssey wows in its E3 2017 trailer
Mario has been palling around with dinosaurs ever since Yoshi made his debut in Super Mario World. But the E3 2017 trailer for Super Mario Odyssey has just revealed that everyone’s favorite plumber is going to meet a real tyrannosaurus rex in his next adventure.
This new ability is made possible in Super Mario Odyssey thanks to Cappy, Mario’s latest sidekick. Mario can throw Cappy to collect coins or knock down enemies, but the magic hat can also capture enemies and allow Mario to ride everything from the aforementioned T. Rex to a mild-mannered businessman:
Players roam massive 3D kingdoms to collect Moons to power Mario’s airship, the Odyssey. The kingdoms around the globe are filled with secrets and surprises. Mario can don a variety of costumes and interact with his environment in many creative ways, such as by driving vehicles or exploring sections as Pixel Mario. Mario’s new partner, Cappy, gives him new moves like cap throw, cap jump and capture, which provide a fresh take on the classic Super Mario formula and define this new adventure. The game offers new locales like the skyscraper-packed New Donk City.
Super Mario Odyssey will be available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on October 27.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged E3 2017, Super Mario Odyssey
“Core” Pokemon RPG from Game Freak is coming to the Switch in 2018 (or later)
The Pokemon Company’s CEO, Tsunekazu Ishihara, confirmed that Game Freak was hard at work on a new Pokemon game for the Nintendo Switch all the way back in September. Today, the executive further revealed that the untitled game will be a “Core RPG Pokemon Title.”
Previously, “Core” Pokemon titles (such as 2010’s Pokemon Black and White or last year’s Pokemon Sun and Moon) were only made available for Nintendo’s handheld systems. But it looks like the optional portability of the Switch has finally swayed Game Freak over to Nintendo’s newest “home” console.
We don’t know when Game Freak’s “Core” Pokemon game will make its Switch debut (or if it’s the oft-rumored Pokemon Stars), but Ishihara did say that it’s at least a year away and won’t be available until 2018 at the earliest.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged E3 2017, Pokemon Switch
Rocket League is coming to the Nintendo Switch this Fall
Nintendo and Psyonix have announced that Rocket League will be coming to the Nintendo Switch this Fall. The developer’s wild rendition of “soccer… but with cars” will be released for the Switch with exclusive Customization Items and Battle-Cars, and cross-network against players on other platforms.
Winner or nominee of more than 150 “Game of the Year” awards, Rocket League is a high-powered hybrid of arcade soccer and driving with rewarding physics-based gameplay. Take to the pitch for a fully-featured offline season mode, multiple game types, casual and competitive online matches, and special “Mutators” that let you change the rules entirely. Express yourself with one of the deepest customization systems around and battle opponents on other platforms with groundbreaking cross-network play!
I demand a Mario Kart-themed Battle-Car, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged E3 2017, Rocket League