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
Nintendo officially announces Metroid Prime 4 for the Switch
It’s just a short teaser trailer, but Nintendo confirmed this morning that Metroid Prime 4 is currently in development the Nintendo Switch. There’s no release date, and we don’t even know which development team is working on it.
Hopefully, the answers to those questions are “soon” and “Retro Studios,” but an official announcement for Samus Aran’s next adventure is a good start.
UPDATE: Nintendo of America’s Bill Trinen told IGN that Retro Studios is not working on Metroid Prime 4. He said the game is under the direction of a “talented new development team,” though production will once again be overseen by Producer Kensuke Tanabe.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged E3 2017, Metroid Prime 4
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is even crazier than we all thought it would be
I’m not sure what was weirder, seeing Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto and Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot brandishing guns on stage at Ubisoft’s E3 Press Conference, or seeing Mario wield the same futuristic weaponry in the trailer for Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.
While I chew over that question, let’s look at what we finally know for sure about the worst-kept-secret in all of gaming. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a turn-based tactical RPG that takes place on the battlefields of the Mushroom Kingdom. Players will attempt to outflank the enemy and deliver a victorious blast using advanced “combat tactics” and a “cover system”:
Mario and his friends will use hundreds of never-before-seen weapons to strategically take out enemies in true Rabbids style – with the occasional well-timed misfire. Players will use turn-based combat to strategically move their heroes across the battlefield to gain higher ground, utilize the pipe system and destructible environments, and receive a friendly boost from their teammates to get into their optimal firing position. Utilizing combat tactics and the cover system, players will explore the four unique worlds with their team of heroes defeating foes, gathering collectibles and solving puzzles along their quest.
In the main campaign for Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, players will form a team of three unique characters, customizing their abilities via each character’s dedicated skill tree to form the perfect trio. In the game’s additional co-op challenges, players team up with a friend in local multiplayer, where they’ll play three levels of difficulty, taking on adversaries as a team. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle will take advantage of the ability of Nintendo Switch to be played anywhere, anytime and is fully functioning on the go for both solo and co-op players.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle will be available exclusively for the Switch on August 29. Players will be able to pick up the game-only Standard Edition, or opt for the more opulent Collector’s Edition, which will include the game, a Rabbid Mario figurine by Ubicollectibles, a set of collector cards, and a soundtrack CD. And everyone who pre-orders the game will receive a code to download an exclusive set of eight in-game weapons with unique stats.
Finally, Ubisoft also released a behind-the-scenes video with the developers of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, and you can find it after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged E3 2017, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Just Dance 2018 will launch for all current consoles (and the Wii) on October 24
I can’t believe it… someone is still producing Wii games in 2017. Ubisoft has announced that Just Dance 2018 will be available on October 24 for all current consoles (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U), as well as the original Wii.
The Just Dance 2018 soundtrack will include more than 40 songs, and Ubisoft delivered a sneak peek at the first 11 as part of the game’s first trailer:
Just Dance 2018 Tracklist… So Far
- Ariana Grande (featuring Nicki Minaj) – “Side To Side”
- Bebe Rexha (featuring Lil Wayne) – “The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody)”
- Beyonce – “Naughty Girl”
- Big Freedia – “Make it Jingle”
- Bruno Mars – “24K Magic”
- Clean Bandit (featuring Sean Paul & Anne-Marie) – “Rockabye”
- Groove Century – “Daddy Cool”
- Hatsune Miku – “Love Ward”
- HyunA – Bubble Pop!”
- Jamiroquai – Automaton”
- Shakira (featuring Maluma) – “Chantaje”
Ubisoft also announced plans for an exclusive addition to Just Dance 2018 on the Switch that makes use of the console’s HD Rumble feature. Players will be able to grab two Joy-Con controllers and load up Double Rumble Mode to create “new Double Rumble choreographies that are tied to the game’s vibration system.”
But don’t worry, six players will still be able to bust a move in Just Dance 2018 with the mobile-friendly Just Dance Controller App on the PS4, Switch, Wii U, and Xbox One.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 makes a surprise appearance at E3 2017 with a new trailer
Nicely played, Ubisoft.
Though they previously said that Beyond Good and Evil 2 wouldn’t make an appearance at the 2017 E3 Expo, the publisher shocked their fans with a brand new trailer for the long-in-development title.
As expected, Beyond Good and Evil 2 is a prequel that takes place many years before the original game. So don’t expect to run into Jade as you dash and jump through the game’s futuristic locales. But here’s what fans can expect to see in Beyond Good and Evil 2:
Journey to System 3, for the prequel to one of Ubisoft’s most beloved games! Fight alongside unforgettable characters in a stunning new solar system, as you struggle for freedom and the right to determine your own fate among the stars. Play the adventure by yourself or with friends in a vast and seamless online playground.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 is the spiritual successor to the cult classic, a prequel that will transport players into a profoundly multicultural world, capturing the spirit of the original with grandiose decors and intense dramas that play out across a vast universe.
System 3 has become the center of interstellar trade and colonization in the Milky Way of the 24th century, thanks to the creation of Hybrid slaves. While private enterprises fight over resources and power, the first colonists weave together the rich and diverse spiritual and cultural heritages of Old Earth to give meaning to their existence. In this new era of piracy, we will rise from lowly pirate to legendary captain at the helm of massive star-faring vessels, adventuring alongside crews of colorful characters to fight for freedom and the right to determine our own fate among the stars!
If this sounds like a world you’d like to live in, then you’re in luck. Ubisoft is inviting fans to participate in the development process for Beyond Good and Evil 2 with the Space Monkey Program. Sign up at the website to participate, and learn more about the game’s backstory with a series of articles from the developers.
But if your head is still spinning from the new trailer and all this information, don’t worry, Director Michel Ancel is here to help. After Ubisoft’s Press Conference ended, the publisher uploaded a “Trailer Breakdown” video where the developer explains just what the heck is going on.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 has no release date, and we still don’t know which platforms it’ll appear on, but you can find the “Trailer Breakdown” with Michel Ancel after the break. (more…)
Skyrim on the Switch will include Link’s Breath of the Wild costume and motion controls
Bethesda has brought The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to several new platforms since its launch in 2011, including a Remastered re-release on the PS4 and Xbox One last year, and an upcoming release this Fall on the Nintendo Switch. So what can the publisher to make it appeal to adventurers who may have played it before? Just add Link!
OK, Skyrim players on the Switch won’t be playing as Link, but they’ll be able to outfit their hero with the Master Sword, Hylian Shield, and Champion’s Tunic from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild by tapping an Amiibo to the controller. And that’s not all, other Amiibo figures will provide chests with additional loot. Bethesda will also add motion controls to Skyrim, and it can be played on the go as well:
Winner of more than 200 Game of the Year Awards, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – the epic fantasy masterpiece from Bethesda Game Studios – arrives for the Nintendo Switch. The legendary open-world adventure where you can be anyone and do anything, now can go anywhere – at home on your TV or on the go.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for the Nintendo Switch includes all-new gameplay features like motion controls for combat and lockpicking, outfits and gear from The Legend of Zelda. Take down enemies with the Master Sword, protect yourself with the Hylian Shield or look heroic in the Champion’s Tunic. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for the Nintendo Switch also includes all official add-ons: Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn.
Plus tap other compatible Amiibo to gain additional loot including those from “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” series, “The Legend of Zelda 30th Anniversary” series, “Super Smash Bros. “series, and “The Legend of Zelda” series.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim still doesn’t have an official release date on the Switch, but it should be available sometime this Fall.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged E3 2017, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
New Retail Releases: Arms, Cars 3 Driven To Win, Psychonauts In the Rhombus of Ruin
It’s common knowledge that game publishers try to avoid releasing big new games during the E3 Expo, but as we all know, Nintendo’s methods are anything but common.
This week, the consolemaker will launch their stretchy-armed fighting game, Arms, for the Nintendo Switch. Featuring support for motion controls with the Joy-Cons and standard controls with the Switch Pro Controller, Arms will give players plenty of options to battle it out with the its colorful characters.
Also set to launch this week is a game adaptation of Pixar’s Cars 3. Cars 3: Driven To Win was developed by WB Games and Avalanche Software, and will be available for the PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PS3, Wii U, and Xbox 360.
Finally this week, Double Fine will release a retail edition of the PlayStation VR-exclusive Psychonauts In the Rhombus of Ruin. All copies of the game will also come with a download code for the original Psychonauts.
While we’ll be preoccupied with the E3 Expo for most of this week, we’ll be back soon with a look at this week’s newest additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Sega and Atlus announced their E3 2017 lineup
Sega originally acquired Atlus in 2013, but the two companies continued to operate separately in the years that followed. But they’ve been growing closer in 2017, and this year’s E3 Expo marks the first time that Sega and Atlus are presenting a joint booth to the industry.
As you might expect, the Sega half of the booth will be anchored by Sonic the Hedgehog… more specifically, this Summer’s Sonic Mania and this Fall’s Sonic Forces. Both games will share space with two upcoming Yakuza games (Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and Yakuza Kiwami), as well as Total War: Warhammer II and a bevy of Atlus-branded RPGs.
“We’re really pleased to see Yakuza and Sonic back on the biggest stage for video games, and having the first public hands-on for Total War: Warhammer II underlines a really strong showing from Sega and Atlus this year,” said John Clark, the Senior Vice President for Sega Europe. “We look forward to welcoming trade visitors but we’re especially looking forward to having the public come and see our line-up this year, it’s great for E3 and it’s great for publishers. We’re confident there’s something for everyone on the Sega stands this year.”
The 2017 E3 Expo opens its doors this Tuesday, June 13, and you can find Atlus and Sega’s full lineup after the break. (more…)
Content Crash #1: The Eve of E3 2017
What better way to start a new podcast than the eve of E3? I mean, it’s in a couple of days. I’m recording this on Thursday, and I’ll probably put this up for your consumption on Friday, but the actual convention begin on Monday. Well, the conferences start on Sunday, but Monday will be the start of the whole event. But I’m so looking forward to it. It’s… It’s something I always take the time to watch all the conferences that I can… or as many conferences as I can and this year I finally have time to watch almost all of them barring Microsoft and possibly Nintendo.
Microsoft starts on Sunday at 5:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time, and they really have to set off this show right…
Other press conferences I’ll preview include Bethesda Softworks, the PC Gaming Show, Ubisoft, Sony, and Nintendo, as well as a brief roundup about what we can expect from the rest of the show.
You can subscribe to the Content Crash podcast on YouTube or SoundCloud.