Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Silent Hill, Dragon Quest, Skyrim, and More Announced as Finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Has Another Big Night and Wins “Game of the Year” at the 2025-2026 DICE Awards
- 2025 GOTY Scoreboard: In Progress
- The Game Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Racks Up Nine Wins, Including “Game of the Year”, at the 2025 Game Awards
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: Wii U
New Releases: Donkey Kong Country: Tropcial Freeze, EDF 2025, NASCAR 14, More
While Mario and Sonic have already conquered the Winter Olympics, Nintendo is ready to send another one of its beloved characters out into the snow. The normally jungle-bound Donkey Kong will get to play in the powder this week with the release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropcial Freeze for the Wii U. Better pack your mittens, big guy.
A jungle of a different kind will need to be saved in D3 Publisher’s Earth Defense Force 2025. The big bugs are back and the Earth Defense Force must once again band together to save the urban jungle that is Tokyo. You can get it on the PS3 or the Xbox 360.
This week’s final new release is NASCAR 14 for the PS3 and the Xbox 360. The franchise has switched publishers from Activision to Deep Silver, but developer Eutechnyx is once again responsible for development on the racing simulation.
Finally, a pair of ports have found new homes this week. Ubisoft’s highly acclaimed Rayman Legends makes a next-generation leap to the PS4 and Xbox One. Meanwhile, WB’s Lego Marvel Super Heroes downgrades to the DS. Games for everybody!
Posted in DS, News, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Earth Defense Force 2025, NASCAR 14, Rayman Legends
Nintendo will add GBA games to Wii U Virtual Console in April
With the Super Game Boy, Nintendo pioneered the concept of playing handheld games on a home console. Beginning in April, they’ll take the Super Game Boy concept to the next level.
During yesterday’s Nintendo Direct presentation, President Satoru Iwata confirmed that the first Game Boy Advance games will be added to the Virtual Console section of the Wii U eShop. April’s first wave of titles will include “fan favorites” such as Metroid Fusion, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3. More Game Boy Advance games will be added to the Wii U eShop every month thereafter.
So what’s on your Game Boy Advance-on-Wii U wish list?
Gonna Fly Now! Little Mac joins Super Smash Bros. 4
After taking out Mike Tyson, putting Mr. Dream to sleep, bashing Nick Bruiser, and saying night-night to Mr. Sandman, Little Mac has made quite the name for himself in the World Video Boxing Association. Naturally, he needs a new challenge, so he’s gonna fly now to Super Smash Bros. 4 for the 3DS and Wii U.
Super Smash Bros. 4 still doesn’t have a release date, but with the inclusion of Little Mac (and Mega Man), it now has my pre-order money.
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Super Smash Bros. For 3DS, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U
CoD: Ghosts is the best-selling game of the month for the third straight month
The results are in and, according to The NPD Group, Call of Duty: Ghosts is once again the best-selling game of the preceding four weeks. After reigning supreme during November and December, the military shooter has emerged victorious against a particularly weak January release slate.
In fact, the only other new release in this month’s top ten is the “Definitive Edition” of Tomb Raider, which, along with sales of the “Game of the Year Edition” on the PS3/Xbox 360, helped Lara Croft’s latest adventure take the #10 spot.
Post-Christmas gift cards likely played a role in determining January’s biggest moneymakers as many of 2013’s biggest games staked out the remaining eight spots. NBA 2K14, lead by a strong performance on the PS4, landed at #2 and Battlefield 4, despite its continued online woes, was the #3 best-selling game of the month. And what about the next-generation consoles? Well, the NPD revealed that the PS4 is currently the #1 next-generation console in the US with the Xbox One close behind.
A complete look at last month’s top ten best-selling games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, FIFA 14, Grand Theft Auto V, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Madden NFL 25, Minecraft, NBA 2K14, NPD, Tomb Raider
The Koopalings join Mario Kart 8 as Nintendo announces May 30 release date
Mario Kart 8 will add hover-karts and anti-gravity tracks to the Mario Kart formula, but it’ll also include something else never-before-seen in the series before: All seven Koopalings.
That’s right… Iggy, Larry, Lemmy, Ludwig, Morton, Roy, and Wendy will all join the race alongside their papa, Bowser. Their inclusion balloons the game’s cast to 24 characters, one of the largest ever in the series. And there’s no indication that Nintendo is done adding characters before Mario Kart 8’s release.
Oh, and speaking of Mario Kart 8’s release date, Nintendo also announced that the game will be available in stores and on the Wii U eShop on May 30.
Posted in News, Wii U
Tagged Mario Kart 8
The Last of Us, GTA5 lead 2014 BAFTA nominees
The nominees for the 2014 BAFTA Awards have been announced and… drumroll please… The Last of Us and Grand Theft Auto V both racked up a ton of nominations.
Both games will be competing for the coveted “Best Game” award against Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Tearaway, Super Mario 3D World, and Papers Please. Due to its British origins, GTA5 is also competing in the “British Game” category against Tearaway, The Room Two, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Gunpoint, and DMC: Devil May Cry.
In addition to “Best Game,” The Last of Us was nominated for nine awards including “Artistic Achievement,” “Audio Achievement,” “Game Design,” “Original Music,” “Story,” “Action and Adventure,” and “Multiplayer.” Two “Performer” nominations (one each for Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson) round out the game’s honors. As for GTA5, it received seven additional nominations including “Audio Achievement,” “Game Design,” “Game Innovation,” “Story,” “Action and Adventure,” “Multiplayer,” and “Performer” (for Steven Ogg as Trevor Phillips).
The 2014 BAFTA Awards will be awarded on Wednesday, March 12. The complete list of nominees can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Grand Theft Auto V, Papers Please, Super Mario 3D World, Tearaway, The Last of Us
Let the latest Bayonetta 2 trailer bewitch you
“I’m on my way. Just behave yourself for a bit longer.”
Nintendo and Platinum Games still haven’t settled on a final release date for Bayonetta 2. The Wii U-exclusive sequel will be released sometime this year but “TBA 2014” is all we get for now. However, that hasn’t stopped Platinum from releasing the beautiful new trailer above as part of today’s Nintendo Direct presentation. I will behave, Bayonetta, I will behave.
On the other hand, Captain Reynolds would be so disappointed in me if I did.
Posted in News, Wii U
Tagged Bayonetta 2
Nintendo Download: Super C, AeternoBlade, Spot the Differences!
This week’s Nintendo Download is short and sweet with just a trio of new titles. The Wii U eShop is now home to Super C, the first sequel to Contra and the 3DS eShop can now lay claim to Spot the Differences!, a spot the differences game. And on Tuesday, February 18, CoreCell will add AeternoBlade, a side-scrolling sword smasher to the 3DS eShop. More details on all three games can be found right here:
Wii U eShop
Super C – In this action-packed sequel to the classic game Contra, experience run-and-gun game play at its best as you take control of Mad Dog or Scorpion and once again battle the forces of Red Falcon. Stages feature intense battles against huge bosses and both side-scrolling and top-down perspectives. Use a variety of powerful weapons and tap into your killer instinct to survive the deadly waves of enemies.
3DS U eShop
AeternoBlade – At Awelsia region, vengeful Freyja traveled with unknown weapon AeternoBlade to revenge Beladim, the Lord of Mist who had destroyed her village, Ridgerode, and killed all her tribes. Her vengence is helped by Vernia , who has same merit to Beladim, Vernia taught Freya about the ablility of AeternoBlade. Freya has to adventure to many world dimention find the secret of Beladim annihilation.
Spot the Differences! – Stay focused to find all of the hidden differences. A relaxing classic for the mind that the whole family can enjoy – anywhere!