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
Nintendo eShop’s Nindies Summer Jam kicks off on September 1
The Nindies are coming! The Nindies are coming!
Nintendo has announced that they’re ending this Summer with a bang… or more specifically, a Jam. The Nindies Summer Jam will kick off on September 1 and that means that Nintendo fans will find a new “Nindie” game on the eShop for the 3DS or Wii U (or sometimes both) every Thursday. All Nindie Summer Jam titles will receive a 10% discount during their first week of availability, and you can find the full lineup right here:
September 1
Axiom Verge (Wii U)
In this retro-style action-platform-exploration game, use the Wii U GamePad as your map, a way to easily swap between weapons or for Off-TV Play. A failed scientist dies in an accident, only to awaken in a mysterious, alien world. Where is he? How did he get here? And why do the fundamental laws of reality appear broken? Life. Afterlife. Real. Virtual. Dream. Nightmare. It’s a thin line. It’s Axiom Verge.September 8
Jotun: Valhalla Edition (Wii U)
Jotun is a hand-drawn action-exploration game set in Norse mythology. In Jotun, you play Thora, a Norse warrior who died an inglorious death and must prove herself to the Gods to enter Valhalla. Jotun: Valhalla Edition features Valhalla Mode, a boss rush mode with even fiercer versions of the already challenging jotun. Exclusive to the Wii U version, the map is always displayed on the GamePad and God Powers can be activated using the touch screen. Impress the Gods!September 15
Noitu Love: Devolution (3DS and Wii U)
The year is 2288. The city is protected by an organization called “The Peacekeepers League” and everything is swell except that it’s under attack by a robot army lead by professor Darnacus Damnation! Or is it… ?September 22
Severed (Wii U)
Take control of a one-armed warrior named Sasha, who wields a living sword on her journey through a nightmare world in search of her family. Features include Cross-Buy between Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, Wii U Off-TV Play, in-game Achievements, HD graphical optimizations.September 30
Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 (3DS)
Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 is a 2D action-platforming game in the style of the Japanese classics of yesteryear. The great controls, crisp graphics, unique play mechanics and epic boss battles from the first installment are all here, along with a host of new features.
“Our Nindie partners have been hard at work creating amazing content for Nintendo fans,” said Nintendo of America’s Damon Baker. “The Nindies Summer Jam promotion not only makes it easy for fans to check out all the latest and greatest indie games on Nintendo eShop, but to also learn more about the developers that have worked so hard to create them.”
Nintendo also plans to add more than a dozen other Nindies to the Nintendo eShop throughout the Fall. That schedule is available after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Axiom Verge, Azure Striker Gunvolt 2
Mighty No. 9 Review: Mega Meh
When I was eight years old, there was only one place I wanted to go after school on Fridays: Gas City. Yes, a gas station. Not that I enjoyed the place or anything… rather, it was what was inside the station that intrigued me. See, back in the 80s, movie and game rental stores were everywhere. Pizza places had their own rental corner, grocery stores had theirs, and yes, even gas stations. The reason I kept going back to Gas City was because they had one game that no other rental store had: Mega Man. I remembered the exhilaration of staying up all night playing the game, and the sadness of having to return it on Sunday. I was never able to find the game for sale, so renting it was my only means of playing it.
I also distinctly remember having a meltdown once at the Record Town in the mall. My birthday had just passed, and my grandma gave me a check. To a small child, that was all the cash in the world. I was at the mall with my family, and we stopped so my dad could look at cassettes. But behind the clerk’s counter, stacked up to the ceiling, were Nintendo games for sale. I remember just staring at the games until one caught my eye: Mega Man 2. I had to have that game, and with a fresh $20 check in my pocket, my young mind figured that was all I needed. My mom had to break the news to me that I couldn’t just hand the check over to the cashier and get the game. Oh man, did I lose it. Here I was, about to own one of the greatest NES games ever made, only to be shot down by something as meaningless as financial insolvency? That did not sit well. Luckily, my mom took me out to cool off while my dad got it as a Christmas present, so all was not lost.
Point being, I’ve been a diehard Mega Man fan for as long as I can remember. Thus, when I heard that the Blue Bomber’s creator, Keiji Inafune, was making a spiritual successor to the franchise that I adore so much, I felt like a kid again. I could not wait until I was able to get my hands on another game, even if it was just Mega Man-ish. With the exception of Mega Man 9 and Mega Man 10, Capcom has been mind-baffling stingy with releasing proper titles for this game. So even though I wasn’t getting an actual Capcom game, I was happy enough to get something similar. Unfortunately, Mighty No. 9 is not the robot I was looking for. (more…)
Link slices and dices in another Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild mini-trailer
Hot on the heels of yesterday’s mini-trailer (which focused on Runes), comes another short Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild video that features short snippets of Link using a variety of weapons.
In addition to his trusty sword, Link battles some beasties in Hyrule using the Woodcutter’s Axe, the Fire Rod, and a Bokoblin Arm. By the way, the arm explodes when you throw it.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be available for the Wii U and NX sometime in 2017. And in case you missed it, another short trailer introducing us to the mischievous Koroks is available after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Latest Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild mini-trailer focuses on Runes
It’s time for another Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild mini-trailer, which is now available courtesy of Nintendo of Europe’s Twitter feed.
This time, Nintendo has given us a quick look at a few of the game’s Runes, beginning with one that grants Link the ability to create platforms by freezing water. Other Runes on display include the Magneto-like power of the Magnesis Rune, a Rune that forms exploding orbs, and a Gambit-like energy transfer ability that’ll let Link calculate the trajectory of an exploding object.
It’s still early days for Breath of the Wild, but it looks like the Hero of Time might actually be the Superhero of Time:
Runes certainly can come in handy! #Zelda https://t.co/amGSOdbcnB
— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) August 22, 2016
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be released for the Wii U and NX sometime in 2017. But let’s hope we get a lot more of these mini-trailers between now and then.
Posted in News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo is holding another Nindies@Night event at PAX West 2016
Nintendo is once again bringing their popular Nindies@Night pre-show event to PAX West this year. From 8:00 PM to midnight on Thursday, September 1, Nintendo will take over the EMP Museum on Fifth Ave to showcase more than a dozen “Nindies” for the 3DS and Wii U:
Games Scheduled to Appear At Nindies@Night
- Axiom Verge (Wii U)
- FAST Racing Neo: Neo Future Pack (Wii U)
- Jotun: Valhalla Edition (Wii U)
- Severed (Wii U)
- Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (Wii U)
- SteamWorld Heist (Wii U)
- World to the West (Wii U)
- Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 (3DS)
- Gurumin: A Monsterous Adventure (3DS)
- Noitu Love: Devolution (3DS)
- Punch Club (3DS)
- Runbow Pocket (3DS)
- Severed (3DS)
Nintendo will host playable demos of all their upcoming Nindies (along with visits from the developers) during the convention at the PAX West Indie Lounge in Room 612. Like always, this year’s PAX West convention will be held on the first weekend in September at Seattle’s Washington State Convention Center.
During the course of the convention, Nintendo will also operate a second booth in the South Hall (Booth 2335) with several other playable demos including Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past and Yo-Kai Watch 2, both of which will be released for the 3DS this September. For congoers looking to learn more, a Panel Discussion with the developers of Dragon Quest VII will be held on Sunday, September 4.
“Having [PAX West] essentially in Nintendo’s backyard and getting a chance to connect with our fans makes it all the more special for us,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s appropriately-named Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Almost three years after its release, GTA5 was NPD’s best-selling game in July 2016
With a sweltering Summer in full swing, game publishers mostly skipped the month of July. And nowhere is this more evident than the monthly NPD ranking of best-selling games, which was topped by Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V, a game that was originally released almost three years ago. The only new release to crack the top ten in July was Capcom’s Monster Hunter Generations, which claimed the #4 spot.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, NPD analyst Sam Naji said: “Lack of strong new titles for the month resulted with poor comparison with last July’s Batman: Arkham Knight with consumers spending 14 percent less year-on-year on hardware, software and accessories. However, the release of Monster Hunter: Generations and the price drop for the 2DS helped to bolster spending for 3DS and 2DS hardware by 44%”
While brand new titles were a rare sight in the NPD’s July 2016 top ten, new-ish titles like Overwatch (#2), Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (#3), and Doom (#8) continue to be popular with shoppers.
The NPD Group continued their foray into tracking sales of digital downloads last month, though Capcom, Mojang, Bethesda, and Blizzard (for Battle.net sales) chose not to participate.
A full look at July 2016’s best-selling games can be found after the break. (more…)
Another Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild trailer shows Link chopping down a tree
In case you missed it, Nintendo unveiled another mini-trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild recently on Facebook. This time, Link paid a visit to the Woodcutter’s House to cook a few mushrooms and “borrow” the Woodcutter’s Axe. Later, Link played lumberjack and chopped down a massive tree to use the fallen log as a bridge.
The “Woodcutter’s Axe” mini-trailer joins other recent Breath of the Wild trailers for the Temple of Time and the Magnesis Trial.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be released for the Wii U and NX sometime in 2017.
Posted in News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Dark Horse to publish Hyrule Historia sequel Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts in February 2017
After the massive success of The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia (including a series timeline that fans are still talking about), Dark Horse and Nintendo are teaming up again to publish The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts in Early 2017. Art & Artifacts will be packed with promotional artwork and interviews with the design team, along with exclusive artwork from the next game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild:
Fans of The Legend of Zelda are in for a treat with The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts. Readers can peruse over four hundred pages of fully realized artistic masterpieces, exclusive interviews with the design team behind the beloved video game franchise, the official pixel art of the early series, and rare promotional art never before published in this format. The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts offers fans a sneak peek at art from the newest game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, prior to its official release. This breathtaking volume is essential for any true Zelda fan!
The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts will be available in stores on February 21, 2017. And let’s hope that release date means we’ll get Breath of the Wild on the Wii U and NX sooner rather than later.
Posted in 3DS, DS, Etcetera, News, Retro, Switch, Wii, Wii U
Tagged The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild