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
Freedom Planet won’t be released for the Wii U this week
Freedom Planet, a Sonic-like side-scroller from Galaxy Trail, was originally scheduled to be released on the Wii U eShop this week. But a game-breaking bug has forced the developer to postpone Freedom Planet’s Wii U debut. The game’s Director, Stephen DiDuro, explained the problem in a post on the company’s official forum:
We received some sad news today: Our patch for the Wii U version of Freedom Planet didn’t fix all of the freezing issues. In light of this, we are cancelling our launch for the time being. We’re only going to announce a release date after the game is fixed and free of all issues not present in the PC version.
I understand that some fans out there were already upset at the last delay and that further delays would be the last straw, and to them I can only say that I’m sorry. I do not intend to deliver anything less than a 100% faithful and clean port, regardless of how long it takes.
Hopefully, a new release date for Freedom Planet is announced soon.
Posted in News, Wii U
Tagged Freedom Planet
Splatoon’s next Splatfest (on August 29) will determine the fate of the universe by pitting the Autobots against the Decepticons
The ultimate battle for the soul of Cybertron will be settled on the Splatoon battlefield next week as the fourth North American Splatfest will pit fans of the Autobots against minions of the Decepticons. As Optimus Prime said to Megatron in Transformers: The Movie, “One shall stand, and one shall fall.”
The Splatfest will take place on Saturday, August 29 and last the typical 24 hours, running from midnight to midnight all day long. Players are encouraged to choose their side now for the Transformers-themed event, and once you pick your side, you’ll receive one of the snazzy t-shirts shown above. It’s a shame we’ll have to give it back!
And don’t forget, if you haven’t played Splatoon yet, there’s a Global Testfire demo this weekend that’ll be available to everyone.
Splatoon Global Testfire returns on August 21-23
Are you a Wii U owner that still hasn’t experienced the unparalleled joy of Splatoon? Well good news, Nintendo is bringing back the “Splatoon Global Testfire” and everyone can give the game a shot this weekend.
To join the fun, you’ll need to download the “Splatoon Global Testfire” demo from the Wii U eShop. Then get yourself prepared to trade some ink this weekend, August 21-23, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (Eastern Time) every night.
Splatoon’s “2.0 Update” has been available since August 5, so players who haven’t visited Inkopolis since the first “Global Testfire” will get a glimpse at a very different (and much improved) game.
Nintendo will add “Rainmaker” to Splatoon’s Ranked Battle Mode on August 14
Splatoon is getting a “Capture the Flag” mode as Nintendo has announced that the “Rainmaker” match type will be available to play in Ranked Battle Mode beginning tomorrow night (August 14) at 10:00 PM (Eastern Time). Writing on the Squid Research Lab blog, here’s what Nintendo had to say about the new mode:
Introducing…. Rainmaker! In Rainmaker, both teams compete to snag the, uhhh, Rainmaker. Once you’ve got it, the goal is to carry it into the other team’s base!
How’s it work, you ask? As soon as the battle begins, grab onto that Rainmaker! It’s guarded by a shield, though, so you’ll need to bust it out first. Once you snag it, head for the other team’s base. And be quick about it!
If you run out of time or get splatted, the Rainmaker will be dropped and its shield will also reactivate. The Rainmaker is crazy heavy, so you can’t Super Jump while carrying it. Hopefully your teammates will watch your back!
The Rainmaker doesn’t just sit there and look pretty. It can also shoot ink like an Inkzooka and has an extra-powerful charge shot too. It’s also booby-trapped, so if you don’t make it to the other team’s base in time, it’ll blow up in your face.
A batch of new screenshots from the Rainmaker match type are also available at the Squid Research Lab blog.
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Charts… Lego Jurassic World is best-selling game of July ’15
July is not typically a very strong month for new game releases, and only a single new title was able to crack the NPD Group’s recounting of the ten best-selling games of the month. But it was Lego Jurassic World, a June release, that sits at the top of the sales food chain this month.
Debuting at #3 in the NPD’s June report, Lego Jurassic World likely got a boost from the tremendous box office support for the film. After nearly nine weeks in theaters, the film has earned more than $636 million. Only Titanic ($658 million) and Avatar ($760 million) have made more money at the domestic box office.
While it’s unlikely that Lego Jurassic World will reach those heights, the game is another hit for WB Games, which had yet another big month in July. Batman: Arkham Knight (#2) and Mortal Kombat X (#8) once again both landed in the top ten.
The only new release to break into the top ten last month was EA’s Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. Before McIlroy, Tiger Woods had been PGA Tour’s pitchman for more than 15 years. As great as Tiger used to be, it looks like EA doesn’t need him to sell their golf game.
Finally this month, GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that overall sales of all game-related items (hardware, software, and accessories) is roughly even with July 2014. Both July 2014 and July 2015 produced around $184 million in total sales.
The complete top ten for July 2015 can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Batman: Arkham Knight, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Destiny, FIFA 15, Grand Theft Auto V, Lego Jurassic World, Minecraft, Mortal Kombat X, NPD, Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, The Elder Scrolls Online
Nintendo Download: Pandora’s Tower, Wind-Up Knight 2, more
One of the last major games released for the Wii, Pandora’s Tower, is now available to download through the Wii U eShop. Developed by Ganbarion, and originally released in April 2013, Pandora’s Tower tells the “haunting tale [of] a cursed young woman’s slow transformation into a hideous beast, and the lengths to which the man she loves will go in order to save her.” Best of all, it’s priced at $20, well below the price tag most online retailers are currently seeking for a new copy.
Over on the 3DS eShop, there’s a pair of new licensed that should keep all the kids out there entertained. Paddington: Adventures in London asks players to guide the titular bear through the streets of London as he does good deeds for its citizens. And in Garfield Kart, players get behind the wheel in a kart racing game that stars the lasagna-eating cat and all his friends. I’ll let someone else make the Toonces joke…
Actually, I might be the only one that still remembers Toonces.
Anyway, more information on all of this week’s new eShop releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Pandora's Tower
Super Mario Maker “Overview Trailer” tells us everything we need to know about the game
If you speak Japanese, there’s a very good chance you saw this Super Mario Maker “Overview Trailer” a few weeks ago when it was uploaded by Nintendo Japan. But the newly-released English translation now gives the rest of the world a chance to learn all about one of this Fall’s biggest games.
First things first, Nintendo has confirmed that would-be course creators won’t be overwhelmed with hundreds of options right out of the gate. Super Mario Maker will start players off with “the essentials” (bricks, Question Blocks, Goombas, Super Mushrooms, etc) and unlock new items over a span of nine days.
Super Mario Maker will also double as a music maker as players will be able to drop sound effects on any course they create and even record their own. The new Music Block will even allow players to “compose” their own songs that can be triggered by Mario as he runs past.
Finally, gave us a glimpse at more Amiibo-powered guest characters as Nintendo confirmed that “more than 50” figures will be compatible with Super Mario Maker. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, and Bowser aren’t much of a surprise. But the list also includes Mega Man, Pac-Man, Sonic, Star Fox, Splatoon‘s Inklings, Little Mac, Samus Aran, Pikachu, and many others.
Super Mario Maker will be released exclusively for the Wii U on September 11.
Posted in News, Wii U
Tagged Super Mario Maker
Indie Megabooth announces massive PAX Prime 2015 presence
It’s that time gain! Those beautiful, brilliant minds behind the Indie Megabooth have announced the PAX Prime 2015 lineup, and it certainly IS mega! I see a lot of personal favorites in there, including Armello, Death Road to Canada, Hyper Light Drifter, Mushroom 11, Cinelinx: A Card Game For People Who Love Movies, Pleasant Dreams, Skiptrace, and two games I can’t keep my hands off of: Monikers and Mini Metro! And let’s not forget that this might be your best chance to check out Funomena’s Wattam!
If you’re in Seattle the last weekend in August for PAX Prime, trust me: you do not want to miss the Indie Megabooth. These are traditionally some of the best games on the show floor, and I don’t just say that because my own game (Resistor) has been part of the Tabletop Area. OK, maybe that might sway my opinion a little. But the team behind the IMB carefully curates some of the most amazing games, not just for your enjoyment, but as an installation of the best and brightest developers in indie gaming right now.
Enough of my gushing. Watch the trailer and hit the jump for the full list of developers and games (more than 70 in all)! (more…)