Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Angry Birds, Dragon Quest, FIFA Soccer, and Silent Hill are the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
- BAFTA Games Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books to Get a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
- GDC Awards: All the Winners from 1996 to Today
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: Xbox 360
Bungie will release Destiny in Spring 2014; early 2014 beta planned
It is your destiny to watch this brand new Destiny trailer, dubbed “The Moon,” and to learn that Bungie plans to release their ambitious new shooter in Spring 2014 for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
But first, the developer plans to hold a beta test in the first few months of 2014 for the game’s online features and (almost) everyone who pre-orders is invited. The beta will be available on all platforms, but you have to pre-order the game from a participating set of retailers (Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, or Walmart) to receive your access code.
Harold Ryan, Bungie’s President, is very excited about the beta’s possibilities: “From day one Destiny has been an incredibly bold vision that Activision shares with Bungie. Destiny is a massive universe that is populated by the players, and for that reason we need fans to get their hands on the game, fans all around the world. We can’t wait!”
Even though the beta was announced yesterday, everyone who has already pre-ordered Destiny from the list of approved retailers will receive beta access.
Mighty No. 9 is coming to PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, Vita too
With a little over ten hours left in their Kickstarter campaign, Keiji Inafune and his team at Comcept have announced several huge developments for Mighty No. 9. The total pledge amount currently sits at $3.4 million, which means that a PS4 and Xbox One version of the game is a go. And rather than waste any time, they’ve gone ahead and unlocked the 3DS/Vita stretch goal as well. So for those scoring at home, Mighty No. 9 will be released for the PC (Windows, Mac, Linux), PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, and Vita sometime in 2015. That’s amazing.
But rather than rest on his laurels, Inafune has revealed new stretch goals. If Mighty No. 9 reaches $3.8 million, the team will add an optional retro-style chiptune soundtrack to the game’s Settings menu. Finally, if the campaign reaches $4 million, Mighty No. 9 will include an Online Battle Race Mode.
What does that mean? Well… “You and a friend compete online, racing to the end of slightly customized versions of single-player stages. You can see your rival as a “ghost” image in your game, but you can’t affect each other… save for the enemies you defeat being sent over to impede your opponent’s progress!”
Wow. Time to up my pledge again.
Comcept reveals Mighty No. 9 test video as Kickstarter campaign nears end
Keiji Inafune’s Kickstarter campaign for his spiritual successor to Mega Man, Mighty No. 9, has a little more than one day left on the clock. The campaign is more than 300% funded, but Inafune and his team still have a few surprises in store for us.
First, he posted the “Test Video” that you can view above. The short video clip showcases Mighty No. 9 walking, jumping, and shooting thanks to the game’s newly chosen development environment, the Unreal Engine. Inafune was quick to stress that the video is a very early taste of what Mighty No. 9 could look like and it will have no bearing on the final game. That said, it looks awesome and I’ve replayed the 13-second clip over and over again.
Inafune also revealed that Takashi Tateishi, the composer behind Mega Man II‘s memorable tunes, will be lending his musical talents to Mighty No. 9.
Finally, Mighty No. 9 is ridiculously close to reaching the PS4/Xbox One stretch goal. Less than $200,000 separates Inafune’s passion project from a next-generation console debut. Be sure to check back tomorrow to find out if Mighty No. 9 it makes it. And, of course, you can always bump up your pledge to help the game reach its goal. You’ve already donated, right?
New Releases: Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, NBA 2K14, Etrian Odyssey Untold, More
The Wii U keeps on sailing towards better day with the release of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD this week. In contrast with Wind Waker’s polarizing 2003 debut, everyone seems very excited to get their hands on the remake. Also available this week is 2K’s latest sports title, NBA 2K14. The game will be released for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
A pair of RPGs will make their way to the 3DS this week including Atlus’ Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl and Marvelous/XSEED’s Rune Factory 4.
Finally, a pair of Ubisoft compilations may entice the budget Xbox 360 gamer. Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Trilogy (which includes Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations) and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Trilogy (which includes Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier) will both be available for Microsoft’s system.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl, NBA 2K14, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
XBLA Today: Ascend: Hand of Kul, Girl Fight
Two long-in-development games have made it onto the Xbox Live Arcade today. First up is Signal Studios’ Ascend: Hand of Kul, which is a free-to-play action RPG that includes both single and multiplayer gameplay:
Wage war for your God as a brutal Caos warrior on a unique journey to Ascension. Destroy the spawn of the Titan, invade other players’ worlds, and tip the balance in the Crusade between the alliances. Ascend: Hand of Kul is a free-to-play third-person action RPG featuring innovative seamless single and multiplayer gameplay and multiplatform support.
Also available this week is Girl Fight, which is a fighting game that features a roster made up exclusively of women. Girl Fight is priced at $9.99:
Follow the journey of eight fierce females with psychic powers who battle each other within a secret government research facility! Fight using both hand-to-hand combat and supernatural psychic attacks in a wide variety of doomsday scenarios! Perform awesome moves in battle to earn virtual currency to unlock extra content, such as new psychic abilities, alternate costumes, in-depth backstory, and sexy illustrations of the girls! Psychic warfare starts here!
Posted in News, Xbox 360
Tagged Ascend: New Gods, Girl Fight
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Hands-On Preview: We’re Not on Gran Pulse Anymore
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was quietly available to play on the show floor at PAX Prime 2013. There wasn’t a crowd around it – I didn’t even have to make an appointment or wait in a line to try it. The people who were playing it were completely engrossed, but it was a – not surprisingly – small number. With the linearity of the first Final Fantasy XIII, many fans were put off of the “Fabula Nova Crystallis” series (comprised of Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Type-0, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XV, and Final Fantasy Agito). XIII-2 brought in a time travel element that changed a few things about how the first game worked, but not enough to reclaim fans. Lightning Returns, while it still continues to feel like a game in the XIII world, has taken some steps to make it stand out – and also has Lightning in it, which is a major added bonus. (more…)
Posted in Previews, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360
Tagged Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, PAX Prime 2013
Three volume Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack now available on iTunes
Rockstar doesn’t do anything small. Everything has be big. The biggest thing ever if possible. And so it goes with the Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack, The Music of Grand Theft Auto V. The soundtrack is now available on iTunes, as a three volume attack of music (priced at $24.99) or as three distinct albums.
Volume 1: Original Music is a collection of songs created exclusively for Grand Theft Auto V. The album also includes The Chain Gang of 1974’s “Sleepwalking,” which was featured in GTA5’s “Official Trailer.”
Volume 2: The Score takes GTA5’s original score (a first for the series) and arranges it into a complete album mixed by DJ Shadow. Rockstar’s Woody Jackson worked with Tangerine Dream, and acclaimed producers The Alchemist and Oh No to produce the score.
Finally, Volume 3: The Soundtrack is a collection of previously released music that was played on GTA5’s in-game radio stations.
Complete tracklists for all three albums are available after the break. (more…)
Posted in Etcetera, News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Grand Theft Auto V
Warp Zoned Rewind: HD Remakes
Well kiddies, it’s about that time… time to bid a fond farewell to the seventh generation of our favorite hobby. And what a generation it was! Lasting longer than any console cycle before it, this generation brought more than just some amazing titles. The console has become an all-in-one entertainment hub, as opposed to being “just a gaming system.” From apps like Netflix and Hulu Plus to the advent of motion control and the renaissance of indie games, there hasn’t been a better time to be a gamer. We have come so far in these past eight years, and the future looks brighter than ever.
As we play our Wii Us, and eagerly anticipate Microsoft and Sony’s consoles with bated breath, I feel it’s prudent to take a look back at this generation and discuss some of my favorite video games. Titles that left a lasting impression on us. Titles that will forever live in our collective memories as some of the most enjoyable experiences we’ve ever had.
Since there are so many amazing games, I’ve decided to list my favorites based on genre. In this article, I’m going to go with a new genre that emerged this generation: HD remakes. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, HD remakes helped older gamers relive fond memories, and gave a beautiful history lesson to people who recently discovered this hobby. Here are my favorite HD remakes of this generation. (more…)