Nintendo Download: Ace Attorney Spirit of Justice, Jotun, Super Castlevania IV, more

Posted on September 8, 2016 by John Scalzo

Objection! You need to read all about the new games in this week’s Nintendo Download…

New to the 3DS eShop this week is Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice, the latest game in Capcom’s Ace Attorney series. This time, Phoenix Wright and his colleagues will need to explore crime scenes, dust for fingerprints, and contact the dead to win the case.

Hopping over to the Wii U, the Nindies Summer Jam continues this week with Jotun: Valhalla Edition, an overhead action game from Thunder Lotus Games. The game features hand-drawn artwork and plunges players into the world of Norse mythology as Thora tries to enter Valhalla by provig herself to the Gods. Also available to download for the Wii U this week is Mario Strikers Charged, a Mario-centric soccer title that was originally released for the Wii in 2007.

Finally this week, we drop back down to the 3DS eShop for the digital launch of Super Castlevania IV. Originally released for the Super NES all the way back in 1991, it would be the last time that Simon Belmont battled Dracula in the franchise.

More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break.

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Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U | Tagged

Pokemon Go reaches 500 million downloads; Plus accessory coming next week with Apple Watch support later in 2016

Posted on September 8, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Are you still Pokemon Go-ing like a maniac? As of today, the mobile app has dropped to #27 on the iOS App Store Chart, so it’s not quite as popular as it once was. But plenty of people are still obsessed with catching ’em all. So yesterday’s flurry of Pokemon Go announcements should definitely please fans of the game.

First, Niantic has announced that Pokemon Go has exceeded 500 million downloads worldwide since launching in July. The developer followed up this milestone by confirming that the Pokemon Go Plus will be available beginning next week, on September 16. The Plus is a wristwatch-shaped companion device that pairs with your smartphone and vibrates and and lights up when you approach a PokeStop or a Pokemon hiding nearby. And speaking of watches, Niantic’s final announcement was that Pokemon Go will receive Apple Watch support later this year.

“The globally loved Pokemon brand paired with Niantic’s platform and game design that encourages exploration, exercise and making real world social connections has inspired millions of people of all ages to go outdoors together,” said John Hanke, Niantic’s CEO. “We are encouraged by the fast adoption of the game and are pleased to see so many people walk and play every day. Pokemon Go for Apple Watch will be another way people can incorporate the game into their daily lives, even more seamlessly.”

Those 500 million Pokemon Go players have done a lot of walking since the game’s launch. Niantic’s last announcement revealed that players have collectively walked 4.6 billion kilometers, “which is the distance from Earth to Pluto.”

Posted in Mobile, News | Tagged

Just Shapes & Beats tentatively scheduled for January 2017 release

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Nicole Kline

Berzerk Studios’ Just Shapes & Beats was in the Indie MEGABOOTH at PAX West, and I got a chance to get destroyed by that incredibly addictive game. You’re Shapes, and you’re trying to evade bullets and lasers and other Shapes, and you’re doing it all to the Beat of some amazing chiptunes – in this case, the beats were by Danimal Cannon. I had a chance to ask the developers a few questions while I was getting wrecked, and they said that the game could be coming out as soon as January 2017.

Wondering how the game plays? Think the frenetic, can-I-blink insanity of Super Hexagon, but as a bullet hell that is full of neon and the best chiptunes. That’s Just Shapes & Beats. If that sounds like it’s for you, then be on the lookout for this to be released in January on PC.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged ,

Release of Animal Crossing Mobile and Fire Emblem Mobile pushed back to Early 2017

Posted on September 8, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Everyone was understandably giddy over Nintendo’s Super Mario Run announcement during yesterday’s Apple Event. However, because the publisher is prioritizing Mario’s first mobile game for release this December, two other titles in their mobile pipeline have been pushed back.

Nintendo originally announced plans to release both Animal Crossing Mobile and Fire Emblem Mobile this Fall. But yesterday they confirmed that both titles will now launch in Early 2017, and more specifically, “before the end of March 2017.”

Like this Spring’s Miitomo, Animal Crossing Mobile and Fire Emblem Mobile will be co-developed by mobile developer DeNA.

Posted in Mobile, News | Tagged ,

It’s Official… PS4 Slim to be released next week and PS4 Pro in November

Posted on September 7, 2016 by John Scalzo

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I’m not sure Sony was ever trying to keep the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro a secret, but today the consolemaker announced full technical specs, price, and release date for the new models.

The PS4 Slim will arrive first, and it’ll actually be available on store shelves beginning September 15. Priced at $299, the PS4 Slim will include a 500GB Hard Drive and a considerably lighter profile:

The internal architecture of the new PS4 system has been revamped, reducing its volume by more than 30% compared to the previous models and reducing its weight by 25% and 16% compared to the first (CUH-1000 series) and current (CUH-1200 series) models respectively. Also, the new PS4 system is more energy efficient, as the power consumption has been cut by more than 34% and 28% compared to the very first and current models.

But the real star of the show was the PS4 Pro, which will launch on November 10. Priced at $399, the PS4 Pro will deliver an “enhanced experience” with a 1TB Hard Drive, support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) image processing (the PS4 Slim will also include HDR support), and 4K image resolution:

By boosting the performance and capability of the system architecture including the CPU and GPU, PS4 Pro allows games to deliver graphics with far more detail and unprecedented visual precision. Users with 4K TVs will be able to enjoy all PS4 titles in higher quality, such as 4K quality resolution and faster or more stable frame rates. In addition, PS4 Pro supports 4K video playback to deliver 4K streaming video services such as Netflix and YouTube.

The PS4 Pro will upconvert all PS4 games to 1080p, and according to the PlayStation Blog, some high-profile games will be further enhanced for the PS4 Pro including Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Mass Effect: Andromeda, and Days Gone. But Sony was quick to reiterate that they have no plans to release any PS4 Pro-exclusive titles.

However, unlike the Xbox One S, the PS4 Pro won’t include a 4K UHD Drive for playback 4K UHD movies.

But the PS4 Pro is still an impressive package and it’ll be interesting to see if these higher-end mid-generation systems will be embraced by the gaming community.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged , , , ,

The Games of September 2016

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Warp Zoned Staff

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After a seemingly endless Summer, the Fall is finally here! That means we’ll soon be treated to dozens of new games, and not enough time to play them all. Thankfully, the Warp Zoned staff is here to help you sort through September’s new releases, and that includes all the re-releases that publishers are lining up for the next four weeks.

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Posted in Features, Top Story |

Daily Scoop: September 7, 2016 – I have returned!

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Nicole Kline

I have returned, dear readers! I was gone for almost a week out in beautiful Seattle for PAX Prime! It was an incredible time and I can’t wait to write about it and share it with all of you. But for now, it’s time to talk about deals!

The Humble GameMaker Bundle launched and is full of helpful resources. Pay what you want for GameMaker: Studio Pro, Uncanny Valley, Cook, Serve, Delicious!, Ink, and the source code for Extreme Burger Defense, Freeway Mutant, Shep Hard, and Angry Chickens: Egg Madness! Beat the average to unlock HTML5 Module, Home, Solstice, and the source code for Galactic Missile Defense, Uncanny Valley, Ink, 10 Second Ninja X GameMaker Edition, and Cook, Serve, Delicious! Pay $15 or more to unlock Android Module, iOS Module, Windows UMP Module, and the source code for Flop Rocket, Solstice, and Home.

Over at Steam, the Midweek Madness is on the Borderlands franchise. The Borderlands Triple Pack is just $18.17, and includes Borderlands, all of the DLC for Borderlands, Borderlands 2, and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. There are lots of other Borderlands sales as well, so hit the link for more details! The Daily Deal is early access to ShellShock Live, which is just $4.54 for a single copy or $12.99 for four.

Hit the jump to see today’s t-shirts!

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Posted in Daily Scoop |

Nintendo will bring Super Mario Run to iOS this December

Posted on September 7, 2016 by John Scalzo

It’s finally happened… Nintendo is bringing a Mario game to the iOS App Store. Unveiled today during Apple’s Special Event today in San Francisco, Super Mario Run will be available to download for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad this December.

Introduced by Shigeru Miyamoto himself, Super Mario Run won’t be free-to-play, but it will include three different game modes. Players will collect Coins and heads for the Flagpole in Super Mario Run’s main “endless runner” mode. But in Toad Rally, they’ll be able to compete against friends in a battle mode to see who can get the highest score by impressing the most Toads. Finally, a third mode will let players create their own Mushroom Kingdom using the Coins they’ve collected in the other two modes.

“We have created Super Mario Run to be perfect for playing on your iPhone,” said Miyamoto. “Super Mario has evolved whenever he has encountered a new platform, and for the first time ever, players will be able to enjoy a full-fledged Super Mario game with just one hand, giving them the freedom to play while riding the subway or my favorite, eating a hamburger.”

Super Mario Run will appear on iOS devices “first,” so we can expect it to be available for Android devices sometime in 2017.

Posted in Mobile, News | Tagged