Shadow of the Beast remake will be released for PS4 on May 17

Posted on April 3, 2016 by John Scalzo

Sony’s Shadow of the Beast remake has flown pretty far under the radar since its unveiling at Gamescom 2013. That could be because the original game, which was released for the Amiga in 1989, never found much success in North America. Whatever the reason, Sony announced earlier this week that the brutally difficult side-scroller will be released for the PS4 on May 17.

The consolemaker also uploaded a behind-the-scenes video for the game starring Matt Birch, the founder of Heavy Spectrum Games. Birch dives into the history of the franchise and story at the center of the game as he details the reasons behind Aarbron’s quest for revenge against the beast lord.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

Blizzard’s first animated short for Overwatch focuses on Winston the Gorilla

Posted on April 3, 2016 by John Scalzo

Excuse me… that should be Winston the Scientist. But the great thinker is also a great ape and he’s the star of “Recall,” Blizzard’s first animated short for Overwatch:

“Recall” tells the story of Winston—a genetically engineered gorilla and brilliant scientist who longs for the days of heroism to return. In this episode, we explore Winston’s thoughts and memories as he wrestles with the decision to recall the agents of Overwatch, all while the forces of Talon stage an attack on his laboratory in the abandoned Watchpoint: Gibraltar.

The short perfectly captures that Disney/Pixar vibe that Blizzard has cultivated for Overwatch all along. And could there be a better way to spend a lazy Sunday than to watch a genetically engineered gorilla fight back against a hit squad with a banana peel?

Overwatch will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on May 24. And the second animated short, which will focus on Talon operative Widowmaker, should be available sometime today.

Posted in Etcetera, News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Best Buds vs Bad Guys throws your favorite side-scrolling shooters into a blender

Posted on April 3, 2016 by John Scalzo

Best Buds vs Bad Guys is an upcoming side-scrolling shooter that references the greats of the genre including Contra, Ghosts N Goblins, and Mega Man. Set to be released for the PC this Spring, the game is in the works at Super Icon under the supervision of a father-and-son development team… oh, and the son is ten years old.

The trailer embedded above gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect from Best Buds vs Bad Guys. Retro-styled 16-bit graphics propel the story forward as players fight back against hundreds of different enemy types with a wide variety of wild weapons. Super Icon’s official website has even more screenshots of the action, including a quick look at a level built entirely out of Legos.

Best Buds vs Bad Guys will also be released for the PS4, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One sometime this year.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One |

Insert Quarter: Inside the (Probable) Failure of Apple TV

Posted on April 3, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Insert Quarter is our showcase for some of the best and most interesting writing about video games on the Internet.

Frustration gripped stock market analysts and game journalists alike as Apple seemed to be uninterested in producing an Apple TV set-top box that could play console-style games. For years, members from each group argued that a gaming-capable microconsole from Apple would be a massive hit. Some went so far as to claim it could possibly topple the console market served by Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.

These same predictions were spread far and wide when Apple released their revamped Apple TV microconsole last year. With full controller support and a wide array of console-quality titles, the new Apple TV seemed destined for big sales and wide acceptance. But along the way, something happened that made the Apple TV more irrelevant than ever.

With developers dropping support for the device in droves (including Disney Infinity 3.0, the biggest game available at the Apple TV’s launch), Ars Technica’s Kyle Orland thinks the microconsole may never find an audience:

But momentum certainly isn’t on Apple’s side as far as that argument goes. Back in September, in an overall bearish analysis of Apple TV’s gaming potential, I gamely offered that “for a parent with a young child begging to get into the Disney Infinity universe… an Apple TV with its intuitive remote, its suite of easy-to-use media apps, its relatively low $150 price, and its familiar Apple name could look more appealing than the likes of the Xbox One or the PS4.” So far, it seems that even that limited use case has failed to make much of an impact in the marketplace.

The full article is available for your perusal at Ars Technica.

Posted in Insert Quarter, Mobile |

Weekly Warp-Up: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Final Fantasy XV…

Posted on April 3, 2016 by John Scalzo

No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…

Square Enix held their big “Uncovered” event for Final Fantasy XV earlier this week, so now we know much more about the upcoming RPG than we did a week ago. The big news is that the game will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on September 30. However, if you absolutely can’t wait to play it, the “Platinum Demo” is now available to download through the PlayStation Store and Xbox Games Store.

But the game isn’t the only piece of Final Fantasy XV merchandise we’ll get this year. Square Enix also plans to release a prequel anime series (Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV) and a feature-length animated film (Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV) based on the game. A pinball game for mobile devices, Justice Monsters Five, will also be available soon.

Finally, Square Enix recruited Florence Welch, of Florence + The Machine, to record a cover of “Stand By Me” for Final Fantasy XV.

Elsewhere around Warp Zoned this week, we reviewed the purr-fectly fun Catlateral Damage.

More news from the rest of the week that was can be found after the break.

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Posted in News |

New Releases: Quantum Break, Dirt Rally, RBI Baseball 16, More

Posted on April 3, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Remedy Entertainment ends their hiatus this week with the release of the time-bending Quantum Break on the PC and Xbox One. The game, which also includes a series of live-action interludes starring Shawn Ashmore, Dominic Monaghan, and Aidan Gillen, will also be available as part of the Quantum Break + Xbox One 500GB Console Bundle. And all versions of Quantum Break will come packaged with a digital download of Remedy’s previous game, Alan Wake.

Also available this week is Dirt Rally, the latest entry in Codemasters’s popular offroad rally racing franchise. Available for the PC since December, Dirt Rally’s launch on the PS4 and Xbox One adds a number of new features including Classic Mini and Super 1600 series races, 21 Advanced Rally Driving Video Guides, the Pikes Peak course, and more.

Athletes of a different sort will compete in another of this week’s new releases, RBI Baseball 16. The rebooted baseball sim will get its first-ever retail release this week on the PS4 and Xbox One.

Finally this week, first-person adventure Ether One will launch for the PS4, and Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Chronicles series of side-scrolling spinoffs will come to the Vita.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Vita, Xbox One | Tagged , ,

Daily Scoop: April 1, 2016 – No pranks here!

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Nicole Kline

It’s April Fools Day, which means you can’t trust anything you read on the Internet! But you can trust me when I say I played Hyper Light Drifter last night and absolutely adored it. That is definitely not a prank!

A new Humble Monthly has launched, so if you want to get on the next curated bundle, now’s your chance. This month’s early unlock is Mad Max.

The Free Weekend at Steam is Stronghold Crusader 2. Get the game for $9.99, the Special Edition for $11.99, or the Ultimate Edition for $39.99. The Daily Deal is Renowned Explorers: International Society, which is on sale for $13.39.

Check out today’s t-shirts!

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Posted in Daily Scoop |

Xbox Store Today: Organic Panic, Adam’s Venture: Origins

Posted on April 1, 2016 by John Scalzo

xboxgamesstore-logoGamemakers are keeping the April Fool’s Day jokes to a minimum this year, and Microsoft is following suit with an uncharacteristically small update to the Xbox Games Store. Just two games were released on the digital storefront today… players can try out the “super-kooky” platformer Organic Panic or the tomb-raiding antics of Adam’s Venture: Origins.

More information on each title can be found below and both are now available to download for the Xbox One.

Xbox One Games

Orgnaic Panic ($14.99)
Organic Panic is a super-kooky platformer with totally destructible environments and dynamic fluids. The incredible physics uses the “DAFT Engine” (Destructible And Fluid Technology) making for unique and diverse gameplay: wood floats and burns, lightning conducts, ice is slippery and melts, water douses fire, rubber is bouncy, acid disintegrates… Master the four elementally powered heroes and swap between them to overcome Baby Cheese’s evil technological empire. Smash through earth, create and turn into water, control gravity, and set it all on fire as you battle and puzzle your way through over 200 Single-Player, Co-Op, and Versus levels.

Adam’s Venture: Origins ($49.99)
Adam’s Venture: Origins is a reimagining of the Adam’s Venture franchise. Streamlined and replotted to forge an engaging narrative, Adam’s Venture: Origins reimagines the events of the first exploits of Adam Venture. Embark on a bold adventure in Adam’s Venture: Origins. Set in the roaring 20s, in Adam’s Venture: Origins you will explore ancient ruins, and recover mysterious artifacts. Together with your trusted accomplice Evelyn, you will have to outsmart the evil Clairvaux company.

Posted in News, Xbox One |