Warp Zoned Presents
Author: John Scalzo
Play as Sonic the Hedgehog in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD
Sonic the Hedgehog is strapping on his red sneakers and heading out for a new destination later this month.
Sega has announced that their beloved Blue Blur will make an appearance in the upcoming Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD as an unlockable character. And don’t worry, you’ll be collecting Rings, not bananas, when you play as Sonic:
Playing as the world’s fastest hedgehog comes with some unique effects. In addition to boasting incredible speed (obviously), selecting Sonic automatically changes all stages’ bananas to golden rings, complete with nostalgic, classic SFX!
You can check out Sonic’s slick moves in the trailer embedded above, but if you’d prefer to stick with Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD’s original rollers, the re-release will also include a selection of unlockable costumes for every monkey in the base cast.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD will be released for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on October 29. The game will also be available for the PC (through Steam) later this Winter.
Fortnite relaunches with a new map and new features as Fortnite: Chapter 2
Fortnite blipped out of existence on Sunday, as Epic Games closed out Season X of the battle royale shooter with a barrage of missiles that sucked players (and the entire game world) into a black hole. But this fiery end also gave players the chance at a new beginning, and Fortnite returned this morning after a 36-hour maintenance period as Fortnite: Chapter 2.
The world of Fortnite has changed in Chpater 2, thanks to a new map with 13 new locations to explore (including a power plant and a dam), and new features to play with.
Players interested in getting wet and wild in Chapter 2 can go fishing, pilot a motoboat, or swim for shore. Teams can also interact like never before as players can carry fallen teammates to safety, celebrate with a group high five, or get healthy with the new Bandage Bazooka. But players looking to cause a little mayhem will also get their shot in Fortnite: Chapter 2. Hiding places (like haystacks) now dot the map and Epic Games remembered their 90s-era roots with the addition of exploding barrels and gas tanks.
Fortnite: Chapter 2 is now available to download for the PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices. A trailer showcasing many of the new features and locales has been embedded above.
Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain invades your PC (via Steam) beginning today
The bugs are back! Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain is the first game in the long-running series developed by Yuke’s, and it’s now available to download for the PC through Steam.
Originally released for the PS4 in April, Iron Rain is a spinoff that features a slightly more serious tone than the games in the main series. But don’t worry, you’re still taking control of a lone soldier that does battle against an entire alien invasion force:
About Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain
Twelve years have passed since mankind’s first encounter with the alien Aggressor invasion that devastated planet Earth. In this time of great despair, the battle to free mankind from the Aggressor’s extended assault continues in Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain.Features
- First EDF in Unreal Engine 4: Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain is the best-looking EDF to date. Players will see and feel the difference with an overwhelming number of on-screen alien invaders as well as gigantic kaiju monsters raining down from the sky
- Over 50 Intense, Story Driven Missions: Five levels of difficulty to select from where players can unlock new weapons and items by clearing missions and levels as well as spending Energy Gems currently earned from mission playthroughs
- Master Four Soldier Classes: Recent advancements in PA Gear research has resulted in a variety of updated soldier classes, each with their own critical Over Drive ability to change the tide of battle, including the Trooper whose E-Dodge ability and versatility makes it a strong choice for a variety of situations, the Jet Lifter, whose E-Flight ability and mobility helps maintain control over the skies, the Heavy Striker whose E-Field barrier shields players from damage on the frontlines, and the Prowl Rider whose E-Needle ability let’s players zip across the battlefield
- Co-Op and PvPvE Multiplayer: Staying true to the series’ roots in arcade action, both online and local multiplayer split-screen modes are available. Online supports up to six player co-op – and the new Mercenary mode, which finds two teams competing for Energy Gems gained by defeating enemy waves, which hosts up to 8 players
- Character Customization: For the first time in the EDF series, players will step into the boots of Closer, a decorated war hero who awakens from a seven-year coma. Players can fully customize his or her appearances with vast options including facial expressions, hair styles, body figures, voice types, clothing style, before diving into the game’s character driven campaign
A Launch Trailer for Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain’s PC debut has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends will also include Bubble Bobble arcade game from 1986
Bubble Bobble, the quintessentially 80s bubble-busting platformer, found most of its fame thanks to an excellent NES adaptation. But did you know that the game originally got its start as an arcade cabinet in 1986? It’s true, and it looks this version of the game will be included with Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, a new sequel that’s currently in development for the Switch.
Developer Taito said that all 100 stages will be included in this “arcade-perfect” recreation, as well as the “original music, sound, and visuals”:
Bubble Bobble is an iconic cult game and is considered the most popular and innovative platformer of the ’80s. The twins Bub and Bob set out to free their girlfriends from the hands of the nasty baron, who also enchanted them into bubble dragons. As such, the brothers hop through the differently arranged platforms of the 100 colorful levels and shoot bubbles at numerous enemies. In the ’80s and ’90s, players jumped solo or in two-player co-op mode through the levels. Bubble Bobble’s success has seen it ported to more than 20 different platforms in recent decades, including the Commodore 64, Sega Genesis, and NES Classic Mini.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends will be released exclusively for the Switch in Europe, Australia, and Asia on November 19. A North American launch will follow in Early 2020.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Bubble Bobble 4 Friends
Sony confirms the next PlayStation will be known as the PlayStation 5
It’s just a random day in October, but Sony just went and announced a slew of details about the next PlayStation.
Even though everyone has been referring to it as the PlayStation 5 since the consolemaker first started to discuss their “PlayStation Next-Gen” project earlier this year, they confirmed it once and for all on the PlayStation Blog this morning. Oh, and Sony also announced that the newly-christened PS5 will be available on store shelves “in time for Holiday 2020” (probably sometime around November if you’re looking for my guess):
Since we originally unveiled our next-generation console in April, we know that there’s been a lot of excitement and interest in hearing more about what the future of games will bring. Today I’m proud to share that our next-generation console will be called PlayStation 5, and we’ll be launching in time for Holiday 2020.
Not only does it now have a name and a launch window, but Sony’s executives further expounded on the PS5’s under-the-hood capabilities in an exclusive report by Wired.
First, it looks like Sony will attempt to challenge the Switch’s HD Rumble with the advanced “haptic feedback” found in the PS5’s new controller:
First, we’re adopting haptic feedback to replace the “rumble” technology found in controllers since the 5th generation of consoles. With haptics, you truly feel a broader range of feedback, so crashing into a wall in a race car feels much different than making a tackle on the football field. You can even get a sense for a variety of textures when running through fields of grass or plodding through mud.
And second, Sony will add “adaptive triggers” to the controller to better simulate the “tactile sensation” of various actions such as “drawing a bow and arrow or accelerating an off-road vehicle through rocky terrain”:
The second innovation is something we call adaptive triggers, which have been incorporated into the trigger buttons (L2/R2). Developers can program the resistance of the triggers so that you feel the tactile sensation of drawing a bow and arrow or accelerating an off-road vehicle through rocky terrain. In combination with the haptics, this can produce a powerful experience that better simulates various actions. Game creators have started to receive early versions of the new controller, and we can’t wait to see where their imagination goes with these new features at their disposal.
Sony also confirmed that the PlayStation 5 will ship with a 4K Ultra HD Disc Drive for games and movies, and reconfirmed that it’ll include a Solid State Drive for faster loading times.
And a well-hidden part of the Wired report even hinted at a huge new title from Bluepoint Games (“We’re working on a big one right now,” said President Marco Thrush). But the entire article is definitely worth a read, even if it doesn’t answer the most important question about the PlayStation 5… how much it’ll cost.
Bethesda delays Doom Eternal and Doom 64 to March 20, 2020
Bethesda has dropped a BFG-sized blast on Doom Eternal‘s release date, as the publisher has announced that it’ll no longer be available this November.
Instead, the sequel to 2016’s Doom will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on March 20, 2020. Doom Eternal is also in development for the Switch, but it’ll make its debut on Nintendo’s console “after the other platforms.” As you might expect, Bethesda cited a need for more “polish” as the reason for the delay:
Throughout the development of Doom Eternal, our goal has been to deliver a game that exceeds your greatest expectations across the board.
To make sure we’re delivering the best experience — for Doom Eternal to live up to our standards of speed and polish — we’ve made the decision to extend our launch date by a few months to March 20, 2020. We know many fans will be disappointed by this delay, but we are confident that Doom Eternal will deliver a gaming experience that is worth the wait.
Sadly, this delay also applies to the digital debut of Doom 64, which will now launch on March 20, 2020 as well. But fans will be happy to know that the re-release won’t be limited to the Switch, as Bethesda has confirmed that Doom 64 is in the works for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
And on note, the publisher also announced that everyone who pre-orders Doom Eternal on the platform of their choice will also receive a free download code for Doom 64.
Red Dead Redemption 2 officially coming to PC and Google Stadia this November
Though it’s been available on consoles for more than ten years, the original Red Dead Redemption never managed to mosey its way onto the PC. However, the same cannot be said about the sequel, as Rockstar Games has announced that Red Dead Redemption 2 will be released for the PC on November 5.
According to Rockstar, the PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2 will feature a number of improvements over the PS4/Xbox One release, including “a range of graphical and technical enhancements for increased immersion,” as well as new Bounty Hunting Missions, Gang Hideouts, Weapons, and more.
Players who purchase Red Dead Redemption 2 through the new Rockstar Games Launcher will be given the opportunity to download a bonus game from the company’s catalog (including Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Bully: Scholarship Edition, L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition, and Max Payne 3: The Complete Edition) for free. However, the western epic will also be available through the Epic Games Store, Greenman Gaming, the Humble Store, and GameStop in November. A Steam release is planned for sometime in December.
Rockstar also revealed that Red Dead Redemption 2 will be available to download this Fall as a launch title for Google’s Stadia streaming service.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Red Dead Redemption 2
Nintendo finally adds “Play With Friends” option to Super Mario Maker 2
Ever since its launch back in June, fans of Super Mario Maker 2 have been clamoring for a way to play online with their friends. Well, now here we are three months later, and it looks like it finally happened.
As part of the Super Mario Maker 2’s new 1.1.0 Update, Nintendo has added a “Play With Friends” option to the Network Play screen for both Multiplayer Versus and Multiplayer Co-Op. This new feature also extends to Nearby Play users who want to tackle one of the game’s many courses together locally.
Nintendo has detailed more features coming to Super Mario Maker 2 in the 1.1.0 Update on the game’s official website, including support for voice chat through the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app, an Official Makers list for courses made by Nintendo, and Joy-Con support for all game modes.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Super Mario Maker 2