Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Reviews
Ready Player One Review: The Greatest Video Game Romance Ever Written
Ready Player One is Ernest Cline’s first novel, though it’s not his first foray into a nerdy niche topic. You may have seen the movie for which he wrote the screenplay, the veritable nerdfest Fanboys. Cline definitely has a penchant for this sort of thing – he has a vast store of knowledge of geek culture and a ridiculous ability to transform it into pure entertainment. Lightning strikes twice in this case, as his novel completely won me over. (more…)
Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition Review: Fighting Like It’s 1999
If you are a casual fan of fighting games, it would be understandable if you saw the jump from Street Fighter II to Street Fighter IV as a little confusing. After all, while Street Fighter II is considered one of gaming’s most important jewels, Street Fighter III seemed to be something of a ghost. Releasing after the peak of fighting game mania, SFIII only saw a console release on Sega’s ill-fated Dreamcast, severely limiting the audience compared to, say, the PlayStation or the PlayStation 2. However, thanks to Xbox Live Arcade, Street Fighter III is getting a chance to appeal to a brand new audience. Dubbed Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition, this release is designed to finally bridge the SFII and SFIV gap for the people who barely knew the third game existed. (more…)
Posted in PS3, Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360
Tagged Street Fighter III: Third Strike
Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America Review: Mario, This Is Your Life!
Over his nearly 30-year career, Mario has become the face of the video game industry. So it’s no wonder that author Jeff Ryan used the plumber’s pixelated visage as the focal point in Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America, his retelling of Nintendo’s history. Beginning with the company’s first arcade title, Radar Scope, and culminating with the jump to the top of the flagpole that was the Wii, it’s a wild ride that ultimately gets smashed by a Blue Shell. (more…)
Toy Soldiers: Cold War Review: You Want a War? You Got a War!
Seattle-based Signal Studios delighted gamers last year with their debut title Toy Soldiers, a tower defense game that oozed style as you fulfilled your childhood fantasies of blowing the crap out of little plastic soldiers and tanks. Now they’re back with a sequel, which moves the conflict from World War I to the good ol’ days of the Cold War – because, well, who doesn’t enjoy blasting commie toys to smithereens? (more…)
Posted in Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360
Tagged Toy Soldiers: Cold War
Bastion Review: The Kid May Be Mute, But He Talks a Good Game
Bastion is an action RPG for The Kid in all of us. Developed by Supergiant Games, Bastion is clearly a love letter to the bygone days of the Super NES. Anyone who grew up on The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past or Secret of Mana will know exactly what to do after a world-shattering Calamity opens the game.
But if you don’t know where to start, a powerful voice will guide you through the world of Bastion… and at no time will he screech “Hey! Listen!” (more…)
BioShock: Rapture Review: A Man Chooses… To Not Read This Book
BioShock: Rapture is a prequel novel to the BioShock video game series. Author John Shirley takes us from the inception of Rapture: from an idea blossoming in the mind of Andrew Ryan, to its violent and inevitable descent into madness. Though Shirley has so much material to work from, he doesn’t quite bring it all together in a way that is satisfying; in fact, he does little to bring anything to life that wasn’t already in our imaginations from the games themselves. (more…)
Naughty Bear: Gold Edition Review: Because Playtime Is Far From Over
It’s the summer, and you know what that means. It means it’s time for swimming, picnics, and outdoor parties. What if your friends all got invited and you didn’t? Well, there’s someone you may relate to. His name is Naughty, and he’s a little angry about a similar situation. Turn on your controller and take your aggression out on Naughty’s “friends” – because for $30, it’s easier and cheaper than winding up with a dozen lawsuits for your friends’ hospital bills. Naughty Bear: Gold Edition is a simple game, but don’t underestimate it. (more…)
F.E.A.R. 3 Review: Being Scared Was Never This Fun
F.E.A.R. 3 is the latest installment in the F.E.A.R. series, which stands for First Encounter Assault Recon – although it doesn’t really seem like anyone cares what it stands for anymore, seeing as that hasn’t really been relevant since the first game. While not helmed by the original developers – Day 1 Studios has taken over for Monolith Productions – the latest in the popular horror franchise still has the same spirit as the two original games.
The most interesting addition to the family gameplay is co-op – players can either play the campaign alone as Point Man and unlock his brother, Paxton Fettel, as they go through each chapter, or they can play the game cooperatively with a friend either online or from their couch. Couch co-op has never been so fun – or so terrifying. The main fear I had was that Day 1 Studios wouldn’t be able to deliver, but I’m happy to announce that they’ve given birth to something… well, something more beautiful than what’s about to come out of Alma Wade, for certain. (more…)