Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: 3DS
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment will be released in April
Yacht Club Games has confirmed (via the PlayStation Blog) that Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment will be available in April.
The Specter of Torment expansion will serve as a prequel to the entire Shovel Knight saga, and will actually turn the game into an acrobatic platformer reminiscent of Ninja Gaiden. Body Swap Mode, Two-Player Co-Op, and a Sound Test Mode will also be available as part of the free update.
Fans who want to give Specter of Torment a shot before its Spring debut should find a way to travel down to San Antonio next weekend, because the developer is going to demo the expansion at this year’s PAX South expo.
However, if you’ve never played Shovel Knight before, you’ll be able to dig into the series in a new way this April. New fans will be able to pick up Specter of Torment as a standalone game, and Yacht Club also plans to re-release the original campaign (rechristened Shovel of Hope) and the Plague of Shadows expansions separately as well. Current owners of Shovel Knight will be upgraded to the Treasure Trove bundle, which will also be available in April, and will include access to all future Shovel Knight content.
The Specter of Torment expansion will be available in April for all owners of Shovel Knight on the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One.
The standalone re-releases (Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope, Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows, and Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment) will also be available in April for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged PAX South 2017, Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
1992’s Fire Emblem Gaiden will be re-released for 3DS as Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia in May
The Fire Emblem franchise had a long history in Japan before Fire Emblem made its North American debut in 2003. Later this year, fans outside of Japan will get to experience some of that history.
Announced yesterday during a Fire Emblem Direct presentation, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is an enhanced remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden, which was originally released for the Famicom in 1992. Coming to the 3DS on May 19, Shadows of Valentia will include a completely updated visual style, new cutscenes, and an overall “grander scale”:
In 1992, the second game in the Fire Emblem series, Fire Emblem Gaiden, launched exclusively in Japan. Now, for the first time, fans outside of Japan will get a taste of this classic game on the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is inspired by the 1992 original, reimagined on a grander scale. Every aspect of the Fire Emblem Gaiden game’s presentation has been updated, along with the game being fully voiced. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia recreates classic Fire Emblem gameplay with a modern twist, mixing in exploration of dungeons crawling with enemies.
Nintendo also announced that an Amiibo 2-Pack featuring Shadows of Valentia’s main characters, Alm and Celica, will be available alongside the game’s launch.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Fire Emblem Warriors will also be released for the New 3DS this Fall
The latest Nintendo Direct presentation gave the spotlight over to the Fire Emblem franchise last night, and the publisher made several interesting announcements that are sure to get fans talking.
It looks like Nintendo’s collaboration with Koei Tecmo on Fire Emblem Warriors won’t just be limited to the Switch. Like Hyrule Warriors, the Fire Emblem Warriors spinoff will also be released for the New 3DS this Fall.
Unfortunately, that means Fire Emblem Warriors won’t be compatible with the standard 3DS or the budget-priced 2DS.
Posted in 3DS, News, Switch
Tagged Fire Emblem Warriors
New Retail Releases: Gravity Rush 2, Dragon Quest VIII, Fate Extella The Umbral Star
Nintendo told us all about the Switch earlier this week, but now it’s time to talk about the first major new releases of 2017.
Starting things off is Gravity Rush 2, Sony Japan Studio’s PS4 sequel to their gravity-defying action game. This time around, Kat is once again protecting Hekseville from another invading army.
Also available this week is Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King for the 3DS. Originally released for the PS2 in 2005, Dragon Quest VIII is one of the largest games in the role-playing franchise and players will finally get the chance to take it on the go.
Finally this week, XSEED will release Fate Extella: The Umbral Star for the PS4 and Vita. Promising a massive crossover between characters found in several Fate continuities, Fate Extella: The Umbral Star is also the first action game in the franchise.
We’ll be back later this week with a look at even more new releases that’ll soon be available through the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Posted in 3DS, News, PS4, Vita
Tagged Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, Gravity Rush 2
Nintendo Download: F-Zero X, Shift DX
We’re just six hours from the unveiling of the Nintendo Switch, but the consolemaker still found the time to update the Nintendo eShop today.
Wii U owners will get the chance to get behind the wheel of a supersonic hover racer this week in F-Zero X. Originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, many fans consider it the best game in the series. Over on the 3DS eShop, players can purchase Shift DX, a puzzle game where you need to shift the playing field to move forward.
Additional details for both games can be found right here… and we’ll see you tonight for the Switch Presentation:
Wii U eShop
F-Zero X – In this high-octane Nintendo 64 racer, choose from 30 different hover-car racers, including updated versions of the Blue Falcon and other vehicles from the original F-Zero game. With five separate play modes, hidden vehicles and courses, and an excellent soundtrack, F-Zero X is an all-time classic Nintendo racing experience.
3DS eShop
Shift DX – Many have tried to emulate the gameplay of Shift since its first release in 2008, but none have managed to capture the frantic, mind-bending nature of the series. Players are tasked with making their way through a series of perplexing rooms, equipped with nothing more than their ability to “shift” the playing field. Is a wall blocking you from progressing? Flip that level upside down and turn that wall into a pit!
2017 DICE Awards nominations announced and Uncharted 4 leads the way with ten
The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced their nominees for the 2017 DICE Awards.
A Naughty Dog leads this year’s pack, as Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End scored ten nominations including one for “Game of the Year.” The developer’s swan song for Nathan Drake will be competing against Battlefield 1, Inside, Overwatch, and Pokemon Go for the coveted honor. We’ll hear from all of this year’s “Game of the Year” contenders throughout the ceremony as each earned multiple nominations including Inside with nine, Battlefield 1 with eight, Overwatch with six, and Pokemon Go with two.
The AIAS will hand out two new DICE Awards this year for “Immersive Reality Game of the Year” and “Immersive Reality Technical Achievement.” The nominees for both will be announced at a later date.
A total of 56 games received at least one nomination, and hosts Greg Miller and Jessica Chobot will announce the winners on Thursday, February 23, at 10:30 PM (Eastern Time). Viewers at home will be able to livestream the entire ceremony through the AIAS’s official website.
A complete list of this year’s nominees can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Battlefield 1, Inside, Overwatch, Pokemon Go, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Shovel Knight is officially coming to Nintendo Switch; Yacht Club also plans to re-release the expansions as standalone games
Followers of the Code of Shovelry have quite a bit to celebrate today as Yacht Club Games uncovered a massive amount of new information about Shovel Knight on the game’s official site… including confirmation that it’ll be released for the Nintendo Switch.
Yes, the side-scrolling masterpiece will make its way to the Nintendo Switch sometime this year, along with each expansion and all the bonus content like Body Swap Mode and Co-Op Mode. Oh, speaking of Body Swap Mode, it’s finished and will be released alongside the Specter Knight expansion this Spring. And in the spirit of sharing, Co-Op Mode will no longer be exclusive to the Wii U (and the Shovel Knight Amiibo). According to the developer, it will soon be available for all consoles and the PC (but not the 3DS or the Vita) as a free update.
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Shovel Knight’s release structure will soon be undergoing some changes, though Kickstarter backers and other current owners won’t notice anything different. Yacht Club has decided to upgrade the game for current owners to the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove on all platforms. Available this Spring, the Treasure Trove will include free access to all updates and expansions. But because the expansions have grown beyond being simple character swaps, Yacht Club has decided to raise the price of the Treasure Trove for newcomers once its available. The game’s new price has yet to be announced, but the current $14.99 price (and its promise of free updates and expansions) will remain in place until the Treasure Trove is released.
For everyone who has yet to purchase Shovel Knight (or for those who might want to rebuy the game on a new platform), Yacht Club has decided to split each of the expansions off into its own standalone game. So the original Shovel Knight campaign will receive a new subtitle (Shovel of Hope), and the expansions (Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, the King Knight campaign, and Battle Mode) will all be available as individual downloads (and for a lower price) on the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.
Finally, Yacht Club has begun to think about life after Shovel Knight, and will soon begin work on their “second” game (depending on how you count the Shovel Knight expansions). Writing in a new Q&A, the developer said, “[I]f you want something new outside of Shovel Knight… we have vowed to begin work on a new project this year!”
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight Showdown, Shovel Knight: King of Cards, Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
You should watch this great Shovel Knight speedrun race from Awesome Games Done Quick 2017
Awesome Games Done Quick is hosting their first speedrunning marathon of the year this week, and some of the best players from all across the world have descended on the Washington D.C. area to play through a huge number of games as fast as they can. In addition to putting on an excellent show, the AGDQ2017 participants are also raising money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
It’s a pretty fun week of gaming, and for further proof, just look at this year’s Shovel Knight race. Not only is it an extremely competitive contest, but you can watch two experts masterfully pick apart the new side-scrolling classic. The two players going head-to-head are “Smaugy” and “Munchakoopas,” and they provide a great match featuring plenty of platforming acrobatics, multiple lead changes, and an amazing photo finish.
Yacht Club Games will release the next expansion for Shovel Knight, Specter of Torment, sometime this year.