Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: 3DS
New Retail Releases: Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World, Hitman Season One, Digimon World Next Order, More
Yarn Yoshi is is back, and as adorable as ever, in Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World for the 3DS. Nintendo will re-release the side-scrolling platformer for the 3DS this week, and players can expect to find the complete Wii U experience along with new levels starring Yoshi’s pal Poochy.
Another re-release will also be available on store shelves this week as Square Enix will collect Hitman‘s “Complete First Season” in a retail package for the PS4 and Xbox One. In addition to all of Agent 47’s previously-released missions, Hitman: The Complete First Season will also include a trio of bonus missions and the Requiem Blood Money Pack, which includes “the signature Blood Money White Suit, White Rubber Duck, and Chrome ICA Pistol.”
Switching gears entirely, anime fans will find a pair of new games on stores including Digimon World: Next Order for the PS4 and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 – Road to Boruto for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Finally this week, 505 Games and Giant Squid will bring the oceanic exploration of Abzu to the PS4 and Xbox One. Originally released through the PlayStation Store and Xbox Games Store in August, this retail re-release will give the public a second chance to check it out.
That’s it for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at the latest digital releases on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Hitman, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Yoshi's Woolly World
Nintendo Download: Flying Warriors, Kung-Fu Heroes, Little Ninja Brothers, more
A trio of ninja-themed games originally released by Culture Brain for the NES lead the way in this week’s Nintendo Download.
Flying Warriors made its NES debut in 1991, and the side-scrolling beat ’em up features two different martial arts styles for main character Rick Stalker in his fight against “the great monster of the Dark Dimension, Demonyx.”
Going back a bit further, Kung-Fu Heroes was originally released in 1989, and the overhead beat ’em up follows Kung-Fu Masters Jacky and Lee in their quest to save Princess Min-Min. The Kung-Fu Heroes return in Little Ninja Brothers, a sequel that was originally released in 1990 and is now also available to download through the Wii U’s Virtual Console.
More information on all of these games (and the rest of this week’s new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Dishonored 2, Doom, Overwatch, Titanfall 2, Uncharted 4 will compete for “Game of the Year” at 2017 SXSW Gaming Awards
The organizers of the SXSW Gaming Conference and Festival have announced the nominees for the 2017 SXSW Gaming Awards. Not surprisingly, Dishonored 2, Doom, Overwatch, Titanfall 2, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will all be competing for the coveted “Video Game of the Year” award.
Appearing over and over again throughout SXSW 2017’s 23 categories, the nominating committee was very impressed with these five titles. However, Overwatch definitely lead the way with nine total nominations including “Esports Game of the Year,” “Trending Game of the Year,” “Excellence in Design,” “Most Promising New Intellectual Property,” “Most Memorable Character” (for Tracer), “Excellence in Multiplayer,” “Excellence in Art,” and “Excellence in Animation.”
The 2017 SXSW Gaming Awards will be held on Saturday, March 18, and fans are invited to vote for their favorites from now until February 10 at IGN.com. The winners in each category will ultimately be decided by a 50/50 vote between the public and the SXSW Gaming Advisory Board.
The full list of nominees in all categories can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Dishonored 2, Doom (2016), Overwatch, TitanFall 2, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Mario Sports Superstars will be released for the 3DS on March 24
Even though the Switch’s March 3rd launch is right around the corner, Nintendo has no plans to forget about the 3DS in 2017. The consolemaker announced today that Mario Sports Superstars, the next sports compilation featuring the plumber and his pals, will be released for the 3DS on March 24.
The action-packed game launches on March 24 and offers five full-featured sports like Soccer, Tennis, Golf, Baseball and, for the first time in a Mario sports game, Horse Racing. Each sport stars Mario and his friends (and enemies!) from the Mushroom Kingdom and can be played in local or online multiplayer modes.
Nintendo also revealed that a new series of Amiibo Cards will be released alongside Super Mario Superstars. The randomly-sorted five-card packs will retail for $4.99, and each copy of the game will include one Amiibo Card packed in.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Mario Sports Superstars
Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns will be released on February 28
XSEED Games has announced that Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns will be released for the 3DS on February 28.
In celebration of the upcoming 20th anniversary of the longest-running farming and life simulation series, the beloved Bokujo Monogatari franchise [Known in the US as Harvest Moon (1997-2013) and Story of Seasons (2014-Today)] returns with its biggest adventure yet in Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns. Settled on a homestead in the middle of three distinct and uniquely themed locales, players can explore a diverse landscape as they search for new ways to grow their farms and friendships. Extensive customization and gameplay options are on offer in Trio of Towns, with each village offering its own variety of regional crops, lads and ladies to romance, animals, festivals, furniture, decorations and more. More ways to play sprout up as players connect to one another locally or via the internet to chat, trade, and enhance items on a mysterious multiplayer island.
The publisher has also partnered with Nintendo to include a few signature fashions from the Mushroom Kingdom in the Trio of Towns. Players who discover these items will receive an in-game boost and look stylish to boot:
Mario-Themed Items in Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns
- Mario’s Outfit and Hat: Mama mia! The iconic plumber’s signature red and blue uniform gives your running speed a boost.
- Luigi’s Outfit and Hat: Luigi’s costume will improve your luck at fishing. Others will be green with envy!
- Princess Peach’s Dress and Tiara: This regal dress and tiara will make you better friends with other characters. Sweet!
- Toad’s Outfit and Hat: The tireless Toad’s outfit causes your stamina to recharge automatically over time.
A new trailer for Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is also now available and it’s been embedded above.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns
The Video Game Canon: Super Mario Bros. 3
Dig deeper into the Video Game Canon with a look at Mario’s actorly ambitions in Super Mario Bros. 3. Here’s a teaser…
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
– As You Like It, Act II Scene VII
Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom cohorts have held a surprising number of occupations over the years. In addition to his plumbing business and the hero-for-hire game, Mario has been employed as a multi-sport athlete, a race car driver, a referee, a dancer, an artist, a virologist, and a typing tutor. He’s practically done it all, and I think only political office has eluded him. I guess that’s the trouble with monarchies.
Bouncing from genre to genre like that is usually considered a liability for other game characters. As sublimely silly as the idea seems, no one wants to see Kratos squeezed into a go-kart. And yet, fans readily accept Mario’s multitasking, and many of his spinoff adventures are now more popular than some of the franchise’s traditional platformers. There’s a strong possibility this all stems from the fact that Mario’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, designed the character this way from the beginning.
Visit VideoGameCanon.com to continue reading this article and to explore the complete Top 1000.
Posted in 3DS, Features, Retro, Top Story, Video Game Canon, Wii, Wii U
Tagged Super Mario Bros. 3
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare repeats as the best-selling game of December 2016
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare launched on November 4, and it easily took the crown as the best-selling game for the whole month. Today, The NPD Group revealed the best-selling games for December, and Infinite Warfare managed to repeat as the top title.
While Activision’s shooter series continued to be a favorite among gift givers at the end of the year, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XV had an almost equally impressive retail peformance.
“Although a Call of Duty has now topped the December sales chart for the ninth consecutive year, Final Fantasy XV was the best-selling game for the PS4 during the month,” NPD Analyst Sam Naji told GamesIndustry.biz. “Final Fantasy XV was the second best-selling title for December 2016… Final Fantasy XV experienced the best console launch month in the history of the franchise selling 19% more new physical units than Final Fantasy XIII in its launch month and 54% more in total dollar revenue including digital full game sales.”
The remainder of the top ten should look familiar as it contains several of 2016’s biggest games including Battlefield 1 (#3), Madden NFL 17 (#4), NBA 2K17 (#5), Watch Dogs 2 (#6), FIFA 17 (#8), and Pokemon Sun and Moon (#8 and #10, respectively). 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V also cracked the best-sellers list for December at #7.
You can find the complete top ten in list form after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Battlefield 1, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, FIFA 17, Final Fantasy XV, Grand Theft Auto V, Madden NFL 17, NBA 2K17, NPD, Pokemon Sun/Moon, Watch Dogs 2
Nintendo Download: Dragon Quest VIII, Punch Club, Star Fox 64, more
Nintendo has added an eclectic mix of titles to the Nintendo eShop as part of today’s update. Let’s have a look…
Nintendo and Square Enix have teamed up to bring Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King to the 3DS on Friday, January 20. The epic RPG has received a complete makeover including new dungeons, bosses, items, quests, scenes, and a new possible ending.
3DS owners looking to download something today can try Punch Club from Lazy Bear Games. The “boxing tycoon management game” features multiple storylines for players who want to indulge in their inner pugilist. But will you participate in fair fights or go the “shady” route?
Finally, Wii U owners will have the chance to download Star Fox 64 through the Virtual Console today. Originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997, Star Fox 64 popularized the use of the Rumble Pak and is considered by many to be the best entry in the space shooter franchise.
You can learn more about this trio of games (and the rest of today’s new releases) after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King