Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: 3DS
Rumor: Pokemon Sun/Moon might be released for the Nintendo Switch as Pokemon Stars
Back when it was officially known as the NX, Pokemon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara confirmed that at least one Pokemon game was in the works for Nintendo’s next console. A few weeks later, Nintendo pulled the curtain back on the Switch, a console/handheld hybrid that seems like the perfect device to deliver the on-the-go trading and battling the Pokemon franchise is known for.
Hold that thought, as a new rumor report on Eurogamer might possibly be pointing to a re-release of Pokemon Sun and Moon on the Switch.
The Pokemon Company routinely creates a third companion game to go with each pair of Pokemon games in the main series. Red and Blue lead to Yellow, Gold and Silver were joined by Crystal, Diamond and Pearl were enhanced with Platinum… you get the idea. But none of those games managed to jump platforms. If Eurogamer’s sources are correct, fans will be able to explore an enhanced version of Pokemon Sun and Moon, currently codenamed Pokemon Stars, on the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2017.
Said to be in development at Game Freak, Pokemon Stars will include a redone visual presentation and so much more:
Pokemon Stars’ development shouldn’t be seen as taking anything away from Sun and Moon’s launch – this is how all third entries in the Pokemon franchise are developed.
And there will be reason to play both: Pokemon will be tradable between Sun/Moon and Stars via the Pokemon Bank app. We’ve also heard suggestion there will be more creatures to collect in the Switch version, although not all of our sources could confirm this.
Expect the Switch version of Sun and Moon to feature the same map – the same routes and cities – and the same art style, although be built using separate, higher-resolution assets.
Nintendo will let us in on all their Switch secrets on January 12 during a special “Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017” livestream. If Pokemon Stars is in the works, and it is on track for a 2017 release, we’ll probably learn more about it then.
In the meantime, Pokemon Sun and Moon can be found on store shelves for the 3DS as of today.
Posted in 3DS, News, Switch
Tagged Pokemon Sun/Moon, Pokemon Switch
Nintendo Download: Pokemon Sun/Moon, Excitebike 64, Wario Land Shake It, more
It’s time to catch ’em all once again… and that’s because Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon will be available to download through the 3DS eShop beginning tomorrow. The latest pair of games in the long-running series will let players travel to the never-before-seen Alola Region. There, they’ll discover new Pokemon and unleash intense Z-Moves in battle.
Over on the Wii U eShop, two new Virtual Console titles have made Nintendo’s home console a bit more retro-tastic today. First up is Excitebike 64, which was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. The well-received motocross racer brought the franchise back from a lengthy pit stop, and Nintendo even managed to resurrect the famed Track Editor.
Also available to download for the Wii U today is Wario Land: Shake It, which first launched for the Wii in 2008. Wario’s last side-scroller platformer used hand-drawn artwork to tell its story, but players were still encouraged to be as bad as they could be by shaking to Wii Remote to “shake down your enemies, free coins from treasure bags, and even cause in-game earthquakes.”
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Pokemon Sun/Moon
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End leads the way at 2016 Game Awards with eight nominations
We’re rapidly approaching the end of the year, and that means the 2016 Game Awards are right around the corner. The Game Awards will once again be produced and hosted by Geoff Keighley, who will honor this year’s best games and look to the future with a number of huge World Premieres, including the first gameplay footage from BioWare’s Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Before we blast off to a far away galaxy, let’s stop and recognize Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, which received eight nominations this year from the Game Awards Advisory Board. In addition to “Game of the Year,” Nathan Drake’s final adventure is also up for “Best Game Direction,” “Best Art Direction,” “Best Narrative,” and “Best Action/Adventure Game,” along with a “Best Performance” nomination for all three of the game’s main performers.
Uncharted 4 will compete with some of 2016’s biggest titles for “Game of the Year” at the 2016 Game Awards including Doom, Inside, Overwatch, and Titanfall 2.
“The Game Awards is all about celebrating the state of video game art,” said Keighley. “In just a few short weeks we will recognize the most outstanding games of 2016 in unexpected ways, and preview the most anticipated games of 2017 and beyond with the longest, most in-depth world premieres we’ve ever attempted… including surprises and new game announcements.”
The Game Awards will be held on December 1 at 9:00 PM (Eastern Time), and fans can watch the show through their favorite video streaming service or at TheGameAwards.com. The full list of nominees can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Doom (2016), Game Awards 2016, Inside, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Overwatch, TitanFall 2, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
New Pokemon Sun/Moon trailer introduces fans to more new Pokemon, Ultra Beasts, Z-Moves
You’ll be able to catch Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon at your local game retailer this Friday, but in the meantime, The Pokemon Company has released one last trailer to showcase some of the game’s new features.
First up is a pair of new Pokemon, Ground–Steel types known as Alolan Diglett and Alolan Dugtrio. The trailer also gives us a look at two of the game’s Ultra Beasts (UB-05 Glutton and UB-03 Lighting). Finally, the powerful Z-Moves from the game’s three Starter Pokemon (Decidueye’s Sinister Arrow Raid, Incineroar’s Malicious Moonsault, and Primarina’s Oceanic Operetta) are also on display in the trailer.
The last trailer for Pokemon Sun and Moon has been embedded above, and more information on the new Pokemon, Ultra Beasts, and Z-Moves can be found after the break. Both games will be available to purchase, exclusively for the 3DS, beginning this Friday, November 18. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Pokemon Sun/Moon
Black Friday Game Deals 2016: Toys R Us
It’s possible that Toys R Us leaked the final retail price of the Nintendo Switch this morning, and now we’ve also got our hands on the retailer’s Black Friday deals for this year.
Toys R Us will open at 5:00 PM on Thanksgiving Day, and if you’re looking for bargains on games and accessories for “Toys-To-Life” franchises like Lego Dimensions, Skylanders, and Disney Infinity, they’re definitely the place to go. All three Disney Infinity Starter Packs are just $9.99, and the figures will be available in a “Buy 1 Get 3 Free” deal. There’s also a 50% discount on all Team Packs and Level Packs for Lego Dimensions, as well as a $50 price reduction on the Starter Pack itself.
Toys R Us is slashing prices on a lot of this year’s biggest games for Black Friday including a $20 discount for BioShock: The Collection, Dark Souls III, Doom, Fallout 4, Just Dance 2017, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mafia III, Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience, Mortal Kombat XL, Pro Evolution Soccer 2017, ReCore, Super Mario Maker, Titanfall 2, and XCOM 2. And shoppers will get $25 off Destiny: The Collection, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Edition, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition, Far Cry: Primal, Gears of War 4, Grand Theft Auto V, Guitar Hero Live, NBA 2K17, Overwatch, and more.
Like most other retailers this year, Toys R Us will also be selling PS4 Slim and Xbox One S system bundles for $250.
The complete list of Toys R Us’s Black Friday Game Deals for this year can be found after the break. (more…)
New Retail Releases: Pokemon Sun/Moon, Watch Dogs 2, Assassin’s Creed Ezio Collection, More
We hope you’ve been flexing your Pokemon muscles this year with Pokemon Go, because Nintendo and Game Freak are getting ready to launch Pokemon Moon and Pokemon Sun this week for the 3DS. The latest game in the long-running franchise will take place in the Alola region (which is based on Hawaii), and introduce a few dozen new Pokemon to players.
Also available on store shelves this week is Watch Dogs 2, the latest game in Ubisoft’s series of hacktivist open world titles. This time, players will travel to San Francisco and join up with Marcus Holloway, a hacker who is working to take down the latest version of ctOS.
Elsewhere in your favorite game store this week, you’ll find a bunch of re-releases. Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection will bring together all three games starring Ezio Auditore (Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations) in a new collection for the PS4 and Xbox One. Meanwhile, EA will package together Star Wars: Battlefront and all of its post-launch downloadable content in Star Wars: Battlefront – Ultimate Edition for the PS4 and Xbox One. Finally, Image & Form will release a retail-ready two-pack of SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Heist for the Wii U as SteamWorld Collection.
A full list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Nintendo Download: Harvest Moon Skytree Village, Cartoon Network Battle Crashers, Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, more
It’s time to head back to the farm as Natsume released Harvest Moon: Skytree Village for the 3DS this week. Now available to download through the 3DS eShop, Skytree Village asks players to revive the land through terraforming and “new and easy farming mechanics.”
Also available on the 3DS this week is Cartoon Network Battle Crashers, a crossover brawler from GameMill starring Gumball, Steven Universe, Finn (Adventure Time), Mordecai (Regular Show), and Clarence. 3DS owners will also get a shot at vintage side-scrolling action this week with the Virtual Console launch of Mega Man X3, a Super NES classic that was originally released in 1995.
Over on the Wii U eShop, two more underrated Wii games are now available to download. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles reformed the famous franchise as a light gun shooter, and Rhythm Heaven Fever smashed together more than 50 wild and wacky minigames that “teach players to feel the beat.”
You can read up on all of this week’s new additions to the Nintendo eShop after the break. (more…)
Black Friday Game Deals 2016: Best Buy
The interior of your local Best Buy has probably changed quite a bit in the last few years, but don’t worry, the retailer’s shelves will be packed to the ceiling with games this Black Friday. Best Buy‘s Black Friday sale will actually begin on Thanksgiving Day at 5:00 PM, but there’s sure to be plenty of games to go around.
New releases will be on sale at Best Buy on Black Friday including Battlefield 1, Destiny: The Collection, Gears of War 4, Mafia III, Overwatch, Titanfall 2, WWE 2K17, XCOM 2, and others for $29.99 each. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare‘s Legacy Edition (which includes Modern Warfare Remastered) will also be on sale for $59.99.
And if you skipped over some of this Spring’s biggest games, you’ll get a chance to pick them up for cheap at Best Buy on Black Friday. Doom, Street Fighter V, Mortal Kombat XL, Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst, and more will be discounted to $19.99 apiece.
A complete list of Best Buy’s game deals for Black Friday 2016 can be found after the break. (more…)