Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: 3DS
Madden NFL 17 rumbles its way to the end zone as the best-selling game of August 2016
A trio of new releases stood atop the NPD Group’s recounting of the best-selling games of August 2016, but Madden NFL 17 unsurprisingly took the top spot.
EA’s juggernaut is almost always unstoppable during the calendar’s eighth month, but it was equally unsurprising to see No Man’s Sky and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided take up residence at #2 and #3, respectively.
NPD analyst Sam Naji told GamesIndustry.biz: “The release of strong new titles such as Madden NFL 17, No Man’s Sky and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided bolstered console software dollar sales by 8%.”
The remainder of this month’s best-sellers included the usual mix of big titles from 2015 and 2016, with some Grand Theft Auto V (#4) and Minecraft (#9) tossed in for flavor.
A full look at August 2016’s best-selling games can be found after the break. (more…)
Nintendo Download: Dragon Quest 7, Noitu Love Devolution, WarioWare Smooth Moves, more
Copies of Dragon Warrior VII were rather hard to come by when the game was originally released for the PlayStation in 2001. But 15 years later, Nintendo and Square Enix are fixing that with the 3DS launch of Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past, which will be available to download from the 3DS eShop beginning tomorrow. The massive RPG has been “completely rebuilt from the ground up” for the handheld, so even experienced players may want to play it again.
Also new this week is Noitu Love: Devolution, the latest game in Nintendo’s Nindies Summer Jam promotion. Available to download for the Wii U and 3DS, Noitu Love is a side-scrolling platformer that asks players to save the city from an evil robot army lead by professor Darnacus Damnation.
Finally this week, WarioWare: Smooth Moves makes it Wii U debut as a downloadable title on the eShop. Originally released for the Wii back in 2007, WarioWare is packed with 200 insane minigames that ask players to “swing, spin, and squat” their way to victory.
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 Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment expansion will be available in Spring 2017
Yacht Club Games had previously expected to launch the Shovel Knight expansions starring Specter Knight and King Knight by the end of the year. However, that’s no longer in the cards as the release of both add-ons has been pushed into 2017.
But to make up for this scheduling snafu, Yacht Club unveiled an amazing new logo for Specter Knight’s campaign, which is now officially known as Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment. In a blog post on their official website, the developer confirmed the free expansion will be released in Spring 2017 and that it is, “a HUGE game with even more new content than Plague of Shadows.”
Shovel Knight, and the Plague of Shadows expansion, is currently available for the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One.
New Retail Releases: NBA 2K17 Early Tip Off, ReCore, BioShock Collection, More
Ladies and gentlemen, it has begun. The “Fall Gaming Season” begins now, and publisher are flooding store shelves with more than a dozen new titles this week.
With the NFL season kicking off today, let’s start with this week’s sports offerings. EA Sports released Madden NFL 17 three weeks, but the publisher is back this week with NHL 17 for the PS4 and Xbox One. If you’re more of a basketball fan, 2K Games will release the NBA 2K17: Early Tip Off Edition this week for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Soccer supporters will also get a new simulation this week with the release of Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 on the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. And the checkered flag goes to NASCAR Heat: Evolution, which will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One this week.
Far away from Earth’s athletic fields is the planet of Far Eden, an interstellar colony that’s been overrun by villainous robots in Microsoft’s ReCore. Developed by Armature Studio, with additional idea work by Keiji Inafune, ReCore lets players fight back as Joule Adams, a resourceful woman who has her own team of robotic helpers. ReCore will be released for the Xbox One and it’ll also be available digitally for the PC as an Xbox Play Anywhere title.
You know who else has access to a lot of gadgets? Batman. And Telltale Games will put the World’s Greatest Detective through the ringer this week with their Batman: The Telltale Series – Season Pass Disc for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. The disc will include the first episode from Telltale’s Batman series and digital access to every subsequent episode released (the second is scheduled to launch on September 20).
Finally this week, a trio of re-releases will reintroduce gamers to a few beloved franchises. BioShock: The Collection will bring BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite together in a single package for the PS4 and Xbox One (and digitally on the PC) with improved graphics and exclusive commentary by Ken Levine and other developers from Irrational. Meanwhile, Capcom’s Dead Rising also makes the leap to the PS4 and Xbox One (and, again, digitally on the PC) with improved graphics. And Square Enix and Nintendo collaborated on a brand new localization for the 3DS release of Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past.
A complete list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Nintendo Download: Ace Attorney Spirit of Justice, Jotun, Super Castlevania IV, more
Objection! You need to read all about the new games in this week’s Nintendo Download…
New to the 3DS eShop this week is Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice, the latest game in Capcom’s Ace Attorney series. This time, Phoenix Wright and his colleagues will need to explore crime scenes, dust for fingerprints, and contact the dead to win the case.
Hopping over to the Wii U, the Nindies Summer Jam continues this week with Jotun: Valhalla Edition, an overhead action game from Thunder Lotus Games. The game features hand-drawn artwork and plunges players into the world of Norse mythology as Thora tries to enter Valhalla by provig herself to the Gods. Also available to download for the Wii U this week is Mario Strikers Charged, a Mario-centric soccer title that was originally released for the Wii in 2007.
Finally this week, we drop back down to the 3DS eShop for the digital launch of Super Castlevania IV. Originally released for the Super NES all the way back in 1991, it would be the last time that Simon Belmont battled Dracula in the franchise.
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 Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice
Mario Sports Superstars takes up baseball, golf, tennis, horse racing, soccer on the 3DS in Spring 2017
Labor Day is the unofficial end of Summer, so today might be your last chance to wolf down some barbecue or choose sides for a friendly baseball game. Thankfully, it’s always Summer for Mario and friends, and they’re getting ready to take up baseball, golf, tennis, horse racing, and soccer in Mario Sports Superstars.
Set to be released for the 3DS in Spring 2017, Mario Sports Superstars will include a single-player Tournament Mode for all five sports, along with local and online multiplayer play. Its first trailer, which debuted during last week’s Nintendo Direct presentation, has been embedded above.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Mario Sports Superstars
Pikmin For Nintendo 3DS will launch in 2017
Captain Olimar and the Pikmin will make their 3DS debut next year in Pikmin For Nintendo 3DS (working title), a side-scrolling adventure that’s also full of action:
A new side-scrolling Pikmin adventure game unlike Pikmin games of the past is coming to Nintendo 3DS. Pikmin follow Olimar around, and players tap the touch screen where they want to throw them. This is designed as an action game that makes players think fast and use every Pikmin to overcome anything that stands in their way.
Famed developer Shigeru Miyamoto previously revealed that Pikmin 4, a rather mysterious sequel for the Wii U, is also in the works. However, Nintendo has yet to officially announce Pikmin 4, and it’s entirely possible the next adventure starring the helpful creatures was transformed into Pikmin For Nintendo 3DS.
But while I’m speculating, maybe Pikmin 4 got moved to the Nintendo NX. Stranger things have happened…
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Pikmin For Nintendo 3DS
Yoshi’s Woolly World will be released on the 3DS as Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World in February 2017
In case you missed it, Nintendo unveiled a ton of new 3DS titles during last week’s Nintendo Direct presentation. That includes Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World, a 3DS adaptation of the yarn-based Wii U platformer.
Containing every stage from the Wii U original, Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World will also include new stages starring Poochy, and a pack of Poochy Pups that’ll help Yoshi discover secrets. A Poochy Amiibo figure is also in the works, and 30 stop-motion shorts starring Yoshi and Poochy will be included on the game cartridge.
That is a lot of bonus material, and it’ll all be available in Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World when it launches on February 3, 2017.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Yoshi's Woolly World