Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: DS
Special unlock for early purchasers of Pokemon Black & White
Nintendo is on a mission: to make sure Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version have as big of a launch as possible. To do it, they have announced today that anyone who purchases the fifth generation of Pokemon games from its March 6 release date up until April 10, 2011 will receive a Liberty Pass through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The pass allows them to catch the cute little guy pictured to the left (throwing up the V for Victory), the Mythical Pokemon Victini. The Victory Pokemon Victini is allegedly the first to be both Psychic and Fire-based (two of my favorite varieties in one) and has the Victory Star ability, which increases the accuracy of itself and other Pokemon the trainer is using in battle. This is actually a pretty great ace to have for some of the three-member battles being introduced in Pokemon Black & White.
Pokemon Black & White Versions add more than 150 new pocket monsters to the Pokedex and will be available in the U.S. on March 6, 2011 for $34.99 on the Nintendo DS.
Posted in DS
Tagged Pokemon Black/White
First trailer for Lego Pirates of the Caribbean
The MTV Multiplayer blog has an exclusive first look at Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. You can follow the link to view it or you can just play the video right here.
In the video, you’ll be treated to a Lego-ized version of Jack Sparrow’s grand entrance from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The game will include levels from all three current Pirates movies as well as the upcoming On Stranger Tides.
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean will be released for the DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360 this May.
New Releases: Rock Band Country Track Pack 2, More
I hope you’re still busy with Dead Space 2 as this week’s batch of new releases is nearly non-existent. Harmonix plans to bring the Rock Band Country Track Pack 2 to the PS3, Wii and Xbox 360… and that’s about it.
Oh, a Mr. Bean game is coming to the DS and Wii this week. I guess that’s something. Although it doesn’t appear in the release lists for every game retailer, so call ahead before searching for it at the mall.
The full list of the rest of this week’s new releases can be found below.
DS
PC
PlayStation 3
Wii
- Jewel Quest Trilogy
- Mr. Bean’s Wacky World
- Rock Band Country Track Pack 2
- The Ultimate Battle of the Sexes
Xbox 360
Pokemon Global Link accompanying Black and White versions this Spring
Score one for region-free gaming, and cloud computing while we’re at it. Some time after Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version release in North America on March 6, 2011 for the Nintendo DS, Nintendo will launch their Pokemon Global Link website. This service allows players to sync their game progress to their Pokemon Trainer Club accounts and access web-only content and communication. Users can communicate with other trainers, meet new Pokemon, and climb the Worldwide Battle Ratings. Included from the start is Pokemon Dream World, where after you tuck your Pokemon into bed by syncing to the service, you can actually enter your pocket monster’s dream, customizing their home and befriending other Pokemon in minigames. Items and Pokemon you find in the dream world can then be transferred back into your game. The Global Battle Union will also be available, allowing players to see how they compare against trainers from around the world, as well as receive invitations to live tournaments as part of the Pokemon Video Game Championship series, even making their way to Pokemon World Championship in San Diego, California this August. A Pokemon Global Trading Station will also come to the service later this year.
While the DS hardware itself is for the most part region-free, not all games from different regions can communicate with each other. This provides a great solution to internationalize the latest entry in the series and bring players from all over the world together. With all of those features, the Global Link seems like a nice set of tools to strengthen the community in a way it previously couldn’t be.
Posted in DS, News
Tagged Pokemon Black/White, Pokemon Global Link
Kirby returns to the Wii, DS in 2011
Kirby’s Epic Yarn was one of 2010’s biggest surprises. Gamers everywhere loved the patchwork look of the game which had many of them in stitches (pun intended!).
But after a Nitendo investor’s briefing, it appears the company is wasting no time bringing the little puffball back. HAL Laboratory is developing a currently untitled Kirby Adventure game for the Wii that gives Kirby a variety of different hats. A trailer showcasing the side-scrolling gameplay is available at Nintendo Japan’s website, but it’s also available in a larger format on YouTube, which you can watch right here:
As you can see from the trailer, each of the hats gives Kirby a new power including Link’s Cap (which allows Kirby to swing a sword), a flame cap (that calls a dragon) and a cowboy hat (that gives him a lasso).
The trailer is very similar to one that Nintendo released years ago for an untitled Kirby title for the GameCube. Perhaps this game is that game reincarnated?
And on a final Kirby-related note, Nintendo included a new Kirby game for the DS in their quarterly list of upcoming titles, but no other details were revealed.
Posted in DS, News, Wii
Tagged Kirby's Return to Dreamland
Disney Interactive cuts jobs
Disney Interactive is currently downsizing, apparently in a pretty substantial way, as nearly half of its 700 member staff may be getting the boot. Disney calls the layoffs a “restructuring process” in its statement. Variety reports that many were anticipating the layoffs as many key players left the division last year, including Graham Hopper, who spent the last eight years building the studio into a formidable entity in the gaming industry. New talent is coming in to upper management, including John Pleasants, CEO of Playdom, which Disney acquired last year. Disney’s current CEO Bob Iger said Pleasants would “focus on turning those businesses into profitability” and “diversifying our presence in the business, so we’re not reliant on one platform that’s obviously facing challenges.”
While terms can have multiple connotations in the business context, he may be referring to last year’s Epic Mickey, which released exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, a console that is notoriously difficult for third party developers to find success on. Epic Mickey was panned critically, but is apparently the fastest selling game in Disney Interactive’s history, pushing 1.3 million copies last December.
Nintendo Download for 1/24/2011
Whether you like roller skating, fishing, or getting your poker face on, with or without furries, hit the jump for details on all the titles in this week’s Nintendo Download. (more…)
New Releases: Dead Space 2, Two Worlds II, Lord of Arcana, More
If no one in space can hear you scream, then you’d be forgiven for not knowing that Electronic Arts plans to release Dead Space 2 this week. Of course, if the necromorphs infected you with a desire for more Dead Space after one of their previous games, you’re likely bouncing off the walls of your home as if there wasn’t any gravity inside.
A pair of RPGs round out the rest of the major new releases this week. Square Enix will be bringing action RPG Lord of Arcana to the PSP while SouthPeak Interactive will be bringing Two Worlds II to the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
The full list of the rest of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in DS, News, PC, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360
Tagged Dead Space 2, Two Worlds II