Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Wii U
Yooka-Laylee will be released on April 11; Switch release planned for later in 2017 after Playtonic cancels Wii U version
Playtonic Games has announced that Yooka-Laylee will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on April 11. Yes, you read that right, the Wii U version of the colorful 3D platformer has been canceled. According to the developer’s official website, the Wii U version was dropped due to “unforeseen technical issues.”
However, Playtonic revealed that they’re working closely with Nintendo to bring Yooka-Laylee to the upcoming Nintendo Switch. More details about the Switch release of Yooka-Laylee will be revealed next year, likely during Nintendo’s livestream presentation on January 12.
In other Yooka-Laylee news, Playtonic also unveiled a gameplay trailer for the game that focuses on a brand new locale, the “Capital Cashino”:
This glamorous, marble-floored playground has our buddy-duo navigating the casino floor, discotheques and oversized roulette tables in search of delicious golden bounty. But there’s a twist; players must now compete to win casino tokens, and exchange them with the banker for the pivotal Pagies!
Finally, Playtonic announced that everyone who pre-orders a copy of Yooka-Laylee will instantly receive the Toybox Demo, “which offers a taste of the platforming mechanics set to appear in the full game in a self-contained, spoiler free sandbox.”
Nintendo Download: Animal Crossing New Leaf Welcome Amiibo Edition, Metroid Other M, Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon, more
Nintendo is going retro with this week’s eShop update, as four games from the consolemaker’s past resurface in new locales or with new features.
Leading the way is a 3DS re-release for Animal Crossing: New Leaf that adds Amiibo functionality to the game. The appropriately-named Welcome Amiibo Edition adds new features and activities, as well as support for all Amiibo figures and cards in the Animal Crossing series. Players who’ve previously purchased Animal Crossing; New Leaf will be able to access all of the Welcome Amiibo content with a free update.
3DS fans might also be interested in Demon’s Crest, which is also now available to download for Nintendo’s handheld. Originally released for the Super NES in 1994, Demon’s Crest is the final adventure of Firebrand, a heroic gargoyle first glimpsed in the Ghosts N Goblins franchise.
Over on the Wii U eShop, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is now available to download for Nintendo’s home console. The strategy RPG is a remake of the first Fire Emblem game, and it was originally released for the DS in 2009.
Finally this week, the divisive Metroid: Other M makes the leap from the Wii to the Wii U. Developed by Team Ninja, Other M gives bounty hunter Samus Aran a very complicated backstory in a game that combines first-person and side-scrolling viewpoints.
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 Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Nintendo brought Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (on the Switch) and Super Mario Run to The Tonight Show
Nintend of America’s President, Reggie Fils-Aime, stopped by The Tonight Show last night to play Super Mario Run with host Jimmy Fallon. The mobile game will be available to download for iOS devices next week, on December 15, and Fallon showed some pretty impressive skills during his time with the game. However, players who want to try it out early will be able to play a demo at Apple Stores across the country beginning today.
However, before Fils-Aime left the stage, he handed Fallon a Nintendo Switch console and let him play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for a few minutes. Fallon, who constantly told the audience he was “freaking out,” also showed off many of the Switch’s features, including the detachable Joy-Con controllers and the kickstand for portable multiplayer gaming.
Finally, Shigeru Miyamoto sat in with The Roots to play a live version of the “Super Mario Bros. Theme.” Check it out after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged Super Mario Run, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Game Awards 2016 Trailer: Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
During tonight’s Game Awards ceremony, Yacht Club games presented the next DLC update to their wildly popular game, Shovel Knight. The add-on, titled Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, tells an entirely new story as seen through the eyes of Specter Knight, the first member of The Order of No Quarter. If the Plague of Shadows chapter is any indication, this expansion will breathe new life into the already-addicting retro title.
In a Kickstarter update, Yacht Club promised that players will find “new areas, new music, new enemies, new objects, new boss fights, new weapons, new armors, and way, way more than ever before” in Specter of Torment. They also revealed that the add-on will serve as a prequel to Shovel Knight’s main storyline.
No release date was given, but we should expect to see the update sometime in Spring 2017.
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Game Awards 2016, Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
New Zelda: Breath of the Wild gameplay video and trailer revealed at Game Awards 2016
Geoff Keighley’s long-time friend (and Nintendo of America’s head honcho), Reggie Fils-Aime, took to the Game Awards stage to present a new video for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild toonight. This one was less of a trailer and more of a Let’s Play courtesy of the Nintendo Treehouse. The video showed Link in action as he fought off some enemies, healed himself with some food, and battled a boss. The gameplay video ended just as Link approached a treasure chest (of course).
The biggest takeaway, though, is that Bill Trinen announced that Breath of the Wild is going to release in “2017,” which should only add fuel to the rumors that the title is going to miss its hoped-for March 2017 release date alongside the launch of the Nintendo Switch. Only time will tell.
However, we also got a new Breath of the Wild trailer tonight as well, and it’s available after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged Game Awards 2016, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo Download: Super Mario Maker For 3DS, Advance Wars: Dual Strike, more
We’re just a few weeks away from the end of the year, but Nintendo still has one major title to release in 2016, Super Mario Maker For Nintendo 3DS. The portable port of Nintendo’s level editor won’t include online sharing, but players will still be able to share their creations locally when it launches for the 3DS tomorrow. And 3DS owners will also receive exclusive access to the all-new Medal Challenge mode and 100 Nintendo-designed courses.
Nintendo has also added the critically-acclaimed Advance Wars: Dual Strike to the Wii U eShop this week. Originally released for the DS in 2005, Dual Strike added the “Dual Fronts” mechanic to the series alongside a massive new Campaign.
More information on both of these (and a handful of other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Super Mario Maker
First Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment trailer will premiere tonight during The Game Awards
Host Geoff Keighley has promised plenty of surprises for this year’s Game Awards, but another eager developer has spilled the beans on a World Premiere trailer we’ll get a peak at tonight. In a short tweet, Yacht Club Games confirmed they’ll debut a new trailer for their next project during the show:
Want to see the latest on what we've been making here at Yacht Club Games?
Watch @thegameawards
12/1 at 5:30pm PT and reap what we show!— Yacht Club Games (@YachtClubGames) November 30, 2016
While it’s possible that Yacht Club will unveil something brand new, the pun-loving developers are most likely referring to Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment with that “reap what we show” line. Specter of Torment will be the second (of three) planned expansions for Shovel Knight, and it’s currently on track for a Spring 2017 launch on the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One.
The 2016 Game Awards will be held tonight at 8:30 PM (Eastern Time), and you can watch the show at TheGameAwards.com.
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Game Awards 2016, Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
Stardew Valley will be available for PS4, Xbox One on December 14; Nintendo Switch version also in development
Stardew Valley, Concerned Ape’s farming RPG, will make its PS4 and Xbox One debut later this month. Writing on their official website, the developer confirmed the PS4 version of the game will launch on December 13, with the Xbox One version available a day later on December 14.
Earlier this year, Concerned Ape announced that Stardew Valley would also be released for the Wii U, but with the upcoming launch of the Switch, development on the game has shifted to Nintendo’s next console:
Stardew Valley will not be coming to the Wii U, however. Looking at Wii U and the current gaming landscape, we made the difficult choice to shift our development efforts to creating a version for Nintendo Switch. I am really looking forward to the Switch, and I believe that the Switch’s unique capabilities could create some exciting opportunities for Stardew Valley. I do want to emphasize that I am absolutely committed to seeing Stardew Valley on Nintendo platforms, and I really do appreciate your support and understanding in this.
Stardew Valley will likely be released for the Nintendo Switch sometime next year.