Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Wii U
Nintendo is holding another Nindies@Night event at PAX West 2016
Nintendo is once again bringing their popular Nindies@Night pre-show event to PAX West this year. From 8:00 PM to midnight on Thursday, September 1, Nintendo will take over the EMP Museum on Fifth Ave to showcase more than a dozen “Nindies” for the 3DS and Wii U:
Games Scheduled to Appear At Nindies@Night
- Axiom Verge (Wii U)
- FAST Racing Neo: Neo Future Pack (Wii U)
- Jotun: Valhalla Edition (Wii U)
- Severed (Wii U)
- Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (Wii U)
- SteamWorld Heist (Wii U)
- World to the West (Wii U)
- Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 (3DS)
- Gurumin: A Monsterous Adventure (3DS)
- Noitu Love: Devolution (3DS)
- Punch Club (3DS)
- Runbow Pocket (3DS)
- Severed (3DS)
Nintendo will host playable demos of all their upcoming Nindies (along with visits from the developers) during the convention at the PAX West Indie Lounge in Room 612. Like always, this year’s PAX West convention will be held on the first weekend in September at Seattle’s Washington State Convention Center.
During the course of the convention, Nintendo will also operate a second booth in the South Hall (Booth 2335) with several other playable demos including Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past and Yo-Kai Watch 2, both of which will be released for the 3DS this September. For congoers looking to learn more, a Panel Discussion with the developers of Dragon Quest VII will be held on Sunday, September 4.
“Having [PAX West] essentially in Nintendo’s backyard and getting a chance to connect with our fans makes it all the more special for us,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s appropriately-named Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Almost three years after its release, GTA5 was NPD’s best-selling game in July 2016
With a sweltering Summer in full swing, game publishers mostly skipped the month of July. And nowhere is this more evident than the monthly NPD ranking of best-selling games, which was topped by Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V, a game that was originally released almost three years ago. The only new release to crack the top ten in July was Capcom’s Monster Hunter Generations, which claimed the #4 spot.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, NPD analyst Sam Naji said: “Lack of strong new titles for the month resulted with poor comparison with last July’s Batman: Arkham Knight with consumers spending 14 percent less year-on-year on hardware, software and accessories. However, the release of Monster Hunter: Generations and the price drop for the 2DS helped to bolster spending for 3DS and 2DS hardware by 44%”
While brand new titles were a rare sight in the NPD’s July 2016 top ten, new-ish titles like Overwatch (#2), Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (#3), and Doom (#8) continue to be popular with shoppers.
The NPD Group continued their foray into tracking sales of digital downloads last month, though Capcom, Mojang, Bethesda, and Blizzard (for Battle.net sales) chose not to participate.
A full look at July 2016’s best-selling games can be found after the break. (more…)
Another Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild trailer shows Link chopping down a tree
In case you missed it, Nintendo unveiled another mini-trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild recently on Facebook. This time, Link paid a visit to the Woodcutter’s House to cook a few mushrooms and “borrow” the Woodcutter’s Axe. Later, Link played lumberjack and chopped down a massive tree to use the fallen log as a bridge.
The “Woodcutter’s Axe” mini-trailer joins other recent Breath of the Wild trailers for the Temple of Time and the Magnesis Trial.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be released for the Wii U and NX sometime in 2017.
Posted in News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Dark Horse to publish Hyrule Historia sequel Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts in February 2017
After the massive success of The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia (including a series timeline that fans are still talking about), Dark Horse and Nintendo are teaming up again to publish The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts in Early 2017. Art & Artifacts will be packed with promotional artwork and interviews with the design team, along with exclusive artwork from the next game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild:
Fans of The Legend of Zelda are in for a treat with The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts. Readers can peruse over four hundred pages of fully realized artistic masterpieces, exclusive interviews with the design team behind the beloved video game franchise, the official pixel art of the early series, and rare promotional art never before published in this format. The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts offers fans a sneak peek at art from the newest game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, prior to its official release. This breathtaking volume is essential for any true Zelda fan!
The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts will be available in stores on February 21, 2017. And let’s hope that release date means we’ll get Breath of the Wild on the Wii U and NX sooner rather than later.
Posted in 3DS, DS, Etcetera, News, Retro, Switch, Wii, Wii U
Tagged The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Snowcastle will launch Earthlock: Festival of Magic on Xbox One for free through Games With Gold and PC on September 1
Snowcastle Games has announced that their turn-based RPG, Earthlock: Festival of Magic, will be available to download for the PC and Xbox One on September 1. But best of all, Microsoft has confirmed that Xbox Live Gold subscribers will be able to get the game for free next month through the Games With Gold program.
If you’re unfamiliar with Earthlock: Festival of Magic, head to Xbox Wire to learn more about the game’s Norse inspirations:
This westernized turn-based RPG, which in subtle ways reveals its Scandinavian origin, starts as a simple quest, but develops into a deeper journey. Play as Amon and join several unlikely heroes to save Umbra, a beautiful but harsh world that mysteriously stopped spinning thousands of cycles ago. Mix up your strategy to beat your enemies by crafting ammo and materials, harvesting elemental plants, and customizing your characters’ talent tree.
Earthlock: Festival of Magic is also in development for the PS4 and Wii U, and will likely be released for both platforms sometime this Fall.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Earthlock: Festival of Magic, Gamescom 2016
Channel your inner Magneto in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Magnesis Trial
After giving fans a brief glimpse at a crumbling Temple of Time in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nintendo returns with another short video showcasing one of the game’s Shrines.
Players who visit Shrine Oman Au (Fun Fact: “Oman Au” is an anagram of “Aonuma,” as in Zelda Producer Eiji Aonuma) will be able to take part in the Magnesis Trial. As its name implies, the Magnesis Trial will give Link the power to manipulate metal objects like chests and doors with his hands… just like a certain Marvel supervillain. Completing the Trial will add the Magnesis ability to Link’s inventory, so he’ll be able to channel his inner Magneto throughout the rest of Hyrule as well:
Shrine Oman Au introduces the Magnesis ability in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.https://t.co/Gon92lqtWH
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 18, 2016
According to Nintendo, more than 100 Shrines will be scattered across the Hyrulian landscape. Each Shrine will reward players with Spirit Orbs that can be traded for various items, as well as Runes (like the Magnesis Rune) that grant players powerful abilities.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be released for the Wii U and NX sometime in 2017.
Posted in News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild wins 2016 “Best of Gamescom” Award
After winning a basketful of “Best of E3” awards earlier this year, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has similarly dominated the conversation at Gamescom. Link’s next adventure won two Gamescom Awards this year… “Best Wii U Game” and the coveted “Best of Gamescom.”
Several other games were also big winners at the European gaming convention including For Honor (“Best PlayStation 4 Game” and “Best PC Game”), Sea of Thieves (“Best Xbox One Game” and “Best Multiplayer Game”), and Battlefield 1 (“Best Action Game” and the “Most Wanted Consumer Award”).
The full list of winners and nominees can be found after the break. (more…)
Nintendo Download: Metroid Prime Federation Force, Style Savvy 3, Pokemon Ranger 3, more
Make your 3DS is charged, because Nintendo is releasing two new games for their handheld on the Nintendo eShop this week.
Samus Aran won’t star in Metroid Prime: Federation Force, and the art style is a bit on the cutesy side for a Metroid game, but players will be able to take control of a Federation Force Marine as they battle Space Pirates and Metroids on a mysterious planet. Up to four players can join the adventure, which will be released tomorrow, or they can take part in the included minigame, Blast Ball.
Also available to download for the 3DS tomorrow is Style Savvy: Fashion Forward, the latest game in Nintendo’s boutique management franchise. Players will be able to stock thousands of items in their boutique or “design clothes fit for a fashionista, style some wicked hair, master the art of make-up, and even become the next top model.”
Finally this week, the third game in the Pokemon Ranger series, Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs, will be available to download through the Wii U eShop. Originally released for the DS in 2010, players battle it out with the “Pokemon Pinchers” in this finale to the Pokemon Ranger trilogy.
More information on all of these games (and nearly a dozen other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Metroid Prime: Federation Force, Style Savvy: Fashion Forward