Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Switch
Platinum Games turns to Kickstarter to bring The Wonderful 101 Remastered to Switch, PS4, and PC
Grand Theft Auto V completely upended the video game industry when it was released in September 2013. It even managed to overshadow the first collaboration between Nintendo and Platinum Games, The Wonderful 101, which launched the same week. While GTA5 continues to smash sales records, the love for The Wonderful 101 has been kept alive thanks to a dedicated cult following that seems to grow larger every year.
And now it’s back!
After multiple rumors that a modern port was in the works, Platinum has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to bring the game to the Switch this April as The Wonderful 101 Remastered. The modest $50,000 target has already been reached, as have Stretch Goals to eventually bring the game to the PC and PS4. If the developer receives further funds from fans (which is almost a guarantee at this point), they plan to add a series of downloadable content to the game, which will be free for all players.
With the short turnaround time from campaign to release, it’s safe to say that the Switch version of The Wonderful 101 Remastered is already complete and what backers are actually doing is pre-ordering their copy of the game through Kickstarter. Fans can also pledge to receive a wide range of goodies through the campaign, including t-shirts, custom controllers, several soundtrack options, character figures, a comic, and more.
Platinum will self-publish The Wonderful 101 Remastered, though they’re also partnering with Nighthawk Interactive to distribute a Physical Version of the game to backers and through retail stores.
I expect we’re going to learn a lot more about the game as the campaign continues through the end of the month.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch
Tagged The Wonderful 101
NIS America will bring five playable demos (including one secret game) to PAX East 2020
NIS America has announced that they’re bringing five playable demos to this year’s PAX East convention… including one secret game.
The ones that we know about include a pair of compilations coming in March (Langrisser I & II and La-Mulana 1 & 2), a survival adventure set to launch this April (Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories), and the Switch debut of a popular RPG series (The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III).
But because everyone loves a secret, it’s that fifth game that’s sure to get attendees (and everyone else) excited. NIS America isn’t offering any hints as to what else they’re bringing to Boston, but it will be playable at their booth.
This year’s PAX East convention will take place from February 27th through March 1, and you can learn more about NIS America’s game lineup after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories, PAX East 2020
Animal Crossing: New Horizons inspired a new Switch design set to launch on March 13
Nintendo is getting ready to launch Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Switch on March 20, but the game’s islandbound stars have also inspired a brand new design for the hybrid console, which will available in stores a week before on March 13.
Unfortunately, the Special Edition Switch package (which’ll be priced at $299.99) won’t contain a copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but it will include a pair of pastel Joy-Con controllers, a dock featuring Tom Nook (and his Nooklings), and a animal-speckled system. Animal Crossing-themed Carrying Cases designed to fit the Switch and the Switch Lite will also be available on the same day.
You can get a sneak peek of the special edition Switch console inspired by Animal Crossing: New Horizons after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Animal Crossing: New Horizons
The Outer Worlds will venture forth to the Switch on March 6
Obsidian has announced that The Outer Worlds will make its way to the Nintendo Switch on March 6. They shared the good news with their fans earlier today with a new post on their official website:
Greetings employees of Halcyon,
We are excited to share with you that a new wave of colonist are preparing to join us in the Halcyon Colony soon, as The Outer Worlds is coming to Nintendo Switch on March 6.Whether you choose to zap foes with your shrink ray or charm them with smooth-talking abilities, we know you will make The Board proud. And the fact that you will be able to complete your tasks anywhere you go with the Nintendo Switch is something that makes The Board happy.
The Outer Worlds will be available on the Switch exclusively through the Nintendo eShop (though a Retail Edition packed with a download code will also be available).
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged The Outer Worlds
Celebrate the Lunar New Year this weekend with Tetris 99’s next Maximus Cup
The Lunar New Year began on January 25, but Tetris 99 players should get ready to celebrate this weekend as Nintendo has announced that the 11th Maximus Cup event will begin bright and early on Friday, January 31, at 2:00 AM (Eastern Time).
Tetris 99 players who participate in this Maximus Cup event will be competing in a “Point Stacking Challenge,” and the 999 players with the most Event Points will receive 999 Gold Points (about $10) to spend in the Nintendo eShop.
As usual, Event Points will be distributed on a sliding scale. 100 Points will go to the 1st Place finisher in each match, with 50 Points for 2nd, 30 Points for 3rd, 20 Points for 4th–10th, 15 Points for 11th–30th, 10 Points for 31st–50th, 5 Points for 51st–90th, and 1 Point for 91st-99th.
This weekend’s Maximus Cup event will conclude in the wee morning hours of Tuesday, February 4, at 2:00 AM (Eastern Time). Good luck to everyone planning to participate!
Descenders will catch air on the PS4 and Switch in 2020
Publisher No More Robots has announced that Descenders, RageSquid’s procedurally-generated downhill biking game, will be released for the PS4 and Switch sometime in 2020. Originally released through Early Access for the PC and Xbox One in 2018, Descenders has received more than a dozen major updates over the last two years, and was upgraded to “Version 1.0” in 2019:
Descenders is extreme downhill freeriding for the modern era, with procedurally generated worlds, and where mistakes have real consequences. Will you lead your team to glory and become the next legendary Descender?
Descenders is a fast-paced extreme downhill biking game that’s easy to pick up, but difficult to master.
In addition to Descenders’s digital debut on the PS4 and Switch, the game will also be available this year as a special Retail Edition thanks to a co-publishing agreement with Sold Out. More information about the Retail Edition will be announced at a later date.
Posted in News, PS4, Switch
Tagged Descenders
Grand Theft Auto V is the best-selling game of the 2010s
The NPD Group’s Mat Piscatella has one more list of best-selling games for us… the best-selling games of the 2010s.
Originally posted on Twitter, the chart was topped by Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V, but the majority of the list was dominated by Activision’s Call of Duty franchise. Seven of the ten slots were claimed by the shooter series, leaving only two remaining places for Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2 (#7) and Mojang’s Minecraft (#10):
Best-Selling Games in 2010-2019
1. Grand Theft Auto V
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops II
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops III
6. Call of Duty: Ghosts
7. Red Dead Redemption 2
8. Call of Duty: WWII
9. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
10. Minecraft****** All Digital Sales Not Included
****Digital Sales on PC Not Included
While the Call of Duty franchise remains a perennial presence on the sales charts, there’s no guarantee it’ll have the same impact on the 2020s. After all, the best-selling game from 2000-2009 was Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the best-selling game of 2019
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has dominated the sales charts throughout October, November, and December. So it wasn’t much of a surprise when The NPD Group’s Mat Piscatella declared it the best-selling game for all of 2019 as well (via Twitter). But many of this year’s biggest titles managed to crash their way into the Top Ten.
A few yearly sports updates, NBA 2K20 and Madden NFL 20, finished just behind Activision’s shooter. Another franchise FPS, Borderlands 3, slid in at #4. And rounding out the Top Five was NetherRealm’s blood-spattered sequel, Mortal Kombat 11.
The lower half of the Top Ten gave us a few games we’ve seen before, as 2018’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate meleed its way to the #7 slot, while 2017’s Mario Kart 8 shifted into the #10 slot. In between, you could find Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (#6), Square Enix’s Kingdom Hearts III (#8), and Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 (#9).
While none of Nintendo’s new releases made the list, the consolemaker was responsible for the two most-successful pieces of hardware in 2019. The Switch was the best-selling hardware platform of the year, while the Switch Pro Controller was the best-selling accessory.
You can view the full list of 2019’s best-selling games in handy list format after the break. (more…)