Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Switch
Dark Horse’s The Art of Super Mario Odyssey is now available
Nintendo produced hit after hit for the Switch during its first year on the market in 2017. Breath of the Wild at launch… Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in April… Splatoon 2 in July… and Super Mario Odyssey in October. If you’ve got fond memories of that last one, then you should definitely pay attention to the latest tome from Dark Horse Comics.
The Art of Super Mario Odyssey is available on store shelves today, and it is packed with more than 360 pages of “concept art, preliminary sketches, and notes from the development team,” as well as “insight into some early ideas that didn’t make it into the game itself”:
In October of 2017, Super Mario Odyssey took the gaming world by storm. Now, discover the art and expertise that went into creating one of Nintendo’s best-loved games! This full-color hardcover volume clocks in at 368 pages and features concept art, preliminary sketches, and notes from the development team, plus insight into some early ideas that didn’t make it into the game itself! Explore the world of Super Mario Odyssey from every angle, including screen shots, marketing material, and more, to fully appreciate this captivating adventure.
The Art of Super Mario Odyssey is now available to purchase for $49.99, and a trailer for the book has been embedded above.
Posted in Etcetera, News, Switch
Tagged Super Mario Odyssey
Tetris 99’s next Maximus Cup starts November 8 and it’ll feature a Pokemon Sword and Shield theme
I know what you’re thinking… didn’t Nintendo host a Maximus Cup event for Tetris 99 just a little over a week ago? And guess what, you would be right. The eighth Maximus Cup coincided with the weekend before Halloween and players competed to win a spooky Theme based on Luigi’s Mansion 3.
But here we go again.
A few days ago Nintendo confirmed that the ninth Maximus Cup will kick off on November 8th, and it’s once again centered around a major new release for the Switch. This time, Tetris 99 players will be dropping blocks to earn a brand new Theme based on Pokemon Sword and Shield.
Like last time, players will need to collect 100 Event Points to unlock the new Theme. As always, a 1st Place victory will net you 100 Points, though a smaller cache of Points can be earned for lower finishes: 2nd (50 Points), 3rd (30 Points), 4th–10th (20 Points), 11th–30th (15 Points), 31st–50th (10 Points), 51st–90th (5 Points), and 91st-99th (1 Point).
Tetris 99’s Pokemon-themed Maximus Cup event will begin on Friday, November 8, at 2:00 AM (Eastern Time) and conclude on Tuesday, November 12, at 2:00 AM (also Eastern Time).
Overwatch 2 announced with Story Missions and cross-compatibility with original game
Blizzard announced Overwatch 2 today at BlizzCon… but it’s not a sequel in the traditional sense. The game is first and foremost a cooperative shooter where players can team up together to take on narrative-driven Story Missions in a future where the Overwatch has reformed:
In the sequel’s action-packed cooperative Story Missions, players will experience the advent of a new Overwatch as Winston, Tracer, and other members of the original Overwatch join forces with a new generation of heroes. Players will take an active role in the Overwatch saga as a new global crisis unfolds through a series of intense, high-stakes four-player missions. As the story progresses, players will team up as different sets of heroes and fight to defend the world from the omnic forces of Null Sector, uncover the motives behind the robotic armies’ attacks, and come face-to-face with rising new threats around the globe.
Co-op players might also be interested in Overwatch 2’s “highly replayable” Hero Missions:
The battle continues in Hero Missions, where the Overwatch team will be called upon to go beyond their limits as they deploy across the planet, defending cities against robot invasions, taking on elite Talon agents, and battling the villainous forces laying siege to the world. In this highly replayable mode, players can level up their favorite heroes and earn powerful customization options that supercharge their abilities in co-op play—such as altering Reinhardt’s Fire Strike to ignite nearby enemies or modifying Tracer’s Pulse Bomb to cause a devastating chain reaction—granting the extra edge they need against the overwhelming odds.
While this might sound similar to some of the limited events that Blizzard rolls out from time to time, Overwatch 2 will also feature larger maps and “visual enhancements” that give each a new look. And speaking of Heroes, Overwatch 2 will introduce multiple new Heroes to the game’s universe, including an Omnic named Echo and former Overwatch commander known as Sojourn.
Overwatch 2 will also include at least one new gameplay type, Push, which pits two teams against each other as they try to help a robot push an objective to their opponent’s side.
While all of these new features sound like typical sequel things, Overwatch 2 is also cross-compatible with the original Overwatch. Overwatch and Overwatch 2 players will be able to compete against one another in PvP modes. Overwatch players will even be able to play on Overwatch 2’s new maps and every new Hero introduced in Overwatch 2 will also be available in the original Overwatch.
Overwatch 2 is currently in development for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. It doesn’t currently have a release date, but you find two new trailers for the game after the break. (more…)
Data from Mortal Kombat 11’s first six months includes more than 205 million hours played
Mortal Kombat 11 was released roughly six months ago, and in that time it’s become one of the most popular games of 2019. To celebrate, NetherRealm Studios decided to share the data they’ve collected to sheds a little more light on how people play the game.
The big number that everyone will probably be talking about is the total number of hours that fans have sunk into the game… which is 205,262,299 hours. That is an astonishing amount of time to kill, and while every character undoubtedly has their fans, the three that have been picked the most are Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Noob Saibot. However, players preferred Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Liu Kang in Ranked Play.
Scorpion has the most wins, and the spectre is likely responsible for a lot of the 346,522,493 Fatalities that have been performed by players (though he’s also the character who’s most often on the receiving end of a “Finish Him!”). And that’s to say nothing of the 65,779,473 Flawless Victories that have been tallied.
You can find even more sanguine statistics for Mortal Kombat 11 in the video embedded above.
Feral Interactive shares first Gameplay Trailer for Alien: Isolation on the Switch
Sega’s Alien: Isolation is coming to the Switch sometime later this year courtesy of developer Feral Interactive. And feeling full of the Halloween spirit, they unveiled the first Gameplay Trailer for the new edition of the game earlier today. Feral Interactive also confirmed that the package will include all seven downloadable updates that were released for Alien: Isolation by original developer Creative Assembly throughout 2014 and 2015.
Alien: Isolation was the first adventure for Amanda Ripley, the previously-little-seen daughter of Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley. Her search for her mother lead her to the Sevastopol Station and a chance run-in with a xenomorph. Since then, she’s starred in an animated retelling of the original game, several comic book sequels from Dark Horse, and a mobile game.
With only two months to go before the end of the year, it likely won’t be long before we learn about a launch date for Alien: Isolation’s Switch debut.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Alien: Isolation
Feel the love for this Launch Trailer for Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King
Disney struck box office gold earlier this year with their live-action remakes of Aladdin and The Lion King (though critical acclaim was much harder to come by). But don’t worry, the film studio hasn’t forgotten about the original animated films from the from the 1990s… or their game adaptations.
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King includes multiple versions of both games that were originally released for the Genesis, Super NES, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color by Virgin Interactive in 1993 and 1994. Sadly, Aladdin’s Super NES adaptation didn’t make the cut because it was published and developed by Capcom.
But the compilation also features a bevy of bonus features, including a rewind option for those harder moments, as well as behind-the-scenes interviews and galleries, several different visual filters, and a special Final Cut version of Aladdin that incorporates difficulty adjustments, camera refinements, and bug fixes:
Features
- Multiple Game Versions: Play through several different versions of the beloved Aladdin and The Lion King games that have been created over the years, including both console and handheld versions.
- Final Cut of Aladdin: An all-new “Final Cut” version of Aladdin, developed exclusively for this collection, is also included and features difficulty adjustments, camera refinements, bug fixes, as well as a few additional surprises for fans.
- Display Options and Updated Visuals: 1080p graphics and enhancements for modern HD TVs. Adjustable screen aspect ratios and borders. Custom filter options designed to replicate classic CRT TVs and other popular screen types.
- In-Game Rewind: Instantly rewind any of the games in real-time in order to retry difficult areas
- Interactive Game Viewer: View full game playthroughs, with the ability to skip forward, jump in, and start playing at any point
- Save Feature: Quickly save your progress in each of the games and continue your adventure wherever and whenever you want
- Museum Features: Take a journey behind-the-scenes and learn more about the creation of these incredible games. Watch video interviews with the original development teams or explore numerous galleries containing hundreds of previously unreleased HD concept images and marketing assets.
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King was published by Nighthawk Interactive and developed by Digital Eclipse, and it’s now available for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
EarthNight dives onto the PC, PS4, and Switch on December 3
EarthNight is currently available to download for iOS devices through Apple’s Apple Arcade subscription service, but Cleaversoft’s hand-drawn platformer is also coming to the PC and consoles… and now we know when.
In EarthNight, dragons have captured the planet and forced the human race to take refuge on a series of massive space stations. Thankfully, a pair of heroes has emerged to take the Earth back while racing across the backs of these no-longer-mythological creatures:
Ever since dragons overtook Earth, mankind has lived in exile on space colonies orbiting the planet. Despite being faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, the unlikely duo — a sword-wielding freelance photographer and a young student blessed with ethereal superpowers — take it upon themselves to reclaim their home by skydiving through Earth’s atmosphere and striking back against the monsters below.
The two heroes approach their dragon-slaying mission with drastically different tactics. Stanley’s powerful legs allow him to make both high jumps and long leaps, while Sydney favors agility by making use of an air dash and double jump ability. Both heroes wield their bespoke skills to overcome hostile environments and push towards the vulnerable heads of their scaled serpentine foes.
EarthNight will be released for the PC, PS4, and Switch on December 3. A new trailer showcasing the game’s hand-drawn visuals and procedurally-generated dragons has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch
Tagged EarthNight
Darksiders Genesis gets a release date for PC/Google Stadia (December 9) and consoles (February 14)
THQ Nordic and Airship Syndicate have announced that Darksiders Genesis, their top-down spinoff set within the Darksiders universe, will be released for the PC and Google Stadia on December 9.
In addition to a release date for Darksiders Genesis, we also got a new trailer that teases Strife’s confrontation with Malgros the Defiler (it’s actually an expanded version of the original Announcement Trailer). The video clip definitely has a great Jabba’s Palace vibe, and even slyly hints at the game’s co-op gameplay:
Darksiders Genesis features the debut of the fourth and final horsemen – Strife – who can battle alongside his brother and fellow horsemen WAR in the first ever Darksiders two-player co-op mode. Solo players will be able to alternate between Strife and War on the fly, taking advantage of Strife’s ranged and War’s melee style attacks. Both characters can build up a special attack meter that, when activated, temporarily turns them into a colossal creature that leaves epic destruction in its wake.
Darksiders Genesis is also in development for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, and the the Diablo-like game will make its console debut on February 14, 2020.