Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Wii
Skylanders Swap Force brings customizable figures to the franchise
Skylanders Giants is less than four months old and Activision is already ready to announce the next game in the series. Skylanders Swap Force will make its worldwide debut this weekend at the 2013 Toy Fair. Taking up residence in booth 3061, Activision will unveil Swap Force’s 16 new customizable characters at the Javits Center in New York City.
Here’s some of the new features that the kiddies can look forward to in Skylanders Swap Force:
Swap Force builds upon the success of the franchise’s signature gameplay with an all-new innovative play pattern — swapability — that gives kids more choice than ever before by letting them swap the top and bottom halves of the toys to create their own characters. The game lets Portal Masters reconfigure 16 Swap Force characters into more than 250 unique combinations. Kids can mix and match characters’ powers and moves, and then bring them to life in the game. Fans of the franchise also can play Skylanders Swap Force with their entire collection of characters from both Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure and Skylanders Giants, now with the added capability of jumping.
Skylanders Swap Force is in development at Vicarious Visions and will likely be released this Fall for every platform imaginable.
Ravens win as Madden Super Bowl Simulation is scary accurate this year
EA Sports’ Madden NFL Super Bowl Simulation is always pretty close to the final result, but this year’s prediction was so scarily accurate that some might be wondering if the fix was in. As prognasticated by Madden NFL 13, Super Bowl XLVII ended with a Baltmore Ravens victory over the San Francisco 49ers. But the simulation also accurately served up a wide variety of indiviudal moments from the game:
- The 49ers were held to a field goal in the first quarter.
- Joe Flacco threw a touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin.
- The Ravens put the game away with a Justin Tucker field goal.
- The margin of victory was three points (34-31 in real life versus 27-24 in the simulation)
- Joe Flacco was named the Super Bowl MVP.
But of course, no simulation could have predicted the 34-minute blackout that overtook the game or that the Star Trek Into Darkness trailer would be super good (Benedict Cumberbatch just needs to be in every movie… ever). With this correct prediction, the Madden Super Bowl Simulation improves to 8-2 since EA Sports began making picks in 2004.
Nintendo Download: Puddle, Ikachan, Fire Emblem Awakening on Monday, more
A handful of new games were added to Nintendo’s download services today:
- The tilt-controlled puzzler Puddle is now available on the Wii U eShop.
- Ikachan, the latest game from Nicalis, has been added to the 3DS eShop.
- As has the NES classic Ice Climber.
- The Wii Virtual Console is still kicking as well with the addition of Metal Slug 4.
And on Monday, the next Fire Emblem game, Fire Emblem: Awakening, will be available to download from the 3DS eShop.
More information on all of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Madden NFL 13 picks the Ravens as the winner of Super Bowl XLVII
The football Nostradamus that is EA Sports’ annual Simulation Bowl has made its pick for Super Bowl XLVII and it’s the Baltimore Ravens. Using a copy of Madden NFL 13 running on an Xbox 360, the simulated game features Ravens narrowly defeating the San Francisco 49ers 27 to 24.
The simulation started slowly with both teams only managing a field goal apiece after the first quarter. The 49ers shot ahead 10-3 in the second quarter with a Frank Gore touchdown, but a Torrey Smith catch and a Ray Rice run put the Ravens up 17-10 at halftime.
The simulation was knotted up again near end of regulation after Joe Flacco tossed a TD to Anquan Boldin and the 49ers answered with another Frank Gore run and a Colin Kaepernick to Vernon Davis throw. But the simulation ended thanks to a field goal from rookie kicker Justin Tucker and an Ed Reed interception to put the 49ers away for good.
Joe Flacco was named the MVP of the Super Bowl simulation for his 19 of 27 completion rate, 260 yards, and two touchdowns.
EA Sports and their Madden NFL Super Bowl Simulation correctly picked last year’s winner (the Giants over the Patriots) and is 7-2 since they first began picking winners in 2004. We’ll see if they move up to 8-2 this Sunday.
2013 Writers Guild Award for Videogame Writing nominees announced
The Writers Guild of America has announced the nominees for their 2013 Writers Guild Awards, and with them, the nominees for “Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing.”
To be eligible for consideration, this year’s nominees include games that were released between December 1, 2011 and November 30, 2012 on featured on-screen writing credits. This year, the Guild has continued their love affair with Ubisoft and the Uncharted series by bestowing nominations on Assassin’s Creed III, Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, and Uncharted: Golden Abyss. Other nominated games for 2013 include Halo 4, 007 Legends, and Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two.
The 2013 Writers Guild Awards will take place on Sunday, February 17, 2013. A complete list of the nominated writers and editors can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged 007 Legends, Assassin's Creed III, Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, Epic Mickey 2, Halo 4, Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Sony has settled with “Kevin Butler” in trademark infringement lawsuit
Sony Computer Entertainment and actor Jerry Lambert, better known as Sony spokesman “Kevin Butler,” have come to an agreement in the trademark infringement lawsuit Sony filed against Lambert in October.
In the lawsuit, Sony alleged that Lambert appeared as “Kevin Butler” in a commercial for Bridgestone while promoting their “Buy Four Tires, Get a Wii” contest. In the commercial, Lambert’s character was dressed in a white lab coat, a big difference from the business attire usually worn by “Kevin Butler.” Sony also filed a lawsuit against Bridgestone for creating the commercial, which is still pending.
Under the terms of the settlement, Lambert admitted that his contract with Sony should have prevented him from appearing in the Bridgestone ad alongside a Wii system. He also agreed with Sony that his appearance in the commercial created confusion for viewers who strongly link him with the “Kevin Butler” character.
Lambert has also agreed not to appear in any video game-related ads for the next two years and, for the next two years after that, he will clear any video game-related ad appearances with Sony first.
[Source: MediaPost News]
Nintendo gives release dates to Lego City, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and many more
Nintendo has announced new release dates for many of the Wii U’s “launch window” games including Lego City: Undercover and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.
The Grand Theft Auto-like Lego City: Undercover will be released on March 18 while the monster mash that is Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate will be available a day later on March 19 (a demo will be added to the Wii U eShop on February 21). Sadly, two of the biggest “launch window” games, Aliens: Colonial Marines and Bit.Trip Runner 2, are still without release dates.
Nintendo also took this opportunity to tag the Lego City 3DS spinoff, Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins, with an official release date. Lovers of all things Lego will be able to purchase it on April 21.
Hit the break for a look at the complete Winter/Spring release calendar for all four of Nintendo’s currently active platforms. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, DS, News, Wii, Wii U
Tagged Lego City Undercover, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Pandora’s Tower coming to North America this Spring thanks to XSEED Games
Pandora’s Tower is coming to North America! This Spring! XSEED Games is bringing the long-awaited JRPG for the Wii to our shores in just a few months.
Who do I thank first? XSEED, the publisher who brings us so many great games we’d never see? Operation Rainfall, the amazing team that helped bring Xenoblade and The Last Story into our arms? I’m certainly not going to thank Nintendo, who could have done this a million months ago.
I guess I’ll just thank the CEO of XSEED, Shinichi Suzuki, who had this to say in the press release: “It’s fantastic to be bringing such a highly-anticipated title like Pandora’s Tower to such a vocal fan base… North American gamers have been very patient in waiting for this game to be released, and we’re confident they will be pleased when they get their hands on the title.”
We’re confident, too. What could we not like about a “tale of unfortunate circumstance” that includes a character who “succumbs to a wretched curse during a festival performance,” and then transforms into a monster? The love of her life fights to save her, battling through thirteen towers and fighting monsters to reverse her transformation. Just watch this European trailer if you’re not convinced.
Posted in News, Wii
Tagged Pandora's Tower