Final Fantasy Tactics
Latest
iPod's new Square Enix SRPG better than FFTA2?
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Square_Enix_s_new_iPod_SRPG_might_be_better_than_you_think'; Out of nowhere, Square Enix has simultaneously announced and released Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes, a new SRPG exclusive for the iPod challenging players to rescue their brother from the Mechanical Militia.The game has you controlling Ziggy, a Conductor that can create Tune Trooper warriors out of your iPod's music tracks, similar to Monster Rancher's CD-generated creatures. Further integrating your All-4-One MP3s, Song Summoner will boost the "groove level" of your Tune Troopers every time you listen to the songs that birthed the units. Now you actually have an excuse for listening to "I Swear" several dozen times a day!So, why are we talking about this iPod game on DS Fanboy? We thought it would be interesting to compare this new title against the other portable strategy RPG Square Enix recently released (in the U.S.), Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift.As we're sure you'll let us know, there are some features that Song Summoner can't compete with, such as FFTA2's 400+ quests and other multitudinous offerings, but, for the purpose of outlining what publishers can learn from a game release such as this, let's look at the five points in which the iPod title outshines the DS epic.%Gallery-27035%
DS releases for the week of June 23rd
DS gamers around world have reason to rejoice this week. Why? There are loads of games a-coming! In fact, it's a big week for all platforms, but DS owners have reason to be particularly pleased. Whether you're going to be grinding away in Final Fantasy Tactics A2, or getting your groove on with a portable Guitar Hero, we're willing to bet there's something coming that will inspire a little wallet-opening. American Girl: Kit Mystery Challenge Cake Mania 2 Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift Gourmet Chef Guitar Hero: On Tour Mega Man Star Force 2: Zerker x Ninja Mega Man Star Force 2: Zerker x Saurian Midnight Play! Pack My Weight Loss Coach Top Spin 3 Wall-E Check out the releases for the other major markets after the break!
Promotional Consideration: Tactical advertisements
Did you forget that Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift ships in North America this week? We wouldn't be surprised if you did, as, aside from two magazine advertisements, Square Enix hasn't done much to promote the SRPG sequel.In fact, unless we've missed something, the only two handheld game commercials Square Enix has aired in the U.S. since the GBA were for the Final Fantasy III remake and Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker -- Mario Hoops 3-on-3 doesn't count. That's a shame considering how creative the original Final Fantasy Tactics Advance commercial was!Bring your mages, ninjas, and gunners past the break for the GBA clip and the two FFTA2 magazine pieces we mentioned above!%Gallery-5422%
The Digital Continuum: Square Enix's next MMO
This recent interview with the Final Fantasy XI team by James "Milkman' Mielky of 1up.com internet fame got me thinking about the next MMO to come from the Square Enix camp. There isn't much meat on them bones as far as the next project goes, but the interview does get the team to talk just a little bit about it. It seems as though one thing is clear: Their newest MMO won't be too similar to Final Fantasy XI. While the developer says that they've learned through mistakes and player response with their original game, it seems that they really want to try something different.I'd be decidedly surprised if Square Enix didn't make a new MMO somehow based in the Final Fantasy universe considering the popularity of the franchise. It's very possible that when FFXI producer Hiromichi Tanaka said, "-we're not going to make something that'll be exactly like FFXI" He merely meant that mechanically speaking the new game would be very different. Which quite honestly should be a given considering the somewhat esoteric and now archaic control/menu system featured in their first game. Also, it would be nice to play a Final Fantasy MMO that wasn't so harsh on players who died -- losing experience is a deal-breaker for many players these days.
Train for next week's release with FFTA2 screens
You know a game is epic when the publisher can release dozens of screens -- dozens -- and you still feel as though you're only getting the barest glimpse of the depth that awaits. We've seen so much of Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, from videos to screens, and previews of jobs to boot, and none of that is even a patch on the hours of gameplay that awaits. For once, we're not even upset about the Square Enix "tax" that elevates the price of their games; here, we'll know where those extra dollars went. Sometime next year, we might have finally finished everything there is to finish.Maybe.If we're lucky.%Gallery-5422%[Via press release]
Three for two at Toys R Us next week
Toys R Us is holding its annual "buy two, get one free" DS promotion again starting on Sunday the 22nd, according to the latest weekly ad (as transcribed by CAG denizens). It's a great time for it, too: people getting Guitar Hero On Tour should be able to defray some of the cost by bundling it with two other games. Of course, even if you don't care about On Tour, you can get a great deal on some DS games. We just focused on that because it's new and it's so expensive that any other DS game comes in at an "equal or lesser value."Guitar Hero is expensive enough that, under the right conditions (purchasing two Square Enix games along with it), you could get a free Square Enix game! Final Fantasy Tactics A2 comes out next week, for example -- $90 for Guitar Hero, FFTA2, and The World Ends with You is a relatively non-terrible deal.[Via CAG]
Friday Video: Professions of the Rift
With our economy in its current dwindling state and the unemployment rate rising, it's nice to hear that some people are still able to find jobs, even if they're fictional jobs for fictional members of a fictional race existing in a fictional game world. Square Enix has released several short video clips introducing five of Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rifts' new jobs -- Chocobo Knight, Seer, Berserker, Geomancer, and Arcanist (above). They're not nearly as interesting as the "rejected FFTA2 professions" we featured, but these jobs are at least a little bit more real than the ones we made up.%Gallery-5422%
Get a job: Final Fantasy Tactics A2 preview
Chocobo Knights and Geomancers! If those words make your heart go a-flutter, it's probably a good time to check in with GameSpy's preview of some of the more inaccessible jobs in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2: Grimoire of the Rift. Sure, the game comes out later this month, but according to them, you're going to be playing for a long, long time before you see any of these jobs. Check out five of the jobs, complete with super cute outfits and videos, at the source ... and work your way into our newly-expanded gallery for an explosion of English-language screenshots sure to whet your appetite for the game's upcoming release.%Gallery-5422%[Via GoNintendo]
Etrian Odyssey, FFTA2 developers want to speak with you
Even if it is really all about plugging their products, we love it when game developers choose to communicate directly with us, the dirty, huddled masses, and today has brought news of two studios who are inviting questions from gamers.First up is Atlus, or more specifically Nich Maragos, Atlus USA Editor and Project Lead for both of the Etrian Odyssey games. Between now and June 17th, he'll be answering as many of your Etrian-related queries as he can here. Maragos is accepting questions about either of the two DS games, perhaps to accommodate for PAL region players, who only just received the first game last Friday. Ask him why Europe had to wait so long, if you like. Go on, do it.Next in line is the entire development team for Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, who are clearly pretty confident that they'll be receiving an absolute avalanche of questions, as they're doing this as a group. You'll have to be a signed-up Square Enix member, though, which will mean having to fill in this form.Ask Atlus!Ask Square Enix!%Gallery-15249%%Gallery-5422%[Via Go Nintendo and NeoGAF]
Snippets of FFTA2 gameplay show some tactics
While we're waiting for Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift to release (very soon), we're pretty much powerless to do much but look at screens and websites. Now, though, we can at least immerse ourselves in some videos of the upcoming game. Unfortunately, most of them are only short (and tiny) clips teasing the battle system, but it's still nice to get a sense of what the gameplay will entail.Above, the video delves into a part of the story, although put out of context it's not very telling. After the break, you can watch a few forty-second battle clips, showing three different characters using their attacks, skills, or summons. Gallery: FF Tactics A2
FF Tactics Advances on Europe this June
There's simply no in-between when it comes to PAL localizations of Square Enix games: they either take absolutely ages to arrive, or no time at all. Happily, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2: Grimoire of the Rift will fall into the latter category, with the game appearing across Europe on June 27th, three days after its U.S. debut. We're attaching another gold star to your record, Square! Nintendo and every other company out there who puts Euro gamers through the mill far too frequently: take note!If you're still too impatient to wait another five weeks, you may want to keep your thumbs and brain busy with a close alternative -- and conveniently enough, we have a whole bunch of recommendations for you to try out.%Gallery-5422%[Via press release]
Promotional Consideration: Moons, Zombies, Dodgeballs, and Tactics
Aside from its preview page tease and Time Hollow's localization, there wasn't much in the way of exclusive DS news in this month's Nintendo Power, at least compared to what we've seen in recent issues.Paging through the magazine, however, we spotted at least two advertisements that we wanted to share with you. As we were tearing them out to throw into our scanner, we thought, "Why not post all of the other DS ads (and the cover)?" Join us past the break for the scanned pages!
Square Enix confirms awesome trio for Europe [update 2]
Update 2: And now any mention of the paddle peripheral has disappeared again from our press release! We're confused as can be at the moment, but we're contacting Square Enix for clarification ... now. Stay tuned!Update: Silly us, we totally overlooked some critical parts of the press release. It mentions an "optional paddle controller" for Arkanoid DS, which causes us to think the game could release in a bundle including the peripheral. We've also included the full press release past the post break.Oh, happy days!Square Enix just confirmed a tremendous triumvirate of releases for Europe, with Space Invaders Extreme, Arkanoid, and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift all due in the region this summer.Fantastic news, but there are two questions we urgently need answering. One: will the two Taito titles enjoy the same budget price that looks likely for the U.S. release? And two: will we be getting the wonderful paddle controller for said games? We can't think of any reason why we shouldn't receive such a peripheral, but the lack of an announcement is concerning.%Gallery-5422%%Gallery-14613%[Via press release]
Summer strategy: FFTA2 due June 24th
Finally! We were beginning to think that Square-Enix would never announce its stateside release date for Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, keeping localized copies of the SRPG out of our reach to punish us for poor Front Mission sales. Surprisingly, FFTA2 will hit stores as soon as June 24th, usually a slow period for video game releases.The North American version has been enhanced to improve its touchscreen controls, one of several complaints we've listed about the game. Players should be able to now command their characters and navigate FFTA2's menus using only the stylus, as should be the standard for SRPGs on the DS. This comes in addition to the sequel's new classes, jobs, and clan system. Hit the gallery below for four new screenshots from the English-translated game.%Gallery-5422%See also: Final Fantasy Tactics A2 gets confirmed for North America[Via press release]
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 gets confirmed for North America
Well, what do you know. We were only just writing about Square Enix localizations, and now the news has spread that Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift is headed to North America. According to Game Informer, the projected release date isn't too far off, and the strategy game will be coming to American shores this summer.We knew this game would get here eventually, but we can relax now that we really know. In case you thought you might actually get outdoors and be active this summer, though, this announcement might have just caused a rift in your plans. [Via GoNintendo]
2008's Biggest Blips: Final Fantasy Tactics A2
Developer: Square EnixPublisher: Square EnixRelease: TBAWhat separates Final Fantasy Tactics Advance from most other handheld SRPGS? Its level of polish. As with the original Final Fantasy Tactics game for the PlayStation, Square Enix put its talents and resources behind FFTA's soundtrack, character designs, and solid mechanics. Even today, five years later, the GBA title's presentation outclasses releases like Hoshigami Remix and Luminous Arc. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift continues that high-budget, high-quality tradition. While Square Enix hasn't yet announced a US release date, and we're disappointed about the the game's lack of both online and offline multiplayer features, we're excited about all the sequel's additions -- 400 missions, Revenant Wings-esque item synthesis, a reworked law system, bigger enemies, an expanded map with distributed "area maps," and a ton of new job classes.FFTA2 now boasts over 45+ different professions, ranging from Chocobo Knights (Chocobo-riding Moogles) to Bastards (a surly lot). Just as interesting as the vocations included are the ones that were cut from the final release due to time constraints or continuity issues. We came across their design documents while sifting through Square Enix's dumpster for discarded figurines, and we've posted the never-seen-before job classes right here for you!Chimney Sweep Action Ability sweeps your chimney walks around covered in soot Combo Ability after years of choking on grit and dust, dies an early death due to cancer caused by inhaling carcinogenic chemicals in the soot Real World Roommate Action Ability accuses you of disrespectin' her Reaction Ability refuses to accept any apologies or assurances that you had no intention of disrespectin' her Support Ability tells everyone in the house that you're disrespectin' her Damn Cargo Shorts-Wearin' Kids Action Ability wears those damn cargo shorts every day has too many pockets for their own good Support Ability perpetuates the misbelief that wearing camo anything is acceptable fashion (e.g. camo cargo shorts) Gangsta Rapper, Circa Early-to-Mid 90s Action Ability checks himself before he wrecks himself ('cause shotgun bullets are bad for his health) is the capital S oh yes so fresh N double O P -- D O double G Y D O double G, ya see Reaction Ability calls his crew while you call your crew so you can rendezvous at the bar around two Combo Ability is better than your favorite rapper Overbearing Asian Mother Action Ability belittles any and every measure you take to establish yourself as an individual Reaction Ability repeatedly insists that you should've become a doctor or a lawyer, like your successful cousins, instead of studying "computer" Support Ability leaves you with crippling feelings of inadequacy and social ineptitude Cute Friend Whom You Have a Crush On Action Ability hair smells of strawberries, sunshine, and summer possibilities is a kindred spirit; totally on the same wavelength as you Reaction Ability looks at you pityingly when you ask her out just wants to be friends isn't ready to date anyone right now Combo Ability sleeps with four other dudes -- simultaneously! -- the following week ALF Action Ability is back in pog form %Gallery-5421% Apollo Justice Back Next, on BSI: Troi
Final Fantasy Tactics' secret position as a bestseller
Handheld games rarely burn up the charts. However, in a crowded month of games like Guitar Hero III, Halo 3, and The Orange Box, Square Enix's PSP remake of Final Fantasy Tactics managed to churn out about 100,000 copies sold in the month of October. Certainly, the launch of the redesigned PSP helped sales of the title. But, it managed to beat out other anticipated PSP titles, such as Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron and Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, according to GameDaily BIZ.While The War of the Lions enjoys some success in the States, its true victory was in Japan, where a significant marketing campaign (with television ads) helped propel the game to a number one position, selling over 242,000 copies in the territory. The total sales of the game should provide enough proof that the PSP and Square Enix work perfectly together. It'll be interesting to see if Crisis Core can make a bigger splash when it eventually gets released in the States.
Fans equip FFTA2 editor for translation project
Translating Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift just became serious business, as the GBAtemp community has actually built an application around the project to streamline its script-editing process. With this sort of dedication and this new specialized editor, it won't be long before the team releases an English translation patch for, uh, people with pirated ROMs.Though an official FFTA2 localization seems certain, Square Enix has yet to announce any plans to bring the SRPG stateside. Why not settle for Front Mission DS in the meantime?
FFTA2 fan translation project underway
Though Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift doesn't officially hit Japanese stores until tomorrow, forumers at the GBAtemp community have already managed to procure a copy and are working on translating its squiggly words. The motivated group has deciphered an impressive amount of cutscene conversations and menu items, overlaying shots from the SRPG with English text. Even in its early state, this picture guide will be a huge boon to interested importers without any Japanese reading skills. Considering that Square Enix has yet to announce its plans for bringing Final Fantasy Tactics A2 to the states, this fan-backed effort may be the best way to play the game for a while.
-box-art.jpg.cf.jpg)
PSP Fanboy review: Final Fantasy Tactics
Let's do some time travel. I'm going to take you back ten years to 1997 when, in Japan, two games were released by Square on an underdog system called the PS1. These titles, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy Tactics have since become critically regarded as two of the best games on Sony's fledgling console. And while Final Fantasy VII has enjoyed the sort of commercial success normally attributed to rockstars, sadly Tactics was hideously overshadowed by its prettier brother and so this gem was never received by the consumers as it should've done. Shame on you Americans! (Though because of this, Europeans never even saw the game released on our shelves.) Fast forward to 2007 and, almost by means of apology, Square Enix has allowed Europe access to the PSP version of this game, and a full week before the US at that! That'll teach you.While it's easy to view Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions as a mere re-release, the game has retained most of the same gameplay elements as its PS1 counterpart, as well as added a completely new translation, gorgeously animated cutscenes, extra classes, characters and even a multiplayer feature. But even with all that, the game is still a 10 year old tactical RPG. Does it still stand up as a great title a decade on?%Gallery-5456%
