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Take a look back at Engadget's favorite Game Boy Advance games
On the 20th anniversary of the Game Boy Advance, the Engadget staff looks back at some of its favorite GBA titles.
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%
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%
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%
Live a lie with Hori's FFTA2 accessory set
Buying Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift when it hits Japan in two weeks might not be economically feasible for you, what with shipping costs and jacked-up import pricing, but that doesn't mean you can't make everyone believe you've purchased and played the game.Hori's FFTA2 kit, available for preorder at Play-Asia for an affordable $17.90, includes everything we've come to expect with these supplementary kits -- a themed system case, an extendable stylus, a stylus pen casing, and a screenwipe strap -- enough branded stuff to convince any doubters out there that you're the proud owner of Square Enix's newest SRPG, even if you really aren't.As for why you'd want to live this double life, pretending you're in possession of a game you've never actually held, we're not sure what your motivation would be; we're just offering advice in case you ever find yourself caught up in the dilemma we've described. Click past the post break for more photos of the set.
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 trailer revealed
After teasing us with screenshots and magazine scans of Final Fantasy Tactics A2 for weeks, Square Enix has finally given us a video preview of the upcoming SRPG. The trailer clocks in at just under three minutes, cycling through story cutscenes, reworked map mechanics, and new special attacks. Jump past the post break for the clip, and let us know what you think!
