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Steam summons Final Fantasy 4 PC redux
Following hints from earlier today that the Final Fantasy 13 trio may be coming to Steam, we discover that an earlier entry in Square Enix's classic roleplaying franchise has already taken up residence on Valve's ubiquitous digital distribution platform. Final Fantasy 4, a game initially released in the United States as Final Fantasy 2, can now be purchased from Steam at a price of $16. According to the game's listing, this new PC version of Final Fantasy 4 boasts "fully voiced, dramatic cut-scenes," a new system for charting in-game dungeons and an "inspiring score" which can be accessed in-game via a new jukebox feature. This latest iteration of Final Fantasy 4 utilizes the same super-deformed polygonal characters first seen in the 2007 Nintendo DS remake, but with graphics that are optimized for the PC. For more information and a full rundown on the game's technical requirements, visit the Final Fantasy 4 Steam listing. The game is currently available exclusively for PC, and Square Enix has yet to mention additional versions for the Mac or Linux operating systems. [Image: Square Enix]
Final Fantasy IV out now on Android
After battling onto iOS late last year, Final Fantasy IV took a bit more active-time to reach Android. The Square RPG is out now for Android 2.3.3 and up, priced $16/£11. This version's a tad different from the one released for the SNES as Final Fantasy II outside of Japan. Key cut scenes are underlined by voice acting, and dungeon maps start off blank in case the game hasn't branded itself onto your memory cells over the last 20 or so years.
Square Enix releasing 'Remaster' soundtracks for SNES Final Fantasy games
Square Enix is dipping into its back catalog to offer remastered versions of its SNES Final Fantasy soundtracks, starting with Final Fantasy 4 on July 3. The Japanese release of the CD will come in a special box with art by character designer Yoshitaka Amano.While the CD soundtrack likely won't see official release in North America, you can purchase it from an importer like CDJapan. And Square Enix is surprisingly good about digitally releasing soundtracks.
Final Fantasy 4 now on iOS
Final Fantasy IV's DS remake incarnation is available now on iOS. Unlike the original for the Super NES from 1991, this one includes some spoken dialogue and a mapping feature. The game also features Square Enix's premium pricing for an iOS product at $15.99.The game works on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. For gamers who were around during the early '90s, this is the game you'd remember once upon a time as Final Fantasy 2.
Square Enix announces Final Fantasy 4 coming soon to iOS, along with big mobile sale
Square Enix has announced a rare sale on its mobile titles, along with at least one big release coming soon: Final Fantasy 4, ported to iOS. This version is based on the 3D remake that came out in 2008, so it'll feature active-time battles, full-motion videos and a full orchestral theme. Should be a lot of fun and Square says it's coming soon. Meanwhile, there's a sale on! Through December 14, Square Enix is offering Final Fantasy 1 and Final Fantasy 2 for US$3.99 each. Final Fantasy 3 is down to $8.99 on the iPhone or $9.99 on the iPad (still not exactly cheap, but definitely well discounted). And the retro style Final Fantasy Dimensions is down to $16.99 for all of the series' episodes. From December 12 to January 7, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will be on sale for 99 cents, and that's a really amazing deal. Square Enix has found a fair bit of success in selling its titles at premium prices, so these don't go on sale too often. Definitely grab them if you're interested while you can.
Final Fantasy 4 comes to iOS in Japan Dec. 20, Android follows in spring
If you've somehow missed out on Final Fantasy IV – that's the one with Cecil the dark knight – over the last 21 years, Square Enix is making it even easier to catch up. An iOS version of the DS remake of the Super Famicom RPG will be released in Japan December 20.GAME Watch reports that an Android version is planned for spring 2013. The price for both will be within the usual Square Enix mobile game pricing convention (which means "really expensive"), at ¥1,800 (around $22).
Great Moment: Climbing Final Fantasy IV's Mt. Ordeals
This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer. I find Cecil interesting, which is not something I can say for many other video game protagonists. For instance, he's in a solid, mature relationship with a strong woman right off the bat. And from the very beginning, he's grappling with a clear moral dilemma--break his oath and step down or continue slaughtering innocents in the name of the Empire? It's evident that Cecil has a lot in his mind right from the beginning, which is all the more impressive for the fact that he's only a tiny 16-bit sprite.In fact, there was a lot going on with Final Fantasy IV's story in general. The cast is huge, and the heroic sacrifices and heroic twists almost constant. But the best moment happens early on, when Cecil climbs Mt. Ordeals with the twin mages Palom and Porum in a quest to shed his darker half and become a Paladin.
Chrono Trigger, World Ends With You discounted on Amazon today
Do you have, like, a couple hundred hours to kill on flights, drives and other commutes in the coming weeks? You should pick up some of Amazon's temporarily discounted Square Enix DS RPGs, including Chrono Trigger and The World Ends With You. Those should fill your hours swimmingly.
Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection's classy collector's compilation catalogued
Square Enix has revealed the "Ultimate Pack" for Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection, the PSP release of Final Fantasy IV and The After Years, coming to Japan on March 24. This Square Enix E-Store exclusive is rather lovely to look at and comes with an artbook, game guide and 17-track audio CD, called "Final Fantasy IV The After Years Sounds Plus." Five of the tracks on the CD have yet to be decided (Square Enix is asking Japanese Square Enix Members to vote for them from a list). Even if you aren't a member, you can still listen to samples of all the tracks in the running. Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection, and the Ultimate Pack, have not been announced for release outside of Japan.
European Nintendo downloads: Tales in a Box, Final Fantasy IV
Looksley's Line Up, also known as "that game everyone thought was a 3DS demo," arrives in Europe today under the title Tales in a Box: Hidden shapes in perspective! If your interests lie less in the uncomfortably futuristic, and more in the vintage, Final Fantasy II is available on Virtual Console. This is the one we know now as Final Fantasy IV. See the rest of the Wii and DS downloads at Nintendo UK.
Nintendo Power: FFIV DS coming in July
Misdirection isn't just for magicians anymore ... apparently Nintendo Power practices it too. While everyone was focused on the hints of a U.S. localized Final Fantasy IV DS in the magazine's ten-page cover feature on the game, no one seemed to notice that the game was listed with a "July" release date in that same issue's "Game Watch Forecast."Well, no one except RPGFan.com, which then in turn got noticed by our own DSFanboy, which in turn got noticed by us so you fine readers can notice it for yourselves. This could just be a typo on Nintendo's part, but more likely it's a slip-up that reveals a release window a little earlier than Square-Enix would have liked. Either way, just another pebble on the growing mound of evidence that a localized version is coming.
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/31-1/6
The big news with last week's sales numbers is not that the DS managed to top 300,000 again, but that the New Super Mario Bros. broke five million in Japan. Not only that, but the game took the sixteenth spot in today's Famistu chart. Also showing legs is Mario Kart DS, which sold 68,000 copies to take the number eight spot. While it's no surprise that Mario Kart does well week after week (after week), we didn't expect it to make the top ten. We're also happy to see some new DS blood enter the ring, with Rune Factory 2 selling 56,000 in its debut. The rise in sales from the previous week was most likely due to the New Years holiday, which is a popular shopping period in Japan. These numbers are almost certainly not sustainable, though, so we should see a big difference next week. Of course, we fully expect that the DS will end up on top, as always, with a smattering of its games in the top ten. Check after the break to see the numbers, with NSMB sales tacked on for good measure.
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/24-12/31
We were finally able to get our greedy little hands on the Japanese sales numbers from Famitsu for the week of 12/24, and came to find that the DS had another great week.Unsurprisingly, the DS took the top spot in hardware sales, moving 195,000 units. While this was a drop from the week before's incredible numbers, it certainly isn't a bad showing for the three-year-old handheld.In terms of software, Final Fantasy IV is continuing to sell well, meaning that more remakes in the series are sure to follow. The other Square-Enix remake on the charts, Dragon Quest IV, managed to go platinum this week. Mario Party DS, meanwhile, was the only other DS game to make the top ten, as the Professor Layton sequel slipped to the number eleven spot.To see the hardware and software sales numbers for the the week of 12/24, check after the break.
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/17-12/23
Another week in Japan has come and gone, which means yet another week of ridiculous success for the DS. The hardware managed to top 300k for the week, while heavy hitters like Final Fantasy IV, Dragon Quest IV, and Mario Party DS littered the top ten in the software charts. It was also a good week for baseball game Dorabase, which debuted at the number nine spot with 96k, selling 90% of it's total stock. Hardware: DS: 319,000 Wii: 264,000 PSP: 162,000 PS3: 51,000 PS2: 24,000 Xbox 360: 8,100 Check after the break to see the software numbers for 12/17-12/23 in Japan.
Mini FFIV figures are super teeny, super cute
Face it. If you've owned Final Fantasy IV for the SNES, the GBA, and plan on getting it for the DS, you're an FFIV addict. Of course, when we show you things like these miniature figurines, that just makes us enablers.For $39.00, you can get your fix from NCXS. The figures in this Final Fantasy IV Trading Arts Mini collection are only 6cm tall, which means they're tiny. Of course, you might just want to save your money for the game instead.[Via Kotaku]
FFIV looking as sumptuous as ever in new trailer
We already knew that Square Enix's remake of Final Fantasy IV was going to require a whopping 1 gigabit cartridge, and this latest trailer from the company's official site neatly sums up why. Look at it for heaven's sake! FMV, full 3D models, voice acting, and all playing out to Megumi Ida's entrancing vocals. As long as our favourite line is preserved in the localized English version, Square Enix may as well take our wallets from us now.[Thanks, creamsugar!]
MIDI + art + game songs = <3
Some awesome soul has taken it about himself to make visually enhanced game tunes, and the result is nothing short of spectacular. Using a program called Music Animation Machine MIDI Player, which converts the musical notes of MIDI songs into art, the creator of these videos has managed to blow our minds. Sure, we always enjoy it when musical sounds are synthesized with visual imagery, but when some of our favorite songs are involved, it just makes it that much better.We decided to put the Mega Man 2 "Dr. Wily Stage 1" song up top to celebrate Rock Man's 20th anniversary, and well, because it's our favorite. If you don't look after the break to check out the equally awesome Final Fantasy IV, Kirby, Mario, and other tunes, though, you officially fail at the internet.
New Final Fantasy IV videos continue to impress
True to the form of Square Enix, we still haven't seen much gameplay for Final Fantasy IV. But, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy more videos showing off the prettiness. The company just added three of them to the game's official site, each one detailing a different character.We put the one featuring Kain up top, but check after the break to see the videos with Cecil and Rosa.*Note: The videos were enlarged from the ones on the official site, which is why they are low resolution.
Final Fantasy IV developer interview
In celebration of the upcoming remake of Final Fantasy IV, Famitsu decided to remake a vintage interview with producer Tomoya Asano and director Takashi Tokita. No, we're kidding, it's a new interview, but we like giving Square Enix a hard time about remakery. We do that, and they take our money for games. It's an arrangement we have.The developers discuss Yoshitaka Amano's remake of the logo, which is "really good." They also talk about the story, which Takashi Tokita is going back over: "16 years ago I was still a young man so I want to try and see if there's any parts that I feel my inexperience had a bad effect on or maybe I wasn't expressive enough at the time." When asked why they decided to remake Final Fantasy IV after III, the two, in unison and without hesitation, yelled "CHA-CHING!" Okay, that didn't happen either. [Via GoNintendo]
Final Fantasy IV's CG-tastic trailer
Contrasting the absolutely wicked, gameplay-filled trailer that we received last week for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates, the Final Fantasy IV DS video Square Enix posted at the title's teaser site today is pretty light on action. The CG scenes, dramatic soundtrack, and breathy voice-over serve the story-driven RPG well, but if you're looking to see some combat or world map travel, you won't find much satisfaction here.The tail end of the clip hints that we'll be seeing the game's release before year's end, so plan your budget accordingly. Hop a ride on an airship, and sail past the post break for the 3D remake's two-minute movie.
