FinalFantasyIv
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Someone Google Translated 'Final Fantasy'
As much as we love them, Japanese role-playing games can be baffling at the best of times. Yet thanks to some clever localization, teams of writers and translators around the globe have managed to make sense of these intriguing adventures. But what if these localization teams didn't exist? That's the question translation enthusiast Clyde Mandelin asked, resulting in him rigging up a program to Google Translate Final Fantasy IV.
Final Fantasy IV hits Android (critical hit!) for $16
If there's a way to prepare for Active Time Battling, you should probably get on it -- Final Fantasy IV is now available on the Google Play Store. That said, you may want to grab a Phoenix Down before we tell you the price: an ice cold $15.99. At very least, it's the same price carried by its iOS counterpart, and a good bit less expensive than various Sony and Nintendo portable versions. It's also got the upgraded graphics and new localization enjoyed by iOS players -- as far as we can tell, it's identical to other mobile versions. Grab your nearest chocobo and head past the break to see a trailer of the game in action.
Final Fantasy IV headed to iOS on December 20, Android version to follow in 2013
That Nintendo DS re-make of Final Fantasy IV may add 3D graphics, a variety of bug fixes, and a fresh localization, but who wants to lug around their old Nintendo DS? Thankfully, it won't be much longer before the same version of FFIV ends up on iOS, as spotted by the folks at gaming forum NeoGAF. The game arrives on the iOS App Store for both iPhone and iPad starting on December 20, and is headed to Android sometime next year. As of now, it's only got a Japanese pricing of ¥1800 ($21.77), but we expect it'll cost about $17.99 when it launches Stateside. In anticipation of the pending release, Square's marking down prices of its other iOS FF games (which are usually priced absurdly high), so now's a good time to snap them up on the cheap. If you'd like to take a gander at the first images of the iOS port, Japanese publication Gamer has a first-look.
Final Fantasy IV coming to North America ... maybe
Role-playing fans can slip on their dancing shoes and party like it's 1991. A new interview with Final Fantasy IV director Takashi Tokita in the latest Nintendo Power seems to point to the game's recent DS remake being localized for North American audiences. Oh sure, he doesn't come right out and confirm the localization -- where's the drama in that? -- but given that the article comes peppered with English language screens and the game itself is featured on the cover, we're certainly leaning towards believing that the RPG will soon be getting some domestic love.Tokita also toys with our emotions, speaking to the possibility of a remake of SNES RPG classic Chrono Trigger provided "the demand is great enough." Though like coming down hard off a caffeine high, he sends us crashing back down to earth by adding that he really wants to "create new titles and not just series installments and remakes." Yours is a cruel love, mon cher.[Via DS Fanboy]
Final Fantasy IV screens: just like importing, without the actual game
This week, Japanese gamers will be able to get their hands on the much-updated Final Fantasy IV. Unless you're importing, you've got quite a wait ahead of you before you can share in that joy, but we thought these screens might soothe the pain a bit. Check out our updated gallery below for a peek at the unlockable ability-absorbing character and more.%Gallery-3278%
Man, look at that FFIV cartridge -- it's huge
We doubt the Final Fantasy IV cartridge will be visibly bigger than any other DS cartridge, so Tiny Elvis wouldn't even notice the difference. The FFIV developer blog reveals that Matrix Software is now using a 1 gigabit DS card for the game. The developers cite the addition of voice acting, along with FMV, as the reasons for the large space requirement. We're sure Square Enix will recoup the extra costs. We wonder which game will come on the bigger card: FFIV or The Simpsons? Both boast loads of speech and video.[Via Siliconera]
Friday Video: Celebrating remakes
Lately, we've had remakes on the brain, and foremost among them seems to be Final Fantasy IV. Maybe it's just because we're crazy about the franchise, but we also like the love and care that Square Enix puts into their remake efforts. Due to that, the trailer from this year's TGS just doesn't get old, which is why we've decided it deserves a place in this week's video spotlight.
Final Fantasy IV Trading Arts figurines are cute
We know that when most people think about Final Fantasy IV, they think about great music and an engaging, mature storyline and Active Time Battles and blah blah blah. The character designs, especially those in the new DS remake, completely short-circuit the storytelling with OMG CUTEness. Seriously, these lil' guys are just precious. Look at the adorable little paladin! How huggable. NCSX is taking preorders for these Trading Arts figurines for $39. They come semi-randomly packed in boxes of nine, but each box should contain one complete set of six, along with three duplicates that can be sent to your pals at DS Fanboy.
V-Jump scans reveal Final Fantasy IV release date, Moogle-esque creatures
Much of the art and screens shown in these V-Jump Final Fantasy IV scans has already been revealed in other magazine scans, but there's new stuff, too. Like little white non-Moogle creatures called "Pochika" (or something close) who seem to be able to help out in battle. If you're really concerned about gameplay changes in the DS remake, now would be the time to go buy the Game Boy Advance version. Inheriting other characters' abilities is nothing compared to adorable mascot out of nowhere. And, for the practical-minded gamer who doesn't care what's in the game until you can get it, this scan shows the Japanese release date for the game: December 20th. That doesn't give you much time to learn Japanese! Check out the scans after the break for more FFIV loveliness, and another look at the nice new character models.
DS Daily: Changes for FFIV
Final Fantasy IV is making a change that makes everything new old again -- as in many later games, in the DS remake, characters will be able to learn abilities that were once unique to other characters in previous versions of the game. Siliconera has the details from a recent article in Jump magazine:" ... one of the newer features to grace the Final Fantasy IV DS remake is the ability of your (main) party members to inherit the abilities of former party members. As I mentioned above, it is possible for Cecil to inherit Edward's Sing ability as well as Palom and Porom's Twin Magic ability ... This makes things a bit interesting as it allows you the ability to customize your characters will [sic] skills that highly benefited you from previous party members, though I don't know how much you benefited from Edward's singing."Hmm. It's an interesting change, and we're sure opinions will be all over the place. Where do you stand? We're frankly undecided as yet, but it's not like you have to use anything ... so, does it really matter?
No Final Fantasy VII -- for now
Square Enix told petitioners yesterday that their pile of signatures was in vain -- there are "no current plans" to produce a remake of the wildly popular and much-in-demand Final Fantasy VII. Of course, earlier this year, Final Fantasy III producer Hiromichi Tanaka did not rule such a remake out, but merely said it was a matter of timing. By timing, we can only assume that Square Enix means to go through Final Fantasy V and VI first, after finishing up with the fourth installment of the series, which is as it should be. Right, Square Enix? Right?... please?The sheer size of the title is often cited as a reason such a remake may be unsuitable for the DS, but we would just like to point out that such obstacles are not insurmountable. After all, Archaic Sealed Heat, our favorite game that we've never seen, is set to be released on a larger-than-normal game cart.
Final Fantasy IV site expands
The official site for Final Fantasy IV has expanded from a sly tease into something bigger and better. A few character portraits are up, which juxtapose the in-game images with some of the artwork we found so eye-catching, as well as a few other tidbits. The "download" section isn't up yet, but we'll guess that eventually wallpapers will fill that space.Jeux-France has also reconfirmed that the game will be playable at this month's Tokyo Game Show.%Gallery-3278%
It's a whole new world for Final Fantasy IV
We don't even know where to start with these latest Famitsu scans, other than to say that they look great, and no release date for the DS take on Final Fantasy IV can possibly come soon enough. From the crazy character art to the gorgeous screens, this title looks singularly fantastic. Oh, Square Enix. Even when we want to be a little irked by this remake, since we just got another FFIV not long ago, we can't -- because you know how to massage the DS engine.Hit the jump for the scans -- it's worth the journey, if only for the outrageous take on Cecil and Kain, which looks like it was created by the bastard child of Frank Frazetta and six random dudes at Marvel. It is, uh, different. The screens, however, are undoubtedly fantastic.
JRPG scan-splosion from V-Jump magazine
A NeoGAFfer called king zell was apparently trying to level up his "Scan Posting" skill, because he created a thread packed densely with all kinds of new images of DS role playing games. There are multiple Final Fantasies, Tales of Innocence, Archaic Sealed Heat, and even an extended preview of Summon Night: Twin Age, which we haven't heard from in quite some time.Be sure to pace yourself and enjoy every thumbnail-sized halftone screenshot, because this is a lot of RPG news to take in at once. There's bound to be something here for you, unless you hate RPGs, at which point you should stop clicking all those image links. We've mirrored the scans after the break, just in case the originals get stricken with a status ailment.
DS Daily: Two fours enter, one four leaves
Our overlords at Square Enix have been making everything old new again, and since we soak up RPGs like starlets soak up fake tanners, we can't say we're exactly displeased. In fact, the only possible dilemma we face when considering the barrage of remakes is: which ones are we most excited about? We thought we'd put the question to you guys as well. So which is it: Dragon Quest IV or Final Fantasy IV? We figured it was only fair to pit two number fours against one another.
Square Enix in your pocket: DS edition
Unlike its PSP counterpart, the Nintendo DS has been no stranger to North American Square Enix releases. Chocobo Tales, Final Fantasy III, Children of Mana and Dragon Quest Rocket Slime have all graced their presence on Western shores. And Square Enix is far from done supporting Nintendo's money-printer.Of the eight titles, we've got 4 Final Fantasy games, 3 strategy games, 2 remakes, and one surefire Japanese phenomenon by way of Dragon Quest IX. Have a look at the publisher's upcoming selection after the break.
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.
Final Fantasy IV: Vocalist wanted
The official website for the recently revealed DS remake of Final Fantasy IV is now online. There's the usual logo and intro music by Nobuo Uematsu. If you're in Japan this summer, you can audition for the chance to sing the game's vocal track. You need to be over eighteen and have a voice that can make a grown man weep like a baby. Any Fanboy readers feel like heading along?[Thanks, Zshadow; via Exophase]
Final Fantasy IV, then and now
When Final Fantasy III upgraded to three dimensions for the DS, side-by-side comparison shots popped up online to show the disparity between the new version and the original. Recently-announced FFIV remake, now it's your turn.NeoGAF forum poster Speedpop produced four side-by-side shots of the new FFIV alongside its predecessor. Two of the four images are currently unavailable due to bandwidth issues (damn you, Image Shack!), so we've decided to host the collection below. The 16-year difference shows, and it looks like Square Enix is doing quite a bit to upgrade the title.%Gallery-3054%[Via GameBrink; thanks, J]
