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Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call review: Take a bow
Music is an essential part of the Final Fantasy series. Players who have spent any amount of time with the franchise likely have a few overworld themes buried deep in their subconscious, and the series as a whole covers a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from catchy 8-bit tunes to fully orchestrated scores. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy premiered for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012, repurposing a handful of Final Fantasy soundtracks for a rhythm-driven experience with light RPG elements. The result was both a nostalgia trip and a solid game in its own right, supplementing its pedigree with inventive beat-matching gameplay that made satisfying use of the 3DS touch screen. Sequel Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call easily surpasses its predecessor, tripling the original game's track list while polishing its gameplay to a mirror sheen. It's a loving, reverent tribute to a beloved series that skillfully recontextualizes one of its standout features, creating something worthwhile both for its fanbase and for newcomers.
Theatrhythm Curtain Call goes a-questing in new trailer
Square Enix shows off a standout addition to its RPG-themed rhythm game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call in a new trailer released this week. Curtain Call lets players venture out on themed Medley Quests, where they'll fight enemies and bosses throughout an assorted collection of music tracks from the Final Fantasy franchise. Branching paths award items and other unlockables on repeat plays, and characters level up as they delve into the mode's many dungeons. A demo is out this week, and Curtain Call hits retail and the 3DS eShop on September 16. [Video: Square Enix]
Retro Game Challenge 2 fan translation released
A fan-made translation patch for Indieszero's classic gaming-themed Nintendo DS compilation, Retro Game Challenge 2 (aka Game Center CX: Arino no Chousenjou 2), has surfaced, rendering it fully playable in English for the first time. Like its officially localized predecessor, Retro Game Challenge 2 features a quest that takes players back to the 8-bit era, where they must complete difficult challenges across several included games while scouring faux gaming magazines for hints and cheats. While the original game featured simple action games and straightforward challenges, Retro Game Challenge 2 includes multiple text-based adventure games, making the Japanese version a difficult playthrough for players who are unable to read the language. Though Retro Game Challenge met with acclaim from players stateside, publisher Xseed declined to translate and release its sequel in North America, citing low sales of the original game. Instructions for applying the Retro Game Challenge 2 patch are available at the translation team's website. [Image: Indieszero / RGC2 Translation Team]
Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy Curtain Call tunes in to the West this year
Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy Curtain Call is marching towards North America [Update: and Europe!] later this year priced at $40, Square Enix confirmed today. The follow-up to the 2012 3DS rhythm game builds on the original by providing a total of 221 songs and more than 60 characters from the Final Fantasy series, and it introduces new modes including the option to prove your skills in two-player duels. Curtain Call is already out in Japan, and as we saw at last year's Tokyo Game Show, fans can expect more of the same from the second 3DS game, with the key word being more. In terms of what you'll be tapping to in the expanded playlist, Curtain Call chucks in songs from newer FF entries like A Realm Reborn and Lightning Returns, but also plunders other areas the original did not, like the funky Advent Children version of "One Winged Angel." In addition to the Versus Battle mode, Curtain Call introduces the Quest Medley mode from the iOS version of the original, allowing players to mix songs together along quests that are described as either short, medium, or long. As for the new roster, players can re-acquaint themselves with chibi versions of Yuna as she was in X-2, Barret from VII, and even obscure heroes like Benjamin from Mystic Quest. [Image: Square Enix]
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy serenades the west this summer
The adorable Final Fantasy rhythm-action game for 3DS is coming to North America and Europe. And yes, it's still called Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy ("pronounced 'theater rhythm,'" Square Enix explains.) The publisher announced plans to localize the franchise-celebrating music game today, bringing along "more than 70 musical scores spanning 25 years."Players will tap and drag to the beat of classic Final Fantasy music in modes inspired by "battle," "event" (cutscene), and "field" sequences. Square Enix has dated the release for Summer in both North America and PAL regions. You can relax in the sun this summer, tapping glowing icons over Tidus's face.%Gallery-151254%
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy coming from Electroplankton devs, features characters from I - XIII
The plot description for Square Enix's upcoming 3DS rhythm game, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, goes beyond the regular "suspension of disbelief" requirements. According to the game's official site (as translated by Andriasang), "the space between the gods Chaos and Cosmos is known as 'rhythm,'" and as "the forces of chaos have disrupted the peace" the music-controlling crystal birthed by the aforementioned space ("Rhythm") is losing its luster. If that weren't enough, it seems that in order to return that shine "the music wave 'Ripzo' must be increased." Okay Square, you win! We give up! In a related but significantly less confusing bit of news, the game is apparently being developed by indieszero, best known for its work on Electroplankton and Retro Game Challenge. Gameplay still hasn't been defined in the strictest sense, but it seems that players will be able to choose characters from Final Fantasy I through XIII in stages based on the baker's dozen of primary FF titles released over the past quarter century. Each stage is said to be divided into three distinct pieces ("field," "event," and "battle") with three unique gameplay systems, though those systems have yet to be explained. Long time FF fans will be happy to hear that the four-person party system of past titles will return in Theatrhythm, and "major songs" from the series' history will accompany the gameplay. "The Sunleth Waterscape" from FFXIII and "One Winged Angel" from FFVII are specifically named, among several others. Beyond that, well, there's a chibi Behemoth (seen above). We've dubbed him "Purpular," mostly because he's adorable, but also, ya know, he's purple.
