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Final Fantasy Explorers sets off in Japan this winter
Square Enix announced it's bringing mulitplayer 3DS RPG Final Fantasy Explorers to Japan sometime this winter. The publisher showcased the upcoming game at the start of today's Japan-only Nintendo Direct broadcast, which you can replay here. First revealed last month, Final Fantasy Explorers combines the series' tropes with four-player co-operative action. For one, the game features classic jobs, including the tank-like Knight, close-combat Monk, and more self-explanatory Black and White Mages. As today's Direct showed, adventurers have to take on monsters big and small in the game, including some familiar summons. Again, Square Enix showcased the heroes doing battle with Ifrit in what looks like his Final Fantasy X form. Final Fantasy Explorers remains unconfirmed for Western release, despite Square Enix recently trademarking its name in North America and Europe. [Image: Square Enix]
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate coming to Japan in October
In Japan, Capcom slapped a release date on Monster Hunter 4G today, provoking millions of the country's 3DS owners to circle October 11 in their calendars. The expanded version of the 3DS action RPG is the same one headed west as MH4 Ultimate, bringing the game to North America and Europe for the first time when it hits in early 2015. As we saw at E3, among other things Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate brings jump attacks to the game with the Insect Glaive. The new weapon allows adventurers to propel themselves skywards, pogo-stick style, which sounds like way too much fun. Players who successfully pull off a jump attack enough times can then literally take monsters for a ride by climbing on top of it to inflict more damage. [Image: Capcom]
Replay Japan's Nintendo Direct on third-party 3DS games [update]
Update: If you missed it earlier, we've now got the replay below the break. As for the news, Capcom announced Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is coming to Japan on October 11, while Final Fantasy Explorers sets foot in the country sometime this winter. E3 has come and gone, but the Nintendo Direct train is definitely up and running again in Japan. Today's stream is the second Direct broadcast in the country this month, hot on the heels of one dedicated to Level-5 RPG Yo-Kai Watch 2. Like the Yo-Kai Watch 2 Direct, today's broadcast on 3DS games from third-party publishers is Japan-only. There aren't simultaneous videos in North America and Europe, so maybe we shouldn't expect any big announcements. Then again, I've said stuff like that before in Nintendo Direct posts only to be proven very, very wrong. Either way, we should see some footage of 3DS games that haven't been announced for the West, maybe including Dragon Quest X.
