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Square Enix and Hideo Kojima collaborating on ... something
Extremely Twitter-happy Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto tweeted a picture of himself with Konami superstar Hideo Kojima and Metal Gear Solid art director Yoji Shinkawa today, cryptically noting (according to Andriasang's translation) that "A new promotion with Hideo Kojima is set. Details will be shared at a later date." Kojima and Square Enix have collaborated on a set of Peace Walker figurines under the company's Play Arts Kai line; in addition, Front Mission content is one of the many tie-ins included in Peace Walker. It's likely the next collaboration will be something similar. The picture was taken somewhere that Front Mission Evolved was being shown -- a game that Andriasang notes is being produced by Hashimoto -- so that could be a hint that a Metal Gear series cameo might occur in the upcoming mech game. Or it could be more photographs of the developers, as a little gift for the fans.
Front Mission Evolved shoots for September 14 release
Spring has turned to fall for Front MIssion Evolved, as Square Enix has announced the game will launch on September 14. The latest entry takes the SRPG franchise into a new direction: third-person shooter. Double Helix, of Silent Hill: Homecoming fame, is developing. Square Enix also announced that the PC version will be playable in stereoscopic 3D, which effectively swaps out the gameplay depth from the strategy games for visual depth. It's great we finally have a solid release date, Square Enix, but you probably should've checked the calendar before deciding on September 14. Just saying!
Front Mission Evolved gears up for US release this spring
click to mech larger Square Enix's third-person action treatment of the Front Mission games -- classically a strategy RPG series -- failed to really wow us when we played it during last fall's Tokyo Game Show, but developer Double Helix (Silent Hill: Homecoming) has a few more weeks to tighten its bolts and lube its actuators. That's because Front Mission Evolved has been given orders to deploy here in the US this spring, which, according to our calendars, begins at the end of March. Here to tide us over is a batch of new screens from (presumably) the latest build of the game, which features on-foot combat in addition to its mechanized modes of transport. %Gallery-83717%
Hands-on: Front Mission Evolved
Many franchises attempt to break apart from familiar genres in an effort to expand their fan bases. Metroid went first-person, Halo went RTS and Square Enix's long-standing, tactical RPG franchise, Front Mission, has turned into a standard third-person action game.For players still clamoring to return to the world of MechAssault, Front Mission Evolved may help cater to their needs. While the game's current state looks pretty rough, the Robot vs. Other Giant Robot action is fun, fast and fulfilling. Front Mission Evolved features a limited array of weaponry, but its quick pace actually had me hooked while it lasted. If the action becomes a little too harsh -- and the game did pose a challenge during my brief demo with the Xbox 360 version -- tapping the 'Y' button slows down time and turns every weapon in your arsenal to an automatic victory cannon.There isn't much to the action: Run through a linear level and defeat the enemies that get in your way. It isn't the Citizen Kane of gaming, but the demo was entertaining. At least half of it was.%Gallery-70585%
E3 2009 highlights: The Xbox roundup
E3 was brütal! If you blinked, for a split/second, you missed something. Even if you were trine to keep up, it was a blur -- staying a.wake like that, you only pushed yourself to the brink of your own dark void. That's where Joystiq comes in; to crackdown on the madness; to reach out ... with conviction -- phew! Crysis averted. We've scoured the dark corners and survived the inferno to piece together this roundup of all things Xbox at E3. Why? Just 'cause we love you. So, draw nier and shift your eyes past the break.
Front Mission evolves in E3 debut trailer
Welcome to the new Square Enix, folks. We can see how the debut trailer for Front Mission Evolved is meant to appeal to the Western audience. Look at how cool, dark and brown the game is! Americans love that stuff! It certainly looks like Double Helix Games (Silent Hill Homecoming) is preparing the series for a Star Trek-esque reboot -- how will fans react? We'll have impressions from the E3 show floor and an interview with the game's producers later this week. Stay tuned.
Square Enix announces Front Mission Evolved, NIER
Square Enix's E3 lineup features two surprises, in addition to the expected Final Fantasy stuff: Front Mission Evolved and NIER. While we may have suspected that some kind of Front Mission game was coming, we wouldn't have guessed that it would be a third-person shooter instead of a strategy game, nor that it would be developed by a Western company (Silent Hill: Homecoming's Double Helix Games, specifically). The E3 lineup press release highlights SE's efforts to become a more "global" company, and it hardly gets more "global" than handing one of its existing IPs over to a Western developer to be made into a PS3/Xbox/PC shooter. NIER is a new PS3/360 action game developed by Bullet Witch/Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles maker cavia. Players control NIER, who fights in a "crumbling world" to find a cure for his daughter, who is infected with the "Black Scrawl virus." The announcement also provided a firm release date for DISSIDIA Final Fantasy and its PSP bundle: August 25. The first episode of the WiiWare Final Fantasy IV: The After Years was also dated -- for this Monday! See the whole announced lineup in our gallery. %Gallery-64503%
Square Enix's new mystery game could be Front Mission 360
Square Enix has launched a Japanese Flash site for a new game, but we don't know what that new game is. The URL is "http://www.square-enix.co.jp/mystery/" and the page is merely titled "NEW GAME," so it seems that we're looking at your basic countdown teaser site ... with no countdown. That means we'll have no idea how early Famitsu's early reveal will be.The site features a rendered cityscape with a giant industrial-looking structure and little animated explosions all over the place. A John F. Kennedy quote appears above the city: "The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life."The same image was used in a teaser at the end of the June issue of OXM, according to 1UP. That teaser's text made it as clear as possible (while still being a teaser) that the game referenced was a new Front Mission for Xbox 360, to be revealed at E3. [Via CVG]
VC Tuesday: Ji-noog
That's how you pronounce "Gynoug!" Until we saw it written in Japanese katakana (a system that has the benefit of being predictably phonetic), we totally pronounced the title of NCS's shooter "Guy-noog." How embarrassing! We hope we didn't sound stupid the last time we were talking about it in public, which was approximately never. Although we're not the only ones -- even Wikipedia's got an inaccurate IPA transcription! Of course, here in the States we call it Wings of Wor, and we never really had occasion to talk about it either. It's not that our friends aren't as into retrogaming as we are, it's more that they don't exist. Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard (Super Famicom, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Gynoug (Mega Drive, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Break In (PC Engine, 1-4 players, 600 Wii Points) Fatal Fury 2 (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
It's your mission to watch this Front Mission 2089 trailer
Fans of Square Enix's SRPG series, take note. A rather lengthy trailer for Front Mission 2089 is available for your viewing pleasure. Within the trailer, we're provided a look at some of the game's characters, as well as a glimpse at some game footage and what most of you undoubtedly care about the most: mech customization. SRPG-aholics are likely to get another pleasant dose of tactical gameplay in Square Enix's upcoming title.Who's looking forward to the latest entry in the Front Mission line of games?%Gallery-15388%[Via Go Nintendo]
May's VC games for Japan: May include MSX games
Nintendo has released the planned May lineup of Virtual Console games for Japan, and while it doesn't include any megatons (like last month most certainly did), there are at least a lot of games on the list. The first two MSX games, Eggy and Aleste, are supposed to make their fashionably late appearance, but we find it a lot easier to believe that they'll be bumped for some Wonder Boy ports.Other interesting games, which may actually be released, include: Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard, a shooter similar to Cybernator (in fact director Toshiro Tsuchida worked on both games) and based on the Front Mission series of strategy games; Star Parodier, the "silly" Star Soldier game; and Martial Champion, a CD-based Street Fighter clone from Konami. Hit the break for the full list!
Front Mission 2089 screens: no robots allowed
Much like the first trailer for Square Enix's Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness (and to a certain extent the boxart), the company has decided to emphasize the storyline in the latest screen update about the SRPG. And "storyline" is a euphemism for "the part that doesn't involve awesome big fighting robots."What we get is an introduction to the Vampires, the mercenary unit who are the major opponents in the game. They have mythologically-influenced names like "Golem" and "Chimera," and they wear very complex, futuristic pants. With metal plates and stuff attached. They pilot black Wanzers with mysterious specs and capabilities. The robots' legs are entirely metal, thus eliminating the need for separate metal pants.
Boxart battle: Emblem of Gundam vs Front Mission 2089
Above, we have the covers for two upcoming strategy titles, Emblem of Gundam and Front Mission 2089. Both series have similar themes -- giant mechas battling it out against an intricate backdrop of political drama -- so it's startling to see the different approaches in their packaging designs.Front Mission 2089 puts more emphasis on its character lineup, masking a lone Wanzer in the mist, and the result is a lusterless jacket that looks as unexciting as the starring crew's listless expressions. Emblem of Gundam's cover has more action to it, giving its mobile suits and story characters even billing. One guy is flying through space with a rapier! Another has a gun! And a massive Gundam oversees the entire scene, jets blasting and fingers positioned like a master pianist preparing his next attack. This is how you design a box!Today's lesson: If you have huge robots, use them. Pilot your mecha past the post break for a better look at the two covers.
Front Mission 2089 gets dated in Japan
Are you full of mech love? If so, you might be glad to know that Front Mission: 2089 has been dated ... for Japan. Oh well, at least it's a start. The game is set to arrive in the country of our envy on May 29th, which we'll also jealously refer to as "the not-so-distant future."Square Enix's upcoming title may be a cell phone port, but the DS version promises to have more flair and extra maps. We even enjoyed the mech-less teaser for the game, although we'd prefer to see some actual gameplay.Will this title be released outside of Japan? Let's hope so -- but as we know, waiting for a localization announcement from Square Enix is like waiting for a watched pot to boil. [Via Go Nintendo]
DS Daily: Such a Square (Enix)
There's a lot of potential Square Enix on the horizon. Between The World Ends with You, Final Fantasy remakes, Dragon Quest remakes, new Dragon Quests, Border of Madness, Final Fantasy Tactis A2, and Crystal Chronicles, that's quite a lot of DS love. Oh, and let's not forget Kingdom Hearts. So, are you a Square Enix fan? If so, what game are you most hoping for or looking forward to? See also: 2008's Biggest Blips -- Final Fantasy IV -- The World Ends with You -- Final Fantasy Tactics A2
Screenshots from the Border of Madness
Some people may be a little iffy on the updated character designs and art in the upcoming Front Mission 2089, but after playing Front Mission DS, we're pretty excited about anything Square Enix (re)makes along these battle lines for our dual screens -- and that includes games that originated in the mobile sphere. We expect another solid SRPG experience with Border of Madness. Above, you can see the mobile version on the left, with the DS game, which has no firm release date as yet, on the right. Clearly, not much is required for an update to the gameplay ... the colors are a little more lush, and everything is a little brighter, but otherwise, it looks like Front Mission. And while we're still waiting for a few other titles in the franchise (like Front Mission 5!), that really can't be a bad thing. %Gallery-15388%
Amazon gives us a reason to be jolly
Amazon has put over two dozen Nintendo DS games on sale, some of them marked down as low as 50% of their original price! Some of the titles are trash, but there are more than a few that you should consider picking up. We've listed below the ones that stood out to us, but make sure to check out Amazon's page for the full selection of DS deals. Front Mission - $24.99 Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck - $19.99 Master of Illusion - $19.99 Nintendo DS Headset - $9.99 Prism - $19.99 Spanish for Everyone - $14.99 Don't forget that orders totalling over $25 are eligible for the online shop's Free Super Saver Shipping. Joys be thine, frugal readers![Via CAG]
DS Fanswag: The Square Enix doubleshot goes to ...
From the avalanche of entries, we'll guess that you guys are somewhat fond of Square Enix. Unfortunately, however, there can be only one winner who gets to take home Front Mission and Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker, and this time, it's Steve! When asked which game he might prefer, Steve said:174. Giant stompy robots!Indeed, Steve. And now you'll have them. Congratulations on your new games -- and to everyone else, keep trying. We'll have more games for you before you know it!
DS Fanswag: Better get those entries in!
If you're interested in a free copy of Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker and Front Mission (and really, who isn't?), then you better get those entries in! The contest closes Monday evening, and since you can only enter once per day, that's only two more chances. Two, however, is better than zero, so head on over to the original post and throw your name into the hat.
DS Fanswag: Snag a Square Enix doubleshot
We love giving you free stuff here at DS Fanboy, and it's even better when we can do it in sets. We'd like to offer one lucky reader a truly golden pair: Front Mission and Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker (valued at $34.99 and $39.99, respectively). Between these two titles, you can stay busy for a long, long time ... and all you have to do is leave a comment on this post between now and Monday, November 19th, 11:59 EST time. On Tuesday the 20th, we'll announce the winner. It's just that easy!Of course, we always make you give us something in return, and this time we want to know: which of these two games interests you more? The winner gets both no matter what, but call us curious. As usual, you can only enter once per day, and sadly, the contest is limited to readers who are both over the age of 18 and who live in the United States. Don't forget to check out the official rules if you have questions!
