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'Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles' is coming to the Switch and PS4
Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition isn't the only Final Fantasy game coming to the Switch. Square Enix is doubling down on its ports of the JRPG series by bringing Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles to Nintendo's console as soon as next year. Oh, and it's also getting its Sony debut on the PS4.
Square Enix announces PAL date for Ring of Fates
Last week, we clambered onto our soapboxes to rant about the ridonkulous delay between the U.S. and European release of Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker. "No more, Square Enix!" we cried, shaking our fists and jabbing our rusty pitchforks skywards. "No more neglecting Europe!"Despite the fact that we did this while at our desk in another country with nobody else in the room, Square Enix seems to have listened. The company just announced a PAL date for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates, and it's not in 2013 or anything. It's on March 21st THIS YEAR, just ten days after the U.S. release. Square Enix had promised a spring release for PAL gamers all along, but we had no idea whether it would hold, much less that it would be so close to the North American release. Oh, happy days!%Gallery-3462%[Via press release]
Chronicling the Young King and the Promised Land with goodies galore
Another trailer has popped up for (deep breath) Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Young King and the Promised Land, which introduces two of game's main characters. Aside from that (and some pretty Wii Ware graphics), though, this true-to-form Square Enix trailer doesn't really show us much in terms of gameplay. Still, the mystery of it all is enough to make us want it, and we're really looking forward to the coming of Wii Ware ... since, you know, we hate money and want to get rid of it as fast as possible.Also, the game has stopped bumming off the offical Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles website, as its own official site launched this week. You can check it out here, if you feel so inclined.If that's not enough to quell your burning desire for Promised Land goodness (insatiable pigs, the lot of you), check after the break for some Famitsu scans.
First trailer for Wii Ware Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
After checking out Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Young King and the Promised Land, we can only guess one thing: a hard drive or some other storage solution for the Wii is coming, and it's coming soon. With 512mb, we can barely handle the title of this Wii Ware game, and that's not even counting the game itself. The latest Crystal Chronicles looks like the result of a romantic evening between King Story and Chocobo's Dungeon, and we're behind that 100% ... especially when we see dancing moogles.
FFCC: Ring of Fates media, constipated face
Square Enix's much anticipated -- at least on our end -- cooperative ARPG hits Japanese stores next week, half a year before we see it here in North America. New commercials advertising Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates have already started to air, featuring music from Japanese pop star Aiko Yanai. Aiko even appears in one of the TV spots, making some strange faces while playing the game in her dressing room with several friends. We usually doubt the authenticity of these scenes of celebrities enjoying the products they're paid to push, but ever since we saw Utada Hikaru demolishing opponents in Tetris DS, we've been a lot more open-minded about the phenomenon. As usual, we've got the commercials embedded past the jump, but if you've got an acute fear of Japanese women with strained expressions and would rather avoid Aiko's grimace, you can check out the Ring of Fates screenshots that Famitsu posted at its website instead.
Massive Ring of Fates trailer, miserable WiFi feature
Square Enix's newest Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates trailer is packed with nearly six minutes of boisterous combat scenes, dungeon-roaming recklessness, and much more! The clips that show everyone working together to put out a spreading fire with water barrels are definitely our favorite parts; it makes our hearts ache knowing that we'll never find more than one other person to play with, if even that many, when the game finally comes to North American next spring. The brief preview of the cooperative ARPG's online component is nothing to get excited about -- players can trade their painted and personalized moogles. Yep, Square Enix actually managed to come up with something worse than MogNet.Being able to customize your character's appearance (ninjas!), though, as you can see from the screen grab above, is the dog's bollocks. The extended movie also demonstrates that you'll be able to flip the action from the top window onto the bottom screen, using your stylus to direct spells and ranged weapons. Jump past the post break for the embedded video.
Square Enix release dates: RoF due next spring?!
Square Enix spent the morning revealing its lineup of "fresh new faces and timeless classics" that the company plans to exhibit this week at E3, attaching US release dates to its upcoming titles: Heroes of Mana - August 14 Front Mission - October 23 Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker - November 6 Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings - November 20 Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates - Spring 2008 We're jumping on our beds with glee over the fact that we'll be receiving Front Mission so early after the localization was announced, but several disappointing details failed to escape our attention -- Final Fantasy Tactics A2: The Sealed Grimoire, It's a Wonderful World, FFIV DS, and Dragon Quest IX's absence; and Ring of Fates' distant date. The multiplayer ARPG and its DS Lite bundle are scheduled to hit Japan this August 23rd. [Via NeoGAF]
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.
New Ring of Fates video: Jumpin' Yuke Flash
Square Enix is keeping up its media push for Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates with yet another video, adding onto its bombardment of scans and screenshots to draw in anyone who hasn't already decided to pick up the game's special-edition DS Lite bundle. This week's clip features Alhanarlem, one of the main characters from the ARPG's spellcasting tribe of Yukes, leaping from platform to platform in what looks like a competitive minigame in which players race through a stage to find a hidden blue switch. Power-ups are scattered around the field, but their effects aren't revealed until they're grabbed. Vault past the post break for the embedded movie.
FF Crystal Chronicles DS Lite bundle, box art revealed
As with every Square Enix title that comes out on the Nintendo DS, the upcoming Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Rings of Fate has a limited edition DS Lite bundle coming for ¥21,840 (approximately US $177), according to Famitsu. The bundle comes with the above DS Lite and game.Like Revenant Wings and Final Fantasy III before it, the bundle and console are sold in Japan only. By merit of having all games be region-free, these bundles are at least import-friendly if you want to continue playing games in languages you understand.[Via Siliconera]
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates DS Lite
Another Square Enix game, another special-edition DS Lite. SE seems to have set up a template for these: logo on the left, line art on the right, money in the bank. This time, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates gets the special-edition treatment on a Crystal White DS Lite. For Japan, obviously. We like the pseudo-stained-glass look, which can be found in full color on the box. This new DS variant is great news for people who were holding out on a DS purchase until the Japanese Ring of Fates came out. It's probably a little irritating for Square Enix fans who already have a plain DS.
New Ring of Fates video: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
We've been clamoring for a proper follow-up to the Seiken Densetsu series for over a decade now, and by the looks of the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates videos we've seen so far, we might finally be getting one. The first Crystal Chronicles entry on the GameCube was by no means disappointing, at least in our opinion, but hardware and link cable requirements made getting a group together much harder than we would've liked. Its handheld sequel seems free of those problems without losing that multiplayer ARPG's cooperative fun. Square Enix's latest Ring of Fates clip demonstrates the teamwork involved in getting through the game's dungeon puzzles. Carrying around a huge block of wood can be difficult if someone isn't knocking back the enemies coming at you! Bring your crew past the post break for the short movie.
Final Fantasy IV trailer hints at '07 release
The Final Fantasy media extravaganza continues today with yet another morsel from the maw of Square-Enix. As if the recent videos for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers weren't enough, a CG-filled trailer was released today teasing us with the 3D remake of Final Fantasy IV for the DS. The video is mostly pre-rendered shots shown over dramatic voiceovers and epic orchestral music, but the exciting bit comes at the end with a striking "coming 2007" message. The big question: is the date just for Japan or does the rest of the world get to play, too? [Via DS Fanboy]
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates new scans and trailer
Square-Enix has uncorked the bottle and released new images and information from the upcoming DS title Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates. The latest scans come from Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu (of course) and show some gorgeous in-game scenes along with concept art sprinkled throughout. Watch the trailer after the jump, then check out all three scans on our sister site DS Fanboy.[Via DS Fanboy]
Ring of Fates updates just keep coming
What did we do to deserve all this recent news on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates? Whatever it was, we should do it again ... a lot ... and with pretty much every other game ever. Square Enix has not been at all shy lately when it comes to Ring of Fates, and we're getting more and more interested in the story of fraternal twins Yuri and Cherinka. Now we're just hoping we can wrestle people into playing with us.The latest Famitsu was packed with Ring of Fates tidbits -- see for yourself after the jump!%Gallery-3462%
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles trailer revealed
After teasing us with screen captures for weeks, Square-Enix has finally released a video for the upcoming Wii title Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers. The clip is only 55 seconds long, half of which is the title screen attempting to materialize over a spinning crystal. But once the action starts you'll be treated to epic fights, airship shots, and plenty of overly-dramatic main character close-ups. Sounds like a Final Fantasy game to us. Can't wait for the inevitable remake![Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]
FFCC: The Crystal Bearers trailer finally revealed [update 1]
After weeks of teasing us with screen captures from its Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers trailer, Square Enix made the 55-second video public early this morning. Though a third of it is taken up by an animated, spinning crystal, the movie still manages to pack in plenty of airship shots, city scenes, and even a tender, tearful moment with the RPG's blonde-haired protagonist. Jump past the post break for the clip and some skydiving action.[Update 1: We mixed up our Ring of Fates with our Crystal Bearers, citing this trailer as belonging to The Ring Bearers. How embarassing.]
Extended Ring of Fates trailer
If previous Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates clips have left you wanting, look no further than the multiplayer ARPG's latest trailer from last week's Square Enix party. The four-minute video has everything you could ever ask for -- story cutscenes, cooperative puzzles, touchscreen elements, topless Selkies, hectic combat, boss fights, peanut butter jelly, and a baseball bat. Carry your bucket past the post break for the movie, but don't expect to get much use out of it.
All NEW blurry shots from FFCC: Crystal Bearers
Well, 66% new, at least -- but that's more than we had a mere week ago. The good folks at Square Enix seem to make us want to suffer. They're teasing us with glimpses of this strange new Final Fantasy, the game that's not quite in keeping with the franchise's glorious RPG tradition. But exactly what do they have in store for us? At this rate, we'll find out sometime in late 2010. Just let go, guys. Give us the Crystal Bearers trailer and let us see it in action. That one teaser just wasn't enough!%Gallery-3302%
Crystal Chronicles DS dated for August 23 in Japan
The DS sequel to Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, entitled Rings of Fate, has been given a release date of August 23 for Japan. The announcement was made by the game's director Toshiyuki Itahana at the Square Enix pre-conference event today, IGN reports.Itahana said that he and his team wanted to get the game perfected before its release and will use the time between now and then to get close to that point. IGN reports that the game's engine, as shown in the demonstration today, is not currently up to par with that of the Final Fantasy III remake and that there are some framerate issues.No release date has been given for the US version.
