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Dragon Quest IX financial news report footage
As the most-watched video today on You Tube, the embedded video footage covering some of the financial backlash of Square's announcement that Dragon Quest IX is to be a DS exclusive shows some of the past entries in the franchise as well as some footage of the upcoming Wii-based title. More importantly though, is the footage of the unveiling of the title, something that sends shivers down our spine in anticipation for the game.
Today's hottest game video: Dragon Quest IX
Today's most-watched YouTube video shows a Japanese-language financial news report on Dragon Quest IX coming out only for the DS. (Many YouTubers have Dragon Quest fever; several top videos are about the game.) Gamers and industry watchers were expecting the Square Enix property to be announced for the PS3, so the news surprised many. And the one-minute video includes a pull-back-the-curtain shot -- the best part of any announcement.See the video after the break.
Dragon Quest IX announced as DS exclusive
The strange and somewhat pathetic sobbing you hear in the background originates from the offices of Microsoft and Sony, where once diligent executives have now completely broken down and given up on much of their lives. Square Enix just handed Nintendo the keys to the Death Star. As if the DS wasn't already an unrelenting steamroller in terms of sales and popularity, it was announced today that Dragon Quest IX would be released exclusively on the most touchy-feely of portable systems. In the unlikely event that you've been stuck in some sort of spatial anomaly (like Disneyland) for the last few years, it's important to remind you that the Dragon Quest franchise is one of the most popular properties ever in the minds of Japanese gamers. It was widely expected that the next instalment in the franchise would move to the PS3, an expectation that has now been crushed beneath Satoru Iwata's diamond-encrusted boot. Expect more news on the title as the week continues -- for now, all we know is: it's being developed by Level 5, it supports multiplayer battles and the subtitle is something along the lines of "Protector of the Starry Sky." [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Itadaki Street screens
You know how we are about Square Enix around here. If the SE collective trundled over and popped us in the face, we'd be all right with that. At least, we could get over it. Because we're fans, you know? Serious fans. Which is why we can't resist bringing you all the scans and screens and Square Enix videos we get our grimy little hands on. Today it's Itadaki Street, and new screenshots that feature a number of the characters.Random observation: damn, they really put some effort into making Jessica look busty if it's even noticeable on these screens. Check after the jump for that one and the rest!
Translated Itadaki Street scans
Remember those recent Itadaki Street scans? Dedicated Nintendo fan and amazing translator CTU Kyoto has put them all into English for your reading pleasure. Now you can read all about the Volcano of Death and Jessica's "charming assets" without flipping back and forth through a kanji reference until you give up and toss it angrily through a window. Maybe that last one was just us. Enjoy the updated scans, and thanks again, CTU Kyoto! Having some idea of the information packed into these sets gets us charged up over the game. Too bad it's not finished ... we're ready to throw down over WiFi.
Itadaki Street scans
Do we have any armchair translators in the house? Jeux France had two big, beautiful scans for the upcoming Itadaki Street DS, and we're all dying for a little more info than what we have right now, particularly in regard to the multiplayer aspects. While we'll miss the Final Fantasy crew, we're looking forward to the blend of Mario and DQ. Full scans are included after the jump, but for the big versions, you'll probably need to hit up the source.
Final Fantasy says farewell to Itadaki Street
Itadaki Street has been praised and favored over the years by Square-Enix fans for its combination of classic Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest characters and placing them in a particularly quirky board game. For a few years now, Itadaki Street has made appearances in Japan with the same concept. But it appears that the wind has changed for the game. Judging from the scan found on the NeoGAF forums, a key element seems to be missing -- Final Fantasy. In place of Cloud rests another all time favorite of the game business, Mario. Why we are sad to see Aeris and Yuffie leave, the new addition to the team seems interesting. Yet it leaves one question -- is this a temporary set back or permanent change? Check out the scan after the break and see for yourself. [Thanks JC!]
Square-Enix gets an ego, supports Sony, but not too much
Yes, Square-Enix is huge. Very, very huge. It may very well be the one developer that makes or breaks Sony's new console (much like a certain Bungie that helped along another suffering system). This is why in a recent interview, senior VP at Square-Enix Michihiro Sasaki said they were going to support the PS3 mainly. He added smartly (sarcasm) "We don't want the PlayStation 3 to be the overwhelming loser, so we want to support them. But we don't want them to be the overwhelming winner either, so we can't support them too much." Oh... kay.What does this mean for us, the Playstation 3 loyalists? We'll get our not-really-final Final Fantasy XIII, hopefully our Dragon Quest IX, and other Square-Enix titles (how about reviving the Illusion of Gaia/Terranigma franchise? Please? Oooh, or Vagrant Story!). However, other consoles will be graced with a bit of Squeenix's presence (Sylpheed for the 360, Dragon Quest Swords for Wii...) but it would appear... not as much presence. Not surprising, but Square-Enix is sticking behind Sony this round, too. With Square's penchant for radically beautiful FMV's, they might actually use Blu-ray storage to its limit. Perhaps a perk of sticking with Sony?[via Joystiq]
TGS: Blue Dragon = Dragon Quest + Chrono Trigger + Grandia
Wired's Game|Life blog has posted an early, albeit vague, impression of Hironobu Sakaguchi's pair of upcoming Xbox 360 RPGs, Blue Dragon & Lost Odyssey. During today's media briefing in Shibuya, Japan, Sakaguchi took the stage and demoed (read: picked up controller and played) his studio's new projects. While Game|Life doesn't provide many specifics, its post does draw some big comparisons, describing Blue Dragon as a fusion of Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger, with "maybe" a dose of Grandia. Game|Life notes that enemies are on-screen (i.e. no random battles) and that the Job Change system (from Final Fantasy V) is featured in Blue Dragon. Game|Life's description of Lost Odyssey is even more provocative, as it declares the game to look like a "much more dramatic" Final Fantasy. We're sure that Microsoft has its fingers crossed that this impression will stick -- and spread. We'll hit you with our own from the show floor in the coming days. In the meantime, see for yourself: Blue Dragon Lost Odyssey
TGS: See Blue Dragon gameplay (finally) [update 2]
Xboxyde has scored actual in game footage of the would be killer app for Microsoft in Japan, Blue Dragon. Split into two parts, the video shows off the game's graphics and combat system. For the RPG buffs out there, it's worth noting that battles are not random and that enemies can be seen before the player decides to engage them (or not). Beyond that, the game is very nice to look at. We know that a lot of readers will disagree on this point, but these graphics are solid and polished beyond belief. The gameplay, on the other hand, looks fairly standard. There are big chests with items in them, turn-based battles, summoning techniques, and a boss battle (complete with craptastic rawk music). Granted, the quality of the video makes it difficult to pick apart the intricacies of the combat, but it all looks pretty traditional. Then again, it also looks an awful lot like Dragon Quest -- a game so popular in Japan it's practically a national holiday when a new sequel is released. Will bundling Blue Dragon with a core system be enough to entice Japanese buyers? Only time will tell.Update: It looks like Xboxyde's servers are getting beaten up by the demand for this video. See the embedded YouTube video after the break.Update 2: Fixed some weird formatting.
Square Enix loves the DS
At this month's Tokyo Game Show, Square Enix is gonna be all about the DS. Half the playable titles they plan to show are for the Nintendo handheld. Now that's what we call a coup. Look for lots of news and video later this month from Chocobo no Mahou Ehon (Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book), Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker, and Final Fantasy III.We know you're especially excited about that last, since we never bring you Final Fantasy III news. Ever.
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker scan
The Pokemon of Dragon Quests, Dragon Quest Monsters, has been a hit in Japan and the newest installment, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker is headed to fans hopefully this Fall season. A spin-off to the Dragon Quest RPG series, it features art by the infamous Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball). All of the Dragon Quest games have featured his same character design and honestly, its getting a little old. True the same can be said about Final Fantasy designer Yoshitaka Amano, but it depends on your taste. With Wi-Fi availability and new ways to become a Monster Master, maybe fans here would get a rise out of this. It's worth a shot, right Square? [Via QJ Net]
Partial Wii launch lineup revealed
According to numerous reports, Nintendo Power has confirmed six Wii launch titles: Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors (Square Enix) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo) Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Nintendo) Rayman Raving Rabbits (Ubisoft) Red Steel (Ubisoft) Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Sega) While this list will surely double -- or even triple -- in size as we draw closer to the console's launch, one game that will likely slip out of the launch window is Super Mario Galaxy. Link and Samus will just have to hold it down until the plumber returns in 2007.
Squeenix announces E3 lineup
If Final Fantasy isn't your thing, you'd best steer clear of the Square Enix E3 booth this year, an inescapable and mammoth bastion of all that is saucer-eyed, pointy-haired and saving the world from an ancient evil-y. We love it. Though the focus will undoubtedly be placed upon Final Fantasy XII, the full lineup of games indicates that our favorite portable platform is getting some love in the form of a remake and a spin-off! Erm, yay?To be fair, Final Fantasy III does look extremely classy and holds the distinction of being the only Final Fantasy game thus far to not have been localized. If that's not enough to convince you, the 3D graphics and rumored Wi-Fi play are sure to have you intrigued. This looks to be the most promising DS title under Square Enix's umbrella this year.Next, there's Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime. Starring one of those adorable slime things, the game has the player bouncing and stretching all over the place in a quest to stop an evil, kidnapping cartel. The press release also highlights "fierce tank battles", which sounds like it's a good thing.Finally, there's Children of Mana, the latest offspring of Square's recently revived franchise. An RPG set in whimsical lands, the most notable feature here is the four-player cooperative questing. That's a phrase I honestly hope to write more and more often as time goes by. Oh, and the GBA isn't completely ignored either--it's getting Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI.
Square Enix's E3 roster
Square Enix has revealed a partial list of titles that will be on hand at E3. The lineup is bursting with redonculous amounts of Final Fantasy action: Before Crisis - Final Fantasy VII (Mobile) Children of Mana (DS) Dawn of Mana (PS2) Dirge of Cerberus - Final Fantasy VII (PS2) Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (DS) Final Fantasy I (Mobile) Final Fantasy III (DS) Final Fantasy V Advance (GBA) Final Fantasy VI Advance (GBA) Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan (PC, PS2, Xbox 360) Final Fantasy XII (PS2) Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (PSP) Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (PS2) In addition, on Monday, May 8, Square Enix will host a press briefing, where, presumably, some juicy next-gen titles (not listed above) will be introduced to the world.[Thanks, Justin]
Dragon Quest designer digs the Revolution
Speaking at a fancy launch event for the European PS2 debut of Dragon Quest VIII: Curse of the Enormous Subtitle, the project lead, series producer and generally creepy looking guy Yuji Horii talked about everyone's favorite wand-waving wonder and the implications it might have for the gamer. He expressed excitement at the Revolution's interface, noting that the feedback one gains from playing with it would be very rewarding to players. "You do something, and it reacts to you. It's human nature that to have some feedback from your actions is rewarding." While it's important to point out that just about every game on every console provides feedback to your actions, the point Mr. Horii is no doubt trying to make is that your motions with the Revolution controller will directly correspond to the on-screen motions of your character. Dance Dance Revolution is one game that does exactly that, no doubt the reason for my chronic addiction to it. So, does this mean we can expect a Dragon Quest game for the Revolution? According to the Eurogamer article, that's "TBD" (to be determined). Well, at least that's better than a "no", right?
