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What are you playing: turn-based battle edition
Having just picked up a portable RPG title that has never been available in the states before, we're doing our best to win every turn-based round of combat. But forget about us! What about you? What are you playing? It's the holiday season, so there are definitely tons of games to choose from. Plan on placing some bombs in Bomberman Land Touch! or perhaps running your own shop in Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 2? Oh wait, you're probably looking to ride the back of a dinosaur, am I right?
Metareview: Final Fantasy III (update 1)
We loves us some Final Fantasy. Character customization, turn-based battles and emotional conflicts are the kinds of things that make our mouth water. So perhaps you could call Final Fantasy III a delicious steak dinner. Or, if it's more your thing, a large slice of chocolate cake. We've never had this steak dinner before, nor have we gobbled down this slice of chocolate cake (accompanied by a cup of milk, natch). And, if the critics are to be believed, this steak dinner is very delicious. 1UP - 80%: "Hardcore RPG players may enjoy it more than modern Final Fantasy titles, thanks to its emphasis on skill development and combat. Casual players may find themselves surprised by how addictive simple level-grinding and monster-slaying can be. There's a certain satisfaction in seeing your juiced-up Monk land 28 hits in a single round, and FFIII delivers that thrill in spades -- and there's enough challenge to make it a necessity rather than overkill. The result is one of the best portable RPGs to date, and a fine example of how to remake a classic." Electronic Gaming Monthly - 78%: "The game's addictive job system makes plowing through the fun battles worthwhile." [Dec. 2006, p.152] IGN - 78%: "Even though we personally had a blast with Final Fantasy III, this one is going to be a serious judgment call on a gamer-by-gamers basis. For any unassuming casual gamer out there, be warned, as Final Fantasy III hits hard and plays like the demanding days of old." Those numbers aren't too shabby. Are these better or worse than the review scores you anticipated? Also, note that we will update the post when more current reviews are posted online as the only other available outlets reviewed Japanese import copies.[Update: Added IGN's review.]
Final Fantasy III battle footage takes to the sea
With less than a week until Final Fantasy III releases to US gamers, our excitement cannot get any higher. We're serious, we already broke one of our excite-o-meters just trying to measure our excitement. As such, the embedded video of some serious scrapping on the high seas manages to increase our interest in the game that much more. We suggest you check it out, after the break.
New Revenant Wings details uncovered
The Japanese magazine Dengeki recently conducted an interview with some of the development team of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. Details on the game have been scarce at best, confirming only that the game features FFXII protagonist Vaan and his sky pirate-y adventures. That's all well and good, but many were concerned about the apparent "prequel" nature of the game. Worry not, stalwart fans! Revenant Wings will be a true sequel, taking place shortly after the events of Final Fantasy XII. In addition to Vaan, the dynamic duo of Fran and Balthier will also be returning, as well as a promised host of new characters. The game will take place on the floating landmass of Puruvama (if it's in the original game, we haven't reached it yet), and apparently, a large portion of locations from the PS2 title will be playable. The battle system has also undergone some changes: combat will feature stylus control and a simplified version of the Gambit system. Also, summoning will be completely overhauled and used in a rather unique way, say the developers. Both screens will be properly utilized, and finally, there are no current plans for Wi-Fi functionality. Though be it ever rare to see from us heaping praise upon a Playstation 2 game, Final Fantasy XII is a veritable masterpiece, and the sequel can't come soon enough.
Final Fantasy III US site launch
The US site for a little game called Final Fantasy III recently launched and It's chock full of information on the game. While we might have ruined the surprise you undoubtedly would have been overcome with should we had neglected our duties of ruining everything for you, we feel you're better off having known all the information we presented before this site launch. And remember, we know best. Penchants to go on nonsensical rants aside, the US site features a prologue section, along with character biographies detailing the many characters in the game, as well as a breakdown on the game's story and job system.
Minisite for Final Fantasy V launches
For those of you with an addiction for turn-based role-playing games and fantasies of the final sort, the Japanese minisite for Final Fantasy V has launched. Within it are such treasures as character bios, a breakdown on the game's job system, and an introduction to the game's story. With three new job classes in Gladiator, Cannoneer, and Oracle, along with a new dungeon, Final Fantasy V is one appealing GBA game.
FFIII creators talk other remakes on DS
During the pandemonium that was the Tokyo Game Show, Games Radar managed to get an interview with two head honchos on the Final Fantasy III project. In speaking with Hiromichi Tanaka, Senior Vice President of Software Development and Tomoya Asano, Producer, it's revealed that due to the already insane success from the game's launch in Japan, Square-Enix is looking to adopt a strategy of just outright remaking classic Final Fantasy titles, as opposed to just porting them as they did with Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI. So with ports to the GBA, remakes hitting the DS, as well as brand-new spin-off games, Square-Enix is staking a mighty large claim on the DS. We couldn't be happier, to tell the truth.
TGS 2006: FFXII Revenant Wings trailer and art
The recently revealed Final Fantasy XII spin-off title Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings has made its presence at the Tokyo Game Show known through glorious video. The trailer is comprised totally of FMV, as is Square's usual standard of practice, yet still manages to get us excited. We loves the RPGS, bring 'em on!Continue past the break to check out the trailer.
FFXII Revenant Wings comes to life with info
Based on information stripped from Japanese mag Famitsu, the Final Fantasy XII spinoff game Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings for the DS is to be under the watchful eye of Motomu Toriyama. Toriyama, who's past projects included Final Fantasy X-2 and is also currently working on the upcoming PS3 game Final Fantasy XIII, will be joined by another series veteran in Ryuma Itou, who worked on Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Itou will be in charge of the art direction. The game's story is to feature two main characters in Vaan and Penelo, 18 years old and 17 years old respectively. They share a common dream of being sky pirates (they totally beat ninjas) and the game's story will focus heavily on the two characters. Also, it is said that the game will feature all of the airships from Final Fantasy XII and a battle system that utilizes the touch screen.
SlingPlayer for Windows Mobile swings out of beta
Sling Media has dropped the beta tag from its SlingPlayer software for Windows Mobile enabled devices, bringing the home-media-on-your-cellphone user experience into line with the Pocket PC version, which has been out for the past few months. The Sling guys aren't too clear on what's changed from the beta version, although we'd like to assume that the final version is more stable; further, despite our--perhaps unwise--affinity for beta software, we'll take the assumed reliability of final software over the inherent insecurities of beta software any day. As an extra incentive for those that haven't yet let their media come with them when they leave their lounge, Sling is offering free copies of the (usually $29.99) Windows Mobile and Pocket PC versions of SlingPlayer to everyone who buys and registers a Slingbox before September 16. Lets hope this final release will give the Sling team some time to take a look at bringing the Mac SlingPlayer beta into finality.
FFIII launch in Japan (or how I learned to love standing in line)
Well kiddies, the Japanese launch has finally come for Final Fantasy III and, as expected, those gamers in the land of the rising fun are going crazy. Supposedly, lines started as early as 3am at Akihabara's Yodobashi Camera with around 80 people already gathered. Other reports noted that most of the rush was for the special Final Fantasy III bundle, as once announcements were made that bundles were sold out lines began to dissolve. Pictures of various retail outlets and those lucky enough to score the game and/or bundle may be found here.Should we anticipate such a demand for the game in our local retail outlets here in the States? What about over in Europe? Or is all this demand drummed up solely for the bundle pack?
Another FFIII trailer gets posted, readers riot
We realize that by now you're probably so oversaturated with Final Fantasy III content that you believe the fried chicken at last night's dinner was actually Chocobo and perhaps the small notches in your belt are not in fact made to hold up your pants, but could possibly have been intended for the purpose of storing Materia. We know, we've been that way for years.So in the spirit of obsession sharing, we present the latest and greatest trailer for Final Fantasy III, which weighs in at a whopping 3+ minutes of footage, which contains airships, boats, and Japanese dialogue.
A bunch of new FFIII videos
6 new videos for Final Fantasy III have hit the web and present some of the various areas of the game you may have neglected seeing. With some battling, town segments, and a look at the job editor, we find ourselves graciously satiated by the glorious bounty of sustenance each video provides. The videos have showed up on You Tube, however they are of a much worse quality. If you don't feel like waiting for each video to load, check out the post linked back to Joystiq for the You Tube videos. The 6 different videos include: Scene after first boss battle Battle Town Town & world map Job editor (lets you change jobs and shows your character) World map, dungeon, and battle [Via Joystiq]
FF III secures almost 450K copies to retailers in Japan
According to a Dutch gaming site, pre-orders for Final Fantasy III have already hit between 400,000 and 450,000 in Japan. This is just amazing. The report makes no mention of how many of these pre-orders are the bundle packs available to Japanese consumers, yet even despite this omission, we can't help but stare in awe at our jaws, which are firmly planted by our feet on the floor.Is this an indication of what pre-orders will be like when the game releases in the US and Europe?[Via N-Sider]
56K users beware: huge FFIII images
When we say huge, we mean gigantic. Yet, for those with speedier internets, these images from what we assume is a shop display somewhere in the vast land of Japan, which depict some promotional materials as well as images from the game itself, will be a nice treat. Some of the pictures are a bit blurry, but for the most part should only compound upon your already incredible desire for this title to form some sort of Voltron-esque super desire able to vanquish ne'er-do-wells and win dance competitions. Final Fantasy III is currently slated for a November release.[Via QJ]
Crystal Chronicles from Comic-Con show floor
Taken from the show floor of Comic-Con last week, this video of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles for the DS is an extended version of a previously released trailer. During the video, all the usual things are addressed such as exploring and fighting.[Via Go Nintendo]
More Final Fantasy characters in Mario Hoops
We already know of the Moogle making the cut in Mario Hoops: 3 on 3, but what we didn't know was that several other characters from the Final Fantasy universe would be making their way into the game. Nintendo's Japanese website not only lists the Moogle, but also shows a cactuar called Sabotender, Black Mage, White Mage, and Ninja as playable characters. We hope they give Black Mage some sort of hadoken dunk...[Thanks Probot!]
Final Fantasy III in action
Coming in at almost 4 minutes, this footage of Final Fantasy III in action is likely to cause your salivation for the title to reach new, disgustingly moist, heights. The footage, while hefty on the battling, shows some dungeon crawling and sheds some light on the load times of the title, which are easily put up with.
Special Final Fantasy III DS bundle
I have to admit, I'm not all that impressed. Maybe it's the white color or bland arrangement of the 4 characters on the unit. Regardless, I would've liked to have seen some of the wonderful boxart make its way onto the handheld. Personal taste aside, this is sure to kill in Japan when it releases bundled with the game.[Via NeoGAF]
Final Fantasy III Wi-Fi confirmed
"I can confirm that Final Fantasy III contains Wi-Fi, but I can't reveal the details at this time."That's the line a Square Enix spokesperson provided to IGN when they asked them about a leaked image that found its way onto Go Nintendo. So, the obvious idea is that there will be some sort of co-op gameplay and trading, whether it be items or chocobo (chocobii?). Given that, what other ways could Square Enix implement Wi-Fi into the game? Never having released stateside (our Final Fantasy 3 on the SNES was Final Fantasy 6 in Japan), I have no frame of reference for the game on a whole, unable to decide in which ways Wi-Fi would or could enhance it.
