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Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call review: Take a bow
Music is an essential part of the Final Fantasy series. Players who have spent any amount of time with the franchise likely have a few overworld themes buried deep in their subconscious, and the series as a whole covers a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from catchy 8-bit tunes to fully orchestrated scores. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy premiered for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012, repurposing a handful of Final Fantasy soundtracks for a rhythm-driven experience with light RPG elements. The result was both a nostalgia trip and a solid game in its own right, supplementing its pedigree with inventive beat-matching gameplay that made satisfying use of the 3DS touch screen. Sequel Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call easily surpasses its predecessor, tripling the original game's track list while polishing its gameplay to a mirror sheen. It's a loving, reverent tribute to a beloved series that skillfully recontextualizes one of its standout features, creating something worthwhile both for its fanbase and for newcomers.
Next Final Fantasy spin-off dubbed a 'text-input battle RPG'
To the surprise of absolutely no one, Square Enix has another Final Fantasy spin-off in the works, but unlike its numerous predecessors, Final Fantasy: World Wide Words trades turn-based swordfights for quick typing and proper spelling. Famitsu, via Siliconera translation, describes Final Fantasy: World Wide Words as a "text-input battle RPG." In short, that means that players defeat enemies by casting spells which all rely on a player's ability to quickly and accurately type words as they are displayed on screen. Think: Sega's Typing of the Dead, only with Final Fantasy characters in lieu of rotting zombies. Few additional details on Final Fantasy: World Wide Words are available, but we can tell you that the game borrows its aesthetic from Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, resulting in the colorful, marionette-style characters seen above. Final Fantasy: World Wide Words is slated to make its Japanese Android debut on September 16. An iOS version of the game is scheduled for release "soon," though a solid release date has yet to be nailed down. It's currently unknown if Final Fantasy: World Wide Words will make its way to the West. [Image: Square Enix]
Curtain Call may be the final fantasy for Theatrhythm games
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call producer Ichiro Hazama isn't sure of where the Theatrhythm series will go once Curtain Call is released in September, but wherever it may roam, the Final Fantasy label might not stay attached. Speaking to GameSpot, Hazama said that he thinks Curtain Call will be the last Theatrhythm to spotlight Final Fantasy. "This is just my own broad thinking, but we're probably going to draw the line on Final Fantasy. This will be the last Theatrhythm featuring Final Fantasy," Hazama said. "I'm thinking about other titles with music that we produce, we can do something with that." Now, we may not be professional game developers, but considering how well the Hitman series translated into a mobile app/board game hybrid, might we suggest Agent 47: The Musical? Or maybe Lara Croft: Tune Raider? Eh? Eh? [Image: Square Enix]
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call announced
Final Fantasy spinoff Theatrhythm will receive an encore with Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, set for a Japanese launch on 3DS next spring. Gematsu obtained scans of this week's Jump magazine from Japan, which revealed the product. The announcement comes a couple of weeks after a trademark for the game was filed. Curtain Call will conduct a playlist of over 200 songs, including tracks from Final Fantasy 14 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13, with 60 characters and a "Versus Battle Mode" for rhythmic multiplayer action. The previous installment took approximately five months after release in Japan to make its way to the States and Europe.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call trademarked by Square Enix
Final Fantasy spinoff Theatrhythm may be about to take an encore if a new Square Enix trademark is anything to go by. As spotted by Gematsu, the Japanese mega-company registered a US trademark for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call on August 27. The trademark itself is identified for several properties including game software and music CDs, but beyond that there's not much to go on. The name could apply to so many things: a new game, a new platform, a revamped re-release of the 3DS and iOS game... I could go on, but I'd just be exhibiting my ravenous hunger for more Theatrhythm - reasonably priced Theathythm, mind you.
Theatrhythm soundtracks are really Final Fantasy 1-13 albums, out now
Square Enix released four Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy soundtracks onto iTunes today, each comprising songs from a particular mode of the 3DS and iOS game. There's a soundtrack each for the game's Event, Field, and Battle gameplay modes, each one priced $8.97, along with one for the Chaos Shrine mode, priced $9.99.The game aside, what these essentially represent are Final Fantasy 1-13 compilations, with the Event, Field, and Battle soundtracks each including one song in its original version from each of the first 13 main FF games. Take the Battle one, which includes a piece of battle music from each game, though not always the main one; FF7 and FF10 are represented by "One Winged Angel" and "Fight With Seymour," for example.The Field soundtrack comprises a mixture of the games' main themes and songs you hear in particular locations, while the Event soundtrack picks some of the iconic songs (mostly) from the 13 games, like "Celes's Theme" from FF6 and "Waltz for the Moon" from FF8.Finally, the 15 songs of the Chaos Shrine are much more scattered. Nonetheless, there are some excellent ones in there such as the melancholy "Zanarkand" of FF10 and the rousing "Blinded by Light" of FF13.
Best of the Rest: JC's picks of 2012
Joystiq is revealing its 10 favorite games of 2012 throughout the week. Keep reading for more top selections and every writer's personal, impassioned picks in Best of the Rest roundups. Kid Icarus UprisingI tried not to push Kid Icarus Uprising on my coworkers, despite enjoying it more than anything else I played this year. It's ... not the friendliest game, and requires an investment to enjoy that maybe I wouldn't have put in, had I not reviewed the game. I hated it until I loved it.The insane, uncomfortable control scheme is a massive turnoff for the first few hours of gameplay, though I swear it clicks later (and is deeply customizable). The script is goofy to the point of being embarrassing, though it also swung to "hilarious" as the game went on. And the multiplayer takes a lot of "training," being based on the same weird control scheme as the ground battles from the single-player game – and it became the only online multiplayer game I cared to put hours of my own time into in 2012.Kid Icarus Uprising's high barrier to entry makes it very un-Nintendo-like, and the kind of game I usually wouldn't deem worthy of a second look. I'm the kind of person who doesn't want to play a game if I have to wait for it to get fun. But Uprising's payoff is so worth it.
Best of the Rest: Sinan's picks of 2012
Joystiq is revealing its 10 favorite games of 2012 throughout the week. Keep reading for more top selections and every writer's personal, impassioned picks in Best of the Rest roundups. Dragon's DogmaThere are so many things wrong with Dragon's Dogma, as noted in Joystiq's scathing review. For starters, its unwillingness to offer guidance makes the Souls games look helpful, its dialogue repetition is nothing short of maddening – yes I freaking know wolves hunt in packs – and no game has ever made fast travel more of a chore. But when it's good, oh how good it is. Combining in harmony with my troupe of automated pawns to take down giant foes in simplistic yet epic, challenging combat is just too delectable to exclude Dragon's Dogma from mention, flaws or no.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy shows up on iOS App Store
An unannounced iOS port of the 3DS music game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy has shown up on New Zealand's iOS App Store, which usually portends a worldwide release throughout the day.The iOS game adds a "Quest Medley" mode, which puts you through a random pairing of "field" and "battle" levels, different each time you play. It also adds some kind of composition mode, along with the ability to share creations via Twitter.Unlike the 3DS version, the iOS release is free to download. As reported by NeoGAF users, it comes with just two songs, with the rest purchased as in-app bundles. Even additional characters are sold via IAP. In fact, user Goli notes that, when the NZ release of the game is opened in a US account, the prices for in-app purchases show up in US denominations ... and add up to around $150.In any case, Theatrhythm is worth a try if you have even the slightest appreciation for Final Fantasy music. The 3DS version retails for $30.
NintendoWare Weekly: Theatrhythm demo, Toki Tori
Maybe you don't think you like Final Fantasy all that much. You should still try Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, a suggestion made easier by the arrival of a demo on the 3DS eShop today. And while you're there, you can pick up Two Tribes' original Game Boy Color version of Toki Tori.
Plan your nostalgia with Theatrhythm DLC schedule
The first Theatrhythm DLC (and, by extension, the first 3DS DLC) arrived in North America last week. Square Enix continues to support the rhythm-playing game with four weekly tracks, announcing the releases for today and the following two weeks.Today's DLC brings something truly special: "Somnus" from Final Fantasy Versus 13, a game that basically doesn't exist yet. It's accompanied by "Desperate Struggle" from Final Fantasy 13, "Sarutabaruta" from Final Fantasy 11, and "Battle" from Final Fantasy 6. Each song is 99 cents.The next two weeks will see DLC from Final Fantasies 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 13-2. Find the list after the break. These are occuring in a different order from the Japanese releases, so we can't predict which songs will arrive after these.%Gallery-160254%
Why Theatrhythm is a celebration of not only Final Fantasy, but an entire genre
This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer. When I put together my Mt. Rushmore of Japanese RPG developers a few months ago, one of the more controversial picks was Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu. The general argument was that Hironobu Sakaguchi, the guy who actually created Final Fantasy, should be up there instead. I don't think that argument is wrong exactly – Sakaguchi has certainly done a lot for RPGs in his time – but it felt wrong to have a JRPG Rushmore without a top composer.At the time, it was hard to really put my finger on why that was, other than that I've always found good music to be an especially important quality in RPGs. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, however, has crystallized things for me. How many established franchises can you think of that can support a rhythm game of this magnitude? I can think of only a handful, most of which are RPGs: Dragon Quest and The Legend of Zelda could manage the same feat (though the latter isn't a traditional RPG, it's close).Of them, Final Fantasy is the series best suited for its own rhythm game. The genre jump makes sense with a franchise packed with such a dense library of memorable tunes, but it's also Final Fantasy's longevity as a series that makes it a prime candidate for the rhythm genre.%Gallery-151254%
First Theatrhythm DLC for North America includes eight new old songs
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy launches today, and Square Enix has already revealed the first round of DLC for North America. Eight songs will be available for 99 cents each (the list is after the break), with the purchase option available from a link in the 3DS game's title screen.Square Enix did not date the release of the DLC, and it doesn't appear to be up yet. We'll find out when the songs are officially expected online. This is officially the first 3DS downloadable content in North America (or it will be when it actually shows up).While you wait for that – and you probably don't have your copy yet anyway – enjoy the new launch trailer above.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy review: More fun to play than to say
I'm probably alone in feeling this way, but for me Final Fantasy is at its best when it puts the melodrama aside and embraces a sense of fun. Sometimes – not often – a Final Fantasy will acknowledge the ridiculousness of its characters and setting, and just give you a quest about chocobos or a pop-star protagonist, and it feels much more appropriate than being asked to take the usual group of overdressed, snotty amnesiacs seriously as they wander the forest fighting timid cacti and Bedazzling their armor.Theatrhythm Final Fantasy represents that whimsy in concentrated form – a celebration of the barest essence of Final Fantasy. More than that, of course, it's a celebration of the series' musical legacy, which is something worth celebrating.%Gallery-157377%
Theatrhythm franchise could cross Square Enix properties
There's a reason Theatrhythm received top billing in Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, as the game could expand into a series beyond the Final Fantasy franchise. Ichiro Hazama, producer at Square Enix's 1st Production Department, told us the publisher has plenty of intellectual properties where the formula could be applied."Our company has so many other IPs that create great music, so if you ask if I want to do it? I want to do it, but nothing is determined yet," said Hazama. "In my mind, it was my intention that if it expands to other franchises that would be great. That's why this title carries Theatrhythm first and Final Fantasy comes next."Hmm, that opens up the series to possibilities like Theatrhythm: Kingdom Hearts... or Theatrhythm: Hitman.%Gallery-157377%
Nintendo Direct time travels with news tonight, tomorrow, yesterday
Nintendo Direct, the all-Nintendo-news, some-of-the-time video series from official Nintendo headquarters, is hitting the airwaves tonight. Technically, it's noon EST tomorrow, April 21, but folks in the US can expect announcements from the Japanese feed starting at 8:30 p.m. PST tonight, Friday, April 20. The European announcements will hit at 1 p.m. CET (4 a.m. PST), April 21.Nintendo hasn't revealed what it will discuss tonight, but it has left us a trail of clues. CEO Satoru Iwata sent out invitations to this weekend's Nintendo Direct on 3DS' Spot Pass, showing him with a giant, suspicious Kirby plushie. Kid Icarus: Uprising's Masahiro Sakurai tweeted to expect Uprising news and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy's Masanobu Suzui suggested fans should watch the feed, Andriasang translates.We'll have our eyes and fingertips ready to roll for any breakout Kirby-Kid-Icarus-Theatrhythm crossover news tonight, because really, it's not like we had any plans on a Friday night or anything.
Pre-order Theatrhythm for adorable stylus, and adorable stickers to put on it
To assist with the intense Active Keeping-Time Battle system (you can have that for free, Square) in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, Square Enix is bundling the lovely "gripped stylus" seen above with pre-orders in North America. To adorn the disc at the top of the stylus, you also get a set of 17 stickers, each featuring a cute version of a Final Fantasy character, including Cloud, Squall, Lightning, and a tiny, tiny Moogle. You may want to reserve the stickers for use on your Trapper Keeper or anywhere else you'd be looking at them constantly.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy taps in July 3
Theatrhythm (pronounced as two words: theater and rhythm): Final Fantasy (also, two words) will make its way to North American shelves on July 3. Square Enix reiterated that the title will launch with 70 scores spanning 25 years of the Final Fantasy franchise.PAX East attendees can check the 3DS game out by heading over to booth 850. %Gallery-151254%
Sample Final Fantasy Versus XIII music in Theatrhythm DLC form
Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy isn't just about celebrating Final Fantasy games of the past. New DLC coming to Japan this week features a song from a game that isn't even out yet. One of the four songs coming April 4 is "Somnus" from Final Fantasy Versus XIII -- making that song the first actual part of that game that can be played.Square Enix announced a localization of Theatrhythm for this summer. We feel a bit better talking about DLC, knowing that you'll eventually have the opportunity to experience it for yourself.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy serenades the west this summer
The adorable Final Fantasy rhythm-action game for 3DS is coming to North America and Europe. And yes, it's still called Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy ("pronounced 'theater rhythm,'" Square Enix explains.) The publisher announced plans to localize the franchise-celebrating music game today, bringing along "more than 70 musical scores spanning 25 years."Players will tap and drag to the beat of classic Final Fantasy music in modes inspired by "battle," "event" (cutscene), and "field" sequences. Square Enix has dated the release for Summer in both North America and PAL regions. You can relax in the sun this summer, tapping glowing icons over Tidus's face.%Gallery-151254%
