Kotaku: crisis core: final fantasy vii

Mommy Dearest: The Best and Worst Mothers in Video Games

AJ Glasser — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:00:00 MDT

Mothers have it tough in video games – they get killed off, turned evil, or their children leave the nest to save the world. And their kids probably don't call home often enough.

In honor of Mother's Day, we celebrate moms in gaming – from the bit parts to the big players. Some are examples of the best parenting you could imagine; and some are so evil, they're unfit to be called "Mom." Join us now as we separate the June Cleavers from the Joan Crawfords of video game mothers.

Mothers in… Role-Playing Games
Role-playing games have the highest number of moms of any video game genre. This is because RPGs have huge, sprawling plots with huge, sprawling towns and a huge, sprawling casts of characters who you may or may not encounter depending on how you play the game. In most RPGs, you see moms as non-playable characters in towns, in flashbacks depicting the hero's reason for revenge. Some RPGs even have them as playable characters or main villains. Sadly, RPGs are also the number one "mom dies" offender, as nearly every RPG features a plucky youth out to avenge a destroyed village that usually has within it a dead mother – or at least one that's been turned into a monster.

There are way more mothers in RPGs than we could count – especially if you're going through side quests, all PC RPGs, all Japanese RPGs that were never released in the US, Final Fantasy X-2 and every single optional flashback for every possible playable character. So we've populated this list with moms who 1) had the most impact on the game's main plot or that 2) appear in the game beyond a single expository cut scene. This leaves us mostly with moms who appear in Japanese RPGs; but be sure to apologize to your dead mother in Fallout 3 for us.

Mada, Dragon Quest V – Mother of the main character: Mada gets kidnapped and becomes the subject of his quest.

Matriarch Benezia, Mass Effect – Mother of Liara T'Soni: Benezia is enslaved and later killed by Shepard in battle, but she makes up with Liara right before dying.

Polka's Mom, Eternal Sonata — Mother of Polka: this country lady is very well adjusted to time loops and apparently never taught her daughter not to talk to strange 19th Century composers she might meet while wandering around at night.

Yohn, Suikoden Tactics — Mother of Kyril: Yohn is a mute demon trapped in the wrong world who sticks around to care for her son, even though he doesn't know who she is for pretty much the whole game.

Gina , Chrono Trigger — Mother of Chrono: In one of the game's endings, Gina accidentally goes into the time portal, thus restarting the whole plot from the beginning.

Jenova, Final Fantasy VII — Mother of Sephiroth (sorta): Jenova is... an alien? We're not even sure she's a she, but "she" spends a lot of time in a jar and looks creepy.

Angeal's Mother, Crisis Core — Mother of Angeal: This small-town lady is very nice to all of her son's friends from the army, even the ones that turn evil and cause her matricide.

Queen Brahne, Final Fantasy IX — Mother of the real Princess Garnet and foster mother to her lookalike of the same name: Brahne gets fat, turns evil, tries to kill her adoptive daughter and later repents and dies in Garnet's arms.

Sarah Sisulart, Lost Odyssey – Mother of Liram: Sarah goes a little crazy and turns herself into an old woman when she thinks her daughter's been killed, but turns back into a hot nerdy chick when she finds out she has grandkids.

Seth Balmore, Lost Odyssey – Mother of Sed: Seth is immortal, but her son isn't, which is sort of weird for both of them. But they're both pirates, so there's some common ground at least.

Best Mom: Yohn… because she's selfless as only a mother can be.

Worst Mom: Jenova… because she's emotionally unavailable. And responsible for Sephiroth.

Mothers in… Fighting Games
Fighting games have a fair few mothers among their playable characters. The plot structure (or lack thereof) leaves room for all kinds of people to enter whatever world championship fighting tournament of the week is going on for various reasons that don't necessarily make any sense. So if you can have a panda, a geisha, a cyborg and whatever the hell Voldo is supposed to be enter a tournament for personal gain, a mother doesn't seem like such a weird contender. Here's a list of a few prominent mommies:

Sophitia, Soulcalibur series – Mother of Patroklos and Pyrrha: Sophitia is an Athenian who fights on behalf of the Greek God, Hephaestus, to regain Soul Edge. The sword entwines itself with her daughter's spirit, forcing Sophitia to spend eternity defending Soul Edge from anyone who tries to claim it. She's protecting her daughter.

Michelle Chang, Tekken series – Mother of Julia: Michelle fights in one of the Iron Fist tournaments to rescue her kidnapped mother and then adopts an abandoned baby named Julia. Then Julia goes on to fight in an Iron Fist tournament to save Michelle when Michelle gets kidnapped. Circle of life.

Dural, Virtua Fighter – Mother of Kage: Dural probably started out as a good mom when she was human, but then she got kidnapped and turned into an evil cyborg. That knocks her out of the Mom of the Year running.

Jun Kazama, Tekken series – Mother of Jin Kazama: Jun is the Chosen One, a wildlife activist, and a single mom. Over the course of four games, she somehow found time to save pandas, birth a son, thrash a bunch of her extended family and possibly fake her own death or perhaps dies for real when her house burned down.

Nina Williams, Tekken series – Mother of Steve Fox via in-vitro fertilization: Nina is a world class assassin who gives birth to a son while in cryogenic sleep. Though it appears she couldn't care less that she has offspring, she does neglect to assassinate him. That counts as maternal instinct, right?

Maria, Dead or Alive series – Mother of Helena: Maria is a world class opera singer who had an affair with the head of a sinister corporation. She later took a bullet for her bastard daughter onstage in the middle of an aria… what a way to go.

Crimson Viper, Street Fighter IV – Mother of Lauren: C. Viper is a working mother in the spy profession. Her life's goal is destroying the weapons produced by a sinister corporation, but somehow she made room in her busy schedule to have a daughter.

Justice, Guilty Gear – Mother of Dizzy: No one's really sure how it happened – least of all Dizzy, who was found abandoned at age 3.

Best Mom: Maria… because nothing says "Mommy loves you" like taking a sniper's bullet to the heart.

Worst Mom: Crimson Viper… because she's a workaholic. Did she even call her kid after fights? No!**

Mothers in… Action/Adventure and Survival Horror Games
Here's where the role of the mother in video games become complicated. Because these types of games usually have a more focused plot than fighting or role playing games, adding a mother usually means casting her in a narrow role that doesn't include speaking parts. Occasionally, these moms even wind up as antagonists by default. However small their part, though, these mothers sometimes make an appearance worth mentioning. Here are a few notable examples:

The Queen, Ico – Mother of Yorda: She basically had a daughter so she could sacrifice the kid and live a bit longer. I guess some species do eat their own young, but jeez…

Annette Birkin, Resident Evil 2 – Mother of Sherry Birkin: Depending on how you play the game, Annette either hid the G-Virus in her daughter's locket or cures her daughter of the T-Virus. Either way, she did abandon her kid during a zombie apocalypse. Poor form, Mom.

Amelia Croft, Tomb Raider series – Mother of Lara Croft: Like her daughter, Mrs. Croft has issues with touching ancient artifacts she probably shouldn't. Luckily, Lara learns from her mommy's mistakes and everybody's happy… until Lara has to shoot zombie Amelia when they meet up in Underworld.

Mrs. Sanderson, Chibi Robo – Mother of Jenny: Mrs. Sanderson has real marital problems that cause her to lock herself in a bathroom and threaten divorce, leaving all the housework to Jenny and her toy robot.

Ex-Mrs. Hopkins, Bully – Mother of Jimmy Hopkins: This woman lacks both fashion sense and parental priorities. She ditches her kid at a boarding school to run off on a honeymoon with a new husband and then sends Jimmy a fugly sweater at Christmas.

Maggie Monday, Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse – Mother of Andrew Monday: Like Jimmy Hopkins' mom, Maggie could use some priority adjustment. She lets her son's city get sacked by zombies and then becomes a zombie herself so she can marry Stubbs. This basically leaves Andrew with a wrecked city and a zombie for a stepfather. Thanks, Mom!

Ma Cipriani, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories – Mother of Toni: Toni never called his Ma while he was in hiding. Given that she dates guys who are into paraphilic infantilism, I can see why. Ma puts a hit out on her son and then calls it off in a fit of maternal pride when Tony finally becomes a made man.

Best Mom: Amelia Croft… because not even good moms get it right all of the time and how was she supposed to know that sword would teleport her, her husband would die and her daughter would be left an orphan?

Worst Mom: The Queen… because what she did to Yorda is way worse than what Joan Crawford did to her daughter. You think being hit with wire hangers is bad? Try being turned to stone.

Mothers in… Shooters
Here's where you barely see any moms at all. The shooter genre is reserved for masculine things like guns and aliens and spies and other stuff that doesn't leave much room for maternal influences. You'll find a lot of dads in shooters, though – but Father's Day isn't for another month, so sit tight.

*SPOILER WARNING: BioShock, F.E.A.R. 2, Metal Gear Solid 4*

Jasmine Jolene, BioShock – Mother of Jack: Jasmine was Andrew Ryan's mistress and a "dancer" which is 60s code for "prostitute." Even if she didn't accept money for sexual favors, she was certainly in a hurry to accept money for her freshly-conceived embryo. That's worse than the fairy tales where parents trade firstborn sons for magical enchantments.

Dr. Bridgette Tenenbaum, BioShock and BioShock 2 – Mother of all the Little Sisters and the Big Sister: Tenenbaum didn't give birth to any of the poor darlings, but her research created them. She eventually stepped in to foster them and shower them with toys and secondhand cigarette smoke to make up for the brainwashing.

Eva, Metal Gear Solid 4 – Mother of Liquid and Solid Snake (kinda): Eva would have gladly had Naked Snake's babies the ol' fashioned way, but the Patriots had other plans. She eventually serves as surrogate mother to the clone babies Liquid and Solid and starts calling herself Big Mamma to compensate for having nothing to do with mothering them.

The Boss, Metal Gear Solid 3 – Mother of Revolver Ocelot and the US Special Forces (which one do you think she's more proud of?): The Boss probably had no business leading the Battle of Normandy while nine months pregnant. But despite being a bad mom to Ocelot, The Boss wins major motherhood recognition as a Mother Goddess figure to at least half the cast of the Metal Gear Solid series.

Alma Wade, F.E.A.R. and F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin – Mother of Paxton Fettel, Point Man and countless telepathic clone soldiers: Alma became a mother at the tender age of 15 against her will. It's hard to tell if she harbors any feeling for her offspring conceived in captivity – bloodlust sort of obscures any tender intent. However, in Project Origin, Alma's grown up a bit and appears to have invested in being mother to the protagonist's baby, which she deliberately conceives.

Best Mom: The Boss… because out of this sorry lot, she's easily the best role model.

Worst Mom: Jasmine… because she sold her only son to his father's enemy before the son was even born. That's like the opposite of mother-like behavior.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions
Sora's Mom, Kingdom Hearts — She has one line and the whole first part of the game is about her son trying to build a raft to run away from home. Clearly the parenting thing isn't working out.
Mother Brain, Metroid — "She," if that's what that thing in the jar can be called, is an alien with no maternal feelings whatsoever.
You, Fable II, The Sims games and Harvest Moon games — Even if you play as an upstanding paragon of parental vigilance, you're going to be guilty of neglect at least half of the time in these games.

At this point, you're probably wondering why Cooking Mama isn't anywhere on this list. Apart from the lack of a convenient genre into which to cram the game, there's no evidence that Cooking Mama is even a mother. Do you see her kids at any point in the game? For all the player knows, she's just calling herself "Mama" so she doesn't have to call herself a chef, the poor self-hating hash slinger.

That's all we've got for the best and worst mothers in video games. Think we missed somebody important? Drop a line in the comments. And don't forget to call your mom on Mother's Day!

**CORRECTION: C. Viper occasionally does call her daughter after fights. But the workaholic ruling still stands.

Dissidia Script Is "Double The Length" Of Crisis Core: FFVII's

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:00:00 MDT

Square Enix's upcoming PSP "action RPG" Dissidia: Final Fantasy features heroes and villians from Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy X. Epic stuff! The game does look and sound big for a PSP title. But just how big? Says the game's senior director Takeshi Arakawa:

Mr. Nomura [the game's character designer, pictured] has been at all the voice recordings, and the script is double the length ofCrisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.

Sure sounds like Square Enix is making a AAA PSP title. Good for Square Enix. Good for PSP owners.

Dissidia: Final Fantasy Interview [Forever Fantasy via PSP Fanboy]

Europe Getting Crisis Core PSP Bundle This Month

Mike Fahey — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:40:00 MDT

Poor, put upon Europe. You either had to pay exorbitant prices to import a Japanese or North American version of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII or simply wait patiently for the game's release on your continent on the 20th of this month. Well SCEE feels your pain, and they hope to ease it somewhat by offering a limited edition PSP Crisis Core game bundle, complete with the game and the silver engraved PSP the Japanese got when the game first launched there.

Of course those of you in the UK who already have a PSP they don't wish to replace with shiny silver goodness still get to benefit from the exclusive special edition, so while it might take a bit longer for you to get the games, Square Enix and SCEE definitely love you guys the best of all.

FFVII PSP Bundle Bound For Europe [Next Generation]

Crisis Core Review: Zack Fair In Love And War

Mike Fahey — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:00:00 MDT

Square Enix's attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Final Fantasy VII with their Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series of games hasn't been going too well so far, especially in North America. The Vincent Valentine vehicle Dirge of Cerberus for the PlayStation 2 was mediocre at best, and the mobile game Before Crisis featuring the Turks still hasn't made it to North American shores. Basically we have a slipshod shooter and Advent Children, a well-crafted yet ultimately shallow CGI movie. Now, Square Enix has released Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII for the PSP, a true prequel to the PlayStation original, which follows the career of Cloud's inspiration, soldier Zack Fair. Has the rebirth of FFVII finally delivered compelling gameplay, or are we better off just replaying the original?

Loved or Loveless? Activating combat mode...

Loved
Combat System: Crisis Core's combat system is basically an evolution of the Kingdom Hearts system, with combat actions, spells, and items selected in real time with the shoulder buttons. It felt a bit awkward at first, but quickly became second nature.
Digital Mind Wave: The DMW is the spinning roulette wheel at the top left, which randomly determines when special attacks and summons occur, as well as not-so-randomly determining when you level up. As the game progresses and you discover new summons and special attacks you will fall in love with the DMW.
Mission System: A big part of what makes Crisis Core an excellent PSP game, the mission system, lets you engage in quick, bite-sized tasks, perfect for a quick Final Fantasy fix. It's optional, but some of the cooler summons in the game are hidden away in missions.
Final Fan-Service: The game is filled with subtle hooks for fans of the PlayStation original. Characters, locations, and events will have you fondly remembering your time with FFVII.
Filling In The Gaps: Crisis Core not only stands on its own in terms of presenting a compelling story, it also fills in gaps from the original game's plot. Final Fantasy VII makes a bit more sense to me now that I've played through Crisis Core.
That Square Enix Shine: Production values in the Crisis Core are through the roof. The music seldom misses, the voice work is excellent, and the CG is truly amazing. Even the menu system oozes quality.

Hated
Unskippable Cutscenes: Nothing pisses me off more than losing a 10 minute long boss fight only to find I cannot skip past the 14 minutes of cutscenes leading up to the rematch. Come on Squeenix, we've moved past this.
Mission Repetition: The missions take place over a dozen or so environments that repeat far too often. Taking on missions in large chunks, I found myself quickly getting tired of seeing the same metal rooms, cave surfaces, and rolling plains over and over again.

Forget Before Crisis and Dirge of Cerberus. With the release of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, FFVII can now be considered a trilogy. Crisis Core, Final Fantasy VII, and Advent Children together form the full Final Fantasy VII experience. Not only is Crisis Core jam-packed with hooks to the PlayStation original, its characters and storyline are strong enough to stand on their own.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is a PSP masterpiece, and an absolute must for fans of spiky-haired protagonists everywhere.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was developed and published by Square Enix and released on March 25 for the PSP. Retails for $39.99. Campaign played to completion, mission mode 54% completed.

My Shin-Ra Electric Power Company ID Card

fdemarco — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:40:00 MDT

As you might have read earlier, I attended last night's launch of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII at Sony's Metreon Center in SF. While the lucky first hundred people got t-shirts, and some even won some great raffle prizes, anyone was allowed to go up and get their complimentary Shin-Ra Electric Power Company ID card. Being firmly in the "anyone" crowd, I stepped up to claim what will sure to be a valuable money maker on eBay some day. They snapped a quick photo and then we got to wait about twenty minutes while the thing processed and Voila... we were presented with our nifty prize in a little labeled envelope. As you can tell from my photo, I am an employee not to be trifled with.

Crisis Core Launch Party Report Shows Sephiroths In Short Supply

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:40:00 MDT

Scores of Final Fantasy fans queued up for the official Square Enix launch party for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, but we're a bit disappointed in the lack of ill-fitting costumes and obscenely sized swords present at the event. Flynn's report on GayGamer of the launch festivities may be lacking in comically enormous weapons and crowd-pleasing spiky hair, but it is full of tales of dedication. The first two fans in line braved a eight hour drive and a nine hour wait in line to be the first to score some Crisis Core. Hopefully, these two were rewarded beyond a simple limited edition t-shirt.

More photos of regular Joes sporting gargantuan swords await you at GayGamer. Just don't go expecting to see droves of fandom friendly outfits. Bummer.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Launch Party [GayGamer]

Launch Parties From Coast to Coast

fdemarco — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:00:00 MDT

Tomorrow (Wed.) will see the Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword launch party at the Nintendo World Store in New York City from 2pm - 6pm. The game's producer and director Yosuke Hayashi will be on hand to sign autographs and met and greet the crowd. If you purchase the game there you will be granted one of those nifty Dragon Sword Ninja styli. There will also be demo stations set up around the store so you can try before you buy.

Also, as I reported last week, tonight is the launch party for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII at the Sony Metreon Center in San Francisco. The event goes from 6pm - 9pm and space is limited to 200 people.

And if that's not enough for you, our own Crecente will be attending and telling you all about his adventures at the Tecmo event in New York. Launch events, ho!

Square Enix Members Site Goes Live. The North...

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:40:39 MDT

Square Enix Members Site Goes Live. The North American Square Enix Members only site has officially launched. The site is currently featuring a Q&A with Crisis Core director Hajime Tabata, soundtrack giveaways and a couple of web apps, including the bizarre Zack Squat Test. You'll have to register (if you haven't already) to access the goods, but keep in mind that Members Only jackets are not required. Square Enix Members

Week In Games: Shoot The Core

Michael McWhertor — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:00:03 MDT

The wait for more Final Fantasy VII is almost over for North American gamers, as this week's biggest drop is arguably Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII for the PSP. It joins a pair of well known ninja in the week's new releases, which is also heavy on action and real-time strategy. A slew of Wii shovelware hits, excluded from our list of new releases, but there's something for everyone!

Let us know what you're picking up this week in the comments.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP)
This fanfic fodder prequel to the PS One classic Final Fantasy VII makes its way stateside.

Dark Sector (PS3, Xbox 360)
Sci-fi. Third-person shooter. Black ops. Krull.

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword (DS)
Team Ninja brings stylus stabbing action to the DS.

Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath (PC)
C&C 3's first expansion features more units, more wrath.

Viking: Battle for Asgard (PS3, Xbox 360)
Sega's other axe-battler is steeped in Nordic mythology.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 (PS2)
Kid Naruto, radical ninja, in his third fighting adventure.

Universe At War: Earth Assault (Xbox 360)
The RTS harvests a 360 port.

Octomania (Wii)
The waggle puzzler with a Puyo Puyo pedigree.

Harvest Moon DS Cute (DS)
More farming, role-playing fun, with extra cuteness for girls.

Crisis Core Pre-orders Can Net You Geeky...

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:40:00 MST

Crisis Core Pre-orders Can Net You Geeky Goodies. If you're willing to drop the cash on a copy of the PSP entry in the "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII", you could walk away with some attractive plastic. This Shin-Ra Electric Power Company UMD case is yours for the stuffing, should you pre-order Crisis Core from Amazon, GameCrazy, GameStop or EBGames. Surely limited in the tens of thousands, so act early.

Crisis Core Vaguely Dated For Europe

Mike Fahey — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:40:49 MST

The game that sold hundreds of thousands of PSP systems in Japan and is poised to do the same when it hits U.S. soil in late March has been officially, if somewhat vaguely, dated for Europe! Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII has been officially granted a Spring 2008 release by Square Enix, which means anywhere between March 21st and June 21st, giving them a nice little three-month window to cram all of those extra languages into that tiny little UMD. Here's hoping it's closer to the beginning of that window, so all of the world can share in the magical adventures of Zack Fair and the little dead flower girl.

Square Enix Announces Prequel To The Most Famous Final Fantasy Of All Time
CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-

London (16th January 2008) - Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that CRISIS CORE® -FINAL FANTASY® VII- will be released across all PAL territories in Spring 2008, exclusively on the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system.

CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- is the highly anticipated prequel to the biggest selling FINAL FANTASY of all time, taking players on an exhilarating adventure filled with grandeur, excitement, characters that captured the hearts of a generation and many new secrets to discover hidden within the world of FINAL FANTASY VII.

With awe-inspiring visuals, full 16:9 widescreen presentation, an engaging battle system, and additional gameplay challenges not included in the original Japanese version, fans and newcomers alike can experience the world of FINAL FANTASY VII from an all-new perspective.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, "CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- is one of the most anticipated FINAL FANTASY releases of all times. The game pushes the boundaries of the PSP hardware and will offer a truly fantastic gameplay experience for new fans and fans of the original instalment."

Crisis Core Comes To North America This Spring

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:40:00 MST

The next Final Fantasy VII spin-off game milked from the teat of Square Enix, Crisis Core, finally has a North American date—March 25, 2008. Square Enix nailed down specific (and non-specific) ship dates for a handful of 2008 releases, including the next title in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series to follow Dirge of Cerberus and Advent Children. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was a massive success for the PSP in Japan and I suspect it'll do okay over here, too.

The RPG experts also pinned down dates for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates for the Nintendo DS (March 11, 2008) and Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors (February 26, 2008) for the Wii. Slightly hazier is the spring 2008 release window for The World Ends With You, previously known as It's a Wonderful World. Hundreds of hours of text-reading, level building fun awaits you.

Press release with more in the way of details is post jump.

Square Enix Jump-Starts the Year with an Action-Packed Lineup for 2008

Fans Advised to Warm Up this Holiday Season in Preparation for an Assortment of Exciting New Adventures

Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in North America, revealed today its first offerings for 2008, with entries that will launch fans into a fast-paced, action-packed new year. This latest announcement brings forth four new titles for the coming year, including releases for the Nintendo DS, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, and the Wii.
DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors sets the action in motion as the newest entry in the franchise that has captivated more than 43 million fans worldwide. The premiere RPG franchise makes its debut on the Wii as an immersive action-adventure accessible by players of all ages.

Following suit are powerful, engaging adventures in the handheld arena. FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates for the Nintendo DS offers endless entertainment with its fun-for-all multiplay feature, while CRISIS CORE(TM) -FINAL FANTASY VII- for the PSP system reunites fans with the most recognized RPG characters created by world-renowned character designer Tetsuya Nomura. Nomura's latest designs lend a hip, urban edge to THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU, a stylish new RPG title for the Nintendo DS.

Warm ups are recommended for fans who intend to take on these exciting new challenges that are headed their way!

DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors
Developer: Eighting Co., Ltd.
Planning: Genius Sonority, Inc.
Scenario & Game Design / General Director: Yuji Horii
Character Design: Akira Toriyama
Music: Koichi Sugiyama
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Wii
Genre: Action-Adventure
ESRB: T (Teen)
Ship Date: February 26, 2008

Developed from the ground up to take advantage of the Nintendo Wii and its motion-sensing technology, DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is set to slice its way onto Nintendo's next-generation platform. Use the Wii Remote to slash, parry and blast your way through a land filled with trademark DRAGON QUEST foes! Developed with both long-time fans and casual players in mind, DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is poised to take video gaming to an entirely new level of fun and interaction.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/dqswords.

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10 and older)
Ship Date: March 11, 2008

Few titles epitomize the essence of multiplayer camaraderie like the FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES series. Released in 2004 as an innovative title that took advantage of the Nintendo GameCube-to-Game Boy Advance connectivity, FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES pioneered an entirely new gameplay experience that expanded the horizons of conventional RPG gaming. Primed for a release on the Nintendo DS, FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates is poised to continue this tradition by providing fans with two distinctly unique games: a fully fleshed single-player RPG experience and an addictive multiplayer element for up to four players.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/ffccnews/.

CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: PSP system
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB: T (Teen)
Ship Date: March 25, 2008

CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-, the highly anticipated entry in the COMPILATION of FINAL FANTASY VII, takes fans on an exciting journey through the origin of the internationally acclaimed FINAL FANTASY VII saga in an all- new action-packed experience. Developed exclusively for the PSP system, CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- marks the return of the celebrated characters and game world that mesmerized more than 9.8 million gamers around the globe. With inspiring visuals, full 16:9 widescreen presentation and an engaging battle system, fans and newcomers alike can experience the world of FINAL FANTASY VII from an all-new perspective.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/crisiscore.

THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd./ Jupiter
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB:TBD
Ship Date: Spring 2008

THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU, is an exciting new title developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS handheld system. Previously known as Subarashiki Kono Sekai on its release in Japan, THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU is an innovative new title from Square Enix that fully utilizes the capabilities of the Nintendo DS, and takes major influence from Japan's modern day culture including its people, music, clothes, food and design.

Simple 2000: The Japanese Hardware Chart

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 19:20:17 MDT

The PSP extends its winning streak to week three as sales of the PSP Slim and the continued love-in for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII make for strong sales. And look at those Xbox 360 numbers! Over 5,000! In a week, that is, not the total number of Xbox 360s sold to the Japanese. Blue Dragon may have outsold Halo 3 during its first week overseas, but Master Chief is moving consoles.

The Wii was slightly down again, the PLAYSTATION 3 overtook its predecessor and some Game Boy micros were sold. Your sales chart awaits below.

PSP - 102,809
Nintendo DS Lite - 72,895
Wii - 24,143
PLAYSTATION 3 - 13,105
PlayStation 2 - 12,980
Xbox 360 - 5,215
Game Boy micro - 229

Simple 2000: The Japanese Software Chart

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 16:20:00 MDT

While in Japan this week, we saw four times as many commuters sporting PSPs as we did ones rocking the Nintendo DS. Must be that half million strong group of gamers hooked on Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Or maybe it was due to a strong debut from Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus, which snuck in just behind Square-Enix's PSP hit. Plenty of new debuts this week, including Mario Strikers Charged which had a solid, if unspectacular first week. Top ten before the jump, twenty more after.

Here are the weekly sales for September 17th through the 23rd, courtesy of Media Create.

01. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP) - 109,000 / 595,000
02. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (PSP) - 93,000 / NEW
03. Pokémon Fushigi no Dungeon: Toki no Tankentai (DS) - 85,000 / 385,000
04. Pokémon Fushigi no Dungeon: Yami no Tankentai (DS) - 75,000 / 344,000
05. Katekyoo Hitman Reborn!! DS Flame Rumble Kaien Ring Soudatsuen! - (DS) - 31,000 / NEW
06. Mario Strikers Charged (Wii) - 28,000 / NEW
07. Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor (PS2) - 24,000 / NEW
08. Mario Party 8 (Wii) - 22,000 / 779,000
09. Samurai Warriors Katana (Wii) - 17,000 / NEW
10. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS) - 16,000 / 331,000

11. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus Deluxe Pack (PSP)
12. My Housekeeping Diary (DS)
13. Taiko no Tetsujin DS (DS)
14. Wii Sports (Wii)
15. Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day (DS)
16. Mario Kart DS (DS)
17. Another Century's Episode 3: THE FINAL (PS2)
18. Brain Age 2: More Brain Training In Minutes A Day (DS)
19. Wii Play (Wii)
20. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
21. Nanatsu Iro * Drops Pure!! (PS2)
22. Animal Crossing Wild World (DS)
23. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney 3 - Best Price! (DS)
24. Sengoku Musou 2 Mushouden (PS2)
25. Brain Age: Train Your Brain In Minutes A Day (DS)
26. Fate/Tiger Colosseum (PSP)
27. Hot Shots Golf 5 (PS3)
28. More English Training (DS)
29. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PS2)
30. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd (PSP)

Sad to see both The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War leave the top thirty, but maybe they'll be back someday.

Media Create Weekly Sales

Yet Another Special Edition PSP For Japan

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:20:31 MDT

Six new PSP colors just isn't enough to meet demand in Japan. That's why Square-Enix and Sony have partnered to bring Japanese gamers yet another version of the PlayStation Portable. This one will only be sold in a limited edition package, one that includes Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, a teeny Keyblade strap and the PSP itself, all in sweet, sweet bonus packaging.

The total package will set you back 25,890 yen (about $212 USD) and will include what appears to be the recently revealed "Ice Silver" PSP with special branding. Only 77,777 of these babies will be produced for September, so call in your favors with Japanese pals.

Shots of the whole thing are available at Game Watch.

PSP Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII - FFVII 10th Anniversary Limited [Game Watch]

Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Trailer, Now With More English

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:20:26 MDT

As we come to terms with Square-Enix's Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII actually existing, this fan-subbed version of the trailer shown at Jump Festa makes the game much easier to understand. Obviously, spoilers abound, so those hoping to go into the PSP action RPG fresh might want to avert their eyes. Those looking for further evidence the game isn't vaporware should check out the recently launched official Japanese site. Michael McWhertor

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII: Trailer

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 18:40:48 MDT

This Jump Festa-era trailer for the upcoming action RPG and fourth entry in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series shows off tons of gameplay along with the usual Final Fantasy theatrics. Exposition abounds, in Japanese of course, and Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII will surely lead to massive sales and new contenders for upcoming GameFAQs polls. We're also sure it will spawn loads of new homoerotic fanfics starring Sephiroth and SOLDIER members Zack and Cloud. We have so much to look forward to! Michael McWhertor