-
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers Impressions: The Day After Christmas
Pick your selling point for the next Final Fantasy on Wii: (Primarily) single-player with a deep story? Sort of is 75% mini-games? Can lift cow and use udders over character’s head to shoot enemies? The last notable game of 2009? I was introduced to Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers last week, discovering quickly…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 19, 2009 -
Final Fantasy XIII Impressions: Looking For XII
Despite the enthusiasm among gamers for Final Fantasy XIII, I have, from afar, assumed and feared that the game represented a creative backslide. On Friday, during a demonstration of the game, I was able to test my opinion. A pair of Square-Enix representatives was in New York to show the company’s holiday lineup and tease…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 18, 2009 -
Here’s What Final Fantasy XIII Chocobos Look Like
Chocobo! Those bird-like creatures from Final Fantasy games. The latest issue of Japan’s Shonen Jump shows just how huge the creatures are in Final Fantasy XIII. So big. The magazine also has Hope’s summon, Alexander, and brings word that Final Fantasy XIII will come with Final Fantasy XIV beta codes when it goes on sale…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 9, 2009 -
Unraveled Anagram Points to FFXIII Announcement Friday
A message posted to Square-Enix’s official Final Fantasy XIII site on Friday indicates, after not too much work, that some news is forthcoming on Friday. The news post dated Friday – no link, nothing further – said simply: “A puzzle for FINAL FANTASY XIII fans! Solve this anagram to find out what lies ahead: A…
By Owen Good Published November 7, 2009 -
Does Bon Jovi Add Anything to Final Fantasy? Judge For Yourself
The latest Japanese television ads for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers features the music stylings of New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi. The ads are short (16 seconds or so), and there are three of them so far. They’re so short that it’s hard to make out the Bon Jovi song. I checked out…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 23, 2009 -
Which Free NES Game Should I Get?
Those of you that shelled out for the Wii’s Internet Channel before Nintendo made it free can now download one NES game on Virtual Console — as long as its worth 500 points. All you have to do is dust off your Wii and update the Shop channel. A little button saying “One Free Title”…
By AJ Glasser Published October 21, 2009 -
This Final Fantasy Crystal Bearers Attack Is Udderly Ridiculous
On the fence about upcoming Wii title Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, The Crystal Bearers? Not sure if you should pick up the game and worried that Square Enix is simply milking the franchise. Here’s at least one reason why the game is worth a closer look — make that four reason: laser shooting teats.
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 21, 2009 -
Go Play Games With Earthquakes In Them
October 17 marks the anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake — that famous 1989 one that rocked Northern California during an Oakland Athletics/San Francisco Giants game. So all this week, I’m going to try to play games with earthquakes in them. I guess I could widen that to include games with bridge collapses, since part…
By AJ Glasser Published October 12, 2009 -
The Nintendo Download: The First Of The Final Fantasies
The Final Fantasy that started it all makes its way to the Virtual Console this morning, and you all know the drill by now. First one to rescue the princess gets a bridge! I hope I didn’t just spoil a major plot point of Final Fantasy for you guys, but after playing it on the…
By Mike Fahey Published October 5, 2009 -
GRIN’s Ill-Fated “Fortress” Still Under Development
Citing unnamed sources, GamesIndustry.biz says the Final Fantasy spinoff codenamed “Fortress” has not died along with original developer GRIN. When the Stockholm studio closed, Fortress had already been taken back by Square Enix. GRIN shut down last month, after a lackluster year that saw Terminator: Salvation, Bionic Commando and Wanted: Weapons of Fate all fail…
By Owen Good Published September 21, 2009 -
Tokyo’s Video Game Toys And Final Fantasy Jewelry, Of Course
The Tokyo Game Show hasn’t started here in Japan yet, so half of your Kotaku team has been left with time to visit toy stores. We found a horde of video game toys and at least one other curious thing. All photos from Kiddy Land, a toy store in Tokyo’s Harajuku district.
By Stephen Totilo Published September 21, 2009 -
A Final Look Inside GRIN’s “Fortress”
An anonymous tipster attended GRIN’s going-out-of-business sale at the closed studio’s offices in Stockholm and snapped several pictures that seem to be of its work on, among other things, the Final Fantasy game it was rumored to be making for Square Enix. UPDATE – While some of this art is from the Final Fantasy game,…
By Owen Good Published September 13, 2009 -
More Art From GRIN’s Cancelled Final Fantasy Project
We don’t normally enjoy loitering around what is essentially a corpse, but when it’s a Final Fantasy game that was in production at a Swedish studio, well, you can excuse us for being curious. With the game now canned, and GRIN no more, the artists working on the game are now free to go posting…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 9, 2009 -
How Square Enix Ports DS Games To The Wii
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time was released on the DS and the Wii. How did Square Enix port it over? Easily. The game’s director Mitsuru Kamiyama explained at the recent CEDEC game conference in Japan, “The DS version was the original source code, we made a system that automatically generated the Wii version.”…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 3, 2009 -
What Series Will Sony Re-Release On Blu-Ray Next?
On the one hand, Sony’s decision to re-release God of War 1 & 2 on Blu-Ray seems selfish. A chance to force many people to re-purchase a game they already own. But on the other, it sets an interesting precedent. After all, it’s not like the set is being released out of the blue. There’s…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 31, 2009 -
A Look at Final Fantasy XIII’s Combat System and Strategy
The English localization is almost done. But the Japanese build of Final Fantasy XIII, shown off at Gamescom, gives you a good idea of what to expect in the gameplay when the title releases next year for Xbox 360 an PS3. FFXIII’s developer notes the game’s combat mechanism employs something they call the “paradigm shift”…
By Owen Good Published August 29, 2009 -
Did Final Fantasy Artist Draw 2ch Bear Character?
There were four 2ch Japanese-style ASCII art characters that folks voted on. The most popular selection was drawn by Final Fantasy and Vampire Hunter D artist Yoshitaka Amano. The winning character? ASCII art character Yaruo. Below is Amano’s take on Yaruo. An exhibition of Amano’s art is being held in Tokyo’s Omotesando Hills until August…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 26, 2009 -
Final Fantasy Artist Doing ASCII Art
Famous for his elegant Final Fantasy and Vampire Hunter D, artist Yoshitaka Amano will be drawing Japanese-style ASCII art. Folks will vote on which one of the four 2ch characters they want the famed illustrator to do his own interpretation of. The drawing will be shown live on Nico Nico Douga tomorrow from 8:00 to…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 25, 2009 -
GRIN Were Working On A Final Fantasy Game
There were the faintest of rumblings about this a couple of months ago, but now that GRIN are officially out of business, it can come to light that they’d been working on…a Final Fantasy game. Professional resume snoop superannuation has uncovered some concept art and CV listings for a game code-named “Fortress”, which we’re all…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 19, 2009