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Stop Dragging Dragon Quest Around, Square Enix
In today’s warrior-dragging (get it?) installment of Speak Up on Kotaku, commenter Paradox Me ponders the poor treatment Square Enix has given Enix’s major contribution to the role-playing world. Why does it feel like Square isn’t utilizing the Dragon Quest franchise as well as they could be, despite its immense popularity? Don’t get me wrong,…
By Mike Fahey Published March 16, 2012 -
New Final Fantasy Versus XIII Info? Hrm…
Square Enix has been making Final Fantasy Versus XIII for a long, long time. Gamers aren’t playing the game yet; rather, they’re playing the waiting for it game. The Versus designer, Tetsuya Nomura said the latest info about the title is ready to roll, but… But…. “We’re almost done with preparing the latest info for…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 14, 2012 -
Which Is The Best Final Fantasy? All of Them!
When people talk Japanese roleplaying games, there’s one question that comes up quite a bit: Which is the best Final Fantasy? Plenty of JRPG fans have wasted hours debating this question, each making his or her own case for which of Square Enix’s ubiquitous roleplaying games is the cream of the crop. It’s a stale…
By Jason Schreier Published March 9, 2012 -
The Latin Inspiration Behind One of Final Fantasy VII‘s Biggest Songs
You’ve heard “One Winged Angel,” the memorable dark melody that plays during Final Fantasy VII‘s Sephiroth’s most chilling moments, but did you know that much of it was inspired by the Latin cantata Carmina Burana? Kotaku video editor Chris Person has put together this video showing some of the similarities between the two pieces.
By Jason Schreier Published March 9, 2012 -
ReviewsThe Last Story: The Kotaku Review
In 1987, a young director by the name of Hironobu Sakaguchi was charged with making a game for his small game company, Square. Up until this point the company had had moderate success with racing and platforming games, but it was clear to all that Sakaguchi’s game was likely to be his—if not the company’s—final…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published March 2, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Saluting Japan’s Computer Graphics Pioneers
There was a revolution in the 1980s. It started in the military and the space industry, but it didn’t use rockets or weapons. Instead, it used computers and floppy disks. The revolution was the proliferation of computer graphics, and it soon spread to entertainment. “Japanese institutions were just as avid as its American and European…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012 -
The Creator of Final Fantasy Just Wants to Have Fun
Hironobu Sakaguchi doesn’t worry too much about the future, he said in an interview with Eurogamer published today. He worries about the now. The creator of Final Fantasy, whose latest game The Last Story hit European stores last week and will invade the U.S. this summer, says he doesn’t have any specifically pressing goals or…
By Jason Schreier Published February 27, 2012 -
Kotaku EastThe Final Fantasy Social Game in which You Do NOTHING
Last week, as part of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy‘s Japanese launch, Square Enix released the tie-in promotional game, Social Theatrhythm. In this flash game, you create a character and then join up with three Twitter or Facebook friends to play a co-op version of Theatrhythm Of course by “play,” I mean “do nothing.” After choosing your…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published February 24, 2012 -
Do Not Attempt These Painfully Awkward Video Game Pickup Lines on Other Living Creatures
“A lot of black girls, some of them are too light. Some of them are too dark. But you? You’re like the Perfect Dark.” When Bay area pickup artists Simple Pickup are tasked with getting girls’ phone numbers using lines incorporating video game titles, that was the best they could do. How can they possibly…
By Mike Fahey Published February 23, 2012 -
These Sexy Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC Outfits Are Completely Justifiable
Arriving next week alongside the “Sazh: Heads or Tails?” story pack, these two new outfits for Final Fantasy XIII-2 main characters Serah and Noel might seem like a pair of extravagant attempts to acquire $2.99 from players, but they make perfect sense in the grand scheme of things. Take Noel’s Spacetime Guardian outfit, the main…
By Mike Fahey Published February 21, 2012 -
What a Western Final Fantasy Could Have Sounded Like
One of the most fascinating video game dead ends in recent years has been the fact that, up until a few years ago, a Swedish developer was working on a big-money Final Fantasy game While the project was ultimately cancelled, and in a very messy way, it still tickles a lot of people’s “what if”…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 19, 2012 -
Let China Show You How to Chun-Li and Final Fantasy
You might not know how to Chun-Li. You might not know how to Final Fantasy or SoulCalibur. Chinese photographer Mengjie Luan sure does. His work is showcases games like Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Street Fighter IV, and Dynasty Warriors, among others. The photos are dramatic and colorful. The 29 year-old has an eye for dramatic…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 17, 2012 -
Sazh, Card Games, and Bikinis All To Be Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC
Square Enix is continuing to keep the ball rolling on Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC. Their previous entry brought Lightning and Master Sergeant Amodar to the game; the next will bring Sazh. The downloadable episode, called “Sazh: Heads or Tails?” allows players to take the title character through a story of his own that runs in…
By Kate Cox Published February 16, 2012 -
Kotaku EastFirst Look at Buying Nintendo 3DS Downloadable Content
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is apparently flying off store shelves in Japan. Gamers can beef up their Final Fantasy music game experience with some pricey DLC. Sister site Kotaku Japan put the game through its downloadable content paces. As Kotaku Japan pointed out, this is the first DLC for the Nintendo 3DS. The DLC is accessed…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 16, 2012 -
These Chibi Final Fantasy Figures Are Absolutely Adorable
Don’t mind the detached plastic faces in front of them. These action figures, seen today at the New York Toy Fair, are totally precious From left to right, you can see Final Fantasy X‘s Yuna, Final Fantasy VII‘s Cloud, and Final Fantasy VIII‘s Squall. Not pictured: the souls of Square Enix executives that had to…
By Jason Schreier Published February 12, 2012 -
In Case You Skipped Final Fantasy XIII, Here’s a Breakdancing Recap Rap
Final Fantasy XIII-2 comes with a multi-chapter, fully voiced summary of the plot of its predecessor, which is extremely convenient for fans that decided to pass up XIII in favor of not getting involved in a giant argument. It does not feature pixel breakdancing or any sort of lyrical rampage. This one does. Kotaku reader…
By Mike Fahey Published February 10, 2012 -
Final Fantasy XIV Dumps Worlds for Merger
If you’ve been playing online game Final Fantasy XIV, you know there are eighteen in-game worlds. That is going to change. Soon there will be ten. “In order to improve the player experience, we will be merging Worlds on Tuesday, March 27, 2012,” stated Square Enix. “After the merge is completed, there will be a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2012 -
Chinese Tifa Goes Camping. She Makes Curry Fried Rice.
Kotaku has posted tons of cosplay over the years. Yet, I cannot remember any pieces the site did on cosplayers who cook, let alone camp. Tifa—that’s her name—does both. And with a name like Tifa, you betcha she’s dressed as the Final Fantasy VII character Tifa Lockhart So what the hell is going on here?…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2012 -
Final Fantasy Is Bringing Pricy DLC to the 3DS
While Nintendo’s said it would help ensure that DLC pricing isn’t unreasonable, Square Enix shows us the future. One downloadable song for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is ¥150 (US$1.95); all 8 tracks are ¥1,200 ($15.60) Not cheap! [忍之閻魔帳]
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 8, 2012 -
Hey Final Fantasy, Why So Serious?
Remember back when the Final Fantasy franchise had room for silly jokes and random frivolity? Commenter Balmung certainly does, and he wonders we’ll ever go back there in today’s Speak Up on Kotaku. So I was just wondering about this. When did the Final Fantasy games get so serious? Back through Final Fantasies III-VII the…
By Mike Fahey Published February 7, 2012