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The Next Kingdom Hearts Is One Of 2011’s First Notable Games
Eleven days into 2011, we get a new Kingdom Hearts that is unusual even by that series’ standards. On January 11 in North America, Square-Enix will release Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded, a Nintendo DS sequel to Kingdom Hearts II that involves fighting through a digital “datascape” of the diary Jiminy Cricket kept during the first Kingdom…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 15, 2010 -
Final Fantasy XIV Free Trial Period Extended, Big Changes On The Way
In the face of overwhelming criticism of the game’s current state, Square Enix is extending the free trial period for Final Fantasy XIV Online from 30 days to 60 days and outline plans to make the game more user-friendly. If you’ve been following my weekly Final Fantasy XIV MMO logs leading up to next week’s…
By Mike Fahey Published October 15, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes Of Light
Four unassuming adventurers set forth on a journey to save a magical kingdom in Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light for the Nintendo DS. Now where have I heard this story before? Take four unseasoned heroes and toss them into a world-spanning adventure filled with mythical creatures, powerful magic, and twisting dungeons with turn-based…
By Mike Fahey Published October 14, 2010 -
The 3rd Birthday Brings Back One Of My Favorite Gameplay Mechanics
Forgive me for having played Battlefield 2: Modern Combat and not Parasite Eve. I cannot detail to you how the upcoming PSP game The 3rd Birthday builds upon the latter. But I can say how wonderfully it echoes the former. The 3rd Birthday is a PSP adaptation of a Square Enix game originally released for…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 14, 2010 -
Let’s Check Those Halo Reach Statues Again
When we last saw Square Enix’s Halo Reach statues in July, half of them weren’t painted. Now they all are. Half of Halo Reach’s Noble Team team will be available in statue form this fall; the other half in early 2011.
By Stephen Totilo Published October 9, 2010 -
This Just Cause 2 Stunt Was Worth $10,000
All Daniel Steinberg of Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, had to do to win $10,000 from Square Enix was fly a jet plane through a casino. Steinberg is the winner of the Square Enix Just Cause 2 Stunt Challenge, beating out several solid competitors with his precision flying. It’s not the most impressive Just Cause 2…
By Mike Fahey Published October 8, 2010 -
A Better View Of The Final Fantasy XIII Agito And Versus TGS Trailer
Last month we brought you shaky cam footage of the behind-closed-doors trailers for Final Fantasy Agito XIII and Versus XIII. Now we’ve got a better look. Square Enix has released the trailer on its Japanese website for Square Enix members to view, and now it’s shown up on YouTube as well. It’s a much clearer…
By Mike Fahey Published October 8, 2010 -
Final Fantasy XIV MMO Log Two: Hammering Out The Rough Edges
In the first Final Fantasy XIV MMO Log, I wondered what my motivation for playing the game was. This week I decided to make my own quest. Kotaku’s MMO reviews are a multi-part process. Rather than deliver day one reviews based on beta gameplay, we play the game for four weeks before issuing our final…
By Mike Fahey Published October 5, 2010 -
Taito: Maker Of Games, Builder Of ROBOTS!
During the 1980s, game company Namco started making awesome robots. Robots! But Namco was not alone. Space Invaders developer Taito also took the know-how it attained from the arcade business and funneled that into building its own bots. In 1983, Taito created a walking, talking bot named “Yumemaru” as well as a guitar-playing robot. Yumemaru…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 5, 2010 -
What’s Up With The Tentacles?
The latest trailer for Japanese survival horror game The 3rd Birthday features phallic looking tentacles. Tentacles, again with the tentacles. What gives, Japan? One of the earliest (if not the earliest) pieces of tentacle erotica is The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife (NSFW) by Edo-period artist Hokusai, who is one of Japan’s greatest artists. The…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 5, 2010 -
Just Cause Movie Gets A Screenwriter
A Just Cause movie, which we got wind of a year ago, now has a screenwriter and another producing partner, signaling that we’re a step closer to an action-movie video game adapted into a video game action movie. Michael Ross, whose credits include the 2006 horror flick “Turistas,” has been brought aboard to write the…
By Owen Good Published October 3, 2010 -
Legless Marathon’s Underground Final Fantasy XIV Adventure
During the Final Fantasy XIV beta stress test, a tiny Lalafell named Legless Marathon fell through the world. It was the beginning of a grand adventure. Normally falling through the world would be a bad thing, but little Legless here has a grand old time. He does battle with vicious creatures that can’t technically touch…
By Mike Fahey Published September 29, 2010 -
This Is A List Of Nintendo 3DS Games (Some New, Most Old)
The Nintendo 3DS isn’t out yet, but it looks like it will get a bunch of games. A list of undated titles has popped up online. Those games include: *Deep breath* Samurai Warriors Chronicle, Resident Evil Revelations, Super Street Fighter IV, Dynasty Warriors Musou, Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive, Kingdom Hearts 3D, Chocobo Racing 3D,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 29, 2010 -
Final Fantasy XIV MMO Log One: What’s My Motivation?
As part of Kotaku’s extended massively-multiplayer role-playing game review process, I spent the better part of the past week playing Final Fantasy XIV. I’m still not sure why. Kotaku’s MMO reviews are a multi-part process. Rather than deliver day one reviews based on beta gameplay, we play the game for four weeks before issuing our…
By Mike Fahey Published September 27, 2010 -
Is This The Worst Bundle Item Ever?
Online role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV has several collector’s editions. Included in the Japanese version is a Final Fantasy XIV drinking cup. Don’t expect to drink much from it. You can’t. According to the box that the cup comes in: Do not fill the product with the following materials as they may cause damage: Items…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 27, 2010 -
ReviewsSpace Invaders Infinity Gene Review: To Infinity And Beyond
In 1978, arcade shooter Space Invaders was so popular that it caused a national coin shortage in Japan. But it’s not 1978. It’s 2010. Early in Space Invaders Infinity Gene, there is a quote from Charles Darwin that really sets the mood for the entire game. Space Invaders IG isn’t just Space Invaders updated, it’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 25, 2010 -
This Is The Official Final Fantasy XIV PC Controller
While Final Fantasy XIV works splendidly with a wired Microsoft controller, it does not exactly scream “Final Fantasy.” One can hear this official Final Fantasy XIV controller from Sunflex screaming from a mile away. First unveiled at GamesCom last month the official Final Fantasy XIV controller has more of a PlayStation aesthetic to it. It…
By Mike Fahey Published September 23, 2010 -
Dissidia 012[Duodecim] Final Fantasy’s TGS Trailer Busts Out
Square Enix’s next Final Fantasy drenched fighting game, the painfully titled Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy, was shown at this year’s Tokyo Game Show in both playable and trailer form. Here is the latter. The PSP game appears to have all the high drama and the beautifully rendered CGI of a Final Fantasy game, but now…
By Michael McWhertor Published September 22, 2010 -
Final Fantasy XIV Converts Your Cash To Crysta
With Final Fantasy XIV launching tonight for purchasers of the Collector’s Edition, Square Enix introduces Crysta, a new payment method for players of the company’s online titles. Sony Online Entertainment has Station Cash, Nexon has Nexon Cash, and now Square Enix has Crysta, a new payment system that sounds like a delicious, low-calorie beverage from…
By Mike Fahey Published September 21, 2010 -
Square Enix Confirms Horrible Game Name For North America
After showing off the Lightning-infused new title at the Tokyo Game Show last week, Square Enix confirms a North American PSP release for Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy. And we thought 358/2 Days was bad. Coming to Japan and North America in 2011, Dissidia 2 continues the fight between Cosmos and Chaos that began in the…
By Mike Fahey Published September 21, 2010