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Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Wakes Up To Japanese Release Date
PSP role-playing-game Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep has been dated for Japan. The game will be released on January 9 and priced at ¥6,090 (US$67). Birth By Sleep is an action RPG set ten years before the first Kingdom Hearts game. Be sure to check out our impressions on the game.
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 21, 2009 -
Is This Square Enix’s Last PS2 Game?
Final Fantasy XI: Vana’diel Collection 2 is getting released in Japan on three platforms (Xbox 360, PC and PS2), but it will only be out on the Xbox 360 and PC in North America. According to game site Siliconera, this is Square Enix‘s last PS2 title. As the PS3 picks up more steam, the PS2…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 16, 2009 -
Who Does This New Kingdom Hearts Character Look Like?
We know we’ve seen that stache before! But where? Upcoming PSP game Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep features a new character with the name “Master Eraqsu”. Eraqsu backwards in Japanese is close to “Square”. But there might be going on than a simple word play. Oh yes, much more. Some on the Japanese internet believe…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 15, 2009 -
Looks Like A New Game Mode For Birth By Sleep
I was jealous when I heard Stephen Totilo played Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep at the Tokyo Game Show. But even if he saw it first, it looks like he didn’t see everything. Apparently there’s a board game-type of mode in Birth By Sleep that breaks up the hack ‘n’ slash monotony many non-KH fans…
By AJ Glasser Published October 15, 2009 -
Do You Know This Lady’s Name?
She appeared in the Tokyo Game Show Final Fantasy XIII trailer, and we didn’t know her name until now. Her name is Oerba Yun Fang — she’s a mysterious L’Cie lady with a nifty tattoo. And her summon? Her summon is “The Dragon King”, Bahamut. Shonen Jump: New details on new, blue l’Cie lady [Final…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 15, 2009 -
Bon Jovi To Help Shill Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles In Japan
Upcoming Wii release Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers will get a taste of Jersey for its Japanese release. Rock band Bon Jovi will be lending its flavor of rock to the game’s overseas TV advertising. Bon Jovi, a band four years older than the Final Fantasy series itself, will be co-promoting Crystal Bearers…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 13, 2009 -
Square Enix On Why Manga Doesn’t Sell As Big Overseas
Final Fantasy maker Square Enix doesn’t only make Final Fantasy. The Japanese company also has an anime and manga division, responsible for titles like Saki and Full Metal Alchemist. When division head Kouji Taguchi was asked why manga sales in the US were still considerably smaller than in Japan, he replied: The best sellers in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 12, 2009 -
Reviews
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Review: Crisis Hearts
Our time with the Nobody Roxas in Kingdom Hearts II was far too short. Square Enix rectifies this oversight with Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for the Nintendo DS. 358/2 Days tells the tale of Sora’s Nobody Roxas from the time he first came into being up until he finds himself among friends at the beginning…
By Mike Fahey Published October 9, 2009 -
The Critters of Final Fantasy XIV
Raptors, antelopes, mammets, oh my! Square Enix has already unveiled the character races and classes. Now it’s time to have a look a the “beastiary”. “Whether procuring pelts for sale at the market, gathering ingredients for alchemic endeavors, or finding a tasty morsel to quell the incessant grumblings of one’s belly,” states the game’s official…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 8, 2009 -
Hear Final Fantasy XIII’s English Voice Acting In New Old Trailer
How many times have you seen this Final Fantasy XIII trailer? This could easily be your third, but the addition of English language voice acting and lip syncing make it worth watching again. For giggles, you can listen to it alongside the subtitled version, just to see the difference between the properly scripted and the…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 2, 2009 -
What Does Ichiro Do When He’s Hurt?
He plays Dragon Quest, that’s what. In a recent interview in which he discussed his nine consecutive 200 hit season, the topic of Square Enix‘s role-playing-game came up. The Mariners right fielder said, “Oh, I’ve been indebted to Dragon Quest — especially when I got injured. That was true as well when I played in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 2, 2009 -
Japanese Retailer Charging US$5.35 To Play Final Fantasy XIII
This December, Final Fantasy XIII will hit Japan on the PS3. The release date is December 17 — so how long would players need to finish the game? A week? Those who can barrel through the title on the quick might want to pre-order the ¥7,980 (US$88.88) title through retailer TSUTAYA by September 30. That’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 30, 2009 -
Final Fantasy XIII TGS Trailer, Now In English
The Final Fantasy XIII Trailer from TGS sure was epic, no? Pity for us English-speakers it was all in Japanese. Not so this trailer, which has been thoughtfully subtitled for your viewing pleasure. If only Square Enix’s localisation teams worked this fast…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 30, 2009 -
NieR Screenshot Shows More Flesh Than It Should?
Heroine Kaine in the upcoming Cavia-developed, Square Enix-published RPG NieR is a male-female character that gives players the best of both worlds. This latest screenshot is revealing a little too much, some claim. Various Japanese sites are stating that this Kaine screen shows off the character’s areola. Embarrassing enlarged screenshot below. Breasts in gaming have…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 30, 2009 -
NieR Gestalt Impressions: Bewildered In A Hallway
Nier Gestalt‘s protagonist may be the perfect hero for his game. He looks tired and a bit confused. After a 40 minute wait on a line at last week’s Tokyo Game Show, I played a five minute demo of Square-Enix and Cavia’s 2010 third-person action role playing game, NieR Gestalt. I was unimpressed. The demo…
By Stephen Totilo Published September 29, 2009 -
Square Enix Wants To Sell Over Six Million Copies of FFXIII
The last big game Square Enix released is Dragon Quest IX, which sold over 3.7 million copies in Japan alone. The next big game? Final Fantasy XIII. Square Enix hopes to sell more of that game, way more. The previous title shipped over six million copies worldwide, reports Reuters. The target Square Enix is setting…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 29, 2009 -
The Epic Final Fantasy XIII TGS Trailer
Thrilling combat, transforming hot rods, and enough drama to fill your average American high school, all in this Tokyo Game Show trailer for Final Fantasy XIII. After the unwelcome real-time turn that Final Fantasy XII took and the fact that Final Fantasy XI completely doesn’t count, I am more than ready for a return to…
By Mike Fahey Published September 28, 2009 -
Square Enix Japan To Cut 200 to 300 Jobs
If the small number of booths at this year’s Tokyo Game Show is any indication, the Japanese game industry has seen better days. Even large Japanese companies are hurting. The company behind the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, Square Enix, is rumored to be trimming down its workforce, we hear. Apparently, somewhere between 200 and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 28, 2009 -
Front Mission Evolved: Hands-On With The Wanzers
Square Enix’s attempt to shift the Front Mission series from turn-based strategy role-playing game to third-person shooter was finally playable to the public at Tokyo Game Show. That gave us a chance to see just how Front Mission has “evolved.” The demo that we played—once on the PlayStation 3, once on the Xbox 360—was largely…
By Michael McWhertor Published September 27, 2009 -
Death By Cube Impressions: One Of TGS’ Bloodiest
Who can resist trying a game called Death By Cube? Not I. In the rear of the Square-Enix booth, away from the crowds lined up for anything and everything Final Kingdom Quest, I found Death By Cube. It is an upcoming Xbox Live Arcade game developed by a studio called Premium Agency, and it will…
By Stephen Totilo Published September 26, 2009