News

I hate to burden all of you with two news updates in a single morning, but this news tidbit was too juicy to ignore. 1up.com has released a final preview of Final Fantasy IV Advance, detailing the new dungeons and returning characters. I'll cover their preview to the best of my ability, saving you all the trouble of reading the 1up article yourselves.

To refresh your memory, FF IV Advance provides improved graphical textures, new menu portraits, and a refined translation compared to any previous version of the game, plus adds two new optional dungeons and a means for replacing characters in and out of your party. The game's difficulty is the same as it was in the original Japanese "Hardtype." For better or for worse, several spell names have changed, using the ara and aga suffixes rather than the oldschool numerals and changing Meteo to Meteor (I personally find that last edit disgraceful).

After defeating the Giant of Babil, you can replace Kain, Rosa, Rydia, or Edge with Palom, Porom, Cid, Edward, or Yang, each of whom was in your party sometime earlier in the story. Each of the five returning characters have had adjusted stats to make them useful in the new lategame. Cid "is a total hoss", featuring superior HP and Defense compared to other characters and Edward, while as frail as ever, is adept at inflicting status effects with his harps (far more so now than on the SNES). After re-recruiting these five characters, your party can return to Mount Ordeals for a short but intense 8-floor dungeon whose end features five new powerful weapons, one for each of your returning characters. Yang's weapon is the holy-elemental Hand of the Gods, Cid's is the randomly-Thundaga-casting Thor's Hammer, Edward's is called Apollo's Harp, Palom's the Triton's Dagger, and Porom's the Seraphim Mace.

If that wasn't enough for you, there is still another optional endgame dungeon, The Lunar Ruins found on the Moon. Once you've beaten the game, this new dungeon is unlocked, featuring nine special sealed gates, one corresponding to each character, with Palom and Porom sharing the same gate. In each gate, you'll first need to endure a brutal dungeon that makes the Path to the Core "look like a cakewalk." The early levels of the Lunar Ruins feature monsters that we're already familliar with, like Behemoths, Minds, and Wicked Faces from the final dungeon, but the lower levels include new monsters that are more difficult than any random encounter in the game. At the end of each of the sealed gate dungeons, you'll need to take the associated character along for a special trial - these trials range from Yang taking on dozens of powerful Monks to an airship-flying minigame for Cid. At the end of each set of trials we fight a beefed-up Lunar version of one of Rydia's summons, with HP ranging from 90,000 to more than 120,000. Beating each Lunar Summon will net you a new powerful piece of equipment and a special item called a Grimoire. Getting all nine Grimoires will unlock the game's ultimate challenge - "an unbelievably difficult fight that should make aficionados of FFIV trivia particularly happy."

So that's the game. This seems to be very similar and at the same time very different from the Dawn of Souls remake - there are a great deal of new features but instead of dumbing down the gameplay experience, it's more hardcore than ever. All of the information I've provided is derived from Gamespot's screenshots archive and 1up's detailed preview linked in the first paragraph. Final Fantasy IV Advance is released December 12th, 2005 in the US.

Last May, Nintendo revealed a few minor features relating to the company's newest console, code-named Revolution, at its pre-E3 press conference. One of the most fascinating moments was when Nintendo announced the console would be able to play past games, via download, from systems such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo, the Nintendo 64, and the GameCube. Many fans, however, were disappointed overall to learn they were denied a full viewing and demonstration of the very promising machine and hoped more information would surface within the coming months.

And it did, beginning with the prototype controller that both intrigued many gamers and made others shun away from a system they had yet to see. The slender design combined with the semblance of a television remote indicated many possibilities but also lead to skepticism over whether or not it would function properly and comfortably. Information was coming in slow, and gamers began to conjecture that Nintendo might not unveil the Revolution for another few years.

But now, stated inside an email sent out by the Mario Factory, Nintendo has finally set a specified date for a public showing. With only "a mere 165 days to go (give or take)" the former game king will show off "all the incredible details about Nintendo's upcoming games and hardware, including our next home console, code-named Revolution."

If you did the math, you'll discover that lands around the second week of May. Sure enough, the associated press conference is scheduled for May 9th, 2006 during Nintendo's pre-E3 event. The venue will be Hollywood's Kodak Theatre - which is also the home of the Academy Awards - in California. Nintendo has ensured before that the Revolution will redefine the routine of playing video games, and come next spring thousands of fans will lay witness to just how.

Source: GameSpot

According to rpgfan.com, Famitsu magazine stated earlier this week that Final Fantasy XII will implement a clan system, not unlike the clan system from FF Tactics Advance. The clan system will allow the player to partake in specific quests provided by the clan and shop in clan-exclusive shops, plus possibly more unrevealed featues.

It seems unlikely to me that the clan system will feature prominently in the game's plot, as it would be make plot advancement seem somewhat awkward. I'm inclined to think that the clan system will allow the player to join one of multiple clans and have the clan serve as the means for taking part in sidequests, rather than drive the action as the clan/mission system did in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Still, love or hate this new clan system, a great deal of FF XII is a mystery as of now, so all we can do is speculate and hope that this next big title in our favorite RPG series lives up to its predecessors.

Final Fantasy XII, masterminded by Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics director Yasumi Matsuno, will be released in Japan on March 16th, 2006 and in the US on August 1st, 2006, barring future delays.

Phantasy Star Universe, the highly anticipated PlayStation 2 and PC installment to Sega's Phantasy Star series and the sequel to the critically acclaimed Dreamcast online RPG, is no doubt gaining more and more hype as its release date slowly but surely approaches. Sonic Team has thrown fans yet another bone this week by way of an update to the game's website which features some brand spanking new movies and gameplay screenshots. But that's not all; a bit of tidings involving a next-gen version of the large multiplayer title has been bouncing about the rumor mill lately, stirring up information on a possible XBox 360 release. Sega has not yet commented on the legitimacy of these reports.

As far as pre-launch preparations go, Sega Link ID registration - necessary for accessing the title's online mode - is now open to gamers in Japan. Fans who register between the dates of November 25th and January 31st will also be given an in-game item, free of charge. As an added bonus, anyone who preorders Phantasy Star Universe will receive an artbook full of the series' concept works and a CD soundtrack. However, both offers are currently exclusive only to Japanese gamers.

Phantasy Star Universe is set to arrive in Japan on February 16th, 2006, followed by a May release in North America. Europe has not been given a concrete launch date as of yet, but the game is expected to reach its shores at some point within spring of next year.

Sources:
CVG
RPGFan

Square-Enix has announced that Nobuo Uematsu's "More Friends" concert performed at E3 earlier this year with a subsequent tour, a follow-up to his "Dear Friends" tour, will be recorded on to a CD and released in Japan. The CD will be entitled "More Friends music from FINAL FANTASY ~Los Angeles Performance 2005~." The concert was primarily orchestral-styled renditions of the classic Final Fantasy music, but it featured guest vocalists RIKKI (for FF X's Suteki Da Ne) and Emiko Shiratori (for FF IX's Melodies of Life) as well as Uematsu's rock band, The Black Mages (joining the orchestra for a rendition of the first of FF VII's final battle themes, One-Winged Angel).

Surprisingly, there is no word on a US release thus far despite the concert taking place in the US and the good reception of "Dear Friends" in the US. Future US and European releases are probable, but there's no information regarding that yet.

The track list from the concert (and presumably on the CD), is as follows: Swing De Chocobo (an arrangement of The Chocobo song by guest conductor Arnie Roth), Final Fantasy Main Theme (from multiple FF games, notably I and IV), The Rocking Grounds (IIIj), Terra's Theme (VI), Draco and Maria Overture (VI), Aria Di Mezzo Carattere (VI), Wedding Walz and Duel (VI), Bombing Mission (VII), Aerith's Theme (VII), One-Winged Angel (VII), Liberi Fatali (VIII), Maybe I'm a Lion (VIII), Melodies of Life (IX), A Place to Call Home (IX), To Zanarkand (X), and Suteki Da Ne (X).

Other songs that were confirmed to have been played during the tour but not in Los Angeles were Theme of Love (IV), Dear Friends (V), Love Grows (VIII, an instrumental rendition of "Eyes on Me"), Vamo' Alla Flamenco (IX, the Chocobo H&C song), and Ronfaure (XI). It isn't out of the question for Square-Enix to add some of these, but the fact that the CD is of the LA concert makes it unlikely.

A new update, brought to you by none other than Del S and myself, this time focusing on two games.

Added to our Final Fantasy Tactics section are two pieces. One is from L. Cully , an already notorious writer here at the Caves of Narshe for her previous work on Final Fantasy 6, and the other comes from a newcomer, Damien Valar, whom we hope you'll appreciate the style.

Damien Valar also helps build up our Final Fantasy 7 section, with the addition of his serious and original piece, while Del S himself proposes a 4 chapters piece, filled with his usual british style and personal interests in armed forces.

Enjoy your reading, and don't hesitate to share your opinions on these new pieces here.

With the X-Box debuting today for $299 or $399 depending on the 'extras' included, the pressure is on for Microsoft's rivals to announce a launch price for their consoles.

Sony CEO Howard Stringer announced to Fortune magazine that he expected the PS3 to launch for between $300 and $400 next spring, making it competitively priced.

This may come as somewhat of a relief to Sony fans, especially after another Sony spokesperson announced that the PS3 would be "very expensive" due to the Blu-Ray DVD technology. Stringer confirmed that the company would be taking a loss on the console price in order to keep it from being prohibitively expensive to gamers.

Stringer also hinted at the release of a media bundle to showcase the PS3s abilities. Whether these will be along the lines of the FFVII "remake" or actual demos of things to come is unknown.

Source: CVG

Famitsu scans out of the latest issue of the Japanese magazine reveal some new and somewhat nostalgic information concerning the upcoming Nintendo DS RPG, Seiken Densetsu DS: Children of Mana. Reportedly, series creator Koichi Ishii has teamed up with development company Next Entertainment in an effort to produce a game very similar to the popular Super Nintendo action RPG, Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 2).

First of all, the "ring command" system featured in Secret of Mana will make its return in the newest handheld installment. The system will be used via the DS's touch screen, enabling players to control the menu in a swift, easy fashion.

Perhaps the best additions - not to mention the most interesting - are the two new characters being introduced into the cast of Children of Mana, both previously from Secret of Mana. The Dwarven blacksmith who originally assisted with weapons, Watts, is now said to be a wanderer from a foreign country and apparently a noble within the world of Children of Mana. There's also Moti, the dancing shopkeeper from Secret of Mana who has somehow transformed into the elder of Illuja Island - the hometown of the latest game's heroes. Famitsu magazine has confirmed that both characters' roles will be of more importance than they were in Secret of Mana.

Seiken Densetsu DS: Children of Mana is due out in Japan this winter. Although Square-Enix has trademarked the title in the US they've yet to give any word on a North American release date.

Source: RPGamer

November 15th, 2005 almost marks a new beginning for Enix's flagship series. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King will be the first DQ game in the US to use the Japanese series name (thanks to Enix acquiring the US rights to the name in 2003), it is the first DQ game to be played in full 3D, and it has received both commercial success (3 million copies sold in its first week in Japan) and critical acclaim (a 9.0 from Gamespot and a 9.5 from 1up). American gamers can experience what is being hailed as the best game in the storied series on the PS2 starting today.

Dragon Quest VIII uses the creative talents of the series' original "big three" (Producer/Director Yuji Horii, character designer Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball __ fame, and music composer Koichi Sugiyama) and the visual stylings of the development team Level-5 (most well-known for their Dark Cloud games) to create this PS2 RPG. You assume the role of a name-it-yourself silent protagonist who teams up with the kind-hearted former bandit Yangus, the attractive young sorceress Jessica, and the suave Templar Angelo to try and save the kingdom of Trodain from the evil jester Dhoulmagus. Dhoulmagus has used a powerful magic scepter to transform the good King Trode in to a troll, his daughter in to a horse, and every other denizen of Trodain in to thorns. Somehow, The Hero (as every principal protagonist in the DQ/DW series is called), a young guardsman of the castle, managed to be unaffected by the spell and now travels with the king and princess on a journey to undo the curse.

One thing that is particularly striking about Dragon Quest VIII is the modern visuals. The massive, immersive continuous 3D world really looks excellent. However, that's where most of the modern features end. Dragon Quest VIII uses the traditional methods of random battles, level-ups, and round-based combat that the series has used since it's beginning in 1982, but it offers a degree of customization by allowing characters to distribute Skill Points earned a level-ups to different weapon skill levels and innate skill levels. For example, Angelo learns a great deal of healing magic if you give him points in Staves, and learns offensive movies if you give him points in Swords. In any case, the game looks to be extremely old-school rpg with absolutely gorgeous, if a bit cartoonish, graphics and a world map that's a wonder to behold.

And if that isn't enough to pique your interest, keep in mind that DQ VIII contains a bonus demo for Final Fantasy XII, which you may have heard gaming sites discussing in detail recently. That will only serve as added incentive for fans of Square-Enix to purchase this new game.

So let's review: Switching to Japanese titles, hitting 3D for the first time, excellent visual presentation, commericial success, and consistent critical acclaim? Sounds like Final Fantasy VII to me. Will DQ VIII parallel FF VII's succes? Probably not, but in any case, if you've been a fan of the Dragon Quest series for awhile or at least have a fondness for old-school RPGs then this game might be worth checking out. If you want to learn more about DQ VIII, check out some of the links below.

Gamespot's review
1up's review
Square-Enix's official website
Wikipedia's DQ VIII entry

Tactica Online, a strategy-MMORPG set to come out on the PC, needs you! The development company Imaginary Numbers began recruiting players on Friday for the upcoming beta test of the game, and the offer is still open for anyone to join.

Imaginary Numbers has, from the beginning, designed Tactica Online to be very different from other online RPGs. This is reflected in both its accurate portrayal of the Renaissance era of European history and its unique tactical gameplay. Likewise, most everything players' characters do - through regular gameplay, missions, and campaigns - influences the world, no matter how major or minimal.

Unlike a number of MMORPGs, Tactica Online features turn-based battles fought between squads. Combat is said to be fast-paced and the time taken to select a move or attack each turn is limited, thereby elminating any slow progression within this massive multiplayer game. Controlled characters also lack the ability to level up; the player instead uses experience gained from completed missions to "purchase" new skills once they're unlocked.

Although beta testing won't begin for another couple of weeks, anyone interested can find further details and sign up by hopping on over to the Tactica Online website.

New scans of FFIV Advance have shed some light on details that everyone has been drooling for.

Character switching is done in the Mysidian tower, which most of you will remember from getting the Big Whale. All of the characters that gather there are available to join your party, you simply talk to them and decide which character to switch them out with.

The new dungeon is going to be a total length of fifty floors, and will be host to the ultimate weapons for the newly playable characters. The main purpose of the dungeon is to power up your characters so that they aren't lacking behind the others massively. Of note, each ultimate weapon is guarded by a special boss, unique to the GBA version.

Source: RPGamer

So I guess this clears up some of the rumors and questions people have been having. I know several people, myself included, were worrying about the characters being massively underpowered. I hear high level Edward is a pretty decent character, so I have to wonder about a well equipped version of him.

The brains behind the Final Fantasy concert series Dear Friends and More Friends, JMP Productions, is in the process of putting together another similar program entitled Play! A Video Game Symphony. Select pieces from the soundtracks of various RPGs (and other genres) including The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, World of Warcraft, and the Final Fantasy series will be performed.

Play!, like the Final Fantasy concerts before it, will feature scenes from each game projected on large screens throughout the performances. The music will be conducted by music director and principal conductor of the Chicagoland Pops, Arnie Roth. As reported by 1Up.com, courtesy of Jason Michael Paul and Thomas Boeker, both organizers of the tour, Chrono series composer Yasunori Mitsuda is arranging some of the music for the program, but it is currently unknown which of his songs will be included.

Play! A Video Game Symphony will make its debut in North America April of next year, followed by a worldwide tour. More information as well as an upcoming tour schedule can be found at the concert series' official website.

Source: RPGamer

A new twist in Konami's Suikoden series of RPGs arrived in North America today. "Suikoden Tactics" ("Rhapsodia" in Japan) is a significant deviation from the typical style of the rest of the series. The game will feature a tactical scenario style of combat instead of the traditional turn-and-party based system, and is also the first in the Suikoden timeline to cover the same events as another game, namely, Suikoden IV.

Sources:
IGN
SARS

Personally, I'm not sure what to think until I've played it. I really didn't like Suikoden IV, and I think the release of another game with a completely different style is a way for Konami to gauge reaction to gameplay innovations before implementing them in the series proper (and risking backlash like that which accompanied Suikoden III's new combat system). If this is the game that gets the series back on track, it will certainly be ironic.

The first real batch of FFIV Advance screenshots has snaked it's way onto the internet, along with a video of actual gameplay.

You can view the screenshots here

Looks pretty sweet, although i'm not sure if I like Yang's new menu picture, personally.

Mother creator Shigesato Itoi has revealed on his official news site that his much beloved RPG series is far from dead, contrary to some fan speculation. In fact, its third title, Mother 3, is expected to see a release on the Game Boy Advance this coming spring!

This news provides quite a surprise given how long Mother 3 has been in the making, as well as how long it's seemingly been cancelled. Fans no doubt remember the title as the series' formerly intended 3D debut, originally announced for the Nintendo 64 - a few years prior to the console's launch - as a follow-up to the largely successful Mother 2 (known as EarthBound in North America). Hopefully the third chapter will now see the light of day, although no official word concerning the game has yet been made by Nintendo.

Spring 2006 is likely the date reserved for the game's Japanese release - so far there's no mention of a North American or European date.

Source: GameScience

A Nintendo official at the NSider forums has reported that Nintendo will answer any Wi-Fi Connection questions when its Wi-Fi site launches soon. The site will explain the DS's wireless functions work and where U.S. hotspots are, as well as many more things.

Nintendo's Wi-Fi site will launch next Monday, November 7.

Source: Games Are Fun

***

Good news for everyone who, like me, is getting incredibly worked up about the Wi-Fi. I've seen a few of the things detailing how the Wi-Fi works, but i'm really hoping the rest of my questions get answered.

Perhaps hoping to spur holiday sales of its handheld system, Sony will be making available a new PSP package this month. The $299 "PSP Giga Pack" will bundle the PSP system with several extras, including an upgraded memory stick, a USB cable, and the new PSP stand, in addition to the peripherals already included in the $249 "PSP Value Pack." Sony also confirmed that the Value Pack will continue to be made available, and that the new 1 GB memory stick will be sold separately later this year.

With this winter being the PSP's first holiday season, a package containing everything a PSP owner needs to get started (except for games and movies, of course) is expected, by some, to sell well. But will a lack of variety and underabundance of games hinder Christmas sales? Die-hard fans of the system may already own one, rendering this new package already obsolete for them, while many interested gamers may be waiting on games instead of peripheral upgrades.

More information about the PSP and its accessories' hardware capabilities can be found at Gaming Age.

Tales of Phantasia, the start to the Namco's Tales series of RPGs, will have it's 2003 Game Boy Advance port hit Europe in the first quarter of 2006, according to Nintendo of Europe. There is no word on a possible future release in the US, but rumors are circulating that a 2006 release is probable, but details are fuzzy thus far.

ToP was first released on the SNES in 1995, then ported to the Playstation in 1998, and most recently ported to the GBA in 2003, all only in Japan. This new release is likely in large part thanks to the popularity of the most recent Tales game, the publicly and critically acclaimed Tales of Symphonia. The Tales series has enjoyed only a small cult following outside of Japan previous to Tales of Symphonia's success with the Playstation games Tales of Destiny and Tales of Destiny II (the latter is known as Tales of Eternia in Japan; this is extremely confusing because a direct sequel to Tales of Destiny was made for the PS2 in 2002, also called Tales of Destiny 2) and widespread emulation of Tales of Phantasia thanks to DeJap Translations' 2000 translation patch. Now the rest of the world (hopefully including the US at some point) can legally enjoy one of Namco and Wolf Team's masterpieces.

Sources: RPGamer.com (news source)
Wikipedia (Tales series background info)

The world certainly is full of oddities. Gackt, a very popular singer in Japan, recently reached an agreement with Square-Enix concerning the game Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus. More specifically, the deal entails the following:

• Gackt will provide music for the game, including two songs entitled 'Redemption' and 'Longing'.
• He'll be reserved a place in the game itself as an "important character". Instead of using a CG likeness, Gackt will be filmed by a camera and then entered among the computer generated scenes.
• Gackt will receive a custom clothing design by illustrator Tetsuya Nomura, and he'll be able to wear the same outfit on his next concert tour.

This won't be the first time Gackt has had a major part in a video game title; he starred in the main role in the beat-em-up Bujingai: The Forsaken City last year and has served as the physical inspiration behind a number of other characters. It's currently unknown just what significance Gackt's presence will have in the game, especially with Dirge of Cerberus only three months away from its January 26th launch date.

Source: Games Are Fun

The latest issue of Shonen Jump magazine shined a bit of light on some more details surrounding Konami's newest PlayStation 2 addition to their beloved RPG series, Suikoden V.

To kick things off, the traditional six member parties will make a triumphant return, having been downsized to four in Suikoden IV. The battle formations, although a little more free in structure than in previous titles, will also make a comeback. Among the different formations possible is a six-character arc and a setup of three rows consisting of one, two, and three party members.

As fans of the series are aware, Konami has always made a point to include characters from past Suikoden titles within the worlds of newer games. Following suit, it's been confirmed that Georg Prime (Suikoden II) will make an appearance in Suikoden V, leading to the conclusion that the game takes place within a timeframe similar to that of the first three installments.

Confirmations regarding new characters have popped up left and right as well. There's the Knight Captain Felid, who's married to the queen, Alshtat. Limsleia is his daughter; she's also the sister of the hero. Party members mentioned are Miakis, Galeon, Kyle, and Fuwala-fuwalu, yet no details on the latter four beyond their names have been provided. A highly gifted mage named Zerase will additionally become part of the entourage through the 108 Stars of Destiny, and the group's strategist, a woman known as Lucredia, will be assisted by Shius, a soldier, and Lelei, Shius' partner.

Japan is expected to receive Suikoden V in stores on February 23, 2006. Konami has announced a North American release for the game, but no date has been revealed.

Source: RPGamer

If you frequent the news forum or the front page of the site, you no doubt noticed our call for newsposters to help Silverfork with her duties of, well, posting news. We had a great response with a surprising number of auditions, and thank you to all who sent us an email to apply. Having read through them, we offered spots to three of your fellow CoN members; I'm happy to say that all three gladly accepted our offer!

So, please give your congratulations to our three new newsposters, Laszlow, Karasuman, and Zero_Hawk. They all sent in great auditions and you can look forward to getting good news from them for some time to come. We're in the process of getting them settled in now, so be ready to read!

Yesterday marked the tenth anniversary of Marvelous Interactive's popular Harvest Moon series, prompting a celebratory announcement of three new installments.

First off, Shintarou Mashima, president of Arte Piazza and the development team behind Innocent Life - Shin Bokujou Monogatari for the PSP, stated that the game will feature concepts of both "big adventure" and "slow life of the future". In addition to the flagship series' normal role-playing and farming and life simulations, the controlled character will have to solve a number of riddles relating to a legend spoken within the town. Innocent Life is looking at a Spring, 2006 release date in Japan.

Meanwhile, Rune Factory - Shin Bokujou Monogatari, slated for release on the Nintendo DS, will attempt to steer the series in a slightly different direction: In previous Harvest Moon titles, players were able to tend to crops and livestock on farmland devoid of any notable dangers, save the occasional rainstorm or hurricane. Rune Factory, however, will add monsters into the mix, allowing players to either capture them or fight them off in an RPG battle fashion. The game will be available in Japan sometime next year.

Finally, Bokujou Monogatari Online (Harvest Moon Online) has yet to receive a concrete announcement regarding the platform for its release, although Marvelous Interactive has said that a PC version is possible. No launch date has currently been set.

Source: RPGFan