Update by: scylla. Monday October 24th, 2005 at 9:52 pm.
Kingdom Hearts II is slated for a December 2005 release in Japan, but it won't be shipping just as a standalone game. A "
Kingdom Hearts Deluxe Limited Edition Package" will be released on December 22nd, 2005, and will contain the previous released Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories in addition to Kingdom Hearts II. The special packaging will feature illustrations by creator and character designer Tetsuya Nomura.
The Deluxe Limited Edition Pack will sell for 16,180 yen, or about $140 US. It is unknown at this time whether or not this package will see a release outside of Japan.
Update by: scylla. Saturday October 22nd, 2005 at 6:32 pm.
An all-new Final Fantasy concert will soon debut in Japan--
Voices: Music from Final Fantasy. As the name implies, Voices will feature songs with lyrics. This means that singers including FFIX's Emiko Shiratori (Melodies of Life), FFX's RIKKI (Suteki Da Ne) and Izumi Masuda will be present at the event.
Like Dear Friends, Voices will be conducted by Arnie Roth. The concert will be held in the Pacifico Yokohama on February 18th, 2006. Ticket will go on sale November 25th for 6,000 yen, or about $50 US. It is unknown at this time whether or not the concert will see a North American tour like Dear Friends.
Update by: scylla. Tuesday October 18th, 2005 at 3:25 pm.
The soon-to-be-released version of FFIV for the Gameboy Advance, featuring enhanced graphics and extra content, will be for sale bundled with the new Gameboy Micro and as a standalone cartridge. The Gameboy Micro bundle will come with the limited-edition custom faceplate designed by series veteran Yoshitaka Amano and will cost 4800 yen, or about $42 US.
FFIV Advance will be on sale in Japan on December 15th. There is not yet any word on a release of this bundle outside of Japan, but such an announcement will likely be made in the next few weeks.
[Source:
RPGFan]
Update by: scylla. Monday October 17th, 2005 at 6:27 pm.
That's right--Advent Children will finally be seeing the light of day in North America. The film will be shown on Friday, October 21st and twice Saturday, October 22nd at the Festival Du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal, Canada. Sadly, all three showing of the film are already completely sold out.
A North American DVD and UMD release of the popular film, which has already sold over 700,000 units in Japan, has not yet to be announced, although a yet-to-be-confirmed date of November 29th, 2005 is floating around the internet.
[Source:
RPGamer]
Update by: scylla. Saturday October 15th, 2005 at 10:31 am.
On the Xbox 360, that is. When Microsoft's new console launches in Japan on December 10th, consumers who buy the Limited Edition of the console, which retails for approximately 40,000 yen, will receive a free Beta disc for Final Fantasy XI. All they'll need are PlayOnline and Xbox Live Silver memberships, which, luckily, are both also free. The offer will only last as long as supplies of the FFXI beta disk hold out, so those who arrive at stores first may be the only ones lucky enough to snag a chance to experience FFXI online on the Xbox before the general public.
Update by: scylla. Sunday October 9th, 2005 at 4:29 pm.
Though Square Enix announced several weeks ago that the American release date of FFIV for the GBA was December 12th, the Japanese release was given the less definite target of "December 2005." The official day has been confirmed now, though--FFIV will once again be hitting store shelves in its enhanced, portable version on December 15th. This is interesting to note because it's one of the few releases of a Japanese game to come later in Japan than in the United States. There's no word yet as to whether or not this version of FFIV will see the light of day in other parts of the world.
[Source:
IGN]
Update by: scylla. Wednesday October 5th, 2005 at 6:20 pm.
It was many moons ago that Square Enix announced Final Fanatasy III, previously unreleased outside of Japan, would get the DS treatment. They never elaborated on what, exactly, the port would contain--until now. It's going to be more like a full-blown remake, as FFIII is being re-created from the ground up in 3D exclusively for the Nintendo DS. To keep the game true to its roots, Square Enix is bringing in some of the original creators of the title to help supervise the project.
Confirming industry suspicions that have been raised on account of the "Final Fantasy Port Project," Square Enix revealed that, following the release of FFIV for the GBA, installments V and VI would receive the same treatment. Both games will feature added content like IV and will be available for the GBA sometime in the not-too-distant future.
[Source:
IGN]
Update by: scylla. Tuesday October 4th, 2005 at 8:32 pm.
Square Enix has recently put up a snazzy new site for the Japanese version of Final Fantasy IV for the Gameboy Advance which can be accessed
here. As of now there's little more than a pretty "Coming Soon" page, but it's likely a full site will be up in the near future.
Also, those who've recently purchased the tiny new Game Boy Micro are in for a treat: Square Enix will be releasing a FFIV faceplate with original Amano Artwork, which can be seen
here.
Final Fantasy IV for the Gameboy Advance will be available December 12th in North America. Further release dates are yet to be determined.
[Sources:
RPGamer and
IGN]
Update by: scylla. Sunday October 2nd, 2005 at 3:02 pm.
Enix's Dragon Warrior series, a venerable giant in Japan, has never caught on with a large portion of gamers in the United States and the rest of the world. But this time around, with Dragon Warrior: Journey of the Cursed King, Square Enix has an ace hidden up its sleeve; the game will be shipping with a playable demo of FFXII, the latest entry in the Final Fantany series, which, as most gamers know,
is extremely popular in the United States.
The release date in the United States is set for November 22, the day Microsoft's Xbox 360 launches. Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that Halo 3 would be launched on the day of the Playstation 3's release, and it looks like Sony is responding in kind.
On the much quieter GameBoy Advance front, Square Enix and Nintendo are collaborating to re-release Final Fantasy IV on the portable console. The game will feature some improvements that are sure to please gamers, such as improved graphics and character portraits to accompany the dialogue. Square Enix and Nintendo also hope to continue the "Final Fantasy Series Port Project," but only time will tell. But the good news is that FFIV port is nearly completed, and will see a Stateside release on December 12th, with a Japanese release on a yet-to-be-determined day in Winter 2005.
[Sources:
Gamespot,
RPGamer]
Update by: scylla. Wednesday September 14th, 2005 at 9:35 pm.
The classic Final Fantasy IV, known as Final Fantasy II when originally released in the United States, is soon going to be re-released for the Game Boy Advance and published by Nintendo. This newest version of the classic entry in the series is sure to please many fans, as it will include new content on top of the entire original game.
Final Fantasy IV on the GBA is set for a December 12th release, according to Nintendo of America.
Square has also divulged some more information about its most anticipated title--Final Fantasy XII's battle system has, at long last, been detailed more thoroughly. Gamers familiar with the world of Ivalice will know it features a wide range of species, including humans, viera, moogles, and the lizard-like bangaa. In FFXII, a "Chain" system will be in place, rewarding players for defeating multiple creatures of the same race in succession. When used effectively, this promises to grant players more valuable items as they defeat more and more enemies.
Combo attacks will also be featured in the battle system, but they will appear at random, and the likelyhood of such an attack taking place is dictated by each character's equipped weapon. Characters will also randomly some attacks, and this feature is, predictably, based on the defensive gear equipped.
Adding a new twist to the battles, it appears that opposing clans and races will actually battle one another before your very eyes, and will even sport their respective job classes.
Last, but certainly not least, Advent Children saw its debut in Japan last week, bringing a close to years of hard work on the part of Square Enix's staff as the picture was shown on the big screen and accompanied by many members of the cast. The rest of the world still has a few months to receive the DVD and
UMD versions of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
[Sources:
IGN and
1UP]
