Final Fantasy II Now Available on PSN in Japan
The PS1 remake of Final Fantasy II is now available through Japanese PSN accounts, at the cost of 600 yen ($6.48 US as of today, according to the first currency converter Google could provide). Although it lacks the bonus dungeons from both the GBA and PSP versions, it does feature new sprites and FMV sequences.
Source: Siliconera
Disgaea 3 to Get More Trophy Tasks
Obsessive-compulsives who are also fond of strategy RPGs, unite: Disgaea 3 will be receiving an update that adds over fifty new trophy tasks. The requirements for each trophy are not yet known. Unlike patches for western RPGs, this doesn’t seem to fix bugs or prevent crashes to desktop, what with that not being applicable to Disgaea 3. Like patches for western RPGs, however, this will render previous Disgaea 3 saves unusable, meaning you may want to wait for a fresh playthrough before applying the patch.
The download will be available starting July 16.
Source: Siliconera
Witcher Update Adds New Adventures, Removes DRM
Developer CD Projekt Red have released their latest patch for The Witcher, bringing the version up to 1.5. On top of the usual bug fixes and such, the patch adds five new bonus adventures courtesy of the game’s editor program and fan community: ‘Deceits’, ‘Blight of the Bogs’, ‘Wraiths of Quiet Hamlet’, ‘The Wedding’, and ‘Merry Witchmas’. On top of that, the game no longer requires that the disc be in the drive to play it.
Available through the official website, the patch requires the Enhanced Edition, either the retail version or the downloaded upgrade to the original Witcher.
First-Person RPG Fighting Fantasy Due for DS
The first book in the Fighting Fantasy series, an extensive fantasy setting spanning several dozen dice-based gamebooks, is being adapted to the Nintendo DS by developer Big Blue Bubble and publisher Aspyr. Titled The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, the game (and book) follow a lone adventurer’s trials through a Dwarven fortress built into the titular location. Played in first person and real time, Fighting Fantasy will allow players to develop their character in different ways; the press release suggests the options of weapon skills, magic, and stealth, and various combinations therein.
Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is scheduled for a holiday release this year.
Source: Siliconera
Nippon Ichi Musical RPG Bound for PSP
Hardly a company to take just one stab at a subgenre, Nippon Ichi is giving music-themed RPGs another go with Princess Antiphona’s Hymn: Angel’s Score Op.A. Slated for an October release in Japan, the upcoming PSP game bears some similarities with N1’s prior music RPG Rhapsody, focusing on musical events and puppets. Princess Antiphona features full voice acting and a score from composer Tenpei Saito, of the Marl Kingdom series.
Source: Siliconera
Dragon Quest IX: Two Million Preorders Enter, One Save Slot Leaves
Dragon Quest IX producer Ryutaro Ichimura recently spilled the beans on why the game only allows one save slot, as advertised on the back of its box. In short, “because the amount of freedom we give players is huge,” he says, the base save file leaves only enough extra space for the backup save. Without that backup, anything done up to the point of battery failure would be lost. The price of freedom, indeed.
This has not deterred presale orders, however. Due out Saturday, July 11 in Japan, Dragon Quest IX has hit two million preorders. Should those numbers hold for actual sales, the game may well be the best-selling game in Japan for the week. Whether it will meet or exceed sales of the series’ prior installment, Dragon Quest VIII, is another story.
Source: Kotaku
Game Changers: Volume 14 – Final Fantasy I
Did you ever have the chance to play Dragon Quest I (aka Dragon Warrior) for the NES? We’re talking back in 1989 for us North Americans. If not, or in case you need a refresher, I’ll give you a little run down of the plot. You are the descendant of the hero Erdrick who, in times past, defeated the Dragon Lord. Now that the Dragon Lord has returned, you must track down the scattered pieces of Erdrick’s arms and armour and defeat the Dragon Lord anew. That’s it. No really, that’s the whole thing. Well okay, you do rescue a princess along the way and you do have to collect some relics that will allow you to reach the Dragon Lord’s isle, but basically I’ve spoiled the entire plot for you. As you may have noticed, it’s a bit sparse.
Continue reading ‘Game Changers: Volume 14 – Final Fantasy I’ »
Demon’s Souls Given Release Date, Now With Swag Flavor
The ongoing Atlus Spoils program gained its newest addition over the holiday weekend with Demon’s Souls, as Atlus announced that the upcoming Playstation 3 action RPG will come in normal and deluxe editions. The latter features a unique strategy guide and a collectible outer slipcase, along with exclusive boxart. A preorder for either version, with participating retailers, also nets a bonus artbook. Set for a simultaneous launch on October 6 of this year, the standard version will retail for $59.99, while extras bump the deluxe version up to $69.99.
Can a strategy guide and slipcover be worth the extra ten dollars? Common sense says no, but what has that done for mankind lately?
Pokemon Pre-orders Procure Precious Prizes
Pokémon Heart Gold and Silver Soul pre-order goodies for Japan have been confirmed. Heart Gold pre-orders will include a Ho-Oh figurine, and Silver Soul pre-orders will include a Lugia figurine. If you have the yen to throw aroun, you can pre-order both versions and receive an Arceus figure.
Source: Kotaku
Famitsu Makes Monstrous Announcement of Rune Factory 3
The latest issue of Famitsu has revealed that yet another Rune Factory title is in the works, this time for the Nintendo DS. Entitled Rune Factory 3, it has a couple of new special features. The first is an item called the Transformation Belt. By donning this piece of gear in battle or in town, the main character, Maisu, will be able to turn into a monster. Townspeople will react differently to him while he’s a monster, and he’ll also gain special combat abilities.
Another new addition will be special seeds called active seeds. These seeds, once planted, start growing immediately and will mature into a plant monster that will fight along side the main character.
Translation: Adrienne Beck
Summon Night X: Tears Crown Will Make It to Japan…Eventually
Since we first reported on Summon Night X: Tears Crown back in November, we haven’t heard much about it. It was due out in February of this year but never made it to Japanese stores. Now Dengeki is reporting that the Nintendo DS game is still very much alive and ready to make its new Japanese release date of November 5.
Summon Night X: Tears Crown is more of a straight-up RPG than its predecessors. Many of the series’ well-known features like monster summoning and night-time conversations will remain unchanged, but new RPG staples such as a random-encounter battles, turn-based combat, field maps, and dungeon exploring will be added.
Source: Dengeki
Translation: Adrienne Beck
Infinte Space Has Finite Amount of Time Before North American Release
Sega recently revealed that its Nintendo DS RPG Infinite Space will be released in North America in the spring of 2010. In the meantime, check out the shiny anime trailer.
Strategy Session – Competitive Pokemon VIII
I must confess to a fondness for the common hippopotamus. They’re huge, slightly ridiculous, and are quite capable of crushing someone simply by mistaking them for a chair. This week, we’ll be paying tribute to the noble hippo by looking at one of my personal favorite Pokemon; Hippowdon, the giant sand hippo.
Continue reading ‘Strategy Session – Competitive Pokemon VIII’ »
Fallout 3: Point Lookout – Staff Review
It takes a certain kind of person to look at Fallout 3‘s Capitol Wasteland and say “Well, that’s pretty desolate and inhospitable, but I think we could do better. Get the guys together, we’re making another add-on.” How Bethesda wound up at Point Lookout, Maryland, is anybody’s guess, but what matters is Point Lookout is easily the biggest and arguably the best downloadable content for Fallout 3 to date. It’s not perfect by any measure, but it gets within shouting distance at times and comes as an easy recommendation to anyone who liked the original game.
Continue reading ‘Fallout 3: Point Lookout – Staff Review’ »
Presale Date for Next FFXI DLC Revealed
Square Enix has announced that the next mini-expansion for Final Fantasy XI will be available for prepurchase worldwide on Sunday, July 5. Titled A Moogle Kupo d’Etat – Evil in Small Doses, the story apparently focuses on how a single drop of rain in a run-down Mog House spells trouble for Moogles everywhere, or something. You had to know something was up when every level one schmoe in the game got their own personal flying butler, no questions asked.
A job of at least level ten is required to start this latest questline, along with at least the Rise of the Zilart expansion. Final Fantasy XI will also see a general version update coinciding with the release of A Moogle Kupo d’Etat.
A Moogle Kupo d’Etat will price for $9.99 US, €9.99 throughout Europe and £7.99 in the UK. Kupo nuts are reportedly an acceptable form of payment as well, though this has not been confirmed by Square Enix.
Square Enix Announces Four Warriors of Light: Final Fantasy Gaiden
These days, everyone loves countdown pages, and Square Enix has caught the bug. But more often than not, the pages of Shounen Jump spoil the secret before the timer hits zero, and this week’s reveal of Four Warriors of Light: Final Fantasy Gaiden renders this page kind of moot.
Continue reading ‘Square Enix Announces Four Warriors of Light: Final Fantasy Gaiden’ »
