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Posts with tag fantasy

Upcoming DS game described as 'Schindler's List meets Alice in Wonderland'

We never thought anything would ever fall under the category of "Schindler's List meets Alice in Wonderland," but that's exactly how Luc Bernard is describing his new DS game.

Bernard, who is most known for the upcoming Wii Ware title Eternity's Child, is certainly a strange character. At least, we've gathered that much after he made the statement, "Yes games can be art and talk about important subjects like films can, and not just space rats in bondage suits that come down to whip you and put gags on your children while drinking all the vodka in the world."

It can't be argued that he has an interesting mind, though, so our curiosity is piqued in regards to his DS game. Like Eternity's Child, it will deal with genocidal themes. If that alone wasn't enough to warn you that this game would be a heartbreaker, it's titled Imagination is the Only Escape. Yet, we won't find out more information about it until after GDC, according to Bernard.

Atlus announces Rondo of Swords


Yesterday we found out from Nintendo that Rondo of Swords would be released for the DS in April, leaving us intrigued. Some of us at DS Fanboy (correctly) guessed that it was a localization of Success Corp's Ituwari no Rondo, but that's about it.

Atlus cured our curiosity today, though, by providing a press release about the game. Besides copying and pasting the Wikipedia definition of "rondo" for us (gee, thanks, Atlus!), the publisher announced that the SRPG would be coming to the DS on April 15th. The press release also mentioned quite a few times that the game is "epic," making us wonder if we should have read it out loud with epic voices. Other than that, most of the information about the game can be found at the game's official website here.

For all our snark, we're really looking forward to this game. The combat mechanic makes use of the touch screen, and the idea of a long, challenging game is especially compelling. Unfortunately, we won't find out until April if the game can deliver on its epic promises.



[Via press release]

Carmack attack: Orcs & Elves developer supports homebrew, wins our hearts

Homebrew rules. We know it, you know it, and apparently Orcs & Elves developer John Carmack also knows it. He recently told IGN, "It is a shame that homebrew development can't be officially sanctioned and supported, because it would be a wonderful platform for a modern generation of programmers to be able to get a real feel for low level design work."

Okay, so maybe our reasons for loving homebrew are slightly more selfish than his, but we're all on the same page here, amirite? Too bad Nintendo won't ever feel the same way, due to the high potential for piracy.

Carmack also mentioned that the DS was the most fun platform that he has worked on to date. Speak no more, Mr. Carmack -- you had us at hello.

[Via Games Industry]

Limited edition Orcs & Elves stylus can't cast real spells


In an attempt to build some hype for the soon-to-be-released Orcs & Elves, EA has unveiled this limited edition stylus. And why not? It worked for another game you may have heard of.

You won't have to pre-order Orcs to get your hands on this stylus, which was designed to match the wand used in the game. However, since it is limited, those of you wanting the game should pick up your copy sooner rather than later. The editions of Orcs with the pack-in will cost the same as regular copies, but they'll only be available at specific retailers. Unfortunately, they'll only be sold in the US, too. Sorry, PALs!

Don't worry about it scratching up your DS, though. This stylus is Nintendo approved. It's also DS Fanboy approved, which is all that really matters, right?

Fresh Orcs & Elves screens

Hot on the heels of yesterday's Orcs & Elves boxart comes a sheer avalanche of new screens for id's first-person RPG -- 28 of the things, to be exact, which we immensely enjoyed downloading and then uploading again. Cough.

Anyhow, the game is looking suitably dark, gloomy and dingy, as any good old-fashioned, pointy-eared slice of dungeon-crawling worth its salt should.

Look forward to slaying the orange chap to the right next month, and feast your eyes on the screens below in the meantime.

Gallery: Orcs & Elves

DS Daily: Overabundance and dearth

Water is pretty.The number of DS games given stateside release is now probably beyond 500 (we'd count up all the entries here but we're too lazy), but as in college campuses around the country, diversity can be a tricky beast. We've seen some great titles across the board, of course, but haven't you felt that the DS was a bit lacking in some areas, while watered down in others?

The most obvious absentees are the general JRPG and fighting genres. RPG experiences themselves aren't too difficult to come by, but standard fare (outside of remakes) is a bit harder to find. By and large the best fighting game for the DS, Jump Superstars, has never even been localized. When it comes to puzzle and racing genres, however, we're flooded with low-polish trash. Which genres do you feel are over- or under-represented, and of which would you like to see more?

Square-Enix remakes just keep on comin'

Wow.Not content with releasing eighty remakes of popular Final Fantasy titles and making an obscene profit from said actions, a recent online interview with CEO Yoichi Wada revealed that the company has plans to remake an unknown number of their other mega-popular franchise, Dragon Quest (also known, for earlier iterations, as Dragon Warrior here in the states).

Which titles and how many are as of yet unknown ... the information seemed to just slip right out of Wada-san's vocal cords ... but we'd imagine a compilation similar to Final Fantasy: Dawn of Souls. Also, while not officially confirmed for the DS, we can't really imagine these titles going anywhere else. Does this news excite you guys, or are the old-school DQ titles just a bit too old-school?

FFIV DS to remove spoony bard?! [update 1]

Spoonylicious![Update 1: Our bad. It appears that, in fact, three-fourths of the original game script was actually left out of the SNES title, and much of it will be added in for the new DS re-release. Still, the probability of a script rewrite is extremely high, so our terrifying supposition remains.]

Unacceptable
, we decry! News from yon Square Enix headquarters, which is releasing approximately a dozen Final Fantasy-branded games in the next twelve months, reports that over three-fourths of Final Fantasy IV's script will be completely redone for the upcoming DS re-release. This is generally good news, as Square Enix's early efforts hardly utilized the kind of localization teams they employ today, but this particular instance is blasphemy.

The term "spoony bard" has become a cultural mainstay for today's youth. Why, when's the last time you could even leave the house without hearing it spoken thrice in direct succession? The removal of this phrase, we feel, would be extremely detrimental to the development of future generations. Square Enix, we implore thee, leave this paragon of digital literature be.

[Thanks, zshadow!]

DS Daily: One more time

Nostalgia is a big factor for veteran gamers. As we long wistfully for the days of yore, full of Opera Houses and Triple Techs, companies scheme to use this wonderful emotion for profit. Square-Enix is a particularly egregious offender, but damned if we're not willing to buy that game we loved just one more time.

Final Fantasy III is a bit of an exception, since the title was never truly released in regions outside of Japan before last year. But how willing are you, as gamers, to buy rehashes of the very same game? We got the entire Final Fantasy Advance series (I, II, IV, V, and VI) and now Square-Enix wants to release a graphically overhauled version of FFIV ... again? With the inclusion of Final Fantasy Chronicles on the Playstation, this will be the fourth release of the same freaking game.

Do you need extra features or updated graphics to re-buy a game, or do you refuse on principal? As we know is that as long as we keep buying them, Square-Enix will keep remaking them. Pah.

The FFIII engine prints money: Final Fantasy IV remake on the way



Well, if you weren't quite convinced that Final Fantasy III DS was worth getting excited over, then try this on for size: rumor has it that the same team has taken on an update of Final Fantasy IV -- one of three Final Fantasy titles heralded as a contender for the title of best game ever.

Whereas the original FFIII was passed over for a U.S. release and featured, prior to update, a nameless band of warriors, the next entry in the series originated many of the qualities that turned the franchise into a global powerhouse. The game debuted the Active Time Battle system and featured an epic storyline that's still held dear in the hearts of RPG gamers everywhere. It's been remade several times -- most recently (and we mean recently) for the GBA -- but a remake using the FFIII engine could give the game new life and improve the only thing that needs to be improved, which is the graphics.

If this is true (and it wouldn't surprise us), we'll most likely hear confirmation on it soon, since the Square Enix Party is this weekend in Japan. According to the rumor, the game is nearly finished as well, so if it's coming, we won't have long to wait.

[Via NeoGAF]

Producer preps for FFIII in Europe, doesn't pan possible FFVII

CVG recently sat down with Final Fantasy III producer Hiromichi Tanaka for a chat about the game's release in Europe this week. Much of the interview is given over to discussing the game's unexpected levels of success in Japan and the U.S., and hopes for Europe, though Tanaka had a few interesting things to say about both remakes and the DS. He said that in order to achieve the impressive look and effect of FFIII, they were forced to focus the handheld's power on only one screen, which certainly explains a lot. Since they were getting the chance to give the game a complete visual update, they wanted it to be as beautiful as possible.

But the part of the interview that will stick out and serve as fodder for FF-themed debate is the mention of Final Fantasy VII. CVG mentioned that FFVII is the game many fans hope and pray for on the DS, and Tanaka offered this cryptic response: "The main thing is the timing." If nothing else, it's not a no, so we'll put this one down as a possibility.

[Thanks, zshadow!]

Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates screenshot love

Tree!
And it's all for you, dear reader. Resident blogger Alisha has officially declared today, April 25th, "Super JRPG Screenshot Day," in commemoration of not only these great screens but also these, from an equally desirable title.

The vote is pretty much unanimous that Final Fantasy III is the best-looking DS title to date, but it looks like Square-Enix whipped their programmers into making their games even prettier. Which means those men have whip marks everywhere. The problem with the original Crystal Chronicles was the amazingly intense hardware requirement, but if the new multiplayer cooperative system is easy to use, we might have yet another Squeenix bajillion-seller on our hands.

Continue reading Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates screenshot love

DS Fanboy Favorites: Jason's top five

Katana?!
All this week, the DS Fanboy staff is letting you in on a few of their favorite titles. Each day, a different member of the staff will present their personal top five DS games along with a snapshot of their gaming paraphernalia and habits, in an effort to provide our readers with a little more information on the tastes and personalities of our writers.


It's odd; in the past two years, I've played my DS more than any other system, console or otherwise. However, I very rarely play outside of the comfort of my own room. Sure, I have the ten minute bus ride to campus everyday, and an hour break between classes, but the bus ride is relaxing and the hour I spend on campus, playing chess with some friends. It's really a testament to the quality of the library on the DS, that it would stand against the heavy-hitting consoles without the added advantage of portability.

I'm a bit of a Renaissance gamer, playing titles far and wide. Sure, I've grown tired of the World War II shooters, but if a game is innovative and/or well-crafted, I'll give it a shot. I also like bunnies and salsa dancing and figure skating; I'm so macho.

Continue reading DS Fanboy Favorites: Jason's top five

Rumor: FFXIII chapter coming to the DS?

Fabula-ous!Final Fantasy XIII will be an odd beast, containing a primary entry (currently an exclusive for the PS3) and several spin-off titles, a la Final Fantasy VII; the collection as a whole will be entitled Fabula Nova Crystallis. However, only two spin-offs had been announced: Final Fantasy XIII Versus, also for the PS3, and Final Fantasy XIII Agito, available for mobile phones. These were apparently the only planned titles until the above (beside?) picture surfaced, clearly showing at least three more unknown entries in the series.

Square-Enix knows how unbelievably profitable the DS is, and recently released review scores of FFXII: Revenant Wings will ensure solid sales in Japan. Personally, we find it hard to believe that one of these titles won't be coming to the DS, and heck, who knows ... there might even be a Wii title in there too.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced 2 screens march forward

Famitsu has updated us with some brand-new screens for the highly-anticipated Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced 2: The Sealed Grimore. These new images confirm that the map system of old has been updated with what looks like smaller maps for each individual region, held together by one large over-map of Ivalice. Sure, there are other games with the label of Final Fantasy coming to the DS, but out of them all, aren't you most excited about this one? If not, why?

We've gone ahead and put the images past the post break for your viewing convenience.

Continue reading Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced 2 screens march forward

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