Rejigged versions of both Brain Age games will be available for the Nintendo DSi when the upgraded handheld launches. Brain Age 1 and 2 will be the first titles available from the DSi shop, according to Nintendo name-taker Reggie Fils-Aime, who also revealed that each will feature DSi functionality of some kind.
In truth, Nintendo couldn't have settled on a safer two titles to launch the DSi store, with both games having sold a quite obscene number of copies in all regions (particularly Europe). The lack of risk-taking involved on Nintendo's part is disappointing to us, though there's plenty of time for innovative games to follow. Bet they don't fix the voice recognition, though.
Next week, Dragon Quest IV hits, bringing with it the possibility of the massive franchise finally taking off for real in the US in a way it hasn't since the original Dragon Warrior. Here, Final Fantasy is bigger, but in Japan, this is the real IV.
Have you been following Chapters of the Chosen? Are you interested in playing along with the adventures of Torneko Taloon and the rest of the cast? If so, will this be the first Dragon Quest for you? How about the first Dragon Quest IV? Did you get it back on the NES?
Square Enix's recent remake of RPG classic Final Fantasy IV turned a lot of heads. Most found the title to be quite enjoyable. Having done our part and reviewed the game, it's now time we perform the most painful part of our job: give it away to one lucky reader. What must you do to get your hands on this copy of Final Fantasy IV (retails for $40)? Simply leave a comment telling us if you've played the original game or not between now and Wednesday, September 17th at 11:59PM ET, after which we'll choose one lucky winner via random drawing. Entrants may leave one comment per day.
There are a few things you should know before entering. Entrants must be current and legal residents of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec) and at least 18 years of age or older. Read up on the rest of the official rules right here. Good luck!
If the DS were to be the recipient next game in any existing RPG series, what would you want that to be? And before you rush for the comments form, let's make you think a little bit by eliminating the obvious Nintendo-fan answer: we assume everyone wants Mother, so think of something else!
One of Rare's overworked carrier pigeons just landed on our windowsill, bringing with it some candy crucial news: Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise will be launching across North America on September 2nd, in Europe on September 5th, and in the rest of the world beginning September 11th. That's exciting enough (and hey: really soon), but that's not where the happy news ends: Rare also took the time to film a second spoof video for its game, again poking fun at the terribly serious Halo 3 teasers from 2007. You can watch the first after the break (and please do watch it if you haven't already).
Release dates here
"Museum" video here
Our Rare interview here
When not debating the potential price tag for Chrono Trigger, you can pretty much find us scribbling hearts with Chrono Trigger in them within the confines of our sketchbook. To say we're excited would be quite the understatement. And now we're even more excited that we have a sliver of new info about the proposed wireless mode that was revealed last month.
Sadly, that's really all we have right now. The wireless mode will support two players, but in terms of what those two players will take part in is anyone's guess. We're kind of leaning toward co-op play, like possible in Secret of Mana. Either that or some kind of dungeon rush mode or whatever.
If you were put in charge of creating a Mass Effect game on the DS, how would you do it? There are many ways to take an existing franchise and make a handheld game out of it, and basically the decision comes down to whether to make a shrunken-down version of the original game style or to make a completely new game.
Would you make a 2D version of the original game, like Xenosaga I&II? A smaller side story with vaguely similar gameplay, like Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles? Would you dare to make a lower-polygon port? Or would you make a totally different game in the same universe, as Konami is doing with Elebits? How about the exact same game, but redone as an English trainer?
By the way, if you actually have been put in charge of a Mass Effect DS game, hi! We'd love to talk to you.
Posted Aug 7th 2008 11:27AM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News
We've got good news and bad news regarding N+, Atari's handheld update of the freeware platformer N. The bad news isn't all that bad and the good news is awesome.
First, the kinda bad: N+ appears to have been delayed again, from August 12 to August 26. While it troubles us to think that the game is just never going to come out, we're glad it's at least not coming out on the same day as Bangai-O Spirits. The good news is that N+ will now launch at $20, which is an insanely good deal for a new, polished N with hundreds of new levels and a stylus-based level editor.
There's a third bit of news too, which didn't really fit in the "good news/bad news" thing we were trying to do, though it falls into the "good" category: Amazon orders will include a download link for a digital strategy guide.
But rest assured European gamers, you are getting Chrono Trigger DS. It just won't be hitting your shores for awhile now, as the window for the game's release has been pushed back to "early 2009." One would assume that to be Q1, but you all know what your teachers told you about assuming.
So who's looking forward to the DS update of this classic RPG? Some consider it to be the greatest game ever made, you know.
It would be very difficult to not recommend Final Fantasy IV. Even though it's not the very best in the franchise, being second-best for Final Fantasy is often far better than any other comparable game, and this particular installment ranks pretty highly among the franchise's titles.. That also makes it hard to criticize a remake, as Matrix and Square Enix would have to take some pretty severe steps in the wrong direction to spoil the experience. That said, let's just get it out of the way: this is a great game.
That doesn't mean that this particular version is great -- it just means that the DS remake of Final Fantasy IV is built on an excellent foundation. But it's not exactly the game you remember, and if you didn't play it, it's also pretty far removed from many of the other RPGs on the system. The result is an odd hybrid of old school and new.
The start made by Dragon Quest V: Hand of a Heavenly Bride in Japan is hardly going to deter Square Enix from releasingmoreremakes (which we're completely fine with, by the way). Famitsu is reporting that the title has already burst through the million units sold mark, a meager thirteen days after it first appeared on Japanese store shelves. You won't be surprised to hear that it's currently creaming everything else in the charts over there.
If a remake of a sixteen-year-old Dragon Quest SNES game can hit seven figures inside its opening fortnight, then perhaps Dragon Quest IX really can reach Yoichi Wada's lofty expectations ... and then some.
Square Enix trademarked something fairly odd during E3 last week. What was it? Echoes of Time. Logical reasoning points to a subtitle for Chrono Trigger DS, but with Square Enix never stating the title was temporary, we're left to wonder.
We'll admit that Chrono Trigger: Echoes of Time has a nice ring to it. But, is it really for the DS remake? Or, does Square Enix have something else up their sleeve?
Square Enix's latest remake has been on the minds of gamers for a pretty long time now. With it finally releasing, many of you have likely wondered how it would compare to the original, let alone the previous remake, Final Fantasy III. Who else could be better to weigh in than the critics? So, without further delay, let's get to the reviews!
GamePro (95/100) says the game is still an epic experience: "Ultimately, Final Fantasy IV remains the same epic experience it was seventeen years ago, and the DS's improvements are a welcome treat for fans of the series and newcomers to the franchise alike. With an engrossing story, ambitious characters, and challenging yet rewarding gameplay, I can't help but recommend Final Fantasy IV as a worthwhile purchase, especially if you missed it the first time around. Even if you aren't a huge Final Fantasy fan, this is still one fantastic role-playing title worth checking out."
Gamespot (90/100) thinks the game is great, despite some minor issues with the voice work: "Although it has been rereleased several times throughout the years, this full remake of one of the most celebrated stories in video game history is in many ways more poignant and impressive than it was all those years ago, despite minor irks with the voice acting. With a cast of memorable characters and villains, a more accurate and authentic translation, a new skill-customization system, and a few important new story elements that help to better explain key plot points, this is the definitive version of Final Fantasy IV that everyone should experience."
IGN (87/100) is of the mind that FFIV is quite impressive: "It's a rush in the most traditional way, and it's an RPG that makes you feel for your characters, fight for every level, and strategize before battles in ways new role-playing games don't bother to do anymore. For fans, FFIV is an impressive resurrection to an awesome, pioneering RPG. For newcomers, you're about to get a lesson in "hardcore gaming 101," but if you put in the time, and put up with the difficulty, you'll have a chance to really "get" what Final Fantasy is all about."
1UP (75/100) scored the game the lowest of this bunch: "It's not a bad little game -- it is, after all, an upgraded version of a 16-bit masterpiece -- but it's needlessly redundant for anyone who picked up FFIV Advance. Of course, die-hard Final Fantasy fans will want to test their mettle against the crazy-hard new difficulty level while checking out the new voices for old favorites: Cecil is appropriately wussy, Kain sounds as tough as you'd expect, and Golbez now sounds like Darth Vader instead of just looking like him. But everyone else might want to wait it out a few years for that inevitable, definitive next-gen remake. When it comes to Square Enix, what goes around comes around. And around. And around."
The popularity of Etrian Odyssey, based on an absolutely dusty style of role-playing game, and the proliferation of other hardcore, gameplay-focused RPGs (like roguelikes) make the DS the go-to platform for punishing dungeon crawls. The suitability of the DS for this style of game has even attracted dungeon games from other platforms, as is the case with Starfish's Elminage DS REMIX.
Elminage DS REMIX, based on a PlayStation 2 game, runs a party of six adventurers, in professions chosen from a list of sixteen, through fifteen dungeons (plus a bonus dungeon). Our gallery features six screens, and more are available at Famitsu. Do not dare enter the dungeon gallery unless you have an affinity for van-worthy 2D fantasy art.
This week's installment of Promotional Consideration comes with an excellent bonus -- a Circuit City deal for the Final Fantasy IV remake, which ships to stores next week. The electronics retailer is offering a $10 gift card with any purchase of the 3D RPG, on- and offline. Factor in free-shipping for orders totaling over $24, and this makes up for "the Square Enix tax," that extra $10 the publisher often adds to its DS games.
Now that we've done our part to sell the game to you, let's look at how Square Enix has been pushing Final Fantasy IV.
Rejigged versions of both Brain Age games will be available for the Nintendo DSi when the upgraded handheld launches. Brain Age 1 and 2 will be the first titles available from the DSi shop, according to Nintendo name-taker Reggie Fils-Aime, who also revealed that each will feature DSi functionality of some kind.
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