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iPod's new Square Enix SRPG better than FFTA2?
by Eric Caoili 
{ Jul 8th 2008 at 12:00AM }
Out of nowhere, Square Enix has simultaneously announced and released Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes, a new SRPG exclusive for the iPod challenging players to rescue their brother from the Mechanical Militia.
The game has you controlling Ziggy, a Conductor that can create Tune Trooper warriors out of your iPod's music tracks, similar to Monster Rancher's CD-generated creatures. Further integrating your All-4-One MP3s, Song Summoner will boost the "groove level" of your Tune Troopers every time you listen to the songs that birthed the units. Now you actually have an excuse for listening to "I Swear" several dozen times a day!
So, why are we talking about this iPod game on DS Fanboy? We thought it would be interesting to compare this new title against the other portable strategy RPG Square Enix recently released (in the U.S.), Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift.
As we're sure you'll let us know, there are some features that Song Summoner can't compete with, such as FFTA2's 400+ quests and other multitudinous offerings, but, for the purpose of outlining what publishers can learn from a game release such as this, let's look at the five points in which the iPod title outshines the DS epic.
Gallery: Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes
DS Fanboy Review: Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
by Alisha Karabinus { Jul 7th 2008 at 10:15AM }
But length and depth aren't the only measure of a game. For some the latest Tactics may be a great way to while away the month(s), but others will find the paper-thin story and the hand-holding approach a turn-off. In a field of excellent Square Enix titles, Grimoire of the Rift isn't exactly a stand-out, but mediocre Square Enix still tends to be pretty good in the long run.
Gallery: Final Fantasy Tactics A2
DS releases for the week of June 23rd
by Alisha Karabinus { Jun 23rd 2008 at 10:15AM }
DS gamers around world have reason to rejoice this week. Why? There are loads of games a-coming! In fact, it's a big week for all platforms, but DS owners have reason to be particularly pleased. Whether you're going to be grinding away in Final Fantasy Tactics A2, or getting your groove on with a portable Guitar Hero, we're willing to bet there's something coming that will inspire a little wallet-opening.- American Girl: Kit Mystery Challenge
- Cake Mania 2
- Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A.
- Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
- Gourmet Chef
- Guitar Hero: On Tour
- Mega Man Star Force 2: Zerker x Ninja
- Mega Man Star Force 2: Zerker x Saurian
- Midnight Play! Pack
- My Weight Loss Coach
- Top Spin 3
- Wall-E
Promotional Consideration: Tactical advertisements
by Eric Caoili { Jun 22nd 2008 at 8:00PM }
Did you forget that Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift ships in North America this week? We wouldn't be surprised if you did, as, aside from two magazine advertisements, Square Enix hasn't done much to promote the SRPG sequel.
In fact, unless we've missed something, the only two handheld game commercials Square Enix has aired in the U.S. since the GBA were for the Final Fantasy III remake and Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker -- Mario Hoops 3-on-3 doesn't count. That's a shame considering how creative the original Final Fantasy Tactics Advance commercial was!
Bring your mages, ninjas, and gunners past the break for the GBA clip and the two FFTA2 magazine pieces we mentioned above!
Gallery: Final Fantasy Tactics A2
Train for next week's release with FFTA2 screens
by Alisha Karabinus { Jun 20th 2008 at 10:15AM }
You know a game is epic when the publisher can release dozens of screens -- dozens -- and you still feel as though you're only getting the barest glimpse of the depth that awaits. We've seen so much of Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, from videos to screens, and previews of jobs to boot, and none of that is even a patch on the hours of gameplay that awaits. For once, we're not even upset about the Square Enix "tax" that elevates the price of their games; here, we'll know where those extra dollars went. Sometime next year, we might have finally finished everything there is to finish.Maybe.
If we're lucky.
Gallery: Final Fantasy Tactics A2
[Via press release]
Friday Video: Professions of the Rift
by Eric Caoili { Jun 13th 2008 at 9:00PM }
With our economy in its current dwindling state and the unemployment rate rising, it's nice to hear that some people are still able to find jobs, even if they're fictional jobs for fictional members of a fictional race existing in a fictional game world.
Square Enix has released several short video clips introducing five of Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rifts' new jobs -- Chocobo Knight, Seer, Berserker, Geomancer, and Arcanist (above). They're not nearly as interesting as the "rejected FFTA2 professions" we featured, but these jobs are at least a little bit more real than the ones we made up.
Gallery: Final Fantasy Tactics A2
Get a job: Final Fantasy Tactics A2 preview
by Alisha Karabinus { Jun 11th 2008 at 9:30AM }
Chocobo Knights and Geomancers! If those words make your heart go a-flutter, it's probably a good time to check in with GameSpy's preview of some of the more inaccessible jobs in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2: Grimoire of the Rift. Sure, the game comes out later this month, but according to them, you're going to be playing for a long, long time before you see any of these jobs. Check out five of the jobs, complete with super cute outfits and videos, at the source ... and work your way into our newly-expanded gallery for an explosion of English-language screenshots sure to whet your appetite for the game's upcoming release.
Gallery: Final Fantasy Tactics A2
[Via GoNintendo]
Etrian Odyssey, FFTA2 developers want to speak with you
by Chris Greenhough { Jun 10th 2008 at 10:15AM }
Even if it is really all about plugging their products, we love it when game developers choose to communicate directly with us, the dirty, huddled masses, and today has brought news of two studios who are inviting questions from gamers.First up is Atlus, or more specifically Nich Maragos, Atlus USA Editor and Project Lead for both of the Etrian Odyssey games. Between now and June 17th, he'll be answering as many of your Etrian-related queries as he can here. Maragos is accepting questions about either of the two DS games, perhaps to accommodate for PAL region players, who only just received the first game last Friday. Ask him why Europe had to wait so long, if you like. Go on, do it.
Next in line is the entire development team for Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, who are clearly pretty confident that they'll be receiving an absolute avalanche of questions, as they're doing this as a group. You'll have to be a signed-up Square Enix member, though, which will mean having to fill in this form.
Ask Atlus!
Ask Square Enix!
Gallery: Etrian Odyssey II
Gallery: Final Fantasy Tactics A2
[Via Go Nintendo and NeoGAF]
Snippets of FFTA2 gameplay show some tactics
by Candace Savino { May 22nd 2008 at 5:00PM }
While we're waiting for Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift to release (very soon), we're pretty much powerless to do much but look at screens and websites. Now, though, we can at least immerse ourselves in some videos of the upcoming game. Unfortunately, most of them are only short (and tiny) clips teasing the battle system, but it's still nice to get a sense of what the gameplay will entail.
Above, the video delves into a part of the story, although put out of context it's not very telling. After the break, you can watch a few forty-second battle clips, showing three different characters using their attacks, skills, or summons.
FF Tactics Advances on Europe this June
by Chris Greenhough { May 19th 2008 at 3:00PM }
There's simply no in-between when it comes to PAL localizations of Square Enix games: they either take absolutely ages to arrive, or no time at all. Happily, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2: Grimoire of the Rift will fall into the latter category, with the game appearing across Europe on June 27th, three days after its U.S. debut. We're attaching another gold star to your record, Square! Nintendo and every other company out there who puts Euro gamers through the mill far too frequently: take note!If you're still too impatient to wait another five weeks, you may want to keep your thumbs and brain busy with a close alternative -- and conveniently enough, we have a whole bunch of recommendations for you to try out.
Gallery: Final Fantasy Tactics A2
[Via press release]
Official FFTA2 website advances
by Candace Savino { May 7th 2008 at 3:00PM }
We're at that point in the year when time just seems to fly by, so Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift will be out before you know it. That doesn't make the wait any easier, though, so we're glad Square Enix recently updated the official North American website with actual stuff to keep us busy.Assuming you can make it past the site's annoyingly slow load time, you might enjoy some of the things it has to offer. So far, multimedia and information on the battle system is listed as "coming soon," but there's still plenty to keep you occupied. Mainly, you can look at a few character profiles, and also some of the different races and classes that will be available in the game.
We can already see our summer evaporating right in front of our very eyes.
[Thanks, ediblebird!]
Promotional Consideration: Moons, Zombies, Dodgeballs, and Tactics
by Eric Caoili { May 4th 2008 at 11:00PM }
Aside from its preview page tease and Time Hollow's localization, there wasn't much in the way of exclusive DS news in this month's Nintendo Power, at least compared to what we've seen in recent issues.
Paging through the magazine, however, we spotted at least two advertisements that we wanted to share with you. As we were tearing them out to throw into our scanner, we thought, "Why not post all of the other DS ads (and the cover)?" Join us past the break for the scanned pages!
FFTA2 boxart just what you expected
by David Hinkle { May 1st 2008 at 12:00PM }
That's not to say we're any less excited about the whole thing, however. We're still dying to get our play on, one turn at a time.
Gallery: Final Fantasy Tactics A2
Do you enjoy Final Fantasy games? We've got plenty of coverage on the many titles in the franchise Square Enix is releasing on the DS. Also, be sure to check out our 2008 Blips feature, which FFTA 2 was featured in.DS Daily: Tough choices
by Candace Savino { Apr 9th 2008 at 9:00AM }
Unless you have abundant amounts of currency, though, you probably can't afford to buy that many games in such a short period of time. Also, money isn't the only problem. Supposing that you could afford everything you wanted, you wouldn't even have the time to play them all.
Narrowing down the field is tough, but necessary. What games that are coming out in the next three months do you consider must gets? And they don't have to be chosen from the games listed above, so go nuts.
Square Enix confirms awesome trio for Europe [update 2]
by Chris Greenhough { Mar 27th 2008 at 11:15AM }
Update 2: And now any mention of the paddle peripheral has disappeared again from our press release! We're confused as can be at the moment, but we're contacting Square Enix for clarification ... now. Stay tuned!Update: Silly us, we totally overlooked some critical parts of the press release. It mentions an "optional paddle controller" for Arkanoid DS, which causes us to think the game could release in a bundle including the peripheral. We've also included the full press release past the post break.
Oh, happy days!
Square Enix just confirmed a tremendous triumvirate of releases for Europe, with Space Invaders Extreme, Arkanoid, and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift all due in the region this summer.
Fantastic news, but there are two questions we urgently need answering. One: will the two Taito titles enjoy the same budget price that looks likely for the U.S. release?
Gallery: Final Fantasy Tactics A2
Gallery: Space Invaders Extreme (DS)
[Via press release]
