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VC/WiiWare Tuesday: An impossibly large update

by JC Fletcher { Aug 4th 2009 at 11:20AM }

This week is certainly the largest single update the Japanese Wii Shop has had since the launch of the Virtual Console back in December of 2006. It's also, sadly, a feat that probably won't be repeated, given the recent decline in selection. But let's not talk about declines when we've got such an incredible increase this month! Four games on Virtual Console -- and good ones, too, like Final Fantasy IV and Pac-Mania, would be remarkable enough, but they are joined by no fewer than nine on WiiWare.

The WiiWare selection includes genuinely interesting content like Bit.Trip: CORE, the one-button Tomenasanner Wii (seen above), and the three Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games; plus genuinely forgettable content like Sandy Beach, and wild cards like dolphin-training game Sea Farm, Derby Dog, which is, yes, a game about racing different varieties of dog, and a brain training game with its most notable feature being that its title translates to "Make your Square Brain Round."

The complete release listings are posted after the break.

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Nintendo releases tiny August Virtual Console list for Japan

by JC Fletcher { Jul 31st 2009 at 9:45AM }

We don't know why we expect big Virtual Console lineups in Japan -- perhaps because it's the only region where zero-game or one-game weeks aren't the norm, and the only region where Nintendo seems to care enough to, you know, promote it. But only six games were announced for next month, including one game we knew was coming, Final Fantasy IV.

The other offerings include a Kunio hockey game, a Namco cute-em-up, and two maze games: Pac-Mania, the pseudo-3D Pac-Man sequel that adds jumping, and Pepen ga Pengo, an updated, four-player sequel to Sega's 1982 Pengo, and something that we'd love to see released here as an import. You know, if Nintendo ever decides to get back to releasing VC games.

Ike Ike! Nekketsu Hockey-bu! Subete Koron de Dairantou (Famicom)
Final Fantasy IV (Super Famicom)
Pepen ga Pengo (Mega Drive)
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (Mega Drive)
Cosmo Gang: The Video (Arcade)
Pac-Mania (Arcade)

Final Fantasy IV coming to Japanese VC Aug. 4

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jul 21st 2009 at 11:30AM }

The original Final Fantasy IV -- sans DS upgrades -- will hit Japan's Virtual Console on August 4 for 900 Wii Points. The news comes soon after Final Fantasy IV: The After Years was summoned to the region. The release of the fourth installment seems natural, as Final Fantasy I - III are already available on the VC in Japan.

So, yeah, still nothing new to report about any of the classic Final Fantasy games coming to North America. It appears those seeking a potion of nostalgia will have to consume it across the many iterations released on Nintendo handhelds over the years.

Japanese FFIV: The After Years release schedule revealed

by Xav de Matos { Jul 13th 2009 at 6:00PM }

Famitsu has revealed the Japanese release schedule for the episodes that make up Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. Following the July 21 release of the title's initial chapters, Square Enix will stagger episodic releases weekly and bi-weekly. Additional chapters for the game will be priced at 300 and 800 Wii Points.

Already into its seventh (of 13) chapter on the North American WiiWare store, The After Years tells the story of characters following the 1991 SNES classic Final Fantasy IV -- presumably in an effort for Square Enix to tease and ignore all fan desire for a actual Final Fantasy VII remake. The series originally debuted as a episodic mobile game, exclusively in Japan. The Japanese release schedule can be found after the break.

Gallery: FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS

[via Andriasang]

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NintendoWare Weekly: Final Fantasy IV, Mighty Flip Champs

by David Hinkle { Jun 1st 2009 at 1:00PM }

Even though we're beginning our hellish descent into the mouth of madness that is E3, Nintendo is still taking the time to unload the downloadable goods to fans. This week, you'll find some fresh DSiWare, and your usual doses of WiiWare and Virtual Console goodies to boot. So, head past the break to check out what's available this week on Nintendo platforms.

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Final Fantasy IV: The After Years to feature four-player multiplayer

by Andrew Yoon { May 1st 2009 at 10:30AM }

The official Final Fantasy IV: The After Years site is live. Siliconera spotted something quite interesting in the game's features page -- support for four player multiplayer? Interesting. Seems as though you won't have to play Square Enix's upcoming WiiWare RPG alone.

We contacted Square Enix for more information, and Klee Kluo clarified: "The game has multiplayer function during battles only, similar to the original FINAL FANTASY IV. Up to four players can participate in battles by connecting the appropriate number of Wii Remotes or Classic Controllers and assign them to the characters." It seems like a neat addition for The After Years, but we're not entirely sure if our friends would want to take such a passive role and engage only in battles. Perhaps it's still best to play The After Years the way it was meant to be played: ~~on a cell phone~~ as a single-player experience.

Gallery: FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years coming to Wii

by Griffin McElroy { Feb 27th 2009 at 12:44PM }

It seems that Nintendo's recently discovered trademark for "The After Years" was, in fact, referencing a Wii port of the cell-phone based follow-up to the SNES role-playing classic Final Fantasy IV. An ESRB rating for the sequel confirms that the game will be hitting North American Wiis, though a time frame for its release, or even its release format (retail? WiiWare?) has yet to be revealed. The ESRB stamped the title with an E rating, as it doesn't classify the frequent usage of the word "spoony" as inappropriate for adolescent ears.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, which was released in an episodic fashion on a number of Japanese mobile platforms last year, follows the exploits of Ceodore (the progeny of FFIV protagonists Cecil and Rosa) nearly 17 years after the events of the original game. It'll also feature appearances from other major characters from the SNES title -- well, the ones who survived, anyway. Those who played the title will recall that FFIV was somewhat Hamlet-esque in its final body count.

GameFly members award Fallout 3 with GOTY

by Alexander Sliwinski { Feb 17th 2009 at 9:20PM }

GameFly's sixth annual Q Awards have bestowed Fallout 3 with "Game of the Year" and "Xbox 360 Game of the Year" honors. The winners were selected by tallying over 100,000 votes by the rental service's subscribers. The winners across platforms:

PS3 game of the year - Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
PS2 game of the year - Kingdom Hearts: Re-Chain of Memories
PSP game of the year - God of War: Chains of Olympus
Xbox 360 game of the year - Fallout 3
Wii game of the year - Super Smash Bros. Brawl
DS game of the year - Final Fantasy IV

To see the runners-up in each category, check out the Q Awards page at GameFly. Looking at the list (and taking into account GameFly's demographic), is anyone surprised?

Random Final Fantasy rumor of the day

by Alisha Karabinus { Sep 22nd 2008 at 9:51AM }

It doesn't look like Square Enix is spending much time on the Wii, but rumor has it that the company may change their tune and throw the little white console one of its favorite bones: a port. Producer Takashi Tokita of Final Fantasy IV The After: Return of the Moon -- the game's mobile sequel -- recently dropped some hints that the game may be making its way here in some form. "Currently [the sequel] is available for mobile phones in Japan. We'll do our best to make this game available for our overseas audiences as well," he said.

So your first thought would be the DS, right? Not according to the folks at RPG Site, who tapped mysterious (and unnamed) sources at Square Enix in their quest for more information. The result? Hints that the game may be reformatted for Wii. We would assume WiiWare, but who knows; they're porting Chrono Trigger, after all, without a hint of a graphical upgrade.

Right now, this is the king rumor in all of rumorland, meaning it's completely out there and not too reliable, but it's interesting, to say the least. Have any thoughts on the chances of this one?

[Via videogaming247]

Fanswag winners: Final Fantasy IV and Soul Bubbles

by David Hinkle { Sep 19th 2008 at 8:00PM }

When we were going to pick the winner of our latest giveaway, we completely realized that we forgot to announce the winner for our previous giveaway. Also, we received quite a few emails from you all. So, without further delay, here's our winners:

jabby wins our signed copy of Soul Bubbles
cwk5014 wins our copy of Final Fantasy IV

Congratulations to our winners and best of luck next time to the rest of you!

Reminder: Last day for Final Fantasy IV

by David Hinkle { Sep 17th 2008 at 12:00PM }

We've been trying to unload a copy of Square Enix's Final Fantasy IV on you folks for a whole week now and this is your last reminder: the giveaway ends tonight. If you weren't in the know regarding this latest giveaway, then we suggest you read DS Fanboy more. But, hey, you still have a few hours left, so head on over to the original contest post and read up on how to enter. Good luck!

Gallery: Final Fantasy IV

Fanswag: Final Fantasy IV

by David Hinkle { Sep 11th 2008 at 11:00AM }

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!

Gallery: Final Fantasy IV

DS Fanboy Review: Final Fantasy IV

by Alisha Karabinus { Aug 5th 2008 at 1:30PM }

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.

Gallery: Final Fantasy IV

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Metareview: Final Fantasy IV

by David Hinkle { Jul 22nd 2008 at 11:00PM }

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."

Gallery: Final Fantasy IV

DS releases for the week of July 21st

by Alisha Karabinus { Jul 21st 2008 at 11:45AM }

It's a tough week. Not only are we coming off the excitement of E3, but we're faced with several great releases this week, too. Will you be shelling out for more than one game? At least in Australia, the choice this week is much, much simpler.

Final Fantasy IV
Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the Clue Bender Society
New International Track & Field

Check out the rest of the major markets after the break.

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