Crystal Defenders R1 features fewer characters than in its iPhone source material. According to Square Enix, the game was designed for first time players to learn how to use the game's basic towers. As such, the berserker, hunter, and tinker towers have been removed from the title with only the soldier, black mage, white monk, archer, time mage, thief, and dragoon towers remaining.
R1 is not a direct port of the first piece of the Crystal Guardians series, W1, as it includes the dragoon tower, an addition found in W2. Though not officially announced, the R1 appendage to the name likely indicates that Square Enix will release future expansions to the title.
The rival Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 releases of the same game will instead be enhanced ports and will be titled simply, Crystal Defenders. These versions will include all of the Crystal Guardians series, W1, W2, and W3, plus additional content, and will be released sometime in the spring.
Currently there is no official announcement for release outside of Japan, but given the title's existence on iPhones worldwide, an eventual worldwide release is likely.
