Topic: Square Enix Announces 2006 Lineup

[Pryopizm]

Square-Enix loves the Nintendo handhelds.

Square Enix to Showcase All Encompassing Line-Up at E3 2006    

- Entertainment Experiences to be Unveiled for All Platforms -    

LOS ANGELES, April 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of  Square Enix(TM) interactive entertainment products in North America, will  have on display entertainment experiences for all platforms at this year's  Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) to be held May 10-12 at the Los Angeles  Convention Center in South Hall, Booth #746.  Square Enix will hold a  preview event and reveal special product announcements during its press  briefing on Monday, May 8.    

"E3 attendees will be immersed in Square Enix's most diverse line-up ever,"  said Daishiro Okada, President and COO, Square Enix, Inc.  "We're evolving  and growing, extending the Square Enix brand beyond video games to a variety  of entertainment vehicles and a broader consumer base bridging the  generation and gender gap.  Our goal is to provide consumers with the most  engaging and immersive entertainment experiences possible and we hope to  give attendees at E3 a taste of what's to come."    

Following is a partial list of entertainment products Square Enix will have  on display:    

Game Boy(R) Advance    

FINAL FANTASY V ADVANCE & FINAL FANTASY VI ADVANCE    

  The classic FINAL FANTASY games that premiered on the Super Nintendo(R)  Entertainment System are now making their way to the Game Boy Advance!  Hot  on the heels of FINAL FANTASY IV ADVANCE (now available in stores), FINAL  FANTASY V ADVANCE and FINAL FANTASY VI ADVANCE will soon be available to  handheld gamers.  However, these titles are more than simple ports -- every  aspect of the games has been reviewed and enhanced.  Additionally, a host of  brand-new elements have been seamlessly merged with the original games,  providing unexpected surprises for longtime fans.  With new dungeons, new  job classes, and other exciting features, both old-school players and  newcomers can enjoy these genre-defining FINAL FANTASY titles in a portable  format!    

The magic of the FINAL FANTASY classics is returning to gamers' hands -- and  soon the wait will be over.    

FINAL FANTASY V ADVANCE & FINAL FANTASY VI ADVANCE will both be released  2006.  These titles have not yet been rated by the ESRB.    

Nintendo DS(TM) System    

Children of Mana    

  In ages past, an island called Illusia floated at the center of the world.  At the heart of the island towered an ancient, enormous tree that stretched  up to the very heavens.  For ages past, chaos and sorrow had engulfed the  world until at last its salvation appeared in the form of a boy, a girl, and  a holy sword.  Time flowed on and peace returned.  The sword and the tree  remained, and they soon came to be known as the Sword of Mana and the Mana  Tree. Followers of the Mana Tree returned to Illusia as the world started  slowly but surely down the path to recovery.    

More Magic with the Eight Spirits    

The eight elemental spirits are a staple of the Mana series.  These powerful  allies aid you with healing and special status effects.  They can also  unleash fearsome magic upon your foes.    

Cooperative or Competitive Gameplay for Up to Four Players    

The greatest innovation of this installment of the Mana series is allowing  four players to advance the story and solve quests together while  maintaining the feel of an action RPG.  Players' actions affect each other  in a gameplay experience completely unlike previous action RPGS!    

Children of Mana(TM) will be released 2006.  This title has not yet been  rated by the ESRB.    

DRAGON QUEST HEROES: ROCKET SLIME    

The latest game from the creative minds behind the 2005 RPG classic, Dragon  Quest(TM) VIII: Journey of the Cursed King(TM), has arrived on the Nintendo  DS.  The hero of this brand-new action-adventure is a slime -- one of the  most popular monsters from the Dragon Quest series.  The game is set in the  kingdom of Slimenia, a peaceful land that is suddenly invaded by a  mysterious cartel called "the Plob," who then proceed to kidnap all the  slimes in the capital city of Boingburg.  Our protagonist, Rocket, is the  only slime left behind, and must embark on a journey throughout Slimenia to  save his friends and uncover the Plob's nefarious plot!    

Bounce, Stretch, and Carry    

The adventure stages consist of our hero bouncing and stretching, as well as  carrying various objects on his head, while solving the mysteries behind  each area, and rescuing his captured slime friends along the way.  Simple,  streamlined controls allow players of all ages and skill levels to take part  in the action with ease.    

Fierce Tank Battles    

Each adventure stage culminates in Rocket hopping aboard a colossal  slime-shaped war machine called the Schleiman Tank and battling it out with  the enemy's Monster Tanks.  Customize tanks by collecting a vast array of  weapons and items.  Call upon allies, each with their own individual  personality and abilities, to aid in the heated tank battles.  Even shoot  your fellow slimes so they can infiltrate and sabotage the enemy's Monster  Tank! Pit tanks against a friend's in exciting player-vs.-player action,  using the Nintendo DS wireless multiplayer game feature!    

DRAGON QUEST HEROES: ROCKET SLIME(TM) will be released 2006.  This title has  not yet been rated by the ESRB.    

FINAL FANTASY III    

The only FINAL FANTASY that was never localized -- the third installment of  the original series -- will finally reach North American shores!  Lauded as  "legendary" by the Japanese fan base, FINAL FANTASY III has been reborn,  incorporating the latest in portable gaming technology.  Using the features  of the Nintendo DS to their fullest, FINAL FANTASY III features graphics  that have been reworked and remodeled in 3D, while maintaining the mythical  FINAL FANTASY look and feel.    

This is the fans' chance to complete the circle.  The legend of FINAL  FANTASY III is reborn.    

FINAL FANTASY III will be released 2006.  This title has not yet been rated  by the ESRB.

[Arbok]

Final Fantasy 6 Advance is so mine... So is FF3 for the DS for that matter.

However, am I the only one thinking "meh" in response to the Rocket Slime game? Hopefully some screens would be able to sizzle the concept better.

[KnowsNothing]

Wow, I know at least two of those I'll definitley buy, probably three =o  Unfortunatley there's no Mario Basketball to be seen

Also, no FFCC Rev.  Perhaps they're still NDA'd, but they HAVE revealed it already, and I'd imagine that if it were coming out they'd list it.  Maybe it won't make launch :frown;.

[vudu]

I'm really looking forward to FFVI (because somehow I've never played it).

I've never really heard much about FFV.  Why is this?  I know it wasn't released in America on the SNES, but I believe the PS got a port of it quite some time ago.  Is the game any good?  People always talk about how great FFIV and FFVI are, but FFV always seems to get skipped over.

FFIII and Children of Mana both look great.  However, the last few Mana games haven't been that hot, so we'll have to see how it actually plays.

[Karl Castaneda #2]

According to Chris Kohler, Children of Mana isn't that great. Bummer, too, because it looked interesting in the screens.

[Ian Sane]

Is anyone else a little annoyed that we finally get Final Fantasy III but it's a new 3D version?  It would be nice if we could maybe try out the original before they completely redo the whole thing.  Hopefully it'll be available on the Rev download service.

They re-release the other 2D games like a hundred times yet THIS is the one they remake in 3D.  Of course my sprite bias is affecting my opinion a lot.  A least we're getting FF3 in some form.

So are Final Fantasy V and VI being released seperately or together?  I'm assuming they're seperate but it's a little unclear in the wording of the press release.

[Caliban]

I have yet to finish Final Fantasy 1, 2, 4, and I know I will get Final Fantasy 3, 5, 6. Children of Mana and Rocket Slime will be on hold for me until I see some fooatge and read some reviews. However I still want a true Dragon Quest game for the DS, none of that slime-only-game.

[Arbok]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Is anyone else a little annoyed that we finally get Final Fantasy III but it's a new 3D version?

No, but in the best of both worlds you could just slap the original version on the new DS one as a extra without too much trouble.

[AnyoneEB]

Quote
The greatest innovation of this installment of the Mana series is allowing four players to advance the story and solve quests together while maintaining the feel of an action RPG. Players' actions affect each other in a gameplay experience completely unlike previous action RPGS!

After all, SD2 (Secret of Mana) and SD3 (both SNES) only supported three player multiplayer and this one supports four player! Color me unimpressed.

[MysticGohan]

Would this mean we could expect FFVII soon? hmmm....

[Caliban]

I heard FF7 was being remade for PS3 with a different take on it, so unless Squeenix decides that it is viable (meaning they have good $$$ from these portable FF's) to make FF7 DualSword, but don't count on my word for it.

[Nephilim]

naw they stated ff7 wouldnt start *if* it did til 2007
Square are busy working on there new MMORPG with there main FF team

[Djunknown]

Quote
I've never really heard much about FFV. Why is this? I know it wasn't released in America on the SNES, but I believe the PS got a port of it quite some time ago. Is the game any good? People always talk about how great FFIV and FFVI are, but FFV always seems to get skipped over.

Hmm... where to begin? The best way to describe FFV is the precursor to Final Fantasy Tactics/FFX-2. They game's selling point is the job class system. You have four characters in the game, but you can mix and match classes/abilities like  the two titles I mentioned earlier. The story was ok, though I won't say anymore aside it involves crystals its been a while since I played.... Like FF II, American gamers don't talk about it that much since it didn't come out when gaming was simpler and our minds more impressionable...

Quote
According to Chris Kohler, Children of Mana isn't that great. Bummer, too, because it looked interesting in the screens.

I'd probably still buy it. I liked Secret of Mana, but Seiken Densetsu 3 is the pinnacle of the series. I can't sing its praises enough. Find more about it here. For some reason, Square(enix) hasn't recaptured that magic. Sword of Mana has some shades of SD3; it should really get a legitimate U.S release. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, Children of Mana, I still want it...

Yeah, FF:CC is suspiciously absent. 3rd parties are announcing Revolution support, maybe their NDA's expire at different times? Also remember the key phrase "a partial list of entertainment products Square Enix will have on display."

[mantidor]

The only game Im interested in from SE (Mario Basketball) is nowhere to be found.

And wasnt there a FF:CC for the DS? or am I confusing it with a rumor?

[MaleficentOgre]

the only ones I care about are the DS games.  I'll end up getting the other FF games, but I own the originals somewhere in some capacity.

[Mario]

Mario Basketball will no doubt be published by Nintendo, so that's why it's not there. I'm surprised all of these games are coming over!

[Kairon]

These games are intriqueing...

But even if they weren't, I suspect that I'd have to buy all of them on matter of principle to show my support for decent thrid party involvement on Nintendo systems. Color me fanboy.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[IceCold]

mantidor, FFCC DS is real, but it probably won't come out for awhile..

[ruby_onix]

Quote
Originally posted by: Arbok

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Is anyone else a little annoyed that we finally get Final Fantasy III but it's a new 3D version?

No, but in the best of both worlds you could just slap the original version on the new DS one as a extra without too much trouble.

Squenix can't port the original version of FF3 to anything. They tried and failed on both the Wonderswan and the PSone. They've said in some interviews that FF3 was programmed with some funky code that nobody at Squenix can understand, the guys who wrote it are all in different positions/jobs/retired now, and the original documentation is gibberish and/or incomplete. They said that building an entirely new game is literally easier and faster than trying to reverse-engineer the original game.

[ruby_onix]

http://www.square-enix.co.jp/e306/








BTW, here's some older FF5 and FF6 Advance pics, in their proper resolutions, compared to the SNES originals.

[Ian Sane]

"Squenix can't port the original version of FF3 to anything. They tried and failed on both the Wonderswan and the PSone. They've said in some interviews that FF3 was programmed with some funky code that nobody at Squenix can understand, the guys who wrote it are all in different positions/jobs/retired now, and the original documentation is gibberish and/or incomplete. They said that building an entirely new game is literally easier and faster than trying to reverse-engineer the original game."

That sucks.  I imagine they could still use an NES emulator though so hopefully it'll be on the Rev download service.  But then they still have to translate it so I guess it depends on how funky the code really is.

[nitsu niflheim]

I want the slime game.  I love slimes.

[KDR_11k]

Hm, did FF3 have the job system? The black and white mage have the standard job clothes (or at least the clothes used for those jobs in 5). But then again, Vivi and Garnet in 9 have the standard job clothes as well.

I've played 5, it's less story-heavy than the modern FFs and the gameplay seems to be better. The job system is much less confusing than that junction or sphere board crap, plus you can earn more jobs throughout the game.

[nitsu niflheim]

The job system started in FF3, it was reused to a much lesser degree in FF4 (each character had a set job that did not change, except for Cecil), and then in greater use again (similar to the use in FF3) for FF5

[UltimatePartyBear]

I played FF3 for a little while on an emulator.  There's a patch available for the rom with a fan translation, so I decided to try it out the only way I could.  I enjoyed it at first.  It introduced the job system.  The four characters are completely blank slates that you are able to develop however you want, for the most part.  I reached a point at which I was apparently required to turn everyone into dragoons in order to progress.  There was a tower full of bird monsters that were way too strong for me to fight normally, but were weak against jumping.  However, even with that ability, if a character was on the ground during a monster's turn, he'd be killed instantly.  I grew tired of it at that point and never went back.

I can believe that the code is impossible to decypher.  The overworld had some interesting differences from the previous games (that might be spoilers if I went into them here), and it was far above its predecessors graphically.