Topic: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles To Be Remastered In 2019

[Shaymin]

Bucket buddies, unite!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/48288/final-fantasy-crystal-chronicles-to-be-remastered-in-2019

The game that marked Square Enix's return to Nintendo consoles is coming back next year.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered will release on Switch in 2019, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the game's Western release. According to a report from Kotaku, online multiplayer will be included this time, with worldwide connectivity.

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES Remastered Edition is more beautiful than ever and coming to #NintendoSwitch and #PlayStation 4 in 2019! pic.twitter.com/hwfldVLYRO

— Final Fantasy (@FinalFantasy) September 10, 2018

[Adrock]

I’m surprised Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is coming to PS4 since Nintendo published and at least partially funded the original game. This seems like one of those things Nintendo typically locks up in perpetuity.

I’m interested because I don’t remember playing this on GameCube. A friend had it, but I definitely never did. I’m trying to be more judicious with my Switch purchases so I don’t believe I have time for this anyway.

[broodwars]

Of all the games to remaster, why THIS one? Outside the soundtrack, did anyone actually enjoy Bucket Duty? -_-

At least the game will actually be playable this time, now that you don't need a constant GBA connection to play MP.

[Adrock]

Of all the games to remaster, why THIS one?

The ResetEra thread for this game looks like the celebration at the end of Return of Jedi so I imagine the game has quite the cult following. Why not this one?

What game(s) would you rather have seen Square Enix remaster?

[broodwars]

Of all the games to remaster, why THIS one?

The ResetEra thread for this game looks like the celebration at the end of Return of Jedi so I imagine the game has quite the cult following. Why not this one?

What game(s) would you rather have seen Square Enix remaster?

Valkyrie Profile 1 & 2
Dissida 012 Duodecim
FF 7 Crisis Core
Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Calibre
Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinestrals (doing it right this time)
Front Mission (series)
Parasite EVE (series)
Nier Gestalt
The Last Remnant
The entire FF 13 Trilogy (why not? Nintendo never got it)

That would be a start, and that's not even getting into the REALLY expensive remakes like FF 9.

[that Baby guy]

I enjoyed everything about this game. I'll be picking up this version.

You could do some very sneaky things if you were on bucket duty to end up reaching chests first.

[broodwars]

I do hope that in the PS4 version there's a trophy for picking up the Bucket for the first time called "IT'S CALLED A " CHALICE!"".

[Adrock]

Valkyrie Profile 1 & 2
Dissida 012 Duodecim
FF 7 Crisis Core
Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Calibre
Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinestrals (doing it right this time)
Front Mission (series)
Parasite EVE (series)
Nier Gestalt
The Last Remnant
The entire FF 13 Trilogy (why not? Nintendo never got it)

That would be a start, and that's not even getting into the REALLY expensive remakes like FF 9.

As much as I loved Valkyrie Profile, pretty much all of those games could elicit the same “why THIS one?” response. Remastering Crystal Chronicles is just as arbitrary as remastering the others.

[ShyGuy]

Crystal Chronicles was weird game. I went into it with little to no Final Fantasy experience and me and my friend were often lost and confused. Despite that it was enjoyable.

[Soren]

You want a Last Remnant remaster before Crystal Chronicles.....

C'mon man.

[broodwars]

You want a Last Remnant remaster before Crystal Chronicles.....

C'mon man.

Yes. The 360 version ran at like 12 frames per second. I probably would have enjoyed it otherwise.

Crystal Chronicles is the ORIGINAL consolation prize 3rd party Nintendo game. No one liked it back then, so I find the nostalgia for it perplexing.

As for Valkyrie Profile, I'd add that Square Enix just remade that game on mobile. They haven't shown any restraint in porting their mobile garbage to Switch so far, so why stop now?

[Stratos]

Loved this game! The sequels were never up to par of the original and I've been hoping for a remake of this game for a while. Never finished it back in the day but played it a lot with my sister. Was so hard to get a group of four so hopefully that can change with this version.

[Enner]

I never got to play this game and was always curious about it, so count me excited for it! More action-RPGs for the Switch, I say!

[Adrock]

Crystal Chronicles is the ORIGINAL consolation prize 3rd party Nintendo game. No one liked it back then, so I find the nostalgia for it perplexing.

Whose consolation prize? Nintendo threw Square a bone after Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within bombed.

As for Valkyrie Profile, I'd add that Square Enix just remade that game on mobile. They haven't shown any restraint in porting their mobile garbage to Switch so far, so why stop now?

This is clearly a snide remark regarding Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition, but it doesn’t make sense. They’re completely different situations. The mobile version of Valkyrie Profile Lenneth is merely a port of a PSP port of a PlayStation game. Porting the mobile version and re-adding the traditional controls seems like a lot of trouble when Square Enix could just port the PlayStation or PSP version.

[broodwars]

Crystal Chronicles is the ORIGINAL consolation prize 3rd party Nintendo game. No one liked it back then, so I find the nostalgia for it perplexing.

Whose consolation prize? Nintendo threw Square a bone after Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within bombed.

Wow, clearly you don't remember all the "what's this token spinoff crap? Where's our REAL FF on GameCube?" complaints we had on the forums. I can reasonably guarantee there was at least one Ian comment to that effect.

As for Valkyrie Profile, I'd add that Square Enix just remade that game on mobile. They haven't shown any restraint in porting their mobile garbage to Switch so far, so why stop now?

This is clearly a snide remark regarding Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition, but it doesn’t make sense. They’re completely different situations. The mobile version of Valkyrie Profile Lenneth is merely a port of a PSP port of a PlayStation game. Porting the mobile version and re-adding the traditional controls seems like a lot of trouble when Square Enix could just port the PlayStation or PSP version.

Not just FF 15 Pocket, but The World Ends With You, too IIRC.

[MASB]

If The Last Remnant is remastered, I hope the collector's edition comes with a pair of fashionable ladies shoes in honor of James's saga playing that game.

[Mop it up]

Sweet! I actually have this for GameCube but never got a chance to play it. I figured this series was dead so I'm surprised they're bringing it back, but also glad. I did play one of its sequels, Echoes of Time, which was a lot of fun to play with friends and is one of my most-played Wii titles. This game doesn't look quite as good, but should still be fun.

[MASB]

I did play one of its sequels, Echoes of Time, which was a lot of fun to play with friends and is one of my most-played Wii titles. This game doesn't look quite as good, but should still be fun.

When you say looks, do you mean the game structure or the graphics? Echoes of Time was a DS game thrown onto a Wii disc, so they could re-release the GC game as is and it should look better.

[Mop it up]

Yeah, game structure of course. If I judged games by graphics then I'd have a good PC.

[Stratos]

Echoes of Time was the one Crystal Chronicles game I never played, but if it is anything like the other sequels then it is not nearly as good, but that could also be my bias.

I remember when it came out originally, and yes, there was a general frustration that we didn't get a "real" FF, but the consensus wasn't that this game was crap. It was a fun -though tough to assemble- spin-off that was well received as a spin-off.

And everyone knew the team that was assembled for this game was built solely so Nintendo would let Square publish on the GBA, because Nintendo did that to try and get Square to support the Gamecube.

[Khushrenada]

Huh. Finally got around to buying this game for GameCube last November. Still need to acquire a couple more link cables and GBAs for it and Four Swords. Someday.

Wow, clearly you don't remember all the "what's this token spinoff crap? Where's our REAL FF on GameCube?" complaints we had on the forums. I can reasonably guarantee there was at least one Ian comment to that effect.

Hahaha! If anyone can think of something negative to say about Nintendo then you can probably find a quote of Ian saying that thing. Using Ian as an example of a fair-minded Nintendo fan disliking some decision or game is like asking a Red Sox fan what they think of the Yankees organization. There's already a bias there.

I'm sure people on these forums were upset when Metroid Prime was shown as an FPS or Wind Waker was cel-shaded. But then people played the games and they ended up becoming beloved classics by many gamers. Judging by the reactions so far in this thread, it looks like Crystal Chronicles has been able to overcome that rocky initial reception of not being a "true" FF to become something beloved for many players as well. Obviously, you can be dismissive of it from your own experience but don't cling to over a decade old hot takes on a game and time as a basis to still form your opinion on a matter.

[Ian Sane]

15 year anniversary!?  God I feel so damn old.

When this came out I played a bit of it two players with my brother but with the bucket this game is really not so hot with only two players.  I managed to organize my GBA owning friends to play this four players once, and it was very much a case of "we're, uh, having fun, right?"  The bucket mechanic really is a drag.  Why couldn't they just accomplish the same idea by having the characters get stuck at the edge of the screen if they got too separated?  Every other four player game in the world does that.

Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is where the good GBA-Gamecube multiplayer is at, though I think the max I ever got with that one was three players.  It's almost like that fourth friend couldn't be persuaded to come over after an earlier game soured him on the concept.

I would argue this game is not a terrible choice for a remaster since it is so impractical to replay it using authentic hardware.  With online play you can simulate the concept in a more accessible way.  Though the ideal system to have remastered it for was the Wii U.  Online play where you can assume that each player has a second screen right in their controller - it would have been perfect!

I still don't get why Nintendo's big ideas for Cube-GBA connectivity were so multiplayer focused.  A Cube owner also owning a GBA and wanting to get something extra by owning both makes sense.  Getting together multiple friends that all need to own their own GBA and a separate cable is a really big requirement.  But this wasn't marketed as some niche hardcore thing - it was promoted as a key feature.  Though really it was the cables that were the issue since GBA owners otherwise had no reason to buy them unless they owned a Gamecube.  If the cables were included with GBAs or the GBA link cable did double-duty then the whole thing might have worked.  The DS and Wii having connectivity would have made more sense since all syncing could be done wirelessly.  The concept was one generation too early.

[Adrock]

What may really boil your noodle is knowing Rare has been a Microsoft first party developer (2002 to present) for literally twice as long as it was a Nintendo second party (1994 to 2002). Or that we’re farther away from GameCube’s launch than GameCube’s launch was to the Nintendo Entertainment System’s launch.

Thread-related: I’ve been mispronouncing “miasma” wrong for 15 years so that’s cool. I’m going to lie down for a while. Have a good day, fellas.

[nickmitch]

Thread-related: I’ve been mispronouncing “miasma” wrong for 15 years so that’s cool. I’m going to lie down for a while. Have a good day, fellas.

That's not how they pronounced it in Inuyasha.

[Shaymin]

A remaster of The Last Remnant wouldn't be a bad idea, given that it just got delisted from Steam #ShinyDigitalFuture

Also, I'm wondering if this might get rushed to fill the giant gap the delay of Kingdom Hearts 3 getting announced at TGS will create.

ETA: Not even an hour later. Pass me a phonebook, because I apparently called it. (Japan December 6, west TBD.)