April2014
News Curtain Call Brings The Cute With Static Arts Mini Range
Moogle, Chocobo and... Squall?!
With Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call's Japanese release date now mere weeks away Square Enix has started to get the full weight of its formidable merchandising arm behind the game, with this three piece "THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY STATIC ARTS mini" set no doubt the first of many similar figure releases. The...
Video Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call Showcases Almost Thirty Minutes Of Content
Magnificent melodies heading towards 3DS
1st April my be a popular time for companies to come up with creative pranks, but thankfully Square-Enix has gone down a different route and instead gifted us with two videos for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call instead. We have of course looked at the published track lists and
March2014
News Square Enix To Focus Less on the 'Global Aspect' Following Bravely Default Success in the West
"There’s a sense of mass, which loses the image of a niche market"
Square Enix, a company with significant heritage both pre- and post-merger, has been working in recent times to try and broaden its appeal and sales worldwide. It's not been smooth sailing, however, as financial challenges have been a consistent feature in recent years as the...
News Dragon Quest X Reaches One Million Sales In Japan
A slow increase in popularity of the Square Enix MMORPG
The subscription-based Japanese exclusive Dragon Quest X – released on the Wii in 2012 and the Wii U just last year – has today reached a significant milestone. According to Producer Yosuke Saito via Twitter, the Square Enix MMORPG has now sold a total of one million copies. Last April,...
News Modern Final Fantasy Tracks Confirmed For Theatrhythm: Curtain Call
Did your favourite make it in?
Last time the official Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy: Curtain Call website updated we were able to bring you news of the classic Final Fantasy tracks that were confirmed for inclusion in the game; now we can finally tell you which tracks from Final Fantasy VIII all the way up to
News Knights Of The Round Joins The Fray In Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
Thankfully the summon sequence is much shorter in this game
Much like last time, Square Enix has once again released a few tantalising images of the characters and summons we can look forward to using in the awkwardly-named Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy: Curtain Call. As before there's a selection of old and new characters to ogle, this time from the...
Weirdness Square Enix Reproduces Deadly Final Fantasy XIV Boss in 16-Bit Style
We'd play a Super NES version any day
Final Fantasy XIV, an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) for the franchise, has had a troubled history. The first version was such a disappointment that Square Enix eventually dropped it, reproducing the game and changing up the development team that eventually released the far-improved A...
News Nintendo Highlights Positive February Sales in the U.S. of Bravely Default and Tropical Freeze
Wii U hardware and software increase compared to February 2013
It's that time again, with the NPD results — which cover physical retail sales in the U.S. — for February starting to emerge. Nintendo has, in a surprising twist on previous months, been quick to jump into the fray with its results, no doubt due to the fact it could report positive...
News Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy: Curtain Call Unveils First Track Details
A medley of classic tunes coming to Japanese 3DS'
While we were busy twiddling our thumbs waiting for Theatrhythm: Curtain Call and playing the threedemo tracks until our stylus wore out, Square-Enix sneaked an update onto the official website detailing some of the tracks to be included from the original Final Fantasy up to
News Latest Mana Game Rises To The Challenge
Now we're hoping for a 3DS port
Launched just a few hours ago in Japan on iOS (due on Android later in the year), Rise of Mana is the most recent title in Square's long running RPG series, perhaps most fondly remembered by Western gamers for the first SNES entry Secret of Mana. In keeping with some of the more iconic Mana games, Rise of Mana is an...
February2014
News New Characters, Monsters And Modes Join Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
Faces old, new and import-only are now part of the crew
We've already looked at the demo before, but now Square Enix have released some new information about Curtain Call's new versus mode as well as artwork for Makina and Rem, both from the currently Japan-only Final Fantasy Type-0. Versus mode can be played against either a friend or against...
News Bravely Default Producer Outlines a Continued Focus on the Story for Upcoming Sequel
Player choice with battle frequency customisation included again
With Bravely Default now available worldwide, it's naturally no surprise that the sequel is already confirmed for Japan, ensuring a likely scenario that gamers in the West will have to patiently await localisation news as those in the homeland of Square Enix enjoy the follow-up. The...
News Bravely Default Producer Inspired by 90210 and Glee
Saving the world is like going to high school
Bravely Default producer Tomoya Asano was recently kind enough to field a question on the Nintendo Handheld Gaming Facebook page, revealing his inspirations behind the game's plot. Asano started off with the somewhat predictable — yet understandable — response of establishing a fantasy RPG setting...
Matters of Import Dragon Quest Monsters 2 Shows Us How Remakes Should Be Done
A monster masterpiece
Iru and Luca’s (or Tara and Cobi’s, if you prefer) adventure first graced the world with its presence thirteen years ago on the Game Boy Color, had a very brief fling with the PlayStation (Japan only, of course) in 2002, and then lay dormant for over a decade before Square Enix dusted it off and gave it an excellent modern...
News Dragon Quest Monsters 2 Storms to the Top of the Japanese Charts
3DS XL (LL) sales enjoy a boost
Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru and Luca’s Wonderful Mysterious Keys has enjoyed its début in the Japanese charts, with its success also bringing a boost to the 3DS; as for Wii U, there's not much to bring cheers. This week's Media Create results are dominated by two newcomers on the 3DS, with the DQ remake storming...
Rumour Square Enix Trademark For Luminaries Of The Legendary Line Could Be Related To Dragon Quest
This company really does love alliteration in its titles
Square Enix has gone somewhat quiet about localising its Dragon Quest titles for the western market — leading some to suggest that the franchise is all but dead outside of its native Japan — but a recent trademark hints that something is afoot. A US trademark has been filed by Square Enix...
Feature Your Guide Through Dragon Quest Monsters 2
The adventure starts here!
We know there are a lot of Nintendo Life readers who’d love to get their hands on Dragon Quest Monsters 2 but can’t, either because of Nintendo's ongoing region-locking policy or simply due to the language barrier. So we’re hoping to give you the next best thing – a front-row seat on Kerry’s run through the game!...
News This Final Fantasy IV Medley Rocked A Whole Crowd Of Fans
Mega potions in the air like you just don't care
Final Fantasy IV is known as one of the most highly regarded RPGs of all time, and for good reason. Interesting characters, a classic battle system and an engaging plot all helped set it apart, but what stood out most for many players was its truly masterful soundtrack. Nobuo Uematsu's timeless score...
Video Slime Fighting And Pie Stealing Abound In The First 30 Minutes of Dragon Quest Monsters 2
Half an hour of RPG action awaits you
We've had a look at Square Enix's 3DS remake of the Game Boy Color RPG before, but now the wait is finally over — the title has launched in Japan and gamers lucky enough to be equipped with a Japanese 3DS can at last enjoy this Slime-filled RPG. In case you were wondering, we're lucky enough. We've played the...
Matters of Import Bahamut Lagoon Roars Onto The Japanese Wii U eShop
Here be dragons
Due for re-release on the Japanese Wii U Virtual Console service today, Bahamut Lagoon is (another) one of Squaresoft’s lost RPG treasures, a game that eighteen years after its original release still doesn’t officially exist to those of us living outside Japan. The game most closely resembles a strategy RPG, similar to Shining...
News Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy Curtain Call Gets A Japanese Release Date
There's a limited edition 3DS, too!
We've had a look at Curtain Call's demo before, but now Japanese gamers finally have a release date to impatiently wait for, too: the 24th of April, to be precise. The retail version of the game will cost 5800 Yen before tax (£35 / €42 / $57 USD), with the download copy a bit cheaper at 4444 Yen (£27 / €32...
January2014
Video This Bravely Default Trailer Gives a Handy Gameplay Overview
Plus it has that awesome music
Bravely Default is creeping ever closer to its North American release on 7th February. It's received plenty of praise for in Europe and Japan to date, and Nintendo of America continues to gear up its marketing campaign to promote the title's arrival. Two new videos have been released recently, one of which is a rather...
News Square-Enix Registers Curtain Call Trademark In Europe
Stylus' at the ready, Theatrhythm fans!
It looks like European Theatrhythm fans can start to get cautiously excited, as it turns out Square-Enix filed a European trademark for "Curtain Call" on Christmas Eve last year. There's always a chance that this just another bit of boring legal legwork done to keep less scrupulous developers from pinching...
Matters Of Import A Peek Into The Tragically Unobtainable World Of Dragon Quest X
Taking the quest online
In an utterly baffling move, Dragon Quest X — the most recent game in the iconic RPG series — is not only import-only but also IP blocked, meaning the game will refuse to work for all legitimate users trying to play from outside Japan. Luckily, there are ways to get your foreign internet connection to disguise itself with...
Video A New Bravely Default Trailer Shows You How To Get A Job
Not your average 9 to 5, though
Any RPG – or JRPG – gamer knows that strategy is the most important thing when playing through the game. Knowing enemy weak spots, which armour to equip and which weapon is the most effective are all key factors to make victory a certainty. Yet sometimes things go into deeper levels of planning. Bravely Default...
