Curtain Call

3DS owners with a love of rhythm-music games should certainly be on alert right now, as Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is just a month away. The greatly expanded release of the original game comes with a huge library of 221 tracks, new characters and a local multiplayer Versus mode, with all of the additions aiming to tempt many in for a second purchase or to snag those that missed the first release.

In a mini-interview with GamesTM magazine, Square Enix producer Ichiro Hazama highlights the appeal of the games, emphasizing the importance of high quality, emotive music.

The songs themselves have great quality and stand up on their own, no question. Also, because they are used in games, I think that when people hear these songs they remember a particular scene or moment in the game.

The content in Curtain Call does also suggest that development studio Indieszero — which was also behind NES Remix and NES Remix 2 — is going all out, with the Versus mode set to be a fun addition; it includes power-ups to disrupt the other player, with Hazama-san admitting there's an element of luck, but that "it makes sense to keep it light-hearted". As for the finality of this project the clue is in the name, and gamers shouldn't expect any more entries in this mini-series.

What I've tried to do here is make the definitive version of Final Fantasy Theatrhythm; I don't intend to make any others.

Considering the fact it promises the same tight, reliable controls of the original and features more of the music of Nobuo Uematsu — a top 10 entrant in the Classic FM Top 300 Hall of Fame two years running — it should be striking the right note with a lot of 3DS owners.