The Times Online reports (via web analytics firm Hitwise) that for the first time Facebook has surpassed Google for a whole week in the U.S. The social networking site has over 400 million regular users throughout the world. About half of them check the site regularly for their updates, chat, post photos, and to play online social games like Farmville and Café World.

Who knew that a simple farming simulator would be so popular? Well regular players of Farmville, whom my wife is one of more than 83 million, know first-hand how engaging planting, harvesting, and raising animals can be…when you’re not actually outside doing real farming. This means the potential for huge profits for Facebook and companies such as Farmville creator Zynga, since gamers can pay real money to buy virtual goods. I used to be an obsessive Mafia Wars player before some jerks kept attacking my properties and I had to spend hard “earned” virtual money to repair them. Then my interest plummeted. Please stop sending me gifts!

Google launched its own social network within its Gmail service called Google Buzz. But as users complained of privacy concerns, it has had a rocky start. Google should count its blessings that it’s not a MySpace or a Friendster. Remember Google’s last attempt at a social network in 2004 called Orkut? Exactly.

Last week visits to Facebook increases 185% compared to the same week in 2009, compared with Google’s 9%. Facebook has reached number one in the U.S. before, but last week is significant for the most sustained lead.

But to be fair, the figures do not take into account other Google properties such as Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps. Combined with these services Google remains way ahead of the competition.

Don’t forget, we have our own Facebook page as well. Become a fan today!

If a streamlined PS3 is nice, how about a slimmed down 360? Kotaku reports that the images and info it retrieved from a Chinese website could be the workings of an Xbox 360 “slim”.

Of course, there has been no official confirmation from Microsoft, and given the source this is still in the realm of rumor and speculation. But the picture shows a much smaller chip, with the both the CPU and GPU sharing it. The rumor is that this is a total redesign of the console, and testing has recently been completed in China.

Given that Natal is due later this year, it makes sense a redesign and reduced cost would make a whole lot of sense. Hopefully this will also reduce the jet engine like noise of the disc drive and prevent the dreaded Red Rings of Death. We will follow this closely.

Picture Credit: Kotaku

Something tells me this is a bad guy.

Yes, I am aware that Karli has already talked about Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening, the expansion pack to  Dragon Age: Origins, in his always reliable and entertaining Coming Soon! article. I know it is available now at retailers and via download on Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network. But as the rest of the RRB staff knows by now I’m a Dragon Age super-nerd and I just had to post these screenshots.

“Dragon Age: Origins introduced us to a robust, mysterious, and tumultuous fantasy world,” said Aaryn Flynn, Studio General Manager of BioWare in Edmonton. “Dragon Age: Origins — Awakening brings players deeper into the folds to face even more complex moral decisions as the leader of the Grey Wardens and the results of those responsibilities and actions.”

Awakening takes place right after the defeat of the Archdemon, and players will assume the role of a Grey Warden Commander entrusted with rebuilding the order. The darkspawn continue to survive and the player must make difficult moral choices with regards to rebuilding the Grey Warden order, how to contend with the mysterious “Architect”, and how to truly eradicate the darkspawn. Players will be able to import their saved character from Origins or start off as a new character from neighboring Orlais. Judging by the accent, Orlais is the equivalent of France of the game’s world. Told you I’m a nerd.

The expansion pack introduces a new part of the world known as Amaranthine. There they will face a new breed of intelligent darkspawn, and face some never before seen enemies like inferno golems and a spectral dragon. But you all probably know that already. Just take a gander at these screenshots:

Something tells me it’s immune to electric attacks.

www.dragonage.com/awakening

Publishers may have stayed clear of last week, but this week seems to be fair game. It’s kind of an odd move considering that another Triple-A title is coming out this week. Do they just not know how many bloodthirsty gamers out there have been waiting for this game? It could just be that they were holding out for so long that they just don’t have a choice anymore. So here we are. One week with a fairly hefty number of releases surrounding one big release. I wish them the best of luck.

Remember. Release dates are quite literally made at the whims of the publisher. The following are subject to change without any warning.

Releases To Watch For This Week

This is why you don’t buy a dog from Chernobyl

Dragon Age: Origins — Awakening (Xbox 360, PS3)

Tuesday March 16, 2010

Didn’t Dragon Age come out like 4 months ago? Yup, and apparently it’s the perfect time to release an expansion pack for it. New weapons, new recruitable party members, new lands to explore, new abilities, increased level cap, new spells, a new story, and even the ability to re-spec your characters. This expansion pack definitely lives up to the standards of a bonafide expansion. I’m just worried that people may not be done with the original yet. It’s a huge game!

Kratos once again uses his chiropractric skills for evil!

God of War III (PS3)

Tuesday March 16, 2010

KRAAAAAAAATOOOOOOOOSSSS THE GOOOOOOOOODDDDD OF WAAAAAAARRRRRR. Or at least, I think that’s how the song goes. Not very imaginative is it? Speaking of lacking imagination, God of War 3 will be gracing us lowly mortals with its presence this coming Tuesday. Gamers who have hungrily waited for their opportunity to bludgeon, stab, dismember, and outright obliterate mythical, Grecian monsters, gods, and whatnot will finally be able to sate their bloodthirst once they’ve inserted the God of War 3 disc into their PS3s (Until then, steer clear of these people.). For those who don’t know, the God of War series doesn’t revolve around Ares/Mars. It revolves around the Spartan who failed anger management classes, Kratos. Originally, he served the gods, but one accidental-murder-of-his-own-family later, he’s grown to hate them despite the fact that they gave him Ares’ job after Kratos deposed him permanently. A bunch of stuff happened, and last we left him, he’s on a crusade to destroy all of Olympus. Most of the gameplay hasn’t changed all that much as my E3 preview have mentioned, but there are some notable changes. Some enemies are “ride able.” The Cyclops can be ridden and used to clear obstacles. Harpies can also be ridden to fly across gaps. Since we’re using the PS3 hardware, enemy counts have been ratcheted upwards. So much so that Kratos has to have some special moves meant specifically to help him deal with such large crowds. All in all, this looks to be yet another crowd pleaser with it’s totally gory gameplay with everyone’s favorite bloodthirsty, constantly angry badass. Suddenly, I feel the need to check if my doors and windows are locked.

Honorable Mention

Now that I think about it, Wanted would make a great RPG

Resonance of Fate (Xbox 360, PS3)

Tuesday March 16, 2010

Is Final Fantasy 13 just too… weird for you? Sega feels your pain, and have released Resonance of Fate. Well, it’s not exactly the most traditional RPG out there, but compared to Final Fantasy 13 every RPG is traditional! Resonance of Fate takes place in a dying, steampunk world where everybody fights with guns (No gunblades for these guys). From the looks of the gameplay videos, battles take place on a turn by turn basis, except you get to control the positioning of the characters along with some kind of timing based actions for attacks. The exploration of the overworld bears some special mentioning as well. First of all, it’s a hex grid. You don’t move your character from one hex to another. You take predetermined shapes and place it onto the overworld. Once placed, that area is considered explored. There’s a narrative reason behind this, but it kinda flew over my head when I read it. Suffice it to say that Resonance of Fate will probably appeal to those who thought that FF 13 was just way too out there. If you’ll excuse me, I have FF 13 on pause.

Coming This Week Yesterday

(I kinda missed these two releases from last week’s articles. Sorry.)

Sunday March 14, 2010

Pokemon HeartGold, Pokemon SoulSilver (DS)

Pokefans, apparently, is an ever expanding breed. How else can you explain the absolute dearth of innovations and evolution in the Pokemon series. The game hasn’t changed since it came out over a decade ago. This is a remake of Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver with updated graphics and sound for the DS along with some touch screen features. It also comes with a pedometer wherein you can train your Pokemon just by walking around with it on you. Well at least that’s something new.

Coming This Week

Tuesday March 16, 2010

Let’s Play Ballerina (Wii, DS)

I always knew that the best way to teach ballet is through a video game. You play as a 12 year-old, aspiring ballerina who has just been accepted into a prestigious dancing academy. Work your way up and you might just fulfill your dreams! That is, if you dream of being a ballerina.

Metro 2033 (Xbox 360, PS3)

Another week, another FPS. What’s so different about this one? Oddly enough, the setting and the source material does set it apart. Nuclear wastelands are nothing new, but hey, it’s Moscow’s nuclear wasteland. As for the source material, it’s based off of Dmitry Glukhovsky’s Metro 2033 novel. Yup, it’s based off a book! So, expect plenty of nuclear mutants and Russian accents.

Supreme Commander 2 (Xbox 360, PS3)

RTS have always struggled to gain ground on the console space, and porting over a giant, giant RTS the likes of the Supreme Commander series really isn’t helping the cause. The series is known for it’s massive, nearly continent sized maps. You can only imagine just how many units and building you’ll have to manage with just a PS3 or Xbox 360 controller. Nevertheless, it does look impressive though.

Sushi Go Round (Wii, DS)

In the giant hodgepodge of job sims, restaurant sims are probably the most depressing bunch. You can only make so many of your favorite dish in the game before you start hankering for it, and you just can’t reach into your TV to eat it. For me, Sushi Go Round is even worse. I love sushi! A lot!

Build-A-Bear Workshop: Friendship Valley (Wii)

Most 3D sandbox games lets players wreak as much havoc as they possibly can. Build-A-Bear Workshop: Friendship Valley, on the other hand, wants you do the exact opposite. Help your bears make their town the best town in all of Build-A-Bearville, and no, I didn’t make up Build-A-Bearville.

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of The Moon (Wii)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Those wacky Japanese really know how to spice up their games. In Fragile Dreams, Seto could quite possibly be the last person alive in the world. He’ll have to explore the world and figure out what the hell happened. Trouble is, ghost and demons have taken residence in this deserted world.

Smart Series Presents: JaJa’s Adventure (Wii)

The best I can tell, this is a side scrolling adventure game for children (as if the title wasn’t enough of a giveaway). JaJa’s pet has been kidnapped by the evil Captain Momalon! JaJa and friends must traverse through various locales and rescue JaJa’s pet! Can they do it? Or will the dastardly Captain Momalon prevail? Only you can decided the fates of JaJa and his friends!

Ultimate Hoops Challenge (Wii)

Did you know that the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is 50 years old this year? How are they celebrating it? By releasing this game. Play as one of the legends of basketball one-on-one with other legends of basketballs in various basketball mini-games like H.O.R.S.E., Around the World, or the Slam Dunk Contest. Forget those full sized basketball games! They’re longer and more expensive compared to this one!

Infinite Space (DS)

Think RPG in space, and I don’t mean like Star Ocean either. Infinite Space is all about ships battling other ship in an RPG fashion. You’ll be able to outfit your ships for the utmost battle efficiency while making room for your crew so that they can rest properly between battles. You’ll even get to command a fleet of ships later on in the game. Interesting.

Sonny with a Chance (DS)

I honestly don’t quite understand just how delusional the people at Disney can be. To keep this nice and short, it’s basically like trying to turn Saturday Night Live into a video game. How the hell is anybody supposed to do that?

Super Speed Machines (DS)

Good racing games can be silly, serious, or half and half. The one thing it should never be is generic. Unless this game has the best driving physics in existence, it really has nothing going for it. Hell, the title should already give you a hint as to just how generic this racer is.

LTTP

• Hidden Mysteries: Buckingham Palace (DS)
• Shepherd’s Crossing 2 (DS)
• Spectral Force Genesis (DS)
• Windy x Windam (DS)

I have no idea how the hell am I suppose to find time for God of War 3. I’m not even done with FF 13 yet! Besides GOW 3, that Fragile Dreams game sounds really interesting. I doubt it’ll be as good as I liked it to be, but hey, who knows. I’d ask what you’re interested in this week, but judging by the blood dripping from the side of your lip, I already know what you’ll be playing this week.

It’s ironic that a series with so many sequels, spinoffs, and fan obsession is called “Final” Fantasy. But here we are at lucky number 13, and it shows no signs of reaching an actual finality. Final Fantasy has become synonymous with the big budget, blockbuster Japanese RPG.

Story-driven and incredibly linear but nonetheless deep and detailed, FF brought the RPG into the mainstream and popularized the genre outside Japan. Well, it actually took the PlayStation and some deceptive ads that only featured CG cutscenes to help it along, but prior to that all the menu based battles and all the “reading” confined RPGs to the nerds-only realm. RPGs still have a hint of geekiness to them, but hey, if I was so worried about being “cool” I’d only play sports games, racing sims, and the occasional first person shooter.

Even the most famous JRPG in the world had its humble beginnings. Back in the 80s, a fledgling game company then known simply as Square was on the brink of bankruptcy with its simple RPGs, racing games, and platformers for the Famicom Disk System. Designer Hironobu Sakaguchi was tasked with saving the company from financial ruin, and that minor bit of pressure helped him develop a new fantasy role playing game for the cartridge based Famicom. He took inspiration from Dragon Quest, The Legend of Zelda, and Ultima and after the project was finished he planned to retire. Thinking it would be the last game he would design, Sakaguchi named it Final Fantasy. Needless to say it was a huge success and reversed Square’s fortunes, and Final Fantasy became the company’s flagship title. So let’s take a look back at the series that led up to the release this week of Final Fantasy XIII.

Common Elements

Originally planned as a standalone title, each installment of FF is distinct from each other. They’ll always have different characters, worlds, storylines, and even gameplay mechanics. However, there are several elements that are signature Final Fantasy and are immediately recognizable by veteran players.

Gameplay

Although the basic gameplay mechanics of each FF title is tweaked just enough to not become stale, the basic elements remain pretty much the same. It usually involves the party wandering the overworld or dungeon randomly encountering enemies. Transitioning to the “battle arena”, your three to four member party is on the right, with a group of enemies on the left. Battles are typically menu driven and turn based, in which the player issues commands like “Fight”, “Magic”, and “Item”. RPG players the world over also know the following: level grinding, buying and equipping new weapons and equipment, and talking to everyone in the village(s).

Themes and Plot

The plots were fairly the same for all the games- save the world from either conquest or destruction from the forces of evil. The major villain introduced in the beginning may not be the same villain the heroes face at the end. A surprise “final” final boss of some ancient evil often confronts the party at the climax. Fantasy plots are usually epic that way.  As each plot unfolds-more so in the later games-the story delves deeper into the characters, their motivations, flaws, and relationships. The stories often take place against the backdrop of a major war between kingdoms or a rebellion against an oppressive state or sinister corporation. The protagonists always take the side of the rebels. War and peace, nature vs. technology, fate, sacrifice, love, the psyche, and the nature of reality are some of the themes explored in series.

Chocobos

Horses just don’t exist in Final Fantasy worlds. Instead these big, usually yellow flightless birds serve as mounts for traveling short distances or for use as pack animals. They made their first appearance in FF2, and are so cute they are the de facto mascot of the series.

Moogles

If Chocobos weren’t cute enough; these cuddly, winged, teddy bear-like creatures with antennae on their heads served several functions throughout the series: weapon smiths, mail carriers, save points, and even playable characters. They also made their first appearance in FFII. None can resist their adorable catchphrase: Kupo!

Airships

Not surprisingly, the worlds in Final Fantasy lack C-47 Transports and AC-130 Gunships. Airships provide long distance transportation and often times serve as a base of operations for the party. The airships from the older games resembled Victorian-style propeller driven zeppelins. In more recent games they looked like futuristic space vessels.

Crystals

The One Ring, The Holy Grail, The Crystal Skull…what to these items have in common? They are Egg Mcmuffins, I mean MacGuffins- items that drive the plot in fantasy quests. Crystals serve as All Important Relics in a lot of fantasy adventures, and they are prominent in the Final Fantasy series. They are at the center of each conflict, related to powerful magic or the very life force of the planet in certain titles.

Black Mages

Black Mages are arcane offensive powerhouses that handle your fire, lightning, and any other spell that either weakens or reins destruction on the enemy. The classic Final Fantasy Black Mages are represented simply by their blue robes, tall brimmed hats and glowing eyes. One particular Black Mage traveled to the world of Eternia, adorned red robes, and became a trusted confidant of that world’s greatest hero. The mage’s name: Orko.

Cid

For some reason, there is always a character named Cid in the game. Sometimes he’s a major character or even a playable character, sometimes he’s in a minor role that just makes a cameo. But he’s always some sort of engineer. Cid was even in the Spirits Within movie.

Summons

Whether they’re called Espers or Eidolons, summoned creatures help the party with powerful and devastating attacks on their enemies or grant strong protections that buff or heal the adventurers. Several of them are based on Arabic, Hindu, Greek, Norse, and even Aztec mythology. Quite a few of them have made multiple appearances like Ifrit (fire), Shiva (ice), Leviathan (tidal wave), Odin (sword attack or death) and Bahamut (platinum dragon that blasts the bejeesus out of the enemy). Starting with FF7, summons were the most graphically spectacular attack, with long and sometimes unskippable animations.

Cactuar

Cactuars are quirky, randomly encountered enemies that appear in a lot of the games. They are characterized by being extremely difficult to hit and are prone to escaping, but defeating them results in a whole lot of experience points. Cactuars are to Final Fantasy what metal slimes are to Dragon Quest. They are sometimes summons, too.

Master Tonberry

You and your companions are the biggest badasses in the world. You’ve brought down otherworldly monsters and three headed dragons. Your knight wields Excalibur, your samurai possesses the Masamune katana, and your mage inflicts 9999 points of damage with the Ultima spell. In your travels you encounter one wizened anthropomorphic lizard carrying a lantern. He approaches the party slowly and with hostile intent. Your attacks don’t seem to slow him down. Before you know it he whips out a dagger and KILLS one of your allies! WTF just happened? Master.Tonberry.

Victory Fanfare

Nobuo Uematsu’s signature victory music plays whenever the party defeats their enemies. The characters strike a pose before plundering the corpses of the fallen for treasure and items. It is easily one of the most recognizable melodies in gaming, along with maybe the Super Mario Bros. theme and Zelda’s “discovering a secret passage tune.”I was sooo hoping for the victory fanfare to play after a battle in the Spirits Within movie. da-da-da-da daa daa du di daa!

Biggs and Wedge

Apparently the guys behind Final Fantasy are Star Wars fans because characters named after Luke Skywalker pals Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles make several appearances in the FF games. They are usually in minor roles as allies, grunts in the opposing military force, or general comic relief.

The Games

I realize that there are ton of Final Fantasy related spinoffs and other media, but in the interest of keeping my hands from cramping, I have decided to focus only on the first twelve main titles.

Final Fantasy (NES,1987)

The plot of the very first Final Fantasy is pretty generic, with the four Light Warriors embarking on numerous fetch quests to defeat four fiends based on the classical elements: Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind. They can then open a portal to a place where they can defeat the ancient evil of Chaos. It had all the bare basics of the standard console RPG: character classes, visiting towns, random encounters, experience points and leveling up, and so on. FF1 also had typical high fantasy staples like elves and dwarves who have all but disappeared from later games.

Final Fantasy II (Famicom, 1988)

Originally released only in Japan, Final Fantasy II introduced several elements that would become staples throughout the series. The Chocobo and recurring character Cid make their first appearance in FF2. This time, the heroes have actual names and identities. It is a more character-driven story as the heroes fight on the side of a rebellion against the Palamecian Empire and its tyrannical Emperor. FF2 also does away with traditional experience points for leveling up. Instead characters improved abilities by what weapon, spell, or ability they used most often. This led to an unintended consequence. Players were then able to exploit this system by having characters attack each other to max out their abilities.

Final Fantasy III  ( Famicom,1990)

Another Japan only release until the 2006 remake, FF3 introduced further gameplay elements that would recur throughout the series. The “Job System” which is an interchangeable class system allowed for a more customizable experience. All four characters start off as the weirdly named “Onion Knights” but have access to any job available. The experience points system returns and new commands like “Steal” for the Thief and “Jump” for the Dragoon are featured for the first time. FF3 is also the first time summoned creatures become available. In the story, once again four orphaned youths are drawn to a crystal of light who tells them to go forth and bring balance back to the world, as well as defeat a warlock named Xande.

Final Fantasy IV (SNES, 1991)

FFIV was released as Final Fantasy II in the U.S. and it is the first 16 bit title for the series. It featured a complex and involving plot with a huge cast of characters who die, appear to die, and reappear throughout the game. The story centers around Cecil, a disillusioned Dark Knight who embarks on a quest for redemption and to stop the Darth Vader-like Golbez from destroying the world.  It’s definitely one of the better stories throughout the series. The player could control up to five party members, when previous titles were restricted to four. The most notable gameplay innovation is the now famous Active Time Battle system. Whereas in previous titles you could take as much time as you wanted to choose a command, the ATB injected a sense of urgency by letting enemies attack the party while you sifted through menus. It was good incentive to be decisive and have your wits about you. The most memorable phrase came from the old wizard Tellah: “I’ll avenge her with Meteo!!” Oh and one more: the dwarves’ “Rally ho!”

Final Fantasy V (Super Famicom, 1992)

FF5 was yet another Japan only title until it was released along with Final Fantasy VI as Final Fantasy Anthology for the PlayStation in 1999. The most prominent feature of FF5 was its extremely deep and customizable Job system which allowed the four main characters to be skilled in several classes. The Job system enabled one character to be a both a monk and a berserker and another character to be a blue mage and bard should the player desire. It made it so that every FF5 player would have a unique experience. This title also introduced the Active Time Battle System meter to be able to anticipate which character’s turn was coming up next. The early games appeared to follow a pattern. Even numbered games were more story driven. Odd numbered games had deeper gameplay elements but pretty generic stories. FF5 is a prime example of this. The story started off with four characters that once again embark on a quest to save four crystals that govern the four elements. And then they had to stop an evil being named X-Death from bringing the world to oblivion. Both the heroes and villain are one dimensional, with only the Job system keeping my interest in progressing.

Final Fantasy VI (SNES, 1994)

Originally released as Final Fantasy III, FF6 is the last and in my opinion best of the pre- CD ROM era. The Active Time Battle system remains unchanged from FFV. This time the gameplay is based on use of Espers, magical beings that imbue spells on characters they are assigned to. They also serve as summoned creatures. Each character possesses special abilities based on their class but they all eventually learn spells. Instead of the medieval setting like the previous titles, FF6 is set during a type of industrial revolution which combines steam power and modern mechs. It is kind of like a bridge between the traditional fantasy settings of the prequels and the futuristic sci fi settings of the later games. The story centers on a mysterious young woman named Terra with a gift for magic. She eventually meets up with a cast of distinct and memorable characters who join forces to defeat the iron fisted Emperor Gestahl and his insane, Joker-like advisor Kefka. FF6 contains some genuinely emotional sequences for a 16-bit title, like the poisoning of the water at Doma, and of course the beautifully done Opera Scene:

Final Fantasy VII (PS1, 1997)

The first Final Fantasy for the 32 bit era was a huge deal. I remember the TV commercials vividly, showcasing only the prerendered cut scenes but none of the actual gameplay screens. Regardless, FF7 was extremely successful and was responsible for bringing RPGs into the mainstream. Skills, abilities, and magic were based around Materia, orbs that could be attached to weapons and equipment. Characters had powerful special attacks called Limit Breaks which were spectacularly fun to watch. Even more spectacular were the summon spells which took advantage of the more powerful hardware. They were incredibly cinematic, especially the multi-hit Knights of the Round. For the first time, the series took a much darker tone and was fully set in a sci-fi world with modern technology, mechs, and plasma rifles.  Starring a mentally unhinged Cloud Strife and an even more disturbed Sephiroth as the villain, FF7 had one of the best stories of the series. And who can forget this heart-wrenching sequence? And yes, it’s the whole sequence:

Final Fantasy VIII (PS1, 1999)

Final Fantasy VIII also has its foot set firmly in a near future sci-fi setting. Starring a determined loner named Squall Leonhart, he is part of a group of young mercenaries who are drawn into an international war and seek to prevent the sorceress Edea from manipulating it for her own purposes. It also revolves around the romance between Squall and the outspoken Rinoa Heartilly. Visually characters have a more realistic look as opposed to the cartoonish characters from previous installments. FF8 does away with several series staples by using the Junction system. By “junctioning” Guardian Forces (basically summoned creatures) to characters, they then have access to commands beyond basic attacks with their main weapon. It marks the first time summoned creatures performed a function other than a single devastating attack. And instead of magic consuming the usual magic points, spells are “drawn” from enemies and Draw Points and stored as quantified inventory. It was different for sure, but it kept the series fresh. FF8 was also the first FF title to feature a theme song with vocals. It’s on four CDs, after all.

Final Fantasy IX (PS1, 2000)

Final Fantasy IX was the last FF for the PS1, and was developed as a homage to the older games. Steeped in nostalgia, FF9 went back to the traditional fantasy setting, complete with comically exaggerated physical features on characters, the return of the Active Time Battle system, strict character classes, and blue robed Black Mages. It is a lighter hearted story starring a young thief named Zidane Tribal and his group of motley companions. They eventually confront a manipulative weapons dealer called Kuja and his silver dragon named “Silver Dragon.” FF9 also goes back to the four member party, magic points for spell casting, and a simple Item system for learning skills and abilities. Players familiar with the first six Final Fantasies are instantly at home with FF9. The only difference is the use of polygons rather than sprites. Look for the word for word Yoda quote before the very last battle.

Final Fantasy X (PS2, 2001)

The PlayStation 2 did wonders for the next Final Fantasy, because part 10 had a radical new feature: actual voice acting. Other innovations were the lack of an overworld, the awesome ability to switch characters on the fly in battle, and best of all no annoying random encounters when trying to solve a puzzle! You know how irritating that is in RPGs? Character advancement was handled through a Sphere Grid, which allowed for greater freedom in customizing the characters though they all have obvious intended battle roles. Blitzball, a fictional water polo-like sport has a prominent role as a mini game and is necessary to gain certain abilities. You either loved it or didn’t bother with it.  FF 10 had one of the more complex storylines that are at times hard to follow. It revolved around a whiny, bleach blond Blitzball player named Tidus and his father issues. The story also focuses on a summoner and Tidus’ love interest Yuna, who is the key to the relentless cycle of death and rebirth in the game’s world involving an entity called “Sin.” It’s complicated. FF 10 is also the first game to have a direct sequel with returning characters: Final Fantasy X-2.  It had an all female cast with three playable characters and featured a faster paced version of the Active Time Battle System.

Final Fantasy XI (PS2, 2002)

Final Fantasy entered the huge subscription based world of the MMORPG with FF 11. Like others of this genre, the player customizes a character and goes on missions and side quests, best teamed up with a group of other players. The player can choose from five different races and up to twenty different jobs. Set in the fantasy world of Vana’diel the main quest is to band the nations together to thwart the resurrected Shadow Lord. Of course, there are thousands of other things to do to sap the player’s time such as Chocobo breeding. This year FF11 will get a next gen console sequel in the form of Final Fantasy XIV.

Final Fantasy XII (PS2, 2006)

The twelfth installment of Final Fantasy introduced several more innovations. In a way, it takes a more western RPG approach by eliminating the separate battle screen and random encounters altogether. Players can see potential hostiles in the consistent overworld and can choose to either engage or avoid them. The actual battles are still menu based. The Gambit system allowed for assigning tactical conditions to the other members of the party. Advancement was handled via a License Board, similar to FF10’s Sphere Grid. Summoned creatures (Espers) fought alongside the party instead of completely taking over like in previous games. Another FF6 term, “magicite” is revived as well. Starring the effeminate looking pretty boy Vaan, he ends up helping a princess named Ashe in a resistance against the tyranny of the Archadian Empire. Just once, I’d like to see Final Fantasy heroes take the side of the Empire and have the bad guys be the rebels. FF12 also spawned a direct sequel; a real-time strategy RPG for the DS subtitled Revenant Wings.

So there you have it, the Final Fantasy series in all its glory.

Cosplay this!

Yeah, that’s the best title that I could come up with. But on March 11 Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Square Enix will be releasing special Final Fantasy XIII items for PlayStation Home.

Among available items for purchase for the HomeSpace are an exclusive FF13 themed apartment, furniture, figurines, and accessories. Some examples are an Eden - Primarch’s Vigilarium apartment; a Vigilarium sofa, table, chair, shelves, desk, planter set and Taxidermic Specimen; Cactuar, Flowering Cactuar and Tonberry figures; and a Carbuncle Plushie.

Larry Sparks, Vice President Brands PAL Region of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “As part of the launch celebrations we’re thrilled to be working with Sony to offer FINAL FANTASY fans the chance to personalise their HomeSpace with these exclusive items. The apartment, furniture and items have been personally selected by the development team to best represent the world of FINAL FANTASY XIII.”

For more information visit www.playstation.com.

]]> http://rrbgames.com/archives/8767/feed http://rrbgames.com/archives/8762 http://rrbgames.com/archives/8762#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:41:08 +0000 Ron Aquino http://rrbgames.com/?p=8762

Edge reports that Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman confirmed Harmonix is currently working on Rock Band 3. It is set for worldwide release this “holiday season”. He announced it during the Credit Suisse Group Global Media and Communications Conference or as we like to call it “Party Central.”

Since then Harmonix staff members have been “tweeting” on their “Twitter” accounts confirmations of the future release. Their Facebook group reads that they will “innovate and revolutionize the music genre once again”.

How it plans to do so when the market is so saturated with iterations of Rock Band and Guitar Hero remains to be seen. Personally, I’m still clamoring for a “Classical Hero: Mozart” and “Smooth Jazz Band” for a little variety.

Now here’s a karaoke game taken straight from my iPod (along with Guitar Hero: Metallica). Judging by track list, Microsoft’s Lips: I Love the 80’s you get a group of your thirty-something friends and mix thoroughly with copious amounts of booze,  and you have the makings of quite possibly the best evening ever.

The game will be available April 2 and will come either standalone or bundled with a wireless microphone. It’s also compatible with the USB mics from Guitar Hero.

Here’s the awesome tracks:

The Look Of Love - ABC
Forever Young - Alphaville
Cruel Summer - Bananarama
Dreaming - Blondie
Video Killed The Radio Star - The Buggles
You’re The Inspiration - Chicago
Don’t Leave Me This Way - The Communards
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - Culture Club
Boys Don’t Cry - The Cure
Let’s Dance - David Bowie
Whip It - Devo
Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners
Rio - Duran Duran
Mirror In The Bathroom - The Beat
A Little Respect - Erasure
A Good Heart - Feargal Sharkey
Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
The Power Of Love - Huey Lewis & The News
Don’t You Want Me - Human League
Centerfold - J. Geils Band
Bad Reputation - Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
Too Shy - Kajagoogoo
Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves
Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
Kids In America - Kim Wilde
Celebration - Kool & The Gang
Our House - Madness
Blue Monday ’88 - New Order
The Riddle - Nik Kershaw
Love Is A Battlefield - Pat Benatar
Roxanne - The Police
Don’t Get Me Wrong - The Pretenders
Super Freak - Rick James
Alive And Kicking - Simple Minds
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Gold - Spandau Ballet
Shout - Tears for Fears
Mickey - Toni Basil
Vienna - Ultravox
Don’t Go - Yazoo

After a good 4 years (I kid you not) the waiting is finally over. As usual, the rest of the publishers have by and large stayed clear of this long awaited date. It seems, however, that Sega either didn’t get the memo or didn’t care.

Remember. Release dates are quite literally made at the whims of the publisher. The following are subject to change without any warning.

Releases To Watch For This Week

Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox 360, PS3)

Tuesday March 9, 2010

To everyone who watched in awe with mouth agape the Final Fantasy 13 Trailer all those years ago, March 9th, 2010 seemed like a date that simply wouldn’t come. Until now. You have to be relatively new to gaming to have never heard of Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy 13 is Square Enix newest RPG, and despite the number at the end, it is an entirely brand new game. The series have never been constrained to any one universe, storyline, or even gameplay mechanics. Each one is like an RPG in the first of many. In the case of Final Fantasy 13, the world is that of Cocoon and Pulse. The former is the world of man while the latter is basically the great outdoors. The inhabitants of Cocoon abhor the world of Pulse including those who are branded by it. As Lightning and crew, all of whom bears the mark of Pulse, they must save the world even if they are not wanted by it. The mechanics of the game is where the term “RPG” becomes a little bit murky. The creators of Final Fantasy 13 have explicitly said in an interview that they didn’t set out to create an RPG. They didn’t start with the template of an RPG and created a game that fit the mold. They just made a game, and whatever it ends up being is what you get. This thinking might explain the generally not so positive reviews we’ve been hearing from Japan (This game came out 3 months ago over there) along with others who have played the import version. Yet despite all this I’m still very curious about this game. The world, the stunning graphics, the combat, all of it looks far too enticing for me to just pass up.

Yakuza 3 (PS3)

Tuesday March 9, 2010

You know how the Godfather movies are ultra popular around here? If you were to Japan-fy the Godfather movie, you’d probably get something very similar to the Yakuza series. In case you don’t know, Yakuza is the Japanese equivalent of the mafia, and the series revolves around Kazuma Kiryu, an ex-member of the Yakuza. Unfortunately the world of the Yakuza is not ready to let Kazuma go quite just yet. As for the game itself, the creators have taken great pains in making the streets of Tokyo as authentic as humanly possible. The shop signs, the billboards, the lights, and many more minute details make it completely undeniable that you are in Tokyo. It wouldn’t be a crime drama without some brutal fights. Kazuma doesn’t use any fancy fighting moves. He sticks with basics like punches and kicks, but he also gets to wield weapons from anything he can get his hands on like a chair or a pool cue. The Yakuza series is extremely popular over in Japan. It gets top dollar production values and very well known actors to voice the characters, but over here, it’s a bit of a different story. The first one came and went with barely a blip on our radar despite some fairly warm critical reception. It was even localized with English voice actors like Michael Rosenbaum, Mark Hamill, and Rachel Leigh Cook. The second one came and went with barely anybody noticing, and for a little while, American release of Yakuza 3 looked unlikely until only recently. I get the feeling that this is its last chance to make an impact here in the US. If it doesn’t do any kind of sales here, we’ll probably never see Yakuza 4 come out here. The game may be Japanese centric in a lot of ways, but that’s not the reason the game did as well as it did over in Japan. The quality of the story and writing is nearly unmatched. We’d be fools if we don’t at least give this game a chance.

Honorable Mention

Calling (Wii)

Tuesday March 9, 2010

The western horror genre and I does not have a cordial relationship. I detest it. The Japanese horror genre and I have a slightly different relationship. One where I run away like a little girl. If I’m forced to endure one or the other, I’d pick the western horror genre only because those don’t scare the living crap out of me. Calling, a horror game in classic Japanese style, is undoubtedly Nintendo’s version of counterprogramming against the behemoth that is Final Fantasy 13. In the world of Calling, a website simply called the Black Page have drawn many visitors. Unfortunately just by visiting the site, you’re drawn into some alternate reality made up of memories of the dead. You’ll have to figure out how to get out of there unless you want to join the poor souls already trapped there. The funny thing about the horror genre is just how curious I am about the story behind the scares. Why does this alternate reality exist? What caused all this? How the hell do you fix this or at least get out? I’d love to get my hands on this game to answer all my questions, but how the hell am I supposed to do that without wetting the sofa?

Coming This Week

Tuesday March 9, 2010

Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition (Xbox 360, PS3)

This is just Resident Evil 5 that happens to come with all the Downloadable Content. That means you get the versus mode, the two costume packs as well as the two additional chapters “Lost in Nightmares” and “Desperate Escape”. Buying the game along with all the individual DLC is the same as the price of this Gold Edition, so unfortunately you won’t be getting any kind of a discount.

The Daring Game for Girls (Wii, DS)

Is it me or has it been a while since the Wii got a mini-game collection? This here is based off of the Daring Book for Girls which lays out a bunch of games that girls could play. This game includes games like freeze tag, double dutch, and basketball all in the name of earning Daring Girl Badges. Earn enough badges, and you get to go to virtual Africa! WOOHOO!

Racquet Sports (Wii)

The name says it all, and if you look at the font for the title on the box art, it might just remind you of another popular mini-game compilation. Yes, it’s a compilation of sports that uses racquets like tennis and Badminton. It does support the Wii Motion Plus, which is rarer than it should be, and the Ubisoft Motion Tracking Camera (Ubisoft’s answer to the Natal), which is included in a specially marked version of Racquet Sports. Hope you like your Wii Tennis clone games!

Sam & Max: Season Two – Beyond Time and Space (Wii)

The lovable, psycho duo are back! These freelance police will stop at nothing to crack the case. No robots or aliens can stand in their quest for justice! This Point and Click adventure game contains all 5 episodes of Season 2. Hope you like your rabbits psychotic.

Shepherd’s Crossing 2 (DS)

I just read the game description for this game, and for the life of me I cannot figure out what’s the difference between this and a Harvest Moon game. Are farming sims that popular?

LTTP

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Portable (PSP)

This week’s really turning into a very Japanese centric week. This probably doesn’t need saying, but Final Fantasy 13 here I come! Damn the naysayers, and damn gloom and doomers! Nothing’s standing between me and my Final Fantasy 13! Will you be joining me?

The law that bans the import, sale, and production of violent video games that passed in Venezuelan parliament in November of 2009 went into effect last Wednesday. Put forth by “President” Hugo Chavez, gamers could face 3-5 years in prison for violation, reports Games Thirst.

\Called the “Law for the Prohibition of Violent Video Games and Toys “(Ley para la Prohibición de Videojuegos Bélicos y Juguetes Bélicos), it expressly forbids “the manufacture, import, distribution, purchase, sale, rental, and use of violent toys and video games.”

The law paints a broad brush of what constitutes violent video games and toys. First person shooters and toy guns are obvious, but what about 2D shooters like Contra? What about action figures and water pistols? Well, if an elementary school here in the U.S. will nearly suspend a fourth grader for bringing a 2 inch LEGO gun to school, then it’s not too far fetched that a socialist dictatorship would be even more draconian.

The law states that anyone promoting the purchase of the prohibited items would be fined between 2,000 and 4,000 tax units, while those in direct violation who sell, rent, manufacture, or distribute such items would face 3-5 years in prison.

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