FFIV wasn't a part of my childhood so this all seems like an improvement to me. The Japanese voices were spot-on, I hope the English dub is good too.

I can't say I look forward to the FFV remake though. I can't imagine a DS remake improving that game any, just the opposite in fact. Load time, fewer enemies in battle, longer animations, more and longer cutscenes... ugh.

Strange sentiment considering that since FF9 no FF games have been much alike. Not even the ones that share a world or characters. And then there's the Mana games, which have little enough in common besides art style and critters like Rabbites. The SaGa games have even less in common with each other.

And heck, Square Enix does still make new IPs. Last gen we got Kingdom Hearts, Crystal Chronicles, the Bouncer, and Full Metal Alchemist. If you also count games they just published there was Drakengard, Robot Alchemic Drive, Driving Emotion Type-S, Fantasy Earth, and Radiata Stories. This gen they developed or are developing the Last Remnant, Code Age, the new supposedly non-FF MMO, Disssidia, and It's a Wonderful World. They're also publishing Infinite Undiscovery if I recall correctly.

Square's not an exceptional developer anymore and only nostalgia and the sheen of high budgets makes their games stand out at all. When either is missing it's a bomb, or a bad/mediocre game, or both. :sweatdrop

Actually, one article said the remake wasn't coming. But it was back when the game would have been for PS2. One person interviewed (can't remember Japanese names to save my life, sorry) said that when given the choice between remaking the game and doing the movie, they chose the movie. It later stated that the reason Cait Sith was riding Red XIII was because the team doing the work had a B!TCH of a time with the fur and revolted against doing and animating the moogle.

There was actually one site that claimed said moogle had a name, but I haven't been able to find it in ages, and as a fansite, they might have just pulled it out of you know where.

Warning: I am going berserk with consternation as I type this. I apologize if this seems like a nonsensical, ranting post, but the quote below just happened to be the straw which broke the Chocobo's back.

...I was determined not to get into this thread, but now I can't resist. Are you fucking kidding me? Dirge of Cerberus was revamped before coming to America -- it seemed obvious that the goal was to make it more like Devil May Cry. Little known fact: DMC has traditionally been more successful in American than in Japan.

I can see that meeting occurring right now...

Square Peon: "Our game is receiving mixed reviews in Japan, but to withold it from American audiences would be an unforgivable betrayal in the eyes of our fans overseas. What should we do?"
Corporate Overlord: "Obviously, we'll need to localize the game, because Americans aren't as forgiving as our countrymen. Just add the ability to fire in mid-air and some other Devil May Cry stuff, the Americans love that shit."

Now, don't get me wrong. I wish more companies would try to take inspiration from an inherently great franchise like DMC (DMC2 is excluded from the franchise, of course). But when the intent is obviously to try and rope a few more buyers, I can't stop shaking my head with distaste. It's even worse when those little stolen ideas aren't enough to push a horrible game like Dirge into the range of playability.

I know ONE guy who could stomach Dirge of Cerberus. He admits wholeheartedly that it's a horrid game, and openly admits to his shameful fanboyism. Perhaps one day he'll recover.

Message to Square: everything you do that isn't an RPG is a FAILURE!


...Okay, I guess they had Einhander and Bushido Blade. But seriously. Come to think of it, everyone I know likes Chocobo Racing. Fanboys! Mario Kart is the only acceptable kart racer! ...No, seriously, I mean that. Why bother with the completely inferior Chocobo Racing, unless you didn't have an N64 and were forced to settle... Unless you're a fanboy?

Seriously. Dirge 2, huh? Hard to believe anyone wants it, much less Square themselves after the failure of the first game. You'd think they'd learn their lesson and just keep developing disgusting spin-offs to appease their fanbase, the majority of whom is no doubt imagining what Sephiroth looks like on Blu-Ray and masturbating as I write this.

One more message to Square: Don't bother with Dirge 2. Or if you do, for chrissake, find some guys who know how to develop a fucking action game rather than having the same old crew of RPG specialists bang a copy out over the weekend. Douchebags.

PS: Drakengard had a little bit of fun to it, but it was mostly FAIL!

I thought The Bouncer was pretty good. I had a real fun week playing that one.

Sure it was short as fuck, but it was good for 3 play throughs.

But on the flip side of that, time may have skewed my perceptions.

I get your point, but aftwer seeing the hidden ending, you know there will be another FF7 spinoff, and most likely a DoC, or something invloving Vincent.

I still own the Bouncer, out of a bizarre desire to own one of the most memorable let-downs in fighting game history. Does anyone else remember the pre-release stuff for the Bouncer?

They were like, jumping on tables and using weapons and stuff! None of that made it into the game. All that did make it into the game was an extremely watered down engine, so simple that, if memory serves, every single combo consisted of mashing a single button. Not to mention that it set the standard for Square's awful character design -- belts and shit hanging all over the place.

...Except for Volt, who might've been okay without the tacked-on horns and lip piercing.

I can admit, the Bouncer was more fun than most publications gave it credit for. But for me, the disappointments outweigh the pleasures by far.

Also: FAIL!

Actually, it just set the standard for that ass Nomura's shitty designs. The guy that did FFXII was great at his job. They actually wore clothes people might wear, except Fran.

You mean Akihiko Yoshida? He also did the redesigns for FFIII DS and the character designs from FFT to VS to FFTA to FFXII.

Chrono Trigger: Perfect RPG
Chrono Cross: As a sequel: An insult to all life. On par with raping the virgin mary
As a standalone: Incredibly original and innovative, fun and entertaining


Final Fantasy Whatever we are on now: Blegh
Final Fantasy Tactics: Meh
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: A way of slapping nintendo in the face
Final Fantasy 12: -yawn-
Final Fantasy 11: -laughs-
Final Fantasy 10-2: Hilarious that they had to called it Ten-Two
Final Fantasy 10: Just give up
Final Fantasy 9: Decent
Final Fantasy 8: Lost interest, shiva naked
Final Fantasy 7: An excuse to completely abandon working systems in favor of something new, also to try using momma's boys as main villains, shiva almost naked, partially hot
Final Fantasy 6: As close to perfect as one can be without achieving perfection, shiva not that hot, covered by cloth
Final Fantasy 5: A little down the line but still ok, shiva dressed and not hot
Final Fantasy 4: Insulting, shiva has mohawk and is fully dressed, not hot
Final Fantasy 3: An excuse to try a new system, the beginnings of what will eventually be shiva
Final Fantasy 2: Makes my eyes bleed, still no shiva
Final Fantasy: Original but tedious, shiva doesn't exist

Yoshida's FFXII main character designs, bar Balthier, look as implausible and bad as anything Nomura ever zipped and belted together, bar Lulu and Nooj.