Latest news with #Famitsu
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster Had To Be Brute-Forced Into Existence And Makes Some Controversial Cuts
Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles will make the PS1 classic playable on modern hardware in September for the first time since the PlayStation 3 generation over a decade ago. Why did it take so long for Square Enix to bring back the beloved strategy spin-off? It might have had something to do with missing source code. 'There were a number of major challenges, but all of them stemmed from the fact that the master data and source code from the original game no longer existed,' the remaster's director, Kazutoyo Maehiro, said in a newly published interview. The writer behind Final Fantasy XVI decided to push forward with bringing back Final Fantasy Tactics after replaying it 2018 on a livestream for the first time since it released in 1997. A lack of rigorous documentation procedures at the time made it hard, however. Back in the PS1 days, games were made quickly and once they shipped the company moved on. The Japanese version might be completely overwritten in English for the international release. As a result, the current Square Enix team had to cobble together the new enhanced The Ivalice Chronicles version through 'sheer force.' 'We analyzed a number of existing versions of the game and reconstructed the programming of the original, but there were also times where we played the original game and worked it out by feel alone,' Maehiro said. The entire process was the result of cumulative hard work—on the one hand working to implement new features, while behind the scenes our work was similar to porting an old arcade game to the NES.' The Ivalice Chronicles includes updated graphics (read: HD smoothing), voice acting, a re-edited script, and quality-of-life features like fast-forward and save anywhere. The original version of the game is also playable. But this isn't the first time Square Enix has ported Final Fantasy Tactics. The War of the Lions version was released for PlayStation Portable in 2007, alongside a Shakespeare-ified script, some additional cutscenes, new job classes, and a wireless multiplayer mode. Surprisingly, none of that new content will be in The Ivalice Chronicles. 'We did of course consider the addition of new jobs, abilities, and characters—including the jobs featured in War of the Lions,' Maehiro said. 'However, the original version of Final Fantasy Tactics is a very complete game both from a game design and story perspective. If we were to make major changes, it would only be a loss for not only fans of the original game, but also those new to the title.' The director notes that the War of the Lions port was handled by a different team than the original game, and he suggests that having gotten some of the original game's veterans back together—including original writer and director Yasumi Matsuno—the team wanted to stay as close to the original as possible. In an interview with Famitsu, there's also a mention of how poorly optimized the PSP version was, with audio bugs and frame rate crashes. While I can respect that, it also feels like a huge missed opportunity to expand on one of the best tactical RPG sandboxes in the genre. That could have meant adding new jobs for players to explore or new modes. Online multiplayer, a roguelite mode, or some other end-game content feels like an obvious addition to one of the best games ever made. Fortunately, it does sound like three new difficulty options in The Ivalice Chronicles will rebalance some of the gameplay. Once you've mastered Final Fantasy Tactics' job system, it can make even its toughest battles feel trivially easy. A new tactical mode will add a new level of challenge, while some abilities that were useless in the original, like archer charging attacks, have been fixed in the standard difficulty. Another neat addition? Players will encounter the Final Fantasy VII sidequest to recruit Cloud much earlier this time around. . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nintendo Switch 2 fastest-selling console in Japan ever, Famitsu says
Nintendo's (NTDOY) Switch 2 console is the fastest-selling console in Japan ever, according to week one sales data provided by Famitsu. The system has sold 947,931 units in its first week in Japan, which doesn't take into account sales on the company's My Nintendo Store. The previous fastest-selling console in Japan, according to Famitsu, was Sony's (SONY) PlayStation 2, with just over 630,000 systems sold in its inaugural week. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See Insiders' Hot Stocks on TipRanks >> Read More on NTDOY: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Morning News Wrap-Up: Wednesday's Biggest Stock Market Stories Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Drives Buy Rating with Record Sales and Profit Growth Projections Nintendo says Switch 2 sells over 3.5M units globally in first four days Best Buy (BBY) Will Likely Benefit from Nintendo Switch 2's Record-Breaking Sales Nintendo Co's Strong Future Potential: Analyst Recommends Buy Amid Successful NS2 Launch and Growth Prospects Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mario Kart World is outselling Switch 1 launch title Zelda: Breath of the Wild by over 4x in Japan, Switch 2 physical launch estimates show
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. With the Switch 2 quickly selling 3.5 million units and becoming Nintendo's fastest-selling hardware, perhaps it's no surprise that its big launch title Mario Kart World has also got off to a flying start, but it's seemingly demolished the physical releases of Switch 1 launch title Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its direct predecessor Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in Japan. In a new report (which we've machine translated), Japanese outlet Famitsu estimates that Mario Kart World sold 782,566 physical retail copies in Japan alone in its first three days. This figure includes copies of the game included in Switch 2 bundles, it should be noted. As highlighted by user Stealth40K on Bluesky, this is even more impressive when you consider The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's launch sales. Breath of the Wild might have simultaneously released on Nintendo's most underrated console (RIP, Wii U), but really, it was the big launch title for the Switch. Back in 2017, Famitsu reported that in its first three days, the Switch version of Breath of the Wild was estimated to have sold 193,060 physical, retail copies in Japan. That's four times less than Mario Kart World's estimated sales. Meanwhile, Forbes reported data from Media Create, claiming that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe managed to sell 284,823 copies in Japan in the two days before chart figures were released. Forbes later stated the game had sold 375,475 copies by May 7 (nine days after launch). This was massive, obviously – Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was an expanded Wii U port, so it wasn't even an all-new release. However, it's still not come close to the launch performance of Mario Kart World, apparently. Worldwide, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still Nintendo's best-selling Switch game at over 68.2 million sales (as of the end of March). We'll just have to see if its successor can surpass it. Mario Kart World repeats Mario Kart 8's most annoying problem as Nintendo's seemingly hiding all-important stats for characters and vehicles
Forbes
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Elden Ring' Is Getting New DLC On PlayStation, Xbox And PC As ‘Tarnished Edition' Heads To Nintendo Switch 2
Elden Ring Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition was revealed recently for the Nintendo Switch 2, but the new content coming with the game's release is making its way to PlayStation, Xbox and PC as well in the form of the Tarnished Pack DLC, revealed at the FromSoftware Games Event Spring 2025 as reported by Famitsu. There's not a lot of new content, but what we are getting is pretty cool. Two new starting classes are headed to FromSoftware's sprawling RPG, as well as three new looks for Torrent, your trusty spirit mount. Four new armor sets are also coming to the game, two of which come with the new starting classes. The two new starting classes are, according to the translation from Japanese, the Knight Of Ides and the Heavy Armored Knight (or Heavy Knight) though it's possible these will be called something different at release. The Knight Of Ides is of particular interest, since the starting class comes with a very hard-to-get Light Greatsword: Milady, a late-game weapon found in Castle Ensis in the Shadow Of The Erdtree expansion. The sword scales with Strength and Dexterity and includes the powerful Wing Stance. It's a versatile and quick blade, combining the power of a Greatsword with the speed and elegance of a much lighter weapon. The Knight Of Ides appears to have an armor set based on the Fluted Knight set from Demon's Souls – one of my favorite armor sets in all the Souls games. The Heavy Armored Knight has a much, er, heavier looking set of plate armor and carries what appears to be a falchion-style Greatsword. Beyond this, Nintendo's website lists 'new weapons' so we should expect more than just armor and Torrent skins, though what these weapons are remains a mystery. The Famitsu piece also says 'four new pieces of armor, weapons and combat techniques will be added' which is a bit confusing (is it pieces or sets? How many weapons?) Another question mark is whether this DLC will be free or paid, with conflicting reports muddying the waters. There is no release date for the Tarnished Edition or Tarnished Pack beyond 2025 at this time. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Before then, Elden Ring: Nightreign releases on May 30th, 2025. This is a standalone multiplayer release that's quite different from anything the studio has released in the past. Another title, The Duskbloods, will bring yet more multiplayer-centric experiences to the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026. I'm a little nervous about this new focus on multiplayer games which FromSoftware is clearly doubling down on following the success of Elden Ring. But hey, new DLC is cool.
Geek Culture
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
'Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition' On Nintendo Switch 2 Adds Two Classes & Bonus Content
The Lands Between will welcome new faces to the Nintendo Switch 2 when the console drops, with Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition introducing new classes, armour sets, and other bonus content. Per Famitsu, a special event held in Tokyo unveiled a first look at the upcoming selectable classes: Knight of Ides and Heavy Armoured Knight (as translated by RPG Site). Other details, including gameplay mechanics, were not shared, but developer FromSoftware confirmed the arrival of more new weapons and skills in the future. The two new classes will also reportedly unlock two of the four new armours in the Tarnished Edition , with the other two available to obtain in-game. Meanwhile, the ever-reliable Torrent is set for a makeover. Three new appearances are available for the spirit horse as part of the Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition , which includes the Shadow of the Erdtree content, and the Tarnished Pack DLC for other platforms. A release date has yet to be set for both the action-RPG on the Switch 2 and the Tarnished Pack DLC. The base title debuted in 2022 and has sold over 30 million copies to date, surpassing the entire Dark Souls series to become the studio's best-selling entry. While there are no plans for a direct sequel, its forthcoming spin-off, Elden Ring: Nightreign , will keep the fun (and a little bit of frustration) going with an additional co-op element when it releases on 30 May. Following that, genre fans can look forward to The Duskbloods , a surprise release for the Nintendo Switch 2. Not much else is known about the gothic-flavoured game, but it's coming sometime in 2026 as a console exclusive. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Elden Ring Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition FromSoftware Nintendo switch 2
