147-507: Final Fantasy III is a Nintendo DS role-playing video game and a remake of the 1990 Family Computer game, Final Fantasy III . The game was developed by Matrix Software and marks the first time the game was released outside of Japan since its original launch. A port was released for iOS on March 24, 2011. It was followed by an Android port on March 12, 2012, a PlayStation Portable port in late September 2012 (downloadable-only format outside Japan via PlayStation Network ) and
294-461: A Windows port via Steam in 2014 in the west and in 2020 in Japan with further updates. The original storyline of Final Fantasy III is retained with some of the changes being that the main characters are more developed, well rounded, and are given unique appearances (designed by Akihiko Yoshida ), backstories, personalities and names: Luneth ( ルーネス , Rūnesu ) , an adventurous orphan boy raised in
441-417: A first-person perspective . The class changing systems and multiple types of magic available were also influential on the genre, as were the use of a variety of vehicles. By contrast, IGN has commented that the menu system used by the games is a major detractor for many and is a "significant reason why they haven't touched the series". Destructoid ' s Chris Hovermale cited the battle systems of
588-670: A koala with a bat . Other recurring races include common monsters such as the cactus-like Cactuar , the Tonberry, the Malboro, the Behemoth, and the Iron Giant. A human character that has frequently appeared is Cid ( シド , Shido ) . Making his debut in Final Fantasy II , he has appeared in multiple forms as everything from a player character to an antagonist. His most frequent occupation
735-532: A "steady place on a table in the living room", so that it might be shared by multiple household members. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was a free online game service run by Nintendo. Players with a compatible Nintendo DS game could connect to the service via a Wi-Fi network using a Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector or a wireless router . The service was launched in North America, Australia, Japan & Europe throughout November 2005. An online compatible Nintendo DS game
882-480: A Wii and up to five Nintendo DS units to access the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service through the host computer's Internet connection. When tried under Linux and Mac , it acts as a regular wireless adapter, connecting to wireless networks, an LED blinks when there is data being transferred. There is also a hacked driver for Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 to make it function the same way. The Wi-Fi USB Connector
1029-491: A blocky appearance. Unlike most 3D hardware, it has a set limit on the number of triangles it can render as part of a single scene; the maximum amount is about 6144 vertices, or 2048 triangles per frame. The 3D hardware is designed to render to a single screen at a time, so rendering 3D to both screens is difficult and decreases performance significantly. The DS is generally more limited by its polygon budget than its pixel fill rate. There are also 512 kilobytes of texture memory, and
1176-469: A built-in microphone , and support for wireless connectivity . Both screens are encompassed within a clamshell design similar to the Game Boy Advance SP . The Nintendo DS also features the ability for multiple DS consoles to directly interact with each other over Wi-Fi within a short range without the need to connect to an existing wireless network. Alternatively, they could interact online using
1323-417: A central role in several games, though later games such as Final Fantasy XV focus on simple narratives and understandable knowledge for its lore. The central conflict in many Final Fantasy games focuses on a group of characters battling an evil, and sometimes ancient, antagonist that dominates the game's world. Stories frequently involve a sovereign state in rebellion, with the protagonists taking part in
1470-624: A chosen games' core narrative. The concept of crystals was introduced into the original game by game designer Koichi Ishii . Based on positive fan feedback, Terada suggested carrying them into future entries. Since then, crystals have taken prominent roles in Final Fantasy III , IV , V , VI , VII , and IX . They took minimal roles in II , VIII , X , and XII . Crystals also took a central role in Final Fantasy XIII and XV , which both used
1617-497: A common mythos surrounding crystals and their associated deities. Fabula Nova Crystallis was originally planned as a platform for the development of multiple games planned out in advance, compared to Final Fantasy producer Shinji Hashimoto to the Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings film franchises. Eventually mixed reactions to the subseries prompted Square Enix to move away from
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#17328442606041764-444: A darker theme. Nojima also created the original scenario of Final Fantasy XV (2016), then called Final Fantasy Versus XIII . His original scenario was reworked for XV by Saori Itamuro. Another recurring writer is Daisuke Watanabe . His first job on the series was with Final Fantasy X . He worked on Final Fantasy XII (2005) as a scenario writer after original writer Yasumi Matsuno left due to illness. The initial script
1911-663: A different audience. Time magazine awarded the DS a Gadget of the Week award. At the time of its release in the United States, the Nintendo DS retailed for US$ 149.99 . The price dropped to US$ 129.99 on August 21, 2005, one day before the releases of Nintendogs and Advance Wars: Dual Strike . Nine official colors of the Nintendo DS were available through standard retailers. Titanium-colored units were available worldwide, Electric Blue
2058-584: A few DS games that used the GBA slot. On November 21, 2009, Nintendo released the Nintendo DSi XL , a larger version of the DSi. All Nintendo DS models combined have sold 154.02 million units, making it the best-selling Nintendo system , the best-selling handheld game console, and the second-best-selling video game console of all time, overall, only about a million units behind Sony's PlayStation 2 . The Nintendo DS
2205-399: A greater overall size, than the original DSi. It is the fourth DS model, the first to be available as a pure size variation. It features larger screens with wider view angles, improved battery life, and a greater overall size than the original DSi. While the original DSi was specifically designed for individual use, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata suggested that DSi XL buyers give the console
2352-487: A main artist for the Crystal Chronicles spin-off series, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII , and the mobile game Mobius Final Fantasy . A key designer for much of the series' life was Kazuko Shibuya, who did sprite designs from Final Fantasy to VI . She also did work on Final Fantasy Dimensions . A notable outside collaborator was Hiromu Takahara, lead designer for Japanese fashion house Roen, who created
2499-426: A microphone, and is compatible with all games that use the internal microphone. It was released alongside Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in North America, and Australia. On February 15, 2006, Nintendo announced a version of the cross-platform web browser Opera for the DS system. The browser can use one screen as an overview, a zoomed portion of which appears on the other screen, or both screens together to present
2646-547: A minute". Another complaint was in the game's presentation on the Nintendo DS , noting that the handheld's top screen was inactive for "75% of the game" and that even displaying only artwork on the screen during those periods would have been a preferable outcome. However IGN praised the graphics and musical score, and also stated that the transition from 2D to 3D was "a good call". The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Final Fantasy III for " Role-Playing Game of
2793-407: A missing piece of a blockbuster series", citing that "hardcore RPG players" may enjoy the title more than other Final Fantasy games and calling it "one of the best portable RPGs to date". GameSpy argued that one's enjoyment hinged "entirely on your desire to play a game with decidedly archaic game mechanics that may seem primitive and uninviting" compared to other recent Square Enix titles, noting
2940-472: A more action-based, single-character version that incorporated design elements cut from XIII . Final Fantasy XV used an action-based system that was described as a "realistic" version of those used in the Kingdom Hearts series and spin-off game Final Fantasy Type-0 . Unlike mainline Final Fantasy games up to this point, the players could only control one character out of the four-strong party. While
3087-546: A party of characters, commanding anywhere between three and eight during battles. Players must face a variety of enemies who continually try to damage the player; in battle, the characters can select a variety of commands from a menu, such as "Fight", "Magic", "Item", as well as other special skills such as "Steal", "Throw", or "Summon". The battle is won when all enemies are defeated. Up until Final Fantasy XI , battles were triggered through random encounters: starting with XI and continuing in following games, enemies were visible in
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#17328442606043234-485: A piece of full artwork rather than a simple logo. Since Final Fantasy IV , the current font style was adopted, along with a specially-designed logo by Amano. The emblem relates to a game's respective plot and typically portrays a character or object in the story. Subsequent remakes of the first three games have replaced the previous logos with ones similar to the rest of the series. His work on Final Fantasy brought him international fame. From Final Fantasy VII onward,
3381-417: A sales record for a handheld console. The European release of the DS, like the U.S., was originally packaged with a Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt demo. The European game cases are additionally about 1/4 inch thicker than their North American counterparts and transparent rather than solid black. Inside the case, there is room for one Game Boy Advance game pak and a DS card with the instructions on
3528-573: A series of fantasy and science fantasy role-playing video games (RPGs). The eponymous first game in the series , published in 1987, was conceived by Sakaguchi as his last-ditch effort in the game industry; the game was a success and spawned sequels. While most entries in the series are separate from each other, they have recurring elements carrying over between entries, including plot themes and motifs, gameplay mechanics, and visual elements. The Final Fantasy series features recurring thematic elements, including magical crystals and creatures such as
3675-418: A similar fashion to other contemporary MMORPGs. Final Fantasy XII used a similar real-time command-based system to XI : dubbed the "Active Dimension Battle" system, characters fought enemies in environments without random encounters, with players acting on commands set by the player. The battle system for Final Fantasy XIII was designed to retain the strategic elements of earlier games while emulating
3822-506: A single tall view of the page. The browser went on sale in Japan and Europe in 2006, and in North America on June 4, 2007. Browser operation requires that an included memory expansion pak is inserted into the GBA slot. The DSi has an internet browser available for download from the Nintendo DSi shop for free. This USB-flash-disk-sized accessory plugs into a PC's USB port and creates a miniature hotspot / wireless access point , allowing
3969-560: A sleeker appearance, larger stylus, longer lasting battery, and brighter screens. Nintendo considered a larger model of the Nintendo DS Lite for release, but decided against it as sales of the original redesign were still strong. It was the final DS to have backward compatibility with Game Boy Advance games. As of March 31, 2014, shipments of the DS Lite had reached 93.86 million units worldwide, according to Nintendo. The Nintendo DSi
4116-453: A small slot on the controller. It also features a hand strap. The game works with both the DS Lite and the original Nintendo DS as it comes with an adapter for the original DS. The Guitar Grip also works with its sequels, Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades , Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits , and Band Hero . The Nintendo DS Lite is the first redesign of the Nintendo DS. While retaining the original model's basic characteristics, it features
4263-410: A special cartridge and RAM extension, browse the internet. Nintendo claims the battery lasts a maximum of 10 hours under ideal conditions on a full four-hour charge. Battery life is affected by multiple factors including speaker volume, use of one or both screens, use of wireless connectivity, and use of backlight, which can be turned on or off in selected games such as Super Mario 64 DS . The battery
4410-445: A standard for RPGs. The series also produced spin-off entries including SaGa and Mana , and in turn influenced later game developers and studios. The Final Fantasy media franchise began with the development of the titular first game in the series. It was developed at Square , later dubbed Square Enix after its 2003 merger with Enix . Final Fantasy was creator Hironobu Sakaguchi 's last-ditch attempt at success within
4557-524: A substantial input into the character stories. While Final Fantasy VII would become Nomura's favorite project, its graphical limitations meant that his art style was limited in turn. For Final Fantasy VIII , he worked with other artists to make the characters more realistic. Nomura returned for Final Fantasy X , designing the main cast and creating a setting influenced by the South Pacific , Thailand , and Japan . For Final Fantasy XV , Nomura created
Final Fantasy III (2006 video game) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-422: A unique entertainment experience for the 21st century." He also expressed optimism that the DS would help put Nintendo back at the forefront of innovation and move away from the conservative image that had been used to describe the company in years past. In March 2004, a document containing most of the console's technical specifications was leaked, also revealing its internal development name, "Nitro". In May 2004,
4851-589: Is "Summoning", a mechanic where characters can evoke summoned monsters (summoned beasts ( 召喚獣 , Shoukanjuu ) in Japanese) to aid the party through cinematic actions. The concept of summoning was proposed for the first Final Fantasy but was not implemented until Final Fantasy III . Summons can be either optional acquisitions or tied to story events and particular characters. The names of summons derive from multiple cultures, including Egyptian , Middle-Eastern, Asian, and Classical mythology. As groups within
4998-432: Is Banri Oda. The scenario of Final Fantasy XVI is written by Maehiro. The first game to receive a direct sequel was Final Fantasy X ; X-2 is set in the same fictional world of Spira while using a lighter tone than its predecessor. No sequel to Final Fantasy X was planned initially. Final Fantasy XIII was also intended to be a standalone game, and was later expanded into the series' first official trilogy with
5145-490: Is Gilgamesh; first appearing in Final Fantasy V , he has made cameo appearances in multiple Final Fantasy games since then. Gilgamesh, named after the mythological figure , was created by Sakaguchi, and designed by Tetsuya Nomura and Yoshitaka Amano . Since the series' inception, gameplay in the majority of mainline Final Fantasy games has followed certain conventions of the role-playing genre. Players take control of
5292-674: Is an engineer, and he is commonly associated with the party's airship. Cid was originally created as a character that would appear in multiple forms: his one common attribute was that he was an intelligent and wise figure "like Yoda from the Star Wars series". Two other recurring human characters are Biggs and Wedge, a duo named after characters from the Star Wars franchise who are often used for comic relief. Making their debut in Final Fantasy VI as footsoldiers, they have since appeared in multiple Final Fantasy games. A different character
5439-419: Is generally divided into classes organized by color: "White magic", which focuses on spells that assist teammates; "Black magic", which focuses on harming enemies; "Red magic", which is a combination of white and black magic, "Blue magic", which mimics enemy attacks; and "Green magic" which focuses on applying status effects to either allies or enemies. Different means of transportation have appeared through
5586-476: Is not compatible with any accessory that uses it. The Rumble Pak was the first official expansion slot accessory. In the form of a Game Boy Advance cartridge, the Rumble Pak vibrates to reflect the action in compatible games, such as when the player bumps into an obstacle or loses a life. It was released in North America and Japan in 2005 bundled with Metroid Prime Pinball . In Europe, it was first available with
5733-696: Is the Chocobo , a galliform bird that regularly acts as a means of transport for characters. The Chocobo was created by Ishii for Final Fantasy II , and have appeared in every mainline Final Fantasy game since then. A second recurring race are the Moogles , whose Japanese name is Mōguri , a portmanteau of the words mogura (mole) and kōmori (bat); while frequently seen running shops or assuming some other background role, they have also appeared as party allies or playable characters. The Moogles were also created by Ishii, originally designed in his school days by combining
5880-439: Is the " Active Time Battle " (ATB) system: while utilizing a turn-based combat system, action meters are assigned to all characters that empty when they act in battle. Each player character being issued a command when their action meter is filled: enemies could attack at any time despite player actions being in progress, adding an element of urgency to battles. The ATB system was designed by Hiroyuki Ito . According to Kawazu, Ito
6027-474: Is the second redesign of the Nintendo DS. It is based on the unreleased larger DS Lite model. While similar to the previous DS redesign, new features include two inner and outer 0.3 megapixel digital cameras, a larger 3.25 inch display, internal and external content storage, compatibility with WPA wireless encryption, and connectivity to the Nintendo DSi Shop. The Nintendo DSi XL features larger screens, and
Final Fantasy III (2006 video game) - Misplaced Pages Continue
6174-416: Is to the old job, and how proficient the character already is at the new job. The remake uses the Nintendo DS 's Wi-Fi to allow the player to send email to others and unlock sidequests. Players are also able to send mail to various characters in the game as well as to other players. An interruption-save option is also available that lets the player turn off the DS and continue when turning it back on. Like in
6321-432: Is user-replaceable using only a Phillips-head screwdriver. After about 500 charges the battery life starts to decrease. Users can close the Nintendo DS system to trigger its 'sleep' mode, which pauses the game being played and saves battery life by turning off the screens, speakers, and wireless communications; however, closing the system while playing a Game Boy Advance game will not put the Nintendo DS into sleep mode, and
6468-505: The Chocobo and Moogle which have appeared in multiple roles. Numerous writers have worked on the series, including Sakaguchi himself, early writer Kenji Terada , Kazushige Nojima , and Yasumi Matsuno . Some settings and specific themes have been used in multiple installments and subseries, including the fictional world of Ivalice , Compilation of Final Fantasy VII , and the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythos. The art design for
6615-420: The Final Fantasy series as an example of video games have evolved their combat systems over time. Edge cited the visuals of the series as a reason for its long-standing critical praise. In 1996, Next Generation included the series on a ranking of the best games and series of all time, with one of its points of praise being the narratives. That magazine later cited the "melodramatic storylines" used in
6762-422: The Final Fantasy series over its existence, the most prominent having worked on the mainline games. The first Final Fantasy writer was Kenji Terada , who was asked on board the project by staff who were fans of his work in anime. He was asked to create a scenario that would make players cry. Terada would provide the scenarios for Final Fantasy II (1988) and III (1990). He later had mixed feelings about
6909-624: The Final Fantasy XIII games: he had a major role in the design of Lightning's new appearance in XIII-2 . He was also involved in the world design of Final Fantasy XV . Naora had a presence within the series since Final Fantasy VII , for which he designed the kanji logo for the antagonistic Shinra Corporation. His involvement in the series has primarily been as an art director for games such as Final Fantasy X and XV , in addition to creating character designs for Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Final Fantasy Type-0 . Other artists have also contributed to
7056-456: The Warrior . Another addition are special job-specific items available only if a character has fully mastered a certain job. In place of capacity points, each character incurs a small temporary penalty for switching jobs. This penalty decreases the character's statistics for the next zero to ten battles. This period is called a "Job Transition Phase" and its length is based on how similar the new job
7203-635: The Wii U 's Virtual Console, with the first game, Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! , being released in Japan on June 3, 2014. The Nintendo DS design resembles that of the multi-screen games from the Game & Watch line, such as Donkey Kong and Zelda , which was also made by Nintendo. The lower display of the Nintendo DS is overlaid with a resistive touchscreen designed to accept input from
7350-484: The manufacturer suggested retail price for the Nintendo DS was dropped to US$ 129.99. Both launches proved to be successful, but Nintendo chose to release the DS in North America prior to Japan, a first for a hardware launch from the Kyoto -based company. This choice was made to get the DS out for the largest shopping day of the year in the U.S. (the day after Thanksgiving, also known as " Black Friday "). Perhaps partly due to
7497-755: The Bangaa race that would later appear in Final Fantasy XII . For XII , he designed the main characters. As inspiration for their physical appearances, Yoshida used a variety of influences from multiple cultures. He returned to work on Final Fantasy XIV , where he needed to adjust from working on a static project to designing for the more fluid environment of an MMORPG. He would also contribute designs to A Realm Reborn , and its first expansion Heavensward . Kamikokuryo first did work on Final Fantasy VIII and X , then became art director for XII . He would return to this role for Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings , and
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#17328442606047644-510: The DS and Wii consoles) were discontinued worldwide on May 20, 2014. With Download Play, it is possible for users to play multiplayer games with other Nintendo DS systems, and later Nintendo 3DS systems, using only one game card. Players must have their systems within wireless range (up to approximately 65 feet) of each other for the guest system to download the necessary data from the host system. Only certain games supported this feature and usually played with much more limited features than
7791-618: The DS remake was released on March 24, 2011 on the App Store . Both the gameplay and graphics were improved, and the sound was remastered, but the Mail/Mognet to other players was removed, with the Onion Knight job available via another quest. An Android port of the iOS remaster was released in June 2012 on Google Play . A PlayStation Portable port of that same version was released on September 20
7938-494: The DS simultaneously, nor does it make use of its touch-screen capability. It is not compatible with the DSi, due to the lack of the GBA slot, but the DSi includes a music player via SD card. Although it stated on the box that it is only compatible with the Game Boy Micro , Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite , it is also compatible with the Game Boy Advance SP and Game Boy Advance . The Guitar grip controller comes packaged with
8085-715: The Job System in favour of a character class-driven system where equipment determined skills and growth. For the later stages of XIV and later A Realm Reborn , the Job System was reintroduced as a second level to the class system. Many Jobs, such as the Dragoon, the Summoner, the White Mage, the Black Mage, and the Red Mage have become closely identified with the series. A different system
8232-497: The Nintendo DS introduced touchscreen controls and wireless online gaming to a wide audience. According to Damien McFerran of Nintendo Life , the "DS was the first encounter many people had with touch-based tech, and it left an indelible impression." The DS established a large casual gaming market, attracting large non- gamer audiences and establishing touchscreens as the standard controls for future portable gaming devices. According to Jeremy Parish, writing for Polygon ,
8379-451: The Nintendo DS laid the foundations for touchscreen mobile gaming on smartphones . He stated that the DS "had basically primed the entire world for" the iPhone , released in January 2007, and that the DS paved the way for iPhone gaming mobile apps . However, the success of the iPhone "effectively caused the DS market to implode" by the early 2010s, according to Parish. The DS also enlarged
8526-639: The Nintendo DS would be released in North America on November 21, 2004, for US$ 149.99. It was set to release on December 2, 2004, in Japan for JP¥15,000; on February 24, 2005, in Australia for A$ 199.95; and on March 11, 2005, in Europe for €149.99 (£99.99 in the United Kingdom). The console was released in North America with a midnight launch event at Universal CityWalk EB Games in Los Angeles, California . The console
8673-491: The Thief, and variations on magical classes such as White and Black Mages. More original classes have appeared throughout the series, such as Bards, Scholars, and Summoners. Due to the series' popularity, they have become staples of RPGs since their debut. The complexity and scope of the job system, as well as whether or not characters are capable of changing jobs, varies from game to game. The original Final Fantasy XIV did away with
8820-463: The Year " at the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards . Nintendo DS The Nintendo DS is a 32-bit foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo , released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tandem (the bottom one being a touchscreen ),
8967-439: The battle system was a traditional turn-based system with characters appearing on the left-hand side of the screen, a feature later adopted by multiple other role-playing games (RPGs). For Final Fantasy II , Kawazu designed the battle system based around a more focused approach to story, along with accommodating for character classes being locked to specific characters. In Final Fantasy II , character abilities improved based on
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#17328442606049114-401: The character artwork for the mobile games Final Fantasy IV: The After Years and Final Fantasy Dimensions . Toshitaka Matsuda's first major work was on Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings , and he would later serve as a costume and character designer for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII . Toshiyuki Itahana first worked on character designs for Final Fantasy IX , then later served as
9261-590: The cinematic action of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children . While retaining the ATB system, elements such as magic points were removed, and a strategic role-change system dubbed the Paradigm System was implemented, with the roles being based on Final Fantasy jobs. Final Fantasy XIII-2 continued using the Paradigm system with added gameplay functions based on criticism of the first game, while Lightning Returns changed to
9408-460: The clothing for the main cast of Final Fantasy XV . The Final Fantasy series and several specific games within it have been credited for introducing and popularizing many concepts that are today widely used in console RPGs. The side view perspective with groups of monsters against a group of characters used by the early Final Fantasy games has been frequently imitated, supplanting the prior RPG standard of one-on-one battles against monsters from
9555-438: The colors are just referred to as pink and blue; however, these colors were available only for the original style Nintendo DS; a different and more-limited set of colors were used for the Nintendo DS Lite. As of March 31, 2016, all Nintendo DS models combined have sold 154.02 million units, making it the best-selling handheld game console to date, and the second best-selling video game console of all time. The success of
9702-428: The company's future, making a statement which can be translated from Japanese as, "If the DS succeeds, we will rise to heaven, but if it fails we will sink to hell." President Iwata referred to Nintendo DS as "Nintendo's first hardware launch in support of the basic strategy 'Gaming Population Expansion ' " because the touch-based device "allows users to play intuitively". On September 20, 2004, Nintendo announced that
9849-409: The console to be closed, such as Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck . Although the secondary port on the Nintendo DS does accept and support Game Boy Advance cartridges (but not Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridges), Nintendo emphasized that the main intention for its inclusion was to allow a wide variety of accessories to be released for the system. Due to the lack of a second port on the Nintendo DSi, it
9996-470: The console was announced under the codename "Nintendo DS". Nintendo released only a few details at that time, saying that the console would have two separate, 3-inch TFT LCD display panels, separate processors, and up to 1 gigabit (128 MB) of semiconductor memory. Current Nintendo president at the time, Satoru Iwata , said, "We have developed Nintendo DS based upon a completely different concept from existing game devices in order to provide players with
10143-427: The console was shown in prototype form at E3 2004 , still under the name "Nintendo DS", which Reggie Fils-Aimé announced would change for launch. On July 28, 2004, Nintendo revealed a new design that was described as "sleeker and more elegant" than the one shown at E3 and announced Nintendo DS as the device's official name. Following lukewarm GameCube sales, Hiroshi Yamauchi stressed the importance of its success to
10290-402: The crystal-based Fabula Nova Crystallis lore. In contrast, overt references such as terminology and branding were removed from XV to help with marketing. Crystals were included in A Realm Reborn as a central plot due to being given "short shrift in recent games". For Final Fantasy XVI , crystals were included as the equivalent to limited fuel sources, with their fading power triggering
10437-571: The default job at the beginning of the game (Onion Knight is retained as a secret class). It also includes new events, a new crystal and dungeon, and the removal of capacity points. Unlike the original Famicom version, most of the jobs remain useful for the entire game. The ultimate jobs—the Ninja and the Sage —and some of the lesser-used jobs, like the Geomancer , were redesigned to have the same level of abilities as
10584-522: The defective system. The first option allowed the owner to have a new DS in 3–5 business days. Multiple games were released alongside the DS during its North American launch on November 21, 2004. At launch there was one pack-in demo, in addition to the built-in PictoChat program: Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt (published by Nintendo and is a demo for Metroid Prime Hunters , a game released in March 2006). At
10731-480: The designs he recalled was for the summon Bahamut: while the original Bahamut was an aquatic monster, he did not know this at the time, so he designed Bahamut as a "mecha dragon". As of Final Fantasy XV , Amano's artwork has been created fairly early in a game's development based on the basic themes. Amano's most enduring contribution to the series is his logo designs: receiving design documents as primarily text-based requests and descriptions, he treats each logo as
10878-474: The development of XIII-2 (2011) and Lightning Returns (2013). Final Fantasy XV was expanded into a multimedia series to avoid creating a video game series; named the Final Fantasy XV Universe, it is split between pre-release media including a feature film and original net animation , and post-release content including other spin-off games and downloadable content . Final Fantasy VII
11025-473: The end of 2006 the remake sold over 935,000 copies in Japan. As of August 2007, the game has sold 990,000 units in Japan and 460,000 units in North America. By August 2008, it has sold 480,000 units in Europe. This adds up to total worldwide sales of 1.93 million units for the DS version, and 3.33 million units for the Famicom and DS versions combined, as of August 2008. The PSP port sold over 80,000 copies in Japan by
11172-459: The end of 2012. Reviews of the DS remake of Final Fantasy III were mostly positive, with the game holding an aggregate score of 77% on GameRankings . 1UP.com described the gameplay as an RPG for dedicated RPG enthusiasts, and noted that while the job system had been heavily improved over the original title, it still felt at times very limiting. The review however said that it was important to remember Final Fantasy III as "a slice of history and
11319-576: The esoteric and complex storylines it incorporated. A world later incorporated into the Final Fantasy series is Ivalice , the setting for games within the game collection known as the Ivalice Alliance . Taking place within a single world across a large time period, Ivalice is the setting for Final Fantasy Tactics (1997), Final Fantasy XII , and Vagrant Story (2000). Vagrant Story did not originally take place in Ivalice, being incorporated into
11466-399: The field and could be avoided. Like other role-playing games, Final Fantasy most commonly uses an experience point-based leveling system, where each battle awards experience points and gaining levels increases character statistics such as health and magic. Magic is another common role-playing element in the series. The method by which characters gain magic varies between installments, but
11613-408: The first Final Fantasy to IV , Amano created his artwork based on specific descriptions from game staff, while for Final Fantasy V and VI it was the game staff that took and adjusted his artwork to suit the games. He returned as a character designer for Final Fantasy IX , working from specifications provided by the game's staff. For Final Fantasy XI , Amano created the game's world map. One of
11760-425: The first, the owner of the defective DS in question would provide a valid credit card number and, afterward, Nintendo would ship a new DS system to the owner with shipping supplies to return the defective system. In the second, the owner of the defective DS in question would have shipped their system to Nintendo for inspection. After inspection, Nintendo technicians would have either shipped a replacement system or fixed
11907-464: The full game allowed. Download Play is also utilized to migrate Pokémon from fourth generation games into the fifth generation Pokémon Black and White , an example of a task requiring two different game cards and two handheld units, but only one player. Ninja (Final Fantasy) Final Fantasy is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi , and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square ). The franchise centers on
12054-400: The game Actionloop , and later Metroid Prime Pinball . The Rumble Pak was also released separately in those regions. The Nintendo DS Headset is the official headset for the Nintendo DS. It plugs into the headset port (which is a combination of a standard 3.5 mm (1/8 in) headphone connector and a proprietary microphone connector) on the bottom of the system. It features one earphone and
12201-423: The game Guitar Hero: On Tour and is plugged into the GBA game slot. It features four colored buttons like the ones found on regular Guitar Hero guitar controllers for the stationary consoles, though it lacks the fifth orange button found on the guitar controllers. The DS Guitar Hero controller comes with a small "pick-stylus" (which is shaped like a guitar pick, as the name suggests) that can be put away into
12348-501: The game as one that may be "amazingly frustrating for the now mainstream Final Fantasy fan", and noted that while the unique concept of the job system was one that "simply blew gamers' minds" at the time, in the contemporary environment, comparing it to Final Fantasy XII ' s license board system was "literally no contest". The review additionally argued that the remake hampered the game, citing that battles that would take "mere seconds to scroll through" were now "lengthened to nearly
12495-530: The game for the WonderSwan Color, and Square's merger with former competitor Enix to form Square Enix in 2003, the company posted assurance that the game's promised remake would not be completely forgotten, and there was speculation that it might find its way to Sony 's PlayStation or Nintendo's Game Boy Advance as its predecessors had. Square Enix considered porting the game to the PlayStation 2 , but
12642-407: The game was "quite challenging" and adding that "some people live for this stuff, but others may be annoyed at the game's often unfriendly nature". GameTrailers criticised the game's simple plot and the party members as generic, but praised the game's scenarios. It additionally noted that while players should expect to have to do some grinding, the game offers lots of areas to explore. IGN described
12789-464: The game will continue to run normally. Certain DS games (such as Animal Crossing: Wild World ) will also not pause, but the backlight, screens, and speakers will turn off. Additionally, when saving the game in certain games the DS will not go into sleep mode. Some games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass , use the closing motion needed to enter sleep mode as an unorthodox way of solving puzzles, or include gameplay sequences that require
12936-497: The game's designer. For Final Fantasy V (1992), the scenario was a collaboration between Sakaguchi and Yoshinori Kitase . Final Fantasy VI (1994) was worked on by a group of four or five different writers, including Kitase. Sakaguchi was responsible for providing the basic story from the original game until Final Fantasy VI . Sakaguchi would also write the scenario draft for Final Fantasy IX (2000), with further contributions Kazuhiko Aoki and Nobuaki Komoto. One of
13083-574: The game. The battle system of the original Final Fantasy was designed by Akitoshi Kawazu . When creating it, he closely followed the mechanics created in the Western tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons , particularly the incorporation of enemy-specific weaknesses that were otherwise missing from Japanese games at the time. He also added elements such as weapon and item abilities based on their successful implementation in Wizardry . This first version of
13230-518: The games, they have been referred to by several names (Espers, Guardian Forces, Aeons, Eidolons, Astrals, Primals, Eikons), and have taken either core roles in the story or less prominent roles as tools for the player characters. The artwork and character designs of the first Final Fantasy were created by Yoshitaka Amano, a noted artist who had worked with Tatsunoko Production on multiple anime series including Science Ninja Team Gatchaman , and also did illustrations for Vampire Hunter D . Amano
13377-424: The highest-selling Final Fantasy game to date. Final Fantasy has become one of Square Enix's major gaming franchises; as of 2016, the series has sold 110 million copies worldwide across 48 video game releases. Final Fantasy series consists of multiple games that, while generally having separate settings and narratives, share common themes and motifs in their worlds and plots. Multiple writers have worked on
13524-443: The impact of Final Fantasy on his career, as many only knew him from his video game writing. When Final Fantasy IV (1991) was pushed forward onto the next generation of game hardware, Terada's planned scenario was scrapped by the management and he parted with Square on poor terms. After Terada's departure, scenario work was delegated to Takashi Tokita . Tokita wrote the scenario for Final Fantasy IV (1991), along with being
13671-429: The included stylus , the user's fingers, or a curved plastic tab attached to the optional wrist strap. The touchscreen lets users interact with in-game elements more directly than by pressing buttons; for example, in the included chatting software, PictoChat, the stylus is used to write messages or draw. The handheld features four lettered buttons (X, Y, A, B), a directional pad, and Start, Select, and Power buttons. On
13818-450: The internal struggles, passions, and tragedies of the characters, and the main plot often recedes into the background as the focus shifts to their personal lives. Other aspects explored are the relationships between characters, which range from love to rivalry. Other recurring situations that drive the plot include amnesia , a hero corrupted by an evil force, mistaken identity, and self-sacrifice. Esoteric and mystical elements also take
13965-626: The left side of the case. The DS launched in Australia and New Zealand on February 24, 2005. It retailed in Australia for AU$ 199 and in New Zealand for NZ$ 249. Like the North American launch, it includes the Metroid Prime Hunters - First Hunt demo. The first week of sales for the system broke Australian launch sales records for a console, with 19,191 units sold by the 27th. " iQue DS ",
14112-434: The main character designer for the series was Tetsuya Nomura, whose first major contribution had been character and monster designs for Final Fantasy VI . He was chosen by Sakaguchi as the character designer for VII after being amused by his storyboards for VI . His greater involvement was also due to scheduling conflicts with Amano's overseas trips to open exhibitions in Europe and North America. Nomura would end up having
14259-779: The main characters alongside being one of the main creative forces behind its development. A trend with Nomura's characters is their names being related to the weather or the sky ( Cloud , Squall , Tidus , Lightning ). He wanted to break this tradition when designing Noctis Lucis Caelum , but after Final Fantasy XIII ' s Lightning was given a weather-based name, Nomura gave Noctis his current name: Noctis' name translates from Latin to "Night of Light Sky". Other notable artists include Akihiko Yoshida , Isamu Kamikokuryo , and Yusuke Naora . Yoshida's first major games were Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story , which he worked on together with Hiroshi Minagawa . He also did design work for Final Fantasy Tactics Advance , creating
14406-480: The market for female gamers . According to Nintendo in 2006, 44% of DS owners were female, with the majority of Nintendogs owners being female. The success of the DS paved the way for its successor, the Nintendo 3DS , a handheld gaming console with a similar dual-screen setup that can display images on the top screen in stereoscopic 3D. On January 29, 2014, Nintendo announced that Nintendo DS games would be added to
14553-476: The maximum texture size is 1024 × 1024 pixels. The system has 656 kilobytes of video memory and two 2D engines (one per screen). These are similar to (but more powerful than) the Game Boy Advance 's single 2D engine. The Nintendo DS has compatibility with Wi-Fi . Wi-Fi is used for accessing the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection , compete with other users playing the same Wi-Fi compatible game, PictoChat or with
14700-474: The notable recurring writers is Kazushige Nojima : he first joined the development team for Final Fantasy VII , and would later write the scenario for Final Fantasy VIII (1999). He was also a major contributor to Final Fantasy X (2001) alongside other writers. He returned to write the scenario for Final Fantasy X-2 (2003), despite initial reluctance due to its upbeat feel when compared to its predecessor. His later supplementary material would return to
14847-566: The now-defunct Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Its main competitor was Sony 's PlayStation Portable during the seventh generation of video game consoles . Prior to its release, the Nintendo DS was marketed as an experimental "third pillar" in Nintendo's console lineup, meant to complement the Game Boy Advance family and GameCube . However, backward compatibility with Game Boy Advance titles and strong sales ultimately established it as
14994-470: The number of times they were used and the number of hit points accumulated during battles: if a character used magic, they would become strong in magic while other attributes would suffer. For Final Fantasy III , the system changed back to a traditional class-based model: Kawazu said that the reason for this was because no-one could fully understand the system he had created for Final Fantasy II . The battle system most closely associated with Final Fantasy
15141-593: The official name of the Chinese Nintendo DS, was released in China on June 15, 2005. The price of the iQue DS was 980 RMB (roughly US$ 130) as of April 2006. This version of the DS includes updated firmware to block out the use of the PassMe device, along with the new Red DS. Chinese launch games were Zhi Gan Yi Bi ( Polarium ) (Nintendo/iQue) and Momo Waliou Zhizao ( WarioWare: Touched! ) (Nintendo/iQue). The iQue name
15288-406: The original, there is no way to make permanent saves while inside a dungeon. The score was arranged for the Nintendo DS remake by Tsuyoshi Sekito and Keiji Kawamori , working under Uematsu's supervision. The soundtrack was released as an album by NTT Publishing in 2006 as Final Fantasy III Original Soundtrack , with revamped versions of the tracks plus some additional tracks. An iOS port of
15435-1089: The player to blow or shout into it. 62 mm × 46 mm (2.4 in × 1.8 in), 77 mm (3.0 in) diagonal, 0.24 mm dot pitch , 18-bit depth (262,144 colors), 21 mm gap between screens (≈92 lines) The system's 3D hardware consists of rendering engine and geometry engine which perform transform and lighting , Transparency Auto Sorting, Transparency Effects, Texture Matrix Effects, 2D Billboards, Texture Streaming, texture-coordinate transformation, perspective-correct texture mapping , per-pixel Alpha Test, per-primitive alpha blending , texture blending, Gouraud Shading, cel shading , z-buffering , W-Buffering, 1bit Stencil Buffer, per-vertex directional lighting and simulated point lighting, Depth Test, Stencil Test, Render to Texture, Lightmapping, Environment Mapping, Shadow Volumes, Shadow Mapping, Distance Fog, Edge Marking, Fade-In/Fade-Out, Edge-AA. Sprite special effects: scrolling, scaling, rotation, stretching, shear. However, it uses point ( nearest neighbor ) texture filtering , leading to some titles having
15582-464: The player. The Job Change system was initially proposed by Sakaguchi as he wanted to give players freedom to customize the party members. The Job System has continued to have a strong role in the series, being most prominent in Final Fantasy V with 22 available jobs. Jobs have recurring functions throughout the series. Some of the more traditional classes include the Warrior/Fighter, the Dragoon,
15729-529: The plot's events. In games with universes containing more advanced technology, it is often depicted as predominantly powered by magic. This is specifically called magitek in Final Fantasy VI , XIV , and XV , while other games have similar elements under a different name, such as mako technology in VII and magicite technology in XII . Such magical technology is often used as a metaphor for overreaching, evil ambition, breaking
15876-490: The press that a total of 6.65 million units had been sold worldwide. As is normal for electronics, some were reported as having problems with stuck pixels in either of the two screens. Although return policies for LCD displays vary between manufacturers and regions, in North America, Nintendo chose to replace a system with faulty pixels only if the owner claimed that it interfered with their gaming experience. There were two exchange programs in place for North America. In
16023-657: The rebellion. The heroes are often destined to defeat the evil, and occasionally gather as a direct result of the antagonist's malicious actions. Twin antagonists, with the second main antagonist being hidden for the majority of the game, is also a recurring element. Other common plot and setting themes include the Gaia hypothesis , an apocalypse, and conflicts between advanced technology and nature . Most games feature names inspired from various cultures' history, languages, and mythology, including Asian , European , and Middle-Eastern . In-game items such as weapons follow this tradition:
16170-481: The release date, the DS met unexpectedly high demand in the United States, selling 1 million units by December 21, 2004. By the end of December, the total number shipped worldwide was 2.8 million, about 800,000 more than Nintendo's original forecast. At least 1.2 million of them were sold in the U.S. Some industry reporters referred to it as "the Tickle Me Elmo of 2004". In June 2005, Nintendo informed
16317-417: The remake was not a mere graphical update as Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II ' s remakes were, but a total overhaul using the Nintendo DS's 3D capabilities. Along with 3D graphics, a full motion video opening scene was produced for the game, similar to those found in the ports of the 2D Final Fantasy games for the PlayStation . Programming was handled by developer Matrix Software . The remake
16464-503: The rules of the world, and stealing its energy no matter the cost. Extremely powerful magitek armor is recurring in various games in the series, such as in VI , XIV , and XV in the form of mecha , and in XV as powered armor . Characters and monsters have made appearances in multiple Final Fantasy games, although they remain unconnected in a narrative sense. A recurring animal in Final Fantasy
16611-422: The same day as merchants had already sold their allotment. Initially, Nintendo planned to deliver one million units combined at the North American and Japanese launches; when it saw the preorder numbers, it brought another factory online to ramp up production. Nintendo originally slated 300,000 units for the U.S. debut; 550,000 were shipped, and just over 500,000 of those sold through in the first week. Later in 2005,
16758-517: The same year, albeit in a downloadable-only format outside Japan where it was released later that month. In April 2013, Square Enix released a high-definition port of the Android version for the Ouya console as a launch title . The Android version was also ported to Windows Phones on December 27, 2013. An HD port of the mobile version was released for Steam on May 27, 2014 in the west. The Steam version
16905-480: The series as a factor in its longevity. In a review of Final Fantasy VI from 2005, GameSpot cited that game as a genre-defining game with its storyline and emphasis on character development, while Final Fantasy VII has frequently been classed as a game that helped solidify the structure and style of RPGs for many years to follow. Digital Spy said in 2012 that Final Fantasy had "shaped and defined role-playing games across generations of consoles", though felt
17052-457: The series had lost some of its appeal as its more recent installments differed too much from their predecessors, with some fans referring to Final Fantasy X as "the last traditional game in the series". Kawazu would develop the concepts he created for Final Fantasy II into its own series, titled SaGa , and other franchises including The Elder Scrolls would adopt its usage-based skill systems. Ishii's experience working on Final Fantasy
17199-452: The series has been associated with multiple artists, the three most prominent being Yoshitaka Amano , Tetsuya Nomura , and Akihiko Yoshida . Amano designed characters up to Final Fantasy VI and continues to design each game's logo, Nomura has designed characters for multiple games since Final Fantasy VII , and Yoshida has been involved in XII , XIV , and games associated with Ivalice. The original gameplay created by Akitoshi Kawazu
17346-403: The series since the first game, where players chose each character's job from the outset. Kawazu created this system to give players freedom to customize the party. For Final Fantasy IV , jobs were attached to specific characters. Each job in a Final Fantasy game has unique abilities which develop as the player's level increases. In some games, the player can assign a character a specific job at
17493-519: The series. Hideo Minaba contributed character designs to Final Fantasy IX , worked as an art director for XII , and would later design characters for XIII-2 . Italian-born artist Roberto Ferrari worked as a secondary character designer for Final Fantasy Type-0 , Final Fantasy XV , and Final Fantasy VII Remake . Yusaku Nakaaki worked with Naora and Nomura to create characters for Final Fantasy Type-0 , and along with Ferrari created secondary characters for Final Fantasy XV . Akira Oguro created
17640-481: The series. The most common is the airship for long range travel, accompanied by chocobos for traveling short distances, but others include sea and land vessels. Following Final Fantasy VII , more modern and futuristic vehicle designs have been included. For Final Fantasy XV , a car dubbed "Regalia" was introduced as both a ground-based transport and later as a vehicle that could be converted to function as an airship. Airships are often unlocked for players fairly late in
17787-509: The software) located on either side of the upper display screen. This was a first for a Nintendo handheld, as the Game Boy line of systems had only supported stereo sound through the use of headphones or external speakers. A built-in microphone is located below the left side of the bottom screen. It has been used for a variety of purposes, including speech recognition , chatting online between and during gameplay sessions, and minigames that require
17934-483: The start of the game, while other games allow characters to combine and learn abilities from a number of jobs. In addition to other abilities, a character's job usually determines the types of weapons and armor that they can use. Final Fantasy III saw the introduction of the Job Change System: through special crystals, the four player characters were granted a variety of jobs that could be switched at any point by
18081-469: The subseries by Square Enix long after its release. The game's references to other Final Fantasy games were originally intended as fan service. Ivalice itself was the creation of Yasumi Matsuno, the main creative force behind Tactics and Vagrant Story . It first appeared in Tactics . Matsuno's work with Ivalice later inspired the scenarios for A Realm Reborn . Stories in the series frequently emphasize
18228-524: The successor to the Game Boy series . On March 2, 2006, Nintendo launched the Nintendo DS Lite , a slimmer and lighter redesign of the original Nintendo DS with brighter screens and a longer lasting battery. On November 1, 2008, Nintendo released the Nintendo DSi , another redesign with several hardware improvements and new features, although it lost backward compatibility for Game Boy Advance titles and
18375-695: The system further as he felt the version in IV was incomplete. A mechanic introduced in Final Fantasy VII was Limit Breaks, special cinematic moves that have become a staple of the series. The ATB system was in use until Final Fantasy X , which switched to a system called the "Conditional Turn-based Battle" system: while reverting to a purely turn-based model, it included additional elements such as in-battle party member switching. Final Fantasy XI , XIV , and its sequel A Realm Reborn used real-time command-based combat systems and removed random encounters, playing in
18522-562: The team experimented with multiple character control, it was decided that it presented too many development difficulties. The battle system of Final Fantasy XVI , designed by Capcom veteran Ryota Suzuki, again focused on action with a single protagonist with a focus on switching elemental abilities gained from the world's summons. Battles were also split between standard combat with smaller enemies, and large cinematic battles with their own mechanics. Character classes in Final Fantasy are often referred to as "jobs"; they have been present in
18669-474: The time of the "Electric Blue" DS launch in June 2005, Nintendo bundled the system with Super Mario 64 DS . In Japan, the games were released at the same time as the system's first release (December 2, 2004). In the launch period, The Prince of Tennis 2005 -Crystal Drive- ( Konami ) and Puyo Puyo Fever ( Sega ) were released. The DS was released in Europe on March 11, 2005, for € 149. A small supply of units
18816-589: The top of the device are two shoulder buttons, a game card slot, a stylus holder and a power cable input. The bottom features the Game Boy Advance game card slot. The overall button layout resembles that of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System controller. When using backward compatibility mode on the DS, buttons X and Y and the touchscreen are not used as the Game Boy Advance line of systems do not feature these controls. It also has stereo speakers providing virtual surround sound (depending on
18963-508: The two most notable are Excalibur and Masamune, derived respectively from the Arthurian sword and legendary Japanese swordsmith . A recurring concept within Final Fantasy settings is the use of important magical crystals; in early games, they represented the Japanese classical elements and were instrumental in keeping the world in balance. Due to this, control over the crystals forms part of
19110-406: The video game market; Sakaguchi had long wished to create a role-playing game, but the company had denied him the opportunity until then. The first Final Fantasy was released in 1987, and was a commercial and critical success that fueled the development of further games. The series garnered international popularity with the release of Final Fantasy VII (1997) for the PlayStation , which became
19257-458: The village of Ur; Arc ( アルクゥ , Arukū ) , Luneth's childhood best friend and a timid yet intelligent young man; Refia ( レフィア ) , a girl raised in the village of Kazus who tires of her father's blacksmith training and often runs away from home, and Ingus ( イングズ , Inguzu ) , a loyal soldier serving the King of Sasune, with a mutual soft spot for the princess Sara. Following the failure to remake
19404-577: Was available prior to this in a package with a promotional "VIP" T-shirt, Metroid Prime Hunters - First Hunt , a WarioWare: Touched! demo and a pre-release version of Super Mario 64 DS , through the Nintendo Stars Catalogue ; the bundle was priced at £ 129.99 for the UK and € 189.99 for the rest of Europe, plus 1,000 of Nintendo's "star" loyalty points (to cover postage). On 23 January 2006, 1 million DS units had been sold in Europe, setting
19551-483: Was based around Dungeons & Dragons and Wizardry . Starting with Final Fantasy IV , the Hiroyuki Ito -designed ATB system took prevalence; variations of the ATB system have been used in multiple entries since then. These various elements have been positively received by critics over the series' lifetime, contributing to its overall worldwide success, with the gameplay and narratives frequently cited as setting
19698-425: Was brought on board the first Final Fantasy as general artwork designer, filling that role for II and III . For Final Fantasy IV , Amano was given more freedom to create elaborate character designs. Amano returned as character designer and general artwork for Final Fantasy V . Final Fantasy VI , in addition to featuring work by Amano, also had contributions from other designers including Kaori Tanaka . From
19845-597: Was discontinued from retail stores. The Nintendo MP3 Player (a modified version of the device known as the Play-Yan in Japan) was released on December 8, 2006, by Nintendo of Europe at a retail price of £29.99/€30. The add-on uses removable SD cards to store MP3 audio files, and can be used in any device that features support for Game Boy Advance cartridges; however, due to this, it is limited in terms of its user-interface and functionality, as it does not support using both screens of
19992-508: Was eventually convinced by Nintendo to develop the title for their new handheld system, the Nintendo DS , a decision that would later be positively reinforced by the commercial success of the Nintendo DS . The Final Fantasy III remake was first announced in October 2004, but detailed information did not emerge for a year. Hiromichi Tanaka headed the project as both the executive producer and director. His guidance and supervision were needed because
20139-464: Was exclusive to North and Latin America. There was also a red version which was bundled with the game Mario Kart DS . Graphite Black, Pure White, Turquoise Blue, and Candy Pink were available in Japan. Mystic Pink and Cosmic Blue were available in Australia and New Zealand. Japan's Candy Pink and Australia's Cosmic Blue were also available in Europe and North America through a Nintendogs bundle, although
20286-485: Was first used for a device that was based on Nintendo 64 hardware in 2003, after China banned sales of home video games in that region years prior. The system's promotional slogans revolve around the word "Touch" in almost all countries, with the North American slogan being "Touching is good." The Nintendo DS was seen by many analysts to be in the same market as Sony 's PlayStation Portable , although representatives from both companies stated that each system targeted
20433-503: Was inspired while watching a Formula One race and seeing racers pass each other at different speeds. This gave him the idea of different speed values for the individual characters. Ito himself described the inspiration as his wish to balance pure turn-based mechanics with real-time battle mechanics, which played into a movement in Formula One where cars were shifting towards using semi-automatic gearboxes. For Final Fantasy V , Ito evolved
20580-503: Was later expanded into a multimedia series gamed Compilation of Final Fantasy VII , which included video games ( Before Crisis , Dirge of Cerberus , Crisis Core ) and film projects ( Advent Children , Last Order ). A different subseries linked by common elements, and indirectly inspired by the Compilation , is Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy ; while the subseries' games have unique settings and stories, they all share
20727-401: Was launched quietly in Japan compared to the North America launch; one source cited the cold weather as the reason. The Nintendo DS was launched in North America for US$ 149.99 on November 21, 2004; in Japan for JP¥15,000 on December 2 in the color "Titanium". Well over three million preorders were taken in North America and Japan; preorders at online stores were launched on November 3 and ended
20874-406: Was not altered significantly. Along with these four, additional characters (called "sub-characters") also join the party temporarily, like in the original. Unlike the original, however, these characters may randomly participate in battle. The remake features a redesigned job system, which rebalances the classes, adds new abilities and adds a new "Freelancer" class which replaces the "Onion Knight" as
21021-529: Was produced by Tomoya Asano and co-developed by Square Enix and Matrix Software. Ryosuke Aiba ( Final Fantasy XI ) served as art director , and Akihiko Yoshida ( Final Fantasy XII ) redesigned the original characters for use in 3D, and designed the look of the new playable characters. The formerly generic and nameless party characters were replaced with more concrete characters with new personalities and background stories, and additional scenes were added to develop their individuality. The main storyline however
21168-555: Was released in Japan on February 28, 2020, alongside an update for all versions that added an auto battle function, 2x speed mode in battle, improved user interface, and 16:9 and 21:9 widescreen modes. The DS remake met with high sales. IGN notes that "interest in FFIII should come as no surprise given...the popularity of the DS". The game sold 500,000 units within the first week in Japan, beating Square Enix's original prediction that they would only sell 350,000. According to Enterbrain , by
21315-469: Was released on the same day for each region. Additional Nintendo DS Wi-Fi Connection games and a dedicated Nintendo DS web browser were released afterwards. Nintendo later believed that the online platform's success directly propelled the commercial success of the entire Nintendo DS platform. The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection served as part of the basis of what would become the Wii. Most functions (for games on both
21462-499: Was succeeded by the Nintendo 3DS in February 2011. Development on the Nintendo DS began around mid-2002, following an original idea from former Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi about a dual-screened console. On November 13, 2003, Nintendo announced that it would be releasing a new game product in 2004. The company did not provide many details, but stated it would not succeed the Game Boy Advance or GameCube . On January 20, 2004,
21609-665: Was written by Miwa Shoda, whose work was fleshed out by Watanabe. Watanabe would later work on the scenarios of Final Fantasy XIII (2009) and its sequels, which would become one of his major projects. The scenario for Final Fantasy XI (2002) was created by Masato Kato , who returned for the expansion Rise of the Zilart . For Final Fantasy XIV (2010), the writer was Yaeko Sato, who also worked on XI and XII ; Sato stayed on as lead writer for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (2013), alongside new writer Kazutoyo Maehiro. The lead writer for expansions beginning with Heavensward
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