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Japandemonium - Triangle Enix

Front Mission Online Beta Applicant Phase Begins || Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII Official Website Opens || Fullmetal Alchemist Festival || Final Grumble



Introduction

Phillip Clayton - August 16, 2004 - 11:18 Eastern Standard Time

This week's column is going to be short and sweet, as last week wasn't exactly the busiest when it comes to fine Japanese RPGs. Regardless, your Japandemonium fix awaits.

Front Mission Online Beta Applicant Phase Begins

Square Enix has begun taking beta applications for their latest foray into online gaming, Front Mission Online. The beta test, which is currently only available to Japanese gamers with broadband PS2 connections, will test the PS2 version of the game.

This phase of beta testing will be the first of three, which will lead into the finished game's release in 2005. The second and third phases will test the PC version in conjunction with the PS2 version. Like Final Fantasy XI, Front Mission Online will allow PC and console players to interact in the same game world.

Once Square Enix has gathered enough beta testers, the first phase will begin sometime this fall. Until then, you can check out the official Front Mission Online web site at PlayOnline.




Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII Official Website Opens

Square Enix has opened the official website for its cell-phone prequel to Final Fantasy VII. The website contains new screenshots, character bios, an official wallpaper, and other information that should be of interest to Final Fantasy fanatics.

Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII will be available on FOMA900i mobile phones in Japan on August 31. A North American release has not yet been announced.




Fullmetal Alchemist Festival

Square Enix has announced the Hagane no Renkinjutsushi (Fullmetal Alchemist) Festival: Tales of Another Mou Hitotsu no Monogatari. The first part of the festival will take place in the Osaka Castle Hall on December 19th. The second will follow in Tokyo's International Yoyogi No.1 Sports Arena on December 26th. Square Enix are expecting somewhere around 30,000 fans to show up for the two events. Voice actors and staff behind the anime, manga, and game series will attend the festival.

Hagane no Renkinjutsushi II: Akaki Elixir no Akuma will be released in the land of the rising sun on September 22nd. The game's prequel, which was renamed for North America as Full Metal Alchemist and the Broken Angel, will arrive in North America in early 2005.




Final Grumble

On a "not quite on the subject, but still sort of on the subject because most video games come from Japan" note, did anybody catch the "Sexiest Video Game Character" segment on that G-phoria awards show? For those of you who missed it, Anna Nicole Smith dressed up as all of the nominees, and when their name was announced it would cut to her cosplaying as these video game characters. Well, Rikku won the award, and Anna Nicole Smith "accepted" the award dressed up like Rikku. Only, she didn't act like the Rikku we all know and love, she acted like a Rikku who wanted to get in your pants.

Anyhow, when I saw this I laughed hysterically, which is more than I can say for the things in the show that were supposed to be funny. Seriously, you guys don't know what you missed. It was so awful that it was hilarious. So, if anybody knows somewhere I can download a capture of this segment, drop me a line, because I absolutely must own this monumental part of human history.

I wonder if the G4 people realize that Rikku was only 17 in Final Fantasy X-2...

Phillip Clayton


Sources: [RPGfan] [1up]

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