Glad to see this series alive and well

Just this morning, Square Enix confirmed that they are working on an arcade build for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. The same produ??cer from the 3DS version will return to supervise the project, and more info i??s coming next week.

As I've said before, Japanese arcades are a treasure. Depending on the hardware involved this could be a pretty killer game, as I can easily see current arcade rhythm technology working with this series.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy [Famitsu via Gematsu]

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Not yet announced for the West

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call was a joy to play. It was absolutely packed with content, so the fact that DLC has been steadily dropping since launch hasn't bothered me -- all in all, it's one?? of the biggest rhythm games ever made.

Should you want DLC, Square Enix will oblige, especially this week in Japan. The kicker is that two songs of Chrono Trigger and The World Ends With You are arriving in-game, as well as a track each from FFVIII and Romancing SaGa 3.

See bel??ow for the full track li??st, and it's pretty clear that it will come west at some point.

The World Ends With You Music?? Heads To Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call [Siliconera]

• [BMS] Liberi Fatali (Final Fantasy VIII)
• [BMS] The Last Battle (Romancing SaGa 3)
• [BMS] World Revolution (Chrono Trigger)
• [FMS] Wind Scene (Chrono Trigger)
• [BMS] Twister (The World Ends With You)
• [FMS] Calling (The World Ends With You)

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99 cents per song still

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call had a ton of content packed into it -- perhaps more than any other recent rhythm game, so I'm not bothered by all the DLC it's getting. This is especially the case because "Soaring" from Xenogears mad?e its way into the tracklist as an? add-on this week.

Other recent additions include SaGa Frontier's "Last Battle: T260G" and Final Fantasy VII's "Opening: Bombing Mission," "Sacrifice Part Three" for Seiken Densetsu 3, "In Search of the Sword of Mana" from Final Fantasy Adventure, and "Primal Judgment" from Final Fantasy XIV.

"More son??gs are coming" on January?? 22 according to Square Enix.

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Encore

Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy was a very nice surprise. After many people had become disenfranchised with the series due to a number of mishaps and weak core entries, Theatrhythm reminded us that Square still had reverence? for all of its classic characters, and of course -- its timeless music.

As a sequel, Curtain Call doesn't really change a whole lot from its predecessor, shortcom?ings and all, but it does pack in a whopping 221 songs on to??p of the already winning formula.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (Nintendo 3DS)
Developer: Square Enix 1st Production Department
Publisher: Square Enix 
Released: September 16, 2014
MSRP: $39.99

For reference, the original Theatrhythm only came with roughly 76 songs -- more were available as DLC, and the iOS version actually had more tunes than the 3DS iteration. Since Curtain Call has 221 base songs before DLC, it's already a major u?pgrade in ??terms of the setlist.

In case you're worried about being lost in the sequel -- don't be. Curtain Call not only includes nearly all of the original songs from the first game, but it also recaps the "story" and introduces the new one in just a few minutes. Once again the evil force known as Chaos is back (described in part due to the "cyclical nature" of the universe), and you'll need to amass Rythmia currency again to stop it. That's literally it -- even Mario has a more elaborate setup.

What you're doing to be doing the vast majority of the time is playing songs, and they're all played with the same three styles, just different delivery systems -- versus mode, free play, and Quest Medley. If you haven't played Theatrhythm before, the concept is very simple to pick up -- there will be n?otes coming in from the side of the screen, and when they hit the target near your character, you tap or press a certain button (both stylus and traditional controls ??are supported).

Sometimes that action may just be a timely tap, in other instances it's a "hold," or a "swipe" in a certain direction. The three song types (combat, field, and event) change up the delivery system, but in essence it's all the same idea. There are a few small additions like critical strike icons adding more impact to notes, but Curtain Call plays nearly i?dentical to its predecessor -- which can lead to ??some fatigue after extended play sessions.

As previously stated, Curtain Call doesn't really fool around with giving you the keys to the kingdom almost immediately. After a quick tutorial you're off to the races, picking a party of four from a number of core Final Fantasy games. This will serve as your character pool for the near future,? as the others are removed to be unlocked at a later time -- so make it count!

Your? initial choice will also serve as your intro setlist, and each "franchise" you choose to represent with your party will have their songs unlocked from the start. Don't fret though, because within an ??hour's time, you'll have nearly every song in the game unlocked. As such, free play feels like the core mode of the game, and less of a chore to slog through. No more grinding to get to the good stuff.

Having said that, the game's RPG mode, Quest Medley, is not as quick to hand over the goods. Initially Quest Medley starts off looking great. With a world map to lightly explore (complete with classic world map overtures) by choosing ??paths, items to collect, and bosses to fight, it looks like a very cool way to implement more RPG elements into the fray.

The problem is almost every song for at least five hour??s is remedial, and it takes forever to get to the final difficulty level where the challenge truly begins.There are hundreds of quests available it seems, and after completing roughly 20 of them I promptly went back to free play, as well as versus mode -- which you can also play by?? yourself thankfully.

In addition to local play, you can also challenge AI in versus mode, working your way through bronze, silver, and gold classes (as well as an extra tier). The way versus works is nearly identical to every other mode, with one exception -- power-ups. By earning a certain sc?ore you'll unload an "EX Burst" on your opponent, which can result in anything from flipping their arrows around, to making it harder to earn a score, to hiding notes until the very last second.

Because of this, playing songs on the highes?t difficulty is even harder, and this is likely where veterans will end up after exhausting every song in free play. Still, with enough resolve, you can?? work your way through the entire AI gauntlet in a few hours. It's good then that versus has both local and online functionality.

In terms of the setlist itself, it's extremely impressive. My personal favorite classic addition is Final Fantasy Tactics, but I really enjoy the fact that Lightning Returns and Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn have gotten a lot of love, as the soundtracks to both are two of their strongest suits. It's also nice to see Mystic Quest remembered (even with just a few songs), and the upcoming DLC schedule takes more chances, with Chocobo Dungeons and Romancing SaGa appearances.

It's still as addicting as ever to unlock just one more song, character, or quest map. There's also more choice as to what you unlock, as earning enough shards will grant you the ability to choose from a list ??of characters to add to your band of heroes -- instead of just giving you one. It's going to take quite a while to go through every song on all three difficulty levels, and that's not including browsing the museum mode?? or playing with friends.

Considering that it has almost the entire first game housed within it with expanded modes, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is a no-brainer for people who never bit the first time around, as well as returning players who are looking to play some extra songs. It still has some of the same series trappings due to its similar nature, but even if yo??u just tackle every song once in free play it's worth the price of entry.

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September 4th

Squ??are Enix has just sent over word that Europe is getting a demo for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Ca??ll. It'll drop on September 4th, and will feature two songs -- "Edgar and Sabin's Theme," and "Those Who Fight."

To be honest gameplay is very similar to the original game, so only go through the effort of downloading if you haven't played the series before. The full game will arrive on September 16th, but we'll have our full review available shortly before rel??ease.

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Square Enix producer Ichiro Hazama speaks

I hope you're prepared for the end of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, because according to Square Enix producer Ichiro Hazama, this might be the end, my friend. Speaking to GamesTM magazine, Hazama stated, "What I've tried to do here is make the definitive version of Final Fantasy Theatrhythm; I don't intend to make any others."

That statement derives from the fact that 221 tracks are included in the core game, with plenty of DLC to boot. Speaking on the game in general, Hazama noted, "The songs themselves have great quality and stand up on their own, no question. Also, because they are used in games, I think that when people hear these songs they remember a particular ??scene or moment in the game."

We'll see how definitive Curtain Call is later this?? year, but so far it's looking great.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call [GamesTM via Nintendo Life]

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Game changer!

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call has added the option to use buttons instead of the stylus. Game producer Ichiro Hazama told us in an interview at E3 today that he was thinking that fans that play 3??DS while layin??g in bed might enjoy this alternative control method. I told him that I think I might be better at it than the stylus method.

Instead of stylus taps, players can mash on the face buttons in time. I tried all of the face buttons and even the right trigger button -- all of them seem to work. For directional swipes, players can sweep on the analog pad in the correct direct i??nstead of using a stylus. Curtain Call seems to be pretty forgiving as even lazy swipes in the general direction registered as correct. 

I quickly found that the responsiveness of the 3DS's clicky face buttons had me blowing through a couple of test stages quite easily. Taps, swipes, tap-and-hold figures, and tap-hold-swipe moves came off easily, even through the really quick phrases. I aced the first few stages I tried, no ?problem. Even turning the difficulty up on a couple of songs had me finishing with high ranks. 

Now, on a technical level I think that the field music stages are probably easier with stylus play. Following their wavy paths is pretty easy when tracing, and there's no need to tap out the rhythm points on these paths when holding the stylus to the screen. With button play, the player has to tap the rhythm dots as they pass while guiding a target with the analog pad. I??t takes a bit more coordination, but I think it's more enjoyable than playing with the stylus.

I wasn't able to try some of the more difficult stages with the button mode, but I already feel pretty good about it being my new default control mode for when I finally get to play Curtain Call on my own ti?me. My reaction time seems quicker and my moves seem to be more accurate with the buttons.

Hazama told us that he thinks that the stylus mode is easier and that novice players should definitely start with it. But I recommend trying both when Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call relea??ses later this year. For me, the button play is a game changer.

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Sequel to the best 3DS rhythm game

Square Enix's follow-up to Theathrythm Final Fantasy has finally been confirmed for release in North America. That's right: Theathrythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call is ?coming our way sometime this year, priced at $39.99.

We saw this bigger, better version of Theathythm at Tokyo Game Show last year, and have been hoping for its western release ever since. It's so good! Its 221 awesome songs and 60 playable characters cover all things Final Fantasy, from Final Fantasy Tactics to Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

And as for new characters, Ramza, Zack, Yuna, Ba??rret and others show their little tiny faces.

It's not just new songs and characters, though. A new Versus Battle ??mode lets you go up against friends, and a Quest Medley mode lets you pick your own routes through?? quests of different lengths. A new Collecta Crystarium system lets you collect cards by winning battles to boost character stats.

I'm so, so ready. Are you?

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Track listings are current

Square Enix has updated their site for Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, and it contains all of the currently revealed tracks for the game. If you're so inclined, you can head over to the site now, click on a certai??n game, and give those track?s a listen.

Some highlights include tracks from Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, which is a relatively new reveal, as well as a few tracks from the SaGa series (which will apparently be DLC).

Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy: Curtain Call [Square Enix]

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This new video, hnnngh

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy wasn't perfect, but man was I glued to my 3DS for weeks on end playing it. On higher difficulties it tested my inner rhyhthm game skill, but reliving the nostaliga of my Final Fantasy endeavours was worth the entry fee alone.

This new trailer for the sequel, Curtain Call, makes all the right mov??es in tugging at those same nostalgia strings. Just bring it over here already, Square.

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First hands-on at TGS

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is more of the same, but I doubt any Theatrhythm fan wil?l be complaining abou?t that. More music from more Final Fantasy games and more tapping action. More just-misses. More cramped hands. I can't wait.

My Tokyo Game Show hands-on session with the upcoming 3DS game had me playing Final Fantasy V&nbs??p;songs. In battle mode, "Gilgamesh" had me feverishly tapping out rhythms on top difficulty. Other than some slight visual touches there looks to be nothing new about this mode. I guess that the added songs will add the new in this case.

The original track list returns, but new stuff from games like Final Fantasy: Crisis Core and Final Fantasy XIV have been added. The feel of this game changes quickly when you don't know the songs. A new tune from Lightning Returns had me fumbling and failing,?? p??utting me in my place.

On the Field Stage Music side of things, I redeemed myself with Final Fantasy V’s "Airship Theme.??" I love the way these stages look when doing the airship thing. The action is slanted so that it looks like you'r??e flying into the left side of the screen. The play isn't any different from the standard flat play, but the dynamic look changes the feel. And happy little moogles popping out to celebrate doesn't hurt, either.

You don't need my TGS preview to know that you'll want this game. It's everything you liked, upgraded a bit, plus new songs from Type-0, Advent Children, FF:XIV and more. You're getting 200 songs, 60 characters, a new quest and more. Add in a new two-player competitive mode that has proper taps sending junk to opponents (like a puzzle game) and you have one hell of a?? upd?ate.

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I played the first game for hours on end

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy really surprised me. It was like the perfect combination of good design and extra nostalgia thrown in for good measure. That's why I can't wait for Curtain Call, the follow-up game that looks like it's just more Theatrhythm, which is fine with me!

Some highlights include a ton of extra tracks, multiplayer, more characters, and songs from Lightning Returns and Final Fantasy XIV.

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