February 29 is a rare day, a perfect date to celebrate with a session of the Final Fantasy-themed musical game Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. However, I've got sad news for anyone attempting to celebrate today with a little Theathrythm as the rhythm game just won't load on this day, specifically.

The situation is a bummer, yes, but wor??ry not as a solution already? exists, and the cause for the whole thing is rather hilarious.

It seems like what's preventing players from joining the servers is that we're currently existing in the most cursed day of a glitched period in time, the one our calendar lords call "leap year". Look, I admit that don't know the complex math behind this cosmic event, but I believe Destructoid's own Zoey Handley perfectly described it as "a l??ittle Y2K that comes 'round every four years".

This Y2K ordeal becomes twice as hilarious once you remember that Theatrhythm is a mostly offline game. It doesn't need the Internet, hell, it doesn't even need to know what time it is. In fact, the good people at Vooks report having tried it on their consoles, and the fix they found was to just change the console's date to any other date of the year. Thank you, Mr Kojima, you've taught us well.

Here's hoping Square Enix solves this problem soon, or the Theatrhythm fans who are too wise to mess with the authorities of time will have to abruptly find new plans fo?r Fe?bruary 29, 2028.

This is such an interesting failure �or maybe, just maybe, Square Enix is bottlenecking Theatrhythm on purpose to prevent it from completely overshadowing the release of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, the real competition here all along. There's just no way of knowing.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is usually available on the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, just not today.

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth comes out today on the PlayStation 5 and ?w?ill likely stay available until the great global collapse.

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This one kind of snuck up on me

As we enter a fairly exciting February gaming lineup, there's a few hidden things in there that keep popping up occasionally and reminding me that they exist: Theatrhythm Final Bar Line might be the biggest of those.

It doesn't seem like it's going to be a low-impact trailer dump either, as Square Enix has confirmed that "indieszero developers and producer Ichiro Hazama" will be part of the festivities. If you're a long-running fan of the series it should be a good time, hopefully filled with insights on the history of the rhythm franchise and Bar Line itself. With a multiplatform release (PS4/Switch), this could be the biggest Theatrhythm game yet.

Here's when the Theatrhythm Final Bar Line livestream starts, and where to watch it

• Date: January 30, 2023
• Time: 1PM PT
• Stream link: Square Enix Twitch

Square Enix also confirmed some details this week for the upcoming season pass, which will include Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross tracks. You can find the full list below, transcribed directly from the tweet! As a reminder, NieR, Saga, Live a Live, and Octopath Traveler DLC songs are confirmed too.

Chrono Trigger Theatrhythm Final Bar Line season pass tracks:

• Wind Scene
• Frog's Theme
• Boss Battle 2
• Battle with Magus
• Corridors of Time
• World Revolution
• To Far Away Times
• Wings That Cross Time
• Robo's Theme
• Chrono Trigger

Chrono Cross Theatrhythm Final Bar Line season pass tracks:

• Radical Dreamers
• Chrono Cross -Scars of Time-

//twitter.com/FinalFantasy/status/162??????????????????????????0059523074629635

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A new FF, a new IP, or an iOS port?

I love iOS gaming -- I really do. Over the years, a number of amazing original games have enamored me into playing more and more on the mobile market, and it's allowed a ton of indie devs to flourish with low development cost??s and high potential sales.

But there's one thing iOS gaming does that leaves a bad taste in my mouth: it steals the thunder of teasers. Yep, when a teaser site used to pop up for a franchise in the old days, everyone would go ape over a potential sequel, or a spinoff. Now, everyone's rolling their eyes and saying, "yawn, it's probably another iOS port." With Square Enix, it's happened before.

Here we go again it seems, because in the case of this new Theatrhythm teaser site that simply states an announcement is "coming soon," an iOS port may very well be in the cards (or it could be Theatrhythm Dragon Quest -- a man can dream, right?).

Of course, an iOS port wouldn't be a bad thing at all, as I think everyone who likes rhythm games should play Theatrhythm Final Fantasy -- ??it's a??n experience that shouldn't be restricted to 3DS owners exclusively. Still, a sequel or another game would be great!

Coming Soon [Square Enix]

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It's Theatrhythm Final Fantasy day! We already posted about Siliconera's interview with producer Ichiro Hazama, but we were able to get some details of our own from him regarding some of the behind-the-sc??enes decisions that went into making the game.

For example, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy was not initially planned as a 25th anniversary title, but the timing coincidentally worked out. There was also a lot of in-fighting among the development staff as to which tracks to include, which eventually led to the team turning it over to Square Enix members in Japan to decide. Oh, and Theatrhythm may not stay exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS goi??ng into ??the future.

When asked about the 3DS exclusivity of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, we were given a nebulous "There are currently no plans to go beyond 3DS, but we expect more users to enjoy this game, so it possibility could.??" I can easily imagine a collection hitting mobile or PlayStation Vita with some of the DLC included at a later date. In terms of what the 3DS offered above the DS, however, Hazama noted that the increased memory and improved speakers on the 3DS made it a much better title than it would have been on the DS.

In terms of song selection, while the development staff did turn the decision over to fans (after too much internal argument over which tracks to include), and from there, Hazama explains, "We had to balance it out" because "We’d have Theatrhythm Final Fantasy VII, for example." Regarding "One-Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII and "Clash on the Big Bridge" from Final Fantasy V, however, we were told "Those are the two main songs that we had to put whe?n we started developing this game."

We asked the obvious question about why they decided to develop a rhythm game based on the Final Fantasy universe, and Hazama noted that the rich stories and key moments in the Final Fantasy franchise were usually tied to his memories of the music, so it was a natural pairing for him. When asked about the RPG elements and various types of stages included, he said to make the game accessible to as many Final Fantasy fans as possible, he wanted to add R??PG elements to make them comfortable and not turn them off to the title based ?on it being a rhythm game.

Finally, we asked if Theathythm would become a franchise or would simply be expanded through DLC and were told,"We’re thinking big picture. Of course we want to make a franchise. The franchise is Theatrhythm, and could encompass other franchises like Theatrhythm SaGa or Theatrhythm Seiken Densetsu."

I'm excited about Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, and would love to see to extend to other popular Square Enix franchises. Theatrhythm Chrono, anyone? 

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Theathrythm Final Fantasy game producer Ichiro Hazama told Silconera in an interview that he would like continue making th??e same type of themed rhythm game as ??a series. 

"Personally, I hope this will become a series, but Th??eatrhythm Hitman ??will probably be really far off."

That would be the worst game ever. But Theatrhythm Dragon Quest? Yes, please!

Hazama continues: "There are many series that I would want to work on for Theatrhythm. Dragon Quest has a lot of music and Kingdom Hearts would be wonderful to do if it’s possible. I’m not to familiar with the Eidos collection, but Tomb Raider has a long h??istory so it must have a great collection of songs. That might be fun."

Yes! Do a Kingdom Hearts one, too. I don't know about the Tomb Raider one, though. 

The rest of the interview over at Siliconera is a g??reat read as it goes into some of the song and character choices.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is available today for the Nintendo 3DS.

Square-Enix hopes to turn Theatrhyt??hm Final Fa??ntasy into a series [Go Nintendo]

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Square Enix isn't shy about a Final Fantasy spin-off, always ready to milk the franchise a little more in the name of nostalgia and profit. It is surprising, then, that it's taken the publisher so long to exploit one of the most iconic elements of the series -- its music. That Square Enix didn't seize upon the idea of a Final Fantasy rhythm game ??sooner is nothing short of m?iraculous. 

Of course, all ideas are obvious in hindsight, and most of them sound pretty damn great on paper. The final product needs more than a few bri?g??ht concepts to see it through.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (Nintendo 3DS)
Developer: indieszero
Publisher: Square Enix 
Released: July 3, 2012 
MSRP: $39.99

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy pilfers from some of the most beloved soundtracks in videogame history to create a tribute to the music that has brought thirteen games to life. Starting with the very first Final Fantasy released in 1987 right up to 2009's Final Fantasy XIII, every current main ins??tallment in the franchise has been accounted for. Most of them appear in their original context, too, complete with whatever glorified MIDI sounds or full orchestras they may bring to the table. 

There is a loosely defined plot that involves a battle between Order and Chaos, as the player is charged with collecting "Rhythmia" as a reward for successfully completing challenges. Yes, the same waffling plot details and pretentiously invented words that infest latter-day Final Fantasy are present, though the story is left (thankfully) light. The aim of the game is simply to keep playing i?t until you've gathered enough Rhythmia, automatically unlocking a final track that serves as a battle against Chaos himself. 

The game is started by creating a party of four characters, made up of protagonists from each of the Final Fantasy chapter??s (though supporting cast members can be unlocked through play). Each character has a unique set of stats that are useful for different songs, and can be equipped with abilities or items that may help the player out during a song such as avoiding losing health for failure, getting rarer items, etcetera. As the party gains levels, their stats improve and they access new abilities, which can be crucial when taking on trickier tunes. 

There are three modes of play: Series, Challenge, and Chaos Shrine. Series mode takes three tracks from each Final Fantasy game and tasks the player with completing them s??equentially, while Challenge is a "free play" mode which allows the songs beaten in Series to be replayed at higher difficulty levels. Chaos Shrine is by far the most interesting of modes, as it unlo??cks short sequences of two randomly generated songs. These two-song challenges, called Dark Notes, come in varying degrees of difficulty and can be unlocked either by beating previous Notes or collecting new ones via StreetPass. 

The songs themselves come in three distinct challenge types, based on their contextual use in the games they come from, although the way the player interacts with them remains largely the same. Essentially, triggers appear on the screen, and must be hit with the stylus when they pass through a circular marker. Red triggers simply require the stylus to be tapped, gold triggers have arrows which require the stylus to be swiped in a certain direction, and green triggers demand the stylus be held on the touchscreen until they've fully passed through the marker. The game takes a lot of influence from both Elite Beat Agents and Gitaroo Man, alt?hough it is not quite as intense?? as either of those games. 

The way triggers and the marker behave are defined by the type of song being played. Field Music (drawn mostly from FF's world maps) has triggers flow from left to right as a party member walks through an environment. Hidden items can be encountered along the way, and hitting special triggers can unlock a Chocobo, which rides th?rough the field area at high speeds. The twist in Field levels is the fact that green triggers aren't just straight lines, and the stylus will need to be moved up and down in order to stay on the path. 

Battle Music features the entire party, whose members successfully hit monsters every time a trigger is successfully activated. The aim is to defeat enough monsters to see how far the party can get and, hopefully, kill a special boss creature. There's no penalty for playing through the entire song and failing to beat the boss, but there are rewards for a party strong ??enough to ??terminate the Safer Sephiroths and Gilgameshes that might appear. Finally, there's Event music, which plays a movie from a game's most famous scenes in the background and moves the marker across a pre-built track populated by triggers. 

At first, the game seems fairly uninteresting. The "Series" mode of basic challenges aren't difficult at all, and progression feels very basic and sparse. It doesn't help that the game's end-of-level statuses and menus are a pain in the ass to sit through every single time a song is beaten. One's first impression of Theatrhythm is that of a repetitive and dull game, featuring very little interaction and feeling like a destitute man's answer to Elite Beat Agents. 

Fortunately, however, things heat up w?hen the Challenge and Dark Shrine modes open. Playing songs at higher difficulty levels really makes the game come alive, as triggers move fast and depend upon some deft stylus-swiping. As high levels of challenge open up, the requirement to pick a good party becomes evermore crucial, as the ability to deal extra damage or heal the player's health bar gradually reveal themselves to be essential compon??ents of success. The game adds a little artificial difficulty, it must be said, by randomly switching the triggers to match the music's melody or rhythm at any given time, but a cool head and a strong party ought still to prevail. 

The Dark Shrine has the most potential as it contains more than just the three songs per game featured in other modes. Here, rare tunes can be discovered, such as "JENOVA" or "Mambo de Chocobo," and the idea of never knowing what you'll get next can be pretty enthralling. The concept of sharing Dark Notes via Street Pass gives the mode a "collect 'em all" feeling that makes it stand out from the static Series and Challenge modes, and theoretically there is a ton of replay value on offer. Theoretically being the operative word. 

As is the unfortunate nature of Chaos Shrine, the randomized tunes means that a lot of the same songs will come up time and time again, and after you've played "The Sunleth Waterscape" for the fifth time, progress starts to feel disheartening. It's wonderful to uncover a brand new song, but it doesn't take long for such happy moments to become far-flung and sparsely encountered, while the boredom of playing the same old tracks creeps in. Since this mode is the only way to access songs outside the limited pool presented in Series mode, it asks a lot of patience and needs a high tolerance for hearing identical tunes over and over -- a boon in the case of "Battle of the Big Bridge," not so much in the case of anything from Final Fantasy XIII. 

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is a fun and engaging game for as long as the freshness of the experience lasts, but it doesn't last very long. The amount of repetition relied upon indicates that there's not a great deal of content on offer, while tunes have been held back to sell as downloadable content. As 3DS and PS Vita games face ever stiffer, considerably cheaper competition from mobile devices, these games need to be providing a shedload of content to justify their high asking prices, and as good a game as Theatrhythm?? is, a shedload of content is what it does not have. 

All things considered, it is still a good game. It's well crafted, it's bursting with rose-tinted memories, and the average Final Fantasy fan will be unable to play it without goosebumps. While the songs can replay far too many times, there is at least a lot to unlock for the highly dedicated. New party members, stronger abilities, and a range o??f party-aiding items can be uncovered through continuous play; defeating Chaos simply reveals end credits, rather than terminating the game entirely. Still, the threat of boredom is always there, and it's highly advised that the game be played in short bursts to minimize the feel?ing of treading water. 

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is beautiful and charming in many respects, but an absolute drudgery in others. At the end of the day, though, unlocking that track from Final Fantasy IX that you just hoped would be there is a special kind of fun that fans will live for. It's just a shame that such fun is not consistent and frequent enough to truly make this the memo??rable experience it deserves to be.

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Stickers! I f*cking love stickers! 

You can get all up in stickers if you pre-order upcoming 3DS rhythm game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. Square Enix has announced?? a bonus for North American customers: a gripped stylus that can be customized with a set of 17 game-themed stickers. Cloud, Squall, Cecil and Tidus are getting stuck on people's butts when they're not looking. I'll keep the Moogle, Chocobo, Terra and the others for myself.

I'm ready to get my tap on to Final Fantasy music now, but Theatrhythm is set for release on July 3.

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Jonathan Holmes got a chance to demo Theatrhythm during PAX East, and was kind enough to film it for those of us who weren't there. If you enjoy rhythm games and love Final Fantasy, I'm not sure why you wouldn't buy it.

I don't own a 3DS. There have been a few games that have seriously made me consider buying one, and I think Theatrhythm might be the game that seals the deal. Or maybe it's Holmes' singing. I do love some handheld rhythm games though, like Elite Beat Agents or DJ Max. And, of course, Final Fantasy. By my own logic I have to own this game.

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The first eight of the fifty planned Theatrhythm songs have been released, and I will be buying all of them. This first set of 3DS downloadable content will hit in Japan tomorrow at launch for $2 a song (day one DLC!). Sadly, there is still no word ??on a localization attempt.

This batch of DLC offers a number of great songs, such as FFIV's "The Final Battle", FFV's "In Search of Light", and the all time great, "Cosmo Canyon". Listening to the Cosmo Canyon section again sent chills down my spine, as I remembered my first playthrough of Final Fantasy VII in seventh grade -- and my second playthrough, two weeks later. Square, this is how you re-invigorate the Final Fantasy franchise!

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy DLC Take??s Us To FFVII’??s Cosmo Canyon [Siliconera]

Battle Music
Final Fantasy II – Battle Scene 1
Final Fantasy IV – The Final Battle
Final Fantasy XI – Fighters of the Crystal
Final Fantasy XIII – Fighting Fate

 

Field Music
Final Fantasy V – In Search of Light
Final Fantasy VII – Cosmo Canyon
Final Fantasy VIII – Ride On
F?inal Fantasy X – Someday the Dream Will End

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Here's a new trailer for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.?? There's some old footage from previo??us videos, but plenty of new content to gawp at. You'll enjoy it, it's nice. 

?I am incredibly excited to play this saucy little number. I reckon it's gonna be quite great.

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Downloadable content will be coming to Theathrhythm Final Fantasy, and thanks to Nintendo's new allowances, it'll be coming at a price. This is according to the fine print found on the back of the game's box. 

The box also promises "Nintendo Network" support, which is sparking debate. There are suggestions that this is a new online initiative spearheaded by Nin?tendo, but?? nobody's quite sure what it is yet. We do know it has a little orange logo. 

Whatever it ?is, the game's still looking hot as buggery. Do want. 

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Has Paid DLC and "Ninte?ndo Network"? Support [andriasang]

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While I'm not quite as big a fan of Square Enix has I used to be, I have to respect the way it can still tug at the heartstrings and milk nostalgia for all it's worth. This new trailer for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is a masterpiece of rose-tinted self congratulation ... and I can dig ??it!

A range of classic tunes are showcased in this new video, along with the gameplay. Don't worry folks, "One Winged Angel" is in there, thank Christ! More importantly, "Clash on the Big Bridge" makes an appe??arance, which is thoroughly badical. 

I'm really ??looking forward to this game. Absolutely sold.

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Some new gameplay footage of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy has made its way to the Internet and the game still looks like the most fun Final Fantasy game to come from Square Enix in years. 

The selection of gameplay shows off three levels and three very recognizable tunes. The way the notes sit on sliding waves reminds me very much of Gitaroo Man, which is very encouraging indeed. Add that to the fact that our own Dale North loved the thing, and I?? have a feeling this is ??going to be something special.

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I'm good, man. Totally good. It's only the first day of Tokyo Game Show but I'm already good. I found my game to love, and I can't quit talking about it. I've told everyone how much I love Theatrhythm Final Fantasy after playing it today. No one believes it's that great until they play it. I think the last guy I told rolled his ??eyes at me. I don't care.

You'll lik?e it. It mixes all the great music of the Final Fantasy series, powerful fan service, and a few fun twists on rhythm gaming to make a game that I played a dozen or so times today. I kept going back to it!

Yes, I like Theatrhythm that much.

Nintendo's touchscreen-equipped portables work well for rhythm gaming, as proven by titles like Rhythm Tengoku and Osu! Tatake! Ouendan, so it's not like Square Enix created something brand new here. It's tapping and sliding to the beat, just like the others??. What really makes this one work is the inclusion of all the best songs from the world of Final Fantasy. These songs, pulled from games 1 through 13, are familiar to series fans, making the game really easy to get into.

This great music is synchronized with adorable art. Little deformed, dot-eyed versions of all of the main characters from the Final Fantasy series will win series fans over. Who wouldn't love cute little Squall??s and Lightnings running around onscreen? 

Gameplay has you tapping the screen to visual cues, just like you would in something like Namco Bandai's Taiko Drum Master. Directional screen swipes and hold-and-release patterns mix things up a bit. I really liked how tapping and line tracing to increased the difficulty a bit in some modes. Mix these input methods up and slide them on horizontal lines that move toward a threshold and you've got a pretty good picture of how gameplay works in Theatrhythm.

Three diff??erent gameplay s?tyles work to bring some role-playing feel to this rhythm game. The three modes, Battle, Field and Event, all match the original song usage in a way.

Battle songs' levels are staged as a cute-ized battle encounter, complete with four party members that sort of send out attacks with correct beat taps and swipes. Mess up the rhythm and you'll lose hit points. Keep doing well and you'll progress through the battle. Do really well and you'll actually use rhythm to summon beasts in classic Final Fantasy style. I was so good at tapping out Final Fantasy VII's "Sephiroth's Theme" that I was able to summon Ifr??it to do so??me big damage. But forget the typical big and scary Ifrit -- this little one was adorable.

Field mode has your character marching through a 2D background while you tap out rhythms in the foreground. I was able to march to "Terra's Theme" from "Final Fantasy VI" in this demo. Unlike the Battle mode, where commands come straight across four horizontal bars, the Field mode uses most of the screen, and it requires you to trace waving lines with the stylus. You'll have to work to keep in line and match the rhythm by passing over beat points. Flub up and your character will trip and fall on his/her face. Do well and your character will change out for another. I was able to keep perfec?t time and ride a chocobo. 

The Event mode has you tapping out more free flowing inputs over a cinematic event from the latter games of the series. Instead of lines or waves, you're required to tap all over the touchscreen. I was able to try out one of the cutscenes from Final Fantasy IX and I found that this mode was a bit more relaxed and slower ?paced than the other two.

If you're hardcore about rhythm games and have been wanting a solid challenge, Theatrhythm won't disappoint. "Clash on Big Bridge" from Final Fantasy V was a bit of a bitch, and the Tonberry I fought during Final Fantasy XII's battle song really had me sweating. I failed the Final Fantasy VI battle song every time I tried, but I never got tired of retrying. We're t?alking fast tapping, crazy rhythms and high tempos. They're hard but fun. 

While it's clear that I adore this game, it should be said that I'm a musician, a big game music fan, and a dedicated follower of the Final Fantasy franchise. This?? game was made for me. It'll do less for you if you're not really into Final Fantasy or tapping a screen to the beat with a stylus. If you're in that?? camp, don't tell me. I don't want to hear it.

Everyone else? You're going to join me in saying that this is the best th??ing ever.

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Yesterday, we got to see the first ever Theatrhythm Final Fantasy trailer and I said it looked like the best Final Fantasy game to release in ages. Despite ensuing debate, I remain ??resolute in that opinion, and I bri?ng screens to back me up!

Well, they do??n't really prove anything, but they're quite cute, so let's all look at t?hem!

I'm pretty e??ager to get my hands on this one, and if you don't think it looks promising, you can suck it.

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The very first trailer for Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy has hit the Internet, and I'm of the mind that it looks like the most delightful Final Fantasy game to have come from Square's smoke-billowing misery fa??ctories in years. I can certainly dig it. 

It basically looks like Elite Beat Agents with a Final Fantasy flavor, and that sounds great to me. I'm also really liking the fact it uses footage from the original games as well, thus exploiting the nostalgia who??re in all of us. 

What do you reckon? Looking promising?

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