There is some new merchandise from Square Enix to report.  The item in question is a Sora Avatar Static Arts Vinyl Figure from Kingdom Hearts Mobile.  It’s a lot cuter than the last Square Enix merch I mentioned, but still rather expensive.  The figure is available for pre-order at Kidnemo for $103.99, which is the best price I could find.  The street release date is late June.  I am not sure of the size of the statue, but I am guessing it is pretty big based on the price.

Kingdom Hearts Mobile features adorable art that is ideal for a system with limited graphics capabilities like a cellular phone:

One bit of criticism I have about the figure is that it seems kinda silly to make a large figure in such a comic style.  I think the art would be more suited to a set of smaller figures – possibly gachapon or key chains or something.  That would certainly make it a bit more affordable to all us impoverished video game fans.

Related Entries:
All OMG Toys posts can be found here.

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Video game news is slow these days.  Japan takes it easy around the new year.  VERY easy.  And they deserve to, I suppose.  Since there isn’t much to talk about, I think I will complain about something.   I choose to complain about Square Enix’s recent release of some ridiculously expensive merchandise.

I was OK with the release of the Fran and Balthier statue which goes for no less than $250 at a decent site.  I didn’t ask why the fuck they are on a motorcycle, because they are Fran and Balthier and they are the only decent element in Final Fantasy XII.  If they wanna ride a motorcycle, I will let it slide.  I don’t remember any in the game, but hey, whatever – I never beat it.

I started having problems when I saw this (image at top, more here).  If you played Final Fantasy XII you may recognize this mass of metal as Judge Magister Gabranth’s helmet. What you may not realize instantly is that this is a 1/1 scale helmet. That means that its size is equal to its actual size… were it to exist.

The price is even more redonk.  If you were to buy the helm from Amazon Japan, it would run you ￥115,496.  That translates to about $1,200 and at Play-Asia the helm is available for pre-order for $1099.99.

This helm begs a question in my mind: can it be worn?  If so, what would one wear with it?  Surely my pink polo shirt with popped collar would not match a helm meant for a suit of armor.  Most people do not own suits of armor, which may adversely affect demand.  Still, if you cannot wear the helm, it seems like an awful lot of money for something purely decorative.

I am not sure what Square Enix is thinking with these increasingly expensive pieces of merchandise.  Do I even wanna know how much the Versus Final Fantasy XII + Roen collaboration clothes are going to cost?  I think someone needs to take some time out of their day and explain what recession means to Square Enix.

Related Entries:
All OMG Toys posts can be found here.

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Dissidia: Final Fantasy was released earlier this month in Japan.  Since then, it’s been ripped, downloaded and otherwise man-handled for our amusement.  This opening movie has been uploaded by some kind-hearted individual, and it can only be described as awe-inspiring.

In addition to the breathtaking graphics, the video features some epic duels between characters you may never thought would face-off: Zidane vs. Kefka, Tidus vs. Kuja, etc.

On a side note, I really am having a hard time taking the Onion Knight seriously.  Anyone else having this problem?  I wish he would just go into Ninja mode.

Also, does anyone know what the hell this is?

It may just be an insland, but when my brain first saw it, I thought Tidus.  Maybe my brain just associates water and Final Fantasy with Tidus, who knows.

Anyway, I am looking forward to Dissidia more and more, and eagerly awaiting a press release from Square-Enix concerning it’s North American localization.

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The Final Fantasy XIII trailers which Square-Enix showed at DKΣ3713 and this year’s Tokyo Game Show have finally been uploaded on the web.  This time it’s not a video of the trailer taken with a digital camera…  The videos are really nice quality and show some impressive graphics.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII - Trailer 5:02

This video lacks any voice acting by the game’s characters.  I am not sure if this is done because Square-Enix does not want to reveal who they have chosen to do the voice acting, or they don’t want to reveal anything about the story.  You can tell that in some scenes sound effects have been added, but still no voices.  Curious.

The game has a very Western look; many people including the main character Noctis wear black suits.  Also the surroundings are primarily urban, but much more spacious than urban areas in Japan.  The unknown figure at 3:27-3:32 looks a lot like a member of the Italian mafia, fully equipped with a pin-stripe suit.  Some people believe that he and Noctis are related due to similar eye features.

We still know nothing about the battle system of the game, which is both exciting and frustrating.  What we do know is that many team members from the Kingdom Hearts series are listed as working on Versus.  Also, there are many scenes of Noctis flying through the air smacking the crap out of some poor saps.  This sounds like evidence that we can expect a more action-oriented title.

I love the part where Noctis confronts Stella (3:55-4:11) and it seems like they are going to embrace each other or something, but they end up fighting instead.  I love misdirection.

Can anyone tell what the guys are looking at when they get out of the car?  It looks like the bridge is underwater or something.

Final Fantasy XIII - Trailer 3:11

This Final Fantasy XIII trailer starts with Pulse, the wilderness below the futuristic Cocoon.  Some large fauna wander the Pulse, which appear unthreatening since Sera/Sara/Sarah seems to live along side them peacefully enough.

A few summons, Siren, Ifrit, and Carbuncle are shown.  Carbuncle is summoned by Sera from a strange disc.  Summons appear to play a large part of the story in Final Fantasy XIII, having some connection with the mysterious fal’Cie.  This makes me wonder what part summons will play in Versus…

Soon after, Lightning’s raid on Cocoon begins.   Cocoon in contrast to Pulse seems dangerous, a parallel I find kind of cool and different from most RPGs.  Usually towns and cities are safe havens from the creatures that live in the wilderness.  This feeling may only be for the early stages of the game, it’s hard to say.

Final Fantasy Agito XIII - 1:29

This is the Final Fantasy XIII I admit I know the least about.  The title seems to be a strange fusion of MMO and Final Fantasy, providing both standard and online content.

The battle system reminds me of Crisis Core and even Final Fantasy X-2 to some degree.  It appears turn-based (ATB to be specific) and battles seem quick and smooth.

I am excited about the prospect of a partially online Final Fantasy.  I never got into FF11 out of fear of forfeiting my life.  Perhaps Agito is a good middle path between addictive and normal gaming.

Related Entries:
Exciting Square Enix News From DKΣ3713
Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII Update

Roy preview, ps3, square enix, videos 2 comments

You may never get to taste the new line of Dissidia Final Fantasy Potions that were released by Suntory yesterday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t IMAGINE what they taste like.  Recently the gang over at Dengeki were lucky enough to taste test the series and report their findings on their website.

Above you can see the Cosmos version (left) and the Chaos version (right) both in can, and out.  I think the colors are really appetizing and muted in contrast to most commercial soft drinks.  Just in case you are wondering, Terra is not considered an evil character – she appears on the back of the Chaos can which features Kefka.  I guess the guys at Dengeki just have a thing for her.

The taster mentioned that the carbonation was a tad strong, but nothing he couldn’t handle.  The Cosmos version he said had a grapefruit flavor.  The Chaos version had a grape, or more specifically, muscat flavor.  On a rather bizarre note, the taster said they were pretty good mixed together, so fans may want to try purchasing both.

It is possible for Westerners to purchase some Dissidia Potions, but it’ll cost you and you will most likely get a random can.  Play-Asia should have them in stock soon, but I am not sure of their price at this time.  Additionally, KidNemo has 1 can for pre-order at $19.99 a can, or $239.99 for a case of 24 in Chaos or Cosmos…  Then there is always ol’ reliable eBay.

I would love to get a hold of a can and try them.  Maybe the price will go down a bit once the hype resides. If not, I think I can go without.

Related Entries:
Dissidia Final Fantasy: EX Combat
Dissidia Final Fantasy: First High Quality Trailer
OMG Toys: Dissidia Vol. 1
Dissidia: Final Fantasy: 22nd Character?

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