News from LIK SANG



Originally released on the Famicom more than 16 years ago, Final Fantasy III sheds its 8-bit look and appears in a revamped version on the NDS. A graphical overhaul using the system's 3D capabilities infuses the tale of four young heroes in search of magic light crystals with an up-to-date visual glamour that is bound to enchant all FF fans worldwide. You heard that right, as the NDS incarnation of Final Fantasy III will for the first time ever receive an US release on October 3rd, while the Japanese copy is expected to be in stock and shipping on August 24th. FFIII sported a versatile job system, that was later seen in Final Fantasy V and Tactics. Here, apart from traveling from dungeon to dungeon and engaging in random encounters, you train your characters in various job classes, gaining new abilities and commands along the way.

While on the hunt for crystals which in the end will be required to secure peace once again, players utilize full stylus control to handle the action. Wander through the diverse environments, chat and enter combat simply by tapping the touch screen. Those that'd rather opt for a traditional control system will rejoice, as Square Enix included D-pad and button combo usage as an alternative as well. The game itself runs at a steady 30 frames per second and looks better than the original version of FFVII on the PlayStation, which is indeed saying a lot for the graphical power of the NDS.

To celebrate this Final Fantasy III rebirth, Square Enix is offering a Nintendo DS Crystal White special edition in Japan, which features characters sketched by designer Akihiko Yoshida. These fine units will be stamped with an unique serial number, but alas only released in a very small run it seems. We'll do our best to have at least a few of these expensive beauties up for quick grabs, but might only be able to get a couple in stock, as this item is anticipated with bated breath in Nippon.

Those that consider themselves Final Fantasy purists when it comes to the earlier releases, can rest assured that the magic is still there. The shift to 3D helps to make the world more believable and adds to the overall mesmerizing atmosphere: in-game structures like homes and shops, characters and the regions to wander through all offer a detailed splendor in this "lost chapter" in the series. Revisit a freshly reworked highlight in the Final Fantasy line or experience the epic story for the first time; either way, you'll be hard pressed to find a more rewarding roleplaying effort on the Nintendo DS. Pre-orders are very welcome already, shipping free worldwide! An import gamer's delight, both the Japanese and US version of FFIII will work on any NDS system the globe over, no matter its origin. The region-free capability of the Nintendo DS sure is a blessing! ...

News from LIK SANG

With Final Fantasy VII, Square Enix succeeded in creating a brand inside the bigger universe its FF series represents. Aiming for a wholesome package with their "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII" - consisting of four parts - which includes the already released Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII for mobile, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children for DVD and Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus for PS2. Now, the fourth piece falls into place with Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core on PSP. Anime aficionados will appreciate the visual style of it, ads for the game so far suggest a similar design to Before Crisis. What we are looking at for the first FFVII title for Sony PSP is basically an Action-RPG. Quality can be expected, as production is headed by Yoshinori Kitase (director of the original FFVII) and Hajime Tabata, while character designs are handled by the Square Enix legend Tetsuya Nomura. Crisis Core is a furious prequel to Final Fantasy VII that focuses on Zack and Sephiroth. Project Genesis rings a bell?



Cloud's mate from his time with the elite organisation SOLDIER, Zack appears to come off as the main hero in this instalment, eager to prove himself within Shinra's military ranks. Sword-fighting galore ensues as usual, and boy does the tale look promising in the trailer released! Angeal represents an all-new character for the series, accompanying Zack and wielding a giant sword very similar to Cloud's in FFVII. Those who played Before Crisis will welcome the return of Tseng, a high ranking member of the Turks. Players will progress via events and fast-paced battles, where director Tabata hinted at an unrevealed fresh battle system being included in the final game. Stepping into the shoes of a soldier during that historic time in the FF chronicles, should be one of the most exciting experiences Crisis Core will have to offer.

Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core will seemingly turn out to be a brilliant gaming stint, where Anime influence and FF Action-RPG gameplay should beautifully blend. We certainly can't wait, the US version is due out in August and pre-orders are of course accepted already (Free Shipping Worldwide, as with all import games on Lik-Sang.com). The cool thing is that the game will work right out of the box on any PSP system globally. Region-free by nature, the PSP is a godsend, as you won't need to worry about import compatibility issues here. Simply insert the UMD and start playing! ...

News from LIK SANG



Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth - PSP

As Square Enix work towards releasing the US version of Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria on the PS2 this Sep 26th, they've also been busy bees porting the incredible 2000 original from the PSOne to the PSP. Based on Norse mythology, you play Lenneth Valkyrie who collects the souls of those who die tragic deaths, then converts them into powerful soldiers ready for a final apocalyptic battle between the Æsir and Vanir, Ragnarok. Taking you back to the good old days, dungeons play out as 2D side scrolling affairs with non-random turn based fight scenes and a whole lot of magic. The fantastic fighting system was one of the reasons this game achieved such a cult following in the first place, and thankfully still holds up brilliantly today.

There's 24 playable characters to be found, and as you progress through the adventure your strength builds up to a truly incredible amount, where later in the game you'll be dishing out damage points in the millions! The game has been re-designed to take full advantage of the PSP's 16:9 widescreen, and replacing the original static cut scenes are completely animated FMV sequences. Several brand new scenes also help tie this and upcoming prequel together. With the US release arriving this week, and all PSP games being region free, everyone the world over can now experience the gripping storyline that first captivated players six years ago. ...

Iamjeff has released a clone of the tiger telematics game for the PSP, heres the release info:


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via iamjeff ...

Freshmilk has released a new Lua game for the PSP, heres the release details;


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via freshmilk ...

Hudson Entertainment has an exclusive trailer of the game Rengoku 2 for the PSP, heres the info:

Deadly. The best-selling action shooter is back once again for your PSP. Featuring beefed-up gameplay, new weapons and equipment, Rengoku 2 offers a new challenge in the form of The Seven Deadly Sins. Defeat them and reclaim your humanity!

Trailer HERE ...

Well heres great news for you people stuck on v2.71 PSPs, Chubigan has posted on his site about the release of a Flash Games package, heres the info;


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News from IGN

The Japanese PSP development community still may not get the whole "online" thing, but at least a few are trying. Set to join the small list of infrastructure-aware PSP publishers is Konami, who will release Mahjong Fight Club: Zenkoku Taisen-Ban (National Competition Version) for the PSP on 9/28.

Mahjong Fight Club, based off a popular arcade series, was a launch title for the PSP in Japan. For this update, Konami has added online play, allowing for players throughout Japan to compete with one another. Players make bets using "orbs."

Now that a mahjong game has shown the light, let's hope some of the higher profile releases follow, so that we won't ever have to use the word "ad-hoc" in our articles again. ...

Seems a lot of people hopped on the rumor-wagon this past week. Regrettably, Squeenix debunked this rumor today by denying any FFXI sequel altogether. They say the gameplay footage of their next-gen MMO is a completely independant project, original in title and story. Some may say "great! FFXI was terrible! Now then, back to WoW..." while others may say "Aw, poo, no Vana'Diel on my PS3..."

What kind of newfangled MMO could Squeenix be working on, then? It's hard to think about what a new, original project could be like, since the MMO world has pretty much two options: fantasy world or post-apocalyptic world. Would they go to the latter? More like a Final Fantasy 8 world, but online? It's more futuristic at least. Or it may be unrelated to the Final Fantasy franchise altogether. Anybody have thoughts on what Square could possibly toss at us? ...