Last month we learned exactly how the connectivity between the Wii and DS would work in the upcoming Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time, but if the latest rumor from Quartermann in the the January issue of EGM is to be believed, Square Enix will not stop there with the new technology. Our favorite gossip master has heard that the RPG giant will be bringing Dragon Quest IX: Protectors of the Starry Sky to the Wii as well as the DS.
While Dragon Quest IX being announced for the DS rather than a home console was a big enough surprise in the first place, fans of the long-running series were even more shocked to discover that this latest entry will sport faster-paced gameplay and a surprising MMO-lite option to play with up to four friends. Assuming this multiplayer mode works similarly to the DS-and-Wii-linking Echoes of Time, it makes sense that Square would bring DQIX to the console as well.
Earlier today, Square Enix unveiled their release line-up for 2009 which included 28 titles. Unfortunately, only 7 of these titles are related to the world of Final Fantasy.
It’s great that they are releasing all three Fabula Nova Crystallis titles in the same year, but they have seemingly merged Japanese, North American and European release dates all into one, so it’s difficult to tell if any will see the light of day outside of Japan this year.
There is also no news on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers and even though Square Enix recently announced that the game hadn’t been cancelled, it seems to be stuck in development hell.
Final Fantasy fans will soon have a new Crystal Chronicles spin-off to submerge themselves in, but it won’t be the long-MIA The Crystal Bearers. First revealed by Japanese magazine Shonen Jump in October, Square Enix today officially announced Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time for North America. With the game’s Japanese release slated for January 29, Square Enix said today that Echoes of Time will arrive across the Pacific on the Wii and Nintendo DS in spring 2009.
A theme not unfamiliar to Final Fantasy faithful, Echoes of Time tells the story of a teenaged hero who sets out on a quest to save a similarly aged girl from a disease that is as life-threatening as it is mysterious. To get at the heart of the “crystal sickness,” the boy-champion must delve into the secrets of a long-dead civilization.
