Good thing they didn't try to continue the Ring of Fates series with this game. Can you envision the four-layer nested branding on this one? Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates: Echoes of Time. Blech. That's at least three colons too many for any respectable game title. There's a single screenshot to accompany the release, over there to your right.
The big story here is that the new game is hitting both the Wii and DS at the same time--and what's more, you'll be able to run a single multiplayer game with users of both versions playing simultaneously.
Because it's late in the day and I'm sick, I'm just going to crib shamelessly from the press release here.
Players can choose to play alone or with friends, whenever and however they like in FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Echoes of Time. Arriving simultaneously on both Wii and DS, this latest entry in the FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES series introduces a new concept in multiplayer gaming, enabling users of either Nintendo platform to adventure alongside each other for the first time.
Maintaining the intuitive control scheme of FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates® and enhancing the gameplay experience with an integrated system that allows players to switch between the single and multiplayer modes in-game, FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Echoes of Time is set to take multiplayer gaming to new heights as it brings together Wii and DS users from around the world next spring.
Story
A triumphant return from a monster-infested forest marks the completion of the 16-year-old hero’s coming-of-age ceremony. However, the hero’s joy is short-lived as a young village girl is found to be afflicted by a mysterious illness known as “crystal sickness.” Determined to obtain the cure, the hero steps out of the secluded village for the first time, only to discover a world in which crystals are merely artifacts of the past and no longer exist…
Features
- Play anytime, anywhere with anyone! Multiplayer connectivity reaches new heights in FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Echoes of Time, where players can team up or compete with friends and players around the world!
- The intuitive control scheme introduced in FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates returns, now adapted to Wii for double the action
- Players can switch between single and multiplayer modes within the gameworld itself, giving them two great gaming options in one integrated experience
- A personalized hero can be generated from a choice of the four familiar races of the series; Clavats, Lilties, Selkies or Yukes. Players joining from the Wii can also introduce their Miis to the world of FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES
- Create and customize materials, armor and equipment for characters with tailored appearances and abilities — no two heroes will be the same!
- A vast selection of quests provides hours of fun, even after completion of the main adventure
I haven't been much for the Crystal Chronicles series since I tired of constantly hauling a bucket around in the GameCube original, but I have to say, getting a DS/Wii shindig going simultaneously is a pretty neat feature. I'm curious to see how that pans out in the final analysis. No release date for Echoes of Time is listed, so stay tuned for that.