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Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS) &
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii)
Interviewees: Toshiyuki Itahana (RoF Character Designer & TCB Director), Mitsuru Kamiyama (RoF Director), Akitoshi Kawazu (Executive Producer)
When Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles came out on the GameCube, it was the first time the Final Fantasy series had returned to a Nintendo platform for years. The actual history of the schism between Square and Nintendo dates back to Final Fantasy VII, but that’s a story for another time. FFCC on the GameCube received mixed reactions because it wasn’t like anything else that had been done before, mostly because of the innovation of Akitoshi Kawazu, whose bold ideas in the SaGa series have been, to put it mildly, a little bit odd. Not that many gamers had the opportunity to play FFCC either, because of its odd control-scheme requirements. You had to have a GameCube, a Game Boy Advance, a link cable connecting each Game Boy Advance to the GameCube, and several friends who had the same equipment. It was hard to set up, but rewarding to play once you went to the trouble. The problem was, not that many people did. In these follow-ups, some of the problems in the first game are addressed. Check out the round-table interview with the team below.
Electronic Gaming Monthly: I have a question about The Crystal Bearers. The cinema that was shown at E3 is very different from what we saw at this show. What has changed in the development of the game?
A: The concept itself has not changed. We wanted to pursue the idea of a well-developed hero going around on his action-packed adventures. To fit that image we had to adjust the artwork and the worldview. That’s what resulted in the current visuals.
Hardcore Gamer: The aesthetics between the two games are very different. The Crystal Bearers is more futuristic and Ring of Fates looks more fantasy-based and childlike. How do you reconcile any connectivity between those two games?
A: Initially, when we came up with both games, we were planning to make them more similar than they are now. During development, since we’re using two different kinds of hardware, we had to adjust to each system to maximize their potential. It is easy to get caught up in hardware restrictions, but it’s not ideal to get too caught up in the game world. We didn’t want to say, well, we can’t create two different things because they’re part of the same world. The priority is to make a game that is enjoyable, and we felt this was the right direction. We will admit there was some concern it would cause confusion in the fan base if these two very different things come out at the same time.
Tips & Tricks: The Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series likes to reward players who play in multiplayer. Can you give any specific examples of the types of actions you can only perform as a group versus what you can do as a single player?
A:The Crystal Bearers, the Wii title, is a solo-player game. The Ring of Fates is for four players. In terms of the multiplayer action, initially, in the first title, there were combination moves you could do using the “target ring.” In addition to such actions, now two players performing different actions can create a combination move. For example, one player can become the operator of a cannon and the other player becomes the cannon. Various actions like that will enhance multiplayer gameplay in the DS version.
EGM: One of my favorite elements in the first Crystal Chronicles was the sense of family and friendship, for example you received letters from your mom. Are you continuing this in these two games?
A: Yes, the whole theme of family and siblings is still very strong in the new titles.
HG: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was the first FF on a Nintendo system for a long time. How do you change your priorities when designing for a Nintendo system versus a Sony system in terms of target audience?
A: In general we don’t like to get trapped in the mindset of hardware. We feel that people who play games don’t say we’ll only play Nintendo games or we’ll only play Sony games. Usually. [Laughter] Obviously with different hardware come different specs, and that becomes an issue with programmers and designers, but we try not to let the hardware become a real issue.
T&T: In the first FFCC on the GameCube you have an innovative gameplay element where you connected your GBA to the console. Since the DS and the Wii are sort of similar in the way they are relating, I was wondering if you hoping someday the DS will be able to communicate with the Wii in the same fashion? Or is that not even a consideration?
A: In terms of the current projects, no. The whole idea of connectivity between the DS and Wii will not become a factor. It is possible if there is a good concept that allows such use, we will of course consider it. One thing that should be mentioned is that in a way, the previous title, where you needed a GBA and a GameCube, could be considered a burden to some players. You needed all this extra hardware. This is something we wanted to avoid this time around. If you have a DS, you can play Ring of Fates. This was important to us, to make the game more accessible.
EGM: I know that Ring of Fates is only local multiplayer. However, are there any ways to send messages or trade with friends over WiFi?
A: We are still working out the kinks of what we can and cannot tell you. Let me sum it up for everyone here by saying the gameplay element, the multiplayer aspect of it is limited to wireless play. It’s just that when you incorporate WiFi into the action-heavy gameplay, you have to deal with issues like lag. It’s basically not possible to have smooth gameplay over WiFi with the current game. In terms of WiFi there is some information going around, but at this point we would be comfortable in saying yes, there is a WiFi element that is probably very close to what you were suggesting.
HG: There was some speculation that Bahamut appeared at the end of one of the trailers and that summon magic would be in the game. Can you confirm or deny?
A: The official quote is, “Your guess is as good as mine.” [Laughter] Unfortunately we cannot comment.
T&T: I have a question for Kawazu-san. Because he is working on The Last Remnant, The Ivalice Alliance and also the FFCC series, I was wondering if he has a more nostalgic feeling towards this one versus the others or if he has any particular favorites he enjoys being involved with.
AK: Officially, I have to say that I care for all my titles equally. Perhaps some are more equal than others. I will say that since FFCC was the first title I worked on with Nintendo, it has very special meanings and memories to me and will always remain dear to my heart.
EGM: I’m curious, with your busy schedule, do you have plans to bring the SaGa series back?
AK: I have some loose ends to tie up first, but I will definitely put that into consideration. A lot of people ask me that.
EGM: The 20th anniversary should be coming up. Compilation of SaGa. [Laughter] I loved painting the Moogles in FFCC. Will there be any new expansions to that?
Mitsuru Kamiyama: There is a funny story behind that. In terms of the Moogle spraying, it was thought of really last minute, maybe two weeks before the due date of the last project. I was the programmer, fiddling around with it, then it suddenly became wildly popular. I was pleasantly surprised by that reaction, so we decided to incorporate it into the new game as well. Now it’s even more enhanced, with the stylus allowing a lot of advancements in the science of Moogle tampering.
EGM: You should have a Moogle WiFi fashion show contest.
MK: [Laughter] We put in a lot of effort this time. The previous manual might have only covered two pages worth of Moogle painting. This time it takes up six pages in the manual. In the original FFCC the Moogle painting was such a last-minute addition. There wasn’t even an official interface designer. We’ve hired one this time around, you’ll be glad to know. It’s a much more complete, official function within the game, and we’ve added much more effort into it. Before, I put it in without really telling anybody, and by myself, created the interface and got yelled at, but the ends justified the means.
EGM: When do you think The Crystal Bearers might be shown in playable form?
A: We can’t really say. Although we’re already able to play with it. [Evil laugh.] Just kidding. There are still some issues to work out with the art, so that’s what we’re working on right now. We hope to be able to get a playable out as soon as possible. The visuals you see right now, on the show floor, most of it, are actual gameplay screens. It's getting there, it’s just a matter of fine-tuning.
