We figured Jump Fiesta would be home to a few eye-openers, as they are just about every year. The annual event in Tokyo didn't disappoint in 2006, as Square-Enix hosted their now-traditional closed theater presentation, featuring one of the most anticipated future PS3 games. Do we really need to spell it out for you? Okay, fine- Final Fantasy XIII .
The trailer kicked off with quick previews of a few other games that aren't quite as hot, but still worth mentioning. You got a short look at Wonderful World for the Nintendo DS, and the montage ended with a detailing of the "Rebirth of the Compilation," featuring all Final Fantasy VII products, including Before Crisis and Crisis Core .
But it didn't take long to dive into the main attraction. Unfortunately, as the video was clearly designed mostly for Japanese viewers, U.S. gamers on hand would've had to deal with a narrator who spoke very broken English. Still, eye-witnesses have said that didn't matter much, considering the quality of the presentation. You learn of a floating mechanical city called "Cocoon," protected by special crystals so the city's residents always live in peace. The land below is protected by nothing, and is feared by everyone.
Those of you who caught the E3 and Tokyo Game Show trailers probably recall the train and battle sequences, and they made their return. But in addition, this one boasted footage of a sweet-looking water-based summon spell, plus the main character (a girl called Lightning) taking on numerous foes at once. Near the end of that sequence, some blonde-haired dude comes flying in on a motorcycle, but he isn't really introduced…no, we don't think it's Cloud.
There are two other FF XIII projects in Square-Enix's hopper; Agito and Versus , and the RPG specialists managed to include a few quick looks at both, although details out of Japan are few and far between. And lastly, a minor surprise- Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix , a Japanese-only release that features Kingdom Hearts II in English, a bonus DVD, and a completely revamped 3D remake of the GBA title, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories .
At the same time, Square-Enix supposedly hinted at the possibility of a brand new Kingdom Hearts game in 2007, a story we will bring you in just a few minutes…
See, we knew Jump Fiesta would deliver some early Christmas goodies.
Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIII