''Theatrhythm Final Fantasy'' is a
rhythm
Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular recu ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
, developed by
indieszero
is a small video game development company headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. It was founded on April 21, 1997, and has developed video games for other video game companies, including Nintendo, SEGA, and Square Enix.
Overview
The n ...
and published by
Square Enix
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', ''Star Ocean'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'' role-playing video game ...
for
Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
and
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
. Based on the ''
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'' video game franchise, the game involves using the touch screen in time to various pieces of music from the series.
The game was released in Japan in February 2012, and in North America, Australia and Europe in July 2012. An iOS version was released in December 2012. A sequel, ''
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call'', was released in 2014. A third game based on the ''
Dragon Quest
previously published as ''Dragon Warrior'' in North America until 2005, is a franchise of Japanese role-playing video games created by Armor Project (Yuji Horii), Bird Studio (Akira Toriyama) and Sugiyama Kobo (Koichi Sugiyama) to its publi ...
'' series, ''
Theatrhythm Dragon Quest
''Theatrhythm Dragon Quest'' is a rhythm game developed by indieszero and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in Japan on March 26, 2015, and was the first game of its type in the ''Dragon Quest'' series and the third ''T ...
'', was released in 2015. An arcade game, ''Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: All-Star Carnival'', was released in 2016.
A second sequel, ''Theatrhythm Final Bar Line'', was announced on September 13, 2022 for the
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
and
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
, to be released on February 16, 2023.
Gameplay
''Theatrhythm Final Fantasy'' is a
rhythm
Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular recu ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
. Players take control of four ''
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'' characters, and select a ''Final Fantasy'' game from the first ''
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'' to ''
Final Fantasy XIII
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles and later for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Released in Japan in December 2009 and international in March 2010, it is the ...
''. Each game has three stages: field, battle, and event. Each stage features different game mechanics than the others; once a stage is completed, the characters level up. The difficulty level can be changed in order to make it appealing to "beginners and rhythm masters alike". Throughout the game, players can unlock music and movie scenes.
The gameplay requires players to tap on the screen in correct spots to the beat of the music playing.
Within the main game section "Series Mode", there are 3 unique stage styles: Field (Overworld) Music, Battle Music, and Event (Dramatic) Music, as well as the option to play through the opening and ending themes.
* The Opening and Ending Theme segments involve simply tapping the screen in time with music notes as they move into the center of a crystal on screen.
* Field music is a side-scrolling rhythm game, as the screen moves from right-to-left, and a player must either tap a note, slide the stylus in a direction, or hold the stylus down while following a waving line on the touch screen. The object is to reach the end of the stage before the music ends, where another character is waiting to give the player an item. Playing well causes the character to speed up, while missing will cause the character to fall down. There is an opportunity to ride a
chocobo
The is a fictional species created for the ''Final Fantasy'' franchise by Square Enix (originally Square). A galliform bird commonly having yellow feathers, they were first introduced in ''Final Fantasy II'' (1988), and have since featured in ...
in each level for a speed boost.
* Battle Music is a mock-battle, with the player tapping notes correctly to do damage to the enemies onscreen. The objective is to kill all the enemies and eventually a boss character during the duration of the song. The notes come in from left-to-right. In this mode, the players must tap a note, swipe the stylus in a direction, or hold the stylus down for a long note. Good timing causes character attacks to be more powerful and can also trigger special abilities. The player has the opportunity to perform one summon attack each battle.
* The Event Music scene includes one or more scenes from the ''Final Fantasy'' game you select, and will play the scene onscreen in the background. Controls are similar to the Field sections, albeit players now follow the cursor as it moves around the screen. Clearing gold sections extends the level's song. Characters' stats and abilities other than Hit Points do not affect these stages
There is also a "Challenge Mode" that allows the player to choose the Battle, Overworld, or Dramatic music from a Final Fantasy game that they have cleared the normal difficulty of in Series Mode. The player then plays these one stage at a time, instead of in succession as in Series Mode. If an A rank or better is received on a song, a higher difficulty is unlocked. Unlocking a higher difficulty for all three songs from a Final Fantasy Game will unlock that difficulty in Series Mode. Within Challenge Mode, there is also a "no fail" practice option for each stage.
Lastly for the music section of the game, there is a "Chaos Shrine" mode. There are a total of 99 levels, with two stages per level - a field music followed by a battle music. For each level, there are three possible bosses, with each boss dropping three items for a total of nine potential item drops per level. These items are usually rarer items or crystals needed to unlock additional characters. If one scores high enough in the first field music stage, a sign will appear indicating they will go to "Boss 2 or 3", who will have better item drops. These levels have a difficulty level between the 2nd and 3rd levels from Challenge Mode. Additionally, Chaos Shrine contains songs from ''Final Fantasy'' games not featured in other areas of the game (for example, Mambo de Chocobo). The game also features
downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
, allowing players to purchase new songs and stages from the
Nintendo eShop
The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service powered by the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, and by a dedicated online infrastructure for the Nintendo Switch. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the eShop was en ...
.
Plot
The game follows the events of the gods
Chaos
Chaos or CHAOS may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional elements
* Chaos (''Kinnikuman'')
* Chaos (''Sailor Moon'')
* Chaos (''Sesame Park'')
* Chaos (''Warhammer'')
* Chaos, in ''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy''
* Cha ...
and Cosmos, a similar plot to ''
Dissidia Final Fantasy
is a fighting game with action RPG elements developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign for the ''Final Fantasy'' series' 20th anniversary. It was released in Japan on December 18, 2008, in Nor ...
'' for the
PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
. The space between the two is called Rhythm, which gives birth to a crystal that controls music. Chaos causes the crystal to become disrupted, and the only way to return it to normal is to increase a music wave known as "Rhythmia" (known as "Rhythpo" in the Japanese version). As such, various characters from the ''Final Fantasy'' universe are brought together in order to harness the power of Rhythmia.
Development and release
''Theatrhythm Final Fantasy'' was proposed by
Square Enix
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', ''Star Ocean'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'' role-playing video game ...
's Ichiro Hazama after working in the film ''
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children''. It was originally envisioned for the
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
but development faced difficulties due to the console's limitations. Upon seeing the Nintendo 3DS, Hazama once again gave his idea to his superior
Tetsuya Nomura
is a Japanese video game artist, designer and director working for Square Enix (formerly Square). He designed characters for the ''Final Fantasy'' series, debuting with ''Final Fantasy VI'' and continuing with various later installments. Addit ...
and the company
Indieszero
is a small video game development company headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. It was founded on April 21, 1997, and has developed video games for other video game companies, including Nintendo, SEGA, and Square Enix.
Overview
The n ...
, which resulted in the production for the game on the Nintendo 3DS. For the music selection, the Square Enix staff made a music survey during development of ''
Dissidia Final Fantasy
is a fighting game with action RPG elements developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign for the ''Final Fantasy'' series' 20th anniversary. It was released in Japan on December 18, 2008, in Nor ...
'' although most of the chosen songs were from ''
Final Fantasy VII
is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation console. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Published in Japan by Square, it was released in other regions by Sony Computer Entertai ...
''. All the songs were included in their original versions with the exception of the "Gurugu Volcano" from the
first ''Final Fantasy'' which is based on the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
release since the original version was shorter. The idea of using the gods Chaos and Cosmos from ''Dissidia'' was proposed by Nomura as both Hazama and he had worked in such game and wanted to continue using them.
The trademark "''Theatrhythm''" was filed near the end of
E3 2011
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011 (E3 2011) was the 17th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 7, 2011, and ended on June 9, 2011, with 46,800 total attendees. E3 201 ...
by Square Enix. ''Theatrhythm Final Fantasy'' was officially announced for release exclusively on the
Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
handheld game console
A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the cons ...
in the Japanese manga anthology ''
Weekly Shōnen Jump
is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the ''Jump'' line of magazines. The manga series within the magazine consist of many action scenes and a fair amount of comedy. The chapters of the series that run ...
''. It was originally announced for release only in Japan.
Square Enix Japan created an official website to promote the game.
Rumours came up that ''Theatrhythm Final Fantasy'' would be developed by
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but ...
;
however, it was later confirmed on the official website that it would be developed by Indieszero.
The character and monster designs are designed by MonsterOctopus, who also designed the ''
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
''
avatars
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance ...
found in ''
Kingdom Hearts Mobile'' and ''
Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded''.
Reception
In the first week of release in Japan, sales of just shy of 70,000 were reported, despite ''
Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
'' giving the 3DS version a score of one ten, two nines, and one eight for a total of 36 out of 40.
Within one month, by March 11, 2012, said handheld version had sold 112,344 copies in Japan. As of February 4, 2013, said version sold 163,098 units in Japan.
In February 2012,
Nobuo Uematsu
is a Japanese composer and keyboardist best known for his contributions to the ''Final Fantasy'' video game series by Square Enix. A self-taught musician, he began playing the piano at the age of twelve, with English singer-songwriter Elton Jo ...
, longtime ''Final Fantasy'' composer, played the 3DS version of ''Theatrhythm Final Fantasy'' and expressed satisfaction, stating that "As I remembered various things from the past 20 years, I was reduced to tears. FF music fans should definitely play it. Won't you cry with me?"
Elsewhere, the 3DS version received "generally favorable reviews", while the iOS version received "average" reviews, according to the
review aggregation
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
.
411Mania gave the 3DS version a score of 8.1 out of 10, saying that the game "was developed with only fans of the series in mind, and it shows. But, when you build a game around music from only one series, that’s to be expected. What FF fans need to know is that the game is fun, and worth picking up for the music alone. Just be prepared to work for some of the top tunes." ''
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
'' gave the same handheld version a score of four stars out of five, saying, "While ''Final Fantasy'' has lost its way in recent years, ''Theatrhythm'' is a warm, wonderful reminder of why you fell in love with the series in the first place. While your mileage will depend on your familiarity with the series, in its own right this is a fun and quirky rhythm game full of neat ideas, but for long-time Final Fantasy fans this is nigh-on essential."
However, the same website gave the iOS version three stars out of five, saying, "The iOS game is much abridged compared to the iOS original. The game starts as a free download with two songs, ''
Final Fantasy VII
is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation console. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Published in Japan by Square, it was released in other regions by Sony Computer Entertai ...
''s One Winged Angel and ''
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth main entry in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Originally released in 2001 for PlayStation 2, the game was re-released as ''Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster'' for PlayStat ...
''s Zanarkand, with the rest of the 59-song soundtrack available as in-app purchases for $0.99 / 69p each."
Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
gave the 3DS version a B, saying, "Not every song in ''Theatrhythm'' is a hit, nor is every ''Final Fantasy'', but the moments endure: groups of wizards in the Marsh Cave, Celes singing at the opera, even Tidus and Yuna's infamous laugh-out-loud lakeside sequence." ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'', however, gave the same handheld version three-and-a-half stars out of five, stating that "in the face of its minor lapses, Square Enix has constructed an adequate gift to itself and to its followers with ''Theatrhythm'', a magnanimous memento and time capsule to honor one of the greatest and most musically eloquent game series to ever exist."
Sequels
A sequel, ''Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call'', was released for the Nintendo 3DS on April 24, 2014 in Japan, on September 16, 2014 in North America, on September 18, 2014 in Australia, and in Europe the following day. The game features 221 songs and a new versus battle mode.
An arcade-based entry in the series, ''Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: All-Star Carnival'', was released in 2016.
A second sequel, ''Theatrhythm Final Bar Line,'' was announced during a
Nintendo Direct
Nintendo Direct is a series of online presentation or live shows produced by Nintendo, where information regarding the company's upcoming content or franchises is presented, such as information about games and consoles. The presentations began i ...
presentation on September 13, 2022 for release on February 16, 2023 for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. ''Final Bar Line'' is set to include 385 songs from various ''Final Fantasy'' main soundtracks and arrangement albums. DLC is planned to add a further 90 songs from additional Square Enix franchises including ''
NieR
''Nier'' is an action role-playing video game developed by Cavia and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in April 2010. In Japan, the game was released as for the PlayStation 3 with a younger main character, while an a ...
'', ''
The World Ends With You
''The World Ends with You'' is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and Jupiter and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. Set in the modern-day Shibuya shopping district of Tokyo, the game uses urban fantasy elements insp ...
'', ''
Chrono Trigger
is a 1995 role-playing video game developed and published by Square. It was originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as the first game in the ''Chrono'' series. The game's development team included three designers th ...
'' and more.
Notes
References
External links
Official website(North America)
Official website(Europe)
*
{{Authority control
2012 video games
Final Fantasy video games
IOS games
Music video games
Nintendo 3DS games
Nintendo Network games
Music in fiction
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Square Enix franchises
Video games developed in Japan
Indieszero games