Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy: Legacy Edition PSP

Released on 23/03/2011

Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy Legacy Edition Includes:

• Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy game in Legacy Edition box
• Legacy Edition exclusive cover artwork
• Downloadable costumes for Tifa and Squall
• Six Legacy Edition exclusive character lithograph prints; Kain (IV), Tifa (VII), Laguna (VIII), Yuna (X), Vaan (XII), Lightning (XIII)

Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy Legacy Edition

DISSIDIA 012[duodecim] FINAL FANTASY is the blockbuster follow-up to the smash hit DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY, offering a winning mix of Beat ‘Em Up action and RPG depth, starring the most memorable heroes and villains from the worlds of the FINAL FANTASY series.

The title refers to the ‘12th battle’ (duodecim means 12 in Latin), a new war between Cosmos and Chaos, that forms the basis of the story. This war will require new allies both good and evil to join the battle. DISSIDIA 012[duodecim] FINAL FANTASY also adds new game modes, story missions, items, alternate costumes and combat features, expanding upon the action and excitement of DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY in every way. Get ready for the return of the ultimate portable fighting experience.

Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy Legacy Edition on PSP Features:

• Combining all-out brawling alongside RPG-style character development and customisation, the creators of the FINAL FANTASY and KINGDOM HEARTS series take fighting gameplay to another level.
• New Assist Mode – Choose your own ‘Assist’ character to give you back-up in battle
• Battle with exciting new characters including Kain (FINAL FANTASY IV) and Lightning (FINAL FANTASY XIII)
• New Chaos storyline and story missions to battle through

• Dissidia 012[Duodecim]: Final Fantasy Review

  Fighting Fantasy

  Who is the greatest Final Fantasy character of all time? It a question that JRPG fans have hummed and hahed about for many years, but there is no clean-cut answer. Cloud is the obvious choice because everybody loves a blonde emo, but when Squall is packing a blade with a built in revolver the trusty Buster Sword doesn seem quite so impressive.

  And what about Ultimecia? Could the time travelling witch bring down the mighty Sephiroth without worrying about the price of Phoenix Downs? It seems that Square Enix asked itself the same question - but rather than settling on an answer, it released Dissidia: Final Fantasy.

  Dissidia merged the spiky-haired heroes and malevolent villains from across the Final Fantasy back-catalogue into a shared universe one where the opposing Gods of Harmony and Discord were seeking recruits for their external struggle.

  It was an elaborate ruse to see Tidus trading blows with Kefka, but by combining an arena based battle system with a range of RPG elements, the game offered a surprisingly deep fighting engine that had fan service and exciting bouts in equal measure. So how does Dissidia 012 improve on an already winning formula?

  Warriors of Plight

  Rather than a straight up sequel, Dissidia 012 is set before the events of the original and focuses on six new warriors. These include no-nonsense Lightning from FFXIII, pretty boy Vaan from FFXII, soft-spoken Yuna from FFX, happy-go-lucky Laguna from FFVIII, kung-fu fighting Tifa from FFVII and draconic Kain from FFIV.

  In terms of fight styles, Lightning can switch between her Commando, Ravager and Medic stances on the fly, while Yuna can summon Aeons like Ifrit and Bahamut for flashy combos. And with three unlockables bringing the character tally up to an impressive 31, Dissidia 012 is a game with many stories to tell.

  The original Story Mode was a tad laborious with its chessboard layout, so to make the narrative feel less disjointed, Square Enix has included a new world map that has you hunting for hidden treasure while fighting visible foes.

  Then, once youe levelled up and bagged a few accessories, you can continue the story by teleporting to a more familiar grid which must be battled across in order to progress. Overall, it a much more fluid system that compliments the revised combat.

  Providing Assistance

  The combat system is tricky to describe in words but makes perfect sense once you experience it firsthand. Attacks are split between two distinct types. Bravery attacks net you points while HP attacks use these points to deal damage. It a refreshing and highly tactical system that lets you devise your own strategies.

  Dissidia 012 also introduces an Assist gauge which lets you call in a partner for tandem takedowns. Half a charge can be used on a Bravery Assist, while a maxed meter offers a potentially lethal HP Assist. This adds another layer to a system that already teeming with variety.

  The virtues of the fighter and RPG are usually very different. So to give its core audience something less dexterously demanding, Square Enix have devised a new RPG mode. This replaces the hands-on controls with a menu interface that allows you to dictate the pace of an AI controlled character, and while it no substitute for the full-blown intensity of Action mode, it an unobtrusive alternative that anyone can enjoy. It also demonstrates the subtle complexities which make up the unique combat system.

  Let Me Be Your Fantasy

  As a package, Dissidia 012 is a perfectly pitched follow-up. It offers enough new content to be a worthy purchase for fans of the original while smoothing over the barriers which made it a tad daunting for beginners.

  It a series offshoot that entirely different from just about anything else out there, and if you decide to fight against your friends in the ad-hoc multiplayer then maybe you can decide once and for all who the greatest Final Fantasy character is. But if you ask us, it clearly Vincent Valentine.

  

  Phoenix Up:
  + Excellent new character choices.
  + Well-implemented Assist system.
  + A plot crammed with fan service.

  Phoenix Down:
  - The new stages are bland.
  - No true online mode.
  - Where's Vincent Valentine?

• The Beat 'Em Up Resurgence

  

  The Beat 'Em Up Resurgence

  Round 1 - Storied Reputation

  Fighting games like Tekken and SoulCalibur have enjoyed an unprecedented resurgence over the last two years. But before Mitsurugi's katana skills and Paul Phoenix's extreme hairstyle came into style, old-school gamers were playing The Way of the Exploding Fist and Yie Ar Kung-Fu on their humble ZX Spectrums and Commodore 64s. These early fighters - which were inspired by martial-arts films - then paved the way for the most important fighting game of all time.
  

  Street Fighter II: The World Warrior kick-started the golden era of fighting games in the early nineties. It achieved this with a cast of eight international fighters and an epic (and allegedly accidental) combo system. Street Fighter then matured into a globally adored series and inspired everything from Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct to Virtua Fighter and Dead or Alive. But when the genre fell into decline in the years following the turn of the millennium, it seemed like the honeymoon period was finally over.
  

  
  

  
  

  Round 2 - Re-enter the Dragon Punch

  This all changed when Capcom pulled the pin on a grenade labelled Street Fighter IV in 2008 - because not only did the ensuing explosion revive the genre in spectacular style, it made it the strongest it's ever been. SFIV kept all the iconic characters and special moves from Street Fighter II, and by reworking the classic 2D controls with the new Focus and Ultra systems, it offered accessibility and depth in equal measure. But while Street Fighter IV set the benchmark, its 2010 follow-up, Super Street Fighter IV, smoothed out the kinks and offered unrivalled diversity.
  

  SSFIV could have been a lazy update. Instead it offered ten new faces and a choice of two Ultra Combos. This allowed each fighter to be played in two distinct styles. But Super isn't the end of the story, as it was ported onto Nintendo 3DS as Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, and on June 7th, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition will be released. The inclusion of Yun, Yang, Evil Ryu and Oni will bring the roster up to 39, making Arcade Edition the definitive Street Fighter.
  

  
  

  
  

  Round 3 - The New (and Old) Challengers

  Street Fighter IV was the game that led the charge, and in its wake, other fighting games followed. A particular highlight was BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger in 2009. This beautiful 2D fighter was the spiritual successor to the intense Guilty Gear series, and much like its eccentric forbearer, BlazBlue was brimming with innovation. It featured a rapid tempo and an ingenuous Drive system which made each fighter unique. Then, when BlazBlue: Continuum Shift tightened up the gameplay in 2010, BlazBlue established itself as the hardcore fighter of choice. An accomplished port of Calamity Trigger is also available for the PSP.
  

  But the award for “most accessible fighting game” goes to the long running Vs. Series. This Capcom-developed series began in 1996 with X-Men vs. Street Fighter. After a long hiatus, it returned to Europe last year with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars on the Wii. But while Tatsunoko is massively popular in Japan, it only has a niche following in the West. So when Marvel vs. Capcom 3 launched earlier this year with its familiar cast of celestial wolves, bionic commandos, thunder gods and less-than-jolly green giants, it stole the show in style. Its rabid tag-team combat and X-Factor system also allowed for many astonishing combos.
  

  
  

  
  

  Round 4 - Fatal Fantasy

  Another classic that made a comeback this year is Mortal Kombat. This brutal fighter was on a slippery slope after switching haphazardly to 3D, but with a series reboot having just been released on the 360 and PS3, Mortal Kombat is back in the realm of 2D gameplay where it belongs. We get the classic Raiden torpedo dive and Liu Kang bicycle kick, as well as a new super gauge that allows for gory X-Ray attacks. But Mortal Kombat's crowning achievement is the variety of content it offers, because even after finishing the seven-hour Story Mode, a Tower of 300 challenges awaits.
  

  If a fully fledged narrative isn't surreal enough, how about a PSP fighting game based on Final Fantasy? Dissidia Final Fantasy is a 3D fighter that brought together the heroes and villains from Final Fantasy I through to Final Fantasy X. This allowed RPG fans to fight battles between Sephiroth and Squall using a unique combat system that centred on HP and Bravery attacks. The recent sequel, Dissidia 012 Duodecim Final Fantasy, included more characters - including Tifa and Yuna from Final Fantasy VII and X - as well as a significantly expanded single-player mode.
  

  
  

  
  

  Round 5 - Fight for the Future

  When you add all these excellent games to the likes of Tekken 6, The King of Fighters XII, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny, it's clear that fighting game fans are being spoilt for choice. But what's next for the genre?
  

  In the coming months we'll see the release of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus on the Wii and PSP (May 6th), the manga-inspired Arcana Heart 3 on the PS3 and 360 (June 24th) and Dead or Alive Dimensions joining Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition on the new Nintendo 3DS (May 20th).
  

  After that, we have the Capcom-developed Street Fighter X Tekken to look forward to next year, as well as the long awaited Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and the Namco Bandai-developed Tekken X Street Fighter. All in all, there's never been a better time to own an arcade stick.
  

• Square Enix wants a new Final Fantasy every one or two years

  Final Fantasy producer Yoshinori Kitase has said that he feels the series took too long to come to the current console generation, and aims to speed up development to enable a new entry in the series every few years.

  'Final Fantasy XIII was obviously the first game [on current consoles], and personally I think we took a little too long getting it out,' he told Game Reactor. 'When you think of Western AAA titles like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Assassin's Creed, they seem to work with a lot shorter turnaround - they make a new game in one to two years. That is something we need to follow up, because that seems to be the best way to keep our fans interested and attracted to the franchise.'

  There wasn't an entry in the main Final Fantasy series for the current consoles until Final Fantasy XIII in 2010.

  Final Fantasy XIII-2 is set to arrive on Xbox 360 and PS3 in the first week of February 2012. It's taken a spritely 18 months to put together, compared to the five years it took to create Final Fantasy XIII.

• The Beat 'Em Up Resurgence

  
  

  

  Round 1 - Storied Reputation

  Fighting games like Tekken and SoulCalibur have enjoyed an unprecedented resurgence over the last two years. But before Mitsurugi's katana skills and Paul Phoenix's extreme hairstyle came into style, old-school gamers were playing The Way of the Exploding Fist and Yie Ar Kung-Fu on their humble ZX Spectrums and Commodore 64s. These early fighters - which were inspired by martial-arts films - then paved the way for the most important fighting game of all time.

  Street Fighter II: The World Warrior kick-started the golden era of fighting games in the early nineties. It achieved this with a cast of eight international fighters and an epic (and allegedly accidental) combo system. Street Fighter then matured into a globally adored series and inspired everything from Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct to Virtua Fighter and Dead or Alive. But when the genre fell into decline in the years following the turn of the millennium, it seemed like the honeymoon period was finally over.

  

  Round 2 - Re-enter the Dragon Punch

  This all changed when Capcom pulled the pin on a grenade labelled Street Fighter IV in 2008 - because not only did the ensuing explosion revive the genre in spectacular style, it made it the strongest it's ever been. SFIV kept all the iconic characters and special moves from Street Fighter II, and by reworking the classic 2D controls with the new Focus and Ultra systems, it offered accessibility and depth in equal measure. But while Street Fighter IV set the benchmark, its 2010 follow-up, Super Street Fighter IV, smoothed out the kinks and offered unrivalled diversity.

  SSFIV could have been a lazy update. Instead it offered ten new faces and a choice of two Ultra Combos. This allowed each fighter to be played in two distinct styles. But Super isn't the end of the story, as it was ported onto Nintendo 3DS as Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, and on June 7th, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition will be released. The inclusion of Yun, Yang, Evil Ryu and Oni will bring the roster up to 39, making Arcade Edition the definitive Street Fighter.

  

  Round 3 - The New (and Old) Challengers

  Street Fighter IV was the game that led the charge, and in its wake, other fighting games followed. A particular highlight was BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger in 2009. This beautiful 2D fighter was the spiritual successor to the intense Guilty Gear series, and much like its eccentric forbearer, BlazBlue was brimming with innovation. It featured a rapid tempo and an ingenuous Drive system which made each fighter unique. Then, when BlazBlue: Continuum Shift tightened up the gameplay in 2010, BlazBlue established itself as the hardcore fighter of choice. An accomplished port of Calamity Trigger is also available for the PSP.

  But the award for “most accessible fighting game” goes to the long running Vs. Series. This Capcom-developed series began in 1996 with X-Men vs. Street Fighter. After a long hiatus, it returned to Europe last year with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars on the Wii. But while Tatsunoko is massively popular in Japan, it only has a niche following in the West. So when Marvel vs. Capcom 3 launched earlier this year with its familiar cast of celestial wolves, bionic commandos, thunder gods and less-than-jolly green giants, it stole the show in style. Its rabid tag-team combat and X-Factor system also allowed for many astonishing combos.

  

  Round 4 - Fatal Fantasy

  Another classic that made a comeback this year is Mortal Kombat. This brutal fighter was on a slippery slope after switching haphazardly to 3D, but with a series reboot having just been released on the 360 and PS3, Mortal Kombat is back in the realm of 2D gameplay where it belongs. We get the classic Raiden torpedo dive and Liu Kang bicycle kick, as well as a new super gauge that allows for gory X-Ray attacks. But Mortal Kombat's crowning achievement is the variety of content it offers, because even after finishing the seven-hour Story Mode, a Tower of 300 challenges awaits.

  If a fully fledged narrative isn't surreal enough, how about a PSP fighting game based on Final Fantasy? Dissidia Final Fantasy is a 3D fighter that brought together the heroes and villains from Final Fantasy I through to Final Fantasy X. This allowed RPG fans to fight battles between Sephiroth and Squall using a unique combat system that centred on HP and Bravery attacks. The recent sequel, Dissidia 012 Duodecim Final Fantasy, included more characters - including Tifa and Yuna from Final Fantasy VII and X - as well as a significantly expanded single-player mode.

  

  Round 5 - Fight for the Future

  When you add all these excellent games to the likes of Tekken 6, The King of Fighters XII, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny, it's clear that fighting game fans are being spoilt for choice. But what's next for the genre?

  In the coming months we'll see the release of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus on the Wii and PSP (May 6th), the manga-inspired Arcana Heart 3 on the PS3 and 360 (June 24th) and Dead or Alive Dimensions joining Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition on the new Nintendo 3DS (May 20th).

  After that, we have the Capcom-developed Street Fighter X Tekken to look forward to next year, as well as the long awaited Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and the Namco Bandai-developed Tekken X Street Fighter. All in all, there's never been a better time to own an arcade stick!

  Published: 01/04/2012

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