February 8th, 2003

Karaoke Yuna

We have recently been treated to several nice videos from both the Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix (covered by Lagunathemoron in his last article) and the newest in the form of what has been loosely dubbed as Yuna's J-Pop debut. The three-and-a-half minute long trailer introduces us to the newest addition to the Final Fantasy theme songs; Real Emotion, which is a popish song by Japanese artist Koda Kumi. As for the video itself, we are now blessed with scenes from a new FMV that shows Yuna singing and dancing in the Spiran equivalent of a disco while Paine and Rikku - subtle as always - are engaged in a fight against several burly patrons. The whole sequence seems quite surreal at first, but it's quite easy to adjust to once you've seen the whole thing.

The rest of the video shows us more new character and costume footage, including Rikku dancing, more of the mysterious Nooj and some of Spira's inhabitants, including the irrepressible Summoner Donna from FFX. In terms of costumes, we get to see more of Yuna's White Mage outfit, Rikku transforming into what I can only guess is her Dancer job, all three women as Gunners and Paine in Black Mage attire. Overall, the first half of the trailer is packed full of the goodies that all the rabid fans want, while the second is going over old territory somewhat with existing scenes of the strange Aeon (over which a debate is now raging in the X-2 forum).

However, for many people, the jewel of the video comes in the last fourty seconds or so when we are exposed to more of the Tidus/Yuna scene shown in the Final Mix trailer. This time, however, things are looking worse for the young lovers, and the video annoyingly cuts out just as the most nail-biting moment in the scene. It makes you want more…it really does…

Jobs:

New jobs revealed since the last article are:-

-Dark Knight: Heavy-looking armour and a broadsword
-Gambler: Light clothing (the most revealing so far in some cases) and Dice for weapons. It appears to work in the same way as Cait Sith's Dice Limit Break from Final Fantasy VII

Characters:

In the FM trailer, we were shown brief clips of Nooj (who many people referred to as 'Nuuji' until the correct translation came out). It was correctly assumed that he was the leader of one of Spira's two main factions; the Young Person's Alliance or New Yevon, and now it has been confirmed that he does indeed lead the YPA. During the battle with Sin two years previously, he lost both his left arm and leg, and is now equipped with mechanical replacements and supported by a walking stick to help him around. From what little information there is about him, it is clear that both he and Paine have met in the past, but how deep their relationship has gone is still unrevealed. Depending on your choices in the game, you may see more or less of Nooj as the storyline progresses.

Merchandise:

Karaoke Yuna

There have been bits and pieces of scattered news about FFX-2 merchandise for the last few months, but it recent weeks we've literally been swamped in it. To date, the following has been confirmed:

-Yuna, Rikku and Paine memory cards, which will cost ¥3,200
-FFX-2 vertical stand for the Playstation 2 at ¥2980. According to information, the FFX-2 logo lights up when the console is active.
-Yuna action figure: Gunner (and I will assume there are also Paine and Rikku varieties, if not more). There isn't a price for these yet that I know of.

However, the oddest piece of new equipment has to be the new controller for your PS2. Shaped like Yuna's trusty pair of handguns and named 'Yuna's Tiny Bee gun controller', these two controllers will allow you to control the game in a unique way. The left gun apparently has all the controls associated with the left-hand side of your normal Dual Shock 2 controller, while the right has all your standard buttons. The most innovative feature is that pulling both triggers will allow Yuna to fire her own guns in-game, meaning you are literally shooting the Fiends yourself.

The Tiny Bee will retail at about ¥12,800

Another thing Squaresoft seem to do with the release of each FF game in Japan is offer a special collectors item if you pre-order the game, and this release is no different. If you pre-order FFX-2, you will receive a cute little Yuna strap for your dedication.

Release Dates:

With X-2 coming out in Japan within the next two months no still no confirmation news for North America or Europe, I'm certainly twitching. The game will be released on March 13th 2003 in Japan, while the 55-track Official Soundtrack will go on sale on March 31st and contain two vocal themes.

To hear a preview of the first theme; Real Emotion, visit this thread to hear a rip and slight remix.

Screenshots courtesy of The Magic Box and FFX-2
Article by Pulsar for Final Fantasy: Worlds Apart.
Thanks to alhana for providing some information