The latest issue of Japanese manga magazine Shonen Jump has a reveal by games developer Square Enix who announced a new action-RPG titled Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time for the Wii and Nintendo DS! The game will be released in Japan on January 29th, 2009. This news comes after this year’s release of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fate for the DS, but before the Wii follow-up Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers has even been given a release date. Like Echoes of Time, both of those previously announced action-RPG’s are also sequels to 2003’s Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles on the GameCube.
Echoes of Time will feature a Wii / DS connection that allows you to play the game with up to four players (using four different character classes) on the DS and Wii at the same time (both locally and online!) thanks to a Pollux Engine created by Square Enix. As you might expect, the two versions will have different gameplay, namely using the DS stylus or Wii Remote.
The story is said to revolve around nearly-16-year-old Charlotta, who goes out of her village for the first time, only to encounter a massive tower and a mysterious crystal. Not much else is known at this point, but a fun tidbit is that you can transfer your Mii characters’ faces you made on the Wii to the DS version.