Latest news with #FinalFantasyIX
SoraNews24
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Real-world, real-big Final Fantasy Black Mage hat on sale for fans of magical fashion and Vivi
Square Enix brings the hat of Final Fantasy IX's fan favorite sorcerer to our reality. It can be tricky to explain to non-fans how there are 16 games in the mainline Final Fantasy series, spanning 36 years, and yet none of them are direct sequels to another. But while the stories and settings of those mainline numbered installments are all independent of one another, the shared themes, gameplay systems, musical cues, and visual motifs tie the series' installments to one another. For example, a recurring character class in Final Fantasy is the Black Mage, who, starting from the original Final Fantasy in 1987, can be identified by a tall, wide-brimmed hat that obscures the wearer's face while marking them as a user of offense-oriented magic. It's one of the most distinctive costume designs in the entire RPG genre, and now it's something you can make part of your wardrobe in the real world too. While the Black Mage hat makes multiple appearances across the Square Enix franchise, dedicated Final Fantasy fans are likely getting an extra-strong hit of nostalgia here. The hat's design is modeled specifically after the one worn by Vivi, the shy, purehearted Black Mage with a tragic backstory from Final Fantasy IX, currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of its release for the original PlayStation and often cited by Final Fantasy original creator Hironobu Sakaguchi as his favorite game in the series. Bitmapped graphics were still the norm in video games when the first Final Fantasy came out, and so the Black Mage hat wasn't originally designed with much concern over how the headwear would fit in three-dimensional spaces. That's something you'll need to take into consideration with the real-world Vivi's hat, however, which is listed as having a height of 72 centimeters (28.3 inches) and a brim width of 14 centimeters extending from the central cone, so you might want to be careful if your quest for the day is taking you somewhere with low ceilings or doorways. Vivi's Black Mage Hat is available for preorder now through the Square Enix e-store here, priced at 17,600 yen (US$121) with shipping scheduled for mid-August, which suggests it should be in fans' hands/on fans' heads by Halloween. Source: Square Enix e-store via Hachima Kiko Top image: Square Enix e-store ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Final Fantasy IX Remake Rumors Intensify Amid Anniversary Hype
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy IX and Square Enix has announced some celebration plans for the PS1-era RPG. The publisher said it's 'preparing various projects,' including new figures of the main heroes that slightly alter their appearance. It's enough to have long-time fans once again believing the perrenially rumored Final Fantasy IX remake is real. 'Zidane and Garnet from 'Final Fantasy IX' are now available in FORM-ISM!' the company announced today alongside a new soundtrack vinyl and other merch. 'To commemorate the 25th anniversary, they have been recreated in a three-dimensional form with a reinterpretation of the texture of their costumes.' Three-dimensional form? Reinterpretation of the texture of their costumes? Is this how both characters might look in an upcoming remake? That's one theory among fans, thanks to ongoing speculation about the possible existence of such a remake that dates back to its appearance in the infamous 2021 Nvidia leak, the one that kept proving to be legit again and again. Rumors that the game would soon be arriving on modern platforms in some new shape or form were reaffirmed when Final Fantasy IX appeared in an Epic Games Store backend leak just last June. And Giant Bomb's Jeff Grubb has repeatedly said the game is real, but will be closer to a Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core remake than a full-blown overhaul. Final Fantasy IX has a special place in many fans' hearts for several reasons. It's an incredible game for one. It was also the last entry on PS1, and the last before the series moved to a full 3D look and voice acting on the PS2. Most importantly, it was the last produced by creator Hironobu Sakaguchi before he left Square, and harkens back to the franchise's more traditional, medieval roots. Also it features an adorable black mage named Vivi. In the past, Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida has been coy about the rumors. 'Of course, I do know there are requests for Final Fantasy IX to be made, but when you think about Final Fantasy IX, it's a game with huge volume,' he said last fall, appearing to pour cold water on the rumors. 'When you think about all of that volume, I wonder if it's possible to remake that as a single title. It's a difficult one. It is a tough question.' July 7 will be exactly 25 years since the game shipped and Square Enix hints that fans should expect to hear more announcements leading up to it. Maybe a sneak peek of the game itself at an upcoming PlayStation or Summer Game Fest showcase will be one of them. I hope the game arrives alongside a revised strategy guide. .For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
