If you only have one console the choice is easy, the console you own. However, Crystal Defenders is coming out for three consoles and not every version is equal.
Next week Crystal Defenders R1 comes out for WiiWare in Japan. For 1,000 Wii Points you get the Final Fantasy Tactics themed tower defense game with online rankings via Nintendo Wi-Fi.
Later this spring Square Enix will release plain old Crystal Defenders for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Unlike the WiiWare version the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version is an upgraded port of the iPhone Crystal Defenders game which contains 300+ stages spread out over three scenarios from the Japan-only mobile phone game Crystal Guardians: W1, W2, and W3.
Crystal Defenders R1 also has less “characters” or towers than Crystal Defenders. Only the soldier, black mage, white monk, archer, time mage, thief, and dragoon towers are in Crystal Defenders R1. Square Enix’s announcement also mentions this game is designed for first time players to learn how to use the the basic towers.
Towers like the fencer, berserker, hunter, and tinker are in Crystal Defenders and will not be in Crystal Defenders R1. Crystal Defenders R1 is not a direct port of Crystal Guardians W1 (the original mobile phone release), though, since the dragoon class was introduced Crystal Guardians W2. One thing is clear about Crystal Defenders on WiiWare it will have less content than the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network releases. Square Enix will probably sell extra episodes in the future. They didn’t add the “R1” without reason.
Now for a graphical comparison. Here’s what Crystal Defenders looks like on the Xbox 360…
… and here is Crystal Defenders R1 on WiiWare.
Square Enix has not announced the console version of Crystal Defenders for any other region, but we’re sure it’s coming. After all the Xbox 360 version was just rated by the USK in Germany.
Images courtesy of Square Enix.
