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Final Fantasy event lets riders unlock goodies and battle bosses on Tokyo’s Yamanote Line【Pics】

Koh Ruide Nov 20, 2017
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Unique wallpapers and boss fights are waiting to be discovered by brave heroes wielding smartphones

Whenever Final Fantasy teams up with a company in an epic collaboration, you know it’s going to be good. A few months ago, they even went all out with a skyscraper-sized building-projection that blew our minds.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of both East Japan Railway Company and the Final Fantasy franchise (both founded in 1987), the two companies have collaborated to hold an event called the Final Fantasy Yamanote Line (FFYL). Running until 27 December, anyone with a mobile phone can participate.

▼ A pamphlet of the event can be
found at all Yamanote Line stations.

Posters featuring bosses or characters in various Final Fantasy games are displayed in each of the 29 stations on the Yamanote Line, and participants can whip out their phones to scan the QR code located on them.

The codes direct to websites where the character’s corresponding wallpaper is unlocked. It also has a bit of background information, accompanied by music that’s sure to hit some nostalgic notes. For completionists out there, filling up the entire collection will earn you a special original FFYL wallpaper.

▼ Terra Branford from Final Fantasy VI
is ready to grace your smartphone screen.

Final Fantasy wouldn’t be the hit series it is today without boss fights, and FFYL brings its own too, with a twist. Aside from the 29 stations, another 15 designated locations around the JR line will have special “boss posters” that pit your unlocked characters against them.

Rest assured you won’t be alone in this endeavor, as taking down these bosses requires concerted efforts from scores of brave adventurers in the form of tweet attacks. All a player has to do is tweet their attacks on Twitter for them to register, and the combined number of tweets from other players will be tallied and damage thus registered on the boss.

Victory is assured once a certain amount of tweets is reached, which unlocks an original FFYL wallpaper of the boss for all existing and future participants — great for people who missed some of the heated battles.

▼ Pick your choice of attack and tweet it to fellow adventurers.

We at SoraNews24 took the liberty to visit some of the stations, paying tribute to the characters that help shape the game we’ve all come to love.

▼ We teared up a little when we saw a sign welcoming all FFYL adventurers:
“How about traveling on the Yamanote Line with smartphone in hand
and once again meeting the pixel heroes you’ve met so long ago?”

Train stations in Japan can be really huge, and locating a poster among the sea of advertisements was a quest in itself. Help was never far from reach though, as signs made sure we stayed on the right path. Some stations even announced hints of where the posters were through the PA system.

▼ The red arrow proved to be a stalwart ally during trying times.

▼ Fiery Ifrit guarded Ikebukuro Station.

▼ Ice queen Shiva struck a cool pose at Mejiro Station.

▼ Ramuh sparked a frenzy at Takadanobaba Station.

▼ Odin cut down all those who dare stood in his way at Shin-Okubo Station.

▼ Pure evil emanated from the Cloud of Darkness at Ueno Station.

▼ An impressive Bahamut unfurled its wings at Suica Penguin Park.

▼ 1st Class SOLDIER Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII
was spotted at Gotanda Station.

▼ Squall Leonhart and his trademark gunblade from Final Fantasy VIII
watched over Osaki Station.

▼ Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII prepared to face off
against unworldly foes over at Yurakucho Station.

▼ Y’shtola of Final Fantasy XIV kept Tokyo Station safe
from the hands of evil with her conjuring arts.

▼ Crown Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum of Final Fantasy XV
graced us with his royal presence at Kanda Station.

Fans of the Final Fantasy series will want to visit all the individual stations on the JR line, a pilgrimage that would take approximately two to three hours if you include time spent hunting down the elusive posters. Cecil, Kefka, Exdeath and many other famous characters are just waiting to be discovered by fearless adventures, rewarding them with a priceless trip down memory lane.

The event lasts until 27 December, but all is not lost as the unveiling of the Final Fantasy virtual reality roller coaster will be just around the corner then.

Source, top image: Final Fantasy YL via PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, SoraNews24