Game Information
Character Cameos in Itadaki Street Special and Itadaki Street Portable

1. Itadaki Street Special
2. Itadaki Street Portable

---

Itadaki Street Special

The PlayStation 2 title Itadaki Street Special (official site, Flash required) was released in Japan on Dec. 22, 2004 for the retail price of ¥6,800. The latest in Enix's long-running Itadaki Street series, this entry is unique in that it features characters from both the Dragon Quest (aka Dragon Warrior) and Final Fantasy franchises. In fact, the game's full title is: Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Special.

Itadaki Street plays similar to the board game Monopoly, in that players have to collect cash and property, though the cartoony look lends itself to the "party game" genre. The series has its origins in the Dragon Quest franchise, and is quite popular in Japan, though none of the games have ever been released in the West. Of course, since Itadaki Street Special features Japan's two biggest console RPG franchises, it's sure to be a major hit.

Among the characters appearing in Itadaki Street Special are Cloud Strife, Sephiroth, Aeris Gainsborough, and Tifa Lockheart of Final Fantasy VII. Not only that, but there are also game boards based on FFVII locales, including Midgar and the Gold Saucer. In addition to these elements, characters and/or locations from DQIV, DQV, FFVIII, and FFX-2 also make appearances. And of course, Square's mascot Chocobo and Enix's Slime are present, together in the same game for the first time.

It is unknown at this time if this game will be released internationally. Neither of Square's Final Fantasy-inspired "board game" titles—Dice de Chocobo and Chocobo Land—ever made it out of Japan, but then again, 2004 is FFVII's big comeback year. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see...

Postscript: Here are some cute character designs of Tifa, Sephiroth, Cloud, and Aeris, as they appear in Itadaki Street Special:


And here's some more official character illustrations:

Cloud
Tifa w/Dragon Quest IV characters
Aeris with Rinoa (FFVIII)
Tifa w/Dragon Quest IV characters and a Cactuar

---

Itadaki Street Portable

In May 2006, Square Enix released a PSP version of Itadaki Street Special titled Itadaki Street Portable. This game, which also features several elements from Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, differs from its predecessor in the types of boards and characters offered to players. As far as FFVII cameos go, Yuffie makes an appearance, and Cloud, Aeris, Tifa, and Sephiroth all return. And like the original Itadaki Street Special, this game is (as far as we know) not being released in North America or Europe.

Below are two official wallpapers for Itadaki Street Portable that include FFVII characters. The first one has artwork of Yuffie, Tifa, and Aeris, while the second features Marcello (from Dragon Quest VIII) and Sephiroth.

Yuffie, Tifa, and Aeris - 800x600 | 1024x768 | 1280x1024
Marcello and Sephiroth - 800x600 | 1024x768 | 1280x1024

---

Written by Reeve, September 2004 (special thanks to Mum). Last updated July 2006.