Preview: Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster

Whoa, okay, so here’s a bit of a rollercoaster ride about this new thing coming out on the Switch 2—Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster. First off, let’s admit this: I’m stoked. I’ve heard tales of how awesome the original was on the 3DS back in, like, 2012 (I think?), and now it’s getting all fancy in HD. Pretty slick move for a launch day surprise, Nintendo.

So, this game—it’s like, a legendary JRPG with this wild “Brave/Default” mechanic. Quick rundown: you’re battling monsters, right, and you can choose to “Default”—hold off on attacking to save moves for later—or “Brave”—go all out, unleashing a tidal wave of damage. Crazy stuff, really changes how you strategize in battle. And yeah, the folks at Square Enix used this in some of their other big hits like Octopath Traveler.

Now, I haven’t played the first Bravely Default, only the sequel and Octopath Traveler II (in case you care). Heard this one’s a massive adventure—like, hours and hours of epic SNES-era nostalgia tangled with some modern twists. Plus, it’s easy on the wallet at $40. Nice, right? Especially when everyone else is throwing $70 price tags on their new games.

Flash forward—PAX East 2025. Yup, got my hands all over it. So I grabbed some Joy-Con 2s, had a blast with the RPG bits, and checked out these weird new minigames with a mouse setup. Strange experience, honestly. Oh, and this was all on a dev kit, so you know, might not be the exact same when it goes retail, but hey, those joysticks felt pretty smooth.

In my ten-minute whirlwind through the game—hopping through random encounters in this cave—it looked sharp. You could see its 3DS roots, like an old favorite sweater that’s been spruced up. Crisp visuals, seemed like a solid 60fps, or maybe I just have bad eyes. Anyway, those original hand-drawn backgrounds? They shine in HD.

Speaking of quirks, they threw in these minigames: Luxencheer Rhythm Catch and Ringabel’s Panic Cruise. So Nintendo with their mouse controls. Luxencheer’s all rhythm-y, moving left and right Joy-Con 2s like pom-poms. I was more into Ringabel—as chaotic as it sounds. You’re flying an airship, juggling all these controls in first-person. Silly, overwhelming, potential party game madness.

They aren’t the main attraction but cute bonuses, I guess? Oh, and let’s not forget they revamped the StreetPass mode, added some handy quality-of-life upgrades, and boom—single-screen UI.

So, mark June 5 on your calendar if you’re into this kind of epic saga. Square Enix pulled out the stops for the HD version of a beloved 3DS classic. I chatted with a spokesperson who hinted there might be more surprises. Fingers crossed! Anyway, it all looks pretty promising. Here’s hoping it’s as epic as everyone says!