<s>
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2008	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
co-developed	O
by	O
Square	O
Enix	O
and	O
Think	O
Garage	O
,	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Square	O
Enix	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
expanded	O
port	O
for	O
mobile	O
devices	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2010	O
under	O
the	O
title	O
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
Coda	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
storyline	O
follows	O
Sigma	B-Application
Kurogami	O
,	O
a	O
member	O
of	O
a	O
magical	O
family	O
based	O
in	O
Tokyo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Production	O
began	O
following	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Dirge	B-Application
of	I-Application
Cerberus	I-Application
:	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
in	O
2006	O
;	O
that	O
game	O
's	O
writer	O
Hiroki	O
Chiba	O
acted	O
as	O
both	O
director	O
and	O
writer	O
for	O
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
used	O
tools	O
supplied	O
by	O
CRI	O
Middleware	B-General_Concept
to	O
both	O
fit	O
all	O
their	O
planned	O
content	O
on	O
the	O
DS	B-Device
cartridge	O
and	O
incorporate	O
Hamauzu	O
's	O
music	O
with	O
minimal	O
reduction	O
in	O
quality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
take	O
on	O
the	O
roles	O
of	O
Sigma	B-Application
Kurogami	O
and	O
Neon	O
Tsukiyumi	O
,	O
who	O
go	O
on	O
an	O
adventure	O
requiring	O
them	O
to	O
travel	O
through	O
time	O
using	O
an	O
artifact	O
called	O
the	O
Great	O
Clock	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
,	O
split	O
into	O
several	O
chapters	O
,	O
is	O
played	O
using	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
's	O
book	O
orientation	O
;	O
the	O
top	O
screen	O
displays	O
illustration-style	O
cutscenes	O
and	O
battle	O
sequences	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
touch	O
screen	O
is	O
used	O
for	O
issuing	O
commands	O
and	O
completing	O
other	O
gameplay	O
segments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
room	O
of	O
the	O
Great	O
Clock	O
,	O
Sigma	B-Application
can	O
initiate	O
his	O
Time	O
Spin	O
power	O
,	O
going	O
both	O
between	O
timelines	O
and	O
to	O
different	O
points	O
within	O
a	O
timeline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
exploration	O
and	O
its	O
associated	O
adventure	O
segments	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
controls	O
Sigma	B-Application
as	O
he	O
explores	O
Kurogami	O
Mansion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
black	O
monuments	O
in	O
the	O
environment	O
,	O
Sigma	B-Application
can	O
relive	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
crime	O
within	O
that	O
area	O
,	O
discovering	O
events	O
and	O
unlocking	O
clues	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sigma	B-Application
can	O
also	O
stand	O
in	O
environments	O
and	O
scan	O
for	O
additional	O
information	O
,	O
which	O
take	O
the	O
forms	O
of	O
medals	O
representing	O
a	O
clue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
enough	O
clues	O
are	O
assembled	O
,	O
Sigma	B-Application
can	O
trigger	O
the	O
Superdeduction	O
system	O
,	O
his	O
mental	O
image	O
of	O
the	O
case	O
represented	O
with	O
a	O
grid	O
containing	O
black	O
nodes	O
symbolizing	O
key	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
mystery	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
clue	O
medals	O
must	O
be	O
arranged	O
around	O
the	O
black	O
nodes	O
,	O
unlocking	O
a	O
perceived	O
sequence	O
of	O
events	O
and	O
allowing	O
Sigma	B-Application
to	O
reach	O
a	O
solution	O
to	O
the	O
mystery	O
using	O
an	O
inference	O
to	O
fill	O
in	O
blanks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Depending	O
on	O
the	O
strength	O
and	O
logic	O
of	O
Sigma	B-Application
's	O
solution	O
,	O
the	O
final	O
boss	O
of	O
a	O
chapter	O
can	O
be	O
weaker	O
(	O
sound	O
reasoning	O
)	O
or	O
stronger	O
(	O
poor	O
reasoning	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
these	O
battles	O
,	O
Neon	O
takes	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
fighter	O
directed	O
by	O
Sigma	B-Application
(	O
the	O
player	O
)	O
,	O
fighting	O
surrounding	O
groups	O
of	O
demon	O
enemies	O
with	O
abilities	O
represented	O
using	O
a	O
selection	O
of	O
three	O
cards	O
,	O
each	O
with	O
a	O
dedicated	O
action	O
and	O
cardinal	O
direction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
an	O
alternate	O
version	O
of	O
Tokyo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
protagonists	O
are	O
Sigma	B-Application
Kurogami	O
and	O
Neon	O
Tsukiyumi	O
,	O
high	O
school	O
students	O
,	O
childhood	O
friends	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
heirs	O
to	O
two	O
Servant	O
families	O
;	O
Sigma	B-Application
has	O
the	O
power	O
to	O
traverse	O
time	O
and	O
influence	O
reality	O
through	O
song	O
,	O
while	O
Neon	O
can	O
fight	O
demons	O
through	O
divine	O
possession	O
and	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
magical	O
cards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
key	O
characters	O
include	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
Kurogami	O
family	O
,	O
who	O
appear	O
as	O
either	O
victims	O
or	O
suspects	O
across	O
the	O
various	O
timelines	O
;	O
Dixon	O
and	O
Christie	O
,	O
a	O
pair	O
of	O
demons	O
released	O
from	O
the	O
Great	O
Clock	O
who	O
act	O
as	O
major	O
antagonists	O
;	O
Rin	O
Yukiha	O
,	O
a	O
detective	O
who	O
appears	O
across	O
timelines	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
Man	O
in	O
Black	O
,	O
a	O
figure	O
who	O
repeatedly	O
appears	O
before	O
Sigma	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sigma	B-Application
is	O
accosted	O
one	O
day	O
by	O
the	O
mysterious	O
Man	O
in	O
Black	O
,	O
and	O
upon	O
returning	O
home	O
finds	O
the	O
world	O
changed	O
for	O
the	O
worse	O
and	O
no-one	O
recognising	O
him	O
except	O
for	O
Neon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
his	O
power	O
and	O
the	O
Great	O
Clock	O
,	O
Sigma	B-Application
travels	O
with	O
Neon	O
into	O
the	O
past	O
,	O
solving	O
the	O
murder	O
of	O
a	O
household	O
member	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
also	O
being	O
investigated	O
by	O
different	O
versions	O
of	O
Rin	O
Yukiha	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
close	O
of	O
the	O
fifth	O
mystery	O
,	O
Sigma	B-Application
defeats	O
and	O
returns	O
Dixon	O
and	O
Christie	O
to	O
the	O
Great	O
Clock	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
Neon	O
vanishes	O
from	O
existence	O
,	O
with	O
only	O
Sigma	B-Application
remembering	O
her	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sigma	B-Application
finds	O
out	O
that	O
the	O
truth	O
antagonist	O
is	O
Rin	O
Yukiha	O
,	O
who	O
doubled	O
as	O
the	O
Man	O
in	O
Black	O
;	O
his	O
true	O
identity	O
is	O
Rin	O
Housui	O
,	O
the	O
reincarnation	O
of	O
a	O
half-demon	O
created	O
by	O
the	O
family	O
who	O
unwittingly	O
unleashed	O
demons	O
into	O
the	O
world	O
and	O
suffered	O
retribution	O
from	O
the	O
Kurogami	O
clan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Housui	O
reveals	O
and	O
he	O
and	O
Sigma	B-Application
are	O
Tuners	O
,	O
beings	O
created	O
by	O
either	O
the	O
gods	O
or	O
demons	O
to	O
manipulate	O
history	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
Sigma	B-Application
is	O
the	O
product	O
of	O
an	O
alternate	O
timeline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Neon	O
was	O
also	O
a	O
Tuner	O
created	O
to	O
help	O
correct	O
events	O
,	O
and	O
Sigma	B-Application
's	O
success	O
meant	O
she	O
was	O
no	O
longer	O
needed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Through	O
the	O
demons	O
released	O
from	O
the	O
Great	O
Clock	O
,	O
Housui	O
has	O
been	O
manipulating	O
Sigma	B-Application
into	O
creating	O
a	O
timeline	O
where	O
demonic	O
forces	O
are	O
victorious	O
and	O
the	O
Kurogami	O
line	O
is	O
extinct	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
was	O
co-developed	O
by	O
Square	O
Enix	O
and	O
Think	O
Garage	O
;	O
the	O
Square	O
Enix	O
staff	O
members	O
had	O
previously	O
worked	O
on	O
Dirge	B-Application
of	I-Application
Cerberus	I-Application
:	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
while	O
Think	O
Garage	O
had	O
worked	O
with	O
Square	O
Enix	O
on	O
Dragon	B-Application
Quest	I-Application
&	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
in	I-Application
Itadaki	I-Application
Street	I-Application
Portable	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
Chiba	O
's	O
second	O
project	O
as	O
a	O
director	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
being	O
Dynami	O
Tracer	O
for	O
the	O
Satellaview	B-Device
in	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Production	O
took	O
roughly	O
two	O
years	O
,	O
said	O
to	O
be	O
long	O
for	O
a	O
DS	B-Device
title	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
a	O
fairly	O
small	O
staff	O
number	O
and	O
budget	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
conceived	O
by	O
Chiba	O
while	O
the	O
team	O
were	O
still	O
providing	O
online	O
support	O
for	O
Dirge	B-Application
of	I-Application
Cerberus	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Referencing	O
his	O
inspiration	O
,	O
Chiba	O
left	O
homages	O
to	O
classic	O
detective	O
story	O
writers	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
explicitly	O
naming	O
antagonists	O
Dixon	O
and	O
Christie	O
respectively	O
after	O
John	O
Dickson	O
Carr	O
and	O
Agatha	B-Application
Christie	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
notable	O
element	O
for	O
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
considering	O
its	O
platform	O
was	O
the	O
extensive	O
use	O
of	O
voice	O
acting	O
for	O
its	O
cast	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cast	O
included	O
Daisuke	O
Ono	O
(	O
Sigma	B-Application
)	O
,	O
Aya	O
Hirano	O
(	O
Neon	O
)	O
,	O
Tetsu	O
Inada	O
(	O
Dixon	O
)	O
,	O
Mamiko	O
Noto	O
(	O
Christie	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Jun	O
Fukuyama	O
(	O
Rin	O
Yukiha	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kitase	O
encouraged	O
the	O
choice	O
of	O
DS	B-Device
for	O
development	O
to	O
properly	O
express	O
the	O
gameplay	O
and	O
narrative	O
concepts	O
proposed	O
by	O
Chiba	O
,	O
while	O
also	O
contrasting	O
with	O
Kitase	O
's	O
previous	O
work	O
for	O
home	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
overcome	O
these	O
space	O
problems	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
licensed	O
two	O
middleware	B-General_Concept
tools	O
from	O
CRI	O
Middleware	B-General_Concept
called	O
Savior	O
and	O
File	O
Magic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sound	O
designer	O
was	O
Kazuhiro	O
Hosoe	O
,	O
a	O
company	O
veteran	O
who	O
had	O
worked	O
on	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XII	I-Application
and	O
the	O
Mana	B-Application
series	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
battle	O
system	O
was	O
compared	O
by	O
Kitase	O
to	O
the	O
style	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Having	O
previously	O
worked	O
in	O
a	O
supporting	O
role	O
on	O
Dirge	B-Application
of	I-Application
Cerberus	I-Application
and	O
Crisis	B-Application
Core	I-Application
:	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
was	O
his	O
first	O
job	O
as	O
lead	O
artist	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sigma	B-Application
was	O
designed	O
to	O
contrast	O
against	O
other	O
Square	O
Enix	O
protagonists	O
,	O
combining	O
adult-style	O
smartness	O
with	O
a	O
casual	O
appearance	O
more	O
associated	O
with	O
youth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nakaaki	O
designed	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
logo	O
,	O
incorporating	O
the	O
Greek	O
letter	O
"	O
Σ	B-Application
"	O
as	O
a	O
reference	O
to	O
the	O
main	O
protagonist	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
music	O
of	O
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Masashi	O
Hamauzu	O
,	O
who	O
worked	O
on	O
Dirge	B-Application
of	I-Application
Cerberus	I-Application
,	O
entries	O
in	O
the	O
SaGa	B-Operating_System
series	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
then	O
working	O
on	O
the	O
music	O
for	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIII	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hamauzu	O
co-produced	O
and	O
co-arranged	O
the	O
score	O
with	O
Mitsuto	O
Suzuki	O
;	O
Suzuki	O
was	O
a	O
new	O
arrival	O
at	O
the	O
company	O
,	O
and	O
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
was	O
his	O
first	O
major	O
role	O
in	O
game	O
music	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hamauzu	O
's	O
work	O
on	O
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
overlapped	O
with	O
that	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIII	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
problem	O
with	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
maintaining	O
CD-quality	O
sound	O
within	O
the	O
DS	B-Device
's	O
limited	O
ROM	O
,	O
as	O
Hamauzu	O
did	O
not	O
create	O
MIDI	O
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
in	O
March	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
appeared	O
alongside	O
a	O
playable	O
version	O
of	O
Dissidia	B-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
,	O
and	O
trailers	O
for	O
The	B-Application
3rd	I-Application
Birthday	I-Application
and	O
multiple	O
products	O
within	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
and	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
franchises	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
title	O
was	O
ported	O
to	O
mobile	O
phones	O
under	O
the	O
title	O
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
Coda	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
remains	O
unreleased	O
outside	O
Japan	O
,	O
a	O
fact	O
attributed	O
to	O
its	O
heavy	O
use	O
of	O
Japanese	O
pop	O
culture	O
references	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jeremy	O
Parish	O
,	O
writing	O
for	O
1Up.com,	O
positively	O
compared	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
The	B-Application
World	I-Application
Ends	I-Application
with	I-Application
You	I-Application
and	O
said	O
that	O
its	O
blending	O
of	O
genres	O
gave	O
Sigma	B-Application
Harmonics	I-Application
"	O
a	O
distinctly	O
unique	O
feel	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
feature	O
focused	O
on	O
Japanese	O
games	O
,	O
Nick	O
Des	O
Barres	O
of	O
North	O
American	O
magazine	O
Play	O
positively	O
compared	O
the	O
title	O
to	O
more	O
experimental	O
games	O
from	O
the	O
PlayStation	O
era	O
such	O
as	O
Einhänder	B-Application
and	O
Vagrant	B-Application
Story	I-Application
,	O
giving	O
praise	O
to	O
its	O
setting	O
and	O
gameplay	O
mechanics	O
and	O
noting	O
the	O
originality	O
of	O
its	O
deduction	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Michael	O
Baker	O
of	O
RPGamer	O
gave	O
praise	O
to	O
the	O
premise	O
,	O
soundtrack	O
and	O
battle	O
system	O
;	O
his	O
main	O
faults	O
were	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
diversity	O
in	O
locations	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
non-standard	O
presentation	O
using	O
the	O
DS	B-Device
's	O
book	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
