It was many moons ago that Square Enix announced Final Fanatasy III, previously unreleased outside of Japan, would get the DS treatment.  They never elaborated on what, exactly, the port would contain--until now.  It's going to be more like a full-blown remake, as FFIII is being re-created from the ground up in 3D exclusively for the Nintendo DS.  To keep the game true to its roots, Square Enix is bringing in some of the original creators of the title to help supervise the project.

Confirming industry suspicions that have been raised on account of the "Final Fantasy Port Project," Square Enix revealed that, following the release of FFIV for the GBA, installments V and VI would receive the same treatment.  Both games will feature added content like IV and will be available for the GBA sometime in the not-too-distant future.

[Source: IGN] ...

Square Enix has recently put up a snazzy new site for the Japanese version of Final Fantasy IV for the Gameboy Advance which can be accessed here.  As of now there's little more than a pretty "Coming Soon" page, but it's likely a full site will be up in the near future.

Also, those who've recently purchased the tiny new Game Boy Micro are in for a treat: Square Enix will be releasing a FFIV faceplate with original Amano Artwork, which can be seen here.

Final Fantasy IV for the Gameboy Advance will be available December 12th in North America.  Further release dates are yet to be determined.

[Sources: RPGamer and IGN] ...

Enix's Dragon Warrior series, a venerable giant in Japan, has never caught on with a large portion of gamers in the United States and the rest of the world.  But this time around, with Dragon Warrior: Journey of the Cursed King, Square Enix has an ace hidden up its sleeve; the game will be shipping with a playable demo of FFXII, the latest entry in the Final Fantany series, which, as most gamers know, is extremely popular in the United States.

The release date in the United States is set for November 22, the day Microsoft's Xbox 360 launches.  Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that Halo 3 would be launched on the day of the Playstation 3's release, and it looks like Sony is responding in kind.

On the much quieter GameBoy Advance front, Square Enix and Nintendo are collaborating to re-release Final Fantasy IV on the portable console.  The game will feature some improvements that are sure to please gamers, such as improved graphics and character portraits to accompany the dialogue.  Square Enix and Nintendo also hope to continue the "Final Fantasy Series Port Project," but only time will tell.  But ...

The classic Final Fantasy IV, known as Final Fantasy II when originally released  in the United States, is soon going to be re-released for the Game Boy Advance and published by Nintendo.  This newest version of the classic entry in the series is sure to please many fans, as it will include new content on top of the entire original game.

Final Fantasy IV on the GBA is set for a December 12th release, according to Nintendo of America.

Square has also divulged some more information about its most anticipated title--Final Fantasy XII's battle system has, at long last, been detailed more thoroughly.  Gamers familiar with the world of Ivalice will know it features a wide range of species, including humans, viera, moogles, and the lizard-like bangaa.  In FFXII, a "Chain" system will be in place, rewarding players for defeating multiple creatures of the same race in succession.  When used effectively, this promises to grant players more valuable items as they defeat more and more enemies.

Combo attacks will also be featured in the battle system, but they will appear at random, and the likelyhood of such an attack taking ...

While many fans were saddened by the delayed release of Advent Children outside of Japan, Square Enix has released some encouraging news. The English voice acting, though not quite complete, is close to being so. Only a few character remain to be voiced. Even better, the Japanese version is finished. Those lucky enough to live in Japan have just over two weeks to wait before they're able to witness the long in-production CG feature film.

In a related progression, project head Tetsuya Nomura has chosen the image song, or main theme, for Advent Children. The track, "CALLING," by Kyosuke Himuro, is from a 1989 album entitled Neo Fascio. Nomura thought the song fit the movie's view of the world.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children will be available in Japan on September 13th and will be followed by an international release sometime in the fourth quarter.

[Sources: Advent Children.net and Final Fantasy Extreme] ...

Square Enix has divulged a few more details about Final Fantasy XII's atypical battle system. The random battles gamers have become accustomed to are indeed gone, replaced by a system quite similar to that of Final Fantasy XI--you can see the enemies on screen ahead of time and battle them in the environment. This means that battles could take place against a singe enemy or against an entire group. For screenshots, follow this link.

[Source: Gaming Horizon] ...

Square Enix will soon be releasing its Final Fantasy X/X-2 Ultimate Box, which will, obviously, contain both entries in the series. The Ultimate Box will also include the video "Eien no Nagi-setsu," previously only seen in the Final Fantasy X International version. This movie is important in fleshing out the events that transpired in the two years between Final Fantasy X and its sequel. A stateside release has yet to be announced, but the box will hit store shelves in Japan on September 8th for 5,600 yen (about $50 US).

[Source: RPGamer] ...

While it was previously thought that Advent Children's DVD release would be held simultaneously in Japan and the United States on September 13th, Square Enix has once again pushed back its full length CG sequel to Final Fantasy VII. No new release date has been set, but a November release during the "Holiday Season" is likely. Stay tuned to EoFF for the latest news about Advent Children and the rest of the Final Fantasy series.


[Source: 1UP] ...

While Microsoft recently asked developers to make their upcoming Xbox 360 titles playable without the optional 20 gigabyte hard drive, Square Enix has announced, to the chagrin of many fans, that Final Fantasy XI will indeed require the harddrive. This means that gamers wanting to play XI on the 360 must either purchase the more expensive $399 package or the separate add-on harddrive unit.

Still, the news isn't all bad. With the help of the Xbox 360's substantial graphical power and the use of the harddrive, Final Fantasy XI will support improved graphics, including advanced texture and lighting effects. The new version also supports 720p widescreen and will allow gamers with a pre-existing profile in XI for the PC to use their same character on the Xbox 360.

[Sources: Xbox Addict and IGN] ...

The official Japanese Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children site has received a snazzy new design as of August 8th. The improved site features a countdown to Advent Children's impending release in September, a page showing the prices and designs of the Advent Children Japanese DVDs, and all the things that were present before the face-lift: character profiles, storyline background, trailers, downloadable wallpapers, and more.

Follow this link to get to the site.
...

Square Enix has released a massive amount of information about its Kingdom Hearts sequel at this year's Square Enix Party. Two new characters have been revealed, both members of the shadowy 13th Order — Xaldin, the third member of the Order, who uses spears as weapons and to control the wind, and Demix, the ninth member of the Order, who has the ability to control water with a Sitar.

Sora's Drive Transformations have also been fleshed out. Two of the forms have been revealed — the red "Brave" form and the blue "Wisdom" forum. While each form will certainly grant Sora certain abilities or enhancements, the "Wisdom" Drive Transformation actually allows the hero to fly.

New worlds are confirmed for the game, including Mulan's Land of Dragons, Beast's Castle, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Disney Castle, and Steamboat Willy, Mickey Mouse's black and white debut. Some old worlds, such as Aladdin's Agrabah, will be returning for the sequel.

As in Kingdom Hearts, the sequel offers players the option to team up with world-specific characters as they travel. However, this time around, ...

With Square Enix 2005 well underway, a flood of new information has been released regarding the Final Fantasy series. For starters, it has been anounced that the DVD sequel to Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children, will see a limited release in Japanese theatres just days before its DVD and PSP UMD release. This release seems to be nothing more than a premiere event, and it is unlikely that the film will hit more than a handful of Japanese theatres.

Also a part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus, the action-oriented title starring Vincent Valentine, has been given a new PlayOnline website. The online portion of the game is set to receive beta testing in the near future. DoC is tentatively set for a release date before the end of the year in Japan, but no exact date has been announced.

New details have also surfaced about FFXII, including information about the game's theme song. Titled "Kiss Me Goodbye," the game's feature track was composed by long-time series veteran Nobuo Uematsu with up-and-coming singer/songwriter ...

As many fans of the series know, singer Utada Hikaru performed the title track for Squaresoft and Disney's 2002 RPG Kingdom Hearts, "Simple and Clean." It has now been announced that Utada will once again perform the main theme of a Kingdom Hearts title with "Passion."

Neither the game or the expected single version of "Passion" have received an official release date, but a late 2005 or early 2006 release is likely.

[Source: Square Insider] ...

Square Enix has announced that the PC version of Final Fantasy XI, its expansions Rise of Zilart and Chains of Promathia, and the Tetra Master minigame will all be bundled on one DVD to comprise The Vana'diel Collection. On top of the game itself and its expansions, a free Buddy Pass and an iTunes Collector's card good for FFXI music downloads will be included on the DVD. Subscribers to the FFXI service will also be given 30 days of play time free of charge.

This special DVD collection will be available on August 16th for only $29.99 US.

[Source: RPG Fan] ...