The newest issue of Japan's Famistu magazine contains a few snippets of information on the DS Final Fantasy XII project Revenant Wings.  As we've already revealed, the game features main characters Vaan and Penelo in the roles of sky pirates, scouring the skies of Ivalice on new adventures. 

Apparently Revenant Wings will take a closer look at the relationship between the two young adventurers; it's still not completely clear if Revenant Wings is a prequel or a sequel to Final Fantasy XII.

Of course, as the main characters are filling the roles of sky pirates, they'll need ships to fly on. Famitsu noted that the many airships present in Final Fantsasy XII will also appear in the DS title.  Also, like Square's upcoming Final Fantasy III for the DS, the touch screen will be used considerably in the game, and will be an integral part of the battle system.

Update:  Here's a new magazine scan for Revenant Wings.

[Sources: DS Advanced, GAF] ...

German site G Wie Gorilla recently had the chance to meet Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu in Leipzig, Germany and interview him about his illustrious career.  Uematsu discusses various topics, including his relatively new company, "Smile Please," his fans, and the inspiration for the music he composes.

To read the entire interview, click here.

Thanks to Thomas Nickel from G Wie Gorilla for the heads-up. ...

If you like to dress up as your favorite effeminate, emo, eccentric (or fuzzy-eared) Final Fantasy XII hero or villain, check out Square Enix's Final Fantasy XII Cosplay Contest!

One winner will receive a free trip to New York to celebrate "Final Fantasy XII Day."  The contest ends on September 29th, so get cracking!  For more details on the contest, including how to send in photos of yourself decked out in air pirate attire, check out Square Enix's website here.

[Source: Square Enix] ...

Following hot on the heels of our recent report about the rumors indicating the possible existence of a Final Fantasy XII spinoff for the DS and a Final Mix version of Kingdom Hearts II, Japan's Jump magazine has confirmed the existence of both titles.

Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings for the Nintendo DS follows lead character Vaan through an adventure involving air pirates; in addition, he must protect Penelo, who is also an important character in FFXII.  According to IGN, both characters look younger than they appear in the PS2 original, leading us to believe that the game will be a prequel.

Though the existence of Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix is not as exciting or shocking as Revenant Wings, the additions to the game might come as a surprise to some.  The director's cut version of the game (that will likely only be released in Japan) seems to feature the English vocal track, as well as a new 3D card battle game somewhat similar to the one featured in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.

We'll report new information on each game as soon as it breaks.

UPDATE:
Here's a magazine scan for Revenant Wings.  While other sites have been reporting that the ...

A recent post on the Japanese "FF7 Blog" has hinted at a Final Fantasy XII side story making an appearance on the Nintendo DS.  Don't get your hopes up yet, though--there's no credible information backing this up, and it should be considered nothing more than a rumor at this point.  However, the same site commented early on about the existence of Chocobo & the Magic Picturebook and Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker, lending at least a slight bit of credence to the post.

The same news post also mentions Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix, which is, more than likely, a Japanese-exclusive update to the original game with various extras and enhancements, much like the first Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix.

Remember to take this info with a grain of salt, as it could be little more than speculation right now.  More to come as it breaks.

[Sources: C³ News, TVG] ...

1UP.com has released an interview with legendary artist Yoshitaka Amano (obviously) titled "A Day in the Life of Yoshitaka Amano."  This is a rare glimpse into the world of one of the biggest influences upon the Final Fantasy series, and features a brief history of Amano's career, a lenghty interview, and videos and images of the artist at work and in the studio.

To check out 1UP's wonderful feature, click here.

[Source: 1UP] ...

For those of you who want to know exactly what Final Fantasy XII will look like on the shelf of your local game store, we've gotten ahold of two high-res images of both the normal edition and Collector's Edition of FFXII.  Enjoy.

Regular edition case
Collector's Edition case

Final Fantasy XII will be released in the US on October 31st.

[Source: RPGFan] ...

The Tokyo Game Show will kick off in just a few short weeks and will last from September 22nd to 24th.  This year Square Enix will be showing off a wealth of Final Fantasy games, though, unfortunately, few will be available in a playable form.

Non-playable games making an appearance at TGS include:

• Final Fantasy V Advance
• Final Fantasy VI Advance
• Final Fantasy XIII
• Final Fantasy Versus XIII
• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy titles in playable form at TGS:

• Final Fantasy III
  
• Final Fantasy XI for both PS2 and Xbox 360
  

While Square Enix has several other titles making appearances at TGS, the only one related to the Final Fantasy series is Chocobo no Mahou Ehon or Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book for the Nintendo DS, which will be available in playable form.  It's unlikely that this game will ever be released outside of Japan.  Thankfully, DS gamers looking to play a Chocobo adventure will have the option to import this title when it's released overseas.

[Source: IGN] ...

As Final Fantasy XII's release draws ever closer it becomes more and more difficult to wait for.  Those looking to whet their appetite to a ravenous level should check out these new Final Fantasy XII videos on Gamevideos.com.

Character Pan simply shows off the game's protagonists.
Gambit gives us a glimpse of the combat system in action outdoors.
Southern Plaza shows off an impressive urban area in the land of Ivalice.

While none of these vidoes will contain anything exhilerating for those keeping close tabs on Final Fantasy XII, new media is hard to resist.

FFXII will be released in America on October 31st.  Thanks to Demian Linn at Ziff Davis Media for the heads-up. ...

The 3D Nintendo DS remake of Square's Final Fantasy III, released last week in Japan, has been met with open arms in the company's homeland.  In its first week of release, FFIII has sold over half a million copies, exceeding Square Enix's estimate of 350,000 by a considerable margin.

If sales overseas are any indication, Final Fantasy III will do quite well when released in the US on November 14th.

[Source: IGN] ...

Following in the footsteps of their many rereleases, Square Enix is preparing a Gameboy Advance version of their classic Final Fantasy V, originally released for the Super Nintendo, for a fall release in both the United States and Japan.  While the game lands in Japan in October, an American version will be available shortly thereafter on November 6th.  A European edition is currently being prepared for an early 2007 release.

For those of you eager to relive your childhood in the daring adventure of the sexy pirate Faris and her various cohorts, Final Fantasy V Advance should more than deliver.  The game features, as expected, a refined gameplay system (including new menus and slight changes in the dialogue and sound) and updated graphics.  This almost certainly means that the annoying amount of time it took to bring up the menu in the PS1 version of Final Fantasy V will be gone, and the graphics of the title will likely be as detailed as Final Fantasy VI's sprites.

'Could there possibly be more!?', you ask, with barely restrained glee?  Well, there certainly is!  A difficult new thirty level dungeon called "Sealed Ruin" ...

According to an announcement Square Enix made yesterday, Final Fantasy III for the DS will finally be arriving on US soil on November 14th, 2006.  This is merely a day earlier than we recently thought, but every little bit helps.

This wonderfully updated version of the classic title, previously only released in Japan, should be on store shelves in a few short months--just in time for the holiday season.

[Source: RPGFan] ...

The latest entry in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, the long-awaited Dirge of Cerberus starring Vincent Valentine, is out now.  If the lackluster reviews and long wait haven't dulled your appetite, go throw money at your local store clerk and pick it up now! ...

Square Enix has recently updated its Japanese Final Fantasy III website, providing us an exciting glimpse into what's soon to come with the game's hotly anticipated release.  The site now features a video of Final Fantasy III DS in action, and contains gorgeous CG footage, as well as a few snippets of the game's battle system and town.

The new FInal Fantasy III DS footage can be found under the Movie section on Square Enix's Japanese FFIII website here.

[Source: Square Enix] ...