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] ...

For those of you who are stricken by panic at reading the headline, relax!

The Nintendo DS rendition of Square-Enix's Final Fantasy III, originally slated for a November 1 release, has simply been pushed back two weeks to the 15th to accomodate the release of Final Fantasy V for the Gameboy Advance on November 6.  It was strictly a business decison, so that FFV would not detract from the sales of the highly anticipated handheld release.

[Sources - VGGEN, 1up] ...

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! ...

The results are in (at least at IGN) for Dirge of Cerberus.  They give Dirge a 7.0, stating that the game is vastly superior to its Japanese counterpart, but still not without flaws.  You be the judge as to whether or not the score is deserved.  Read it. ...

The folks over at Gamusutra recently ran an interesting story on Square Enix's president and his stance on next generation game-making:

In a continuation of a recent interview by Japanese newspaper Nikkei Business, Square Enix and Taito CEO Yoichi Wada has commented broadly on game industry innovation, as well as the possibility of new collaborative hardware developed by Square Enix and Taito.

Taito itself was acquired by the esteemed publisher and developer in late 2005. In the interview, which was partially translated by consumer website GameSpot, Wada commented that more innovation is needed within the industry, and went so far as to say that “if we don't see some [next-generation] titles that differ from traditional games, the industry is in trouble.”

He added that the Nintendo DS, which features a library that includes several titles that deviate from traditional games offered by other platforms, offers “an idea of the potential” for creating the sorts of new games and experiences ...

In case you haven't noticed, the official Square-Enix site for Final Fantasy VII:  Dirge of Cerberus opened recently and the North American site for Final Fantasy XII will be up and running for the world to see tomorrow!

Dirge of Cerberus does a pretty nice job of highlighting everyone's favorite Turk-turned-monster, with a few choice video clips featuring Vincent Valentine in all of his glory.  There's also a couple of wallpapers to adorn your desktop, as well as the inevitable Coming Soon section.  To see it all for yourself, click here.

As for Final Fantasy XII, you would think it would be difficult to add to the anticipation of its arrival on our shores, but think again.  Today, there's simply a stunning preview video, but there'll be more when the countdown reaches zero on Tuesday.  If you want to check it out, click here.

Dirge of Cerberus hits the shelves on August 15, and Final Fantasy XII will be released on October 31.

[Sources - Square-Enix] ...

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] ...

At this year's Playstation Awards in Tokyo, Japan, Square Enix's Final Fantasy XII was awarded the double platinum award.  FFXII was the only game to sell more than two million units in Japan this year, and thus the only title to receive this top honor.

Other Square Enix titles were awarded at this year's Sony Playstation Awards; Kingdom Hearts II took home a platinum award for one million plus sales, while Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII received a gold award for selling more than 500,000 copies.

[Source: IGN] ...

IGN has posted their impressions of the latest build of Dirge of Cerberus.  Thankfully, many of the problems that plagued the Japanese version have now been fixed. And you thought that eight month delay was all for nothing! Dirge of Cerberus is scheduled for US release on August 15, 2006.  Read IGN's impressions.
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Upon hearing of a new MMORPG from Square-Enix, many people speculated a sequel to the wildly successful Final Fantasy XI for the XBox 360, Playstation 3 and Windows Vista.  Not true, according to a statement released by the company to squash the rumors.

The company is working on a new MMORPG, but stated it "did not make such an announcement and has not made any decisions" regarding the future of Final Fantasy online.  If you're disappointed, don't worry:  The release also said that Square-Enix is working on future expansion packs for Final Fantasy XI.

[Source - Galbadia X] ...

According to IGN, the Japanese website Nikkei Net News has reported that Square Enix is currently developing a successor to its massively multiplayer online RPG Final Fantasy XI.  Though there are virtually no details about the game at this time, Square Enix president Youichi Wada hopes to improve upon the mildly disappointing MMO titles they've created in the past: Front Mission Online, Fantasy Earth: Ring of Dominion, and the Japanese Everquest 2.

The new MMO title is purportedly in development for the Sony Playstation 3, the Microsoft Xbox 360, and Windows Vista.  It is unknown at this time whether or not the online RPG engine Square Enix has shown off in months past will be used by this new title, or if they have another massively multiplayer RPG in development.

[Sources: IGN and RPGFan] ...

A video showcasing some in game play from the Nintendo DS remake of Final Fantasy III has been uploaded onto youtube. You can see the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzr2C7GotBU

Here. (I tried to embed the video to enable you to watch it here, but the Shin-Ra owners and staff members of this site have HTML disabled. haet.)

The video contains a short cutscene, some exploring, a set battle, a little bit more exploring, a boss fight against a Giant Tortoise creature, and a cutscene with a shiny crystal. The music that plays throughout, especially in the battle, sounds very much like the music from FFIX in it's style. It looks very promising indeed.

[Source: Joystiq] ...

Exclusively for Japan, a beautiful limited-edition "Final Fantasy III Crystal Edition" DS Lite is being released alongside the game on August 24th in Japan.  To see an image of the new Final Fantasy-themed DS Lite, click here.

The game and its special DS Lite will be bundled together for 22,780 Yen, or about two hundred dollars in US currency.

The design features four characters from the classic game, created by artist Akihiko Yoshida, and the familiar Final Fantasy logo.  Under the logo is a serial number, and while it is unknown how many of these units will be produced, it likely won't be a large number.  American gamers looking to grab one of these precious units should be quick to import one before it's too late!

[Source: Cubed3] ...