It's already been four long months since the 3D remake of Final Fantasy IV for the Nintendo DS was released in Japan.  Good news for all you American gamers out there, though; you've only got another three months to wait.

Final Fantasy IV, complete with voice-acting, brand new graphics, and new content will be released in North America on July 22nd, 2008.  Square Enix's official site is already up, but is pretty empty at the moment.  However, expect new content as the game's release approaches.

If you're not hyped about the game, just read this excerpt from Square Enix's press release:

"FINAL FANTASY IV for DS is a classic revived for the 21st century.  The visual upgrades are remarkable, and the plot has been enhanced with added detail and depth. We hope that fans of the original, as well as players new to the FINAL FANTASY franchise, will enjoy all that this title has to offer."

All aboard the hype train.  Next stop?  Final Fantasy IV, this summer! ...

Yes, Crisis Core is finally out, and should be available by now at retailers natiowide, even in the most remote backcountry towns of America.  Final Fantasy VII lives on... ...

Though it was released in Japan way back in October of 2007, the announcement of an American release date for Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift has been a long time coming.  But it's finally here--Square Enix recently proclaimed a June 24th release date for Tactics A2.

Mark your calendars!

[Source: Square Enix]
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That's right, folks, after years of waiting, the true, full-fledged prequel to Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, is about to be yours.

With a US release date of March 25th (that's just a week away!), Crisis Core is practically here.  Reviews have begun trickling in, and the game's impressive-for-a-handheld presentation has been, well, impressive.  If you've been looking for a reason to become a PSP owner, you may have found one.

So far reviews from a variety of sources have been positive.  IGN just released their review, giving the game a score of 8.5 out of 10.  The review cites a few frustrations with the gameplay, including repetitive sidqeuests and an imperfect camera, but with "gorgeous cinematics and a deep, often poetic story" how could we possibly resist?

European gamers will have to wait a few more months, until June 27th, to get their hands on Crisis Core. ...

If you have somehow missed it, Square Enix's latest entry in the Crystal Chronicles series, Ring of Fates for the DS, is available at retailers nationwide in the United States.

Reviews of the title have been generally positive, and the title currently holds a 78% rating on the critic aggregate site Metacritic.  Fans of stat-building and dungeon crawling, as well as local wireless multiplayer (the title does not support wi-fi play, unfortunately) are in for a deep, addictive experience.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates will be released in Europe on March 21st. ...

At this year's Game Developer's Conference, representatives from Square Enix were on hand to tease the gaming elite with a bit of technical information about the development of some of their new games.

The company unveiled the "Crystal Tools" engine, which has cross-platform support for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3, and Windows PC.  Interestingly, the engine also supports some of the unique features of the Nintendo Wii, but not all of them; it's possible that the console will be fully brought into the fold in the future.

The Crystal Tools engine is the natural development of the White Engine, which, you may recall, was the engine being used for Final Fantasy XIII and Versus XIII.  Square Enix's Taku Murata noted that, in the past, Square Enix has taken more of a one-platform approach, but a broader focus is now the direction the company is headed in.

The Crystal Tools engine reached benchmark 1.0 in September 2007, and is still being revised and improved.  Currently, at least three games are being designed with the versatile new engine: FFXIII, FF Versus XIII, ...

PSP owners (and anybody else who is a fan of the franchise, I suppose!) may be interested in heading on over to the offical FFVII: Crisis Core site and checking out the latest trailer for the game, which has appeared recently. It's a short but sweet video of a battle, but I'll let you find out who exactly is fighting for yourself. You won't be disappointed! Click here to check it out. ...

Tomorrow, February 15th, European gamers will finally be able to get their hands on a localised version of the Nintendo DS Real Time Tactics RPG FFXII: Revenant Wings. Following on a year after the ending of the PS2 installment of the game, players will once again get to take control of Vaan, Penelo and a host of other returning characters, as well as a few new faces in their continued adventures across the skies of Ivalice. ...

Square-Enix has recently unveiled a new website for their hugely popular MMORPG Final Fantasy XI. The site opened on the 12th of February, 2008 and features a variety of information and media materials about the game. Aside from the usual story synopsis and character descriptions, and general overview of some features of the game, the website has a beginners section which has some very detailed tutorial movies for new players and interested buyers to watch to give a good feel for the game and what you're in for. To check out the website, click here.

In other FFXI related news, Scholars and Dancers are set to be graced with new quests in the next FFXI update. Dancers will be able to delve into the past and history of Troupe Brilioth and it's leader, Laila, among other things. Scholars will be getting stuck into the secrets contained within Schultz II's Grimoire and see the rise and fall of the Schultz School of Martial Theory. Both sets of quests offer new mysteries and revelations for players to experience and enjoy.

[Source: PlayOnline] ...

Has it been awhile since you played the game that started it all, Final Fantasy I?  Or maybe you've never even played it at all, having been introduced to the series in the Playstation era?  Well, listen up, folks, because now is the time to give Final Fantasy I a go.

For the month of February, we're kicking off our very first Eyes on Plays event, and where else to start but with the original?  Our forum community is playing through the game, competing for challenges and recognition, and taking part in related themed tasks such as Final Fantasy I-based art and graphic design and roleplaying.

If you're not a member of the community, join up and come play Final Fantasy I with us.  The event will be going on all month long, so it's never too late to join in the fun. ...

If Tetsuya Nomura's word is anything to go by, 2008 is going to be big.  How big, you ask?

Well, according to the director/producer/character designer, 2008 will be the year of more news, more media, and more demos.  Hey, one IS more than zero, which is what we've gotten for Final Fantasy XIII so far.  That's right: Nomura and his team are hoping to show off Final Fantasy XIII's new combat system in a demo later this year.

Exciting.

[Source: PS3Fanboy] ...

Chances are you already know that Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings for the Nintendo DS has been out for some time now.  But if you've been on the fence about picking it up, why not take a gander at the brand new official site?  It's even in English!

As official Square Enix sites go, it's standard fare--you'll find your character and plot descriptions, videos, and other media.  Still, they continue to improve their sites with better designs and more content, and Revenant Wings' is one of the best yet.  Make sure to check out the Downloads section for a host of wallpapers and a "Fan site kit" full of digital goodies.

[Source: FFXII:RW Official Site] ...

It's been over three years since the release of The Skies Above, the Final Fantasy rock album by Nobuo Uematsu's band The Black Mages.  Looks like 2008 is a lucky year for Uematsu fans, however, as a new website has been launched for The Black Mages III: Darkness and Starlight.

While the site does not contain a track list, the news it contains is even better: the new album will be released on March 19th.  The site also features a teaser in the form of a rockin' version of "Bombing Mission" from Final Fantasy VII, which promises to be one of many great remixes of popular Final Fantasy tracks on the album.

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FFXIII Intro Page | FFXIII Content Page | FFXIII Content Page
Versus XIII Intro Page | Versus XIII Content Page | Versus XIII Content Page

It's been awhile since we've seen any new tantalizing shots of Final Fantasy XIII and its (cousin?  brother?) counterpart, Final Fantasy Versus XIII.  The good news is we've got four brand new, super high resolution scans from this month's V Jump magazine.

The bad news is that there's not exactly a huge amount of new information to go along with these scans.  But the games are looking great--make sure to check out the summons in the third scan above.  Shiva, Ifrit, Siren, and Carbuncle are all definitely making a comeback.

The final two scans, labeled "Versus XIII Content Pages" above, offer a rare glimpse at characters other than the brooding protagonist we've become familiar with since the game's debut.

[Sources: NeoGAF, EoFF]

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