Retro Gaming Australia

Parasite Eve II is the follow up to the popular Square developed horror/RPG. The second game got a wider release, perhaps owing to it being a lot more akin to Resident Evil than its predecessor. The Parasite Eve video games serve as sequels to the Japanese novel of the same name.

A scan from next week’s issue of Jump has confirmed the rumours that Final Fantasy III is (finally) seeing a PSP release.

Final Fantasy III was originally released on the Famicom in 1990, and saw its first release outside of Japan in the form of a 2006 Nintendo DS remake which also made it’s way onto iOS and Android devices many years later.

Unlike the Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II remakes which graced the PSP, the Final Fantasy III DS remake wasn’t a mere graphical update but a complete visual overhaul featuring redesigned 3D character models. The scans (provided below) indicate that Final Fantasy III for PSP is a port of this Nintendo DS remake, and will include content from the iOS version and the option of playing with the original Famicom soundtrack.

Final Fantasy III for PSP is set for release on September 20 in Japan, and will be available in both digital and physical forms.

Source: VG24/7

Square Enix has kicked off celebrations with the opening of a Japanese Final Fantasy 25th anniversary site.

Final Fantasy first released in December 1987 in Japan on the Famicom, and has gone on to become one of the bestselling video game franchises and has generated many sequels and spin-offs covering many genres and appearing on numerous platforms.

The Final Fantasy 25th anniversary site features a discography of all 14 of the main games, a listing of all the Final Fantasy game releases and ports including spin-offs, and a section dedicated to related merchandise.

The site also contains a Creator’s Voice section, which will be regularly updated with comments, remembrances and other tidbits from those involved in creating the Final Fantasy series. First up was Yoichi Wada, Square Enix CEO, who joined Square prior to Final Fantasy IX’s release in 2000.

“We’ll take the 25th anniversary as an opportunity to begin our walk towards the next 25 years,” Wada wrote. “In order to make the fans happy, we the developer have just one promise we can make. Outside of talent and ability, we will also make sure development is handled exclusively by creators who feel love of the FF series stronger than anyone else.”

Lovely.

Source: Andriasang

Final Fantasy X was one of the biggest games of the PlayStation 2’s 2001 line up in Japan and North America, though European and Australian fans had to wait until mid 2002 to get their hands on it. A HD re-release is currently planned for the PlayStation 3 and Vita, but probably won’t be out any time soon.

After the smashing success of Final Fantasy VII in the West, Squaresoft needed to strike while the iron was hot. With Final Fantasy VIII still months away, they threw whatever they could out there, which included Chocobo Racing. Fans were not impressed, due in large to the game’s lack of features and low difficulty.

Xenogears is a slightly more mature RPG than its contemporaries, featuring a heavy emphasis on theology and philosphy, including the works of minds like Nietzsche, Freud and Jung. If that doesn’t float your boat, it’s also got big robots.

Final Fantasy IX was a return to the more traditional roots of the early Final Fantasy games when compared to Final Fantasy VIII. Series creator Hironbu Sakaguchi has referred to FFIX being his favourite as it was the closest to his ideal view of what Final Fantasy should be.

Once upon a time, Squaresoft used to make games that were not RPGs. This nearly bankrupted the company. 3D World Runner was one such game. You play as a space cowboy on a mission to save the galaxy from some snake-like creatures, which somehow correlates to running on a constantly forward scrolling screen. You can choose to play the game in 3D using a pair of old red and blue 3D glasses, hence the name.

Reprints ho!

The Final Fantasy Legend is probably better referred to as Makai Toushi Sa·Ga, since it’s technically part of the SaGa series rather than a Final Fantasy game. Anyway, Squaresoft originally released three Legends games in the early 1990s, but Sunsoft decided to take the oportunity to cash-in on the success of Final Fantasy VII and VIII and re-release them and Final Fantasy Adventure (the first Mana game) in 1998.

God bless the ring!

Ehgreiz is a 3D fighting game developed by Dream Factory and brought to arcades by Namco and Squaresoft. The game gained fame for featuring Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart as playable characters – Squaresoft published the PlayStation port, where even more FFVII characters were added into the mix.