Older Final Fantasies get a new lease of life
Square Enix brings its roleplaying classics out of retirement to create mobile, GBA and DS versions
Despite its confusing name (the first Final Fantasy game arrived way back in the late 1980s, so we can only assume Trading Standards has never received a complaint), Square Enix's Final Fantasy series is one of the most successful ever, having sold over 60 million copies across its many versions.
And 'Why stop now?' seems to be the motto for publisher Square Enix; it's set to push the older games onto a variety of new devices.
Perhaps the most exciting of these is the DS version of Final Fantasy III, as it's the only one in the series never before released outside of Japan.
Unlike the other new titles – which are basically conversions of the original games, with some extras thrown in for good measure – Square is going all out to remake the original 2D game to exploit the 3D power of the DS.
Final Fantasy III is also expected to include gameplay that makes use of the DS' touchscreen. It will also revamp the backstory and graphical design of its four main characters too, though the plot – a search for four elemental crystals of light, and four of darkness – and the world design will remain faithful to the original.
The situation is more straightforward when it comes to Final Fantasies V and VI.
Due for release on the GBA, these two are ports of the original games. They'll receive a graphical makeover, and be fleshed out with new dungeons and character classes, much as has already happened with Final Fantasy IV Advance for GBA, which gets its UK release on the 2nd June.
Completing this line-up of new, old games are Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy VII prequel Before Crisis, which are both being remade for mobile phones.
Of the two, Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII (screens shown above) looks the more interesting. Here you play as one of the members of evil organisation Shinra's elite Turk unit, as it tries to fight off a rebel group, Avalanche.
The promised multiplayer features sound particularly promising; you'll be able take part in missions with other Turks involving real-time combat (and we'd hope you'd get the chance to take the side of Avalanche too). That's assuming UK operators support the service, of course.
More details and release dates are expected at Square Enix's pre-E3 briefing, which Pocket Gamer will be attending.