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Final Fantasy Tactics rehashed for PSP
You saw this coming from a mile away: another port, er, 'remake' for PSP. While DS gets Dragon Quest IX, PSP gets Final Fantasy Tactics: Shishi Sensou. But don't be fooled by all the "Shishi Sensou" nonsense, this is merely an update of the original PlayStation game. New cutscenes and gameplay tweaks (e.g., additional job classes) don't have us convinced. Why not simply offer a downloadable port as part of the PlayStation Store initiative -- and then deliver a true Tactics sequel on PSP? Heck, GBA got one (with a second on the way)... If it wasn't for Crisis Core, we'd have assumed Square Enix was picking handheld favorites. Wait, are they?
Square Enix establishes Ivalice Alliance
Easily mistaken for a vicious brand of shampoo and very often catapulted into turmoil by wars and magical beasts, the fictional kingdom of Ivalice has been the setting for a handful of Square Enix titles, almost all of them well-received by critics and fans alike. Just recently, Final Fantasy XII followed the adventures of some Ivaliceans Ivalicians free-spirited (and pointy-eared, in one case) residents of Ivalice. It follows then that Square Enix has announced an "Ivalice Alliance," a set of stories all taking place on the same stage. Though you're already familiar with Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (slated for the DS), you may not have heard of the other two games revealed in the latest issue of Japan's Shonen Jump. The pages first mention Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War, a PSP remake of the original PSOne Tactics game. Some new cutscenes and a slight graphical upgrade are likely to be included, though we certainly wouldn't mind a better localization as well -- that's assuming the game makes it stateside. Secondly, there's (deep breath) Final Fantasy Tactics A2: The Sealed Black Book. According to the translation note on Jeux France, it hasn't yet been specified whether it'll wind up on the DS or, as the horrific machine translation puts it, the "Game Servant Boy Advance." The latter choice, of course, will result in the game working on both platforms. Snap to it, servant boy! Another magazine, Gamelabo, reportedly mentions that Square Enix also has two more unannounced Xbox 360 games in the pipeline.
Final Fantasy Tactics reborn on the PSP [Update 1]
Many Sony fanboys were shocked, even angry, at Square-Enix's decision to make the next Dragon Quest game a DS-exclusive. Nintendo has been getting a lot more love from the RPG goliath, with Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings among the numerous games headed to Nintendo's dual-screened portable. Does this mean Sony fans will be snubbed by Square-Enix? Nope. It appears that the PSP will be getting Final Fantasy Tactics: Shishi Sensou, an updated version of the original PlayStation classic. New anime FMVs and job classes are some of the anticipated upgrades for the PSP remake. A second title, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, was also announced, but the platform has not yet been revealed. With Tactics and Crisis Core making its way to our handheld, it's clear that Square-Enix plans on supporting PSP fully. [Via IGN] [Update 1: Jeux-France provides scans and more info: Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is the sequel to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, a GBA sequel to the original FFT.]
