And here we have Square Enix's official Q1 2009 lineup, thanks to the guys at The Stick of Joy. Console owners, beware, your shopping spree just got a bit bigger. And also, translated into ENGRISH!

* Star Ocean: Second Evolution (PSP / 6 Jan.): Being the remastered portable version of the interstellar -- and considered by some to be just plain stellar -- sequel. Features new voice work, new cutscenes and people crying in space.
* Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (DS / 17 Feb.): Being the hitherto unlocalized entry in the venerable RPG series. Yes, Dragon Ball Z guy designed these characters too.
* Star Ocean: The Last Hope (Xbox 360 / 3 Mar.): Being tri-Ace's long-awaited continuation of the science-fiction franchise. The subtitle implies that this is a big deal for the Xbox 360 in Japan.
* Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume (DS / 17 Mar.): Being the third instalment in the respected Valkyrie Profile series. If you're looking for an explanation of the title, we're afraid you're plume out of luck.

If you didn't like Supreme Commander, it means you didn't like Total Annihilation. And if you didn't like Total Annihilation, and still call yourself a “strategist”, I recommend going back and playing with yourself one more time, because strategists do not need retards like you.

And now, here's the sequel, published by Square Enix and still developed by Gas Powered Games. Details are scarce, as in non-existent, but still, if the game follows in his papa's footsteps, it's gonna be two things: a great game, and an avid resource consumer. Be sure to get that new PC you have always wanted. Click for the press release: (...)

 Continue reading 'Supreme Commander 2 Announced'...

Some good news for those of you who like to wear Cloud earrings, play with Tifa dolls or gather various other art pieces inspired from the masterpieces of Square Enix – the company finally decided to open its online store on fresh, unmolested, European soil.



Well, good news for Europeans, at least, Europeans who got tired to order their precious stuff online via weird and obscure third-party websites. While the store is not yet complete (let’s call it… a Beta stage), it certainly is in progress, and it has a lot of goodies for display. I am really curious what countries exactly will be eligible for shipping when it’s all done, because I would sure want to get my hands on one of them Aeris inflatable love dolls.

The games listed include LOTS of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, and so on, and so forth.

Star Ocean 4 - the RPG sequel surprisingly previewed by Square Enix last Christmas - will be released (exclusively?) for the Xbox 360 console in 2009. According to Famitsu, the announcement was made at a recent Microsoft event in Japan, although some speculate that a delayed and enhanced PS3 version is all but inevitable - much like with Tales of Vesperia, another awesome looking Xbox 360 RPG confirmed for the PS3.

Following the event, Square Enix producer Yoshinori Yamagishi did make a comment regarding the game's exclusivity, but a clear conclusion is nowhere to be found at this time:

"We cannot announce anything on that. We can say that it will be released first [on the Xbox 360]. Whether we'll release it on the PS3 is undecided. We may release it, we may not."

The complete title of the game will be Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope, and the story will take place a few hundred years before the first Star Ocean. Below we posted some new high-res screenshots, and of course we couldn't miss this cool new trailer. Make sure you don't, either!

About time Square Enix did something other than good old Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts or Dragon Quest titles. Don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE fan of everything mentioned above, I, like any normal human being, have my periodical Tifa / Aeris / Yuna wet dreams, but playing the same games over and over again tends to get a bit boring after a while. Especially when you end up, like me, to get disgusted by almost every modern title and resort to the forever awesome SNES emulator and the bunch of cool JRPGs out there.

And so... Square is making yet another move on the RPG front, this time on Nintendo DS, with a new action RPG entitled The World Ends With You. We get to play the role of an underaged, unsociable and probably completely retarded when it comes to women kid which, caught in a modern-day Tokyo, receives a strange SMS - telling him “bye bye cruel world if you don't do my bidding”. Sounds interesting, sounds Japanese enough, but it also sounds rather costly, being priced at 39,99 USD. Here are some of the game's features:

- Distinctive modern art style created by a team of artists led by Tetsuya Nomura, world-renowned character designer of the upcoming FABULA NOVA CRYSTALLIS project which includes FINAL FANTASY XIII and FINAL FANTASY Versus XIII
- Innovative Stride-Cross Battle System allows players to control two characters simultaneously, unleashing special attacks with the stylus
- Collect a vast array of custom-designed pins, each with a powerful psychic ability that can be activated with the right touch or sound command
- Customize characters with Shibuya's coolest fashions and exchange items with other players via Mingle Mode
- Experience an amazing soundtrack combining a fusion of musical influences from hip-hop to rock to electronica
- Battle with up to three friends in Tin Pin Slammer, an exciting and fast-paced mini-game, via local wireless connection

And here is the press release, for your reading pleasure.