For all the great games released this Fall, it feels a bit neutered without any truly huge Square-Enix titles on the market. That’s probably because most of the good ones have been pushed into next year. While we still don’t know the status of Final Fantasy XIII or Last Remnant, they’ve given us a look at what we can expect up through Spring 2008.

• Dragon Quest Swords (Wii) – February 26
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS) – March 11
• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP) – March 25
• The World Ends With You (DS) – Spring 2008

So the first half of ‘08 is handheld heavy. Crisis Core is a pretty major release, regardless. Sadly, it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting any special edition Crisis Core PSP bundles here in America.

It should also be noted that game you’re probably least familiar with on the list, The World Ends With You, is a retitled version of S-E’s Japanese release: It’s A Wonderful World. The World Ends With You takes great advantage of the DS’ unique capabilities and pulls from various aspects of Japan’s modern culture in lieu of strong sci-fi or fantasy settings.

Here’s the full press release for more details:

Fans Advised to Warm Up this Holiday Season in Preparation for an Assortment of Exciting New Adventures

Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in North America, revealed today its first offerings for 2008, with entries that will launch fans into a fast-paced, action-packed new year. This latest announcement brings forth four new titles for the coming year, including releases for the Nintendo DS, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, and the Wii.
DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors sets the action in motion as the newest entry in the franchise that has captivated more than 43 million fans worldwide. The premiere RPG franchise makes its debut on the Wii as an immersive action-adventure accessible by players of all ages.

Following suit are powerful, engaging adventures in the handheld arena. FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates for the Nintendo DS offers endless entertainment with its fun-for-all multiplay feature, while CRISIS CORE(TM) -FINAL FANTASY VII- for the PSP system reunites fans with the most recognized RPG characters created by world-renowned character designer Tetsuya Nomura. Nomura’s latest designs lend a hip, urban edge to THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU, a stylish new RPG title for the Nintendo DS.

Warm ups are recommended for fans who intend to take on these exciting new challenges that are headed their way!

DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors
Developer: Eighting Co., Ltd.
Planning: Genius Sonority, Inc.
Scenario & Game Design / General Director: Yuji Horii
Character Design: Akira Toriyama
Music: Koichi Sugiyama
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Wii
Genre: Action-Adventure
ESRB: T (Teen)
Ship Date: February 26, 2008

Developed from the ground up to take advantage of the Nintendo Wii and its motion-sensing technology, DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is set to slice its way onto Nintendo’s next-generation platform. Use the Wii Remote to slash, parry and blast your way through a land filled with trademark DRAGON QUEST foes! Developed with both long-time fans and casual players in mind, DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is poised to take video gaming to an entirely new level of fun and interaction.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/dqswords.

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10 and older)
Ship Date: March 11, 2008

Few titles epitomize the essence of multiplayer camaraderie like the FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES series. Released in 2004 as an innovative title that took advantage of the Nintendo GameCube-to-Game Boy Advance connectivity, FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES pioneered an entirely new gameplay experience that expanded the horizons of conventional RPG gaming. Primed for a release on the Nintendo DS, FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates is poised to continue this tradition by providing fans with two distinctly unique games: a fully fleshed single-player RPG experience and an addictive multiplayer element for up to four players.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/ffccnews/.

CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: PSP system
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB: T (Teen)
Ship Date: March 25, 2008

CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-, the highly anticipated entry in the COMPILATION of FINAL FANTASY VII, takes fans on an exciting journey through the origin of the internationally acclaimed FINAL FANTASY VII saga in an all- new action-packed experience. Developed exclusively for the PSP system, CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- marks the return of the celebrated characters and game world that mesmerized more than 9.8 million gamers around the globe. With inspiring visuals, full 16:9 widescreen presentation and an engaging battle system, fans and newcomers alike can experience the world of FINAL FANTASY VII from an all-new perspective.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/crisiscore.

THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd./ Jupiter
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB:TBD
Ship Date: Spring 2008

THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU, is an exciting new title developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS handheld system. Previously known as Subarashiki Kono Sekai on its release in Japan, THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU is an innovative new title from Square Enix that fully utilizes the capabilities of the Nintendo DS, and takes major influence from Japan’s modern day culture including its people, music, clothes, food and design.

Tags: crisis-core, crystal-chronicles, dragon-quest, DS, Final-Fantasy, its-a-wonderful-world, Nintendo, playstation-portable, PSP, Sony, Square-Enix, swords, the-world-ends-with-you, Wii

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