Final Fantasy I and II - new screens, info

You may recall back in January when we told you about Square Enix's plans  to re-release the first two installments of its increasingly inaccurately-titled Final Fantasy series for the PSP. These are, of course, the centerpieces of the company's 20th anniversary celebration of the first game's 1987 release. Although you generally can't go wrong with early Final Fantasy, we'll confess that we'd have been perfectly content with some delicious cake or even a birthday card with a five dollar bill inside. That said, we've got a few new details and a handful of screens to share with you.

Counter-balancing the recent love Square Enix has shown for the Nintendo handhelds, this pair of games is headed exclusively to the PSP. The release dates for the games have been staggered by about a month, with Final Fantasy I arriving on June 26 and II following on July 24. Each has been tagged with an MSRP of $29.99.

So, what makes this pair of games worth buying yet again? After all, it's only been a couple years since Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls was released on the GBA - on one cart, nonetheless. Well, if the prospect of improved graphics is your cup of tea, have a look at the above screenshot. New character art has been thrown into the mix, and the game's resolution has been increased considerably, even allowing for full widescreen support. And now a new in-game camera will allow you to experience the game all over again - from a different angle!

If you're not that concerned about the game's superficial aspects, you'll be pleased to hear that this pair of titles will contain all new dungeons as well. Exactly how much new gameplay that will amount to is unclear at the moment, but we'll be sure to keep you updated.

The rest of the new screenshots are available here and here.

April 17, 2007