Demo of an all-but lost Final Fantasy 7 spin-off has miraculously been preserved by some very dedicated fans

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth — (Image credit: Square Enix)

A demo related to a Final Fantasy 7 mobile game all-but lost to history can now be enjoyed thanks to the work of some very dedicated fans.

As spotted by Twitter user @RockmanCosmo (via Time Extension), an individual known as xyz has managed to preserve a demo version of Dirge of Cerberus: Lost Episode. At one time, the demo came preloaded and ready to play on Docomo P903i feature phones in Japan. It covers the game's first five chapters, giving fans a fairly decent chunk of gameplay.

What's more, the demo is now also playable on the DoJa 5.1 SDK emulator. According to @RockmanCosmo, several individuals - @m3M0RyHuN73R, usernameak, @XLeonier, and @XerShadowTail - did some major work to get it up and running, though as the Twitter user explains, it doesn't run perfectly right now.

A piece of lost FFVII media has been preserved! The demo of FFVII Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode has been preserved by xyz. @m3M0RyHuN73R, usernameak, and @XLeonier did some major work to get it working on the DoJa 5.1 SDK emulator, but the emulation is not perfect... (1/2) pic.twitter.com/QiblRCHFbHNovember 17, 2023

"There are some audio issues, and the game runs unevenly due to its three dimensional graphics," @RockmanCosmo says. "When there is a more comprehensive DoJa emulator (i.e. SquirrelJME), these issues will be ironed out. The methods of getting the game to run also varies between Windows versions."

For those not well versed in Final Fantasy mobile games of yore, Dirge of Cerberus: Lost Episode is a shooter RPG co-developed by Square Enix and Ideaworks3D. It was released in 2006 in North America and 2007 in Japan and takes place during the events of the Final Fantasy 7's PS2 spin-off Dirge of Cerberus, essentially acting as a missing chapter that bolsters the adventures of Vincent Valentine.

The full game, according to @RockmanCosmo hasn't been preserved yet, but they hint at another individual who may have it in its entirety on their P903i device.

If you're keen to see the Dirge of Cerberus: Lost Episode demo in action, YouTuber DaguPlays has managed to play the game using the DoJa 5.1 SDK emulator and has uploaded it for your viewing pleasure.

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Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.