Chris,

FYI, here is the full story.

1) FFMQ is developed in Japan, complete with Japanese developers and
composers, with the likely purpose of generating more RPG interest in
the USA. Thus it is short and 'greatly streamlined'.

2) FFMQ is released in the USA on 10/1992.

3) What do you mean, the Japanese market didn't get a game that the US
market did? FFMQ's role is 'clarified' by renaming it FF USA,
identifying it as 'slop for moronic American gamers'', and it is
released in Japan on 09/2003 for completeness (and maybe for
children).

I guess the confusion with this game arises because it was released in
the USA first. I did not know that part of it. Now I understand
completely why it was sold as Final Fantasy USA in Japan. When you
play the Japanese version, though, it still says FFMQ on the title
screen. It would be really insulting if the 'USA' was burned in the
cart's memory ... but I guess then they'd have to get rid of that cool
"spinning Q' intro.

And now we all know much more about FFMQ than we ever wanted to know.

Ganesh

(partial source: http://www.ffaddicts.com/final_fantasy/ffmq/facts.php)

*sigh*

I remember a few years back, people would point at Squaresoft and say "You rely only on Final Fantasy!" You'd figure with the creation of Square-Enix that they'd have more to offer, but they seem to have narrowed their vision even more. Instead of focusing on one particular series, they're concentrating on one particular game, milking it for all its worth. Wasn't there a time when Square was a company to be respected? When you thought, at least for a second, that they did it for the art? Back then, you'd never expect to see Final Fantasy X-2 or Advent Children or any of the other crap they seem to be peddling now.

his is not the same Square I knew as a kid. Hell, the best RPG of this generation (Tales of Symphonia) came out from Namco, who also gets credit for the most cinematic RPG (Xenosaga) and prettiest RPG (Baten Kaitos). Square has lost their edge and no amount of FF7 sequels they pull out of their teet is going to get me to ever buy one of their products on faith again.

ƒÞ Imran

Greetings once again, O'imposingly photographed one,

Wait, so Square is finally going to give us a sequel to FFVII? Why doesn't the federal government just give them a license to print money?

Of course, it's a movie not a game, which is fine but one thing really pisses me off about the whole thing.

Can you imagine how sucessful the now horribly defunct Square pictures would have been had they used it as a vehicle for giving the millions of FFVII fanboys some actual closure past the horribly vague and unfinished ending that greeting their eyes upon casting Knights of the Round a couple of times?

Once again, license to print money.

I remember bitching to anyone who was in earshot that, if Square truly wanted to make a weird, incomprehensible mess of a movie with absolutely no connection to the FF universe except for some old dude name Cid, they should have done so after engaging in a huge, honking load of fanservice.
Give them Chocobos and airships and Black Mages, make good on all the millions that Square had invested in the studio so it doesn't bankrupt the entire company and then, if the mood strikes you, the third picture can be experimental.

I still weep uncontrollably at the thought that we'll never see Red Mages up on the the big screen.

And finally, say what you want about FFVIII, at least the ending made sense, even if that horrible song by Faye Wong made me want to through the TV with system still attached out the window every time I heard it.

Cheers,

da_crank

hey chris, yeah i've already told you your column rocks a bunch of times so i gotta skip that. but please post my letter cause i am one crazed obsessed ff7 fan.. honestly...

I have mixed opinions for the new ff7 stuff. Of course, since I loved the original so much I'm pretty much guarenteed to buy any new incarnation square throws at me, but a CELL PHONE GAME!?!? That just hurts me. It really does. Hurt. One of the most brilliantly conceived, deep, thought provoking, emotional games now has a prequel... FOR YOUR CELL PHONE! IN JAPAN!!! bah! Don't get me wrong, I'd love to play as the turks and maybe even in a portable enviroment, but definitely not on a device that was meant to receive phone calls... Make it for the SP! Or the DS! Or the PSP! Or some other device with nifty abbreviations!

Besides the cell phone thing though, I'm completely head over heels for Advent Children. It just looks so... bad ass. I just wish they'd show us Americans more love. When is it going to be here? Who will voice the characters? The Vincent idea sounds pretty cool, I always loved his short backstory with Lucretia and the turks and stuff, but I'd love to know more.

I do have a problem with companies milking games dry, but I don't think that's what these final fantasy 7 games would be. I mean for how long has square been making endless final fantasy games where we get to enjoy one world and then never hear from it again. Sure, it's final, but if you have a great thing why not give more of it. They should continue to revisit past ff games and tell us what happened, and where the characters we loved go next.

But I dunno. I'm a ff7 nut. And a geek.
g'night.

-Buttface McCrippleton

Okay, first things first, and I wager its the same thing everyone else said: Beyond Crisis, though having a cool concept of playing as the pre-VII Turks, is a stupid idea. Stupid, stupid. Cellphone-only games are inaccessable to most of the fans and that's just a pity.

Advent Children: The source for dramatic looking message board signatures everywhere, this one has captured the imagination of the fans. What could be better than an FFVII movie? Initially my excitement was dampened by the fact that it was only to be about an hour long and might be what we're getting in liu of a real VII game sequel. But since it might appear that FFVII: AC is to a rumored VII-2 what the Eternal Calm FFX epilogue was to FFX-2, it could be very interesting. Let's just say that I'll be there when this launches on DVD, and you better believe it looks cool.

And the rumored FFVII-2 involving Vincent? I just hope it's a real RPG. How hardcore would it be to see a current gen game in the style of FFVII? Blue menu screens (now with high res graphics and a slight grain to them), familiar musical cues remixed, a return to VII's classic locations, untounched by any game before or since..... Hey, howbout an epic adventure intertwining with the rise of Shinra, Inc? Vincent was a Turk, remember.
I digress. It really could be that DMC-style action game VII sequel that was rumored or something else (FFVII Racing?). I'll welcome anything they bring down the pipe but it would be really cool if they blew my minds, please?

Oh, I'm sure, by the way that there are purists who don't like the idea of tampering with a classic. Personally, I say bring it on. VII dealt with themes that are incresingly relevant as time goes on, and I think a revisit to that oppressively corporate world is due.

~Alex M.

Chris, I feel like a punching puppet to you. Is that all I am?! IS THAT ALL I AM?! Well I've got a surprise for you, bastard!

*whips out Punching Puppet Ghalleon*

Ah-ha! Behold! *punches*

Anyway, it looks to me as if Square (+Enix) is really into making sequels for FFs, which is kinda weird. Then again, as long as they keep making new FFs, I don't really mind.

The cell phone game is annoying (because it's too exclusive), but Advent Children looks really, really cool. As for the supposedly Vincent-prequel, well, he was always the coolest character in the game. Maybe Square's trying to make up to the fans for leaving him out of the ending. *sniff sniff* I still have emotional scars from that....

And hey, at least it's not a Yuffie prequel. I shudder at the thought.

I wonder if the Vincent game and the turks game will be linked.

Zohar Gilboa (guy, thanks for asking)

At first I was quite hesitant when I heard of Advent Children. I was so used to the lego-character looks of the group in FFVII that the grown-up look didn't immediately make me think of them. But after a little thought, and a few more screenshots, I'm beginning to get really pumped up. I like the fact that it will be short enough to watch over and over with relatively small chunks of free time, rather than a Lord of the Rings type epic that requires you to schedule a day off. So there's a good reason for the relative brevity.

Vincent's new game will hopefully rock as well. I remember hearing fairly recently that Square was debating an action-type game for FFVII characters, this is likely the case with this game, but I hope not. I would rather have a full-on RPG revolving around Vincent, possibly ancestors of the other VII characters, stuff like that. To me it would just feel diluted if it was another genre.

I think Before Crisis should drop the "Before". A monstrosity indeed. I don't know if I would like the sound of it even if it was on a real gaming machine.

That FFVII cash cow's teats must be awfully sore these days...
JR

Hey man, I love the letters column. One of these days I'll get off of my ass and actually write in (other than, of course, this current email)

Anyway. My buddy and I have started a final fantasy xii and advent children site and are looking for cool charismatic people to join our forums. We have a decent group so far, but need more. So (arent you honored) I'm inviting you.

You dont have to, obviously, but it'd be cool to have you contribute. The site is http://www.ff-future.com

Thanks

-Pete

With the rash of FF7 projects I'd be willing to bet that an FF7 remake with sweet sweet graphics is in the works. I mean look at all the remakes of Dragon Warrior, they've made bundles: and now that Square and Enix are sleeping together.... What I'd like to see is a remake to be released on the playstation 3 as a launch title, giving the company a year to make Final Fantasy 13 and blow us away.

Anyhoo

Cell phone game: as long as its simple easy to play should be good. Cell phone games are for rides in the subway or the bus when you have like 10 min to kill.

FF7 game based on Vincent: Well he can't save the world but it'll be cool to learn about his backstory. (an FF7 Stealth action game??...I wonder)

Advent children: I'm drooling over the CG....and the story just MAY, MAY be what the FF movie was supposed to be.

Squishypuppy!
Letting Chris do all for for of formatting his message in HTML for him.