It's OK, I guess ...

A few months ago, I penned a "Which box art is better?" post that focused on the Japanese and European versions of Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light.

Well, the folks at Square Enix recently unveiled the art that will appear on the soon-to-be-released North American version (pre-order it here)--and, I have to admit, I'm underwhelmed.

That said, I think I like the North American cover more than its Japanese and European counterparts.

See also: 'Let's play: Which box art is better? (The 4 Heroes of Light edition)'

Actually, I've got portable RPGs on the brain

Once my obsessions with Dragon Quest IX and Etrian Odyssey have ended--and they will, sooner rather than later--I think I'll turn my obsessive energies toward Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light.

I'm going to pre-order the game well before its Oct. 5 release date, however, since Amazon.com is offering a $10 credit to all who do so between now and then.

If you're still on the fence about this Final Fantasy spin-off, check out this trailer (from the recent E3 event) or the title's official site.

See also: 'Let's play: Which box art is better? (The 4 Heroes of Light edition)'

Let's play: 'Which box art is better?' (The 4 Heroes of Light edition)

Yesterday, the folks at Square-Enix announced that they'll be bringing Hikari no Yon Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden to Europe and North America later this year (Europeans will get it "this fall," while North Americans will get it on Oct. 5) as Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light.

So far, they've only released the cover art that will appear on the European version of the game, but I think that's enough to play another round of "Which box art is better?"--don't you?

Here's the art that appeared on the cover of the Japanese version of the game:

And here's the art that will appear on the European (and possibly the North American) version of the game:

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of either version's box art this time around. Although I like the composition of and the font used on the Japanese cover, the art itself is rather unappealing. Flip things around a bit and you have my opinion of the European cover--I like the art, but I'm unimpressed with the composition and the font.

Which cover do you prefer?

See also: 'Say hello to my next desktop wallpaper'

Two down, one to go

The last few days sure have been good for DS-owning RPG fans. 

First, the latest issue of Nintendo Power revealed that Atlus will be releasing Etrian Odyssey III (subtitle: The Drowned City) in North America sometime this year.

Then, Square-Enix announced that Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light (formerly The Four Warriors of Light: Final Fantasy Gaiden) will hit the streets stateside--with a $34.99 price tag--on Oct. 5. (European gamers will get it "this fall," according to siliconera.com.)

All that's left is for someone to announce the Western release of Sega's similarly retro RPG, 7th Dragon. 

See also: 'Five DS games I hope to see stateside in 2010'

Say hello to my next desktop wallpaper

Well, well, well ... it seems I have Final Fantasy on the brain today. Please accept my apologies if you're not a fan.

Anyway, I came across the following image (download it here) yesterday while scanning a NeoGAF thread devoted to Square Enix's Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden (aka Final Fantasy Gaiden: 4 Warriors of Light, aka The 4 Heroes of Light).

Aren't Akihiko Yoshida's character designs just about the cutest things you've ever seen?

See also: '(One of) my prayers have been answered: Final Fantasy Gaiden is going international'

(One of) my prayers have been answered: Final Fantasy Gaiden is 'going international'

That's what someone over at siliconera.com is saying, at least.

According to an unnamed source, the folks at Square-Enix are preparing to bring the title known to Japanese gamers as Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden to the States as The 4 Heroes of Light.

No date or price is mentioned in the siliconera.com article. Hopefully someone at Square-Enix will fill in those gaps soon.

By the way, another of my gaming-related prayers will be answered when someone finally announces a North American release date for another retro-tinged RPG, 7th Dragon.