Final Fantasy (part 1) returns to the States

Haven't had enough of the original Final Fantasy? Well, Square-Enix is going to give you another shot at their seminal RPG sooner rather than later it seems.

The ESRB (that's the Entertainment Software Rating Board) recently updated its website to mention that "Final Fantasy" for PSP has been reviewed and earned an E10+ rating for "mild fantasy violence" and "mild suggestive themes."

Final Fantasy II isn't on the list yet, but that doesn't mean it's not coming.

Personally, I'm still not sure what I think of the redone sprites in this version. If I had been the one giving the game a face lift, I either would have turned the sprites into polygonal characters like those seen in the DS remake of FFIII or I would have made them look like the CG characters that appeared on the Japanese boxes for FFIV and V in Japan.

To be be perfectly honest, rather than all of these rubbish-y remakes, I'd rather Square offer up the original, untouched NES version on the Wii Virtual Console...

Ted Woolsey: The man who introduced Square to the U.S.

If you're a Square fan, you already know Ted Woolsey. Maybe not by name, but definitely by the translation work he did for the influential game developer back in the 90s. Despite tight deadlines, Woolsey single-handedly translated such games as Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy IV and VI into English. The guy even fought for a U.S. release of Final Fantasy V on the SNES, which in my book makes him a saint.

Following in the footsteps of yesterday's article about the localization of Etrian Odyssey, SquareHaven.com has posted a wonderfully detailed article about Woolsey's work at Square, which unfortunately came to an end in 1997 when Square changed its focus from Nintendo to Sony. This is worth a read whether you're a Square fan or not, as it gives a rare glimpse into what it's like to bring a game from Japan to the U.S.

A behind-the-scenes look at Etrian Odyssey

I love reading interviews with folks who make games, especially when they talk about the process of creating a game or translating it for a foreign audience.

Jason Dobson over at Snackbar-Games.com offers up both in an article posted to the site today that includes comments from Atlus USA's Nich Maragos, who is acting as project lead for the company's upcoming DS release, Etrian Odyssey.

Maragos says "watching over the American localization process has been a real labor of love for me" and that certainly comes through in the details he shares with Dobson. The article's only two pages, so if you're interested in learning more about the localization process I suggest you check it out.

The game itself looks pretty interesting to these eyes. It'll be interesting to see if the dungeon crawler can win over U.S. audiences the way some of Atlus' other offerings (such as Disgaea on the PS2) have.

I always knew Ms. Pac Man was a tramp

The bow, the lipstick--even those narrow, beady eyes--you just knew from the start Ms. Pac Man wasn't a pixelated version of June Cleaver.

That said, I guess I didn't know just how trampy Pac Man's missus was until now. The folks at the wonderfully named T-shirt Hell are currently offering up a design that shares that dirty little secret with everyone who passes you on the street (or works out next to you in the gym).

I think I'll have to get one--size small, sleeveless and in black--despite the fact that I'm trying to be a grown up these days and not wear shirts with "stuff" on them. Life's too short, right?

A few more reasons to own a PSP

Well, I've said it before and now I'll say it again: My husband's going to kill me. Not because he's a homicidal maniac (not that I know of), but because I am once again pining for a new game system (the system in this case being the PSP).

The recently released Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure gave me the first shove in the direction of Sony's under-loved portable, then the remakes of Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy Tactics and Disgaea gave me another little push.

Today on Siliconera.com I read that two more examples of RPG goodness will be showing up on the U.S. PSP scene soon enough: XSeed's Brave Story: New Traveler and Level 5's Jeanne D’Arc. The latter looks especially appealing, what with its cell-shaded graphics and Tactics-esque game play.

The next thing you know, Sony will start unleashing some monsters for the PS3--then I'll be in especially big trouble!