If you’re a Final Fantasy fan, then just look away. You don’t want to read this. If you do, then you’ll start getting that familiar pang in the back of your head that will slowly compel you to pick up another copy of Final Fantasy IV, even though you own the original SNES game and you still haven’t finished the DS remake. Are you still here? Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you…

I hope you have room in your hearts for another incarnation of Final Fantasy IV. Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter if you do or don’t. Square Enix is going to release Final Fantasy IV: Complete Collection anyway. The news was just revealed in the Japanese V Jump magazine, and this could be the mystery title Square Enix was teasing for Jump Festa 11.

At least this time, Final Fantasy IV: Complete Collection will have some new content worth purchasing…

Now that July 6, 2009 has passed, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years players have quite a few additional story options. Square Enix has made four additional chapters available so far: Rydia’s Tale, Yang’s Tale, Palom’s Tale and Edge’s Tale. Each additional story is 300 points (US$3) via WiIWare.

While the downloadable content screen in the game offers a brief summation of the events that take place in all the additional tales available, sometimes that information isn’t enough. So, in an effort to assist FFIV: The After Years players, I’ve purchased and played through all four add-on tales. A brief summary of each story, what characters appear as party members and notable aspects or features of each story. I also state whether or not I recommend that particular piece of downloadable content. And don’t worry about spoilers! The whole article is spoiler-free…

Hi Square-Enix,

How’ve you been? Eidos take-over going well? I can’t wait to see Lara Croft in Kingdom Hearts.

Listen, I really want to thank you for the forthcoming Wii version of Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. Really. I never buy cell phone games and don’t own an iPhone, so I was worried that you’d have put it on one of those portable systems and I’d never get to play it.

But you came through like a champ – choosing to release all of the episodes/chapters/segments of Final Fantasy IV: The After: Tsuki no Kikan on the Wii. I can’t wait to see what adventures Cecil and Rosa’s son Ceodore will get into, why the second Lunarian Moon is appearing in the sky again and how he, the new heroes and the returning heroes will once again save the world.

Rest assured – it’s a day-one purchase for me.

But – there’s always a “but” – I’m still troubled. Perplexed even.

Where’s a localized version of Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII?

RPGFan is reporting that the DS version of Final Fantasy IV will be shipping out sometime in July, 2008. The May 2008 issue of Nintendo Power revealed the news that the game was in the process of being localized by Square Enix, but didn’t offer an expected release date. Hopefully the report is true. A preview of the Japanese version ofFinal Fantasy IV DS previously appeared on Gamertell in December, 2007.

Title: Final Fantasy IVPrice: JP: $50, NA: TBASystem(s): Nintendo DSRelease Date: JP: 12/20/07, NA: TBAPublisher (Developer):Square Enix (Matrix Software)ESRB Rating: TBAPros: It looks beautiful, there’s a fantastic story, lots of features, amazing music, voice acting and new animated cutscenesCons: Battles move slowlyOverall Score: 10/10

If you choose to view Final Fantasy IV for the Nintendo DS as just another port, then you’d be gravely mistaken. Rather than just altering a few things, adding some goodies and slapping the game on a new system, Square Enix has taken its time and remade one of the best games in the series. If a list would be made tomorrow of the best DS games released in Japan, FFIV would be in the top five. This is the best RPG available for the system, and I can’t wait for the announcement that it will be released in English.

It follows the classic story of dark knight Cecil, Cecil’s best friend Kain, Cecil’s girlfriend Rosa and the summoner Rydia. A conflicted Cecil and Kain are sent on a special mission after Cecil questions the king’s motives behind his last attack. When Cecil and Kain discover the horrible truth behind the mission, it sends him on a journey where he must realize who he really is, what is really important and what should be done…