News

As earlier mentioned by Elena, Final Fantasy I + II Advance is slated for release later this month in Japan.
Aside from a convenient new "save anywhere" function in FFI and extensive graphical and audio overhauls in both games, each title will feature new items, story elements and dungeons unique to the GBA release.

Final Fantasy I will include a new dungeon accessible at the end of the game, where players will be able to begin the "Soul of Chaos" quest.
To complete this quest, players will be required to defeat, in sequence, more powerful versions of the game's four fiends: Lich, Marilith, Kraken, and Tiamat.
And during the quest, bosses from Final Fantasy III(j) through VI(j) will appear in battle, including FFIV's Four Fiends, FFV's Gilgamesh, and FFVI's Chupon.
Additionally, a span of new items will be available, including an Ultima Weapon sword and full set of Crystal armor.

Final Fantasy II will include an extra chapter in the game's story, entitled "Soul of Rebirth." During this chapter, players will follow the activities of a new party composed entirely of assisting characters from the original game: Ming Wu, Scott, Joseph, Richard, and Cid.
Enemies during this segment of the game will be equipped with powerful new spells, and will include a new boss named Ultima Weapon.

Final Fantasy I + II Advance's July 27 release date is still tentative, as Square Enix has already pushed back the release once (from it's original schedule of July 15) due to a coding glitch.
The game is set to retail for 6,090 yen ($55-58).

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Though it's nice to see some classics getting deserved attention, and the new features sound like fun, Square Enix seems to be pushing the early Final Fantasy titles a little far--along with this upcoming GBA release, official releases have recently been made for the PSX (Final Fantasy Origins), the Wonderswan Color, and even newer Japanese cell phone models using the NTT DoCoMo service.

It was recently announced that there will be a tweaked version of FF1, for the GBA. So far, the news includes bonus dungeons, a tentative release date in Japan of 29/07 of this year, and the fact that you can apparently fight Gilgamesh, Shinryuu, Ultros, Chupon, and the Four Fiends.

The Official Website for this release, though all in Japanese, provides some interesting screens to look at. Use the convenient gloved-hand menu navigator to load pictures.

(FF2 is also mentioned, but unfortunately we do not have further information on it at this time.)

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We hope to get more information on this from Phoenix, our newsie currently staying in Japan. And the character images are very cute, but that's to be expected from a GBA, for some reason.

Square Enix announced earlier today that Final Fantasy Origins has been shipped to stores in North America

The release is a compilation of Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II (never released in North America) for the Playstation.  The games (which were originally published for the Nintendo Entertainment System) have been fairly reworked. The basic features of the compilation include:

Enhanced graphics (think of the WonderSwan Color graphic if you've seen them)
Cinematic movies
Updated Music
New Gameplay modes (There is an Easy and Original difficulty modes for FFI)
An Amano art gallery
An a bestiary of monsters from each game

For more information on Final Fantasy Origins, check past news updates here at the Caves of Narshe.

Source: Gamespot

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Final Fantasy Origins is definitely worth the purchase in my opinion (for what that's even worth).  I've only played Final Fantasy I on the compilation thus far, but I have really liked what I have seen.  It almost makes me nostalgic to get out my old Nintendo, but after fiddling around with FFO, I don't think I'd want to play the original Final Fantasy anymore.  It takes a lot of the peskiness out of the original.  For one, a run button has been added.  There is also no more "INEFFECTIVE" after one of your characters tries to attack an enemy that has already been dispatched.  Plus, it's two games in one. A bargain alsmost.

I know a few of the Staffers at the CoN already have it, but whom else here thinks they might be purchasing this?

(On an off-topic note, I believe this also leaves FFIII and FFX as the only Final Fantasies that cannot be played on the Playstation)

From: Gamespot

Square has announced that the North American release of Final Fantasy Origins will be on April 8th.

The retail price will be $30 for two games on one disc.

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Maybe a bit overpriced, but still 2 good games for the price of 1 is a plus in my book.

http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2910606,00.html

Courtesy RPGamer...

Screenshots from the Playstation port of FF1 and FF2 are now available from Square, and boy do they look good.  I was skeptical about the games with only hearing about the games, but now that images showing amazing CGI and a complete revamp in graphics and even a bit of storyline are here, I've changed my mind and wouldn't mind playing through these games at all.  Anyone that was unsure of the game should definitely check these out and see if they change your opinion, and anyone that wanted to get the games the moment they heard about them will only want to get them more.

http://www.rpgamer.com/games/ff/ffo/ffo.html

According to FFInsider.net, Square has just announced that Final Fantasies I and II (II never before released in the US) will be released in the US sometime next year.  The article also states that the games will be together on one disc, and sold at a "budgeted price."  The article doesn't say it, but the games will be released for the PSX, not PS2.  The games will be redone quite a bit, with new art and music to take advantage of the leap in technology.  I can't wait for this gem to come out.