We’ve known for a little while that Nintendo has been planning to release some classic Final Fantasy titles, that were previously housed on the PS1, for the much-loved Nintendo Switch. The games set for ports are VII, IX, X, X-2 and XII.
The initial announcement of these ports was made during September 2018’s Nintendo Direct, starting with the reveal of Final Fantasy XII for Switch. That one, which appears to be a port of the recently released Final Fantasy XII remaster, The Zodiac Age, is set for its Switch release on April 30th 2019 (according to the official Nintendo site).
And now, thanks to some announcements at February’s Nintendo Direct event, we’ve learned a bit more: the latest piece of news is that Final Fantasy VII will release on Nintendo Switch on March 26th 2019, while Final Fantasy IX has been made available immediately (it arrived on the Switch, as a nice surprise, on February 13th).
Final Fantasy X and X-2, meanwhile, are listed on the Nintendo website as launching on April 16th 2019.
We know a little less about the ports of X/X-2, but our guess is that they will be based on the most recent upgraded versions of those titles. As for whether or not the Switch versions of these games will feature any additional content or upgrades… well, we’ll just have to wait and see.
We also can’t help but wonder why Final Fantasy VIII isn’t on this list of upcoming remakes. We’re tempted to suggest it has something to do with the game’s controversial legacy as a disappointing follow-up to the legendary Final Fantasy VII, but it could also be some kind of business decision or issue that’s preventing Nintendo from releasing the game at this time.
It would be fantastic to see Nintendo release some of the other classic Final Fantasy titles that once called Nintendo platforms their home. Until then, we’ll just be happy to receive some of these Switch ports alongside the other Final Fantasy titles that are coming to the Switch.
Oh, and don’t forget that Square Enix is still planning on releasing the controversial – but underrated – Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles sometime in 2019. Sadly, there’s no definitive release date for that port available at this time.
As we hear more, on all fronts, we’ll keep you posted.