The forces of Cosmos and the forces of Chaos square off as beloved characters from Final Fantasies past do battle in Dissidia Final Fantasy, just announced for a mid-year 2009 release in North America.

Just released in Japan, Dissidia for the PSP is a Final Fantasy fan's dream fighting match, with good guys like Cloud, Squall, and Terra taking on the assembled pantheon of FF evil, represented by Sephiroth, Golbez, and the adorably batshit insane Kefka. It features a battle system that incorporates classic series mechanics such as overdrives and limit breaks, RPG-based character development, and a full story that supposedly makes sense, unlike most character mash-up fighting games. All that's missing here is Vivi, but with a mid-year 2009 release date, Square Enix has some time to fix that.

Along with the release window announcement, Square Enix has also announced that the Dissidia Final Fantasy Trading Arts figures will be making an appearance in the North American online store, with Cloud, Squall, Zidane, and Tidus represented in Volume 1.

Excellent news to kick off the morning! More Final Fantasy goodness, and something to justify my random purchase of a PSP 3000 this weekend. My day is complete. Going back to bed now. DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY Announced for Mid-Year 2009 Release in North America

DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY - THE WAR BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARK BEGINS.

20 Years in the Making, the War between Light and Dark Begins

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ — Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix(R) interactive entertainment products in North America, announced that DISSIDIA(TM) FINAL FANTASY(R) for the PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) system will be available mid-year 2009 in North America.

Celebrating 20 years of the renowned series that has shipped over 85 million units worldwide, DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY brings together the largest collection of FINAL FANTASY characters ever in a fighting-styled game where players can choose their allegiance between good and evil.

STORY

Cosmos, the goddess of harmony. Chaos, the god of discord. Reigning from distant realms, the two gods had gathered warriors from all lands to lead them in savage war.

Cosmos and Chaos were of equal strength. It was believed the conflict would last forever. However, the balance is now broken.

Those who answered Chaos's call created an inexhaustible force. And under vicious attack without relent, the warriors fighting for Cosmos started to fall one by one. The conflict that has continued for eons is now about to end in Chaos's favor.

The world has been torn asunder, sinking into a vortex of disorder. As for the few surviving warriors ... their fates have yet to be determined.

FEATURES

— Legacy: Experience the high-quality world and gameplay mechanics of FINAL FANTASY presented in an action-packed environment where players can glide through the air and dash along walls.

— All-new battle system: Action-based battle system combines all-out brawling alongside RPG-based character development in an original system developed by the creators of the KINGDOM HEARTS series.

— Ultimate cast of characters: Fan-favorite heroes and villains from the entire FINAL FANTASY series come together in one game for the first time in a remarkable new tale with fully-voiced CG movies and real-time events.

— Fantasy match: Players select their favorite FINAL FANTASY characters, sided with either Cosmos or Chaos, to set the stage for their fantasy match.

— Series staple battle features: Accessible through "EX Burst", players can experience gameplay faithful to the originals through memorable battle features such as "Limit Break" and "Overdrive". In addition, longtime fans of the series can enjoy the ability to summon Aeons and options such as the "command battle" system.

— Community: Continue the experience by trading Friend Cards, creating items and sharing AI characters with other players and even engage in virtual AI battles made possible by the PSP system ad hoc mode.

MERCHANDISE
DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY TRADING ARTS(R) Vol.1
CLOUD / SQUALL / ZIDANE / TIDUS

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the FINAL FANTASY series, SQUARE ENIX proudly presents the first volume of the DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY Trading Arts series. Memorable heroes and villains are newly re-envisioned by famed character designer Tetsuya Nomura. In honor of these spectacular new designs, SQUARE ENIX PRODUCTS(TM) brings a new generation of highly detailed Trading Arts from DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY.

DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY is not yet rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). For more information about the ESRB visit www.esrb.org. More information about DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/dissidia/.