Hello, I guess I should start off with the obligatory long time listener, first time caller nonsense, but it adds nothing, so I'll skip it.

Well, with Square and Nintendo coming together again, what I think will come of it is a conversion of Final Fantasy I for GBA and a couple of Final Fantasy Chronicles-eque remakes for Gamecube. However, what I would like to happen is a bit different...

- Square, along with other Nintendo buddy-buddies Capcom and Sega lend their characters to Super Smash Brothers Battle Royale (due Q1 2002). You can have a Aeris vs. Tron Bonne vs. Sonic vs. Link Battle along with infinite other options since the game has 125 playable characters (though you have to unlock 64 of them, such as Red Mage, Roll, and Toejam.)

- Square announces Final Fantasy XI for Gamecube, the ultimate killer app for Nintendo's Modem and Broadband accessories. Like Starfox 64 & the Rumble Pack, you pick up the modem for free with the game! It also works flawlessly with the PS2 version, and use of any Gameshark-esque accessory is disallowed and penalized with the user recieving a 20,000 Volt electric shock.

- For GameBoy Advance, Square announces "SquareSoft Complete Archives" for GameBoy Advance. It has every Square Game from Rad Racer to FFX, and FF IV and VI have remixed dialogue to make up for Nintendo's previous censorship laws. However, there isn't enough room on the GBA cartridge for the FMV, so all actions are generated in engine and a cinematic DVD is bundled with the game. You can pick this up in Q2 2002 for $19.99. Preorder to get a free soundtrack of the entire game on 7 CD's or 1 DVD.

- And finally, since I can control fate and all, I will appear at Square HQ for the unveiling of all their games, being driven there by limosine filled with hundred dollar bills, various gaming consoles, and women dressed as various FF characters.

I think I like the last one best.

-Quizmaster

First, let's look at the story to date:

2000: Bill Gates announces his intention to enter the console business. Japanese companies not impressed. Capcom and SNK, the two largest fighting game companies, release a collaborative game for the first time in history.
2001: Sega unexpectedly surrenders the console war and signs on to make games with other consoles, including former arch-rival Nintendo. X-box debuts with ho-hum sales, especially in Japan.
2002: Square and Nintendo kiss and make up after years of glaring at each other. Microsoft now the only console maker without access to the Square RPG juggernaut.

Noticing a pattern? Therefore:

2003: After mediocre results on the X-box, Konami, Atlus, and Sega abandon it to produce only on Nintendo and Sony consoles. Capcom, always one to seize on a trend, does the same, although they never planned to develop for X-box in the first place.
2004: In the spirit of the old agreement Sony had with Nintendo to create a 32-bit console (which eventually broke away and became the Playstation), the two companies once again announce a cooperative effort. Gates sweats.
2005: The new CubeStation comes complete with a keyboard/mouse option. PC-style RPGs on become a realistic possibility. Gates offers free t-shirts to all companies that stick purely to PCs.
2006: After their shirts shrink five sizes in the wash ("It must be a problem with your washing machine," Gates says) Black Isle, Blizzard, and several other computer game companies announce their intent to create games exclusively for the CubeStation. Millions of PC gamers flee the buggy Windows 04 for the stable console.
2007: Sontendo releases Dai-X, its first operating system. Microsoft stock plummets; Gates forced to sell most of his yacht fleet.
2008: As corporations abandon their X-Box 2 contracts in droves, Gates attempts to win them back by way of legal action. Judge rejects the suits; reported to have muttered, "Not you guys again..." to the MS legal team.
2009: The Japanese Game Corporation Alliance officially declares war on Microsoft. Redmond falls in three hours, largely due to several starving Microsoft programmers turning on their supervisors. Gates still at large at the end of the year, rumored to be hiding in an underground mansion somewhere in the mountains of eastern Washington.
2010: When asked to justify the invasion and subsequent occupation, a JGCA representative states, "Hey, we warned him not to mess with us." UN Secretary General Shigeru Miyamoto agrees and sends in a peacekeeping force to assist the new government.

- ChocoMog ZERO, who somehow doubts this would be the best result, but thinks it would be good for a laugh

Here's my vote for cross-pollination game from the Square/Nintendo (and by extension) Disney partnership.

I want to see Vagrant Hearts Kingdom Stalker. Gimme the dark tone of Vagrant Story, mix with inappropriately peppy Disney and Nintendo cameos, and let Sydney loose on them all with the mission to collect each of their pulsating life pumps to complete some dark contraption that will make him actually look masculine.

Sydney will have interesting encounters with all the chosen characters. Of course, the Princess Peach battle on the Inca Temple will be especially memorable. However, it will all be for naught, because that battle will end on the altar at the top with Sydney pitting the Peach, and holding it skyward, laughing maniacally as the wind blows through his juice-matted hair and lightning strikes all around.

When everything starts to look really bleak and the game designers are making Sydney go after B and C list properties like Darkwing Duck and R.O.B. just to extend the gameplay and drop a little product placement, Jack Skellington and Dr. FinkleStein Bobblehead will stitch together pieces of the defeated A-list Disney/Nintendo characters, and make them into a prosthetic for Oogie Boogie. The Prosthetic device will retain the powers of all defeated characters.

Jack, Zero, and Oogie Boogie will band together in the best RPG battle ever. Sorta Good will win out over definite Evil.

I'd buy that. Wouldn't you?

I would like to see the Wonderswan FF1-4 games, Makaitoushi SaGa (a.k.a. FF Legends), Romancing SaGa, Hanjuku Hero, Blue Wing Blitz and any others I'm forgetting all make it to the GBA. It's a freakin RPG smorgasbord of new games and classic remakes. Me want, me want bad.

I also don't want to see GC exclusives. If they make some good Square games exclusives (and I mean good games, not Chocobo Racing) then I'm going to be pissed. I've always been a one console system guy and will be until I'm pulling in the big G's. If I'm forced to buy another system I'm not going to be a happy camper.

Pendy the DQ/DW guy

Yo.

Very simple answer to your question, Drew. Super Mario RPG 2. I don't think I'm the only one who'd drop to the floor in fits of spastic ecstacy upon the announcement of that game.

Secondly, Super Smash Bros. 3, with Final Fantasy characters. Think about it. Who wouldn't want to see Cloud whaling on Pikachu with that Buster Sword? Celes and Samus duking it out for the "All-TIme Kickassest Female Award"? Squall against Link, in what would probably be the coolest swordfight since Luke -vs- Vader? Oh, be still my heart...

-Northwind, who thinks Celes could crush Samus any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Drew -

A linkable Secret of Mana-esque game for my GBA. With that cell phone connection thingy.

I may have to wear my clothes inside out for a day, but at least we'll have a new Working Designs game. Seems like it's worth it.

Peace,

Ray Stryker... aw shit...

Naked women.

~Ian P.

P.S. I'd want those FF7-9 remakes to come out in the U.S. and be all that I fantasize about late at night. I'd want Lufia Gaiden to be localized as well, somehow. But really, the mere partnership itself has given me what I wanted all week; a break in the monotony that is gaming news in this bleak and meaningless post-system-launch world. Bless you Dark NecroLord Yamauchi. May your legions of the undead never rot completely away.