Square Enix going mobile in Europe

Square Enix and Macrospace today announced that they are collaborating on three mobile games scheduled for release in Europe this year. The first games to be released, which will debut on Vodafone live in Germany this month before rolling out across Europe over the summer, are titled Aleste and Actraiser. A mobile version of the PlayStation 2 title Drakengard is scheduled for release later this summer. Macrospace is working with Square Enix to localize the games for European audiences, and both companies will jointly handle the subsequent marketing and distribution.

"The addition of Square Enix's quality games titles to the Vodafone live portfolio is a real win for our European customers," said Tim Harrison, head of games at Vodafone. "This agreement marks just the start of an exciting new relationship with Square Enix, with more classic titles to come."

"Our relationship with Vodafone in Europe allows us to offer mobile gamers the highest-quality original content Square Enix is famous for," added Yoichi Wada, president of Square Enix. "Going forward, we will work hard to continue releasing ground-breaking entertainment through the industry-leading Vodafone live multimedia offering."

Although Vodafone's live service will be the first to offer the three Square Enix games for download, other services, including Orange World, O2 Active, and T-Mobile's T-zones, will also be getting them in the coming weeks. Square Enix's mobile games will also be available to download from the official European Square Enix Mobile Web site.

Aleste, which is based on the '80s console game of the same name, is a shooter in which players pilot an "ultra-advanced" attack craft. As they battle their way through increasingly difficult stages, players will have to collect weapon power-ups in preparation for the requisite end-of-level boss battles.

Based on the SNES title of the same name, Actraiser is a side-scrolling fantasy action game in which players, armed with a mighty blade, must clear the landscape of evil monsters. Little else is known about the game at this time except that the enemy hordes will include centaurs, goblins, trolls, and suchlike.

Drakengard is described as an action role-playing game and is based on the PS2 title of the same name that was released earlier this year. In the mobile version, players armed with swords and riding dragons will have to battle their way through Empire forces in four different locations.

No North American releases for any of Square Enix's mobile offerings have been announced at this time, but we'll bring you more information as soon as it becomes available.