GDC 2009: FFIV: The After Years, My Life as a Darklord journey to WiiWare

Released in Japan for mobile phones in February 2008, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years continues the storyline first established in the highly acclaimed role-playing game originally released for the Super NES in 1991. The After Years will follow the travails of Ceodore, the son of original protagonists Cecil and Rosa. Square Enix didn't delve into the particulars of the storyline, only saying that Ceodore will cross tracks with a number of returning characters from the original FFIV.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord offers a different perspective than My Life as a King, which launched alongside Nintendo's WiiWare channel in May 2008. As the title indicates, players assume the role of the daughter of a nefarious overlord, strategically laying all manner of traps as she attempts to thwart the noble pursuits of adventurers attempting to steal the coveted Dark Crystal.

Along with the new titles, Square Enix announced that the original Final Fantasy, first released in Japan in 1987, will be added to the Wii's Virtual Console library. The title is expected to launch in Japan in May 2009, with a North American rollout slated for later in the year. During his GDC keynote address, Iwata indicated that Final Fantasy IV will also be released for the Virtual Console in the future.