Square Enix lays out early '08 schedule

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core has been a long time coming for PlayStation Portable owners. Square Enix parted the curtain on the FFVII spin-off prequel in 2004, but the game has thus far only seen the light of day in Japan, where it launched in proximity with Sony's redesigned portable in September. North American fans wringing their hands over whether they'll get a chance to jump into this installment in the massively popular franchise need no longer fret; Square Enix has laid out its North American release lineup for the first part of 2008, with Crisis Core included.

FFVII: Crisis Core will hit North American shores on March 25. The game is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series, and focuses on the pursuits of a young Cloud Strife before the Buster Sword-wielding hero meets his destiny in the original PlayStation game. Square Enix also confirmed a North American ship date for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates, which will arrive for the Nintendo DS on March 11.

The Japanese role-playing game giant won't be neglecting its Dragon Quest crowd in 2008, either. Though the game was initially slated to follow shortly after its Japanese release in July, Square Enix has confirmed Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors for release on the Wii on February 26.

Finally, the publisher announced that The World Ends With You will officially be coming stateside in spring 2008 for the DS. Previously flying the far cheerier moniker It's a Wonderful World, The World Ends With You is an action RPG from the team behind Square's superfranchise Kingdom Hearts, and is heavily influenced by Japan's hypertrendy culture.