Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster receives April 19 release date

Square Enix has announced that the long-awaited remasters of the first six mainline Final Fantasy titles for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 (PS4) are finally arriving on April 19, 2023.

The details:

• Square Enix announced Final Fantasy I-VI remasters for the Switch and PS4 in December last year, but no release date was given other than "Spring 2023." Along with the announcement of an April 19 release date, a trailer has been released that shows off the new visuals, features, tweaks, and even new fonts. With the addition of toggle-able boosts and random encounters, the original releases' old-school JRPG grind can now be shortened or eliminated.
• PC Final Fantasy fans received the "pixel-perfect" remasters in 2021, to mixed reviews as Square Enix made the games easier, introduced newly arranged soundtracks that could not be replaced with the originals, and forced players to use a difficult-to-read modernized font in place of the classic pixel-style text. The company appears to have taken note of the complaints, as the soundtracks can be toggled between, with players now having the option of selecting between a revised, clearer version of the newer font as well as a traditional font to bring it in line with the original NES and SNES releases. The trailer does state, however, that the games have been "reworked to be easier to play and closer to the original experiences," raising some concerns about the actual difficulty.
• The games are available for pre-order as a bundle for $75 on the Nintendo eShop, but fans can also purchase individual entries, with I-III costing $12 each and the Super Nintendo-era entries, IV-VI, costing a slightly higher $18 each. The PS4 version will be released later, but both versions will include exclusive extras such as themes and avatars if purchased before May 25. Physical copies of the game will also be available through Square Enix's official store, including a $260 anniversary edition that includes figurines, a two-disc vinyl set of the games' soundtracks, and an art book. It is unclear when these physical copies will be available for purchase, but they will likely be available soon after the game's digital release.

More Square Enix news:

• Square Enix has announced the release of sets of Final Fantasy VII trading cards featuring artwork from the game; however, fans have criticized the company for including a "digital exchange card" in each pack that can be exchanged for an NFT version. Because the NFT cannot be sold or transferred between owners, many have argued that blockchain technology is completely unnecessary in this case.
• Final Fantasy XVI has been certified gold and will be available on June 22. The game features a dark fantasy setting and a mix of traditional and modern gameplay systems in an attempt to appeal to as many series fans as possible. Due to an exclusivity agreement, it will also be available only on the PlayStation 5 for the first six months, with the PC version coming at a later date.