Few might have expected the Final Fantasy franchise to make an appearance during today's Nintendo Direct, yet Square Enix showed up in a big way. Final Fantasy 7, the JRPG classic released on the original PlayStation in 1997, is coming to the Nintendo Switch. During today's presentation, Nintendo confirmed that both Final Fantasy 7 and its popular franchise follow-up Final Fantasy 9 will arrive on Switch on March 26 and today, respectively.

Make no mistake, this is the original PlayStation Final Fantasy 7. The remake remains in development and receives updates quite rarely. The Final Fantasy 7 remake may not even come to a Nintendo platform, but Nintendo fans now have something to celebrate instead. This will be the first time Final Fantasy 7 has been released on a Nintendo platform, after all. And that's a strikingly meaningful event, given that Final Fantasy 7's development was what caused Square Enix to abandon Nintendo in favor of Sony platforms for years afterward.

Nintendo fans who have never expanded to other platforms will soon be able to visit Gaia and experience the story of Cloud, Aerith, and Sephiroth for the very first time.

In addition to Final Fantasy 7's Nintendo Switch announcement, Final Fantasy 9 was also confirmed. Final Fantasy 9 was the last major Final Fantasy release for the original PlayStation, with Final Fantasy 10 coming to the PlayStation 2. But the best part of the Final Fantasy 9 announcement is that it is available right now via the Nintendo eShop. And it's available not only on Nintendo Switch, but also Xbox One and PC via the Windows 10 Store. It's the perfect 40-hour-or-more JRPG to keep Final Fantasy fans busy until March.

Today's Final Fantasy announcements are just a part of Square Enix's plans to bring several classic Final Fantasy games to modern platforms. In September 2018, Square Enix revealed that not only was it going to bring Final Fantasy 7 and 9 to Nintendo Switch in 2019, but also Final Fantasy 10/10-2 and Final Fantasy 12. They're both launching on Switch in April. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is planned for the Switch, too, but doesn't yet have a release date.

Expect more news regarding Square Enix's plans to bring Final Fantasy to the Nintendo Switch in the months ahead.

Final Fantasy 7 launches on Nintendo Switch on March 26. Final Fantasy 9 is available now on Nintendo Switch.