Square Enix made a surprise announcement during the PlayStation 4 Tokyo Game Show keynote, debuting a trailer that revealed the development of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition. Planned for release in 2019, Square Enix will be releasing the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition on both the PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch. The remaster is currently only announced for release in Japan, but a Western release is expected.

The remaster will be an authentic recreation of the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, though Square Enix does plan to expand on the game in small ways. New voice overs, new dungeon areas, and online multiplayer supporting up to four players will all be added to the remaster. The new features, especially online multiplayer, will hopefully enhance the overall Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles experience for new and old players alike.

Originally released exclusively on the Nintendo GameCube in 2003 (2004 in the West), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles offered unique cooperative multiplayer-focused gameplay alongside that classic Final Fantasy charm. Players could connect their Game Boy Advances to the GameCube via a special exclusive cable, enabling a second screen map for local multiplayer.

There's also a meaningful history to Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles that's interesting to consider now that it's being remastered. For the longest time, Square Enix and Nintendo had a soured relationship regarding Final Fantasy despite the franchise's past success on the Super Nintendo and prior.

This broken relationship was what led to Final Fantasy 7 and on releasing on PlayStation platforms. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles marked the return of Final Fantasy to Nintendo consoles. And here we are 15 years later seeing Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered being released on both the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. It's a charming conclusion to the franchise's complicated past.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition releases in 2019 on the Nintendo Switch and PS4.