With Front Mission 1st but recently announced, Square Enix appears to be going all-out to revitalize the series while bringing it to the present day. The company confirmed this week that it will be showing the title at the Tokyo Game Show in playable form, and producer Toshiro Tsuchida has indicated that a new Front Mission title is under development for the PlayStation 2.

The PlayStation 2 entry, which will be the fourth in the series, may also be the most innovative. Mr. Tsuchida mentioned that online compatibility is currently being discussed, which would add a new element to the strategically-themed battles found in the series. As far as the actual gameplay goes, the game is being described as similar to FM 1st in a number of ways. No story details were released by Mr. Tsuchida.

Finally, the producer also revealed he is very interested in remaking the second and third installments in the Front Mission series. Unlike the first remake, however, Mr. Tsuchida is in favour of bringing the projects to the PlayStation 2, which could mean that the PlayStation's agonizingly long death throes are nearing their end.

Whatever the case, gamers will get their first look at the PSOne remake at TGS, which runs from September 26-28. FM 1st is currently slated for a Japanese release in October, though an exact date has not been made available. No localizations have been confirmed for the title, and the PlayStation 2 title is in the early stages of development, meaning the details of its release are anybody's guess.