Hey again everyone. I've lost all the mail anyone's sent me over the past year or so, so if you sent something urgent that never got acted upon, resend it. Except info. Hold onto your information files for a day or two, and then we'll let you know what to do with them. Computers are really fussy machines, I've noticed. Friendly word of advice: always have a good surge protector (yeah, yeah, common sense, but don't mention that kind of stuff to me).

And the SNK update: they're still making games, but mostly arcade games. They also had a big part in the Neo-Geo. No games along the lines of Crystallis, though.

Q: Dear AK,
I've been to Squares site, and they say in the FAQ about having no plans to release the previous 6 FFs on Playstation. What I'd like to know is, WHY THE HELL NOT? Can you think of any rpg fan who wouldn't buy them? Especially the U.S. fans who were deprived of the ones only those lucky Japanese got to play? And the one that started it all, Final Fantasy. I wish I could still play it, but unfortunatly my old NES has long since burned out (and probably the game itself too.) It's not like they would actually have to change the games themselves, like enhancing the graphics or music or anything. Of course, if they aren't doing it because of twisty legal stuff with Nintendo, I've pretty much been rambling for nothing over all this. Any info on this?
--- Andy Kraft, another AK

AK: *sings* ~Andy did you hear about this one, tell me are you locked in the punch~ *clears throught*. Right. Anyway, the problem with game re-releases is that the main audience would be die-hard fans. But re-releasing the games would take a certain amount of manpower and money, which Square has said they feel is better spent in other areas. From my point of view, Square doesn't want to make "good" games anymore, they want to make trendsettingly revolutionary games. I personally would love to see the older games re-released, but don't hold your breath.

Q: A) I heard that Final Fantasy 7 (FF7) was based on a novel entitled "Loveless." Is this true? B) If it is, who wrote this book and who published it? C) When was it sold? D) Is it available in the US???

AK: A) No. B) Bubba Wells, Dallas Mavericks record holder (most fouls in shortest amount of time in the NBA). C) In 1981. Or maybe that was R.E.M.'s first vinyl single, Radio Free Europe. D) Only if you live in an alternate reality.

Q: This is gonna sound like an odd question, but did Kefka have a last name? Some friends of mine say it was in the Japanese FF6 manual. It sounded Italian. I have no clue what it is, do you?

AK: I think they were making it up. I've never heard of Kefka having a last name. And if they said "Franz," whack them upside the head.

Q: When did you get so famous?:P
Hehe.
Nice column you got here;)
Eb

AK: Eb! Good to hear from you. Anyway, I tell you bud, I've got the connections man. Slip a fiver here, kiss some tail there, and ba-doom-ching you're working on a cool website. That was back in the Squaresoft page days. And now I get seniority benifits. What a gig, eh? By the way, you'd better around for the SNL action. No fair having a social life.

Q: Hey AK, I just thought of something. Now I'm to the point of almost absolute assuredness that Square already thought of this, but I ponder why they don't go through with it. Why don't they make a novelization of Final Fantasy games? You know, like a DragonLance type fantasy novel. Starting from the ones with real character involvement and plot, till now. (Final Fantasy IV - current FF Projects) Now, they could easily make back all of the money they spend on a project such as this, and probably double or triple it in return. So why AK?, Why doesn't Square do this? Who else thinks this is a great idea? Thanks, --Moo

AK: This has been done to some point in fan fictions, but there are a few problems with this. First off, the plot lines are totally separate, which would confuse a whole new audience, instead of just gamers. Secondly, it would require several authors to work on the original Japanese version, not the English version, to ensure that fine points weren't missed. Finally, Square is a video game company, and they probably like that just fine, and see no need to become booksellers too. Not that books are bad, they're just so symbolic of.. production, which goes against one of the more basic reasons games are fun.

Q: Hey AK man, quick question about FF7 PC. I've heard that for the last boss battle theme (One WInged Angel), was were supposed to be some really wicked lyrics, but when I was slugging it out with Spehiroth, I didn't hear a thing except for some instrumental stuff....what gives? Is this another bug in the game, or did they omit the lyrics from the PC version?

AK: Well, I don't know about FF7 PC, but the PSX version has lyrics. On second thought, I'd imagine FF7 PC isn't supposed to have lyrics, since all the music is handled by MIDI, which can't do voices unless you overlay a bit of digital audio on it, but a wavfile, for instance, long enough to hold all the lyrics would use a large amount of memory and processing power on an already strained system. If I'm wrong on this, feel free to write in and correct me.

Q: Who's do you think is cooler, Lara Corft or Aya Brea, and who would win a fight? DarkMoogle

AK: Rosa from FFIV would come in and beat them both up.