Because of the Game Boy Color's current popularity, many publishers, as of late, have been bringing unique, original games to the system. Enix is one of these companies, and soon they will add another game to their Game Boy repertoire. Enix recently announced the existence of Star Ocean: Blue Sphere for the Game Boy Color. The game is a sequel to and takes place two years after last year's PlayStation release, Star Ocean: the Second Story.

Fans of last year's game will be pleased to learn that all of the twelve main characters from Star Ocean: the Second Story will be making a return appearance. The game will limit players to having only three characters in the party at a time, but the party members can be changed at any time. A new feature to Star Ocean: Blue Sphere is a new technique called "item creation." Players will be able to create new weapons, armor, and other useful items by combining old items and other common objects. Because the game has a high emphasis on the "item creation" skill, stores in Star Ocean: Blue Sphere will be few and far between.

Enix has mentioned a multiplayer aspect to the game, using the Game Boy link cable, but they have not yet given specific details. The game's battle system is in what Enix calls "half-real-time" format, so gamers can expect menu-driven battles with more urgency and excitement than in your average game. Star Ocean: Blue Sphere is tentatively planned for release in Japan this summer. No announcement has been made on whether the game will be released in North America, but considering Enix's recent North American release of Dragon Warrior Monsters and the Game Boy's current popularity, a domestic release of Star Ocean: Blue Sphere seems likely. Expect more news about Enix's newest RPG in the near future, and count on RPGamer to bring it to you.