Earlier today Nintendo of America confirmed an article first posted by the Nihon Kezai Shimbun, that Square's acclaimed Final Fantasy series would return to Nintendo. The news piece, broken in Japan, stated that Nintendo and a still unnamed Square affiliate -- a company backed with money from Hiroshi Yamauchi's Q Fund and led by Square director Akitoshi Kawazu, were already underway jointly with undisclosed projects for GameCube and Game Boy Advance.

Since the announcement IGNcube has been able to uncover more details.

While not officially announced, the first Final Fantasy game thought to be in development under the agreement is Final Fantasy Unlimited, a title based on Square's anime series of the same name. In the anime series, a black pillar appears mysteriously in the waters near Japan and begins to summon monsters from another world. A Geologist named Dr. Hawayaka and his wife enter the portal and return later to write about their adventures. When they attempt to travel to the other world for a second time, though, they go missing. And this is when their children, Ai and Yuu decide to look for them.

Akitoshi Kawazu, who worked on Legend of Mana and SaGa for Square, began development on a Final Fantasy Unlimited project for an unnamed console as far back as October of last year. His role in the Q Fund startup studio suggests that the game is indeed bound for GameCube and Game Boy Advance. The titles, according to Nintendo of America, will be totally interactive with one another and will arrive, at least in Japan if not America, before the end of the year.

"This is very exciting news for us and surely for gameplayers around the world," Nintendo of America's vice president of corporate affairs Perrin Kaplan told IGNcube today. "Square's talent is well-respected. Between the combination of their good work, and Nintendo's exclusive connectivity ability between GCN and GBA, the result will be great."

A character from the Final Fantasy Unlimited anime series in Japan

The first titles, whether they be Final Fantasy Unlimited or not, would appear to be originally created for GameCube and Game Boy Advance. The link between the two consoles will certainly be emphasized, said Nintendo of America.

source IGN Cube