Ascended
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Hello, and welcome to the one-stop discussion topic for all things Square-Enix! If you don't know who the company is or why they should have a character in Super Smash Bros, then you've come to the right place. So let's get started, shall we?
What is Square-Enix?
(NOTE: I'll be using the Japanese names for consoles for games that were not released outside of Japan.)
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, there were two companies that were the juggernauts of the RPG genre. Squaresoft, which created franchises such as Final Fantasy, SaGa, and Secret of Mana, and Enix which created franchises such as Dragon Quest and Star Ocean. The two companies merged into one on April 1st, 2003 (Naturally, many thought it was an April Fools Joke), and while other companies such as Atlus and Intelligent Systems have been creating some amazing RPGs, Square-Enix is still a powerhouse developer due to owning the two biggest Japanese RPG franchises: Final Fanasy and Dragon Quest.
Why should they have a character in Super Smash Bros.?
Both Square and Enix have had long, deep, and close histories with Nintendo. Here's a small sample of the history that this company has had with Nintendo throughout the years:
Squaresoft's History with Nintendo:
+ Started the Final Fantasy series in 1987 on the Famicom. They released Final Fantasy II and III on the Famicom, IV, V, and VI on the Super Famicom, and co-developed Super Mario RPG on the SNES.
+ Started the SaGa trilogy on the Game Boy (Released in America as Final Fantasy Legend), as well as the Romancing SaGa trilogy on the Super Famicom.
+ Started the Seiken Densetsu series on the Game Boy (Final Fantasy Adventure), which was followed up with Secret of Mana on the SNES and the Japan exclusive Seiken Densetsu 3.
+ Started the Front Mission series with Front Mission and Front Mission: Gun Hazard on the Super Famicom.
+ Created several smaller series/one-off titles such as Chrono Trigger, Live-A-Live, Bahamut Lagoon, and Secret of Evermore on the Super Famicom/SNES.
Enix's History with Nintendo:
+ Started the Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior series on the Famicom in 1986. Also, Dragon Warrior was given away in a Nintendo Power contest when it was first released in America in 1989.
+ Started the Itadaki/Fortune Street series on the Famicom.
+ Started the Star Ocean series on the Super Famicom.
+ Started the Ogre Battle series on the SNES.
+ Released several smaller/one-off titles on the SNES such as ActRaiser, Illusion of Gaia, and Terranigma.
Square-Enix's History with Nintendo:
+ Started the Nintendo exclusive Final Fantasy spin-off series Crystal Chronicles on the GameCube and Tactics Advance on the Game Boy Advance.
+ Released ports/remakes of Final Fantasy I-VI and Dragon Quest I-VII on Nintendo's portable systems.
+ Co-developed Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Mario Sports Mix, and Fortune Street (All three games feature crossovers between Mario and Square-Enix characters.)
+ Released several games in the Kingdom Hearts series on Nintendo's portable consoles.
+ Started The World Ends With You on DS.
+ Released Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy (25th anniversary game) on 3DS.
If Square-Enix got a character, who could it be?
While Square-Enix has many popular and successful games and franchises, like other third-party companies they will most likely only have one character representing them. When Square and Enix merged, they stated that Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Dragon Quest would be the three pillars of the company, and since third-party characters in Smash tend to be from big flagship franchises, it is safe to assume that a Square-Enix character will be from one of these three franchises. (Source for those who don't believe/haven't heard this: http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/04/01/square-enixs-first-words)
(Continued in next post)
What is Square-Enix?
(NOTE: I'll be using the Japanese names for consoles for games that were not released outside of Japan.)
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, there were two companies that were the juggernauts of the RPG genre. Squaresoft, which created franchises such as Final Fantasy, SaGa, and Secret of Mana, and Enix which created franchises such as Dragon Quest and Star Ocean. The two companies merged into one on April 1st, 2003 (Naturally, many thought it was an April Fools Joke), and while other companies such as Atlus and Intelligent Systems have been creating some amazing RPGs, Square-Enix is still a powerhouse developer due to owning the two biggest Japanese RPG franchises: Final Fanasy and Dragon Quest.
Why should they have a character in Super Smash Bros.?
Both Square and Enix have had long, deep, and close histories with Nintendo. Here's a small sample of the history that this company has had with Nintendo throughout the years:
Squaresoft's History with Nintendo:
+ Started the Final Fantasy series in 1987 on the Famicom. They released Final Fantasy II and III on the Famicom, IV, V, and VI on the Super Famicom, and co-developed Super Mario RPG on the SNES.
+ Started the SaGa trilogy on the Game Boy (Released in America as Final Fantasy Legend), as well as the Romancing SaGa trilogy on the Super Famicom.
+ Started the Seiken Densetsu series on the Game Boy (Final Fantasy Adventure), which was followed up with Secret of Mana on the SNES and the Japan exclusive Seiken Densetsu 3.
+ Started the Front Mission series with Front Mission and Front Mission: Gun Hazard on the Super Famicom.
+ Created several smaller series/one-off titles such as Chrono Trigger, Live-A-Live, Bahamut Lagoon, and Secret of Evermore on the Super Famicom/SNES.
Enix's History with Nintendo:
+ Started the Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior series on the Famicom in 1986. Also, Dragon Warrior was given away in a Nintendo Power contest when it was first released in America in 1989.
+ Started the Itadaki/Fortune Street series on the Famicom.
+ Started the Star Ocean series on the Super Famicom.
+ Started the Ogre Battle series on the SNES.
+ Released several smaller/one-off titles on the SNES such as ActRaiser, Illusion of Gaia, and Terranigma.
Square-Enix's History with Nintendo:
+ Started the Nintendo exclusive Final Fantasy spin-off series Crystal Chronicles on the GameCube and Tactics Advance on the Game Boy Advance.
+ Released ports/remakes of Final Fantasy I-VI and Dragon Quest I-VII on Nintendo's portable systems.
+ Co-developed Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Mario Sports Mix, and Fortune Street (All three games feature crossovers between Mario and Square-Enix characters.)
+ Released several games in the Kingdom Hearts series on Nintendo's portable consoles.
+ Started The World Ends With You on DS.
+ Released Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy (25th anniversary game) on 3DS.
If Square-Enix got a character, who could it be?
While Square-Enix has many popular and successful games and franchises, like other third-party companies they will most likely only have one character representing them. When Square and Enix merged, they stated that Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Dragon Quest would be the three pillars of the company, and since third-party characters in Smash tend to be from big flagship franchises, it is safe to assume that a Square-Enix character will be from one of these three franchises. (Source for those who don't believe/haven't heard this: http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/04/01/square-enixs-first-words)
(Continued in next post)