While video game music is no longer simply the series of 'beeps' and 'boops' it was in the past, it has nonetheless remained one of game design's -- groan -- unsung heroes. This isn't lost on tune-focused Music4Games, and in a recent interview with Kingdom Hearts composer Yoko Shimomura, she spoke out on a number of topics, including her thoughts on creating music for the PlayStation 3.

According to Shimomura, who is responsible for the tunes we'll be humming along to in Square Enix's upcoming Final Fantasy Versus XIII for the PS3, composing on Sony's current platform is much less limiting than it was in previous generations. "With the PlayStation 2, sound production...was a constant battle with memory and limitations," she recalled, adding that "with the PlayStation 3, I'm expecting to have it sound the way I please, without limitations." It's encouraging to hear someone at any level talk about creating content on the PS3 that doesn't involve the words "difficult" or "costly." However, with Square Enix continuing to play coy with regards to when its decade of Final Fantasy will actually kick off, it may be some time before our ears ring with the fruits of Yoko Shimomura's musical labor.

We're not sure how he does it or how long it takes him, but animator and generally insane fight choreographer "Montyoum" has once again delved into the many unwritten volumes of fan fiction buried inside our minds and rendered each page in startling, over-the-top clarity. After allowing Samus and Master Chief to find love on the battlefield, Montyoum orchestrated a crossover between the elaborately endowed gals of Dead or Alive and a trio of Final Fantasy femme fatales, labeling the ludicrous result "Dead Fantasy."

Above you'll find the sequel, an even bigger display of absurd acrobatics, imaginative pummeling and blissful ignorance of the laws of physics. We love it.

[Thanks, dara hoy]

Square Enix has finally nailed down a firm US release date for its upcoming, dare we say original action-RPG for the DS, The World Ends With You. While Nintendo listed the game among its spring releases last month, the calender jockeys at Final Fantasy proper have announced that the game will make it to North American retail outlets on April 22.

Developed at the hands of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories developer Jupiter, the game has certainly been on the minds of those of us partial to Nintendo's touchable handheld, as as well as those with a thing for big feet and Japanese culture. The World Ends With You is set within Tokyo's "trendiest youth culture center," Shibuya, and takes "major influences" from the area's cultural bearings, from food and music to fashion and design. It all sounds great, but honestly you had us at original.

You may remember last year's April issue of EGM particularly well, as it included the breaking news on a hot new title making its way onto the Nintendo Wii: Mushroom Kingdom Hearts. Then again, you might remember the chorus of angry Nintendo/Disney/Square Enix fanboys screaming when they realized that the announcement was one of EGM's annual April Fools' Day pranks. If you also smacked your head in realization when the initial excitement subsided, we've got great news for you (and this time, it's on the level).

JudgeSpear has lovingly crafted his take on the game-that-never-was, titling it Super Mario Fusion: Mushroom Kingdom Hearts. Much like the legit Square Enix franchise, Fusion features a dimension-hopping Mario, and worlds based off of other video game franchises, including Halo, Sonic, Doom, Castlevania, Ghouls and Ghosts, Mega Man, and a handful of other Nintendo titles. Using familiar controls similar to those of Super Mario World, and a new gunplay mechanic using Covenant weaponry, this programmer has created a Frankengame that is definitely worth checking out.

A demo for the game is available on his site. Sure, it's still a tad buggy, but it's free, and it's probably the only time you'll see Mario packin' heat. We hope.

Released on the Nintendo DS back in July, "Subarashiki Kono Sekai" saw the team behind Kingdom Hearts take a break from all that adorable fantasy nonsense to explore an entirely different... well, no. Setting the game in Shibuya, Tokyo ("the coolest district in Tokyo," it says here) pretty much guarantees a heavy presence of adorable fantasy nonsense. It's a good thing some of us are partial to that sort of thing, or Square Enix wouldn't have bothered to localize the game (otherwise known as "It's a Wondeful World") for the PAL market.

Set for release in Spring 2008, the newly redubbed "The World Ends With You" starts in a rather sinister fashion, reminiscent of other popular Japanese import, The Ring. It seems the lead chap, Neku, encounters a phone message ominously informing him that after seven days have passed, he'll cease to exist. Don't be too concerned, as he'll get out of the predicament thanks to "the coolest fashions, friends and fighting skills" Tokyo has to offer. And hey, if those friends and fighting skills don't work out, at least the guy will be fashionably late. Geddit?

We've asked Square Enix whether or not a US release is on the cards, though it's easy enough to import and play DS games from Europe should the answer be "no, and for the last time, stop sending us those chain letters."

Update: Square Enix has no announcements regarding a US release.

We love helping sick kids as much as the next staff of surly bloggers, but even our moral compass is being tested by this eBay listing for an incredible Keyblade replica. We'd like to say the best part is that 35% [Update: In their FAQ, the seller says 100%] of the funds raised are going to Child's Play. But alas, we're pretty sure that the best part is the above video from the listing that features one of our favorite things: Cosplayers who've just lost the game of Chicken they've been playing with e-infamy and insanity and have ended up splattered all over the internet. Happy holidays, kids.

Of all the images the video, we're especially terrified of Pikachu holding a sword. Because, you see, even if you're properly grounded and insulated against electricity -- he's still got a sword.

[Thanks everyone who sent this in.]

Disney/Square/Enix fans will be happy to know that three new Kingdom Hearts titles are on the way, as Square Enix announced brand new titles in development for the DS, PSP, and mobile phones at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show.

1UP reports that these will be three entirely different titles, although all three will share the theme of "time." Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep will be headed for the PlayStation Portable as a single-player action-RPG romp in the same vein as its PS2 brethren. Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days for the Nintendo DS is a full-3D game starring Roxas from KHII, and featuring simultaneous four-way multiplayer.

The final title, Kingdom Hearts: Coded, is being developed for mobile phones, and features the original Kingdom Hearts cast in a story that appears to take place in between the first and second PS2 games.

The latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly has once again provided some juicy rumors care of the Quartermann column. Q has added some kindling to rumorang fire of Okami for the Wii, suggesting that Capcom is already developing an upgraded port.

On the Square Enix front, rumor has it that Kingdom Hearts has a "series of prequels currently in-the-works for a number of consoles and handhelds." That would fall in line, at least partially, with what Tetsuya Nomura said back in May that the next KH game would not be KHIII but rather a spin-off for portables.

The third rumor presented is that "a popular studio" is working on an open-ended, Grand Theft Auto-style title based on Batman.

Role-playing game powerhouse Square Enix have put up a teaser site for an upcoming online merchandise store. Though we're not expecting software titles to be sold, figurines from Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy are likely (we saw a huge display of fine-crafted figures from those series at Tokyo Game Show last year) and probably clothing with various logos.

Our prediction for best-sellers? Anything with a Slime character on it: key chains, styluses, plush dolls, etc. Our prediction for worst-sellers? Anything sold with actual slime on it. Ew. No date has been given for the grand opening of the store.

[Via 1UP]

Ever wonder what "King" Mickey was really doing in the World of Darkness -- or how he got his mitts on that keyblade? Well, Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura has told Famitsu that the next Kingdom Hearts game will explain just that, CVG reports. Nomura isn't talking Kingdom Hearts III (as EGM speculated), but rather a spin-off entry bound for portability. "[It] would be hard to choose if to make the game for the PSP, NDS or the cell phone," teases a rough translation of Nomura's comments to Famitsu.

The designer hinted that the side-story would play "slightly different" than the rest of the Kingdom Hearts series. "I want to ... change the system a little," said Nomura, adding, "The multi-developing makes me want to put it on something else [other than consoles.]" Sounds like Nomura isn't interested in sharing any one game on multiple platforms. So when can we poll the rest of Square Enix on this issue?

Insert your own jiggling pun here, EGM is reporting the rumor that Team Ninja's crafting a new Dead or Alive title that will be exclusive to the PS3. There's no word on if this is a new branch of the series or the Dead or Alive 5 that alleged joker, smoker and midnight poker Tomonobu Itagaki confirmed last November.

Also slipping from Quarterman's silver tongue: Capcom may be working on a new version of the original Mega Man, remade for the PlayStation Network (what's the appropriate gift for the 100th Mega Man? Glass? Sapphire?). Oh, and, lest we forget, Q says a new Disgaea for PS3 and a new Kingdom Hearts (not Kingdom Hearts 3) are on the way. What's that? You want more? Well, only the first hit is free: You'll have to buy this month's EGM for more details.

Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura (Sony-era Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts series) has told Japanese magazine Dengeki PlayStation that his next project would not be Kingdom Hearts III but a new series. "So it probably won't be just one title," he said.

Nomura told us to expect multiple Kingdom Hearts announcements this year. Hidden trailers notwithstanding, we've heard nothing (Mushroom Kingdom Hearts was an April Fool's gag), so it sounds like the next KH projects will be moving forward without Nomura. Given the design precedent he set, we hope the future project director and producers can improve upon the current template.

Nomura's new series is purported to share some similarities (like character design, natch) with Kingdom Hearts. According to EuroGamer, a full announcement from Square Enix is expected later this year.

The April issue of EGM lands on newstands March 13, but the folks at Obvious Diversion have already sampled the goods. The big "news" is Mushroom Kingdom Hearts for Wii. According to the magazine that never lies, it's Kingdom Hearts sans Final Fantasy characters with Nintendo's Mushroom Kingdom folk in their stead. Over 41 characters will be featured in the game that's set to make more money than the Sultan of Brunei could ever dream of.

EGM's April issue is a famous launching ground for concepts that seem too good to be true. Remember how excited we were when the realistic Wind Waker remake was announced? Wait. That was an April Fools joke? Think what you may, but EGM hasn't officially confirmed Mushroom Kingdom Hearts as a prank. You might want to place a pre-order this weekend. Go ahead, we dare you.

Kingdom Hearts recently joined an elite group of franchises, its three games now accounting for more than 10 million units shipped worldwide. Still dwarfed by a pair of Nintendo franchises, Kingdom Hearts is nonetheless quickly establishing itself as one of the most successful series of all time.

Consider that it's older sibling Final Fantasy -- ranked third among the all-time best-selling franchises -- has managed to move 68 million units; a tall stack indeed, but one that's built on 12 core games dating back to 1987, plus countless spin-offs, remakes, and compilations. To date, Kingdom Hearts (technically considered a FF spin-off) is built on a mere 3 titles; none of which have gone multi-platform (GBA's Chain of Memories will be released for PS2 in an upcoming re-release compilation called Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix +). Kingdom Hearts debuted in September 2002.

Appropriately, Square Enix will soon unveil multiple Kingdom Hearts sequels, affirming that this action-RPG is one of the most sought after series in the business. So which platforms will be blessed this time around? Is the primary series' successor safe in Sony's hands?