PlayStation fans are no strangers to the FINAL FANTASY brand, and have continued to be devoted supporters over the series’ 25 year history. Last fall, we brought two additional classic entries in this franchise to the PSN catalog as part of our Winter of RPGs campaign.

This time, I’m here to help close out summer with a bang. The list of numbered FINAL FANTASY titles available on the PlayStation family of consoles has been incredible, but alas, it has also been incomplete. That changes on September 25th, with the release of FINAL FANTASY III on PlayStation Network.

Now, PSP owners will be able to experience a piece of FINAL FANTASY history as they embark on a journey with the four Warriors of Light — Luneth, Arc, Refia, and Ingus — as they battle to save the world from being engulfed in Darkness. A dangerous mission, to be sure; to accomplish their task, they will need an incredible set of skills.

FINAL FANTASY III was the first installment in the series to include the now-famous Job System. While this band of heroes starts out as Freelancers, with time, they will each be able to learn one of 23 different jobs! Use the healing spells of the White Mage to protect your party, harness the negative energies of the world as a Dark Knight, or turn the environment itself into a weapon as a Geomancer. These are but three of the many options available — there’s a multitude of incredible of job combinations for your party. Mix and match until you find the combination you like best!

But there’s more! New features for the PSP version include: graphics optimized for the 16:9 screen, an image gallery, an option to switch to the original BGM, and an auto-battle system that doubles the speed of combat.

FINAL FANTASY III debuts on PSN September 25th. Download it, complete your FINAL FANTASY collection, and then start figuring out what you want your Warriors to be when they grow up. Oh, and say hi to Cid for me when you see him!

I’d like to introduce you to the newest female hero to join the Square Enix family. She’s an unlikely heroine, but she’s proven herself in her most recent adventure. I’m talking, of course, about Scarygirl.

But who is Scarygirl? That’s a question she herself has been striving to answer. She washed ashore on an island, and was taken in by a friendly octopus named Blister. Scarygirl knew that she was different—after all, she has one arm that’s a tentacle, one arm that’s a bone, and a really cool eyepatch.

Her problems started when she began having nightmares about a mysterious man. When Blister was unable to help her, he sent Scarygirl to the wise—if cryptic—Bunniguru. And, after speaking to him, she set out on a journey to discover the mystery of the man behind her nightmares.

A lot of enemies stand in her way, so she’s going to have to do some fighting. But her unique arm allows her to do some rather unique attacks. Scarygirl can bash, grab, throw, and even defend herself with her tentacle arm. And, as her adventures progress, she’ll be able to learn more advanced moves and begin to explore some darker, more powerful, abilities.

Based on the award-winning graphic novel by Nathan Jurevicius, Scarygirl takes place in a bizarre, yet beautiful world, full of amazing imagery and unforgettable characters. Scarygirl comes to the PlayStation Network next week on January 24. Are you ready to get scary?

The answer: I’m here to announce Square Enix’s “Winter of RPGs” campaign. In some parts of North America, winter seems to have gotten an early head start. And while that brings a lot of headaches for those who have to contend with ice and snow, it’s also a perfect time for us to announce our latest group of titles coming to PSN. So, while you’re staying inside and out of the cold, icky weather, why not fire up your PS3 and play some classic RPGs? We’ve got some great games lined up to get you through the cold days ahead.

So what’s up first? Some of you may have noticed my responses to reader comments in my last column. And even last week, readers of “The Drop” were asking when we’d see this particular title arrive. Well, get ready to travel not through time, but through alternate realities when Chrono Cross releases. Join Serge as he finds himself in a world where he died as a young child, meets the enigmatic thief Kid, and goes on a quest for the artifact known as the Frozen Flame! The sequel to Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross delivers on some great gameplay and fantastic story, which is probably the reason why the game is so highly rated. It won lots of awards when it was released, including Gamespot’s Game of the Year in 2000. Don’t believe me? Google it. I’ll wait.

Chrono Cross will release on November 8th—just five days from now. You have been warned.

But, you know, we can’t really call it the “Winter of RPGs” if we just announce one title—even if it is one as great as Chrono Cross. The second title in our “Winter of RPGs” lineup begins with a meteor and some crystals. It also expanded on the incredible job system and introduced us to the Time Mage, Blue Mage, Berserker, and Dancer jobs, to name a few. That’s right—it’s Final Fantasy V! Our main character is Bartz, whom many of you will probably know from his appearances in Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy. In Final Fantasy V, you take on the role of Bartz and help defend the Crystals that keep the evil sorcerer Exdeath imprisoned.

Final Fantasy V will be released on November 22, just in time for you to save the world over Thanksgiving!

We’ve got one more title to announce, and it’s a big one. This one made it all to #9 on IGN’s top 100 games of all time back in 2007. And in 2009, Game Informer went one better and named it #8, while G4TV named it #1 in their “Top 5 Must-Own RPGs.” Have you guessed what it is yet?

It features a crazy clown mage who is truly evil and the young female half-Esper who winds up opposing him. Welcome Kefka and Terra to the PlayStation Network just in time for the holidays!

Final Fantasy VI will be released on December 6th.

That’s all for now—Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy V, and Final Fantasy VI. To horribly misquote Shakespeare, “Now is the winter of our RPGs.”

We’re happy to confirm that Chrono Trigger is coming to the PSN in North America on October 4th. That’s right—in just a few days, you’ll be able to visit (or re-visit, as I’m sure is the case for many of you) one of the most hilarious and unique casts of characters ever assembled in an RPG:

Crono: The spiky-haired, stoic protagonist who finds himself wrapped up in events beyond his control. He’s pretty good with a katana and doesn’t run from a fight.

Marle: The requisite princess, but she’s no ordinary princess. How many princesses do you know that wield a crossbow?

Lucca: Chrono’s best friend since they were little kids. Oh, and she’s a supergenius who invents things such as the teleporter that starts your journey through time.

Frog: A knight from the middle ages, Frog is a man who has been cursed and turned into a giant anthropomorphic frog. But being a frog doesn’t prevent him from being a fantastic fighter—and having one of the coolest special attacks in the game.

Robo: A robot from the future (I’ve always wanted to write that) who, after being repaired by Lucca, joins the party. Yes, a robot. With lasers!

Ayla: Hailing from prehistoric times, Ayla is tough. Really tough. She uses her enormous strength and agility to fight unarmed, and dishes out a lot of damage.

Travel through time to put things right and defeat the evil Lavos before he destroys everything!

There’s more than one way to save the world, of course, and Chrono Trigger respects that. In fact, the game has always been highly regarded for the number of different endings available. Have you got them all? If not, the time has come.

Robo, Lucca, Marle, Frog, Ayla, and Chrono are waiting for you.

We showed the first video for Moon Diver at E3 last year. And, although all we had on the floor was a video, the response was overwhelming. People wanted to know when they would be able to get their hands on “that game that looks like Strider.” Well, that time is fast approaching, as Moon Diver is part of the PlayStation Network’s Spring Fever promotion.

Moon Diver puts you in the role of one of five elite warriors who have been given orders to reclaim the Earth after a horrible catastrophe. It’s a tough job, to be sure, which is why you don’t have to go it alone. Up to three friends can join you in either local or on-line coop as you hack, slash, jump, and slice your way to saving humanity. Working together, you’re stronger, and nowhere is that more evident than in the powerful combos called Moonsault Combinations that you and your friends can execute together. Sure, the enemies are really bad. And some are really big. But with a little hard work, and a lot of teamwork, you can succeed!

And, while we’re at it, there’s a reason why Moon Diver might remind you of Strider. Kouichi Yotsui, the creator of Strider, is also the creator of Moon Diver!

Here’s an exclusive sneak peek at the launch trailer. Check out the multiplayer insanity above, and you’ll be ready to download both the demo and the full game of Moon Diver on March 29!