In somewhat slightly unexpected news, Square Enix has just announced a new Final Fantasy IX album earlier today, which is set to reimagine Nobuo Uematsu's iconic RPG soundtrack in a "deep house" style (thanks RPG Site for the spot).
FINAL FANTASY IX - House Grooves, as the album is called, will be released on March 25th, according to the reveal, with pre-orders for the album currently being live across various storefronts. Pre-orders for the West are also expected to begin later today in North America (here) and Europe (here).
The album will feature new arrangements of 12 pieces of music that have been hand-picked from the original game, with the collaborators on this project including the following artists: SEQUENCE, Lonely Boy, DJ Synthesizer, Kai Saruwatari, Andreas Saag, Giom, Terry McGowan, Christian Dinh Gulino, Ai Kakihira, Chocoholic, Haioka, and Pam featuring Community Resolution. Square Enix describes the album as "a set of warm yet striking dance‑music tributes — created for everyone who once stepped into that unforgettable world", with the tracks that have been included listed on the Square Enix store as follows:
- A Place to Call Home
- Not Alone
- Battle 1 ~ Vamo'alla flamenco
- Over the Hill
- Something to Protect ~ Roses of May
- Black Mage Village
- Danger in the Forest
- Terra
- Freya's Theme
- Village of Dali
- A Song From Her Memory
- Prelude
The album is priced at 3300 yen (tax included), and will be released on the same day in Japan as a colourful t-shirt (costing 7700 yen), featuring a depiction of the Black Mage Vivi in Trance form.
While it is admittedly great to see one of our favourite Final Fantasy entries still getting a ton of new merch more than 25 years after its release, we have to imagine there are a few people out there who are perhaps getting a little annoyed at seeing Square Enix announce pretty much anything but a remake of the classic game.
Since an Nvidia leak in 2021, rumours have been swirling online that Square Enix was working on a potential remake of the beloved RPG title, with many expecting an announcement to coincide with the game's 25th anniversary.
So far, however, we've had no official confirmation from Square Enix about this remake actually existing, with the company instead announcing various other projects to celebrate the game's legacy, such as albums, plush toys, clothing, and picture books.