Square Enix has no playable Final Fantasy XIII or Versus at TGS, so fans are having to make do with the now traditional breadcrumb service of slightly remixed and elongated (by a matter of seconds) showreel footage of said titles.

For now, there are more important Square Enix games to address. 

As a sign of the increasingly cosy relationship between Square Enix and Microsoft in Japan, two of the Japanese company’s major new games – The Last Remnant, and Star Ocean 4 (which has now been confirmed for a February release in Japan, followed by a Stateside debut in March) – form an area that takes up approximately one-third of Microsoft’s booth. What’s more, these games are not on show in Square Enix’ own space.

With its PS3 projects consigned to video and its Xbox 360 works apparently gifted to Microsoft, Square Enix’ TGS stand is centred on new handheld attractions.

There’s no playable build of Dragon Quest IX here (had there been, meltdown would have ensued) and, for that matter, Chrono Trigger DS is also not playable – in spite of being scheduled for a November 20 Japanese release. A Square Enix source confirms that Chrono Trigger DS is essentially a straight remake of the legendary SNES game, rather than an FFIII-style rebuilding project. 

There are, however, plenty of games here to console Japanese DS owners: As well as two new Chocobo RPGs, there’s the bafflingly named Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and, more appealing, an all-new DS instalment in the Valkyrie Profile series, which began life as a PlayStation classic from pre-merger Enix.

Meanwhile, Pingu and Snoopy DS games (no, really) find Square Enix searching for a younger demographic.

An iPhone version of Romancing Saga has been announced, while Final Fantasy IV The After is the pick of Square Enix’ new keitai games. 

On the PSP, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep provides more evidence that Square Enix needs to hire a new ‘Game Name Imaginer’.

Dissidia Final Fantasy plays a solid game of long-range, free movement 3D fighting – imagine a zoomed-out and reworked Power Stone, but with HP bars (where HP can increase during fights, as well as decrease) and goth looks.