After a short delay from its originally planned January 6th ship date, Star Ocean: Second Evolution finally makes its debut on PSP next week, and none too soon given the dearth of PSP titles of late. Here are 30 new screenshots to get you pysched up for the impending release.

Remember a couple weeks ago when Star Ocean: Second Evolution was given a ship date of January 6th? Slight change of plans. Square Enix has announced a minor delay today, now penciling the title in for a January 20th launch. This is both good and bad really. Rather than having it come out right after the turn of the year, a couple weeks later provides more time to finish up the glut of games coming out right now. Then again, that glut of current games doesn’t include much of anything for the PSP (Star Ocean: First Departure is the only recent worthwhile title I can think of, ironically enough), so two more weeks of nothing to play on Sony’s portable may feel like an eternity to some.

Square Enix still have three major releases left for 2008 (Chrono Trigger DS, The Last Remnant and Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories), but they won’t be waiting long to kick 2009 off with a bang. The house that Final Fantasy built today outlined its game lineup for early next year, a lineup consisting of four big games including Star Ocean: Second Evolution for PSP (January 6th), Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride for DS (February 17th), Star Ocean: The Last Hope for Xbox 360 (March 3rd), and Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume for DS (March 17th). Quite a lineup there, sure to keep RPG fans plenty busy following the ongoing holiday crush.

Read up on all four Q1 2009 titles after the break.

STAR OCEAN: Second Evolution

Developer: SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: PSP system
Genre: RPG
ESRB: T (Teen)
Ship Date: January 6, 2009

Following the exploits of humankind’s journey across the stars, the STAR OCEAN saga comes to life in the completely remastered STAR OCEAN: Second Evolution, exclusively for the PSP system. Now with a revised game engine, an improved battle system and fully voiced, all-new animated scenes displayed in 16:9 widescreen, players can experience their journey through the rich STAR OCEAN universe like never before.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/starocean/.

DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride

Scenario & Game Design: Yuji Horii
Character Design: Akira Toriyama
Music Composer: Koichi Sugiyama
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Developer: ArtePiazza
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: RPG
ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10 and older)
Ship Date: February 17, 2009

Never before released in North America, this entry in the Zenithia Trilogy follows a journey that transcends three generations. Travel alongside your father on his quest to see the world, grow to set forth on a journey of your own and face life-altering decisions as you continue your family’s legacy. DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride makes its way to Nintendo DS on February 17, 2009.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/zenithia/.

STAR OCEAN: THE LAST HOPE

Developer: tri-Ace Inc.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: RPG
ESRB: Not Yet Rated
Ship Date: March 3, 2009

STAR OCEAN: THE LAST HOPE is the latest entry in the futuristic STAR OCEAN series of RPGs. Science fiction and fantasy meld in this long-awaited continuation of the celebrated franchise from developer tri-Ace Inc.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/starocean/.

VALKYRIE PROFILE: Covenant of the Plume

Developer: tri-Ace Inc.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: RPG
ESRB: Not Yet Rated
Ship Date: March 17, 2009
Character Illustration: KOU YOSHINARI / YOU YOSHINARI

Destiny by sinner sought. Tragedy by power wrought. The origins of a cult classic are revealed in VALKYRIE PROFILE: Covenant of the Plume, the third entry in the critically acclaimed VALKYRIE PROFILE series. Development studio tri-Ace returns to craft a gameplay experience that boasts a captivating storyline with ties to Norse mythology and a familiar yet refreshing battle system enhanced with deeper strategic elements. VALKYRIE PROFILE: Covenant of the Plume marks the debut of the series on Nintendo DS with its arrival on March 17, 2009.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/vpcp/.