The forces of Cosmos and the forces of Chaos square off as beloved characters from Final Fantasies past do battle in Dissidia Final Fantasy, just announced for a mid-year 2009 release in North America.

Just released in Japan, Dissidia for the PSP is a Final Fantasy fan's dream fighting match, with good guys like Cloud, Squall, and Terra taking on the assembled pantheon of FF evil, represented by Sephiroth, Golbez, and the adorably bat$#@! insane Kefka. It features a battle system that incorporates classic series mechanics such as overdrives and limit breaks, RPG-based character development, and a full story that supposedly makes sense, unlike most character mash-up fighting games. All that's missing here is Vivi, but with a mid-year 2009 release date, Square Enix has some time to fix that.

Along with the release window announcement, Square Enix has also announced that the Dissidia Final Fantasy Trading Arts figures will be making an appearance in the North American online store, with Cloud, Squall, Zidane, and Tidus represented in Volume 1.

Excellent news to kick off the morning! More Final Fantasy goodness, and something to justify my random purchase of a PSP 3000 this weekend. My day is complete. Going back to bed now. DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY Announced for Mid-Year 2009 Release in North America

http://kotaku.com/5113108/final-fant...de-this-summer