September 14^th, 2005 (6:27pm) - The latest issue of Japan’s Famitsu magazine has revealed a ton of savory gaming info for fans of almost every gaming platform and this latest news update is covering the new information the magazine has revealed in regards to Monolith’s latest RPG efforts for Namco. Not only is Monolith developing Xenosaga Episode III for the PS2, but they’re also hard at work with a sequel to the GameCube’s Baten Kaitos and DS version of both Xenosaga I & II.

Baten Kaitos II is currently in development for the GameCube and is scheduled to see a release in Japan this coming December. The game’s existence sure is a surprise to many GameCube owners, mostly due to the fact that sales of the game weren’t as strong as either Namco or Nintendo would have liked. The game’s translated subtitle is "Wings of the Beginning and the Heir to the Gods" and from the looks of it, as seen in the screenshots below, BKII will once again offer gamers and incredible looking adventure thanks to the development team’s excellent art direction. There is no word on whether or not the game will see a release overseas, however, it is said that Nintendo will be publishing the game itself in Japan.

Xenosaga I & II for the Nintendo DS is a 2D retelling of the PS2’s Xenosaga Episode I and Episode II. The game will be based on Episode I’s battle engine with a new "PF System" added to it. While the game will use some FMV, most of the cinematics, including Episode I’s opening, will be redone using 2D graphics. A specific release date for the game has not yet been revealed,.

Finally, Xenosaga Episode III is said to be the final chapter in the series. The same cast of characters from the previous game will be returning as the game’s story takes place a year after the events of Episode II. The game will feature similar visuals to that of Episode II’s and promises to improve on the battle system significantly.

More on these games as the Tokyo Game Show begins on Friday.