Legendary PlayStation RPG Xenogears was released in Japan on this day 25 years ago (thanks for the reminder, Wario64).
Initially supposed to be a proposal pitch for the seventh mainline Final Fantasy game, Xenogears is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Tetsuya Takahashi and Kaori Tanaka.
A combination of 2D and 3D visuals, Xenogears features massive robots called 'Gears' and has an Active Time Battle system similar to that seen in other Square JRPGs. It would arrive in North America in October 1998, but was never granted a European release.
A critical and commercial triumph, Xenogears has sold 1.9 million copies worldwide (as of 2003). While no direct sequel was forthcoming, Takahashi would later establish Monolith Soft and create the Xenosaga and Xenoblade franchises, both of which act as spiritual successors.