"[GAS] Reader Ani-Mia recently sent me a few pictures of her cosplaying as Lulu from Final Fantasy X, and I must say, the costume looks very authentic! I’ve also included a few other pictures I stumbled on while stalking looking through her Facebook page."

Final Fantasy XIII, one of the most awaited video games of the year, went on sale Thursday morning in Japan. The game marks the first time the long-running series has appeared on the PlayStation 3 and launches as the console is enjoying better sales.

Several hundred people queued in the pre-dawn cold in Tokyo's Shibuya district to be among the first in the world to own the game. Sales began at the Tsutaya software store on Shibuya crossing at 7a.m. and simultaneously at other major electronics stores across the city. It costs ¥8,300 (US$93).

Sparks fly, both figuratively and literally, in the latest trailer for Final Fantasy XIII. After that, some things get beat up and a hot rod appears in battle. Then Snow takes his shirt off. The latest in Square's long-running RPG franchise hits Japan in PlayStation 3 form on December 17, with PS3 and Xbox 360 editions hitting North America in spring 2010.