Gyrozetter started as a fancy transforming arcade machine that was part racing game and part card battling game. Square Enix planned this as a franchise from the start and also made an anime series that airs on TV Tokyo.

The wizards behind Square Enix’s CG artwork cooked up a rather amusing April Fool’s prank this year. It wasn’t a mean tease of a much anticipated Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts title, but a real life Raibird from Gyrozetter.

Gyrozetter, the transforming car arcade game turned anime series turned 3DS game, is rolling into Japanese Happy Meals.

Square Enix president, Yoichi Wada, explains what went wrong with the Gyrozetter arcade game.

Gyrozetter is part racing game and part robot-paper-scissors. After putting in 100 yen for a play you get a machine card.

One of Square Enix’s upcoming franchises is a racing game with transforming cars called Gyrozetter. On top of slick transforming arcade cabinets, Square Enix has big plans for Gyrozetter with a manga, anime series, and toys in the works.

Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota and other car manufacturers are lending their cars to Square Enix for conversion into powerful mechs.

The 3DS version of Gyrozetter will take place in the same world as the rest of the franchise, but will have its own story.

Square Enix showed off a new trailer for the arcade version of their new franchise, Gyrozetter.

A trademark hints at possible overseas plans for Gyrozetter, a Square Enix mixed media project that features transforming robots.

A neat touch is Gyrozetter’s arcade cabinet transforms too. Players lift a steering wheel up in robot battle mode (right) to reveal levers.

Back in 2009, Square Enix and casual game makers PopCap worked together to create Gyromancer, a Puzzle Quest style game made with Bejeweled Twist’s backbone.