Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance

[Scott_Pilgrim]

GamePlay Videos





Opening Scene




Προσωπικά το περιμένω σαν τρελός και ίσως τσιμπήσω ένα 3DS για να το παίξω.. Δεν ξέρω γιατί, αλλά οι Dream Eaters με χαλάνε πολύ...

[Scott_Pilgrim]

The June 2012 issue of Game Informer magazine has included an article on Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]. This article contains an interview with the director of the Kingdom Hearts series, Tetsuya Nomura, where he discusses the upcoming release of Kingdom Hearts 3D internationally

GI: What is the first element you create when starting a new Kingdom Hearts game?


TN: "It differs every time, but I usually start with the gameplay mechanics. At the same time, I work on the structure of the story and then flesh it out from there with the gameplay linked to the story."

GI: What was the visual inspiration for the colorful and cute Spirit allies and Nightmare enemies compared to the darker Heartless and Nobodies in the past games?

TN: I've always wanted to incorporate a system in which you can turn your enemies into allies. When I decided on having the story take place in the world of dreams, I needed a new category of enemies. That's how I thought about creating new characters that can be added as allies. I had the team apply many different color patterns, keeping in mind that these are fantastical creatures that live in a dream world. Then, I picked the pattern that was the most colorful and stood out the most.

GI: Would you ever want to see a high-definition collections of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II similar to the upcoming Final Fantasy X HD remaster?

TN: I do have an interest in HD versions, and I'm currently researching them. If it is possible, I would like to do something about the series being spread over so many different consoles, too. I am thinking alot about the future.

GI: You released Birth by Sleep on PSP. What are your thoughts on the Playstation Vita?

TN: We have been invited to make games on different new platforms, and every time we have created titles making sure that they are highly compatible with the platform. The PS Vita is definitely a powerful device that is very interesting, but because of it's high power, there isn't much of a difference with a console. So even if we were to make a game, we would have to be very careful about how to create it for that device. I also feel that it's about time that Kingdom Hearts should go back to being on a console.

GI: What do you say to the segment of Kingdom Hearts fans that believes the increasingly complex storyline of Kingdom Hearts stands at odd with the child-focused Disney element of the franchise?

TN: First of all, this series is not intended to be child-focused, and so the complexity of the story is purposefully made prominent. That being said, with a series being around so long, there are a few items I have in mind so that a wider audience range can enjoy the experience. For the time being Dream Drop Distance, there is a new function called Mementos, and in the section called Chronicles, the player can read a summary on each of the titles from the Kingdom Hearts series. Whether you are just starting out or you have played all the games before and need a refresher, it has all of the key information summarized.

GI: In recent interviews you hinted that Dream Drop Distance is the last game before Kingdom Hearts III. Do you see it this way?

TN: I'm not able to disclose any information on what's coming next or any other future plans, but you may be able to find a hint if you play through Dream Drop Distance to the very end.

GI: Square Enix has released serveral iPhone and iPad games both of new franchises and classics. Are you interested in creating Kingdom Hearts game or other titles for IOS?

TN: There is something I am working on, but I'm afraid I can't reveal the specifics. I feel that there needs to be progress made on the tablet devices and there should be more games for that platform. I'm not sure which title this would come to pass, but I am researching about IOS as one of the platform options.

GI: How is Final Fantasy Versus XIII coming along? It's been nearly six years since it was announced. Why is this project taking so long to develop?

TN: We would like to ask for your patience on an official announcement for this title. It always takes time when tackling the challenge of doing something new, but we are doing our best to bring information to the fans as quickly as we can. Your patience is greatly appreciated.

Μακράν η πιο ευχάριστη συνέντευξη του Nomura τα τελευταία έτη. Καταρχάς λέει και ο ίδιος πως ήρθε η στιγμή να δούμε το KH πίσω στις μεγάλες κονσόλες. Μετά λέει να παίξουμε το 3D μέχρι τέλους και θα δούμε εκεί αν πάμε για KH III. Επίσης περί HD Collection 1) μάλλον θααργήσουμε να την δούμε και 2) είπε πως θέλει να κάνει κάτι για όλα αυτά τα KH που έχουν βγει σε τόσες κονσόλες... Αγαπάμε Nomura <3

[Scott_Pilgrim]

Nέες συνεντεύξεις

— It’s been over a month since the sale date dropped, how has the player’s response been?

Nomura: Overall, people seem to think the story this time was difficult to understand. (Wry laughter.)

— The setup certainly was different and trickier than before. In their travels this time they were essentially supposed to go to the worlds shut by sleep, but in the end, an entirely different world sets the stage.

Nomura: There are other worlds shut by sleep, from the start which ones they would go to was not decided. Even Yen Sid didn’t know which worlds they would go to. Amidst that, they were guided by two members of Organization XIII to the World That Never Was.

— What about when Riku looked upon the Brown Robed Figure and dived into another world, was it assumed he’d join Organization XIII?

Nomura: Since they knew he’d wake up soon, it’s reasonable to assume as much, but that wasn’t necessarily why the Organization had guided him. Still, they weren’t ready to completely give up on Riku, they wanted to win him over into the Organization. However, Riku had developed a resistance to darkness and as a result, they gave up.

— Riku really rose to the occasion, especially in the final battle, shouting lines like, “Still there?”

Nomura: As tension leading to the end of the story, I steadily added bosses that weren’t originally planned since it’d feel anticlimactic without a battle. As I was making progress writing the scenarios, I called the Osaka development team and asked if they could add more. The battle with the armor after the last dive was one that they added for me, I didn’t think it’d be clearly understood without a fight sequence.

— Riku had a lot going on this time. In comparison to Sora, he has the charm of a dark hero type. How do you see him?

Nomura: Riku grows while carrying various troubles with him, he’s a lot like a retro Square hero I think. Final Fantasy-esque, so to speak. On the other hand, I made Sora the sort of character you wouldn’t see in a retro Square game.

— Sora’s just a regular boy, huh. Why isn’t he the daring hero type?

Nomura: There is the thought that the player is equal to Sora. Naturally, there are people who are not like Sora. (Laughs.) But I had the premise that a heart like Sora’s exists within all the players. Sora is “ordinary”, therefore everyone is “ordinary”. I figure even if you’re “ordinary”, for something important everyone can exhibit a special power just like Sora.

— I want to ask more about the World That Never Was. Is that world a part of reality? Or is also a world of sleep?

Nomura: When that world’s logo appears, it indicates the boundary between the dream and reality. When Sora arrives, it’s reality and then goes into a world of sleep. Riku arrives in the sleeping world, and as you progress and the world logo appears, that’s when it becomes reality.

— When both of them are in the reality parts, they don’t return to their original bodies. Why is that?

Nomura: It’s because of Yen Sid’s magic that they’ve taken their old forms. If they didn’t return to Yen Sid’s place, their bodies wouldn’t return back to normal. Incidentally, their new outfits were thanks to Yen Sid’s magic as Sora suspected.

— Riku fights a Nightmare wearing a black coat in this world, just who was that?

Nomura: That Nightmare was the personification of the nightmare Sora was having.

— What about Xemnas and Ansem, essentially they weren’t inside anyone, was it due to circumstances of the worlds of sleep?

Nomura: First off, when Young Xehanort made contact with the Brown Robed Figure, that is to say, the Xehanort who called himself Ansem, his abilities were transferred to him. As a result of Master Xehanort tossing his physical body, he was able to exceed time, and this power was carried into the Brown Robed Figure. Thus when Young Xehanort made contact with him, he gained this power. Possessing this power. Young Xehanort functioned as a “portal”, summoning Xemnas and Ansem each time they appeared. That’s why Young Xehanort was there whenever they appeared. Additionally, when Sora and Riku dropped into the worlds of sleep, simultaneously Young Xehanort himself goes into the world of sleep.

— What about Vanitas?

Nomura: Vanitas is different than Xemnas and Ansem; he doesn’t necessarily have a physical form. He reacted to Ventus within Sora, so that’s how he was visible.

— After generating and before attacking Sora, were Xemnas and Ansem somewhere that exceeded beyond time?

Nomura: That’s right.

— When King Mickey stopped time, Young Xehanort began to move. Since he can control time, was he breaking the King’s spell?

Nomura: Young Xehanort wasn’t using his own power at that time. The King’s magic was broken because Master Xehanort was assimilating with Young Xehanort. Only “the mark of heresy” was added by Organization XIII.

— It was when the figures started appearing in the thrones.

Nomura: Indeed. Time was stopped just as Master Xehanort was materializing. So he moved his consciousness to Young Xehanort’s body. Reacting to this, King Mickey exclaimed, “That’s impossible!” Young Xehanort was holding a Keyblade that he originally wasn’t able to handle thanks to Master Xehanort’s power. Though the keychain on it is different, the Keyblade he takes out is Master Xehanort’s.

— I see. Young Xehanort himself is still in Destiny Islands and isn’t able to wield a Keyblade yet.

Nomura: Right. Even when he appeared as an additional boss in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, he wasn’t using a Keyblade.

—By the way, Braig’s dealings with Master Xehanort in Birth by Sleep make sense, he was to become a vessel.

Nomura: There is a certain reason for Braig to proudly exclaim, “As for me, I’m already half Xehanort.” Isa (Saix) is included too. I think you’ll understand the details about their circumstances eventually.

— What happens to the hearts of those who have had Master Xehanort’s heart planted within them?

Nomura: They’ll gradually be swallowed by it. As for Master Xehanort, he plans to control them completely. The planted parts of the heart are captured rather than disappear.

— Lea (Axel) ended up playing an unexpected role. I was wondering what was running through your mind when you thought to make him a Keyblade wielder.

Nomura: I figured since he had returned to being human, he wouldn’t have much luck bringing back the people he wanted without some sort of power. Throwing his chakrams doesn’t really count. (Laughs.)

— It’d be bad if he started a fire, huh? (Laughs.) Is he still able to pass through the Corridors of Darkness like before?

Nomura: Diz is also human and can pass through the Corridors of Darkness. Since Lea has the memories of being Axel, he saw the message Ansem wrote on the wall in Radiant Garden and thought that was the only way he could travel. Of course, using the Corridors frequently is dangerous.

— After that, he came to Yen Sid hoping to train.

Nomura: Yes. Since the Mysterious Tower is in an unknown spot, first you have to enter via King Mickey’s world. After that, they’re training in a place where time flows differently, managed by Merlin, the great magician who can exceed time, as well as the Fairies.

— Did he have any prior knowledge?

Nomura: In order to wield a Keyblade, the most important requirement is to be “the owner of a strong heart.” Regardless if it’s a good heart or a bad heart, a strong heart is necessary. Right now there are a lot of things that Lea wants to regain. That desire is connected to the strength of his heart.

— Even though Axel had been eliminated in Kingdom Hearts II, since that time, had you considered having him appear again in his human form Lea?

Nomura: I thought a lot about that. Should I leave him as he was or should I bring him back again? However, when I considered the people that Lea wants to bring back, his existence plays a big role. I think Lea has successively become a key character.

— Incidentally, Ventus’ body is in Castle Oblivion and his heart is with Sora right?

Nomura: Right. Even though he only appears a little bit in the end of KH3D, when Sora was surrounded by Dream Eaters, you see that he smiled because of it.

— I see. Were there certain intentions in that scene with the Dream Eaters?

Nomura: That scene was added in the final stages of production. It wouldn’t feel right to have worked so hard raising the Dream Eaters without some sort of closure. Also, since Sora has obtained the power to open doors into the worlds of sleep, I purposely wanted to show a scene where he used that power.

— Speaking of the previous titles, about when do you start thinking of the ‘next title’?

Nomura: It’s a gradual process. When Kingdom Hearts was in production, I was considering ideas for Kingdom Hearts II and Chain of Memories. And when those two were in production, I was thinking of ideas for the next three, 358/2 Days, Coded, and Birth by Sleep.

— Were you thinking of KH3D when those 3 titles were in production?

Nomura: KH3D was put together relatively quickly, I was still concepting the story when I brought it to the table.

— What about in the secret movie of Birth by Sleep Final Mix…?

Nomura: Well… (Laughs.) Now that you mention it, that secret movie was referred to as “A fragmentary passage”, meaning bits and pieces of something whole. A story connected to Kingdom Hearts exists out of that, but I don’t know whether or not it’ll be told hereafter.

— The secret message and secret movie of KH3D were loaded with things to wonder about. Is it finally time for KH3?

Nomura: I’ll leave that up to everyone’s imagination. Though, it might be a curve ball. (Laughs.)

— Lastly, a message for our readers.

Nomura: We’ve decided to distribute a KH3D demo in North America as well as Japan. You can play part of Sora’s scenario in Traverse Town. So if your friends haven’t played it yet, you can recommend it to them. And of course, give the co-op mini game Flick Rush a try. Also, an unannounced title is being prepared as well, though it’s something lighter. There are still songs continuing to be distributed for Theartrhythm Final Fantasy so you can look forward to that as well.




The storyline ends with Sora and co. preparing to fight against Xehanort and his cohorts. Before the final battle takes place, we will question Nomura about the storyline of KH3D.

— Is the first cutscene we see in KH3D a flashback to 10 years before the first Kingdom Hearts when Xehanort and co. lost their hearts in an experiment?

Nomura: That’s right. That’s because in a sense it was the beginning of the story of this title.

— The Brown Robed Fgure, a Heartless born from that experiment, says “This world has been connected.” While in KH1 that meant that the island was connected to the darkness, in this title does it signify that Xehanort and co. have connected to the dream world?

Nomura: It means both of those things. In that scene, the Brown Robed Figure becomes a “portal” himself as a result of contact with Sora and co., making it possible for the other Xehanorts to intervene within the dreams.

— Why did Xehanort and co. word things as if to try and wake Ventus who is inside Sora?

Nomura: They did so in order to tempt Sora’s heart and have it fall to the darkness. In the story it also talks about how abandoning the self leads to losing the heart. When you see Vanitas (the dark half of Ventus who appeared in KHBBS) overlay Young Xehanort for a moment, that represents Ventus’ heart reacting inside Sora.

— In the latter half of The World That Never Was, despite returning to the real world, why do Sora and co. stay in that form and why do Dream Eaters appear etc?

Nomura: Sora and co.’s form is due to Yen Sid’s magic, so the way it works is that they can’t turn back until they return to the Mysterious Tower, and Dream Eaters were appearing because Sora was still asleep. Also, ever since Organisation XIII was defeated in KH2, the The World That Never Was’
existence as a world has become uncertain. In the first place, the worlds in the rift between darkness and light have different rules than other worlds. The Mysterious Tower isn’t always standing in a fixed place. Traverse Town too reforms its shape every time, which is why the version that appears in this title is clearly different than the version in KH1.

— Did King Mickey’s time magic not work properly on Young Xehanort because Young Xehanort has the power to control time?

Nomura: Not Young Xehanort’s but rather Master Xehanort’s power. King Mickey was surprised at the time, seeing his Keyblade and noticing he harboured the power of Master Xehanort. That Keyblade was designed as the one Master Xehanort used in KHBBS combined with an hourglass, you see.

—Were the 13 Seekers of Darkness, who were meant to be in different times, gathered by transcending time with magic?

Nomura: Just as it says in the story, to transcend time one must ‘first’ discard their form. As a result of the actions of the Brown Robed Figure, they all were in a state where they had gained the power to transcend time. The Brown Robed Figure explains the facts. The thirteen were summoned at the same time, this time thanks to Young Xehanort who borrowed that power. However, apart from Young Xehanort, that does not mean that all the members transcended time.

— In other words, Ansem and Xemnas were, at the same time, existing in the time and space of KH3D as well as having returned to their true human form after being destroyed?

Nomura: Yes, it does turn out that way. However, as I said before, ‘The World That Never Was’, where the thirteen all met, is a special space. The mechanics behind how they were all able to exist at the same time is a mystery. From KH1 on, Ansem has returned no matter how many times he has been defeated, perhaps the same sort of thing happened.

— Lea said the same lines, “Why do I always get the icky jobs,” and “I’ll always be there to bring you back,” to Xion in KH Days when he brought her back. Does he remember that?

Nomura: The nature of the being known as Xion and all memories to do with her were erased, but he would remember other things.

—Why did Lea visit Disney Castle when he should have been looking for his friend?

Nomura: To search for his friend he needed the power to move between worlds, and there is no way to do that other than become a Keyblade Wielder. At the time, wanting to be made a Keyblade Wielder, Lea saw a message recorded by Ansem the Wise in the past and, knowing it was dangerous, used the Corridors of Darkness once more to go talk with King Mickey and the others. That’s why after Maleficent left he was asking at the Mysterious Tower.

— So, in ‘The King Departs’, when Yen Sid said ‘great sorcerers and fairies have hastened the flow of time in a different place for you’…

Nomura: Upon request, those who can manipulate time, Merlin and the three fairies who appeared in KH2, changed the flow of time in a special place, and there Lea received hastened training in order to be able to use the Keyblade, basically. In the original scenario, we had planned to have Lea able to use the Keyblade when he ran to Sora.

— Ansem the Wise is an old acquaintance of Riku’s, why did he ask him his name in the end?

Nomura: That’s what you could call a “wise joke.” (Laughs.) He’s purposefully asking the same thing as he did in KH2 to a Riku who had changed into Ansem’s form.

— While at the time Riku lied and said his name was Ansem, this time he replies with a bright ‘Riku’, doesn’t he?

Nomura: Yes, because the main part of the plot in this title is Riku’s growth. The point that unlike before he can declare ‘I am me’ is intended to show that growth symbolically.

— It was declared from Ansem the Wise’s own mouth that everything can grow a heart.

Nomura: Yes it was, I thought I’d leave it clear in this title.

— Were the members of Organisation XIII that grew hearts unsuitable as vessels for Xehanort?

Nomura: That’s not necessarily the case, however the details are a secret.

— Xigbar and Saix appeared as members of Organisation XIII. Did they return as humans like Lea and the others?

Nomura: The conditions of becoming a human have been met, so you’d think they had returned, wouldn’t you? For them to have been with Xehanort and the others, perhaps they were collected after they had become humans and before Lea and the others woke up. You could say the same for the members of Organisation XIII that didn’t appear in this title, however… I’d rather everyone use their imaginations.

[Scott_Pilgrim]

Main Nomura Interview
— When did you start thinking up the idea for Kingdom Hearts 3D?

Nomura: Probably during the production of Birth by Sleep. At the time there weren’t plans to start another Kingdom Hearts title, but when I looked at the 3DS hardware, the idea came to me.

— It seems that every entry into the Kingdom Hearts series aims to utilize the features of its platforms, so what elements of the 3DS were you looking into?

Nomura: I thought that the Flowmotion ability was something I wanted to do in the next Kingdom Hearts, so why not do it now with this title? I thought of the Dive Mode function afterwards when I saw the 3DS in action. It’s similar to the Gummi Ship mini game that appeared in KH1 and KH2, but this time rather than ride a vehicle I wanted the characters to drop directly into their destination world. Since the Dive Mode appears first, it feels like the game’s system is established from there.

— What sparked the idea to introduce the Flowmotion ability?

Nomura: I’ve been working on a few action RPGs outside of Kingdom Hearts like Final Fantasy Type-0 and Final Fantasy Versus XIII, so the first thought I had was I wanted it to clearly stand out from the others. I planned on showing that this is the direction the Kingdom Hearts series is headed. When I thought of the elements that really defined the Kingdom Hearts series, I thought of the bold sort of action that realistic characters can’t express. My idea was that with Flowmotion, you’d be able to jump to impossible heights in comparison to how you could jump in the previous titles.

— It seemed that the Flowmotion system might dishevel the game’s balance, but there was a lot of attention put towards regulating it.

Nomura: Well, the staff really didn’t like it. (Laughs.) If the character could make a huge jump freely, then there is no telling where he’d go. Since you had to deal with every action the player made, the opinion coming forth in the beginning was that it was difficult. But since I explained to the staff that this was the sort of direction Kingdom Hearts was going, we did it anyways.

— In the games prior to this one, there were treasure chests you couldn’t reach until you had obtained High Jump, but this time it seems you can take just about all the treasure using Flowmotion.

Nomura: It makes things interesting, doesn’t it? Flowmotion is designed to take over the movement if you don’t control it, but if you’re able to use it well, you can obtain the treasure chests without needing the High Jump ability. It’s a different style compared to the regular Kingdom Hearts games, which I think is one of the system’s charms. I thought it’d be better this way rather than making it boring with restricted actions.

— For the title KH3D, we thought it was very clever how the ’3D’ doesn’t just stand for ‘three-dimensional’, but also for the first letter of each of the three words in the subtitle.

Nomura: I thought of making it ’3D’ with three D’s early on. However, while I was able to settle on ‘Dream’ and ‘Drop’ smoothly, the last one just wouldn’t come to me. When we were at the point where we had a scenario, ‘Distance’ occurred to me from the distance between Sora and Riku, on the verge of meeting but unable to. There’s one more unsaid meaning behind deciding on ‘Distance’, and that is the distance between ’3D’ and the number 3 itself.

—When you included ‘Dream’ and ‘Drop’ in the title, were you assuming from that point in time that there would be a Drop System?

Nomura: Yes, I suppose so. We have made KH titles before in which the story is divided between characters, but because some people were of the opinion that each story felt like a short-story, this time we decided to think of the plot as one string from the beginning. For it to be like that, we had to consider many things regarding how to best handle switching back and forth between which character the player is controlling. We considered whether we should let people choose when to switch, but we wanted some sort of thrill. Throughout the series so far there’s always been that thrill of danger when HP is running out, but that becomes less of a threat as the player levels up. I thought, I want to put in something else on top of that, and it took the shape of forcibly switching the character being controlled with Drop. Also, if we had made the switching completely optional there would be people who only went along playing either Sora or Riku, and one of the characters could get too much stronger than the other, so it’s also a means of controlling that.

—With more than fifty breeds of Spirits you can make friends with, the Spirit growth system is also a factor that makes this game worth more than a speedrun, isn’t it?

Nomura: Well it was like, if I were to make a system where you get an enemy character onto your team and develop them, this is how I’d want it to be. I wouldn’t want players to get enemies on their team by defeating them, I would want to have people experience the process of raising them from birth until they got strong, and have them feel attached to the target of their raising. To bring that system into reality, it would have been weird setup-wise to make friends with Heartless and Nobodies, so we went with creating a new type of being called Dream Eaters. In the beginning there were less breeds, but I thought it was lacking variation, and I told the staff they’d probably need to make more than fifty. We had to show they were cooperating with Sora and Riku to fight enemies, so riding on their backs and the like with link attacks was necessary too, which made our workload incredible.

— Which Dream Eaters did you design yourself?

Nomura: The only one I drew myself is Meow Wow. I drew it basically all in one go, and didn’t edit it at all. As for the other Spirits, I showed Meow Wow to the staff and requested that they ‘please give them a design that is strange, charming without being too cute’. They drew for me in high spirits, and came out with one interesting design after another.

— This title is the first KH game in a while to feature Sora and Riku as protagonists.

Nomura: I heard from many fans that they wanted to play as Sora again soon, and I felt I wanted to answer them. However, the true protagonist in plot for this title isn’t Sora, it’s Riku. The story depicted in this title is of Riku’s growth as he changes stance and makes the darkness he had been locking inside himself up until now into his own power. This is symbolised by Riku being chosen as a Keyblade Master at the end.

— Many worlds in this title are appearing for the first time in the series. How did you choose them?

Nomura: Basically, from the Osaka Development Team’s proposals. Worlds they wanted to have appear, what they wanted to do there–I received proposals for both those things, and I chose from among them. You know, in the beginning there was even the idea to divide ‘Fantasia’ and ‘Fantasia 2000′ between Sora and Riku in Symphony of Sorcery.

— Did the characters from The World Ends With You appear in Traverse Town due to the Osaka Development Team’s proposal, too?

Nomura: No, in the first scenario they planned to have Leon and Cid and the others like always. However, it would have been weird for them to be in the Traverse Town in this title, and maybe it’s time to give the “arrive in Traverse-Town, Cid says ‘Hey kid’ routine” a rest. So, when I thought about who’d feel fresh to put in, I thought it might be interesting to depict teenagers from a city like Shibuya coming into contact with country kids like Sora, thus I decided to put in the characters from TWEWY. Also, another reason was that in this title, Traverse Town is a world in which many things must be explained, and Joshua is just right for the role of explainer.

— Being able to view flashback scenes whenever we wanted with the Memento feature was new.

Nomura: Production-wise, we were trying to make the story as deep and layered as possible, but then we’d have to show many explanatory cutscenes. I’d always thought there was no way to progress the story other than to increase the number of cutscenes, but I think we found a way after all with the Memento feature. It’s like, people who want to enjoy the story can watch it whenever, and people who want to hurry and advance through the game can fly through and perhaps watch it while taking a break.

—We thought it was very refreshing being able to read summaries of all the past titles with the Chronicles feature too.

Nomura: Those were originally written by Oka (Mr. Masaru Oka: Scenario and Cutscene Director) with revisions by me. If we’d had time I would have wanted to do them in pictures, but we couldn’t go that far this time. It is, of course, so people who hadn’t played a title could follow along, but the text is written to be so clear that it even includes parts that weren’t asserted definitively in each game, so if people who already know the story read along to see if they had things right, they may discover new things. I think pictures would have been a good way to do it too, but text does have the advantage of allowing people to reexamine the necessary parts straight away.

— The scene after the final battle where you get three multiple choice questions is a condition for unlocking the secret movie. That’s a system that hasn’t been used in the series up until now, isn’t it?

Nomura: The truth is, we put that condition in as a trap. With only the same conditions as always, being able to view it condition-free if you clear the game on Proud Mode or having it unlock when you collect a certain number of trophies like up until now, there are some people who end up only playing to see the secret movie. That’s fine, but even if people are solving it quickly I still want there to be a puzzle to solve. Having said that, it’s very easy to choose the right ones. The correct answers all have ‘important’ in them. I wanted to make it so that you can solve it if you notice the regularity, and also I would have been in trouble if I had forgotten it myself, so I went with that. (Laughs.)

— Now we would like to ask a few questions about the future of the KH series. First of all, if you get the letters ‘Secret Message Unlocked’ in the credits for this title you can read a message in the Keyword Glossary. The English letters there surely mean we can hope for KH3 next?

Nomura: I will leave that to your imaginations. Well, you’ll know the answer soon, I suppose.

— At the end of the credits, when Sora and Riku go into the light, the shape of the light looks like a III…

Nomura: I can’t go into detail, but you could think of it as a secret message from me.

— Now, is there a possibility you will make a KH3D Final Mix title?

Nomura: I don’t know what might happen in the years to come, but as of now there are no plans. Osaka Development Team have several titles on their hands, it’s not the right time for that.

— At the end of the secret movie for KHBBSFM, an interesting message that said ‘Birth by Sleep -Volume Two’ appeared. Is there a chance that a KHBBS2 will be appearing?

Nomura: It seems that many people thought that, but during that movie there were the words ‘A fragmentary passage’, weren’t there? That means a ‘bits and pieces of something whole’. In short, a story for ‘Volume Two’ exists that ought to be told, but the story cuts off with those scenes. Because of that, I won’t say there is absolutely no chance that we will produce a title to follow KHBBS , but there are no plans as of now.

— In an interview in the KH Days Ultimania, you said ‘I’m thinking of a mystery KH that made the producer go “what??”‘. Was that KH3D?

Nomura: No, it wasn’t. I originally planned to make that after KHBBS, but we ended up making KH3D and the project was stopped. It’s a shame, but we won’t be starting that project again.

— If we were to guess from the plot so far, the next title must surely follow on from KH3D and depict the confrontation between the 13 Xehanorts that are seeking the χ-blade and Sora and the others who make up the 7 Guardians of Light?

Nomura: Well, yes, I think so. That will feel like it’s leading to the conclusion of the Xehanort saga.

—We’re intrigued as to who the Xehanorts will use to replace Sora as the 13th Darkness.

Nomura: I left that a mystery in order to intrigue you all, of course. It’s unclear who about half of the other twelve are too, seeing as they didn’t come out from under their black coats, so I would love for you to try thinking about their true identities. It’s all set up properly who is sitting in each seat, even regarding people who didn’t show up in the scenario of this title.

— Are there also familiar characters?

Nomura: There are many familiar characters. However, fundamentally who they are is still a secret.

— Are the 7 Guardians of Light the 7 people raising their Keyblades at the end of the opening movie?

Nomura: But among them, you’re missing Kairi, who appeared in the secret ending of this title. Please look forward to finding out whether those seven will actually be the 7 Guardians of Light.

— Before the ending, Riku receives research data from Ansem the Wise. In the next title, will that be the key to bringing back the people who are sleeping inside Sora?

Nomura: You could say it’s the key. That data contains the details explaining the way to connect lost hearts.

— Are there any Disney titles you’d like to see appear in the future of the series?

Nomura: I wish and wish, but I’ve wanted for a long time to have Pixar titles appear in the series. I’m already working on many ideas, but I can’t say whether they will become a reality or not.

— Pixar has many wonderful titles, and we’d love to see them appear. Finally, when will next play a new Kingdom Hearts game?

Nomura: I still can’t say when, but various developments have already started regarding a new title in the Kingdom Hearts series.

— More than one?!

Nomura: I am sure we’ll be able to make some kind of announcement when the time is right, so in the meantime I’d like you to keep playing KH3D. There’s a high degree of freedom in the play style and the story is full of mysteries, so I would be very pleased if you tried playing on a high level of difficulty and investigating the plot. Also, the mini game ‘Flick Rush’ is pretty exciting, so please give it a try.

[game over]

Kingdom Hearts 3D “Mark of Mastery Edition” to be released in North America
Square Enix is doing something we often don’t see for 3DS games. The publisher is readying a Kingdom Hearts 3D “Mark of Mastery Edition” for the title’s launch.

The Mark of Mastery Edition includes a copy of Kingdom Hearts 3D, a branded clear hard case skin cover, 12 art cards, and five AR cards that can unlock rare Dream Eaters such as Meowjesty, Frootz Cat and Kab Kannon. Everything is enclosed in a magnetic box.

Square Enix says that this is the first time a Kingdom Hearts collector’s edition has been released in North America.

Consumers will be able to purchase the box set for $54.99. Kingdom Hearts 3D launches on July 31.

^^^^
http://nintendoeverything.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/kingdom_hearts_3d_mark_of_mastery_edition.jpg

[Scott_Pilgrim]

Oι εντυπώσεις μου από το ολιγόλεπτο demo.

Ξεκινάω από τα αρνητικά.
Η κάμερα όπως ανέφεραν τα παιδιά. Στο tutorial πέρα από το ότι δυσκολεύτηκα λίγο μαζί της, στο lock on, δεν άλλαζε στόχο και δεν ήξερα τι γινόταν στην άλλη άκρη της οθόνης. Βέβαια εγώ την χρησιμοποιώ μόνο στα boss αλλά και πάλι.

Η φωνή του Sora ήταν ΧΑΛΙΑ! Δεν ξέρω αν άλλαξε ο voice actor, αλλά η επιλογή που έκαναν ήταν πολύ λανθασμένη.

Τα γραφικά ήταν πάρα πολύ καλά, αλλά μας είχαν υποσχεθεί πως θα έφταναν αυτά του PS2. Για να σιγουρευτώ, έφερα την οθόνη πολύ κοντά στα μάτια μου, αλλά έβλεπα ένα πιξελιασμένο πρόσωπο όπως του DS, αλλά ήταν πιο καθαρό σε σχέση με το αντοίστιχο του DS.

Καθόλου gameplay με Riku.

Πολύ μικρό Demo.


Tα θετικά τώρα.


Μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ το 3D και δεν με κούρασε καθόλου.

Ο χειρισμός αν και δεν το περίμενα ήταν τέλειος! Δεν χρειάζεται το circle pad pro και χαίρομαι γιατί
δεν θα χρειαστεί να μπω σε περεταίρω έξοδα.

Το free flow system ήταν πολύ καλή προσθήκη. Γούσταρα που έκανα όλα αυτά τα κόλπα και την ίδια στιγμή τα frames παρέμεναν στάσιμα. Επίσης μου άρεσε που μπορούσα να το χρησιμοποιήσω και σε εχθρούς, αλλά ξενέρωσα που δεν γινόταν σε όλους.

Οι Dream Eaters αν και με έχουν ξενερώσει καθώς είναι πολύ παιδικοί, μου φάνηκαν ιδιαίτερα χρήσιμοι. Ειδικά αφού ενώ είναι χαρακτήρες τύπου Donald&Goofy, μπορώ να ενεργοποιήσω το skill τους και να λειτουργήσουν σαν summons όπως στο KHII.

Το gameplay είναι πολύ γρήγορο και θέλω να παραμείνει εκεί. Το προτιμώ από το αργό του πρώτου.

Μεγάλωσαν τις περιοχές στην Traverse Town τουλάχιστον η οποία είναι ένας από τους αγαπημένους μου κόσμους. Με το theme που παίζει από πίσω και το τόσο ωραίο περιβάλλον, είναι πολύ καλός τρόπος να χαλαρώσεις.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Δεν έχω καταλάβει το εξής. Στο tutorial(που υπάρχει και στο κανονικό παιχνίδι από όσα έχω δει) ξεκινάμε με τα ρούχα του KH1. Μετά πάμε στο πύργο του Yen Sid και έχουμε τα ρούχα του ΙΙ. Μετά αφού μπένουμε στο Dream World αλλάζουν. Οκ τα ρούχα να αλλάξουν, αλλά το μαλλί του Riku γιατί είναι πιο μικρό; ΚΑι γιατί το πρόσωπο του Sora θυμίζει περισσότερο το πρώτο ΚΗ;


Θα γράψω τις επόμενες ημέρες κάποιες σκέψεις μου για το franchise στο αντοίστιχο thread, τις οποίες θέλω να συζητήσουμε... Πάντως χαίρομαι που θα παίξω κανονικό ΚΗ μετά από 2 χρόνια.

[Scott_Pilgrim]

21 ώρες μέσα στον τίτλο. Η ιστορία έχει αρκετό ενδιαφέρον που όμως αδυνατεί να κλείσει κάποια plot holes που για τα οποία ευθύνεται ο nomura ο ίδιος. Γιατί; Όταν γράφει το σενάριο ενός νέου Kingdom Hearts, δεν γυράνει ποτέ πίσω να δει κάποια πράγματα ή μήπως έχει ξεχάσει κάτι. Γράφει το σενάριο όσο προχωράει η ανάπτυξη του τίτλου. Είμαι προ τελευταίο κόσμο και με τους δύο χαρακτήρες και η δυσκολία, έχει αρχίσει να δίχνει τα δόντια της. Δεν γίνεται να συνεχίσεις χωρίς grinding. Τελικά όντως είναι το πιο δύσκολο μέρος της σειράς. Σας προτείνω να το ξεκινήσετε στο normal το οποίο είναι το proud των προηγούμενων τίτλων. Σε τέσσερα χτυπήματα έφυγες και το χειρότερο από όλα, είναι πως όλοι οι εχθροί κάνουν ντου από παντού και δεν προλαβαίνεις να κάνεις cure μερικές φορές!

Επίσης οφείλω να πω, πως έχει το πιο απλοποιημένο lvl system στην σειρά. Όταν παίρνεις level ανεβαίνουν μόνο τα strength, Magic, Defence. Μόνο με τα bonus lvl ανεβαίνει η υγεία και το deck capacity τα οποία levels δεν τα παίρνεις συνέχεια μέσα από tasks που σου βάζει ο τίτλος. Αν δεν κάνω λάθος, η υγεία φτάνει ακριβώς κάτω από το κεφάλι του χαρακτήρα και δεν συνεχίζει πράγμα χαζό, καθώς το HP τρώγεται για πλάκα. Φοβάμαι το πως θα είναι ο τελευταίος κόσμος...

Γουστάρω στο full τον τίτλο, απλά πέρα από τα plot holes έχουν κάνει κάποια χαζά λαθάκια στο gameplay..