Square Enix Members have conducted an interview with Tai Yasui, the co-director for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance], concerning the upcoming release of the game. This video interview, which was recorded at E3 2012, can be seen below.
Square Enix Europe have released English screenshots and renders of the Pinocchio world, "Prankster's Paradise", in Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]. They also confirmed that the world was originally planned to be included in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. You can see this quote, as well as the new screenshots and renders below.
Originally a world that was planned to be included in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Prankster's Paradise find Sora and Riku in a circus themed universe. Joined by cast of Disney's classic Pinnochio, our adventurers must help Jiminy Cricket and Geppetto find our companion, the puppet with a heart.
Thanks to @aibo_ac7 we now know that Kingdom Hearts puzzles are coming soon. One advertised in an image below features the Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] cover art in 300 piece and 1,000 piece sets. The 300 piece puzzle will cost ¥2,000 while the 1,000 piece will cost ¥2,800.
Nintendo have confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] will receive a digital release on Nintendo 3DS' eShop. This confirmation comes from Joystiq, who heard the news from Nintendo in a E3 investor presentation. A list of titles confirmed for a digital release can be seen below.
Update: Joystiq have added that Nintendo have included an update to the announcement. Apparently, the digital release announcement "refers to first-party titles only". As Kingdom Hearts 3D is not a first-party title, it seems they were mistaken in announcing that Kingdom Hearts 3D receive a digital release.
Square Enix have begun to advertise the English version of Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] in North America. Beauller from KH13 managed to get a photo of an in-store display advertising the game, and you can see this display below, in our gallery.
Chapter 19 of the Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days manga has finally appeared online, thanks to taime and their team. You can see the chapter below, in our gallery.
Manga → 358/2 Days → Chapter 19
Update: We have now added another chapter to our gallery. This chapter is numbered "5.5" and is titled "Winter Break". You can read it below.
Manga → 358/2 Days → Chapter 5.5
Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] Original Soundtrack, the official soundtrack for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance], is now available to purchase from the Square Enix Boutique. It is available for a price of €34.99 (approximately US$43.89), and available for the following areas: "Metropolitan France (Corsica, Monaco included), overseas territories, Belgium, Luxembourg and Canada (including Quebec)".
Kingdom Hearts 3D Original Soundtrack on Square Enix Boutique
Square Enix have updated the official European website for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]. This update is a complete redesign of the website (which now resembles the North American website), containing the E3 2012 trailer and a couple of new screenshots of the game (and a few old). You can see all of these screenshots saved below.
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2012 (E3 2012) is a major gaming event in Los Angeles, starting on June 5, 2012 and ending on June 7. Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] is confirmed to appear at this event, along with the E3 2012 trailer, and most likely a playable English demo and other English footage. Our staff member Oishii will be attending the event and providing exclusive coverage, so please look forward to what she brings us. Lastly, there will be various livestreams of press conferences at the event. You can see the details regarding this below.
Post-E3
Churro from Kingdom Hearts Ultimania has uploaded a video covering Kingdom Hearts' 10th Anniversary at E3 2012. You can view this below in 1080p!
Oishii has provided a complete impression of the Kingdom Hearts 3D demo at E3 2012. You can discuss these impressions on our forum, or read them below. Please note it contains minor spoilers for which boss battles The Three Musketeers world contains.
Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance was the demo I dedicated most of my time for at E3. I wanted to make sure I completed both Sora’s and Riku’s story so I can get everything I could from the demo. At Square Enix’s booth, sadly there was never a line to play the game after the first day. On the plus side, though, I could play the game for 40 minutes straight without any worries.
The main thing I focused on when playing was the localization. I have to say, they have done a fantastic job as they always do. Voice acting was top notch. Even with Sora having a young face, Haley Joel Osment’s post-puberty voice didn’t bother me this time around as it did in Re:CoM and coded (the magic a simple wardrobe change can do). David Gallagher also does well in Riku’s expanded role in this title. The translation team also did a fantastic job, using English idioms and characterization to make the game feel as though it were made originally made for English speakers.
What really impressed me was the amount of shots that had fully animated facial expressions. It seems with each title that comes out the generic talking animation is utilized less and less. With this title, the emotion put into the characters body movement and facial expressions (and everything is animated to the English voice actors) brings out these voice actor’s talents even more. There were moments where Sora looked so sad it broke my heart. They have done a great job localizing the game for us, and with the sheer amount of scenes they would have to adjust the animation to release only 4 months after Japan’s release is really amazing. They have honestly kept to their promise of having faster releases for the overseas editions.
To add, with each new title we are seeing less need to button mash the attack button. For KH3D, I considered the attack button a last resort. There are so many ways in this title to deliver the pain to the attacking Nightmares. With the Free Flow attacks, command deck, Dream Eater links, and Reality Shift, there was little need to use the standard attack combo. The battle system is very fluid, making fights against mobs that much more enjoyable.
I was also struck by how many boss battles there were in this demo. I got to fight on a carriage against a T-Rex Nightmare, fought against a room of Elephant Nightmares where using Free Flow with the environment was key to victory, battles the Beagle Boys twice (once with Sora, and once with Riku), fought a giant Badger Mole Nightmare, and then a final battle against Pete and his minions. It is great increase from past titles, and kept me entertained and on my toes since each battle required different strategies.
And for those worried over headaches with 3D, I can say I played the entire time without turning the 3D off and never had a problem. However, this varies from person to person, and if you already own a 3DS you probably already have an idea of how much your eyes can tolerate the 3D screen. If you’re like me and never have problems playing other games in 3D, then you’ll be fine with this title even with all the flashy attacks.
Overall, I am very impressed with the game, and I’m not just saying that because I’m a diehard KH fan. Square Enix has really gone far to improve the battle system to make this title unique to its predecessors. I have tried to include everything in this impression without boring you with repeated information, but if there is more you want to know, please ask me. And don’t worry; I’m not spoiled so my answers won’t include any spoilers either. And on that topic, no spoilers in this thread please. I hope you guys will be buying KH3D this summer. You certainly won’t regret it ^^
2:00PM PST: GameTrailers.com have updated with two videos for Kingdom Hearts 3D at E3 2012-- a video of the demo, and an interview with Tai Yasue. You can see both of these below, thanks to Terranort9406 from KH13 for the find.
10:30AM PST: Kotaku have conducted an interview with Tai Yasue. You can read this interview below.
Longtime Kingdom Hearts veteran and co-director of the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance Tai Yasue told me at E3 this week that he'd love to take Sora and Riku through the wonderful worlds of Pixar's films. As a collaborative project between Square Enix and Pixar parent company Disney, Kingdom Hearts could definitely find its way into a setting like Wall-E or Cars.
"Personally—and this isn't an announcement—I would really love to do a Pixar world," Yasue told me. "A lot of us do."
"Any particular favorite Pixar world?" I asked. His answer: Toy Story.
12:00AM PST: Nintendo North America has conducted an interview with Tai Yasue, the co-director of Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance], you can see this here. You can alternatively watch it below.
Day 3 (Thursday, June 7, 2012)
10:03PM PST: Thanks to RPGamerdotcom we now have more footage of Kingdom Hearts 3D's demo at E3. This video is over ten minutes in length and is in 1080p! Do yourself a favour and watch it now!
11:00AM PST: Square Enix Europe have conducted a video interview with Tai Yasue, the co-director of the Kingdom Hearts series, regarding Kingdom Hearts 3D. You can watch this below.
12:31AM PST: Kingdom Hearts 3D's English version will have a "helpful" change after all. The change will fix the problem which occurs when you drop between characters in the middle of a boss battle. In the Japanese version when you return to a boss battle from a drop the boss's health would be completely restored while yours will remain how it was when you dropped. Co-Director, Tai Yasue has told Siliconera that the English version will have this problem fixed. Siliconera says that they will have a longer interview with Yasue post-E3.
Day 2 (Wednesday, June 6, 2012)
6:45PM PST: Kingdom Hearts 3D appeared in Nintendo's Nintendo 3DS Software Showcase with a small talk and new trailer. This trailer is currently downloadable from the Nintendo 3DS eShop in North America, and can also be seen below. The talk re-confirms that a demo will be available on the eShop "soon".
2:00PM PST: IGN have finished talking to Tai Yasue, the co-director of the Kingdom Hearts series, concerning Kingdom Hearts 3D. You can watch a recording of this below. The following quote was particularly interesting:
[Kingdom Hearts 3D] sort of shows a glimpse of the future, I guess. And it ends, I guess, the next one will be, definitely I think Kingdom Hearts III. So, it really precludes Kingdom Hearts III, the console version we're thinking about.
9:34AM PST: Oishii has provided us with even more photos of the event. In particular, this shows that the Meow Wow plush toy will be available during August 2012 for US$34.99.
Day 1 (Tuesday, June 5, 2012)
7:45PM PST: G4tv.com have uploaded a Kingdom Hearts 3D video from the show floor. This features some new English footage!
7:30PM PST: Oishii has managed to snap some more photos. You can see these below.
7:00PM PST: SQEXGAL has uploaded a picture of the 10th anniversary cake! While a higher quality photo of the cake has been uploaded to the Kingdom Hearts Facebook page You can view both of these below.
3:35PM PST: Oishii has managed to snap many photos and videos for you, straight from the event! You can see these below.
- Kingdom Hearts 3D demo video #1
- Kingdom Hearts 3D demo video #2
- Kingdom Hearts 3D demo video #3
- Kingdom Hearts 3D demo video #4
1:55PM PST: A Square Enix spokesperson has re-confirmed that a Kingdom Hearts 3D demo will be coming to the North American Nintendo 3DS eShop.
12:05PM PST: SQEX_MEMBERS_NA have uploaded a few more photos of the Kingdom Hearts 3D display.
10:55AM PST: Nintendo have created a page to show off Kingdom Hearts 3D for E3 2012. This page contains many screenshots, all of which can be seen below.
9:35AM PST: Kingdom Hearts 3D was shown briefly in the Nintendo conference (with footage below). It was also re-confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 3D would be shown at the Nintendo 3DS Software Showcase tomorrow (more information on this above, in the "What's Coming Next" section).
9:08AM PST: Square Enix have released a press kit containing many screenshots of Kingdom Hearts 3D for E3 2012.
Day 0 (Monday, June 4, 2012)
6:32PM PST: Square Enix Europe have provided a look at the Kingdom Hearts 3D display on the show floor!
12:30PM PST: Firstly... Oishii's media pass for E3 2012!
Square Enix have uploaded a new promotional video for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]. This video is titled "Vignette #1", implying that we'll get more of these later on. It contains new English footage of the game, including both cutscenes and gameplay. You can watch it below, or download it from our archive of English trailers for Kingdom Hearts 3D.
Along with the North American Kingdom Hearts 3D website update and the E3 2012 trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3D, an official E3 2012 preview of Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] with Square Enix's product manager, Raio Mitsuno, has been released by G4tv.com. You can see this below.
Square Enix North America have redesigned their official website for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]. This website links to a variety of relevant Square Enix pages, links to many places where you can pre-order the game for North America, and features the E3 2012 trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3D. We have linked to the website, and embedded the trailer below, for your convenience.
Last week, we started a competition where the winner would receive a free pre-order for Kingdom Hearts 3D! We have now selected the winner of this competition, Ashlee on Facebook! Congratulations! But for now, a surprise...
We're going to run a second competition! Yes, we had so much fun running the first that we're going to give away a second free pre-order for Kingdom Hearts 3D! The rules this time will be different. In order to enter the competition, you must make posts on our forum. The more you post, the better the chance you have of winning! Here's the exact proceedure:
1. At the end of each day, everyone in the top 10 of the list of the day's top posters will receive 1 entry in the competition.
2. You can receive many entries in the competition! If you're on the top posters list on multiple days, then you will receive multiple entries in the competition. We'll keep a detailed list of entries here. Remember, the more days you appear on the list, the higher your chance of winning! Also, please be aware that the Roleplaying, Forum Games, Random and Comments forums are not included, and that we will disqualify anyone who makes "spammy" posts.
3. Two weeks from now, on Friday the 15th of June, 2012 (at 12PM EST time), we'll pick a random winner from the list of entries and contact them. Good luck!
Square Enix have released the E3 2012 trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]. The trailer is, of course, in English, and has been uploaded to YouTube below! You can also see Square Enix's description of the trailer underneath. We've also updated our archive of English trailers for Kingdom Hearts 3D with the video, and linked to this below.
E3 2012 in the archive of English trailers for Kingdom Hearts 3D
Square Enix's E3 2012 trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3D blog post
Featuring some of Kingdom Hearts 3D's opening cinematic, this special edition E3 trailer is sure to get you flustered with excitement and anticipation. All you favourite characters as well as some brand new additions are featured including, Pinocchio, Quasimodo, Mickey, Donald and Goofy as the Musketeers.
With a wealth of great new gameplay footage, this video will give you a great insight into the mini-games, the Dreameaters, and the new wall-jump move. If that wasn't enough there's an awesome scene of Riku riding a lightcycle, in The Grid (from the TRON universe)!
Square Enix have released more English screenshots for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance], and confirmed many of the major voice actors that will be present in the title. This information was all released in a press release by Square Enix Europe, and can be seen below.
· Leonard Nimoy– Best known for his role as Spock on Star Trek, Leonard Nimoy reprises his role as Master Xehanort, the main antagonist of the Kingdom Hearts series and archenemy of Sora and Riku.
· Haley Joel Osment– Known for his role in the critically acclaimed The Sixth Sense, Haley Joel Osment returns to play Sora, the main protagonist in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, working to complete the Mark of Mastery exam and become a true Keyblade Master.
· David Gallagher– Remembered for his work on 7 th Heaven, David Gallagher joins the cast again as Riku, struggling to become a true Keyblade Master alongside his best friend, Sora.
· Hayden Panettiere– Noted for her performance on Heroes, Hayden Panettiere returns to voice Xion, a 14th member of Organization XIII, an organization that stands against Sora and his friends.
· Jesse McCartney– Recording artist Jesse McCartney reprises his roles as the heroes, Roxas and Ventus.
· Quinton Flynn– Known best for his voice acting on Robot Chicken, Quinton Flynn returns as Axel / Lea, another member of Organization XIII.
