Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] released in Japan yesterday, and since then, we've have received a lot of information, images and videos. Understandably, it's difficult to keep up with everything. Due to this, we've created this news post in order to summarize everything we've gotten so far.
Videos
We have created a topic on our forum that collects together all videos of the game. You can click here to see it.
So far, this collection of videos contains:
- The opening
- Traverse Town
- La Cité des Cloches
- The Grid
Other information
- The ending of Kingdom Hearts 3D is explained in detail, here. MAJOR SPOILERS.
- The complete track list for the Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance Original Soundtrack was revealed. Also, many of the songs were have samples released. Click here to see the list, and listen to all available samples.
Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] released in Japan today, on March 29, 2012. Our coverage of the game has begun. This news post will remain pinned at the top of the homepage, be regularly updated, and contain links to all images, videos and information surrounding the game. Spoiler warnings will be given when appropriate. Feel free to discuss Kingdom Hearts 3D on our forum.
11:09AM EST: Square Enix Members Europe have published a blog post showing off high-quality images from the opening of Kingdom Hearts 3D. You can see these screenshots below.
8:59AM EST: Thanks to a topic created by XXR from KH13, we now realize that the complete track listing of the Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance Original Soundtrack can be extracted from its official website. You can see this complete track listing below.
Disc 1
1. Dearly Beloved
2. Storm Driver
3. TWISTER -KINGDOM MIX-
4. Traverse in Trance
5. Hand to Hand
6. Dream Eaters
7. CALLING -KINGDOM MIX-
8. UNTAMABLE
9. SOMEDAY -KINGDOM MIX-
10. The World of Dream Drops
11. Le Sanctuaire
12. La Cloche
13. Sweet Spirits♥
14. Majestic Wings
15. Ever After
16. Wild Blue
Disc 2
1. Access the Grid
2. Digital Domination
3. The Nightmare
4. Rinzler Recompiled
5. Keyblade Cycle
6. Gigabyte Mantis
7. The Fun Fair
8. Prankster's Party
9. Broken Reality
10. Ice-hot Lobster
11. The Dream
12. Ready to Rush
13. Dream Matchup
14. One for All
15. All for One
16. The Flick Finalist
17. Victor's Pride
18. Xigbar
19. Distant from You...
20. Sacred Distance
21. Deep Drop
Disc 3
1. L'Oscurita dell'Ignot
2. Xehanort - The Early Years
3. The Dread of Night
4. L'Eminenza Oscura I
5. L'Eminenza Oscura II
6. L'Impeto Oscuro
7. My Heart's Descent
8. The Eye of Darkness
9. Link to All
10. Sora
11. Dream Drop Distance -The Next Awakening-
12. Symphony No.6 "Pastoral" Op.6
13. L'Apprenti Sorcier
14. The Nutcracker Suite Op. 71
15. A Night on the Bare Mountain
7:59AM EST: Earlier, we shared a post from 2ch that explained the ending of Kingdom Hearts 3D. goldpanner have provided us with a more detailed translation of this post, and you can read it at the link below. Keep in mind that it contains major spoilers, and also that there is a chance that it might not be accurate. However, another site confirms some of the information here, so it appears that it might be true. As for the translation:
Kingdom Hearts 3D ending explained in detail
5:30AM EST: crimmyice from Justin.tv is currently doing a live-stream of the game. You can watch this below. The playthrough is over, for now, however are able to watch a recording of it below.
4:58AM EST: We have received many photos showing the Kingdom Hearts 3D box, revealing its contents in detail. These photos were uploaded by takaturtle from KH13, who created a thread here. You can see the photos below.
3:26AM EST: A post on 2ch has possibly revealed the ending of the game. While we don't yet know if this is legit or not, a user on Tumblr has translated the post entirely. You can click the link to see it, but remember that this is not yet confirmed. Also remember that since this explains the game's ending, it obviously has spoilers.
2:33AM EST: Square Enix have updated their official website for the Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance Original Soundtrack. This update reveals that Disc 1 (of the 3-disc soundtrack) will contain 16 tracks, and also gives the names of these tracks. You can see them below. Many of the tracks have audio samples to listen to, so please check it out.
1. Dearly Beloved (http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/kh/3d/sound/disc1/track1.mp3)
2. Storm Driver (http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/kh/3d/sound/disc1/track2.mp3)
3. TWISTER -KINGDOM MIX- (http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/kh/3d/sound/disc1/track3.mp3)
4. Traverse in Trance
5. Hand to Hand
6. Dream Eaters
7. CALLING -KINGDOM MIX- (http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/kh/3d/sound/disc1/track7.mp3)
8. UNTAMABLE (http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/kh/3d/sound/disc1/track8.mp3)
9. SOMEDAY -KINGDOM MIX- (http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/kh/3d/sound/disc1/track9.mp3)
10. The World of Dream Drops
11. Le Sanctuaire
12. La Cloche
13. Sweet Spirits♥
14. Majestic Wings (http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/kh/3d/sound/disc1/track14.mp3)
15. Ever After
16. Wild Blue (http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/kh/3d/sound/disc1/track16.mp3)
1:41AM EST: Major spoilers with this update! A Japanese website has been updated with various information supplied by Dream World Navigation. This includes a list of worlds, a list of boss battles in the game, and the revelation that Critical Mode is unlocked after beating Proud Mode. Click the link below if you don't mind spoilers. Thanks to keytotheheart from KH13 for the topic.
Some KH3D spoilers/lists: Worlds, bosses & Keyblades
1:29AM EST: A user from 2ch has uploaded many photos of the Kingdom Hearts 10th Anniversary 3D+Days+Re:coded Box. You can see these photos below.
9:30PM EST: We've uploaded all of the Traverse Town cutscenes to YouTube. Stay tuned, as more cutscenes will be uploaded later. Spoilers, obviously. In the interest of those who don't want spoilers, we will not put the cutscene names here. You'll have to click to find out!
Opening Tutorial & Beginning of Traverse Town
Traverse Town 1 Traverse Town 2 Traverse Town 3 Traverse Town 4 Traverse Town 5 Traverse Town 6 Traverse Town 7 Traverse Town 8 Traverse Town 9 Traverse Town 10 Traverse Town 11 Traverse Town 12
12:33PM EST: apaulliao from TwitchTV has finished live-streaming, however, they have promised that they will continue their live-stream tomorrow. You can watch all 4 hours of their first live-stream below.
11:00AM EST: Kingdom Hearts 3D has officially released in Japan! Keep watching the live-stream below, and also check below for the game's opening on YouTube, thanks to apaulliao from TwitchTV.
9:40AM EST: At the current time of writing, apaulliao from TwitchTV is live-streaming Kingdom Hearts 3D. This is the first live-stream of the game, so make sure you give it a watch while you can! You can watch this livestream below.
[removed due to the live-stream being over]
Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] is releasing tomorrow in Japan. Our coverage of the game begins now. This news post will remain pinned at the top of the homepage, be regularly updated, and contain links to all images, videos and information surrounding the game. Spoiler warnings will be given when appropriate. Feel free to discuss Kingdom Hearts 3D on our forum.
7:57AM EST: The first image of somebody playing Kingdom Hearts 3D has appeared online, from an unknown source. Thanks to Sora- from KH13 for posting the image on our forum, you can see this below.
7:06AM EST: Thanks to okikuta for the scans, and aibo_ac7 for the find, we now have the first scans of Dream World Navigation, the Kingdom Hearts 3D guidebook from V Jump. You can see these scans below.
6:15AM EST: The March 29 issue of Famitsu Weekly magazine has included an article about Kingdom Hearts 3D. ArikaMiz has uploaded the first scan of this article (well actually, the front page of the magazine), and you can see this below.
6:10AM EST: The first photo of the Kingdom Hearts 3D-themed Nintendo 3DS console has appeared online, thanks to a user from 2ch. You can see this below.
5:29AM EST: Tomoco Kanemaki (game novel writer who wrote the story for 358/2 Days) has Tweeted in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Kingdom Hearts series. Amano Shiro (game manga artist and illustrator for other media), has also Tweeted about the occasion. Thanks to goldpanner, we have translations of both of these Tweets, and you can read them below.
Has it really been ten years… There’s no question, that was a book that changed my life. Congratulations on your 10 year anniversary, Kingdom Hearts. And, thank you so much, for now and for the future.
It’s the 10th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts. Now that I think about it, I’ve been involved with the manga for about ten years, too. I drew a celebratory picture for Famitsu’s article. Congratulations, Kingdom Hearts.
10:57PM EST: Oteu.net have written up more impressions of their playthrough. goldpanner has translated these updates (with one paragraph translated by Sky from KH13), and you can read this below. Slight spoilers.
1:31
I had a bath and did some stuff and then continued. Sora’s cleared Notre Dame too now.
In that time, Riku also progressed quite nicely and is up to the boss of the next stage.
Since the two of them are progressing at different speeds, the Hunchback of Notre Dame world and Tron world felt weirdly jumbled together.
7:47
So, let’s start day 2.
Riku’s The Grid turned to Lv18 after clearing it.
9:27
Not sure if the bosses are tough or I just suck...
Sora finally cleared The Grid.
Compared to Riku, just the part where there are no walls so you can’t do free flow action was harder.
10:49
Got delayed looking for Pinocchio.
I got impatient trying to go back to a world I’d already cleared with Riku. I didn’t know how to leave.
You can return to the world map from save points. Come on, put that in the tutorial... haha
13:16
I have a bit of time.
Cleared Traverse Town for the second time. It’s getting to be a habit!
Country of the Muskateers (Lv26) and Symphony of Sorcery (L34) opened up.
15:37
The first area’s story got longer and longer.
Cleared Country of the Musketeers with Riku. The area’s battle level went up to 30.
I’m glad it was long, because it had Mickey and Minnie in it.
But Reality Shift is difficult here, and I had a lot of trouble.
16:26
Finally Sora’s off to Fantasia.
Wow, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in 3D~
18:38
Finally cleared Fantasia with Riku. Lv38, was it? 36, I think.
The boss gave me hell.
19:01
Sora’s cleared Fantasia too~ That unlocked the next worlds. The next worlds... ooh...
I can’t imagine it’d be the last ones so soon. Maybe we’re at the middle climax?
19:57
Wow, I just realized it! One character can equip two Cures.
I get it. It was this tough to get here because I was using only one Cure (Although I had Cura and Curaga).
Honestly I wish I could equip 8 Curagas.
20:23
It’s taking me a weirdly long time to kill even small fry. I should level up.
21:10
意外と難しいもんだなー。
This is much harder than I expected...
21:40
IT FROZE
YOU ARE KIDDING ME
I wiped out all the stones in reality shift, but it won’t go to the next screen
OR SO I THOUGHT I mashed the bottom screen and it fixed somehow. That was close...
22:00
It’s taking ages to clear just the one map haha
Are the enemies too strong or am I too weak... ? Sora is lv34 right now, and I think Riku was about lv36.
Are the Dream Eaters all at Lv50 or something ahh haha
7:36PM EST: A reminder that Kingdom Hearts 3D has appeared in the April 2012 issue of Nintendo Power. The article reveals that the game will include various flashback scenes from Xehanort's perspective. Click the link to see a scan.
2:41PM EST: Tetsuya Nomura has Tweeted on the official Kingdom Hearts Twitter about the 10th anniversary of the series, and the release of Kingdom Hearts 3D. He had this to say, translated by Pavlovic Sarah from KH13.
Today, Kingdom Hearts reached 10 years. It is thanks to all the fans that it has become such a long series. I am truly thankful for that. I would be very happy if you continue to stay with me from now on. Thank you for the the tweets you already made to congratulate us. We will keep on doing our best.
Tomorrow is the relase of Kingdom Hearts 3D. There are rumours in my surrounding that it is the masterpiece of the series. I also heard people say "KH is not KH when it does not kick in walls" as a (bold) impression. Be sure to try it out. This time there also will be a way to see the Secret Ending even if you play in Beginner Mode, but you have to give your best.
11:00AM EST: As of this moment, it is March 28, 2012 in Japan. This, of course, means that the Kingdom Hearts series has turned 10 years old! Exactly 10 years ago, Kingdom Hearts was released on the PlayStation 2 for the first time. The Kingdom Hearts series has come a long way since then, and we're very happy to play such a large role in the community. Congratulations to Square Enix, Disney and everyone who has contributed to Kingdom Hearts for the milestone, and thankyou everyone for visiting KH13.com!
The playthrough impressions below have been updated, and are (at the time of writing) completely translated. This is thanks to both goldpanner and Pavlovic Sarah from KH13. Enjoy the read!
9:42AM EST: Oteu.net have obtained a copy of the game, and are currently writing up complete impressions of their playthrough. This is, of course, in Japanese, but we are lucky enough to have received a translation from goldpanner and KH13's Pavlovic Sarah. You can read this below. Slight spoilers.
18:39
First of all, someone asked: "This game can be used with the Slide Pad, will you use it?"
Sorry, I don’t know what that is. I don’t think many people would know that word... Do you mean the thing you can use when you play Monster Hunter?
The game modes you can choose from are: Beginner Mode / Standard Mode / Proud Mode.
I don’t think you can change once you’ve started. I’m on Standard.
19:06
Woah... right from the start you are thrown into the tutorial.
I do not know what's going on!! lol
Y for the Free Fall, X and A for the Reality Shift... I think it said.
I don’t properly remember, so I’ll mash the buttons and see what works… haha
19:10
The first pet is Wonder Meow. If you invest 4/6 of the items you are carrying, it will become Lv. 3 early. HP 56, Attack 11, Magic 14, Defense 8, I think.
If you poke him and play with him, Ability Points will increase lol
19:25
The scene changes from Sora to Riku.
Here I obtained the Dream Eater "Koumori Bat"
19:30
Impressions so far. The control system feels good, and it’s definitely Kingdom Hearts.
But, a lot of things pop up in the command tutorials, and I got pretty confused.
This is very unusual for a Square Enix game. I think it would have been better if they'd had things come up bit by bit as the game advances.
20:10
It is pretty hard to figure out where to go next. Haha
20:38
While wandering around without a clue i finally got it.
I already knew that you could play both Sora and Riku, but it turns out you don’t play them both at the same time with them working together, they each have their own separate stories happening.
For example, Sora and Riku start in 1st District. If Sora goes 1st District → 2nd District → 3rd District and then ‘Dops’, that doesn’t mean Riku then is in 3rd District. He has to start from 1st District and go on from there.
Even if they are in the same place, the cutscenes that occur and the items that are dropped are different.
There are also parts of the map that only one or the other are able to access.
I Dropped during a boss battle and I wasn't able to calm down during playing the other character because of this… lol
20:44
Sora cleared Traverse Town.
It seems that you can choose between La Cité des Cloches (Lv.8), The Grid (Lv.14) and Prankster's Paradise (Lv.18).
Those are the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tron: Lecacy, and Pinocchio worlds, in that order.
I’m starting with Notre Dame.
20:50
Sorry, I haven’t had the 3D on up until now haha I just switched it on
Aaaah the Notre Dame cutscene is so pretty!!!!
But my eyes are going to get tired so I turned it off right away lol
If you’re only playing for a little but, be sure to turn it on!! But tonight I’m in for the long haul so... haha
20:57
I knew you stroked your pets in this game, but wasn’t there an erotic game like this...
I’m not that into erotic games, but it could be pretty similar to Doki Doki Majo Shinpan.
21:16
Riku cleared Traverse Town too.
Here for Riku we have La Cité des Cloches (Lv.8), The Grid (Lv.14) and Prankster's Paradise (Lv.20).
I wonder why just the level of Prankster's Paradise is different..
21:25
Impressions after clearing the first area (Traverse Town).
It was pretty hard to figure out where on the map to go in the beginning, but once i got used to the game system it wasn't that difficult.
It should be easy to get used to the button connections, because they consistently make it so you get your chance when they go pink.
A to begin an attack, but sometimes instead you will need Y. Roll with Y and touch a wall or pole and ‘ping’!
Combat is geting closer and closer to the Dynasty/Samurai/Whatever Warriors games. Haha
The powerful attacks released with Y send the enemies flying, which is exhilarating.
You do not have to target enemies all that often, the damage range is pretty wide.
That said, you really do have to use your head in boss battles. I’ve only done two so far, though.
The picture quality is good. It made me really want a The World Ends With You sequel on the 3DS.
22:14
Ugh... shoulders gone stiff. With the 3DS, Mario and Mario Cart make my shoulders stiff too… Leyton doesn’t though!
23:19
Notre Dame boss was really tough... He deals massive one-shots.
This is a pretty hard boss for an opening level. I wonder if I’ll be able to clear them all.
23:32
Huh, Riku’s Cloches level turned into Lv12.
I guess the enemies get tougher once you’ve cleared a stage.
9:00AM EST: Thanks again to a user from 2ch, we have gotten our first look at the instruction manual and game cartridge for Kingdom Hearts 3D. You can see this below. We will also have the first impressions of the game up in a few hours, so please look forward to it.
8:32AM EST: Our first images of the box containing the Kingdom Hearts 3D Nintendo 3DS bundle have appeared online, thanks to an auction listing on Yahoo. You can see these below.
6:47AM EST: While Kingdom Hearts 3D has not yet been officially released in Japan, there have been some reports of people purchasing the game early. One 2ch user has uploaded a photo of the game on their desk, showing that there have been early sales, and implying that we'll probably start seeing some videos very soon. Be excited!
Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] has appeared in the April issue of Nintendo Power. A high quality scan of the 1-page article can be seen below, thanks to Oishii from KH13 for the scan. Although it doesn't contain much new information, it is still exciting to see the coverage for Kingdom Hearts 3D picking up overseas. The article also mentions that flashbacks from Xehanort's perspective are used throughout the game to explain story details, and the characters' backgrounds.
Square Enix have created a page on their website for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] Ultimania, the official guidebook for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] from Square Enix. This book is sure to contain heaps of information about the game, as well as information regarding the mysteries and future of the Kingdom Hearts series. It will certainly be very interesting, and is definitely something to look forward to! The book will be A5 in size, and will release on May 1, 2012 for a price of ¥1,890 (approximately US$22.88). Thanks to aibo_ac7 for the tip.
Update 1: sqexgal has translated some of the details surrounding the book. You can read this below.
Includes 3D maps and treasure chest locations, scenario walkthroughs, Spirit and Nightmare Dream Eaters lists, advice for bosses, developer interviews, and a compilation about the components introduced after clearing the game!
Update 2: Square Enix have created a page for the Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] Ultimania on the Square Enix e-STORE. This page reveals that the Ultimania will be 432 pages long! Wow!
FamiWeb have updated their website with a confirmation that Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] will appear in the March 29, 2012 issue of the magazine. While we already knew this thanks to an earlier article on Famitsu.com, it is nice to get confirmation! Let's look forward to it (and also, of course, to the release of the game on the same day)! At the time of writing, Kingdom Hearts 3D is only about 50 hours from releasing in Japan.
Keiji Kawamori has posted on the Square Enix music blog announcing that the Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] soundtrack is completely finished, and ready to be sent off for printing. While no new information is given, they did upload this teasing photo of the completed soundtrack. Of course, the printed copy of the disc won't look like this-- but doesn't seeing the photo make you want the soundtrack right now!? The official Kingdom Hearts 3D soundtrack releases in Japan on April 18, 2012.
Square Enix have updated their official website for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]. This update includes updates to the characters, system and special sections. You can check out the link below for the updates, or keep reading to see our analysis of it. Thanks to aibo_ac7 for the tip.
Official Kingdom Hearts 3D website
Characters (6 characters added)
- Lea
- King Mickey
- Donald Duck
- Goofy
- Yen Sid
- Unknown
System (8 new sections, 5 new gameplay videos)
Section 7: Breed
Square Enix have updated their Kingdom Hearts [Dream or Drop] website with two commercials for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]. These commercials, titled TVCM 03 (Battle) and TVCM 04 (Drama) were previously available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop, however, this is the first time they have been made available in perfect quality. You can watch both of these below, thanks to aibo_ac7 for the tip. Both videos are complete with English subtitles.
Nintendo Power has released a preview of their next issue and Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] is listed to appear. You can go to the PDF with the listing by clicking here. As you can see, it seems that Kingdom Hearts 3D will have a 1-page article. The magazine officially releases on April 4, 2012, however if last time is any indication, then we might see those with subscriptions get their copy earlier. Thanks to khdude124 from KH13 for the tip.
Just a small update, but something interesting nonetheless. With the release of Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] approaching fast in Japan (remember, it releases on March 29, 2012. Check the countdown above to see the exact time left), some Japanese stores have begun putting up the cases on display. With this, we have gotten our first look at the Kingdom Hearts 3D folders that are being given away with some pre-orders of the game. You can see this below, thanks to okikuta and FF-Reunion.
An advertisement has appeared for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] that shows the game being used with the Nintendo 3DS Circle Pad Pro. While we already knew that Circle Pad compatibility was confirmed, this is the first time that we've actually seen it used together with Kingdom Hearts 3D. Thanks to ArikaMiz for the find.
Kingdom Hearts Destiny have written up demo impressions for a Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] demo (specifically, the Jump Festa 2012 demo) that they were recently invited to play by Square Enix France. While the demo impressions do not give us much new information, it is perhaps the most detailed we have seen so far. You can read this below, thanks to Terranort9406 from KH13 for the find. (Translated from French to English by Google Translate.)
Let's start by talking about the impressive opening scene of the game we were fortunate to see him turn on the console itself. What can I say except that this summary of the most striking scenes of the entire series can only delight fans. The emotions and memories are at the rendezvous, exacerbated by the magnificent work of the studio Visual Works . While the top screen reveals sequences of high quality, the lower screen shows the Sorcerer Mickey as a conductor wielding the baton to the pages that are told the adventures of the heroes of the series. A small nod to Fantasia that is working.
The proposed title screen to play with Sora and Riku in the world " Country of the Musketeers ". Since it was necessary to make a choice, I turned to Sora. However, it was possible to play with the second character with the function Drop ; this gauge purple that requires you to change the protagonist once completely exhausted. It was also proposed to initiate this change ourselves at any time by pressing the Start button and then click a " Drop "on the touch screen. Interesting insofar as it allows us to live both in parallel adventures, however, this function causes a feeling of frustration in the player when the change occurs in combat. Worse when we return in the confrontation previously abandoned. Note that some locations on the map seemed poisoned by the presence of a purple haze on the ground and escaping from a kind of vase to destroy. The fog seemed to have an effect on the rate of depletion of the gauge drop, but to confirm. To avoid the risk of spoiling the fun of those who expect the game to discover the history, I will not refer here to the plot of this world (for others, a paragraph will be devoted below). Let us therefore technical characteristics of the game and gameplay. I must admit that once again, for a game on 3DS, the graphic quality is at the rendezvous. The game is colorful, maybe even more than his predecessors, and true to the spirit and magical animated Disney . The character models are equally enjoyable and flawless. As for 3D, it is actually very well proportioned, not too flashy or unnecessary, the eye, whether or fighting scenes. The magic and actions Sora / Riku are still going strong and animated 3D effect offers good prospects here (get the impression that the lot across the screen, it's something).
With regard to basic actions, nothing new if you played Birth by Sleep and Re: Coded . You move the character with the analog stick while controlling the camera with the buttons L and R. Press simultaneously on these locks a target. The key is used to attack the keyblade and you can skip to B. The Y button has several effects ward off attacks, perform a roll by moving the stick at the same time, or activate the Free Flow Action . The D-pad selects one of the menu commands that you can activate with X. In this connection, Sora could run to the Keyblade impressive reels, dive attacks or create a swirl of colors sending projectiles around. Riku in turn could use the time seen in Give Birth by Sleep but Zantetsuken among others including the traditional treatment.
Getting started is easy and intuitive. Everyone will find their marks quickly. The camera operates in the same way as in Birth by Sleep, to the point of finding that one of its shortcomings: they can not handle it as we like to admire the scene (the camera can be moved as from left to right and vice versa, and not from top to bottom). Using the Circle Pad Pro for 3DS will perhaps correct this detail (unfortunately we could not test the particular Accessory). Speaking of environments, the places are so faithful to the original cartoon you believe it. Perhaps this is specific to this world, but the areas were numerous, varied and rather extensive. A good place for this episode, compared to BbS who was moving from the more narrow corridors. Our two heroes were both accompanied by three swallow Dreams (spelling to be confirmed but it would be the French translation of " Dream Eater "). Sora was accompanied by a Wonder Nyan , a Neko Cat and an Elephant Zou (rather large). A Frog Head , a Handsome Pegasus and a Spirit like a ladybug teamed with Riku. Only two of his monsters can fight for you but the game allows you to replace one of them by the Spirit in the third subject very easily and at any time. You just have to touch the avatar of the Dream Eater on the touch screen and drag it to the place of another. As Donald and Goofy at the time, your companions are autonomous and only attack the enemies. Animated, each has a characteristic cry and his own way of fighting. However, as Donald and Goofy, they do not have a decisive outcome in the battle. Their interest is mainly based on their skills Dual Link , which can be triggered once the gauge link of one of them full (Sora Neko Cat and starting a wild dance at As of the buttons shown, Riku's side of the absorbent Dream Eater to inflict elemental attacks of fire or lightning). If the Link gauges of the two Spirits are full, a symbol appears on the lower screen, by touching it, you enable an attack Dual Link combining the two monsters (Wonder Nyan has absorbed the latter Dream Eater and became gigantic, jumping on enemies repeatedly, Sora on his back an attack rather comical but very powerful!). Your companions are not only allies in combat but can also guide you through the stages of exploration. At times, they can tell a place to look (chests or break walls to reveal secret passages). A little more to feel closer to your critters.
The demo was the chance to test one of the great innovations of the game: the Free Flow Action . This feature allows Sora and Riku to perform impressive moves, like jumping over walls, swirl around pillars or sliding on rails or ropes. A breath of fresh air and freedom to use the environment around us in this way! Nothing is easier to turn since you press Y near a wall is enough to bounce our heroes.
Objects that may be involved are also marked with a lock symbol in yellow. Such is the case of pillars and other objects of the set: jumping on a piano to spring open and enchain a dive attack is somewhat unexpected. During your travels in Free Flow , you can indeed conclude the movement by a powerful attack. Moreover, using the Free Flow action against an enemy as imposing Elephant Zou , you can trigger the attack "Blow Off" which allows you to defeat him by projecting it on other enemies. It's nice to see that this new system is not a simple style effect as fully integrated exploration of worlds. Riku was such swirling around a pillar to show the ropes (by dragging it, it could reach higher levels to retrieve the contents of chests) or unblock access to the next area.
The system Reality Shift is just as interesting as specific to each world. You can trigger this function when the symbol turns purple verroullage or when arrows appear on the touch screen at that moment, you simply press the X and A at the same time, or drag your stylus ( or your finger) on the lower screen in the direction of the arrows. The character then dives to the floor and time stops for you to perform the actions shown on the screen. In " Country of the Musketeers , "the Reality Shift appears as a cartoon illustration. Although a small qu'apportant longer fighting simple and entertaining, I have not found this feature really necessary compared to other possibilities in combat. However, I liked it to be put to use in a boss fight.
Finish with a crush on the music. Nothing really exceptional in itself compared to other soundtrack, but the sounds remain faithful to the series and still correspond to places visited. There is of course difficult to judge since all the demo was limited to one world. But little understood, with the music already unveiled, bode for the best. This demo put forward much of the novelty of the game, but unfortunately we did not have access to the main menu and character development systems and Dream Eaters. This overview console in hand shows that once again, the development team has done an excellent job to provide even more dynamic and action in the series, while incorporating the basics that have made it successful. It only remains to wait for the Western version of the title to confirm these initial impressions. No doubt the game will find its audience.
Warning : The following paragraphs reveal elements of world history " Country of the Musketeers . " If you want to keep the mystery until the game's release, please do not read this!
Sora
Mickey, Donald and Goofy are faced with Dream Eater. Frightened, Donald and Goofy run away, leaving Mickey alone against the enemy. Sora arrives in time to save the famous mouse. Begins a discussion during which Sora was surprised that Mickey does not recognize it (it's not the Mickey he knows). Other Dream Eaters appear and then snaps a fight. Once the danger has passed, Donald and Goofy eventually return, and the group then began the famous motto of the Musketeers: One for all and all for one!
The next scene is a sequence escort the carriage of Princess Minnie attacked by a gigantic Doukun Rex . This phase allows you to familiarize yourself with the Parade and the cons-attack, only way to defeat the Dream Eater. Unfortunately, the Beagle Boys appear and kidnap the princess. The group finally found the coach in a deserted place where stands a tower. At the top, Sora confronts the Beagle Boys and saves the princess. Determined not to fail in their mission, returning from the Beagle Boys most beautiful but Goofy and Mickey managed to eject them from the tower by jumping from a window to a tree and bounced back into the tower (a scene glimpsed in the band- ads of the game).
Return to the palace, Donald and Goofy and Mickey leave Pat appeared alongside several Dream Eaters. Mickey then tries to face the Captain of the Musketeers, but is kidnapped while Sora is disappearing before the attack of one of the monsters. Donald and Goofy find him and the group goes in search of Mickey, held in the sewers of an immense city on an island: the Mont Saint Michel. Following the story takes place in the Opera House where Pat had set a trap to the three musketeers (Riku trap that seems to have disabled its side). A struggle ensues against the Beagle: by emptying their life bar, a Reality Shift to phase began for Pat to project onto him down a boat decor. Once the latter defeated the three friends finally become true musketeers, and Sora is the lock of the world. Riku his arrival in this world, Riku discovers the Opera and saw Pat off. Arriving on the scene behind the scenes, he discovers that Pat and the Beagle Boys prepare a trap to remove Mickey, Donald and Goofy with a heavy box. The Beagle Boys run away and the Riku continues until a chest where the Princess Minnie is enclosed. During their conversation, Riku sees a Beagle in the robbing of a crank mechanism. Minnie asks him to retrieve it. What follows is a chase behind the scenes at the Opera: The Beagle Boys hid in different places (behind a door, or hidden behind theater costumes) and you must find them for putting out of harm. Then A boss awaits you in a rather large area: it appears and disappears several times and in different places and you need help of the map to find it. Riku then retrieves the lock mechanism and the world appears.
ComputerAndVideoGames.com have posted a review of a recent Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] demo that was made available to them. This is a very interesting and positive review of the game, so we definitely recommend that you give it a read. Thanks go to Terranort9406 from KH13 for the find.
Interestingly, the review reveals that the game's introduction will contain a short scene where Xehanort comes back to life, as well as a boss battle with Ursula. It also reveals that there will be a Pete boss battle within the game. You can read the entire review below.
Beginnings are funny things. Considering how few people actually finish games, you'd expect developers to front-load their titles with some of their very best content in order to prevent bored consumers from immediately writing off their masterpiece.
Instead - and RPGs are generally the worst offenders here - they dump you in a small boring village, making you run tedious and menial errands for the first five hours.
The original Kingdom Hearts was a game that got it right. The saga kicked off with a massive, prophetic battle backed up by the sort of classically epic score that Square Enix never seem to come up with any more. The following tutorial area was brief and enjoyable - leaps and bounds above the dreary five-hour slog of its immediate sequel and the confusing starting nonsense of the many, many resulting spin-offs. So no one would blame you if you gave up before any of those games finally opened up.
After playing through the intro of Dream Drop Distance, and also an entire world somewhere beyond it, we can hardly make the same complaints here. Following a short scene in which series big bad Xehanort springs back to life, good guy Sora and reformed renegade Riku do battle with a giant Ursula-from-The-Little-Mermaid, before being sucked into a whirlpool to begin their latest adventure. That's what we like to see from our Kingdom Hearts: no angst, no gibberish, and no bleddy Roxas.
It's then that one of the game's many interesting new features kicks in. Memoirs are optional cutscenes that help make sense of Kingdom Hearts' labyrinthine backstory, and they're joined by a new database that expands as the game progresses. Fans have been known to frequently tie themselves in knots trying to explain what this guy's Nobody is doing to that guy's Data-Heartless, so perhaps this will draw a line under that 'colourful debate' once and for all.
Luckily we have a helpful translator on hand to interpret this one, so we know that Riku and Sora have been advised by Mickey's creepy wizard friend Yen Sid to take the Keyblade Mastery Exam. It's the only way to defeat Xehanort once and for all, you see, as he was a powerful keyblade-wielder himself long ago, before he turned to the dark side of the, er, lock.
Master and keymander
Flashback over, we have a chance to check out yet another new feature: the freefalling minigame that now connects each fractured world. As Sora plummets to the ground, you have to help him avoid obstacles with the slide pad while optionally smashing things for points. It's a simple yet enjoyably brisk travel method, and infinitely preferable to another Gummi-ship shoot-'em-up.
Upon crash-landing in the familiar Traverse Town, Sora bumps into Neku from Square Enix's peerless The World Ends With You, who is, predictably, being a sullen-yet-enviously-hip jerk. Once they've made their introductions, Neku guides our relentlessly upbeat hero through the game's new combat and exploration mechanics, or 'Cirque du Soleil' as it's more commonly known.
Rightly theorising that walking is for chumps, Square have given Sora and Riku the ability to grind the environment, swinging on lampposts or sliding up bannisters like a fantastical Tony Hawk, only without that tiny plank on wheels he likes to get about on. This increased acrobaticism not only makes general getting-about much more enjoyable, it also comes into play during the game's slightly-too-frequent fights.
The two protagonists can now literally run rings around the enemy, thwack them from above, or pick up and chuck the bigger ones in a game of Extreme Shotput. It's all done with the context-sensitive Y button, which does perhaps take a tiny bit of the thrill out of dexterously performing these amazing combos yourself, but only just.
Pets win prizes
Replacing the Heartless as DDD's respawning keyblade fodder are the Dream Eaters - neon-hued animals that look like they've been caught in a fight between the cast of Tron Legacy and a sickly rainbow. In a startling coincidence, the 'good' versions of these guys also act as your new allies, dutifully following Sora and Riku into battle and making it fairly tricky to distinguish friend from foe.
Cute yet deadly, they've clearly taken a few cues from Square Enix's own Dragon Quest Monsters, but there's a distinct whiff of Pokémon and Nintendogs in there too. Up to three Dream Eaters can tag along with Riku or Sora - they each get a different set - but we've been assured there'll be loads more to collect and customise. Outside of battle, you can even stroke their fur and rub their bellies with the touch screen - something that never went down too well with Donald Duck.
Thankfully, the Dream Eaters are a bit less needy - and a bit more bloodthirsty - during battle. Each creature has a link gauge, which unleashes a Summon-type special attack when it becomes full. For example, the weird Cat-Dog-Bear-Thing (fine, you name it next time) turns into a rideable space-hopper, while another forces you to take part in an aggressive rhythm game. That's not all, because links can even be combined into one wildly powerful super-attack - Dream Eaters are pretty awesome, in other words.
At this point the demonstration 3DS unit was cruelly whisked away from us (booo!), but it was returned at a different juncture in the story (huzzah!). Sora and Riku have just arrived in the world of the Three Musketeers, where it seems that Queen Minnie Mouse has been captured by ne'er-do-wells. Of course, this being Kingdom Hearts, the two heroes aren't there at the same time, or should we say at the same place - they've been diverted to two neighbouring parallel dimensions.
Worlds apart
It turns out that Riku inhabits ever-so-slightly different versions of each Disney world from young Sora - somebody at Square has obviously been watching too much Fringe. At one point during our play session Riku's actions appear to bleed through to Sora's universe, but as a general rule the pair are kept separate, save for the torch-passing that occurs when one suddenly hits the hay.
And that's feature #3,874: the Drop gauge, which determines when Riku takes over from Sora, and vice versa. At the moment we've no idea why the dynamic duo fall asleep whenever this counter reaches zero, but we're betting it has something to do with the evil Organisation XIII.
Of all the new mechanics in this remarkably fully fledged spin-off, the Drop gauge is the most confusing, not to mention the most potentially annoying. In addition to forcing a character change, it essentially makes you play through each area twice. One jaunt through an Eater-infested opera house was quite enough, thank you very much; on the second, we were pretty desperate to move along.
The demo ended with a big ol' boss battle with perennial Disney nuisance Pete, a smartly choreographed affair involving yet another touch-based minigame. It was a silly fight but one that neatly encapsulated our feelings about the entire demo: this is Kingdom Hearts with a renewed vigour and sense of humour, with less self-indulgent, willfully confusing waffle.
We don't know about you, but that's exactly what we've been waiting for since the original game. Despite a few misgivings, we can't wait to return to Dream Drop Distance this summer.
Update 1: Square Enix have updated the website again with two more videos from the Premiere Event. Click the link below and go to "Special" to watch it.
Official Kingdom Hearts 3D website
Or, if you prefer, you can watch them below from our YouTube channel.
They will both be added to our video archive to be watched/downloaded later.
Square Enix have updated their official website for Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]. This update is an update to the special section, and contains footage of the Kingdom Hearts 3D Premiere Event that occurred on March 3, 2012. Click the link below and go to "Special" to watch it.
Official Kingdom Hearts 3D website
Or, if you prefer, you can watch it below from our YouTube channel.
