The latest issue of Famitsu Weekly has included an interview with the director of the Kingdom Hearts series, Tetsuya Nomura, where he discusses Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts 3D. Most importantly, Nomura reveals that Sora and Riku are in fact in their original clothing for 3D, and that every Disney world in the game will be new. FF-Reunion have uploaded a scan of this article, which can be seen below in our gallery. HEARTSTATION.ORG have translated the interview, which can be read below.
Famitsu Weekly (November 17, 2010)
“The events written in the Ansem Reports took place between Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts.”
Data Sora had a heart, didn’t he?
Nomura: Theoretically he doesn’t, but I entrust the answer to the imaginations of those who’ve seen the ending.
In the Secret Movie, it’s said they seem to know the location of Ven’s heart, leaving only Terra left. If we may assume, those two know that Aqua is located in the World of Darkness.
Nomura: That is what’s being hinted at.
Is it possible that the King met with her in the World of Darkness during Kingdom Hearts I?
Nomura: About that, I can’t yet say.
Yen Sid asks what if the revived Xehanort isn’t alone. What is the meaning behind that?
Nomura: Its meaning is literal. What would you do if there was more than just Xehanort? I get a bad feeling just thinking about it. (Laughs.)
So it’s possible that other members of Organization XIII can be revived?
Nomura: If their Heartless has been defeated then it’s possible.
At what point were Ansem and Xemnas separated from Xehanort? When did they lose their memories?
Nomura: Sometime between Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts I. It happened during the events in the Ansem Reports from Kingdom Hearts I. Was it really memory loss? In the Birth by Sleep Secret Movie, Braig doubted it.
Additionally, there is only one master right now, and that’s the King. When did the King become a master?
Nomura: During Birth by Sleep, the King is in the middle of his Mark of Mastery exam. Therefore, by the time of Kingdom Hearts, he has become a Keyblade Master. Yen Sid is a retired master and he can proctor the Mark of Mastery exam. Thus, this time, he will administer the test to Sora and Riku.
So the letter Sora receives in the ending has to do with the Mark of Mastery?
Nomura: Well, how about that. Incidentally, even though Kairi can wield a Keyblade, she won’t be a testing candidate.
So will Kingdom Hearts 3D be the telling of their Mark of Mastery exam?
Nomura: Kingdom Hearts 3D will be the platform for it. We’ve completed the axis for the system, right now we are testing how things are implemented, continuing in the trial and error process. In 3D you will be able to play as Sora and Riku, but we are considering making their main operation systems different. In Chain of Memories they both used cards but they used them differently. We’re thinking about having two types of play styles like that.
Sora and Riku appear in their Kingdom Hearts I outfits, why is that?
Nomura: That’s still a secret. I can only say that for the story it is necessary.
Then the worlds will be the same as in the first Kingdom Hearts?
Nomura: No, except for the original worlds like Traverse Town, we plan on using all new Disney worlds. Right now we are selecting worlds, though I have a lot of ideas I want to include.
Will it use the solid 3D display that is distinctive of the Nintendo 3DS?
Nomura: There’s that, but not just that. Kingdom Hearts 3D connects to Kingdom Hearts III; I plan on showing how they evolutionarily progress.
Connected to Kingdom Hearts III?!
Nomura: Yes, both the system and the story are tied to Kingdom Hearts III. It’s likely that the ending of 3D will continue into the story of KH3.
So, how is the system progressing?
Nomura: The Kingdom Hearts series has fundamentally been a single player game. Since it’s different than the Final Fantasy series which is founded on party play, the way the characters level up is different. Because there are various things that can and can’t be done, the things I can’t do in Final Fantasy Versus XIII I’m doing in Kingdom Hearts. Still I think those sorts of differences are there.
Is Birth by Sleep Final Mix taking center stage at the moment?
Nomura: The manufacturing of Birth by Sleep Final Mix is just about finished. Since the new ‘Secret Episode’ is being included, those fans who pay close attention to the mysteries of the story will want to play it by all means.
This Secret Episode, will it be different than the Secret Movies shown so far?
Nomura: In the Secret Episode, you’ll be able to virtually move as the character. I think it’ll be a different surprise fans can savor compared to just watching a movie.
Will fans be able to play a Birth by Sleep Final Mix demo at Jump Festa this December?
Nomura: Yeah, you’ll be able to. A single player and a multiplayer mode are being prepared. In the multiplayer mode you will be able to enjoy battling against Monstro.
What other things titles will be exhibited?
Nomura: The demos for The 3rd Birthday and Dissidia 012 [duodecim] will be available. One part of the promotional figure display from the Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded launch will also be there. I figured it’d be a good chance for Re:Coded players to cross paths, so please attend if you can.
The conference relating to Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII is occuring in January 2011, how is that coming along?
Nomura: We are in the midst of preparing for it. Please wait for a detailed follow up report.
Finally, a message for the fans.
Nomura: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep’s release date is January 20th. Since I’m thinking there will be a long wait before I can send a follow up report about Kingdom Hearts 3D, please look forward to it.
KH13.com's gallery aims to provide the community with all articles, screenshots and photos concerning the Kingdom Hearts series. As you can imagine, this is a huge amount of content, so images are continuously being added. Below is a list of content we have added or updated in the past week.
Screenshots → 4Gamer.net Screenshots → GAME Watch Screenshots → Kingdom Hearts, Facebook page Screenshots → Kotaku Screenshots → Message from the KINGDOM Photos → IKSPIARI Tokyo Disney Resort
Please enjoy, and keep checking back for more.
Square Enix have announced via their online calendar that a Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep novel is in production. This novel, titled Birth by Sleep Vol.1 Something Strange, will be available in Japan on December 24, 2010.
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded Ultimania, the official guidebook for Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, was released earlier in the week. This book, scans of which can be seen in our gallery, contains interviews with various people involved in the creation of Re:coded. HEARTSTATION.ORG have translated some of these interviews, and as there is a very large amount, they can be read at our forum.
Square Enix have announced on their Facebook page for Kingdom Hearts that a pre-order bonus will exist for Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. The bonus apparently, if you pre-order at GameStop or Amazon.com, consists of a free "icon decal set" before the January 11, 2011 release date. A picture of this set can be seen on the Facebook page.
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded Ultimania has released in Japan. Ultimania is a guidebook for Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, including information and strategy regarding the game, as well as interviews that concern the development of the game, and the future of the series. HEARTSTATION.ORG have purchased a copy of the book, and uploaded scans of it. These can be seen below. Furthermore, they have stated that 19 interviews are included in the book, including a 6-page interview with the director of the series, Tetsuya Nomura. Please look forward to these.
Re:coded Ultimania
When E3 2010 occured in June 2010, a trailer for the English version of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded was shown. This trailer is the only available trailer for the English version, and can now be seen below in high quality thanks to TheDogonfire. It can also be downloaded from our video archive.
Square Enix have updated their online store with a page for Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix. This page announces the price, 6,090円, and more importantly gives a more official indication of the release date, January 20, 2011. Lastly, new screenshots of the game have surfaced from this update, which can be seen in our gallery.
The latest issue of Nintendo Dream magazine has included an interview with the director of the Kingdom Hearts series, Tetsuya Nomura. Here, Nomura discusses the development of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, and also reveals details concerning Kingdom Hearts 3D. Thanks to HEARTSTATION.ORG and Key to Truth, as well as ReBirth Wings who originally posted the interview, it can be read at our forum.
As the Kingdom Hearts Re:coded hype has now finished, we will go back to focusing on the future of the Kingdom Hearts series. Firstly and of the greatest importance, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix has been given a release date of January 27, 2011. This information, as well as various other details, such as more on the inclusion of Monstro and other extras, can be seen in various articles which are available on our gallery.
Secondly, Square Enix have announced the Kingdom Hearts Re:coded Ultimania. This book, available on November 4, 2010 for a price of 1,680円, will reveal secrets about Re:coded, and the future of the Kingdom Hearts series.
Please continue to visit KH13.com in the near future as we cover the Ultimania, and the upcoming release of Re:coded in English, as well as Birth by Sleep Final Mix. In around December 2010, we will unveil a complete website redesign, so we hope you look forward to this and the new functionality it will bring. Enjoy.
As many of you know, Kingdom Hearts Re:coded is a remake of a title previously exclusive to Japan, Kingdom Hearts coded. In this sense, Re:coded is a new title, with unexplored secrets and aspects, which we will cover here at KH13.com.
Accordingly, we have set up a coverage thread on our forum, and here, any new videos, content or information concerning Re:coded will be posted as soon as it appears. In the interest of preventing spoilers, we will keep the majority of content on the coverage page, and update below with a summary of what you can hope to find.
UPDATE 2: Our coverage thread now contains English subtitled cutscenes from the game. UPDATE: Our video archive has been updated with every scene from Re:coded. Also below, a playthrough thanks to EmiruTheKnight.
- The secret ending with English subtitles. - All 12 cutscenes from the game, in the highest quality. - Various tracks from Re:coded's OST.
Please enjoy, link to KH13.com when you use our videos, and feel free to discuss the game, share discoveries, and request anything you might want covered on our coverage page. Your comments are appreciated! Thank you, and please remember that we do not tolerate any discussion of video game piracy.
New York Comic Con 2010, a gaming event held in New York, is currently underway. At this event, the English version of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded was featured, which was recently revealed to have a release date of January 11, 2010 on Square Enix's official website.
At the event, a new trailer for the game, as well as a playable demo, were featured. Thanks to Recharged, who attended the event, this trailer can be seen below, or downloaded from our video archive.
The Twitter page of Square Enix Europe has revealed the European release date for Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. Although this update seems to have been accidently posted, as it was promptly taken down, various Twitter users were able to capture the message before it was removed. This can be read below.
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded is coming to Europe 14th January 2011, on Nintendo DS!
Square Enix have updated their official website for Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, which is to be released on October 7, 2010. This update includes two commercials, which are similar but of different lengths. Both can be seen below, or downloaded from our video archive.
Square Enix's official website for Kingdom Hearts Re:coded has updated with new content. Specifically, the website now contains extra world summaries, and three new videos showing aspects of the game. These videos can be downloaded from our video archive, or seen below.
