Volume 463 of Dengeki PlayStation magazine has featured Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, the upcoming Kingdom Hearts title for the PlayStation Portable, in an article. This article, which was scanned by HEARTSTATION.ORG, contains high quality screenshots, as well as an interview with the series' director, Tetsuya Nomura. The article can be viewed below, in our gallery, and the interview, which was translated by Kingdom Hearts Insider, can be read below.
Dengeki PlayStation (Volume 463)
Thanks to HEARTSTATION.ORG.
The last part of our special is an interview with director Tetsuya Nomura. The man who created the series talks of this latest game in the series that has been waited by fans.
“There is enough packed into this game that it is on par with a console title.”
You have to watch the secret movie
--- The release date is almost near isn’t it? First, I’d like to ask you some things about the story. Nomura: I really don’t think I’ll be able to say much (laugh). With the story we have this time, if I talk about it even a little bit it’s a spoiler.
--- Well that’s a problem (laugh) One interesting point of this game is that you can choose which of three main characters you want to play with. But which order do you recommend? Nomura: Terra, Ven and Aqua is the best order. We wrote the scenarios in that order, and you’ll probably understand why while you’re playing it. Also, Ven is very easy to use, but Terra is a little heavier and moves slowly. So you could begin playing with the character that best fits your play style. But if you choose to play as Ven first and then go on to Terra, you’ll probably feel too slow.
--- So the scenarios for the three characters are really quite different? Nomura: Yes, we set it up that way. If three friends were to play the game and choose different characters, after ten minutes the story would be completely different. If you choose to play as a different character than your friend, you both should be careful of spoiling each other.
--- Instead of using one character until the end, can you play each character a little bit at a time? Nomura: For the most part yes, you can. When you first create a save, it creates saves for all three characters. But if you play them together it becomes confusing, and I wouldn’t recommend it.
--- Alright then, now can you tell us what kind of characters the three heroes are? Starting with Terra. Nomura: Terra, as we’ve shown in trailers and screenshots, becomes [closer? entangled?] with darkness, which is the highlight of his story. But he doesn’t just fight the darkness in his heart, he tries to hold back his desire while being invited into the darkness. He can also use the moves that we saw from “Lingering Sentiment” in KHIIFM, so that will be fun.
--- Next, I want to ask about Ven, the one everyone is wondering most about. Nomura: Since Ven has a lot of mysteries about him, I can’t really say clearly what sort of character he is. But when you play the game, you’ll find out more about who he really is. While the connections in the series haven’t been explained, we’ve made it so you can imagine who he is. Also, as I said before he will be an easy character to use for newcomers, since he is the quickest.
--- And Aqua is watching over the both of them. Nomura: Yes that’s right. Aqua’s position is what I guess you could call their “guardian”. And unlike Terra and Ven, you can’t easily see how she connects to the series. I’d like for everyone to watch her to see what lies in her future. Since she is a magic type character, she has trickier moves than we’ve seen in the series to date. Also, like Final Form in KHII, she has a Style where her keyblade floats in the air.
--- How will their Master be involved in the story? Nomura: Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort used to be fellow students. Their way of thinking is different, but deep down they are connected in some way.
--- And what about the mysterious Master Xehanort and Vanitas? Nomura: Vanitas wears a mask and we can’t see his face, but eventually we will find out who he is. I want you to watch out for how Master Xehanort connects to Ansem the Wise’s apprentice Xehanort that was introduced in KHII.
--- In screenshots we see Master Xehanort saying something about the “Keyblade Wars”... Nomura: The “Keyblade Wars” were something that happened quite a long time ago, so there is no one who actually experienced the war can explain more about it. They can only speculate on what happened. But that isn’t really what is important, what I want you to pay attention to is the “Mystery that is hidden within the keyblades” that is in connection with the war. The place where Xehanort is talking about it is close to the climax of the story, and all of the story’s highlights will be summarized there.
--- We see quite a lot of characters that look like Organization XIII members in Radiant Garden, don’t we? Nomura: But they don’t have a lot to do in the story, they just appear as residents in Radiant Garden. Except for Braig, since you fight him and he is quite involved in the story. In KHIIFM and KH 358/2 Days there was a lot going on with him, and he is a character I think you should pay attention to.
--- Of course you usually have a secret movie at the end, do you have one this time too? Nomura: Yes there is one. Except this time it isn’t a pre-rendered movie that gives a hint as to how the story will develop later, but is shown like an event scene. There is dialog, and in all it runs about ten minutes. It is set up as one episode. Instead of showing us what will happen in the future, it is more like a true ending. I would really like everyone to see it. There are characters that will only show up there in it as well.
--- I wonder what sort of things will be required to see the event. Nomura: Of course there are lots of requirements. This time too, it depends on the difficulty. It’s pretty difficult to get on Standard Mode, and on Proud it becomes easier. On Beginner you can’t see it at all. Well, I’m sure fans of the series can imagine the requirements.
An enemy even stronger than “Lingering Sentiment” will appear!?
--- Even just playing it a little bit, I found the Deck Commands quite interesting, but in the beginning you can only equip three. Nomura: If you give lots of options in the beginning it actually makes things more difficult. It’s because you have that limitation that it becomes fun. If you were able to equip lots of them in the beginning it wouldn’t be nearly as fun. You can have up to eight slots by the end, and probably the urge to get more Commands will give people more of a motivation to play.
--- This time even the Finish Commands have levels, it seems that having to think about leveling them will make it a little confusing? Nomura: Even the our development team said as you go through the game that maybe there were too many levels. Well, I think that there will be some people who will get into having that sort of leveling system. But beginners can just have fun and don’t really have to bother thinking about all that.
--- Using keyblades to move between the worlds looks quite interesting. Nomura: Unlike before with Gummi Ships, they aren’t a mini-game, but instead you can use the Keyblade Ride to have a race. Also, this time the worlds screen is like before, and you can choose which world you want to go to freely.
--- I’m quite happy that when you play on wireless you can upgrade your Deck Commands, you can bring those over into single player as well. Nomura: We didn’t want to have a separation between multiplayer and single player. For KH 358/2 Days there were people who said that they couldn’t gather all of the Mission Crowns, so we were thinking about that. In “Mirage Arena” there are items you can’t get anywhere else, but you can get them all even if you are playing offline by yourself. Of course it is made for several people to beat together, so it would be quite difficult by yourself. The strongest enemy that appears in multiplayer is about equal to the hidden boss in single player.
--- There is a hidden boss this time too!? Nomura: Yes there is. We wanted to make it even stronger than Lingering Sentiment. But, you can only defeat it by having a certain set of Deck Commands. You’ll have to wait until you see it. You could also say that if you don’t think about your attacks [or it’s attacks?] you won’t be able to win.
--- Something even stronger than Lingering Sentiment must have taken quite a lot of fine tuning... Nomura: We had Debuggers who are really good at action games help us with it, so we were able to make it into quite a difficult boss. It is strong, but it doesn’t have high HP. It is just a battle of attack against attack.
--- With both single player and wireless, I’m a little worried about loading times... Nomura: I very much recommend Data Install. There are three different sizes you can choose from, but please choose the largest one. It will change the way you play the game. You can also go into Config and change the speed and color mode.
Braig is a Dark Horse!
--- This time there will be quite a few things, I think, but in the story and battles what do you think is the highlight of each? Nomura: In the story, it’s the connections with the rest of the series. Since Sora isn’t the main character we didn’t give it a number, but there is no difference between this one and the PS2 games. I think the KH series has a story with lots of mysteries that the player can have fun imagining what will happen next. They don’t have to imagine something from nothing, there are lots of little hints left everywhere in the story. So everyone can take those hints and imagine what will happen. For battles, the actions using the Deck Commands. With Shoot Locks and Dimension Links, there are lots of different ways you can fight and have fun with it.
--- So which character do you think people should be watching out for? Nomura: Definitely Braig. Everyone is thinking about all the other characters, but no one is watching Braig. But he will have quite an impact on the story.
--- “KH 358/2 Days” had quite a sad story, but what about this story? Nomura: I’m sorry to say, this one is also pretty sad (laugh). The stories I make usually make the character sad, or they have lots of troubles along the way. But since the theme this time is “bonds”, I think the story connects to a bright and hopeful future.
--- “KH coded” has reached it’s climax, so are you thinking of what is going to happen in the future? Nomura: Of course I’m thinking about it. But right now I’m too busy with “FF Versus XIII”. Of course it wouldn’t be any good to make our fans wait for years for it, so we’re planning something. But first I’d like you to enjoy this latest game. All the fans who are excited for the game, I think you ought to pre-order it.
Message from the KINGDOM has updated with a blog post from Tetsuya Nomura, the director of the Kingdom Hearts series. In this post, Tetsuya Nomura discusses the development of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, the upcoming Kingdom Hearts title for the PlayStation Portable. Kingdom Hearts Insider have translated this blog post, and it can be read below.
Good morning. Are you all having fun with FFXIII? I’m Nomura, and this is my second time appearing here.
They suddenly told me that I had to write a blog entry after they’ve put up the new trailer. But I was late with it again.
So what did you think of the new trailer? There is quite a lot of stuff we packed into it. We even included some scenes from a secret event.
This time we thought we shouldn’t put too many of the best scenes in the game in the trailer, since that would give away too much. So instead we took a little bit from a secret scene instead, as a last resort. I hope you’ll watch all of the main scenes of the game for yourself.
Also, I feel that this time we’ve created quite a good game. How you’ve arranged your Deck Commands will play a big part in how you get through battles. So collected a lot of Commands, and try out which ones work best.
For me, the first time I had trouble was in Olympus Colosseum. In the tournament you have to fight a series of battles under a time limit. There is an Unversed called “Buckle Bruiser” that, well... keeps repelling your attacks.
It’s even more irritating than the “Large Body” Heartless.... Once the time limit was up, I switched around my Deck Commands and tried again.
So everyone, please watch out for the “Buckle Bruiser”. Also, watch out for the timing on your Shoot Locks. You’ll need it.
One special feature in this game is the “Command Board”. It’s different from the rest of the game, and will give you a nice break. I’m really happy we put it in.
Even if you don’t win, you don’t have to reset. You can upgrade your Commands and play as many times as you want. So you can just take it easy and have fun with it.
We’ve put a lot of different elements into this game, and I really feel that we’ve made an interesting one. We only have a little longer before it releases.
So you better invite your friends while you can, since you can play on adhoc. I’ll see you again next time, when they make me write another entry on release day.
I hope you have a good New Years.
Director Tetsuya Nomura
Famitsu.com has posted screenshots concerning the upcoming Kingdom Hearts title for the PlayStation Portable, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. This article contains high quality screenshots that were first revealed in the December 24th issue of Famitsu Weely The high quality scans give highlights from the opening video, Radiant Garden, the Gathering Place, and more.These can be seen below, in our gallery.
Famitsu.com (December 30, 2009)
All images are from Famitsu.com..
Square Enix have updated their official website for Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, the upcoming Kingdom Hearts title for the PlayStation Portable. This update includes new wallpapers, which can be seen below in our gallery, as well the Jump Festa 2010 trailer, which can be viewed below, or downloaded from our video archive. Thanks to Kingdom Hearts Insider, a subtitled version can also be seen below.
Birth by Sleep, Japanese website
All images are from Square Enix's official website.
Episode 7 of Kingdom Hearts coded, titled Hollow Bastion: Part 2, has released in Japan. This episode is apparently the final chapter of coded, and ReBirth Wings have written a summary of it. Kingdom Hearts Insider have translated this summary, which can be read below.
We left Riku asleep, not knowing what would happen. Sora says he is going to recover Riku’s data, and the King tries to stop him, telling him it is dangerous. But Sora tells them that he wants to save everyone. So Sora goes into Riku’s Data World.
The light in the data world is dim. Suddenly crowns start to scatter everywhere. These are Sora’s abilities, and Sora will become weaker. Then Riku appears, but this is a “Separate Data Riku”, in other words, Data Riku’s final intention. This Riku entrusts Sora with the data (that “someone” had added) that wasn’t in the original Jiminy’s Journal.
Except for this place, all the Bugs in every other area had been destroyed, and now all you had to do was connect the data together and revive the journal, and you’ll be able to unravel the mystery of the of the data. Riku says in order to destroy the remaining Bugs, he would be staying here. He says that Sora should hurry and go. But Sora says, “There is still time to save you.” and won’t leave.
Of course Sora wouldn’t leave at a time like this, Riku understands this. So first Sora will have to regain all of his abilities. Beyond the door is all of Riku’s data, made from his memories of the worlds. If Sora can retrieve that data, he would be able to get back his abilities. And at the same time, he says, I hope you will be able to find out what is behind the Bugs. Bugs had invaded every corner, and it is a dangerous place.
[walkthrough for visiting four different worlds in the data]
Once you’re finished with all of the worlds, Riku appears and tells you what he did in each world. After Agrabah is completed, you return to the world of Riku’s memories, and he says “I met you first on the island.” So if that’s the case, then who was the black coated man who he had seen in the Place of Awakening? Was it a completely different person?
A new world door appears, a door to Hollow Bastion. When he tries to enter the door, Riku tells him, “Don’t hesitate.” Sora doesn’t understand, but continues on into Hollow Bastion.
In Hollow Bastion there is Riku, who has been infested by Bugs. To get your abilities back, you must fight him again. It is just like the battle in the previous episode, but he is a bit stronger.
Then Sora returns to Riku. It says that “restoration is 90% complete” The world begins to rumble, along with the words, “The time to awaken has come...”
[walkthrough for boss battle with Dragon Maleficent.]
They return safely to Hollow Bastion, and the King and his friends will soon return to the real world. There they find out that something has happened. After Jiminy’s Journal has been restored, this world’s Sora and Riku will have had their memories erased. This was something that had to happen for everything to become “as it was before.” The King is sad, but Sora and Riku only smile. Then restoration is 100% complete, and an announcement says that “The data world will now be erased.” But Pete and Maleficent are still in “this world”. Even though they are evil, they can’t just leave them there. Sora goes after them.
Sora arrives in a new place, a world that has been partially deleted. Mysterious words resonate in the air, "Lost in battle, the flesh wanders... Offering [their] flesh, the will of darkness cannot be resurrected." Sora feels as though he has felt this before. He continues on.
At the end, Maleficent and Pete are there, along with an incredibly strong Darkside. Maleficent and Pete challenges it, but they only get erased. “Making everything into it’s power, eating everything.” It is Sora’s shadow, Sora’s Heartless. But it has become stronger as Sora has become stronger. Normally once hearts are released from Heartless they return to their normal selves, but in this world it is completely different. Hearts that have no where to return to are swallowed by this Heartless. Sora fights it.
[walkthrough for boss battle with Darkside.]
At the end, the King is returning to the real world, he holds Sora’s hand, and they smile at each other. Everything is finished... except they still don’t understand the mystery behind the words left in the journal. Riku then contacts them. Now that the journal has been completely restored, “A new world door has been opened.” It is the data world of the data that had been added onto the journal. But Sora has already forgotten everything about the journey he just had. It would be dangerous to let him go on his own. But the King asks, “I want you to take [him? me?] into the data world once again.”
Previously, we reported that the March 2010 issue of Famitsu magazine was beginning to surface online. This has now been completely scanned by RPG Land and made available online, revealing it to actually be the December 24, 2009 issue of Famitsu Weekly. This contains much information about Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, including the game's CGI opening sequence, as well as the inclusion of Lea and Ïsa in Radiant Garden. Also included is an interview the series' director, Tetsuya Nomura, which can be read below, thanks to HEARTSTATION.ORG. The original article can be seen below, in our gallery.
Famitsu Weekly (December 24, 2009)
Thanks to RPG Land.
- How is the present development situation?
Nomura: The corrections of text, etc. are in the final stages. Since there are parts of the story difficult to understand this time, they’re follow up type things. It’s regulated so that even someone unfamiliar with the series will to some extent have an easy time understanding it. I suppose by the time this interview is published, the game will be finished.
- Who is in charge of the scenarios this time?
Nomura: The original planning was done with Daisuke Watanabe (Chain of Memories) and myself. It was finished with Masaru Oka, who also worked on the scenarios in Kingdom Hearts II. When it comes to Kingdom Hearts, the style is to have multiple people drawing up the scenarios.
- It seems that a lot of the story back tracks the previous games, will people unfamiliar with the series be able to play it?
Nomura: I often received that question with 358/2 Days too! I think when you play a game from the main character’s perspective, then you can enjoy the game as it stands alone. However, depending on the person playing, they may not be able to grasp all the information on their own and will likely become curious about the series. In that sense, as expected they won’t follow the finer details revealed in the story. This type of foreshadowing, it’s intended for players who are familiar with the series titles. But a person playing for the first time can also enjoy the foreshadowing.
For example, Lea and Isa appear, but you meet them for the first time as Ven. Considering him and someone similar, you’ll probably think “There’s something special about this character.” As for those who are anxious about the foreshadowing, if it’s possible to play the past titles, you’ll enjoy it more. But I think even if you aren’t familiar you will find this title interesting.
- I see, so the fun of the game isn’t spoiled if you aren’t familiar with the series, players will just enjoy it differently.
Nomura: From the start of the Kingdom Hearts scenario, by reading between the lines, the player was able to imagine what happened and enjoy guessing about the mysteries. Even if you have played the entire series, you can’t understand everything. It becomes a balance for those people who think they might have a good feeling about what happened.
- Is there a recommended order of play for the 3 main characters?
Nomura: Story wise, Terra > Ven > Aqua, however I think you should follow your own preference since the mysteries of the story will unravel slowly for each character. If it’s in the play sense, Ven is the best to play as. Aqua is strong in certain points and Terra’s moves are heavy, therefore I think Ven is the easiest to handle.
- Are the action parts finished?
Nomura: The internal reception has been very good; I think that even beginners have nothing to worry about. Right now the development staff have finished their work and are now focusing steadily on debugging, it’s fun so it’s a good change of pace for them. But it’s a very serious time for the programmers, since they have a lot on their hands, I’m a little worried. (Laughs)
- The main visual you drew was released recently, what was your concept for it?
Nomura: The image has a lively motion feeling. All the characters are in motion, each of them moving toward their own distinct direction, that’s the atmosphere of it.
- The King is shown here, will his role in the game be considerably large? Nomura: His role isn’t small but it isn’t as large as the 3 main characters. Of course there will be a lot of events where he is involved with the main 3.
- Scenes from the opening movie were released, what about the song used this time?
Nomura: So far we have used an arrangement version of Utada Hikaru’s “Hikari”. Scenes reflecting the motif of the secret movie from Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix were put in along with scenes of Terra and company training, as well as a scene where they hold out their good luck charms.
- The good luck charms shine brightly…
Nomura: The 3 character’s good luck charms are a symbol of their bond and represent the support of their hearts. In the story, there are several scenes where this image of summoning courage is shown.
- In released images the King holds the “star fragment” that also shimmered.
Nomura: The King uses this item to travel outside the worlds. At this point it is called a ‘star fragment’, but later it will be established as the Gummi parts called Gummi Blocks.
- The King seems to come in contact with Kairi, the heroine from Kingdom Hearts I.
Nomura: Because the story takes place before Kingdom Hearts I, the part about Kairi couldn’t be ignored. However, the cause for her going to Destiny Island and her detailed history are not revealed. It draws on the mysterious special existence.
- By the way, this title’s story takes place how many years since the original Kingdom Hearts?
Nomura: It takes place about 9-10 years prior.
- The figures of the Organization XIII members seem to appear too…
Nomura: There was foreshadowing that mentioned Xigbar met the Keyblade users in the past titles, but other Organization members appear as well. However, they will only appear up to No. VIII, Axel.
- Braig’s image seems to be considerably younger than Xigbar.
Nomura: That’s an optical illusion. (Smiles) I think that when you play it, you get used to his image.
- Lea and Isa also lived in Radiant Garden apart from the Organization members up to No.6.
Nomura: That’s right, however they are merely residents at this time. They’re just innocent Frisbee playing boys.
- This time the guest character is Zack from FFVII, why was he chosen?
Nomura: Because this title takes place in the past, we wanted a character who appeared in the past FF series too, so we chose him. His image was made like that of a “Soldier Class 2nd” and his sword isn’t the buster sword. He’s a teen, just a bit older than Ven. He aims to become a hero, so he appears in Olympus Coliseum wanting to become Phil’s pupil.
- Do other FF characters appear?
Nomura: No, only Zack. I originally intended to draw a back story with Cloud, Leon, and company, but then I thought if too many characters were added then the story would become too complicated.
- Will you be able to fight against Master Xehanort and Vanitas?
Nomura: Look forward to it! (Smiles) By the way, each of the three characters will have their own respective last boss. Who ends up fighting who will be a highlight.
- This time there will be a secret movie…
Nomura: Don’t just watch the ending, but the secret movie too. I think your impressions of the story will change. Though I can’t say about the last developments, this secret movie is not connected to just the sequel but its content recaps the story.
- Will there be conditions to see the secret movie?
Nomura: As always, there will be conditions. Though there are 3 levels of difficulties to choose, it will be easiest to meet the secret movie requirements by picking the most difficult level. You cannot see the secret movie if you choose the easiest mode. You’ll definitely not want to miss it, please watch it with your own eyes.
- Let’s talk about the trailer that premiered at the end of the year event. The mobile contents of Kingdom Hearts Coded, it seems the last episode will be distributing soon.
Nomura: Coded is approaching the climax more and more. There’s a deep collection between Coded and Birth by Sleep, they’re both connected to the story taking place after Kingdom Hearts 2.
- A connection to Kingdom Hearts 3?
Nomura: What to say…? The story thus far has extended too much; I think that it’d be good to bring it together plainly for a moment. Though I can’t speak about those developments.
- How is Agito coming along?
Nomura: It’s progressing steadily, but at the moment the plans for The Third Birthday take priority. Since more information on both titles will be releasing next year, please look forward to it. After that, there is an unpublished work coming along faster than expected.
- Huh, a new work?
Nomura: I can’t say. (Smiles) The development is coming along well and the voice recording/editing has begun too. After that, though it really isn’t a new work, there is one more unannounced title.
- So finally, do you have a message for everyone looking forward to Birth by Sleep?
Nomura: Because this extremely exhilarating game is complete, I think I can use it as an excuse to feel a little stress relief. (Smiles) Since both RPG enthusiasts and those who aren’t very good at action games can customize the Deck Commands so everyone can enjoy playing it, please take a look at it. Those who have been following along with the series, please make sure to reserve this one.
Recently, the March 2010 issue of Famitsu magazine was released in Japan. This article features Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Although this magazine has not yet surfaced online, many key details from the article have, as well as a couple of partial scans. Firstly, the article is known to contain an interview with the series' director, Tetsuya Nomura. 2channel have typed up a script of this interview, and Kingdom Hearts Insider have translated it, which can be read below.
-- We'd like to ask you about the movie that you showed at the end event that was at the end of the year. It seems that you are almost at the last chapter of "Kingdom Hearts coded"?
Nomura: KH:coded will be reaching it's climax soon. Both "coded" and "Birth by Sleep" have deep connections, and these two are also connected with the story that comes after KHII.
-- And what about connections to III?
Nomura: Well I don't know yet. There has been quite a lot of story told up to this point, it might be better if we take the time to lay it all out and explain it clearly. But how that will turn out I can't quite say yet.
-- How is development going?
Nomura: Right now we’re in the final stages of development, making revisions to the text and such. This time the story has many difficult parts and we’re working to make it flow better.
-- In which order do you suggest playing the scenarios?
Nomura: As far as the story goes, the best would probably be Terra -> Ven -> Aqua ->, but Ven will probably be the easiest.
-- That star fragment was shining, wasn’t it.
Nomura: This is something the King uses to go to other worlds. At this time they are called star fragments, but later they are called Gummi blocks, the parts that are used on Gummi ships.
-- How many years before the first KH is this story set?
Nomura: 9 to 10 years before.
-- And we’ll get to see Organization when they were humans...
Nomura: Well, Xigbar has said before that he has met with keyblade wielders. So of course many members of the Organization will be appearing. Even number VIII, Axel.
-- This time you’ve chosen a new guest character, Zack. Why did you choose him?
Nomura: Because this game is set in the past, we wanted to include a character that was from the past in an FF game as well. So we chose him. He is slightly older than Ven, and wants to become a hero. He is at Olympus to ask Phil to let him be an apprentice.
-- Will any other FF characters be appearing?
Nomura: No, only Zack. We wanted to show Cloud and Leon’s past as well, but we felt if we added too many characters it would just get confusing, so we left it this time.
-- Will we be able to fight against Master Xehanort and Vanitas?
Nomura: You’ll have to wait and see (laugh) Also, each character will have a different final boss. It will be interesting to see who will fight who.
-- You said that there will be a secret movie this time...
Nomura: I think the effect the story will have will be different if you watch the secret movie, rather than just the ending. I can’t say exactly what, but the secret movie will not only be connected to the next game, but will go over the whole story.
-- What will be the requirements to see the movie?
Nomura: As always, there will be lots of them. There will be three different difficulty levels to chose from, but depending on which one you chose the requirements become easier. You can’t see it at the easiest level.
Lastly, partial scans have appeared on 2channel. These scans reveal Saïx's original name, Ïsa, and confirm that both Ïsa and Lea will be included as residents of Radiant Garden. This can be seen here and here.
The February 2010 issue of V Jump magazine has included an article on the upcoming Kingdom Hearts title for the PlayStation Portable, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. This article, which was scanned by HEARTSTATION.ORG, does not contain new information, but instead summarizes what we already know. It can be viewed below, in our gallery.
V Jump (February 2010)
Thanks to HEARTSTATION.ORG.
More voice actors have confirmed that they have recorded their roles for the English version of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Quinton Flynn has posted on his Facebook that he will be returning to voice Lea, Axel's original self, in Birth by Sleep. Kirk Thornton has confirmed, via a Facebook message between him and a member of Kingdom Hearts Insider, that he will be returning to voice Saïx's original self. David Dayan Fisher has confirmed, via a Facebook message with a member of Kingdom Hearts Insider, that he will be voicing Dilan. Lastly, Corey Burton has confirmed that he will be returning to voice non-disclosed characters. Most likely, he will be voicing Yen Sid and Ansem the Wise.
The January 2010 issue of Dengeki PlayStation magazine has included an article on the upcoming Kingdom Hearts title for the PlayStation Portable, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Although this article does not include any new information, it does summarize a great deal about what we already know. This includes descriptions of characters, worlds, and gameplay mechanics. RPG Land have uploaded scans of this article, which can now be seen below, in our gallery.
Dengeki PlayStation (January 2010)
Thanks to RPG Land.
The box art of the upcoming Kingdom Hearts title for the PlayStation Portable, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, has been confirmed and released in high quality. As expected, this box art contains Tetsuya Nomura artwork of characters from Birth by Sleep. The box art was released on Amazon.co.jp, and can be seen here.
Today is the second and final day of the Jump Festa 2010 event in Japan. At this event, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep was featured, and a new trailer for the game, which is to be released on January 9, 2010, was shown. A Japanese blog, JF2010レポぶろぐ＠ReWi, has posted an extremely detailed script of this trailer. Kingdom Hearts Insider have translated this script. Due to the lengthiness of spoiler-containing aspects of the script, this translation can be read at our forum.
The latest issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine, believed to be the December 20, 2009 issue, has included an article on Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. This article shows various screenshots, likely from the Jump Festa 2010 trailer, and has been uploaded by FF-Reunion. It can be seen below, in our gallery. Kingdom Hearts Insider have translated this article, and this translation can be read at our forum.
Weekly Shōnen Jump (December 20, 2009)
Thanks to FF-Reunion.
The Jump Festa 2010 event has begun in Japan. At this event, the upcoming Kingdom Hearts title for the PlayStation Portable, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, will be featured heavily. Today is the first day of the event, and a new trailer for Birth by Sleep was shown. Although this trailer is not yet available online, 2channel and FF-Reunion have posted impressions, and Kingdom Hearts Insider have translated these. They can be read below.
- In a room just like the Chamber of Repose or Room of Sleep, Ven is seen sitting unconsciously. - Master Xehanort and Master Eraqus talk about the Keyblade war. - Terra, Aqua, and Ven, talk about becoming Masters in the future. - Master Eraqus tells Aqua to watch over Terra. - Master Xehanort tells Terra to take down Vanitas. - After a gameplay scene of Aqua fighting Vanitas, there is a cutscene with Vanitas laying defeated. As Aqua goes to touch him, he begins to laugh. - Master Xehanort questions Vanitas about Ven. - Vanitas is unmasked, holding his mask to the side, though his face is not shown. - The Land of Departure is covered in darkness. - Aqua is shown standing in front of Castle Oblivion. - Terra asks Riku why he wants to go to other worlds. - Sora sees light in the darkness. - A scene with Kairi, Aqua, and King Mickey. - Lea (Axel's human form), and Saïx's human form are having a conversation with Ven in Radiant Garden. They are all around the same age. Axel looks a bit like Hayner and is shown wearing a scarf. Saïx has on clothing containing a moon symbol. - When fighting against Master Xehanort, Terra is covered in darkness. They are in a place that looks similar to the location of the door in Kingdom Hearts. - Aqua refers to herself as "Master Aqua". - The last scene shows Sora in his Kingdom Hearts II outfit sitting on a Paopu tree by himself.
- Zack asks Aqua to go on “Just one date?” - Ven sleeps on a chair in a room just like the Room of Sleep - There is a scene where Xehanort and Eraqus talk about the Keyblade Wars - Terra says “I want to become a Keyblade Master” to his friends, Aqua says “Let’s become Masters together!” - Eraqus tells Aqua, “If Terra falls into darkness, bring him back.” - Xehanort orders Terra to “Destroy Vanitas.” - When Aqua attempts to touch the fallen Vanitas, he suddenly bursts out laughing, surprising Aqua. - Xehanort asks “How is Ven?” an unmasked Vanitas says “I will make him stronger.” (you can’t see his face) - Xehanort says “Whenever the world has been covered in darkness a boy has come to save it. But it is not you Terra.” - The Land of Departure is covered in darkness. - The secert movie plays. - A young Riku asks Terra “Why do you want to go to other worlds?” - Sora sees light in the darkness. - Kairi and Mickey point at Aqua, “There is light” - Lea (Axel) and Sia (Saix) appear as children. They are speaking with Ven (in what looks like Radiant Garden?) They look to be about the same age. Axel looks similar to Hayner and is wearing a scarf-like thing. Saix is wearing clothes that have a moon symbol on them. Lea: “It’s because we’re friends. Got it memorized?” - Mickey and Yen Sid “Something terrible is happening to the world.” - Terra is facing off against Xehanort when he screams and is engulfed in darkness. (They are in a place that looks like the Kingdom Hearts door from KH1) - Aqua “I am Master Aqua!” - The last scene shows Sora sitting on a Paopu tree by himself wearing the same clothes from KHII, “His name is...”
Another impression was posted on an English blog, Abyss of Obsessions. This impression is much more detailed, and can be read below.
The trailers starts with a brief showing of Ven sitting on the throne in the chamber with chains, and he's unconscious.
Conversation between Xehanort and Eraqus.
Terra swung his keyblade, saying "my dream is to become a Keyblade Master" and Ven gave him this bored look while Aqua replied, "You mean 'our' dream."
Goofy and Donald was standing guard at Yen Sid's Tower when suddenly there's an explosion, and they found Ven unconscious on the ground, holding in his hand a translucent bloob that looked like a paopu fruit but glowing in blue.
Terra talking to Cinderella's Fairy Godmother; she asked him "do you have a heart that believes in dreams?"
'Superhero' Pete made an 'epic appearance' but Aqua gave him a bemused look and went, "Haah?" LOL
Zack asked Aqua on a date. She got embarassed and shook off her arms and head, hahah.
Hades was sneakily talking to Terra.
In Neverland, Aqua was holding Ven's keyblade, going "This is...!" and Peter Pan told her Ven left it behind.
Princess Aurora was in slumber and Terra was yelling out to someone, "What have you made me done!?"
Ven was holding his head in pain on the ground, with Mickey being unconscious behind him. Master Xehanort was saying something to him? (didn't catch)
FMV segment:The scenes of the screenshots you saw in the 30sec TV CM and magazines scans are shown.More of Terra and Aqua facing off each other.Vanitas and Ven reenacting the scene of Sora looking up to find Riku holding out his hand to him in KH1.Ven was running through a dark hallway and the walls had a hologram of Mickey in action.Terra was being chased by a flood of water in where looked like the hallway of Castle Oblivion.
KH2FM Secret Ending scene in in-game graphics this time.
Eraqus talking to Aqua. I can't remember the dialogues here but Aqua looked sad.
Terra with young Riku at the beach; the sun was setting. Terra asked Riku, "why do you want to leave this world?" and Riku answered "I want to be stronger."
Aqua with Mickey and young Kairi. Aqua mentioned she senses 'light' from Kairi (um, vague memory here) and Mickey told her Kairi's special.
Ven running past Eleaus and Dilan, he was saying something to them. The two yelled out to Ven, "Wait!"
Terra facing off with Braig. Braig has the big scar on his left cheek in this scene. (I assume Terra's the one who gave him that scar?)
Ven and Even with Ienzo. Similar dialogue as in magazine scan, but better view of young Ienzo.
Young Axel and Saix showed up; they were with Ven. Axel said, "Because we're friends, got that memorized?" Both of their hair styles are similar to their Nobody selves but shorter. Axel wore a scarf on his neck and was wearing orange(?) tank top (or looked like one) while Saix was wearing a short-sleeved blue training jumpsuit, with a crescent moon mark on his left chest. (HAHAHAH) They both look like they're about the same age as Ven? Maybe sliiiightly younger? And no, no scars/marks on their faces.
Preview of minigames. Aqua's winning pose is so cute!
Battle scenes: Aqua VS Vanitas. Terra VS Braig.
Vanitas took his helmet off (but face is off screen) and Master Xehanort asked him, "How was Ven?" to which Vanitas answered, "I'll train him up."
Vanitas (with helmet on) unconscious on the floor and Aqua was about to touch his helmet but Vanitas suddenly laughed hysterically.
Terra VS Master Xehanort. Terra then roared and darkness start to accumulate? come out? of him.
A baby(?) wrapped in clothing was seen on the trunk of the paopu tree that Sora, Riku and Kairi always hung out at. He looked like Ven? His eyes were drooping but there were stars twinkling in/around them.
Little Sora saw a falling star in the night sky.
Aqua's at a beach, a tear falling down her cheek.
In the end, someone said, "his name is..." and the scene showed the back of KH2 Sora, sitting on the paopu tree.
Square Enix's Jump Festa 2010 event has begun in Tokyo, Japan. This event features the upcoming Kingdom Hearts title for the PlayStation Portable, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, which is due to be released on January 9, 2010.
Today is the first day of Jump Festa 2010. Resultantly, new information is beginning to surface online. As was already known, a new Birth by Sleep trailer is showing at the event. According to 2channel, the trailer reveals the following information:
Lea, Axel's complete being, as well as Saïx's complete being, will appear younger in Birth by Sleep.
Vanitas has the same voice as Sora.
Zack asks Aqua out on a date, to which she says "I am shy".
Young Sora is shown facing a heart.
Master Eraqus says "You must not exist".
Photos of the event have begun surfacing online from various sources. A collection of these photos can be seen below, in our gallery.
Jump Festa 2010
Thanks to Kingdom Hearts Insider.
