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Kingdom Hearts 3D Since the Kingdom Hearts 3D-related part of the interview contains some spoilers for the game, we will not put it on the front page-- instead, click here if you don't mind spoilers.
Kingdom Hearts series & future
- “Regarding the title’s concepts, during Kingdom Hearts there hadn’t been anything past KH2 and Chain of Memories, then after that I thought of 358/2 Days, Coded, and Birth by Sleep. Thus conceiving the ideas for titles occurs through gradual stages.”
- “Since I decided to make KH3D rather suddenly, the story I presented was rushed since it was still being planned.”
- The fragmentary texts that appear in the secret movie are tied to the story of Kingdom Hearts, however there is no telling whether it will be explored hereafter. (He avoids saying whether or not it relates to the secret movie of Birth by Sleep Final Mix.)
- (Will the next title finally be KH3?) “I’ll leave that up to you.”
- (The next title…) “Maybe it’ll be something unexpected akin to a ‘fast ball’.”
- It’ll be something “lightweight”, but he is refraining to divulge the unannounced title.
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Click for a larger image.
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GI: What is the first element you create when starting a new Kingdom Hearts game? TN: "It differs every time, but I usually start with the gameplay mechanics. At the same time, I work on the structure of the story and then flesh it out from there with the gameplay linked to the story."
GI: What was the visual inspiration for the colorful and cute Spirit allies and Nightmare enemies compared to the darker Heartless and Nobodies in the past games?
TN: I've always wanted to incorporate a system in which you can turn your enemies into allies. When I decided on having the story take place in the world of dreams, I needed a new category of enemies. That's how I thought about creating new characters that can be added as allies. I had the team apply many different color patterns, keeping in mind that these are fantastical creatures that live in a dream world. Then, I picked the pattern that was the most colorful and stood out the most.
GI: Would you ever want to see a high-definition collections of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II similar to the upcoming Final Fantasy X HD remaster?
TN: I do have an interest in HD versions, and I'm currently researching them. If it is possible, I would like to do something about the series being spread over so many different consoles, too. I am thinking alot about the future.
GI: You released Birth by Sleep on PSP. What are your thoughts on the Playstation Vita?
TN: We have been invited to make games on different new platforms, and every time we have created titles making sure that they are highly compatible with the platform. The PS Vita is definitely a powerful device that is very interesting, but because of it's high power, there isn't much of a difference with a console. So even if we were to make a game, we would have to be very careful about how to create it for that device. I also feel that it's about time that Kingdom Hearts should go back to being on a console.
GI: What do you say to the segment of Kingdom Hearts fans that believes the increasingly complex storyline of Kingdom Hearts stands at odd with the child-focused Disney element of the franchise?
TN: First of all, this series is not intended to be child-focused, and so the complexity of the story is purposefully made prominent. That being said, with a series being around so long, there are a few items I have in mind so that a wider audience range can enjoy the experience. For the time being Dream Drop Distance, there is a new function called Mementos, and in the section called Chronicles, the player can read a summary on each of the titles from the Kingdom Hearts series. Whether you are just starting out or you have played all the games before and need a refresher, it has all of the key information summarized.
GI: In recent interviews you hinted that Dream Drop Distance is the last game before Kingdom Hearts III. Do you see it this way?
TN: I'm not able to disclose any information on what's coming next or any other future plans, but you may be able to find a hint if you play through Dream Drop Distance to the very end.
GI: Square Enix has released several iPhone and iPad games both of new franchises and classics. Are you interested in creating Kingdom Hearts game or other titles for IOS?
TN: There is something I am working on, but I'm afraid I can't reveal the specifics. I feel that there needs to be progress made on the tablet devices and there should be more games for that platform. I'm not sure which title this would come to pass, but I am researching about IOS as one of the platform options.
GI: How is Final Fantasy Versus XIII coming along? It's been nearly six years since it was announced. Why is this project taking so long to develop?
TN: We would like to ask for your patience on an official announcement for this title. It always takes time when tackling the challenge of doing something new, but we are doing our best to bring information to the fans as quickly as we can. Your patience is greatly appreciated.
Some interesting quotes:
"I do have an interest in HD versions [of KH1 and KH2], and I'm currently researching them."
"I also feel that it's about time that Kingdom Hearts should go back to being on a console."
"There is something I am working on [for iPhone/iPad], but I'm afraid I can't reveal the specifics [and it's not necessarily KH]."
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Update 1: goldpanner has translated the description of the novel provided on the page. You can read this translation below.
Release date 28th June, 800 yen
Sora, Riku, I would like the two of you to take the Mark of Master Exam.
"Now, Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery exam shall hereby commence."
Master Xehanort has revived!
Their two journeys to bring peace to the world just barely over, Sora and Riku have received news from Yen Sid regarding a new threat drawing near.
In order to face this new world crisis, Sora and Riku must face the Mark of Mastery Exam.
For this the must go to the 'Realm of Sleep', release the seven Keyholes of Sleep, and gain a new power.
Update 2: Square Enix have created a page for the novel on the Square Enix e-STORE. This confirms the release date and price, and also reveals that the novel has a planned length of 242 pages.
Update 3: Amazon.co.jp have added a pre-order page for the novel, confirming that Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] Side Sora will be written by Tomoko Kanemaki, the author of previous Kingdom Hearts novels.
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takaturtle from KH13 has scanned all pages from the Ultimania containing interviews with Tetsuya Nomura, or other staff who worked on Kingdom Hearts 3D. Since these pages contain some spoilers about the game, we won't embed them here-- instead, please click this link to see them. A partial translation of the Tetsuya Nomura interview, using these scans, has appeared online, and again, this interview contains spoilers. For this reason, please click here to read it.
Update 1: Lightning_XII from GameFAQs has translated even more of the interview scans. These interview excerpts contain a lot of Kingdom Hearts 3D spoilers, so proceed with caution! If you're ready, you can read it here. We will keep updating as more interview excerpts appear.
Update 2: Peterko from KH13 has uploaded various scans from the Ultimania, in great quality! To be specific, these scans contain the Tetsuya Nomura interview, and the list of 20 secrets from within the game. Thanks to him, you can view these scans by clicking here.
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Stephanie Contributed 2 Tracks to Soundtrack for Popular Game Kingdom Hearts 3D, Now on Sale A soundtrack with contributions by bilingual singer Stephanie is now on sale.
This soundtrack is a compilation of many hot-blooded tracks from the latest Kingdom Hearts title, a popular series by Disney and Square Enix.
Kingdom Hearts is a popular RPG series that has shipped over 17 million copies in total worldwide. Yoko Shimomura, the composer responsible for the music for this popular RPG series Kingdom Hearts, also contributed once again. Takeharu Ishimoto and Tsuyoshi Sekito and everyone representing the game orchestra also contributed. And, adding further colour to this mix, Stephanie contributed.
The two tracks that Stephanie contributed to were ‘Twister-Kingdom mix’, Disk-1 Track 3, and ‘Someday-Kingdom mix’, Disk-1 Track 9.
Stephanie herself has already sang many theme songs for games and anime in the past, which is why she naturally stepped in to work on this title too, and would have even if it weren't such amazingly popular series.
Stephanie commented about her work:
“For this title I recorded with composer Mr. Takeharu Ishimoto, which had a great impact on me. Mr. Ishimoto’s musicianship has unique personality, and I think he has the power to bring out something special from the artist working with him on a piece. While recording for this title I was engulfed by the sensation that ‘something’ that had been sleeping deep inside me was flowing out. I was like, wow, I had no idea I had that side to me. During recording, things never came to a halt because of this or that between us, it really felt like a ‘sensitive collaboration’. I have so many memories from this title, and it’s such an honour that tracks I sang are included in a Kingdom Hearts soundtrack. I hope this is an opportunity for people who didn’t know me to discover my work, and I would be so glad for all of you who already knew me to experience a new flavour of me. Everyone make sure to listen, okaaaay ♪！”
We would love for you to by all means purchase it and delve deeper into Stephanie’s charm.
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Update: SquareEnixEmily has confirmed the appearance of Kingdom Hearts 3D in the June 2012 issue of Game Informer magazine with a Tweet.
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Rating: Everyone 10+ Content descriptors: Fantasy Violence
Rating summary: This is an action role-playing game in which players control Sora and Riku, two characters who travel through dreams to stop an evil villain. Players use magic spells and a large key-shaped sword to defeat animal- or spirit-like creatures and classic Disney villains (e.g., Monstro the whale, Ursula the sea witch); some attacks result in colorful explosions and shockwaves that dispatch multiple enemies at once. Comical yelps can be heard throughout, and damage is indicated by depleting health meters. Some cutscenes depict other perilous situations (e.g., a woman getting rescued from being burned at the stake; a man getting struck in the chest with a sword).
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Keckv from Imgur has uploaded various pages from the Ultimania containing concept art for Kingdom Hearts 3D. This is the first time we've seen such artwork, so it's definitely worth having a look! You can see these images below, thanks to Master Xehanort1960 from KH13 for the find.
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