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Rumor: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days invades Europe this fall [update]
Update: We've confirmed with both the North American and European branches of Square Enix that this is in fact true, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is on track for an autumn release. Huzzah!Siliconera reports that the English version of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days will arrive in Europe later this year, though it should be noted there isn't any official source on the matter. We trust those guys, but, without a source, this has to be treated as a rumor.Right now, the current release date for North America is whenever, though it's a safe bet to assume the game will be here within the same timeframe as Europe (sometime between September and November), as Square Enix is notorious for releasing its games only days apart in the European and North American regions. Of course, that would only happen if this rumor pans out, and we've contacted Square Enix to clarify and we'll be sure to update you as soon as we have official word.Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days will release in Japan on Sunday, May 30.%Gallery-33398%
Some Japanese companies not attending E3 over Swine Flu concerns
No, we can't believe we just wrote that headline either. And according to scattered reports (and a variety of phone calls we made this afternoon), it's the unfortunate truth: Some Japanese developers and producers are canceling their trips to E3 2009 due to Swine Flu worries. Capcom's Keiji Inafune and his game, Dead Rising 2, will both be missing. (This isn't the first time Inafune is canceling a trip.) Develop is also reporting that Square Enix and Koei will be canceling some employees' flights, with the Kingdom Hearts team and "an unspecified number of [Koei's] Japanese employees" taking the hit.We asked Tecmo if there would be a change in its lineup at E3, to which a company rep assured, "No. Our content is still scheduled to be there and everything on the show floor, if not by the staff that's scheduled to fly in from Japan, it'll be demonstrated by our own staff from the US office." Tecmo also said producers for its upcoming lineup are still scheduled to appear alongside their titles. "As of today, we've been told our producers will still be in attendance." Konami declined comment as of press time and the ESA (E3's governing body and financial supporter) has yet to respond to our inquiries. As it stands, it looks like we'll be waiting 'til PAX 2009 or even the Tokyo Game Show to get our hands on Dead Rising 2.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days site updates with gameplay videos
Awaiting your lustful eyes past the break is some new gameplay footage from Square Enix's upcoming Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, taken from the game's Japanese site. So, quit stalling and watch the video already!%Gallery-33398%[Via PortableRPG]
Looks like Riku is playable in Kingdom Hearts DS
According to a V-Jump ad for the Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Collection Guidebook (an official strategy guide), Riku will be a playable character in the game. The delectable piece of information regarding this was found in the lower left part of the ad, and it states (translated via Andriasang) that the book provides tips on character missions for Donald, various Organization XIII members and, yes, even Riku. So, finally, those looking to control the silver-haired hero can realize their wish. Additionally, Andriasang translated more regarding 358/2 Days; this time, it's info from the official website. The latest update unveiled the new Hologram Missions, a mode which allows players to replay previously accomplished missions in either normal or trial versions (the latter tacks on special conditions and requirements). And, this being a Riku-centric post, we're wondering how many of those missions have Riku in them? There are 80 Trial missions in total, and here's hoping he's in all of them! [Via Andriasang]Source: V-JumpSource: 358/2 Days Official Website
One packed trailer for Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
The usual complaint regarding video game trailers, especially Square Enix trailers, is that they don't feature enough gameplay footage. That is not the problem with this Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days video, which was reportedly made for Japanese storefronts and brought online by a Nicovideo user.This trailer features the usual cutscenes as well as new gameplay footage -- all played at once in multiple, tiny windows. For six minutes. This is like five hundred trailers' worth of footage right here. If you can concentrate, you might be able to spot Donald and Goofy in the game's multiplayer mode. Good luck.[Via Nintendo Everything]
Rumor: Incoming Kingdom Hearts announcement next week
Did you know that Tetsuya Nomura never sleeps? When the Square Enix designer isn't working on Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts Coded and Final Fantasy Versus XIII, he can usually be found talking to interviewers. One such tête à tête, which can apparently be found in the latest issue of Japanese mag Famitsu (translated by HeartStation), indicates that there may be even more work on Nomura's plate than we thought, as he says that Square Enix will be making an announcement regarding the Kingdom Hearts series sometime next week.We know what we'd like to hear (Kingdom Hearts 3!), but we're not holding our breath. Alternatively, it could be an announcement regarding Coded coming to the West (possibly via the iPhone?) or a new handheld title. Whatever it may be, we'll be keeping an eye out next week for further info.[Via KH Insider]
Kingdom Hearts DSi bundle launching May 30 in Japan
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days finally has a release date in Japan: May 30. Not only will Goofy fans be able to pick up the new action-RPG then (for 5,980 yen, or $60!), they will have the option of dropping even more money on the Kingdom Hearts Edition DSi bundle, which contains this specially decorated black DSi and the game, for 24480 yen ($246). Even as people not particularly into Goth Disney, we happen to think it's rather fetching!The existence of this bundle sort of validates a rumor we received a while back: while there is a 358/2 Days DSi bundle as predicted, there has been no mention of an included Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories game nor of this special DSi having a Game Boy Advance slot. We expect that the Japanese sites would have mentioned that if it had been the case.%Gallery-33398%[Image via Inside-Games]
GameFly members award Fallout 3 with GOTY
GameFly's sixth annual Q Awards have bestowed Fallout 3 with "Game of the Year" and "Xbox 360 Game of the Year" honors. The winners were selected by tallying over 100,000 votes by the rental service's subscribers. The winners across platforms: PS3 game of the year - Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots PS2 game of the year - Kingdom Hearts: Re-Chain of Memories PSP game of the year - God of War: Chains of Olympus Xbox 360 game of the year - Fallout 3 Wii game of the year - Super Smash Bros. Brawl DS game of the year - Final Fantasy IV To see the runners-up in each category, check out the Q Awards page at GameFly. Looking at the list (and taking into account GameFly's demographic), is anyone surprised?
Rumor: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days delayed
Flagging this as a rumor for now, though official confirmation will probably come very soon: according to sources reporting from Jump Festa on NeoGAF, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days has been pushed back from February to sometime in Spring of 2009. The delay isn't too surprising in and of itself, but the timing is, considering we only recently learned about the special edition DSi set to release with the title. More news as it develops!
Kingdom Hearts 4/2 videos
Now that Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days has been slated for North America (like we ever doubted it was coming), we thought you might want to check out some gamplay videos. Oh, who are we kidding? We'd have looked at them anyway, even if the game were still only a dream in a developer's eye. Check out the weapon-swinging Disney and Square Enix action above and after the break.%Gallery-33398%
Direct-feed Kingdom Hearts trailer, direct from DVD
Square Enix sure has a lot of love for the PSP. In addition to the next Parasite Eve game, and a brand new Final Fantasy XIII game, PSP will also be receiving a new Kingdom Hearts game as well. A recent trailer rip has hit the web, and now you can watch in glorious direct-feed. No more off-angle shaky-cam for you, folks. Check it out, after the break.[Thanks, Edwin A.P.!]
Kingdom Heart 358/2 Days confirmed for North America
Fans of both kingdoms and hearts, know that Square Enix has gone ahead and done what we were all hoping they would do: confirm Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days will release outside of Japan. While there is little actual info on the game out there right now, the series' first entry on the DS is still likely to bring a few smiles to some faces in North America.Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days follows the exploits of one Roxas, former Organization XIII member who was featured in the prologue for Kingdom Hearts 2. It is the first in the series to feature a multiplayer gameplay mode that allows "players to control their favorite Organization XIII members!"
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days + NA release confirmed = headline
Square Enix has confirmed a North American release for Kingdom Hearts: Ludicrous Subtitle (AKA Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days), the Action-RPG franchise's first entry on the Nintendo DS. The game revolves around Roxas, star of Kingdom Hearts II's prolonged prologue and one-time member of My Chemical Romance Organization XIII. Though Square Enix has yet to provide a definitive release date for the English version, players can start looking forward to a series first: a multiplayer mode that allows "players to control their favorite Organization XIII members!" Oh, our favorite? Uh, well ... the one with the spiky hair, ominous coat and largely impractical weapon, obviously.
Kingdom Hearts DSi at least kind of real
Remember the ridiculous rumor a while back about the Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days DSi bundle? It's true. Well, the part that you'd expect to be true is. Square Enix has just announced that in February, a special "Kingdom Hearts edition" DSi system will be released. They have yet to reveal the color or the design of the system.The other part of that old rumor, that the special Kingdom Hearts system will include a Game Boy Advance slot, was not mentioned in this announcement. Even though someone accurately predicted the existence of a special edition DSi for this game, we don't think the rest of it will come true. The existence of a limited-edition portable console bundle for a Square Enix game is a pretty safe prediction.Thanks to the screenshots sent out with the story, we can confirm popsicles in the new game. CONFIRMED.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, The 3rd Birthday TGS trailers leaked
That gorgeous girl above is Aya Brea, the star of the Parasite Eve series of games, in a concept drawing for the latest game in the franchise, The 3rd Birthday . According to Siliconera, the upcoming PSP exclusive (mobile phone version has been scrapped) will be developed by Hexadrive, who was responsible for Rez HD. What's more, we've got the leaked TGS trailers for Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep and The 3rd Birthday. The Birth by Sleep one is quite the long one, and it begins at about the 2:00 mark -- it includes both cut scenes and gameplay -- most of us haven't seen the game in action, so this is quite a treat. The trailer for The 3rd Birthday, is considerably less exciting, with no gameplay, but keep in mind this is the first trailer. Check them out after the jump.Source -- SiliconeraSource -- Youtube[Thanks, dsvw56!]
Unlikely rumor: Kingdom Hearts bundle includes GBA-capable DSi?
A Neowin forumite has produced what he claims to be a picture of a document faxed from a friend who works at Mandarake Galaxy, detailing a Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days/DSi bundle for Q2 of next year -- which is after the just-announced February release date for 358/2 Days. But that's not the really interesting bit -- in fact, we fully expect such a bundle will show up.No, the interesting bit, which makes us fully doubt this, is that according to his translation, the bundle will include not only 358/2 Days, but Chain of Memories as well -- and that the included DSi will include Game Boy Advance compatibility. Due to the quality of the picture, we can't make out a lot of the kanji, but we can clearly see mentions in katakana of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and the Game Boy Advance. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is written out too, but not correctly. It doesn't matter what it says, in the end, because this is a picture of a page some guy typed. In real Kingdom Hearts news, Gamespot has a hands-on preview of 358/2 Days, describing in detail a playthrough of the TGS demo. %Gallery-26441%[Thanks, B Marriner!]
PSP Fanboy hands-on: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
The Kingdom Hearts series was first born on the PlayStation 2; however, it has gone and spread its wings into other realms since then and now it carries a new bundle of joy in the form of portable PSP title Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. While the title radically takes the story aspect of the game farther away from the original setting with Sora and friends, this new game will focus on the three (slightly) new faces pictured above (from left: Aqua, Ventus and Tera).Birth by Sleep was indeed playable on the show floor at TGS and we sunk in some time with the title. The playable build that was available let us try out both Ventus and Tera in battle. We decided to just go with trying out Tera's abilities and then go straight into the action. Tera's level starts off in a forest area which gets you into a fight right away. Kingdom Hearts vets will notice that the controls are incredibly familiar; they're nearly identical to the original console games from the past, though with slight differences due to the change in input interface (ie, shoulder buttons once again control the camera since there are no dual analog nubs).%Gallery-29323%
Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories for PS2 coming Dec. 2 to US
At least one of those GameStop eXpo rumors turned out to be true: Square Enix has confirmed in a press release that Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, a PlayStation 2 remake of the Game Boy Advance title, is coming to the US on December 2. The PS2 version has been available in Japan since March 2007. It will retail here for $30 and includes voiceovers from Haley Joel Osmont and David Gallagher. As a friendly reminder, PS2 titles are only going to work on select older PS3 models.%Gallery-32287%
You're not worthy: GameStop eXpo rumors
Every year (well, at least since being banned from E3) the grand minions of GameStop Corp. descend upon the dessert oasis that is Las Vegas, Nevada -- with a Capital X -- to become better informed about their retail products, so as to make professional recommendations to their far less knowledgeable customer base. With a few cleverly placed posers, 1UP has infiltrated the sore-thumbed masses of regional managers who have traveled great distances to earn bragging rights over the adolescents who, in turn, loiter inside their finely vacuumed establishments. Finally, some payoff for another hard year of underachievement (remember kids, these are just rumors): A trailer for a new Indiana Jones game (could it be?) will premiere next week ... after everyone's returned home to Nowheresville. 60 GB Xbox 360 hard drive will be $99 with 3 months of Xbox Live and an ethernet cable; or 12 months of Xbox Live for $70 and a copy of PGR4. Decisions, decisions... Animal Crossing: City Folk will be bundled with the Wii Speak "community mic" and sold for $70. (And after this, Nintendo will be done with peripherals. Promise. *Crosses fingers behind back.*) GBA's Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories will get a surprise port to ... (wait for it) ... PS2! [Update: As several commenters point out, a Chain of Memories port remake has been available in Japan since March 2007.] Visit 1UP for the full range of oohs and ahs. Bet you wish you'd forgone that degree and stuck it out at the strip mall, huh? Just imagine: You could be there. Right. Now.[Image credit: dougward]
What's playable, and what's not, at Square Enix's TGS booth
2008 looks to be yet another excellent year for Tokyo Game Show. There's a lot of excitement over the potential surprises at the show. Square Enix has posted its lineup for this year's show, and we're a little saddened to see Final Fantasy XIII (PS3) still not playable. At the very least, we'll be getting some one-on-one time with Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP). Check out the full PlayStation list here:Playable Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP) Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP) Trailers-Only Final Fantasy XIII (PS3) Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3) Final Fantasy Agito XIII (PSP) The 3rd Birthday (PSP) Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete (Blu-ray) We're expecting many of these trailers will be shown behind closed doors. Fear not, though. We'll provide detailed impressions of the trailers live from Tokyo next month.
