kingdom-hearts-3d
Latest
Nomura considering 'HD technical test' for Kingdom Hearts anniversary
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance will finally make its hands-on debut at the Tokyo Game Show later this fall -- but does that news really do anything for you? In the latest issue of Japanese gaming mag Dengeki PlayStation (as translated by Andriasang), Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura explained that it's becoming difficult to get new players into the series with each new iteration. We get the hesitation -- we've played all the Kingdom Hearts games, and still can't follow a majority of their plots. Nomura mentioned a plan to help bring new players into the fold: As a celebration of the franchise's 10th anniversary, he hopes to release an "HD technical test" of the series. Could that mean remakes of the first two, past-gen games? Maybe a teaser trailer similar to that of Final Fantasy VII HD which Square Enix will undoubtedly never follow up on? We'll try to squeeze some answers out of those lollygaggers during TGS next month.
See Kingdom Hearts 3D in 2D trailer
That didn't take long! Trailers from last night's Square Enix event in Japan have begun hitting the web. After the break you'll find Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, and we'd suggest checking it out soon before Square pulls it from YouTube. That said, Mickey Mouse speaking Japanese? Weird!
Kingdom Hearts 3D dubbed 'Dream Drop Distance'
When Kingdom Hearts 3D arrives on Nintendo's newest portable platform, none of its recognizable traits will be lost in the transition. The pointy-haired protagonists, charming Disney icons and comically oversized keys will be locked inside a box, branded with another mentally impenetrable subtitle -- a Square Enix classic! According to an announcement at Square Enix's 1st Production Department event in Japan (translated by Andriasang), the 3DS game is called "Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance." You'll note that those are, in fact, three Ds. Well done, everyone. According to comments made at the event, which is intended to highlight the 1st Production Department's upcoming products, Kingdom Hearts 3D will emphasize action and speed, with 3D effects conveying a greater sense of height and distances (for flying or falling). When playing, you'll regularly switch between two of the franchise's Dexterous Dainty Dudes, Sora and Riku. No announcements regarding a North American release of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance have been made.%Gallery-114574%
Kingdom Hearts 3D to feature all new Disney worlds, Nomura says
Famitsu recently had a chance to chat with Tetsuya Nomura, the zipper-loving director of the Kingdom Hearts franchise. In the interview (translated by Andriasang), Nomura revealed that new "gameplay systems" are in the works for the next iteration of the game, Kingdom Hearts 3D for the 3DS, and that some of these mechanics may even find their way into the long-awaited (but still unannounced) Kingdom Hearts 3. For example, both Sora and Riku will be playable characters in the upcoming game, and Nomura is promising some differences between the two characters. The reason why Sora and Riku appear as they do in the first Kingdom Hearts game hasn't been explained, with Nomura simply teasing that it is "a secret" and necessary for the story. Perhaps the most exciting revelation from the interview is Nomura's intention to include brand new Disney worlds for the upcoming sequel. Although Traverse Town and "other original creations" will make a reappearance, it'll be interesting to see exactly what Disney worlds make it into the next game. Frankly, we're not even entirely sure what Square Enix has yet to dig up from the Disney vault.
Kingdom Hearts 3DS development underway, to follow Re:Coded
Fans eager for a new Kingdom Hearts console game will have to wait even longer, it seems. In an interview with Famitsu, designer Tetsuya Nomura revealed that the next game in the franchise will be the 3DS game, first unveiled at E3 earlier this year. "Next is Kingdom Hearts 3D," he told the magazine. "The time frame for 3D is after Re:Coded." According to Nomura, development is already underway on the project and will only accelerate once the Final Mix team is done working on that Japan-only PSP release. "We'd like to announce it as soon as possible," Nomura said of the 3DS game, seemingly ignoring the fact that he was technically announcing the game as he spoke.
Nomura: Kingdom Hearts 3D 'probably' being developed by Birth by Sleep team
Square Enix sent out some (unfortunately flat) images representing two of its announced 3DS titles, Kingdom Hearts 3D and Chocobo Racing 3D. We're going to go ahead and assume you aren't tired of looking at 3DS images yet, and place them in galleries for your perusal. Don't expect the games to look exactly like this upon release -- these images essentially represent tech demos. Tetsuya Nomura told Siliconera that Kingdom Hearts 3D "will probably be developed by the team who was in charge of Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, the Osaka team." In other words, Square Enix hasn't even gotten to the point in the game's development where it figures out who's developing it.%Gallery-95619%%Gallery-95618%
Kingdom Hearts 3D returns to Destiny Islands
Square Enix has just released the first screenshots of its tentatively named Kingdom Hearts 3D. Fans of the franchise will find it looks startlingly similar to the PS2 original, featuring the character models of the first game. Check out all the images after the break.
