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Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep still looks good in new scan
Birth by Sleep, the upcoming PSP-exclusive prequel to Kingdom Hearts looks incredible. The game features PS2-quality graphics, as seen in a new scan from Famitsu. Of all the recently revealed Kingdom Hearts games, this looks to play most like the original. We even see Donald and Goofy in these images. How will they integrate into this new game? New details on Birth by Sleep will be hard to come by, but if we find anything more, you'll be sure to find it here.
Kingdom Hearts info just keeps coming
What was once a trickle now seems to be a deluge -- with Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days development in full swing, we're bombarded with all the new images and info we can handle. In these latest scans, we get a peek at some of the areas included in the upcoming title, along with a look at the game's beautiful graphics. That last should be enough to get even nonfans interested, because it's always good news when someone pushes the limits of the DS.Hit the break to see the scans for yourself.
Kingdom Hearts details from Jump Festa
This year's Jump Festa wasn't packed with a ton of new info -- unless, perhaps, you're a big Square Enix buff. A few SE games got some major buzz this past weekend, including our own highly anticipated Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. While we have not yet found video of the playable demo that fans were treated to at the event, we do have a breakdown of what was included, as well as other juicy details on the title. The first, and most important bit, is that the devs are aiming for release this summer. Whether or not they'll make that timeframe is debatable, but DS dev cycles seem to be pretty quick, and if there's already demo action, it might just be in the cards. We have culled some specific details from the demos available at Jump Festa and compiled the information after the jump. It goes without saying that some of this info may include spoilers, so if you're looking to stay away from specifics, you might want to skip it.
How to play Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, eventually
To get players ready for the Jump Festa demo, Square Enix has posted the control scheme for Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days on the game's official website. While we don't necessarily need to know which button does what, it's an easy way to find out what can be done in the game at all. NeoGAF's Kyoufu translated the diagram, and revealed some details of the game's multiplayer in addition to the awkward control scheme: In multiplayer, one player controls Roxas and others control spikey-haired pretty-boys Organization XIII members Xigbar, Axel, and Saïx. As for the control scheme: it is an attempt to cram all of the functionality of the original games' dual-analog, four-shoulder-button control scheme onto the DS, and it sounds about as natural as you would expect from such an endeavor. For example, you have to hold both L and R to lock onto an enemy -- the individual shoulder buttons handle camera control. Also, menu control has been moved from the d-pad (of course) to the X button -- we think that you scroll through options by tapping X. Kyoufu's translation is reproduced after the break.[Via NeoGAF]
V-Jump teases Kingdom Hearts
With Jump Festa right around the corner, Japanese magazine V-Jump is teasing readers with spot coverage of games we can expect to see at the event ... and that means Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. While there's only one page (which we've tucked away for you after the break), there's a mix of old and new images that should have fans salivating for more. We can't wait to see the footage out of next week's event! There have been so many scraps that we're about ready for a full meal on this one.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days gets its tease on
Following its participation at Jump Festa, there isn't much of anything new to report on regarding the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for the DS. That is, except that there is a new teaser site for the game. But, as with the game itself, there isn't anything new there ... yet. We're suggesting you get your bookmark on, as it's bound to be updated in the near future with juicy screens and tidbits of information.[Via Go Nintendo]
Kingdom Hearts playable at Jump Festa
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/New_DS_Kingdom_Hearts_playable_at_Jump_Festa'; We knew the upcoming Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days would be at Jump Festa, but before, we thought there would be only a carefully prepared (and short) trailer hidden away behind closed doors. Not so! Apparently, the highly anticipated title will actually be playable at this month's event. Even better? Multiplayer mode will be on display. That's a huge difference from a hidden trailer, and we can't wait to see what is unveiled for the next DS game in the franchise.
Jump Festa has Square Enix fans covered
Square Enix has announced their lineup for this month's Jump Festa, and though it's not extensive, there's enough variety to please even the pickiest of SE devotees. Final Fantasy IV, which releases right before the two-day event, will be playable, but what's really exciting is that we've been promised videos of both Front Mission 2089 and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. With the dribs and drabs we've seen so far from the very intriguing upcoming DS Kingdom Hearts title, that footage promises to be popular.Of course, now that we're building it up in our minds, it will be precisely four seconds longer than the last footage we saw, and we'll still know very little about the game.
New Final Fantasy XIII trailers at Jump Festa
Square Enix has unveiled its lineup for their annual Jump Festa event and among the sea of trailers and playable games is yet another lovely video of Final Fantasy XIII -- not just the game, but advertised is the entire Fabula Nova Crystallis series. We don't know if this "new" trailer is going to be a remixed version of what was shown behind closed doors at the Tokyo Game Show or not, because this one is also going to be shown behind closed doors. If it's all new footage, that'd be grand, but we just won't know. Hopefully someday Square Enix will allow the general public to see how their titles are progressing, but until then, we'll just keep you up to date on potential videos that may or may not get leaked.
Glimpse 1.5 of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Remember those scans that allowed us a peek into the depths of the recently-announced Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days? Now they've been screenitized (new word; you read it here first) for your viewing pleasure, and there's a preview video for you as well after the jump. Actually, calling it a preview might be going a bit far, since you'll miss it if you blink, but hey, it's better than being beaten up and left for dead on the side of the road. The best part? The video is also poor quality. Never let it be said that DS Fanboy doesn't deliver!The tiny video can be found after the jump, along with the other shots.
Nintendo conference screenshot roundup
We posted a lot of DS screens revealed at or to coincide with yesterday's Nintendo conference, but there's no way we could do an individual post on them all. Three screens of something we've already seen tons of screens of doesn't exactly warrant its own post. Some of the screens listed have been previously released. Some of the games, we just didn't get to. But we can link to a Japanese roundup post that's loaded with screens, and list the games shown within by title! We promise that as soon as we get more information on this stuff beyond a few screens in a roundup, we'll post it. Until then, check after the break for every game in the roundup, organized in order of appearance on the GAME Watch page.
Birth by Sleep to take place entirely in Disney worlds
Although Birth by Sleep is taking the franchise to a darker direction, a recent interview with Gemaga magazine reveals that the upcoming PSP Kingdom Hearts game will take place entirely in Disney worlds. IGN notes that "The game takes place in the past, years prior to the original Kingdom Hearts, and the worlds will be updated to reflect this. Nomura envisions having a young Hercules appear in the Hercules world, for instance. New Disney worlds will also appear, as will favorite characters like Disney and Goofy."Development is being handled by the same studio that managed Re: Chain of Memories (unreleased in the States). The battle system employed will be largely similar to the card-based system featured in the PS2 remake. "You set up a card deck consisting of commands that are fed into your command menu," Nomura explained.Details for Birth by Sleep are still hard to come by, but we're intrigued to see how this battle system will feel, especially for Kingdom Hearts regulars. Considering Square's incredible job with Crisis Core, we're confident they can pull off a PSP title that not only looks good, but plays well too.
Famitsu offers direct-feed shots of Kingdom Hearts
No blurry scans of magazines here, folks. These are crystal-clear direct-feed shots of Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. And considering the history of Square Enix games, this might be the only screenshots we'll see in quite some time. Enjoy the PS2-quality graphics. See the return of a very familiar HUD. And check out the moody angst, in the way only Square Enix can do it! Check out all the pictures at Famitsu.[Via Gamespot]
Birth by Sleep adding new gameplay to Kingdom Hearts universe
Perhaps the biggest surprise of Tokyo Game Show was the debut of three new Kingdom Hearts games from Square Enix. Of the three, the PSP title Birth by Sleep looks to most closely resemble the original PS2 games. In a recent issue of Famitsu, character designer and game director Testuya Nomura explained that although Birth by Sleep will play similarly to the original console games, fans should expect new gameplay in this PSP exclusive prequel. The game has been in development for a long time, but Re: Chain of Memories took much more time than originally anticipated (this is the PS2 remake of the Game Boy Kingdom Hearts game). However, because the story was completed so long ago, the team has had plenty of time to work on the various scenarios in the game. IGN translates: "The game has three scenarios, each told from the perspective of one of the main characters. Yasue joked with the magazine that players may think the game was made by three different teams, as the play style is different for each character due to their varying personalities and abilities." The character growth system will apparantly "shock" players and will encourage players to link up with others. However, don't expect multiplayer: that's reserved for the DS 358/2 Days. The game will feature brand new Disney worlds as well, such as Sleeping Beauty's Forest. Finally, although the game has been in development longer than either the DS or Mobile Kingdom Hearts games, it'll most likely be the last one to see release: it seems to be easily the most ambitious of the three new games.
First glimpse of the upcoming Kingdom Hearts
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/First_glimpse_of_the_upcoming_Kingdom_Hearts_on_DS '; Information on games has been coming lately at a fast and furious pace, even without the overflow from Tokyo. We only just found out that multiple Kingdom Hearts titles were confirmed for numerous systems, and now we've caught our first images of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days in the pages of Famitsu. While these scanned screens are early, as well as rough and grainy, they do offer a nice glimpse of the look we can expect from the DS action-RPG.Details thus far are slim, but apparently cooperative multiplayer is in the cards, and the game focuses on the story of Roxas and his time with Organization XIII.
TGS cosplayers gallery
You simply can't barge your way through the throbbing mass of people at the Tokyo Game Show without bumping into video game characters which have somehow manifested in reality. Actually, physically bumping into them isn't recommended, as the ornate headdresses, gargantuan shoulder pads and razor-sharp hair is very likely to cause unexpected injury. With all the Clouds marching about the hallways of the Makuhari Messe center, you're likely to become trapped in a cosplay iron maiden* if you're not careful.*Due to creative cosplay, "maiden" may in truth be "man."%Gallery-7697%
TGS07: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep impressions
Remember this? This is the original Birth by Sleep trailer that was hidden at the end of the Japanese release of Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix. But this is not Kingdom Hearts III for PS3. No, it's not what you were expecting at all.Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, revealed at Tokyo Game Show today, is a brand new PSP game that expands the story of the franchise not by looking forward, but by looking back. This prequel stars a character that strongly resembles (but is not) Zack from Final Fantasy VII (and most recently, Crisis Core). In addition, we see a character that appears to be a clone of Roxas -- but that's impossible, considering the massive time difference between Birth by Sleep and the original console games. Certainly, there's a lot of mysteries surrounding this upcoming title. As this preview video shows, the game features a much darker and sinister feel than the console predecessors. The character designs feature a rougher look, especially the main villains, featured above. The new hero, being of a much older age than the previous heroes, also adds a much more mature feel to the overall presentation. The new keyblade also feels much more menacing, being able to shoot projectiles rather quickly. From the little we got to see at Tokyo Game Show, it seems as though the gameplay of Birth by Sleep will most closely follow the PS2 originals of the new Kingdom Hearts games announced today.This is easily the most technologically impressive Kingdom Hearts game announced today, and although it's not a next-gen sequel, this PSP iteration looks to satiate the needs of the Kingdom Hearts gamers everywhere.
TGS07: Impressions of Kingdom Hearts: Coded and 358/2 Days
Three new Kingdom Hearts titles were shown in Square Enix's private theater at this year's Tokyo Game Show. In addition to incredibly silly titles, the games all shared one thing in common: they will set new technical benchmarks on the platforms that they arrive on.First up is Kingdom Hearts Coded, a unique reinterpretation of the original Kingdom Hearts game. The trailer begins with an ominous message that leads Jiminy Cricket in a frantic race to Mickey Mouse, to send Sora through a digitally recreated version of the original Kingdom Hearts. In Coded, players will be able to enter a "Debug Mode" which allows players to alter the world around them. In one sequence, we saw Sora gain the ability to run through objects, such as blocks. What he ran through would then explode, reinforcing the notion that Sora can have dominion of his world: it's like playing a Kingdom Hearts fanfic written by a hardcore aficionado of The Matrix. Of course, as cool as this may sound, chances are you'll never play it. It's frustratingly yet another one of the countless cell phone games that Square Enix has in development.The other games showcased will certainly be more relevant to the Joystiq reader. "The time of the other side ... " the trailer begins. This will be Roxas' adventure, following the trials of Organization XIII. The battle system resembles the one featured in the past two console games, but there's a few new twists. Members of Organization XIII are aerially gifted, being able to float away at a whim. They also work together: we saw a four player co-operative mode on display which looks quite fun. Amazingly, the game manages to maintain visuals that are strikingly similar to the PS2 originals, albeit a bit more pixelated. Oh, and did we mention that this is on the Nintendo DS? Oh, and did we mention the title: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Certainly not the catchiest of titles. But, that wasn't the end of Kingdom Hearts games revealed today.
TGS07: Kingdom Hearts confirmed for DS
There's some great news for Kingdom Hearts fans and DS owners -- the handheld is indeed getting a KH game, and it's apparently not a follow-up to the GBA title. Details are sketchy out of TGS at the moment, but the game is going multi-version for multiple platforms (as rumored). It seems the DS exclusive, which is known as Kingdom Hearts 358/2 is the "darkest" of the bunch, according to IGN. Brief trailers for the DS title, as well as those for the PSP and mobile phones, were shown behind closed doors at the show, and no release dates have been mentioned as yet. The only other thing we know at this time is that the events in all games take place near those in Kingdom Hearts 2.
Rumor: Kingdom Hearts prequel heading to PSP
We've just landed in Tokyo, getting ready for the Tokyo Game Show. Supposedly, Square Enix will have a few surprises regarding the Kingdom Hearts series tomorrow. The focus will be primarily on the handhelds, and according to 1UP, PSP owners can (hopefully) look forward to a prequel to the original PS2 fan favorite. The next iteration of the franchise, though, will most likely appear on a next-gen console, with PS3 very likely.Stay tuned -- we're sure to find out the true details soon enough.
