Kingdom Hearts 3D Release Thread
(Is it wonderfully deep, or heartlessly shallow? Find out below)
~About Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance~
No. of Players: 2 players simultaneous
Category: Action, RPG
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Supports Circle Pad Pro
DARKNESS BECOMES LIGHT, LIGHT FALLS INTO DARKNESS
Celebrating the franchise's 10th anniversary, KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance] features a spectacular story that promises to be a fun backdrop to the colorful cast of Disney characters making their 3D debut on a handheld title. In addition to brand new worlds, KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance] will also feature never before seen gameplay elements. In preparation for an impending threat, Sora and Riku enter the Sleeping Worlds to complete the Mark of Mastery exam. They will encounter new enemies and make new friends in worlds they have never set foot in, and if successful in their quest, they will become true Keyblade Masters.
FEATURES:
DUAL PROTAGONISTS -- Play as the two most popular characters of the franchise, Sora and Riku.
FLOWMOTION ACTION -- Enjoy fast and effortless movements while interacting with the environment and performing acrobatic attacks.
BRAND-NEW CREATURES & NEW DISNEY WORLDS -- Dream Eaters inhabit the Sleeping Worlds, and are split into two categories: Spirits and Nightmares. Recruit over 50 different types of Spirits as allies to fight alongside Sora and Riku. Beloved Disney worlds and characters, such as La Cité des Cloches (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), make their series debut.
STORY PROGRESSION -- With updated looks for Sora and Riku, and the impending conflict made clear, this title is a big step forward in the series.
Want to know more? Vist the official website:
http://kingdomhearts3dgame.com/
~Iwata Asks Interview with KH3D Director Tetsuya Nomura~
--Tired of walking? Just go with the flow!--
[spoiler]
Iwata: The free-flowing action in this title seems to be the most dynamic of any game in the series so far. Looking at it, you do feel that analogue controls are a must.
Nomura: That's right. The Nintendo 3DS system is a really bold machine, and the stereoscopic graphics give an incredible feeling of depth. That's why the visuals are so dynamic. Free-flowing action was actually the first feature I wanted Kingdom Hearts 3D to have.
Iwata: This free-flowing action was part of your original vision of the game?
Nomura: Yes, it was. This idea was born from the fact that the Nintendo 3DS system has both stereoscopic graphics and analogue controls. In fact, staffs who've been working on this latest game now complain that the movements in older games like BBS* and KH II are too slow. They say things like "once you've experienced the 3D free-flowing action, you can't go back", and "a Kingdom game where you can't jump-kick off the walls just isn't a Kingdom game." (laughs)
* BBS refers to Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, an RPG released in January 2010 (in Japan).
Iwata: So even your own staff said they couldn't go back to enjoying a previous title after experiencing the free-flowing action in this one! But was it difficult to build a game using such dynamic visuals?
Nomura: It certainly wasn't straightforward. Because you can now kick off a wall to jump as far as you like, we had to make maps that are much bigger than in usual Kingdom Hearts games. These jump-kicks are also a little difficult to control, but...they'll make you laugh! You won't believe how far you can jump! (laughs)
Iwata: You laughed at a feature you added yourself!? (laughs)
Nomura: I did, but then I thought it's probably a good thing that it's funny. What's more, learning how to control moves like that is part of the fun of an action game.
Iwata: You can certainly get addicted to such things. Watching somebody play it really makes you want to give it a try.
Nomura: I think so, too. My favorite part of Mario 64 was in front of the castle. You didn't have any particular goals there; you could just run around, jump and slide. Whoosh! That's the kind of thing I had in mind when I was imagining Kingdom Hearts 3D's free-flowing action.
[/spoiler]
--Violence + Nintendogs = Dream Eaters?--
[spoiler]
Iwata: So the concept of friendly Dream Eaters was born from your pursuit of an original game system and your vision of unique visuals, in addition to the fact that you had cats and dogs when you were a child?
Nomura: That's right. Nintendogs made an impact on me as well the way that game puts you in contact with your pets. I always had battles in mind, though. I wondered "why can't I make my Nintendogs fight?" (laughs)
Iwata: (bursts out laughing)
Nomura: When you take your Nintendogs for a walk, and they meet other dogs via StreetPass... Imagine if they could have a battle!
Iwata: You wanted to fight against the other dogs you met!? (laughs)
Nomura: I did occasionally think "are they going to fight...!?" But of course, they never did. (laughs)
[/spoiler]
--Why is the game telling me this stuff!?--
[spoiler]
Iwata: When you create a long-running series like this, there must come a time when you worry about the conflict between meeting fan's expectations and being accessible to new players. What do you think about that?
Nomura: I worry a lot about that... I feel it's something that has to be dealt with eventually. We try to make the introductory part of every game accessible for new players, for example by having the main character enter the world and ask "what is this place"? That puts them in the same boat as the player.
Iwata: So you always start from a situation where the player knows nothing?
Nomura: Yes. We give players who don't know anything some information about the characters and the game setting that we think is useful. But it's hard for the players who're familiar with the series to understand the things that new players will be uneasy about.
Iwata: And the fans of the series probably feel that explanations aimed at new players are a bit excessive.
Nomura: If a puzzle is presented both to players who have experience and those who don't, the ones who don't have experience may think that they are lacking some prior knowledge required to solve the puzzle. That is, they think they can't solve the puzzle because they haven't played previous titles in the series. So, although it's always a difficult question that will never go away, we've included a system in this game that will allow players to learn the entire plot of the series so far.
Iwata: You certainly don't feel like you need to have played the previous games in the series in order to enjoy this one.
Nomura: I hope that's the case. We've made this title so that it contains all the information you need to know, even more so than previous titles. (laughs) But still, we didn't forget that concept of "just picking up the controller and playing around - even without any specific game mission - is fun enough". So you don't need to know every detail in order to enjoy the game.
[/spoiler]
The bits above are just a small sample of a great interview! If you'd like to read the full interview go to the link below:
http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/creators/11/0
~Screenshots~
~Trailers~
(Youtube) US Launch Trailer
(Youtube) New Features Trailer
(Youtube) Dream Eaters Trailer
(Youtube) Flowmotion Trailer
(Youtube) Sora and Riku Trailer
(Youtube) 9 Minute English Trailer
(Youtube) First European Gameplay
(Youtube) Debut Trailer
~Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance Reviews~
Gamespot - 7.0/10:
"It's such a delightful experience to visit those classic Disney films and interact with their many loveable characters that you spend more time laughing at them than you do screaming at your 3DS in frustration. No, Disney isn't for everyone, but unless you're laden with a heart of stone, it's hard not to be taken in by Kingdom Hearts 3D's many charms." - (Full Review)
GameInformer - 8.25/10:
"Fans who are tired of Kingdom Hearts side-stories should be glad to know that this is definitely the last game before Kingdom Hearts III. I'm not going to tell you why, but the fact is made very clear. If you want to know the setup for the next big entry, you have to play this game to find out what's in store for the conclusion of the Xehanort arc. You could just watch some cutscenes online, but youd be cheating yourself out of a lot of fun." - (Full Review)
Nintendo Life - 7/10:
"Kingdom Hearts 3D is a great looking, solid game, held back by a few design choices which stop it from being as enjoyable an experience as it should be. If you are new to the series and want to know what its all about, then try Kingdom Hearts I or II before diving into this one. However, if you are a series veteran then step this way, as there is still a lot of fun to be had if you can overlook the small gameplay problems." - (Full Review)
Game Trailers - 8.2/10:
"Dream Drop Distance is proof that Square Enix still knows how to create a visually stunning game. The visuals are some of the best on the system, only rivaled on a technical level by Resident Evil Revelations. Each of the Disney worlds are brought to life with incredible detail and an aesthetic that really nails the source material. The soundtrack also taps into decades of Disney's rich history, though the games primary theme song is still largely recycled from previous installments.
Far from yet another filler installment to hold you over until Kingdom Hearts III, Dream Drop Distance is one of the better entries in the series and a solid RPG in its own right. It avoids the pitfalls some of the more recent entries have stumbled into and delivers some fresh new ideas to a series in danger of stagnating. If you have a soft spot for oddball crossovers, Dream Drop Distance is certainly worth a closer look." - (Full Review)
Nintendo World Report - 9/10:
"Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is both a great entry in the Kingdom Hearts series and a great 3DS game. The story flaws may distract some, but the remainder of the game is worthwhile. Kingdom Hearts 3D advances the series in both story and innovation, and I can't wait to see whats next for Sora and Riku." - (Full Review)
IGN - 8.5/10:
"Despite its problems, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is an enjoyable experience with an engaging story and incredible characterization. Although the platforming is far from fluid and the story can feel convoluted at times, when KH3D soars, it soars high - capturing that KH magic that has propelled the series to great success for a decade now.
Dream Drop Distance captures the quality of the console releases, but in bite-sized chunks fit for a portable, and successfully whisks players away to the world of Disney films like Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pinocchio, Tron: Legacy and more. Overall its a great new entry in the series, one befitting Sora and Rikus return. With the excellent additions of Flowmotion combat and the Drop system, this may be the best portable entry in the series to date." - (Full Review)
Eurogamer - 8/10:
"In many ways, despite the lavish Disneyfied worlds, this doesn't even feel like a Kingdom Hearts game a lot of the time. The change in tone and tempo may well come as a jolt to long time fans, just as the lumpen opening sections may deter newcomers, but it's rare to see a decade-old franchise reinvent itself with this much vigour. Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance won't be for everybody, but those who fall under its spell are guaranteed a remarkable experience. Roll on Kingdom Hearts 3." - (Full Review)
Click here for more reviews
What are your thoughts on Kingdom Hearts 3D?
Before putting this thread together I barely had any interest in playing KH3D, but after looking through the information, pictures, videos and reviews, I feel like I should at least give the game a try. Maybe I'll just borrow my brother's copy later.
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