Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance - 3DS

Kingdom Hearts III Is Coming: The Game

2012-07-18T06:00:00Z

While some players won’t tune into the Kingdom Hearts series again until the title includes a “III,” others keep up with the new installments no matter what. Dream Drop Distance is one of those titles that reaffirms your faith in Kingdom Hearts (like Birth by Sleep) rather feeling like an obligation (like Re:coded). If you’ve passed up other non-numbered entries, this game provides an extensive journal brimming with plot summaries and character info. It’s not easy to boil-down a 10-year-old series as convoluted as Kingdom Hearts can sometimes be, but Dream Drop Distance does a great job.

The story picks up after Re:coded with Sora and Riku tasked by Yen Sid (the sorcerer from Fantasia) to take the Mark of Mastery exam, become keyblade masters, and grow powerful enough to face the coming of villain Master Xehanort. To pass, they must awaken seven sleeping worlds based on Disney properties, as per usual.

Some levels are new to the series, like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, while stages based on Tron: Legacy and Pinocchio feel new since you’re dabbling in different areas that weren’t in the previous games. The stages are entertaining and introduce creative exploration mechanics via “reality shifts,” like drawing a line on the touch screen to zip up to higher platforms, or doing a music minigame to open new areas. I was skeptical of the Three Musketeers level due to its basis on a 2004 straight-to-DVD movie, but its swashbuckling nature ultimately fits well into the flow of the game. Nonetheless, I’m concerned that Square Enix is willing to turn to the bottom of the barrel like this. What’s next? Stages from An Extremely Goofy Movie? Maybe Cinderalla III: A Twist in Time?

Combat this time around is based entirely around dream eaters. These colorful creatures, based on animals like elephants, cats, and dinosaurs, serve as your primary enemies (nightmares) and allies (spirits). Rather than catching them all like Pokémon, you craft them using recipes. They level up by fighting at your side or via a variety of minigames. In turn, they each have a custom ability board that serves as Sora and Riku’s primary upgrade mechanic.

Power ups like health and damage boosts are only active when that creature is in your party, while spells and support abilities like longer attack combos stay with you forever. Petting and feeding spirits to get the most out of them is cumbersome, and I felt obligated to constantly check my boards and deal with pesky loading. Some kind of alert that you could put on abilities you’re gunning for would have alleviated much of this frustration, since I enjoyed the ability board system overall.

On the battlefield, spirits are on par with past AI companions, which means they are slightly useful. Normally, they chip off a little damage here and there and cause a distraction for groups of enemies. Sora teams up with them for a dual attack that provides a nice, invincible reprieve from tense battles, while Riku incorporates them into powered up blade attacks. The latter can do massive damage, but Riku’s fancy attack animations make it tricky to trigger cure spells if you run into an emergency.

The mix of physical attack specials and magic is effective once you get the right combo. You’re always unlocking something new, and I loved experimenting and finding surprisingly powerful abilities. The new flowmotion attacks allow you to perform environmental specials at almost any time with no cooldown time. These moves are integrated smoothly into the traditional battle system; you’ll spring off a wall and drill into an enemy, spin around a pole and smash foes in a wide area, or grab stunned nightmares and toss them across the map.

Since you’re playing as both Sora and Riku, Square Enix decided to have more of a back and forth of control this time rather than entirely separate campaigns like in Birth by Sleep. I’m torn on this new “drop” mechanic that forces you to change characters when a timer runs out. It allows you to keep up with both characters’ stories regularly, and it creates cliffhangers similar to TV episodes, but switching characters can be disorienting and annoying. The negative side of the drop system is softened by several options to extend your timer, but there are a few gates throughout the game that force you to drop to proceed.

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I found the standard difficulty mode to be a nice pleasant stroll without the need for too much grinding. This all screeches to a halt at one of the final bosses. Not only is the fight disproportionately hard, it also includes a timed touchscreen minigame that shoots you back to an earlier stage of the fight if you fail. After getting destroyed over and over, I went off to grind levels for a few hours and optimized my spirit loadout. Upon my return, I handled this boss easily, but remained resentful of this difficulty-spiked roadblock.

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 you’d be cheating yourself out of a lot of fun.

[Curious about how Dream Drop Distance works with the Circle Pad Pro add-on? Read this.]

Going Through The Flowmotions

2012-06-06T17:48:00Z

Kingdom Hearts has been handily avoiding a new numbered entry in the franchise, and for the first time I think I may be okay with that.

The demo offered on the E3 floor gives players the choice to play as either Riku or Sora in a Three Musketeers themed level. I went with Sora, just to keep things old-school.

There is no context offered as to why Sora might have ended up in The Three Musketeers world to set off the demo. But frankly, the story of Kingdom Hearts is so scatter-shot that I doubt I would have been any more prepared to understand what was going on if I had played from the beginning.

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are in the middle of a battle against the dream eater enemies attempting to protect the princess, and are not doing a very good job. Sora jumps in the fight, quickly taking care of the enemies and the group decides that despite Sora’s violent (albeit impressive) battle abilities, that they should be best friends for life and always stick together. The inhabitants of the Three Musketeers world are incredibly trusting.

Mickey, Goofy, and Donald don’t remember Sora, as the game takes place in Jiminy Cricket’s digital journal or some other similarly bizarre conceit. Feel free to revisit my sentence about Kingdom Hearts’ scatter-shot story.

The story really isn’t important in limited demos like this. What impressed me about the game was how similar it feels and looks to Kingdom Hearts 2. There are a number of new mechanics like flowmotion and link gauges and they send Sora flying all over the screen pulling off impressive combos with excellent animation.

Flowmotion is a new system that keeps Sora constantly moving on the ground an in the air as he dispatches dream eaters. It’s a system that lets you incorporate dodge rolls nearly into your combos to send you literally flying from enemy to enemy. It opens the doors to a lot of smooth back and forth, enemy-to-enemy combat that keeps the fight moving at a brisk pace.

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Goofy and Donald are not part of your party in Dream Drop Distance. Instead you have reformed dream eater creatures that will assist you in battle. Over time their link gauges will build and you can tap their icon on the lower screen to initiate a short burst of powerful attacks. In the demo I played, I activated an attack that let me ride the small pig-like creature as he bounced around the screen landing on enemies doing damage.

The combat feels great in the powerful, chaotic way that Kingdom Hearts games always delivers towards the endgame. The game also looks incredibly sharp. Trailers online really don’t do it justice. Dream Drop Drop Distance looks great on the 3DS’ small screen. I turned the 3D on for a few seconds, and I can confirm that the game does in fact play in 3D, but I quickly pushed the slider down so I could concentrate on the fluid combat.

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Mickey Means Business In New Trailer

2012-06-01T14:48:06Z

Square Enix has released a new trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, which is loaded with gameplay. The clip also features plenty of footage of Mickey, Goofy, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and other Disney all stars.

Take a look at the trailer below, and also enjoy a very special screen featuring frozen treats. After all, you need to stay cool with so much drama building around you. Follow your heart, believe in your friends, and all that.

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Look for Kingdom Hearts 3D on the 3DS on July 31.

The Musketeers and Quasimodo Shine In New Kingdom Hearts 3DS Screens

2012-05-23T18:05:00Z

As Square Enix's long awaited Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance inches its way towards the 3DS, the company has released some new screenshots that show off a couple of new worlds in in the game.

In this new batch of screens, we get a glimpse of two heretofore unseen worlds in the game -- the Country of Musketeers and Quasimodo's home La Cite Des Cloches.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance releases for Nintendo 3DS on July 31.

Kingdom Hearts 3D Has A 9-Minute English Trailer

2012-05-16T00:34:00Z

It's not a new trailer, but it is in English for the first time. We saw the Japanese version of this trailer earlier this year, and now we get to hear some of the localized voices, as well as that undeniably catchy J-pop song that has been around ever since Kingdom Hearts first appeared.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance will be available on 3DS on July 31.

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Square Enix Releases Traverse Town Screens, Preorder Bonus Info

2012-05-11T13:42:41Z

Kingdom Hearts veterans will no doubt remember Traverse Town, the first game's hub world. It's back in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, and you can check in out in a batch of new screens. And while you're here, Square Enix has revealed details about the game's preorder bonuses.

If you preorder the game from a participating retailer, you'll get a set of three AR cards. The first randomly distributed card will unlock one of three different dream eater characters: Meowjesty, Sudo Neku, or Ursa Circus (from left to right, above). The second card unlocks R&R Seal, the guy on the far right with the thousand-yard stare. The third card will give you a special in-game viewing stand, which will allow you to rotate your Dream Eaters to look at them from all angles. Be careful when spinning Meowjesty around; I suspect his back end is pretty gruesome.

You can see all the new Traverse Town screens in the gallery below. Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is due out July 31 on the 3DS.

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New Kingdom Hearts 3DS Screenshots And Concept Art

2012-04-27T16:26:00Z

Square Enix has released a handful of new information, concept art, and screenshots for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3DS.

I'm not really sure what this means, so I will just tell you exactly what Square Enix told us:

"Spirits and Nightmares are two different types of Dream Eaters. Spirits accompany Riku and Sora during their journey to protect them from the evil spirits, or Nightmares."

Dream Drop Distance will also take advantage of the 3DS' augmented reality functionality to play minigames with, pet, and feed the spirits mentioned above.

Kingdom Hearts 3DS: Dream Drop Distance will be available in North America on July 31.

Scenes From Kingdom Hearts 3D's Opening Movie

2012-03-29T14:11:00Z

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of the original Kingdom Hearts game in Japan, Square Enix has release some new shots for its upcoming title Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.

The shots in the gallery below are taken from the game's opening CG movie sequence created by Square's Visual Works.

The game will be out sometime this summer. For more teasing, check out this feature Bryan put together of what we'd like to see in Kingdom Hearts III.

A Few More Dream Drop Distance Screenshots Appear Online

2012-03-18T22:54:19Z

Square Enix has been parceling out images a few screenshots at a time for Kingdom Hearts for the 3DS. Here are eight new ones.

The latest batch comes from Japanese magazine Famitsu. You get to see some images from the opening sequence, as well as more images from the minigames, which we already got a brief look at last week.

We're still not sure exactly when Dream Drop Distance is coming out, but it should be this year. We're already thinking ahead here at Game Informer about Kingdom Hearts 3. Check out our feature about everything we want to see in the next inevitable entry into the series.

[via Andriasang and Famitsu]

New Dream Drop Distance Screens Show Very Little

2012-03-15T14:21:00Z

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance still doesn't have a release date other than sometime in 2012, but Square Enix is letting out a few screens here and there.

Today's screenshot offering is disappointingly slim. You get to see some stand-a-lone images of Donald, Goofy, and Mickey, and some images of the minigames that will be featured in Dream Drop Distance. I know you all have been on the edge of your seats wondering what the minigames are going to be like.

Check out the images in the gallery below, and check out these more interesting screenshots from the game that feature the Tron: Legacy level.

New Kingdom Hearts 3D Screens Show Off TRON's Grid

2012-03-09T15:26:29Z

Get ready to visit the world of TRON: Legacy through Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Square Enix has released a batch of screens from the 3DS game, which focus on the futuristic world of the Grid.

As previously reported, fans can hang with Tron: Legacy's Kevin and Sam Flynn and Quorra, while on a larger mission to save the world with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. As you can see in the gallery below, the iconic Light Cycles are present and accounted for, which is about all you need from TRON.

Look for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance on the 3DS later this year.

Rumor: Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance European Release Possibly July

2012-02-26T21:43:00Z

Square Enix momentarily had a release date listed for the French launch of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance for July 27 on its website.

The listing has since been changed to simply Summer 2012. European and North American release dates from Square Enix usually aren't too far apart, so a July date for Dream Drop Distance could be a fair assumption based on Square Enix' Internet slip-up. For now we'll just have to be hopeful for sometime in the general Summer.

[via Gimme Gimme Games]

New Kingdom Hearts 3D Trailer Arrives

2012-02-17T14:32:00Z

We still don't know when this year Kingdom Hearts 3D (Dream Drop Distance) is supposed to come out in the U.S., but check out the latest Japanese trailer to satiate your need.

In the trailer below (courtesy of KH13.com) you can click the CC button (under the red options arrow) to get English subtitles and enjoy the story intrigue as Sora and Riku work to become Keyblade Masters and counter Xehanort.

If the weird prism backdrop is your thing, be sure to check out the game's last epic trailer.

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[Thanks to readers Chetashiny and PlatinumUp for the reader tip!]

Watch Eight Minutes Of Kingdom Hearts 3D

2011-12-19T22:05:00Z

Square Enix has posted a new eight-minute long Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance teaser on its Japanese YouTube channel. The footage is unfortunately framed inside a grid of mirrored boxes that would appear to be included for the sole purpose of hurting the viewers' eyes. I recommend taping a paper box over the mirrors before attempting to watch it.

Kingdom Hearts 3D is currently slated to hit 3DS in Japan this March. A U.S. release date has not been announced yet.

A big thanks goes out to GI reader HK-47 for the tip!

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A Rising Star For The 3DS

2011-09-16T12:45:00Z

Let me start by saying that I’ve only ever played the first few hours of the original Kingdom Hearts. Maybe it was the Disney infusion or high pressure combat that turned me away, but I just never got into it. I recently sat down with the 3DS entry in the series at TGS 2011, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, and can say I enjoyed my time with the game despite my unfamiliarity.

Dream Drop Distance marks the return of series stars Sora and Rikku. I chose Sora. The demo, which was all in Japanese, begins with Sora snapping into consciousness while standing on his feet. Sora seems surprised to be wearing his traditional gear. He exchanges words with a spiky-haired dude wearing headphones and then they go their separate ways.

The demo takes place in Traverse Town, a whimsical cartoon land with plenty of Dream Eaters to battle. Dream Eaters are both the common foes of Kingdom Hearts 3DS and unexpected allies. In my playtime Sora ran around with a chubby cat-like creature and a big panda thing. Sora teams up with the critters during battles to deliver devastating blows. He rides the cat like a bouncy ball, crushing enemies with an area-of-effect attack. When teamed up with the panda-esque beast, Sora is grabbed by his legs and spun around like a wrecking ball. These partner moves, combined with the flashy acrobatic combos, make for some thrilling battles.

Dream Drop Distance is a much more energetic and fast-paced entry in the series. Sora and his pals don’t appear to be limited by any sort of timer-based combat. Not only is Sora speedier in fights, he’s also as nimble as ever getting around the environment. Double-tapping the jump button causes Sora to fly through the air for an unlimited time. He can also grind on handrails and swing around streetlamp poles like a hyperactive trapeze artist.

Eventually Sora and his Dream Eater allies are confronted with a crazy purple gorilla-like boss. After dealing some solid cooperative damage to the foe, the tides of battle turn. The beast hefts Sora onto his back and pummels him silly. All is not lost however, as I eventually chipped away at the zany ape’s health bar with simple melee attacks. Felling the odd creature was a satisfying feat.

Based on my knowledge of the Kingdom Hearts series, experiencing the story in a foreign language is about as effective as if it had been in English. However, fans should be excited that based on gameplay and visuals alone, Dream Drop Distance ranks among the most promising 3DS titles so far. Now let’s just hope that the title shows up overseas.