[granville]

The official Japanese website for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance was updated earlier today. The update comes with several new videos, showing a more extensive look at the gameplay. I've posted a video containing all the videos compiled into one above, but you can also check them out on the site itself (the ones on the site include the bottom screen as well as the top).

The game takes elements from past games, notably the newer command deck system from Birth By Sleep on PSP and ReCoded on DS. But it introduces a few new mechanics as well. First of all, there's the free-flow action mechanic, allowing for far more acrobatic moves (wall jumping, pole swinging, rail grinding, etc). New creatures called Dream Eaters appear as both allies and enemies, allies being called Spirits (your primary partners) and enemies being called Nightmares (the primary enemies you will fight). You can collect different spirits throughout the game and they will aid you during combat, as well as provide new special abilities for Sora and Riku to perform. There's also a "Nintendogs" like mechanic where you can raise your Spirits and care for them (seen in the AR-like game). Another new addition to the game is the drop bar, which acts like a slowly depleting timer. When it empties completely, control will switch to the other playable character (Sora or Riku). This mechanic could also be triggered manually without waiting in the Jump Festa demo playable last month.

Unrelated to the site update was the confirmation of a new world, one based on the movie Fantasia. It was revealed in the latest issue of V-Jump magazine and shows scenes from the famous Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence from the movie. The world is titled "Symphony of Sorcery".

Kingdom Hearts 3D is a completely new game in the series, continuing right after Kingdom Hearts 2 ends and setting up the events for the eventual and inevitable Kingdom Hearts 3. Sora and Riku enter sleeping worlds to help restore them, and prepare for another battle with Xehanort. They enter these worlds also as a means of taking the "Mark of Mastery" exam under the supervision of Master Yen Sid, in order to become true keyblade masters and unlock even more knowledge and power. The game has completely new or redesigned worlds and is developed internally as a major new entry akin to a numbered title by the Osaka team (ala Birth By Sleep). Kingdom Hearts 3D will be releasing on the Nintendo 3DS in Japan sometime during the month of March 2012. A US and Europe release is already planned and arriving sometime this year as well.

Source #1
Source #2

[Skelletonike]

Seems' really cool from the vid. =O
The graphics seem pretty good from what I saw, but what I don't get is if the game is supposed to be after KH2, why do the characters look younger? D=
Anyways, I hope they release a demo on the european and american eshop later on.

[DinohScene]

Skelletonike, on 13 January 2012 - 05:16 PM, said:

I hope they release a demo on the european and american eshop later on.

There goes my analogue nub.

[Mindzpeed]

Skelletonike, on 13 January 2012 - 05:16 PM, said:

Seems' really cool from the vid. =O
The graphics seem pretty good from what I saw, but what I don't get is if the game is supposed to be after KH2, why do the characters look younger? D=
Anyways, I hope they release a demo on the european and american eshop later on.

They look younger because they are not in the real world rather in a realm of dreams if i'm correct. I like Riku's new clothes design except his short hair. But Sora looked bad ass in his KH2 outfit.

[Skelletonike]

Mindzpeed, on 13 January 2012 - 05:23 PM, said:

Skelletonike, on 13 January 2012 - 05:16 PM, said:

Seems' really cool from the vid. =O
The graphics seem pretty good from what I saw, but what I don't get is if the game is supposed to be after KH2, why do the characters look younger? D=
Anyways, I hope they release a demo on the european and american eshop later on.

They look younger because they are not in the real world rather in a realm of dreams if i'm correct. I like Riku's new clothes design except his short hair. But Sora looked bad ass in his KH2 outfit.

Well, even so, why look younger when they looked badass older? D'=

[boombox]

Well that looks a lot better than the diabolical graphics of the DS version, I honestly couldn't play..and no, it's not all about graphics, but when you play a game with this perspective it makes it a lot easier if things weren't so blocky.
This looks good

[Mindzpeed]

Skelletonike, on 13 January 2012 - 05:25 PM, said:

Mindzpeed, on 13 January 2012 - 05:23 PM, said:

Skelletonike, on 13 January 2012 - 05:16 PM, said:

Seems' really cool from the vid. =O
The graphics seem pretty good from what I saw, but what I don't get is if the game is supposed to be after KH2, why do the characters look younger? D=
Anyways, I hope they release a demo on the european and american eshop later on.

They look younger because they are not in the real world rather in a realm of dreams if i'm correct. I like Riku's new clothes design except his short hair. But Sora looked bad ass in his KH2 outfit.

Well, even so, why look younger when they looked badass older? D'=

If I recall correctly, Nomura once stated in an interview that he prefered KH1 character outfits.

[Taik]

Riku's hair is short because he cut it after they got back to the Destiny Islands (IIRC it's like a sign he grew up or overcame a trauma or something in Japanese culture).
I don't think they look young though, and I love their new clothes
Can't wait for this game

[Valwin]

looking good damn

[granville]

They've essentially reverted to their KH1 ages. We don't know the precise reasons as of yet. Though they retained all their memories from KH2 and before, as well as certain skills. New clothes though, different from anything they've had so far (they look like a cross between their KH1 and KH2 clothes, Sora's sort of looks like his valor or limit forms).

I really don't care what they look like in terms of age. Riku is looking especially good now though. His hair and clothes look more "normal" i suppose. Didn't like his KH1 hair or clothes at all. Nice to see him wielding his keyblade here and being able to really play as him as a full story character for a change. I think i'm looking forward to playing as him the most. Hell, anything about this game i'm looking forward to seeing as it truly advance the plot into the future for a change (taking no steps back or even to the side, but actually forward, this is a true sequel).

[Erdnaxela]

Wow Riku is badass with his link move.
Gameplay looks fantastic, even better than BbS, the game is so smooth, I really can't wait >.<

EDIT : You need to watch those video from the website, youtube make them looks awful !

Edited by Erdnaxela, 13 January 2012 - 06:07 PM.

[jing90]

this is one of the reasons that will make me buy a 3ds

[granville]

Erdnaxela, on 13 January 2012 - 06:06 PM, said:

You need to watch those video from the website, youtube make them looks awful !

I agree, they look several times better on the official site. Though for some reason, i had to use another web browser besides Firefox to view them at their best. Firefox caused the videos to suffer tremendous framerate issues for some reason. Google Chrome didn't have the same issue though. Dunno what's up with that...

[Giratina3]

Best game for the 3DS of 2012.
One of the best looking games too, the gameplay is smooth and glorified over Birth by Sleep.
And the keyblade is now a complete model, unlike days and re:coded which used a paperblade [essentially what i call it, two sprites slapped together on a stick]
Freeflow looks like it will be a fun mechanic but hard to master.
Dream Eater mini-game looks like a lot of fun aswell.
Did anyone else notice Drop Points? They are shaped like tear drops or something. So collecting those will increase time or level up the meter?

Either way. Kingdom Hearts 3D : Dream Drop Distance will soon be released in Japan, and you can bet that Nomura aims to release in the West and Europe sharpish afterwards. Could be the quickest we've gotten a game since they are actually Localizing this along the way.

[granville]

@Giratina3

I noticed those new little droplets you collect from fallen enemies as well. Little light purple/blur teardrops. No way of telling what they do though, when they are collected, the drop bar doesn't increase or slow down any. Perhaps they're ability related. You can link to a spirit to perform special skills and combos for a limited time. This drains their pink bar under their health, which looks similar to a magic bar. Perhaps the droplets refill that bar or something like that. Or maybe they're related to leveling them up. Maybe they ARE related to the drop bar. I dunno. Your guess is as good as mine. There's still much we don't know about spirits and the drop bar. The number next to the drop bar is a big mystery. It changes drastically, even including a decimal point. Heck, in some screens shown online, it has even entered into negative numbers, so no telling what it does!