Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (read "Kingdom Hearts: Three-Five-Eight Days over Two") is an RPG developed by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS with aid from H.a.n.d. It is an installment in the best-selling Kingdom Hearts series. The game features the life of Roxas between the end of Kingdom Hearts and the beginning of Kingdom Hearts II, exploring the time from Roxas' creation until his confrontation with Riku that leads to his placement in the simulated Twilight Town, a data-based Twilight Town in Kingdom Hearts II.

Square Enix revealed at Tokyo Game Show 2007 that a new unique installment to the Kingdom Hearts Series would be coming exclusively to the Nintendo DS. In 358/2 Days, Players will learn more about Roxas' time in the Organization XIII by engaging in both exciting single-player & multiplayer modes. Many unanswered questions about Roxas' life (while Sora was sleeping for one year) will be explored alongside offering Kingdom Hearts fans a whole new way to enjoy the series in a variety of Disney worlds. In December 2008, it has been announced that the game will come to stateside audiences as well as in Europe.

Story
358/2 Days revolves around the untold events of Roxas during his time with Organization XIII. The initial trailer showed events in Twilight Town, as did more recent trailers and scans. Roxas' naming by Xemnas in front of the Old Mansion, dealt with in Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+, will be used as the opening to Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. The clock tower is shown as Roxas, Axel and Xion's hangout. Organization XIII's headquarters will also be featured. Xaldin and Roxas have been seen running around Beast's Castle, and a trailer at the official site shows that they fight a Darkside Heartless there. Xigbar has also been seen battling a Dualblade Heartless with Roxas in Halloween Town. Luxord and Roxas have also been seen battling an unknown Heartless in Wonderland. thumb|300px|right

Characters
Like previous Kingdom Hearts titles, 358/2 Days will feature numerous Disney characters. Confirmed characters include Roxas, King Mickey and Riku. All Organization XIII members will be playable in multiplayer mode, but it is unknown if all the members will make significant appearances in the story mode. The trailers have also revealed a previously unknown 14th member of Organization XIII, Xion, who appears to have great significance in the story. Her role is subject to question, as she has been shown hanging out with Roxas and Axel in several scans and trailers, and in others, attacking them. The Heartless will appear as the primary antagonists, including several new types. Also, some special Heartless will appear as normal encounters, such as the Possessor in Beast's Castle. There are many old bosses seen like Guard Armor and Darkside. Moogles will also appear in the game, according to Famitsu magazine, they themselves wearing Black Cloaks. It has also been shown that Pete will feature in Neverland and he will also be seen in Agrabah and some other worlds. With the exception of the aformentioned Moogles, there will be no other Final Fantasy characters appearing in the game.

Gameplay


The gameplay is similar to the action-RPG style of the previous games in the series, and takes place in a 3D environment. There originally were three status bars, HP, MP and a new one labled LM, but the LM and MP bars have been removed. In recent scans, the familiar command menu from past installments of the game has returned, this time with only three visible commands. Instead of using MP for magic you will equip the spells you want to use for each mission.

Nintendo Power subsequently described a control scheme that allowed players to move the camera with the touch screen, and to move, jump, and attack using the control pad and face buttons. These controls may still change before the game is released.

Another interesting point is the height of the chairs Where Nothing Gathers. The chairs' heights do not actually relate to the number of members in the Organization, but rather their rank. Lower ranking members, like Vexen and Lexaeus have lower chairs, where as higher ranked members, like Saïx and Marluxia have higher chairs. When missions are completed in 358/2 Days, the height of the chairs change depending on how well or poor the members did. In a recent Famitsu article, it has been stated that the Organization members will be able to equip different weapons. The Kingdom Key will be able to take different forms using a new concept involving gears. There are only two known forms so far, Wind Maker and in a recent article Bond of Flame.

Multiplayer
There will be a four-player non-canonical multiplayer mode, where players may choose any member of Organization XIII, and go on missions. A recent trailer has shown that Xion, Donald, and Goofy, are also playable, although they don't show up on the character select screen at first, and likely must be unlocked. The new trailer shows Organization XIII members casting spells outside of their normal elements in the multiplayer (such as Axel using Aero). Whether this is just to balance the characters or actually canon remains to be seen.

List of playable chracters:
 * Xemnas
 * Xigbar
 * Xaldin
 * Vexen
 * Lexaeus
 * Zexion
 * Saix
 * Axel
 * Demyx
 * Luxord
 * Marluxia
 * Larxene
 * Roxas
 * Xion
 * Sora
 * Riku
 * Goofy
 * Donald
 * King Mickey

Limit
Limit has been confirmed as a new feature. When the player's HP drops and the HP gauge turns yellow, a Limit Break can be initiated by holding down the A button for a few seconds. Depending on which character the player is controlling, a powerful, element based attack will be preformed (ie: Roxas goes into a frenzy, shooting around in a aura of light while hurling light crosses on every finishing attack, or Demyx rocking out on his sitar, sending pillars of water out of the ground).

Chronology
This game, much like Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, takes place in between the two main games in the series. This one presumably begins directly after Roxas is created near the end of the first Kingdom Hearts, through the events of Chain of Memories, and ending with the beginning of the second Kingdom Hearts, when Sora wakes up. It may possibly cover the fadings of several Organization members (Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Marluxia and Larxene). Zexion has also been confirmed to appear in a cutscene, talking to Roxas on Destiny Islands, as well as Xion and Riku talking to each other.

Confirmed Worlds

 * The World That Never Was
 * Hollow Bastion
 * Twilight Town
 * Castle Oblivion
 * Wonderland
 * Olympus Coliseum
 * Agrabah
 * Beast's Castle
 * Halloween Town
 * Destiny Islands
 * Neverland

Additionally, both Traverse Town and "Pinocchio's World" have been said to make an appearance in the July issue of Nintendo Power, but no images have yet been provided to back up these claims.

Several of these worlds have Organization XIII members assigned to them. Xigbar was assigned to Halloween Town. Xaldin's station is obviously Beast's Castle and Demyx is seen at Olympus Coliseum, both seem to be assignments that lasted until Kingdom Hearts II. Axel and Luxord accompany Roxas in rather fitting locations: Axel in Twilight Town and Luxord in the card-themed Wonderland. Since he'll be among Organization XIII members throughout most of the game, how involved Roxas gets with the Disney characters whose worlds he visits is unknown, but screenshots show that he will at least meet a few. A few of these are Genie, according to the aforementioned screenshot, Beast as he is seen in a trailer fighting Heartless, as well as the White Rabbit and Phil, as confirmed characters.

Voice acting
Since the new trailer features voice acting during cutscenes, there will be voice actors working with the game's cutscenes. So far, Vincent Corazza (Zexion), Quinton Flynn (Axel), Kirk Thornton (Saïx), Shanelle Gray (Larxene), Robin Atkin Downes (Luxord), and Dave Boat (Lexaeus) have been confirmed to do voice acting for the game. It is unknown whether Corey Burton or Christopher Lee will be reprising the role of DiZ. It is also not known yet whether Brittany Snow or Meaghen Jette Martin will return as Naminé. Xion's U.S. voice actor has yet to be revealed. With Wayne Allwine having passed away in May 2009, it is unknown who will do Mickey's voice acting. However, it has been said he had already finished recording before his untimely death. Jesse McCartney will also return to do the voice of Roxas.

Trivia

 * Even though the Organization has 14 members, the organization keeps the name Organization XIII. This will be explained in the game.


 * It was stated that the scene from Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+, with Axel and Roxas sitting on the Clock Tower of Twilight Town, was originally meant for the opening of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. It will actually be the ending to Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.


 * It is highly speculated that there are battles similar to the Data Battles will appear in 358/2 Days, allowing players to fight single player against the other Organization members, just as if it were the data battles.


 * The Trailer shows Axel fighting with his chakrams and his aerial combo seems to be highly similar to Roxas' dual wielding combo, which may hint that also due to their friendship, Axel may have taught Roxas how to fight with his Keyblades.


 * It has been shown in a trailer that Roxas can glide.


 * Several weapons shown in trailers make it seem that different weapons are based on the weapons of other Organization members. One example is a scythe wielded by Marluxia that looks the same as Saïx's claymore.


 * This is the first game in the franchise in which secret characters can be unlocked for play as well as the first game to introduce Donald and Goofy as officially playable characters.