Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is the seventh game in the Kingdom Hearts series, exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system. It is a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts coded, and the epilogue of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.

The game was first announced at E3 2010, simply known as Kingdom Hearts 3D.

Setting
The game picks up after the events of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded's secret ending, Signs of What's Next, and also has connections to Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and Kingdom Hearts coded. Like in the case of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Tetsuya Nomura has stated that the story is on par with that of a numbered title. The setting of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is again spread across several worlds; several original worlds return, such as Traverse Town, but all of the Disney-based worlds are new.

Story
Following the destruction of Ansem and Xemnas at the hands of Sora and Riku, Master Xehanort is revived. In response, Yen Sid decides to put Sora and Riku through the Mark of Mastery exam in order to become full-fledged Keyblade Masters and counter Master Xehanort's threat. Their given task is to enter the Dreaming Realm and awaken seven worlds which remained submerged in sleep following Ansem's defeat, but a race of creatures known as the Dream Eaters, beings similar to the Heartless but created from the darkness present in the Dreaming Realm and compelled to locate the worlds' keyholes, appears to hinder their progress, as well as a mysterious young man with ties to Master Xehanort.

Development
The game is the next major release in the Kingdom Hearts series, and it will feature both Sora and Riku as playable characters. Utilizing the 3DS's high-spec graphics processing, the game will have graphics that are near on-par with those of the PS2 titles, as well as making use of the system's 3D technology such as "falling from high places" and "flying far distances". The development team was selecting worlds, planning to use all-new Disney worlds, along with Traverse Town and other original worlds, one of which has been revealed to be based on The Hunchback of Notre Dame (although the world itself was featured earlier in the non-canonical El Cetro y el Reino). Nomura has stated that, with the parallel development of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, he will make sure to retain any game elements that can't be put in Final Fantasy Versus XIII for use in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Nomura has also stated that the transition between playing as Sora and playing as Riku will be forced upon and sudden, and can occur while simply walking around. The game also has the keyword of "drop", as in something falling. As well, the 3D effect of the Nintendo 3DS will be used more for "going into the screen" rather than things popping out.

In July's issue of Weekly Famitsu, Nomura stated that the game will focus on the "hidden data" inside of Sora and development of the game is 40-50% finished, with voice recording to begin soon. A secret movie was confirmed, along with new characters that will appear in Traverse Town. Nomura also stated that the Xehanort Saga will end with Kingdom Hearts III and there will be "answers" about Kingdom Hearts III in Dream Drop Distance.

A trailer and a playable demo were shown at the 2011 Tokyo Game Show. The demo included a cameo of Neku Sakuraba, the main protagonist of another Square Enix title, The World Ends with You. , as well as showing off Sora and Riku's new outfits, the first official confirmation of the game's new species, the Dream Eaters, which will serve as both party members and generic enemies to Sora and Riku. The game was confirmed for a Spring 2012 release in Japan, and Nomura claimed that it is now 60-70% complete.

November 2011 issues of Famitsu and V Jump confirmed that the worlds would include one based on Pinocchio, "Prankster's Paradise", and another based on The Hunchback of Notre Dame, "La Cité des Cloches". The same issue also featured the return of the "Drop" gauge seen in the Square Enix Premier Party Trailer but absent in the TGS 2011 trailer.

The December issue of V Jump announced the inclusion of "Country of the Musketeers", a world based on Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers, making it the first world to originate from a direct-to-video feature. It also revealed the inclusion of Joshua and Beat from The World Ends with You.

During Jump Festa 2012, a playable demo and a trailer were shown. The trailer shows the return of Lea, the unknown figure from Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, shown without his hood, and Ventus. Shiki, Beat, Rhyme, and Joshua were also shown to be appearing alongside Neku. The game was announced to have a release date in March 2012. "The Grid", a world based on Tron: Legacy, was revealed, and like Space Paranoids in Kingdom Hearts II, Sora and Riku's outfits will change to match the location.

"Memoirs", a feature announced on the official Kingdom Hearts blog, provides a summary of the Kingdom Hearts series, from Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep to Kingdom Hearts II, similar to the Beginner's Primer from Final Fantasy XIII-2. It is also a facsimile to Theater Mode, containing all cutscenes viewed up to the player's point in the game. Like Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, the game will have two save slots.

Reception
The Tokyo Game Show had a playable demo, which earned the game top honors as "Best 3DS RPG" in RPG Land's Tokyo Game Show Awards, following a hands-on report that praised the boss fights. RPG Site also had good things to say in its impression, calling the demo bits "refreshing." Reception to the game's released trailers, demos and general information has been generally positive, and the game is ranked among Famitsu's 25 most wanted list in October 2011.

In the first review, Famitsu gave Dream Drop Distance a rating of 10/9/10/9, or a total of 38/40, in their March 22, 2012 issue. This review makes Dream Drop Distance the second highest rated game in the series, after Kingdom Hearts II.

Square-Enix 1st Department Premiere Trailer
The trailer begins with the final scene of Blank Points, where Riku asks Sora if he has made his mind up and Sora answers "Yes". The trailer then cuts to a scene from Signs of What's Next, where Yen Sid is then shown ordering Mickey to summon Sora and Riku to him to undertake a Mark of Mastery exam. The scene then switches to Sora and Riku, in their Kingdom Hearts attire, on the beach of Destiny Islands, wondering if Riku's raft will get them far (this is an alternate version of a similar scene in the first Kingdom Hearts: rather than discussing this at the Paopu Tree with Kairi present, Sora and Riku are alone on the beach). Riku is shown in Traverse Town, surrounded by Shadows. He looks up to see multiple Soras raining down from the sky. One lands and prepares to fight the Shadows.

Several gameplay videos are then shown, which focus on Sora and Riku performing advanced acrobatics: gliding, wall-jumping, and swinging around poles. The HUD also features a "Command" list which includes "Thunder", "Fire", "Blizzard", and "Attack", and a "Drop" gauge that goes up to 1.5, placed where the MP, Focus, Drive, and Clock gauges were in previous games.

Sora is seen running through an area with many large bells and jumps off the edge, falling through a plethora of balloons. Riku is shown in the second district of Traverse Town, where he sees Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, looming above with what appears to be a translucent Xemnas behind him, back to back. The same is shown with Sora, only he encounters Xemnas with a translucent Ansem. Sora and Riku prepare to engage Xemnas and Ansem as the game logo ends the trailer.

Tokyo Game Show 2011 Trailer
The trailer begins inside Yen Sid's tower, where Yen Sid prepares to put Sora and Riku, here shown in their Kingdom Hearts II attire, through the Mark of Mastery exam at last. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy are present. Sora claims that he is unbeatable even without becoming a Master, while Riku openly ponders whether or not he will be suitable given his past with the Darkness. Nevertheless, Yen Sid decides to go ahead, explaining that their exam will take place in a world "enclosed in sleep", where they will face a new enemy known as the Dream Eaters, creatures similar to the Heartless but which are produced by the darkness present in this specific world.

As Yen Sid speaks, Sora ends up alone in the first district of Traverse Town in his new attire. He calls out for Riku, but instead finds Neku Sakuraba, who appears to know Sora. Several gameplay videos are then shown, in which Sora and Riku display abilities similar to Terra, Aqua and Ventus. They also fight a new species of enemy, the Dream Eaters, but also have specific Dream Eaters as allies. The "Drop gauge" from the previous trailer is now missing, and the number of command bars has been reduced to two. Additionally, Sora and Riku's new partners receive a gauge that has the word "Link" written on it.

In Traverse Town, Neku explains that he has been trapped in the "Reaper's Game" and is in need of a partner. Sora decides to help him. Riku is shown running through the streets of La Cité des Cloches, where he finds Quasimodo holding an unconscious Esmeralda. Riku follows a huge Dream Eater into Notre Dame, with Quasimodo offering to aid him against the beast. Back in Traverse Town, Sora inquires about Neku's name, but they are ambushed by Dream Eaters. The game's Augmented Reality compatibility is shown, allowing players to play with captured Dream Eaters. Over the next display of gameplay videos, Yen Sid explains that the key to leaving the dream world lies in finding the Dream Eaters, and if Sora and Riku are successful, he will consider them Keyblade Masters.

The computer room of Hollow Bastion is shown from Xehanort's point of view. Even and Ienzo are seen lying on the floor unconscious with darkness emanating from their bodies. Braig enters and confronts Xehanort about this, also asking him if his memories have returned. Xehanort responds by summoning Master Xehanort's Keyblade and stabbing Braig in the chest with it. The game logo ends the trailer with a release date set for Spring 2012. Sora briefly quips about Neku's name.

Jump Festa 2012 Trailer
The long video begins with a monologue from Yen Sid describing Master Xehanort's rise and subsequent fall into darkness. Pre-rendered videos are shown of Master Xehanort battling Sora, Riku and Mickey in the Keyblade Graveyard at night.

With the screen split in half, Sora and Riku are shown in Traverse Town in their new outfits, each calling out to the other. Sora comes across Neku while Riku is met by Shiki with her Mr. Mew toy. Mickey, Donald and Goofy confront Maleficent inside the library of Disney Castle, where Maleficent tells them of her past encounter with Master Xehanort. In Prankster's Paradise, Pinocchio is inside Stromboli's cage and his nose grows with Jiminy on it. Jiminy accuses him of lying, but Pinocchio puts the blame on a man in a black coat. In La Cité des Cloches, Frollo instructs Quasimodo not to leave the cathedral. In Country of the Musketeers, Sora shows the Keyblade to Mickey, who appears not to know him but knows about the weapon, which is why he became a musketeer. Riku finds Minnie trapped inside a treasure chest. In Traverse Town, Sora and Riku are shown with The World Ends with You cast meeting Dream Eaters. A man in a black coat appears and summons a huge Dream Eater. Neku attempts to fight him, but is dispatched and the man goes for Sora, who becomes dizzy and passes out. Several gameplay videos are then shown with another monologue from Yen Sid, who explains the nature of the World of Sleep and the Dream Eaters. At one point, Sora is shown facing Rinzler in The Grid.

Another set of pre-rendered videos are shown. A pop-up book opens and shows Destiny Islands, where Sora lands with Donald and Goofy and is met by Riku and Kairi. The night of the Islands' destruction is shown, with Kairi entering Sora's body. Sora falls down the spiral staircase of Castle Oblivion, seen previously in the opening of Kingdom Hearts II, witnessed by Kairi, who turns into Naminé. Roxas lands at the bottom and is engaged by Xion. Roxas is shown fighting Axel in the basement of the Old Mansion in Twilight Town, while Sora and Riku fight Xemnas in the World of Nothingness. Mickey finds Master Xehanort in the Keyblade Graveyard and rushes to fight him, followed by Sora and Riku (in a scene similar to Birth by sleep).

Returning to game-engine graphics, Sora awakens alone on a dark beach, comparing it to something Yen Sid described to him. Riku speaks with Joshua in Traverse Town and is then seen rushing to engage the Gargoyle Dream Eater on a bridge in La Cité des Cloches. Pinocchio and Jiminy are swallowed by Monstro with Sora calling out to them. Musketeers Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Queen Minnie face Pete, who is aboard a boat. Joshua speaks with Neku in Traverse Town, imploring him not to give up. Riku is confronted by Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, who draws Frollo's discarded sword on him. A grown up Lea is shown with an adult Ienzo and Aeleus in Ansem the Wise's study, the three of them having been restored following Organization XIII's destruction, looking at the heart diagram. In the Court of Miracles, Sora, Quasimodo and Phoebus ask Esmeralda to leave before Frollo and his thugs arrive, but Frollo appears and catches them. Three Beagle Boys place cardboard cutouts of Mickey, Donald and Goofy on a stage, with Riku watching proudly. Pinocchio takes Jiminy in his hands and they jump into the ocean from a cliff. Sora, Mickey, Donald and Goofy each raise their swords and give the "All for one, one for all" salute. Quasimodo swings down from Notre Dame to rescue Esmeralda from being executed, while Riku teaches Quasimodo about appearances and inner beauty. Sora speaks to Joshua about how his and Riku's hearts are connected. Inside Monstro, Riku faces a man in a black coat, who removes his hood and reveals his face to be identical to Riku's. In Traverse Town, Xemnas confronts Sora and tells him that even Nobodies have a special kind of heart. Going back to the scene in the Disney Castle library, Lea appears and throws his chakrams at Maleficent and Pete, narrowly missing the latter, and proceeds to introduce himself.

In Traverse Town, Riku is confronted by a man in a black coat who removes his hood, but his face is not shown. Inside Notre Dame, Sora is confronted by the Unknown in a black coat, who bears a striking resemblance to a young Master Xehanort and claims Sora is harboring two hearts. As Sora questions this, the Unknown is joined by an unmasked Vanitas. The game logo ends the trailer, with a release date for March 2012.

The short version begins with Sora and Riku awakening in Traverse Town and calling out to each other, only to be encountered by characters from The World Ends with You. Joshua speaks with Neku, imploring him not to give up. In the library of Disney Castle, Maleficent and Pete hold Minnie hostage while confronted by Mickey, Donald and Goofy. Maleficent tells them of her past encounter with Master Xehanort and how she learned of the seven hearts of pure light from him. Sora and Riku are shown fighting huge Dream Eaters in Traverse Town. At one point, a man in a black coat appears before Sora and Neku. Neku charges at the man, but is dispatched and Sora passes out from dizziness. Shorter versions of the pre-rendered videos from Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep are shown along with some gameplay videos as Yen Sid explains the nature of the World of Sleep. At one point, Sora is shown fighting a large Dream Eater while protecting a carriage in Country of the Musketeer, and facing Rinzler in The Grid. The game's Augmented Reality system is demonstrated, allowing players to play with the Dream Eaters they catch.

Sora awakens alone on a dark beach, comparing it to something Yen Sid described to him. Riku speaks with Joshua in Traverse Town. Musketeers Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Queen Minnie face Pete, who is aboard a boat. Riku rushes to engage the Gargoyle Dream Eater on a bridge in La Cité des Cloches. Sora converses with Victor, Hugo, and Laverne, and is stunned to see that they are alive. Three Beagle Boys guard a treasure chest, but flee when Musketeers Mickey, Donald and Goofy charge towards them. The Blue Fairy speaks with Pinocchio and Jiminy, who are inside Stromboli's cage. Ansem picks up Frollo's discarded sword and points it at Riku outside Notre Dame. Sora and Musketeers Mickey, Donald and Goofy do the All for one, one for all salute. Pinocchio and Jiminy are swallowed by Monstro with Sora calling out to them. Frollo harasses Esmeralda in the Court of Miracles from behind and Sora rushes forward to stop him. Riku teaches Quasimodo about inner beauty inside Notre Dame, and Quasimodo swings down from the cathedral to save Esmeralda from being executed. In Country of the Musketeers, Sora expresses delight at Riku having been there. Back in Disney Castle, Lea appears as an adult in a black coat and introduces himself. In Traverse Town, Sora and Riku face a man in a black coat, who removes his hood and reveals himself as the Unknown. The game logo ends the trailer with a release date for March 2012.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance Special Trailer
Inside Notre Dame, Sora is confronted by the Unknown, who claims that Sora is harboring hearts other than his own, and Vanitas appears beside him. Before Sora can question this, Vanitas vanishes and the Unknown leaves through a Corridor of Darkness, and the Keyhole of La Cité des Cloches appears before Sora.

A set of pre-rendered videos is shown with "Passion" played in the background. Sora and Kairi run towards Riku on Destiny Islands, but the world's destruction is shown. Sora falls down the spiral staircase in Castle Oblivion as Kairi calls out to him and turns into Naminé. Before hitting the floor, Sora turns into Roxas and is confronted by Xion, who disappears and is replaced by Axel. Axel summons his chakrams as Roxas charges towards him with the Oathkeeper and Oblivion. The scene molds into the final fight between Sora, Riku and Xemnas, with Sora and Riku wielding the Oathkeeper and Oblivion instead of the Kingdom Key and Way to the Dawn. In the Keyblade Graveyard, Master Xehanort appears behind Sora and Riku and prepares to strike them with a purple orb, but Mickey stops him at the last minute. Master Xehanort flees to higher ground, but Sora, Riku and Mickey give chase.

Returning to in-game-engine graphics, Sora finds Quasimodo unwittingly riding a Nightmare Zou Elephant at the Festival of Fools and unsuccessfully tries to warn him. Riku prepares to fight a Dream Eater inside Notre Dame, but it is apparently destroyed first by Victor, Hugo and Laverne. Quasimodo offers to help Esmeralda out of the cathedral. In The Grid, Sora is awed by the sight of a Recognizer, while Riku, having been captured by Black Guards, becomes acquainted with Sam Flynn. Sora prepares to engage Rinzler in battle with Kevin Flynn, Sam and Quorra watching from a distance, unaware of the nature of the Keyblade. In Country of the Musketeers, Sora, Mickey, Donald and Goofy do the "All for one, one for all!" salute. Sora asks about Pete, their captain, but Pete himself appears. The Beagle Boys steal a device from Minnie, who asks Riku to recover it. In Prankster's Paradise, Sora orders a differently-colored Pinocchio to flee with Jiminy, but Pinocchio turns into a Dream Eater. Inside Monstro, Geppetto explains to Riku that Pinocchio has wandered off again, with Riku recollecting the situation from the first game. Sora becomes acquainted with the Blue Fairy. In Symphony of Sorcery, Mickey tries on Yen Sid's hat and begins playing with the magic. Inside Monstro, Pinocchio explains to Riku how he has learned a lot from Jiminy. In The Grid, Sora tries to get Rinzler to remember his past as Tron, but Rinzler attacks. Quorra appears to aid Sora in battle. In La Cité des Cloches, Quasimodo swings down from Notre Dame to rescue Esmeralda from execution, while Riku implores Quasimodo to follow his heart rather than obey Frollo. In Symphony of Sorcery, Sora apparently unlocks a new ability. In Country of the Musketeers, in a scene reminiscent from the movie, Goofy grabs Mickey, jumps out of the tower window and lands on a tree branch which catapults them both back into the tower, sending the Beagle Boys falling through the opposite window into the river. In Symphony of Sorcery, Mickey promises to lend Riku his power someday. Several gameplay videos are then shown. The option to switch from Sora to Riku is displayed, as well as a battle with Ursula in her gigantic form with Sora and Riku apparently in their Kingdom Hearts attire.

In Traverse Town, Riku is confronted by the Unknown, who callously steps on Shiki's Mr. Mew toy while walking towards him. Roxas and Axel are shown talking on the Station Tower in Twilight Town, eating Sea-salt ice cream where Roxas reminds Axel that he would always be there to bring him back. In the computer room inside Hollow Bastion, Lea, wearing a black coat, awakens and sees his reflection in the window, noticing that the scars that were under his eyes while he was Axel are now gone. In the Mysterious Tower, Yen Sid informs Sora and Riku that in order to defeat Xehanort, they will have to rescue those in sadness and open the seven keyholes of sleep. In Traverse Town, Sora speaks with Joshua, who claims that a world was split into two and maybe the Unknown has something to do with it. In La Cité des Cloches, Riku confronts Frollo on the balconies of Notre Dame. Frollo, surrounded by darkness, sets the Gargoyle Dream Eater on Riku. In Traverse Town, a Dream Eater fires a fireball at Neku, but Sora blocks it in time. Shiki is seen lying in the fountain behind them. In The Grid, CLU 2 offers Sora that he will release Rinzler to him in exchange for the Keyblade, but Sora refuses. On the same balcony of Notre Dame, Riku is confronted by Ansem and the Unknown, and claims that he walks the "road to dawn" as he prepares to fight. In The Grid, the Unknown tells Sora that he will forget certain things he treasures forever. In the Mysterious Tower, Mickey suggests that he and Yen Sid aid Sora and Riku, and suggests that they follow the bonds of their hearts as Aqua told him long ago. In the World that Never Was, Sora prepares to fight Xigbar, who again quips about his glare's resemblance to that of Ventus. In a dark abyss, the Unknown tells Riku that he still has darkness in his heart. In The Grid, copies of Sora begin to disappear one by one until one is left, while Xemnas, unseen, claims to feel the memories inside him and questions if Sora is "the original". Yen Sid converses with Lea in the Mysterious Tower. In the throne room of the Castle that Never Was, Riku and Mickey rush towards an apparently captured Sora, but are hindered by Xemnas and Ansem as Master Xehanort watches with glee. Outside Memory's Skyscraper, a ring of bullets from Xigbar's Sharpshooter rains around Sora, and each one turns into a figure in a black coat, the one facing Sora being the Unknown, who offers his hand to Sora and says "We'll go together".

Images of a blackened version of Ventus's armor (with the Nightmare Dream Eater symbol on his visor), normal armored Ventus lying on an Awakening station, Naminé, Xion, Riku, Kairi, Terra, Aqua, a red-eyed Unknown in a black coat, Xehanort's Guardian, Sora sitting in a throne in the Castle that Never Was, and several people sitting in the other thrones with Master Xehanort in the highest one are shown. The game logo ends the trailer with the release date for March 29th, 2012 and an offer for the 10th Anniversary Box.