Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Unreleased

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is an upcoming game in the Kingdom Hearts series slated to be released on the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system. Its preliminary title was Kingdom Hearts 3D. It was announced at the Jump Festa 2012 that Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance will have a release date in March 2012 in Japan and an overseas release date sometime in 2012.

Story
Following the destruction of Ansem and Xemnas at the hands of Sora and Riku, Terra-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 in preparation for their imminent clash with the soon-to-be-revived Master Xehanort.

Setting
The game will pick up after the events of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded's secret ending, Signs of What's Next, and will also have connections to Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Like in the case of Birth by Sleep, Tetsuya Nomura has stated that the story is on par with that of a numbered title. The setting of Dream Drop Distance will again be spread across several worlds; several Kingdom Hearts-original worlds will return, such as Traverse Town, but all of the Disney-based worlds will be entirely new. According to an interview, Tetsuya Nomura said the game will take part on the Mark of Mastery, but not completely, and has stated that there will be new clothing for Sora and Riku.

Nomura has also stated that the game will feature numerous flashback sequences told from Xehanort's point of view, among them the game's opening scene.

Development
It is known that 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 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.

A December issue of V Jump revealed a new world based on Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers named "Country of the Musketeer", making it the first world to originate from a direct-to-video feature, as well as 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 show the return of Axel, Terra-Xehanort (seen in a Black coat), and Ventus. Shiki, along with Beat and Joshua will be appearing with Neku. The game was announced to have a released date in March 2012. Space Paranoids, this time based on Tron: Legacy, is set to return, and like in Kingdom Hearts II, Sora and Riku's outfits will changed to match the location.

Worlds and Characters
Though the following list sticks primarily to characters whose worlds have been confirmed, there are also a handful of characters seen in trailers in magazine scans who have yet to be classified, such as Master Xehanort, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Xemnas, Vanitas, Maleficent, Roxas, Kairi, Naminé and Xion. As of now, no Final Fantasy characters have been confirmed to appear, save for a single Moogle. Nomura has confirmed that there will be seven worlds to awaken in the World of Sleep, but it is unknown if Space Paranoids will count as one of them.

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 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 facing 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 Musketeer, 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 Space Paranoids.

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.

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 onboard 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. Lea (in a black coat) is shown with an adult Ienzo and Aeleus in Ansem the Wise's study, 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. His face is not shown, but it seems to be the young Master Xehanort. Inside Notre Dame, Sora is confronted by the young Master Xehanort in a black coat, who claims Sora is harbouring two hearts. As Sora questions this, Master Xehanort is joined by an unmasked Vanitas. The game logo ends the trailer, with a release date for March 2012.