Dive Mode

Dive Mode (ダイブモード) is a mini-game that appears in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Similar to Gummi Ship routes in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, Dive Mode is the method by which Sora and Riku travel to new Sleeping Worlds. It is a free-falling stage during which the player must fulfill a given objective in order to enter the world, such as destroying a certain number of enemies, earning a certain number of points, or defeating a boss.

By earning an A rank on each world's dive

Dive Mode showcases the 3D capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS.

Mechanics
Sora or Riku falls into the screen, the player can control their movement with the analog slider and perform certain actions with the face buttons. The button lets the character execute a Diving Strike (ダイブアタック), a charging attack that provides a short boost in speed and closes in on enemies within range. Pressing and holding lets the character decelerate with an Aerial Brake (エアリダクション), while  executes a Dodging Deflect (リフレクトドッジ), a barrel roll-like dodging maneuver that briefly generates a barrier around the character.

Collecting a large magic prize grants Sora or Riku limited usage of magic, which can be used by pressing.

Enemies and certain targets can be attacked once the targeting reticule that appears changes from red to yellow.

Completing the mission opens the Goal Ring, and the dive ends when Sora or Riku passes through the opened ring. Scoring is based on the amount of prize points collected and the time taken to complete the dive.

List of Dives

 * Traverse Town
 * Sora - Rack up 600 prize points before you reach the goal!
 * A Rank: 750000 points
 * Riku - Rack up 300 prize points before you reach the goal!
 * A Rank: 420000 points
 * Reward: Spark Dive


 * La Cité des Cloches
 * Sora - Defeat 15 enemies before you reach the goal!
 * A Rank: 1200000 points
 * Riku - Defeat Queen Buzzerfly!
 * A Rank: 140000 points
 * Reward: Water Barrel


 * The Grid
 * Sora - Defeat Brawlamari!
 * A Rank: 100000 points
 * Riku - Grab one prize point before time runs out!
 * A Rank: 30000 points
 * Reward: Treasure Goggles


 * Prankster's Paradise
 * Sora - Pop 150 balloons before time runs out!
 * A Rank: 730000 points
 * Riku - Rack up 700 prize points before you reach the goal!
 * A Rank: 400000 points
 * Reward: Balloonra


 * Country of the Musketeers
 * Sora - Rack up 500 prize points before you reach the goal!
 * A Rank: 650000 points
 * Riku - Defeat Brawlamari!
 * A Rank: 100000 points
 * Reward: Zero Graviga


 * Symphony of Sorcery
 * Sora - Rack up 900 prize points before time runs out!
 * A Rank: 1000000 points
 * Riku - Defeat 30 enemies before time runs out!
 * A Rank: 800000 points
 * Reward: Fleeting Fantasy


 * The World That Never Was
 * Sora - Defeat Queen Buzzerfly!
 * A Rank: 140000 points
 * Riku - Rack up 1300 prize points before time runs out!
 * A Rank: 1000000 points
 * Reward: Meteor

Chernabog battle
Near the end of Riku's story in Symphony of Sorcery, he is brought to Bald Mountain by Young Xehanort, where he battles Chernabog. Although the field of battle is horizontal, rather than vertical, it uses the same mechanics as Dive Mode. Riku must reach and attack Chernabog three times, while dodging fireballs, columns of flame, and evil spirits.

Dive to the Heart
When Riku dives into Sora's heart, he must touch 30 of the floating phantoms of Sora in order to clear the stage. After tagging ten Sora's, dark phantoms resembling AntiSoras will start appearing and attacking with X's of energy.
 * Goal: Tag 30 Soras!

After Riku clears the stage, he faces off against the Armored Ventus Nightmare on Sora's station.

Credits
For the staff credits, Sora dives down an endless shaft, through the credits themselves. Sora can touch the letters in the credits to add to his score. Touching normal letters adds 1 to the score, while touching glowing, gold letters adds 5 to the score and displays the letter on the Nintendo 3DS's lower screen.

Tagging all of the golden letters completes the phrase "Secret Message Unlocked" and unlocks the "Secret Message" in the Glossary.