Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

Unreleased

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep is an upcoming game in the Kingdom Hearts series set to be released on the Sony PSP. The game is named after the unlockable trailer which appears at the end of Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. It was created by the same team that created Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories. Its release date is set for January 2010, and Nomura has said that the game will be definitely released by February 2010, even with delays.

Story
Long before Sora took up the Keyblade, nine years before the first Kingdom Hearts and ten years before the second game Kingdom Hearts II, other Keyblade masters and apprentices existed. One day, one of these masters and his apprentice disappeared, foreshadowing a disaster. Three apprentices were sent to find Master Xehanort and his apprentice, Vanitas. Maleficent is suspected to be the main antagonist in this game, causing the disappearance of Master Xehanort and Vanitas, thus causing this 'great disaster' which was mentioned by Aurora in Kingdom Hearts. Many mysteries and unexplained ideas about the Keyblade will be answered and many connections to the main characters we know today will be answered as well. To replace the Heartless and Nobodies, the Unversed will be serving as the main species of generic enemy within the game. This is also the second Kingdom Hearts  game to have a multiplayer mode, with three players being able to link together.

In Ultimania, when asked about Birth by Sleep, Nomura answered: "Birth by Sleep will be a very important game that collects everything about the series into one story. With the three main characters, the story is as big as one of the numbered Final Fantasies. We put in a lot of connections to it in Days, and I think that a lot of questions and unknowns from the previous game will be answered in Birth by Sleep. Also, there will be quite a few original characters from previous making an appearance. This game is set the farthest in the past of any other, so it connects to Kingdom Hearts, but the main characters are three that haven’t appeared in the other games. So how their story will end, which will of course be shown in the game, will leave you wondering even more after the game has finished."

Worlds and characters
While the exact worlds present in the game, and their amount, is not totally certain or confirmed yet, quite a few worlds have been confirmed through staff interviews, playable demos, and magazine articles. Many of the characters within these worlds have also been revealed. Besides those listed below, it is thought that Atlantica, Castle Oblivion (likely as a cameo appearance) and "Pinocchio's World" might also be present. Atlantica might be present because, in Kingdom Hearts, King Triton is seemingly aware of the events of this period. Castle Oblivion might appear due to it's unknown past as well as it's supposed connections to the Chambers of Repose and Waking. It's also possible that "Pinocchio's World" could appear because it was originally set to appear in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, but was removed.

Jump Festa 2008 trailer
The video opens with Terra and Ven conversing in Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden, with Terra mentioning that Ven once rescued him. The next scene depicts Terra and Master Xehanort in the Gathering Place. Terra draws his Keyblade and demands that he tell him what he has done with "his friend's" heart. The video skips to a scene in the Olympus Coliseum, where Master Xehanort confronts a startled Ven and tells him to give up something in exchange for something he has lost. Several battle scenes are then shown.

Mickey Mouse is seen training under Master Yen Sid in the mage's tower, holding the Star Seeker Keyblade. He is struck by Yen Sid's lightning and falls to the floor. Donald and Goofy gasp, but Mickey valiantly stands up and the Keyblade reappears in his hand. Yen Sid smiles admiringly. Maleficent is then shown in the forest of thorns in Enchanted Dominion, staring at a doorway. Behind her is Terra, who smiles proudly at her. Ven is shown admiring the Castle of Dreams as Cinderella, in her gown, enters the palace for the ball. Terra is seen standing on a beach, watching two little boys, possibly Sora and Riku, sparring with wooden swords.

Ven is thrown to the ground by Vanitas in the Gathering Place, with a voice over from Master Xehanort stating that those who submit to darkness are not qualified to wield the Keyblade, and begging someone to defeat the darkness and correct his mistake. Terra, carrying an unconscious Ven, is then shown in Hollow Bastion shouting at someone that he uses his power only for his friends. The final scene depicts Ven standing on a beach, asking his unseen friend (possibly Aqua, as the shadow fits her figure) to erase him. The game logo ends the trailer.

TGS 2008 trailer
The video opens with Master Xehanort's line about his mistake's correction while showing Ven losing to Vanitas and Ven's request to be erased. Terra, Aqua and Ven gather at the bottom of some steps to meet someone (Master Erauqs). Cinderella is shown fleeing from the ball, losing her slipper. She tries to go back for it, but sees the Duke and runs away, passing Aqua in the process. Terra finds Snow White in her homeworld picking some flowers, and they briefly talk. In Cinderella's world, Lucifer almost strikes a mouse-sized Ven from behind, but is saved in time by Jaq, who throws a ball of yarn at Lucifer. Lucifer bumps the cabinet where Jaq is standing, causing Jaq to fall off. In Dwarf Woodland, Aqua looks into the Magic Mirror, which emits a powerful light that turns Aqua into an orb of light and pulls her in. Various battle scenes are then shown.

Terra and Aqua are seen in the palace in Castle of Dreams, conversing about the Princesses of Heart and their decision to find them, hoping to find Master Xehanort along the way. In Enchanted Dominion, Terra and Maleficent are shown standing beside the sleeping Aurora. Maleficent tells Terra about the Princesses of Heart and how they are the key to ruling the universe. The next scene shows Maleficent tell Ven something, which Ven can't believe and which Aqua assures Ven is not true. Maleficent, however, insists that it is the truth. Terra is shown with Master Xehanort, demanding to know what he has done with "his friend's" heart. The final scene depicts Aqua questioning Maleficent in the forest of thorns about what she told Ven, about Terra succumbing to darkness for more power. Aqua denies it again, and Maleficent transforms into a dragon, preparing for an apparent battle. The game logo ends the trailer.

TGS 2009 trailer
The trailer opens with the lines, “In the fate of all, there is no such thing as chance.”

The first scene begins with Aqua, Ven, and Terra standing in a starlit area with a castle and town in the background; possibly Radiant Garden. Aqua talks about a legend about a world with trees of star shaped fruits and how if people ever become separated, they’ll definitely meet again as long as they have their charms made of the fruit's skin. During this, Aqua presents Terra and Ven with good luck charms made up of seashells similar to the one Kairi gives Sora, except different colors. Terra’s is orange, Ven’s is green, and Aqua’s is blue. The three stick their hands out in a pact and then the scene switches.

The new character that appears to be their Master (Master Erauqs) is shown talking to Aqua and Terra about the “Master Qualification Exam”, there are two large chairs behind him and Master Xehanort sits upon one to the right. He has an aged face and chiseled features, dark hair tied back and wears a dark blue top with silver straps making an X shape across his front. He also wears a white coat with a red lining around the hood. Terra and Aqua are lined up in front of the two masters, the area they’re in looks like a brightly lit palace with stained glass windows.

After this a scene with Mickey riding on a large book atop a whirlpool of water is shown. He’s wearing the same outfit in previous Birth by Sleep screenshots. There are some broomsticks shown too, which allude to Mickey’s scene in Fantasia.

Then a plethora of cutscenes are shown consecutively. Ven being awoken by Tinkerbell in Neverland. Also, in Neverland, when Hook examines the star fragment. Terra with a very distressed Cinderella, aiding her. In Castle of Dreams, Aqua is in the middle of the living room of Cinderella’s home. The Grand Duke is there asking ladies to put on a glass slipper.

In Dwarf Woodlands, Ven approaches the Witch and gives her the poisoned apple. A scene where Ven is talking with the seven dwarves within their cottage is shown next. The same scene from Aqua's gameplay is shown where Aqua approaches the seven dwarves gathered around Snow White’s sleeping case.

The next scene consists of Stitch being pursued by Unverse that are later defeated by Aqua. Also a small scene where Stitch gives Ven a stuffed toy (that looks like the lucky charm), and exclaims the word “Friend” to him. The next scene is with Stitch in his stolen red space cruiser with Ven on his Keyblade/Ship device.

The following cutscenes initiate once more with Ven standing across from the masked Keyblade wielder in the wastelands. When the masked wielder speaks, his voice is masculine but not deep, eluding that he may be quite young. He procures his gear-esque and eyes the Keyblade, and moves into a power stance that is the same way Riku holds the Keyblade, with his right arm bent up and the left one to the side. (In the Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix Ultimania, Nomura mentions that when Riku fell into darkness, he did not acquire his outfit by chance.)

Following this scene, Terra is shown in the courtyard of their castle and Master Xehanort is walking down the stairway leading down. Following that, a short scene showing Aqua looking slighting confused in what looks like the same stained glass windowed palace from earlier scenes.

Then a scene with Ven being spoken to by a man greatly resembling Vexen - Even - appears, wearing a white lab coat like that of Young Xehanort in the flashback scenes of Kingdom Hearts II. They appear to be in the Radiant Garden. In front of a large door, Dilan holds a long black spear and Aeleus holds a black long poled axe. They move into a defensive stance as they are approached by Ven.

After that, the same scene shown in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix where the Keyblade graveyard is reanimated in Birth by Sleep graphics, only Terra and company aren’t wearing their armor. Just like before, Master Xehanort is approaching the trio and the masked wielder appears out of him. Out of the Keyblades shown, the Sleeping Lion and Fenrir Sora used in Kingdom Hearts II can be recognized.

The trailer ends with the Japanese release date, January 2010.

Notes and References
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