Arena Mode



Joint Struggle is the name of the new multiplayer mode said to be featured in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. You will have to be able to use wireless LAN to be able to play in multiplayer. In this mode, up to three players can take on the role of Terra, Ventus, or Aqua, the Keyblade warriors wearing their armor from the secret ending of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, rather than their usual gameplay attire.

The names of who is playing with you appear above their respective character and while fighting their HP is displayed like someone who is in your Party.

Gameplay
Through a new world called the Mirage Arena, three players can access and engage in battles for cooperative play. It should be noted that the Mirage Arena is a world exclusive to Joint Struggle.

Through this Multiplayer Mode, items and other bonuses can be transferred between single and multiplayer modes via an unknown source. Missions include rescuing friends trapped by the Unversed, continuously pressing the button to heal fallen players. Players have the option to customize a player name, winning medals at the results screen upon a completed session of play.

It is interesting to note that the faceshot of either Terra, Ven, or Aqua seen in the HP Bar is of their helmets. A rating system also appears, showing a level of competition via differently colored symbols.

Unique Abilities
Various abilities appear in Joint Struggle that do not in normal gameplay, such as:


 * Ice Barrage
 * Provoke
 * Heal Light
 * Vanish: allows the user to "disappear"
 * Friend Cure: allows the caster to heal self or a close friend
 * Cyclone
 * A longer form of Shoot Lock with a new extension

Trivia

 * This is the first time that Terra, Aqua, and Ventus have ever been playable in their armor, let alone their normal in-game attire.
 * While in the Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix secret ending, the three Keyblade warriors' armored suits were a combination of browns, grays, and other dull colors. In Joint Struggle, however, Aqua's armor is red, Ven's blue, and Terra's yellow. The reason for the color change is currently unknown, though it probably just has to do with the players knowing who is who.
 * Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep is the third game in the Kingdom Hearts series to feature a multiplayer mode. The first was Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and the next was Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.