Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]
European boxart featuring from left to right: King Mickey, Sora and Riku
Developer(s)	Square Enix 1st Production Department
Publisher(s)	Square Enix
Director(s)	Tetsuya Nomura
Composer(s)	Yoko Shimomura Takeharu Ishimoto Tsuyoshi Sekito
Series	Kingdom Hearts
Platform(s)	Nintendo 3DS
Release	JP: March 29, 2012 EU: July 20, 2012 AU: July 26, 2012 NA: July 31, 2012
Genre(s)	Action role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single-player

Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] (キングダム ハーツ 3D [ドリーム ドロップ ディスタンス], Kingudamu Hātsu Surī Dī [Dorīmu Doroppu Disutansu]) is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS, revealed at E3 2010. The game is the seventh installment in the bestselling Kingdom Hearts series. The game was released in Japan on March 29, 2012 and is set to be released in Europe on July 20, 2012, Australia on July 26, 2012 and North America July 31, 2012. Set after the events of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, the game focuses on Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery exam in which they have to protect parallel words in preparation of the return of their enemy Xehanort. Besides controlling the two playable characters across a single scenario, the player is able to recruit creatures known as Dream Eaters able to assist them in fights.

The Square Enix staff decided to develop Dream Drop Distance after being impressed by the quality from Nintendo 3DS. Taking advantage of the console's functions, they increased the action elements from the series based on the system previously seen in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Additionally, both the gameplay and the plot are meant to give a glimpse about how the following title in the series, Kingdom Hearts III, will be like. The game has been well received in Japan, selling over 300,000 units as of May 2012.

Gameplay

The two playable characters are Sora and Riku, control of whom rotates throughout the game through the use of a gameplay element called the "Drop" system. This system features a Drop Gauge which gradually depletes on its own over time, automatically switching control between Sora and Riku once it empties. The player is able to keep the gauge from emptying by attacking enemies, and can switch characters at will using save points.

The game sees the return of the "Command Deck" system which was introduced in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and re-utilized in Re:coded. One of the key elements of the game is the "flowmotion" mechanic, allowing the player to utilize the surroundings for movements and attacking with the execution of the Y button. The game's most significant feature is the ability to hunt and collect Dream Eaters, with each individual Dream Eater companion providing Sora and Riku access to varying abilities, attacks, and cooperative actions. Many elements of the game utilize the touch screen, such as throwing enemies or chaining various attacks. The game also has interactive cut-scenes and events. Unlike previous games which used the Gummi Ship as a means of travelling to other worlds, this game makes use of a new mini-game called Dive Mode. During Dive Mode, the character floats towards the following world's gate that can only be opened by collecting an specific amount of stars. During Dive Mode, the player will also encounter enemies that can be stopped by using items that can be found while floating.

The game is compatible with the Circle Pad Pro, which can be used to control the camera. The game also comes with AR functionality, allowing players to play with the Dream Eaters they obtain.

Plot

Setting

Further information: Universe of Kingdom Hearts

Dream Drop Distance is a continuation of the events shown in the epilogue of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. The game features a total of seven playable worlds, most of them set in a "world submerged in sleep", with all the Disney-based worlds being introduced in this game based on The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pinocchio, Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers, Fantasia and Tron: Legacy. The other two playable worlds are Traverse Town and The World That Never Was, while the worlds Twilight Town, Radiant Garden, Disney Castle and Destiny Islands appear in cutscenes.

Characters

Further information: Characters of Kingdom Hearts

The game features Sora and Riku as the two main characters of the game, taking part in a test to improve their skills with their weapon, the Keyblade. The two are depicted during gameplay as their younger selves shown in the original game while also being given new clothes; their older selves from Kingdom Hearts II also appear during cutscenes. A younger incarnation of Xehanort, first introduced as the optional "Unknown" boss from the North American and European releases of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, returns and serves as the game's primary antagonist together with his two revived alteregos, "Ansem" and Xemnas. Several former members of Xemnas' Organization XIII, including Lea and some of Ansem the Wise's apprentices, return after being restored to their human forms.

Like previous games, Dream Drop Distance features various Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse, who is seen in the game in three different incarnations—his original characterization in the Kingdom Hearts series as the king of Disney Castle; a musketeer as featured in Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers; and the young apprentice of Yen Sid shown in Fantasia. Donald Duck and Goofy make similar appearances as well. Characters hailing from their respective worlds remain in their worlds and play a small role in the main story, while Maleficent and Pete reprise their roles as antagonists, and Yen Sid as a supporting character. Unlike the other major installments, which feature an extensive cast of Final Fantasy characters, only a single Moogle appears from the franchise. Dream Drop Distance instead features cameo appearances of Neku Sakuraba, Joshua, Shiki, Beat and Rhyme from The World Ends with You, another game owned by Square Enix with characters designed by Tetsuya Nomura, marking the first time that non-Final Fantasy or non-Disney characters have appeared in the series.

The game introduces a new type of creature called Dream Eaters, which come in two varieties—"Nightmares", which eat good dreams and create nightmares, and serve as enemies similar to the Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed from previous games; and "Spirits", which eat nightmares and create good dreams, and also act as Sora and Riku's party members.

Story

Yen Sid puts Sora and Riku through a Mark of Mastery exam in order for them to become full-fledged Keyblade Masters and counter the coming return of Master Xehanort. As part of this trial, the two are separated from each other and sent to worlds previously destroyed by the Heartless that have since been restored, though now in a state of "deep sleep" that disconnects them from the other worlds. These worlds are plagued by Dream Eaters—creatures born from darkness that seek out the sleeping worlds' Keyholes. Sora and Riku's given task is to reawaken the sleeping worlds by unlocking the seven Keyholes they find there and then return to the realm of light, recruiting benevolent "Spirit" Dream Eaters to guide them and battle the malevolent "Nightmare" Dream Eaters, after which they will be deemed Keyblade Masters.

During the exam, Sora and Riku cross paths with their old enemies, Xemnas and "Ansem", respectively, as well as a younger incarnation of Xehanort from an alternate past. Once all the sleeping worlds are saved, Xehanort brings Sora to the World That Never Was, where he learns of Organization XIII's true purpose—to serve as vessels for Master Xehanort to place pieces of his heart inside, thereby transforming them into clones of Xehanort. Sora is forced into a comatose state by the young Xehanort and his heart is swallowed by darkness, though it is protected by Ventus' suit of armor residing within him. After defeating Ansem who planned to use him as another vessel, Riku goes to rescue Sora, only to be confronted by the young Xehanort. He unveils a new Organization composed of the newly revived Master Xehanort and his twelve vessels, whom Xehanort plans to pit against seven Keyblade wielders and recreate the legendary Keyblade, the χ-blade. Master Xehanort tries to turn Sora into his last needed vessel, but Sora is rescued by Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Lea—the revived human form of the original Organization's Axel—after which Xehanort and his other vessels retreat.

Sora's body is brought back to Yen Sid's tower, where Riku enters his body and releases Sora's heart from Ventus' armor, now possessed by a Nightmare. After Sora reawakens, only Riku is declared a Keyblade Master by Yen Sid for awakening Sora. Undaunted by his failure, Sora embarks on a new journey by himself to train. The game's secret ending shows Yen Sid planning to gather seven Keyblade wielders to combat the new Organization and prevent Xehanort from bringing about another Keyblade War. To this end, Yen Sid has Riku bring his friend Kairi to him so she can be trained to wield the Keyblade she previously used during Kingdom Hearts II.

Development

The game was created by the same development team that worked on Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, currently part of Square Enix's 1st Production Department. Since it contained members who worked for The World Ends with You, the group decided to use characters from such game in replacement of Final Fantasy characters. The decision to make a Kingdom Hearts game for the Nintendo 3DS was due to the positive impression the Square Enix staff had when viewing the console's quality. The console inspired Nomura to make the Dive Mode function where the character moves to different worlds without the use of a vehicle, while the Flowmotion was thought prior to deciding which console use. The game's title was used to reference its various themes, with "Dream" referencing the storyline and "Drop" the gameplay style. Although Tetsuya Nomura admitted the English used was not grammatically correct, the team still decided to use it based on the way sounded. Development was notably shorter than the ones from previous Kingdom Hearts games.

One of the team's desires with the game was for it to have more action than the previous games. Nomura noted the ties the gameplay changes had with the gameplay from Final Fantasy Versus XIII as a result of their similar styles. The new maneuvers employed in Dream Drop Distance are also meant to give a glimpse about how the next game in the series, Kingdom Hearts III, will look like. New worlds were included in the game as a result of multiple requests by fans. The switches between player character Sora and Riku across the game are meant to contrast the style from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, which allowed the player to use three characters in their own campaigns as well as explain the title's part "Distance" since the two characters never interact across their stories. The Free Flow system was made using data from Birth by Sleep with making taking nearly two weeks to obtain a form similar to the one from the game. The game originally intended to use returning Heartless and Nobodies as generic enemies. However, the setting gave the staff the idea of introducing new creatures who would also join the player in fights. The Dream Eaters are used in mini-game Flick Rush which originally intended to allow players to use a picture. Nomura disapproved this idea which resulted in the final product.

With Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, the staff revealed that Dream Drop Distance would revolve around Sora's and Riku's "Mark of Mastery" exam, but were worried about how to set it. The idea of Sora going through a dream was inspired by the subtitle of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep and served as a basis for the game. Sora and Riku were chosen as the playable characters in anticipation for the franchise's ending of the "Xehanort arc" as well as to represent the theme of "the light and the dark sides of hearts" which the two characters represent. The former's inclusion was also done due to the character's popularity in Japan. Nomura has stated that the themes of the game are trust and friendship, and that like Birth by Sleep, the story is on par with that of a numbered title. As a result of the game's plot, both Sora and Riku appear in their younger forms from the first Kingdom Hearts game. However, to avoid misconceptions that Dream Drop Distance was a remake of the original game, Nomura decided to change Sora's and Riku's outfits for most of the game. Despite using two protagonists, the game primarily focuses on Riku's growth across the series. When starting production, the staff had decided to make the story as complex as possible, leading to the inclusion of several cutscenes which can be viewed by the player anytime they want. In order to make it more accessible, scenario writer Masaru Oka was in charge of the Chronicles feature which explains events from previous games. Nomura also anticipated the longest cutscene from the entire series as he wanted to reveal the intentions from the antagonists Xemnas and Ansem, also emphasizing the importance of Axel and the young Xehanort, unidentified by that of the announcement, in the story. The game's story is also meant to connect directly with Kingdom Hearts III, although its original ending was not approved by the staff and was scrapped. Like previous titles, Dream Drop Distance has a secret ending that connects to Kingdom Hearts III although the staff found it unconventional in comparison to previous ones.

The game was announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010 as "Kingdom Hearts 3D Demo" for the Nintendo 3DS. It was formally unveiled though at the Square Enix 1st Production Department Premier event at the Toho Cinemas in Tokyo, Japan on January 18, 2011 with its first trailer along with its official name. During the game's development, Nomura emphasized the mystery element of the story and confirmed that the theme of the game is trust. In July 2011, a Famitsu article included a interview with Nomura in which he revealed that the game would have an unlockable secret movie. A playable demo released the same month also first featured the Dream Eaters as the player characters' partners and the game's generic enemy. A Dengeki issue featured another interview with Nomura, where he confirmed that he would be considering what he called a "HD Technical Test" in order to commemorate the series' tenth anniversary and to entice players new to the series. This occurred on March 3, 2012 in the form of an premiere event where footage from the game, including its full CGI introduction sequence, was showcased to celebrate the game's release.

Reception

The Tokyo Game Show featured 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 praised the game upon its first impression, calling the demo "refreshing." Reception to the game's released trailers, demos and general information was generally positive, and the game ranked among Famitsu's 25 "most wanted" list in October 2011. The Official Nintendo Magazine listed it eighth in their "Games of 2012" feature. In an IGN poll, it ranked as the most expected Nintendo 3DS game for 2012's summer.

In its 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. The game debuted at the top of Media Create's sales charts, selling 213,579 copies during its first week, which is the equivalent to the 64% of Stock. The release was also noted to have helped boost the sales from the Nintendo 3DS console. Although the amounts of preorders surpassed the ones from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for the Nintendo DS, the first week's sales were lower. Nevertheless, Media Create noted that this was due to the comparison between the amount of units sold between the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo 3DS during the time the games were released, with the former having sold more copies than the latter. The game continued appearing in Media Create's polls for the next weeks selling a total of 311,688 units as of May 2012.

Versions and merchandise

In January 2012, Square Enix updated the Japanese website of the game with a release date of March 29, 2012 for Japan. Square Enix also officially announced the game for both North America and Europe with their respective websites up stating localized trailers would soon be available. The game is also included within the "Kingdom Hearts 10th Anniversary Box" package made in commemoration of the franchise's 10th anniversary. The box also includes the Nintendo DS games Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. The price for the box with these games included is 15,000 yen. Unlike Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II and Birth by Sleep, there will not be an updated version of the game according to Tetsuya Nomura. Shortly after its release, Square Enix acknowledged a software bug within the game that would potentially prevent the players' progress. In an effort to solve the issue, they advised gamers to contact them on the nature of the bug and how to avoid it. Nintendo later announced they would release a patch to Dream Drop Distance for unrevealed means. A demo was also released in Japan during May 2012 through the Nintendo eShop.

A North American and European release date has been set for July 31, 2012 and July 20, 2012, respectively. In Australia, it will be released on July 26, 2012. A limited edition titled "Mark of Mastery" will also be released in North America featuring twelve art cards, AR cards able to unlock new Dream Eaters, and a protector case for the 3DS console. While this has been noted to be the shortest gaps between the Japanese and English releases in the Kingdom Hearts, the latter version does not include new features not seen in the former. However, the Mark of Mastery limited edition was made so that English gamers would be able to obtain bonus material that can only be obtained in Japan.

The music from the game was collected into a three-disc album set which was released on April 18, 2012. This set features a collaboration between composers Yoko Shimomura, Takeharu Ishimoto, and Tsuyoshi Sekito. A guidebook, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance Ultimania (キングダム ハーツ 3D [ドリーム ドロップ ディスタンス] アルティマニア), was published in Japan on May 1, 2012. Square Enix is also going to publish a light novel by Tomoko Kanemaki based on the game on June 28, 2012 under the title of "Side Sora."

External links

• Official website (Japan)
• Official website (North America)
• Official website (Europe)
• Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance at IMDb