kingdom-hearts posts (Subscribe to this feed)

New Kingdom Hearts character is Sakaguchi's doppelganger

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 15th 2009 at 2:15PM }

Exhibit A: Image, left. The creator of the Final Fantasy franchise, Hironobu Sakaguchi. Observe the slightly arched brow. The dark, even surfer's tan. The exquisite mustache and soul patch combo. The look of general disinterest.

Exhibit B: Image, right. The recently revealed character from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, Master Eraquis. Observe the similarly bowed eyebrows. The sun-kissed skin tone. The Guy Fawkes-esque facial hair. The expression of consternation.

What do you think, dearest readers? Is it a cameo, or pure coincidence? We're leaning towards the former. We mean, just look at those eyebrows. Look at them! At the very least, they're identical eyebrow twins.

[Via Andriasang]

Square Enix looking to develop more best-selling IPs

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 29th 2009 at 5:30PM }

RPG juggernaut Square Enix already has a handful of reliable ~~internet protocols~~ intellectual properties in Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts -- however, the company is looking to expand its portfolio of best-selling franchises. In a recent interview with Reuters, Squeenix's Yoichi Wada explained that the developer is hoping to have eight flagship IPs, each installment in which will be capable of selling two million units. He added that with the company's average development time of two years, one of these flagship games could be released every quarter.

So, where are these other five franchises going to come from? According to the interview, Square Enix is cooking up two or three potential blockbusters which should drop by late 2010 or early 2011. For the other IPs, the company may not need to look further than its recent Eidos acquisitions -- a haul which includes the recently successful Batman: Arkham Asylum. We certainly wouldn't mind seeing more of Bruce Wayne on a biennial basis.

[Via Siliconera]

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep gets ad hoc multiplayer

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 21st 2009 at 11:43AM }

According to RPG Site, a recent V-Jump article on Squeenix and Disney's upcoming PSP collaboration Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep revealed an intriguing facet of the spiky-haired title: It includes a three-player cooperative mode using the handheld's ad hoc capabilities. The co-op mode pits players against the "Mirage Arena," which allows Keyblade-wielders to tackle standalone co-op missions, or set up multiplayer rematches against the core game's toughest bosses. In addition, Mirage Arena visitors will have special protective abilities with which to heal their friends or bolster their defenses.

It sounds like a pretty interesting feature -- and should placate PSP owners who've been miffed about 358/2 Days' multiplayer mode. No reason to get upset gang! At least your game's title isn't completely ridiculous.

Gallery: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

Japanese gamers want Persona 4, Phoenix Wright anime series (and so do we)

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 17th 2009 at 1:00AM }

Japanese gaming pub Dengenki recently polled its readers on what series they'd like to see translated into anime form. The Top 10 list looks nearly exactly the same as our own wishlist:

1. Persona 4
2. Phoenix Wright
3. Okami
4. Kingdom Hearts
5. Idol Master
6. Metal Gear Solid
7. Yakuza
8. BlazBlue
9. Persona 3
10. Atelier Rorona

Atlus' PS2 RPG Persona 4 tops the list, managing to beat out some big names like Kingdom Hearts and Metal Gear Solid. Perhaps the success of Persona: Trinity Soul reminded readers that the franchise works in serialized TV format? While we'd certainly like to see another Persona anime, an adaptation of Phoenix Wright seems like a no-brainer. Capcom, are you reading this?

[Via Andriasang]

Birth by Sleep awakens in this 'new' Kingdom Hearts trailer

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 4th 2009 at 10:59AM }

The DS-based 358/2 Days hasn't arrived in the States yet, but Japan is already preparing for the next installment in the hugely popular Kingdom Hearts franchise. The PSP-exclusive prequel, Birth by Sleep, should be arriving in Japan this winter, and Square Enix is prepping its marketing muscle by opening the game's official website -- and with it, debuting a new direct-feed trailer for the masses. (An off-screen capture was taken at last year's exclusive Closed Mega Theater at TGS.)

This story-heavy trailer shows off a number of Disney movies in action, like Cinderella, Snow White and Alice in Wonderland. (Hey, where's Stitch?) Birth by Sleep will be a huge presence at Tokyo Game Show soon, so expect our hands-on reporting later this month.

Gallery: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

[Via PSPHyper]

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep has three separate adventures

by Randy Nelson { Aug 25th 2009 at 5:15PM }

An interview with Tetsuya Nomura in the latest issue of Japan's Weekly Famistu finally sheds more light on PSP's installment in the Kingdom Hearts series, Birth By Sleep. 1UP reports that, in the article, the series' creator reveals that the game's three main characters will be playable in their own, separate campaigns, complete with unique boss battles. Nomura also estimates that each character's play-through should take about 15 hours.

Famitsu's story also mentions that Birth By Sleep will incorporate the worlds of Cinderella and Lilo & Stitch, the latter set in deep space before the cute-yet-calamitous creature crash lands on Earth. Nomura notes that a release date for the game likely won't be announced until after Final Fantasy XIII's is, but that it's still expected to hit Japan this winter.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep to awaken Japan this Winter

by Andrew Yoon { Aug 23rd 2009 at 12:30PM }

Square Enix has been awfully quiet about its upcoming PSP-exclusive Kingdom Hearts prequel. Birth by Sleep takes place ten years before the events of the original PS2 game, and sets to explain some of the long-unexplained mysteries surrounding the franchise. Although we haven't seen much of the game since TGS last year, it looks as though Square Enix is getting ready to put the finishing touches on the game, readying it for a winter release across the Pacific.

If Birth by Sleep follows the footsteps of its DS brethren 358/2 Days, it should only take about half a year for the game to be localized and released stateside. It seems likely (but unconfirmed) that we'll be playing Birth By Sleep in English before next summer rolls around.

[Via PSPHyper]

Pre-order Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for $29

by Andrew Yoon { Aug 17th 2009 at 7:30PM }

Square Enix is partnering up with online retailer amazon.com yet again, this time offering a $5 off coupon on their already discounted pre-order rate for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. The game, which is finally coming out next month in the US, can be purchased for $28.99, shipped. That essentially negates the "Square Enix tax" of their DS games. Not bad, right?

Use coupon code KINGDOM5 when checking out to get the discount.

Nomura: The Kingdom Hearts Keyblade was originally a chainsaw

by JC Fletcher { Jul 8th 2009 at 9:58PM }

In an interview with Famitsu, Square Enix character designer and Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura revealed some secrets about the early history of the franchise.

The ensemble-cast design of the games, for example, stemmed from a disagreement between Square and Disney over the protagonist: "Square wanted to make a game starring Mickey Mouse," Nomura said, as translated by 1UP, "and Disney wanted a Donald Duck title. Meanwhile, I wanted neither." The resulting compromise was "a game featuring lots of characters without focusing on any particular one."

The Keyblade weapon, despite being an early component of the game, was not Nomura's first idea for a signature weapon. "Actually," he said, "the first weapon I showed Disney was a chainsaw. It was this chainsaw-like weapon that I had a rough sketch of when I first showed my concepts to Disney."

Disney reacted pretty much like you would expect Disney executives to react to the heavy use of a chainsaw in a game about Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck: "Everyone got this scrunched-up look on their face and nobody said a word in the entire room. Dead silence. And I thought 'No, I guess this wouldn't work, huh?'"

It occurred to us that the chainsaw was the perfect Nomura weapon, because the teeth on the chain are reminiscent of those on a zipper.

Infinite Space takes space at top of Japanese charts

by JC Fletcher { Jun 19th 2009 at 2:30PM }

Platinum Games' first release may not have been a sales phenomenon, but the company has found (relative) success with its second, the DS sci-fi roleplaying game Mugen Kouro (Infinite Space). It was a slow week for Japanese software sales, which allowed Infinite Space's 38,394 copies to put it at the top of the Media Create sales chart for last week, its first week in stores.

The three spots below that on the chart also belong to DS games: last week's top seller, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days sits at #2, followed by Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Sloane and Machale's Mysterious Story. The #5 position is held by Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires on PS3.

Gallery: Infinite Space

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

Hands-on: Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

by Griffin McElroy { Jun 4th 2009 at 12:30PM }

Though the development team for Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days shied away from E3 this year due to the ever-present danger of Swine Flu, the game itself made an appearance, as computer software is impervious to most biological pandemics. As a result, our time with the game was completely unguided. Not that it mattered -- the game is classic Kingdom Hearts. Not card-based brawler Kingdom Hearts, not kart racer Kingdom Hearts, but the classic action-RPG Kingdom Hearts we fell in love with when it first landed on PS2.

Forget about the wide chasm between the graphical capabilities of the PS2 and the DS -- the game looks phenomenal. The controls have been ported over brilliantly, the only noticeable difference being the camera controls, which are now bound to the touch screen. The game also comes with an ad-hoc four-player multiplayer mode in which members of the shadowy Organization XIII compete for points whilst embarking upon a mission. Points come in the form of crystals dispersed throughout the level -- attacking your fellow players will knock the crystals out of them, which will probably lead to hilarious real-life bloodshed.

With no inkling of the game's story or the micromanagement mechanics, our walkaway impression of the game was simply this: It is the Kingdom Hearts gameplay and visual aesthetic you know and love (plus a few bonus features) operating on the DS with remarkable accuracy. Despite the game's stupid, inaccessible title, our interest has swiftly moved from "non-existent" to "piqued."

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days launching on Sept. 58/2 [update]

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jun 2nd 2009 at 12:58PM }

Keyblade-wielding vermin news now, with the announcement of the North American release date for Square Enix's awkwardly named DS RPG, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Speaking at the Nintendo E3 2009 press conference, company president Reggie Fils-Aime noted that the game was slated to launch on September 44/2. We're sure you can't wait to learn more about the myth/math of the Kingdom Hearts universe!

Update: Square Enix has sent through an official announcement, which actually specifies a Sept. 29th release.

Rumor: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days invades Europe this fall [update]

by David Hinkle { May 28th 2009 at 2:40PM }

Update: We've confirmed with both the North American and European branches of Square Enix that this is in fact true, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is on track for an autumn release. Huzzah!

Siliconera reports that the English version of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days will arrive in Europe later this year, though it should be noted there isn't any official source on the matter. We trust those guys, but, without a source, this has to be treated as a rumor.

Right now, the current release date for North America is whenever, though it's a safe bet to assume the game will be here within the same timeframe as Europe (sometime between September and November), as Square Enix is notorious for releasing its games only days apart in the European and North American regions. Of course, that would only happen if this rumor pans out, and we've contacted Square Enix to clarify and we'll be sure to update you as soon as we have official word.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days will release in Japan on Sunday, May 30.

Gallery: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Some Japanese companies not attending E3 over Swine Flu concerns

by Ben Gilbert { May 20th 2009 at 4:30PM }

No, we can't believe we just wrote that headline either. And according to scattered reports (and a variety of phone calls we made this afternoon), it's the unfortunate truth: Some Japanese developers and producers are canceling their trips to E3 2009 due to Swine Flu worries. Capcom's Keiji Inafune and his game, Dead Rising 2, will both be missing. (This isn't the first time Inafune is canceling a trip.) Develop is also reporting that Square Enix and Koei will be canceling some employees' flights, with the Kingdom Hearts team and "an unspecified number of [Koei's] Japanese employees" taking the hit.

We asked Tecmo if there would be a change in its lineup at E3, to which a company rep assured, "No. Our content is still scheduled to be there and everything on the show floor, if not by the staff that's scheduled to fly in from Japan, it'll be demonstrated by our own staff from the US office." Tecmo also said producers for its upcoming lineup are still scheduled to appear alongside their titles. "As of today, we've been told our producers will still be in attendance." Konami declined comment as of press time and the ESA (E3's governing body and financial supporter) has yet to respond to our inquiries. As it stands, it looks like we'll be waiting 'til PAX 2009 or even the Tokyo Game Show to get our hands on Dead Rising 2.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days site updates with gameplay videos

by David Hinkle { May 20th 2009 at 3:30PM }

Awaiting your lustful eyes past the break is some new gameplay footage from Square Enix's upcoming Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, taken from the game's Japanese site. So, quit stalling and watch the video already!