Dream Drop Distance: Famitsu Weekly Interview

Misty · Mar 15, 2012

As you all probably know, Sabby posted yesterday with some of the major details from the latest issue of Famitsu. The interview itself (or, at least, part of it) is now translated and up on the web, thanks to Gematsu and SQEXGAL.

You can check out what's been translated so far below--we will keep updating this post as more is translated.

Mike's Note: More from the interview has been added below.
Sabby Note: Same as above

The meaning behind the main illustration!
â€” The package illustration has been publically revealed.
Nomura: To be honest, at first I had drawn a different picture. Sora, Riku, and King Mickey were the same as the current illustration, but I drew Mickey bigger and Sora and Riku were much smaller. However, design-wise it was difficult to use for the packaging, and when we tried it on the title screen you couldnâ€™t really recognize Sora or Riku (wry laughter), so I redrew it.

â€” There is another version of the illustration with different colors and the directions switched, can you tell us about that?
Nomura: When you look at this illustration inside the game package. I wanted itâ€™s composition and look to remind you of the titleâ€™s catch copy, â€œDarkness becomes light, light falls into darkness.â€ The two images make a pair; I think itâ€™s nice to consider the contrasts between them and how they reflect the storyline.

â€” Will we see this image within the game itself?
Nomura: Yes, if you play the game on the advance degree of difficulty youâ€™ll be able to see it.

â€” In the illustration, Sora has his eyes closed while Rikuâ€™s are open.
Nomura: Thatâ€™s right. Thereâ€™s meaning behind that, but I think youâ€™ll understand it through playing the game. By the way, the 2 types of illustrations are not just merely reversed, but the change in color degree and overall balance has been reworked.

â€” We look forward to understanding that. Anyways, for the first time fans will obtain an enclosed AR card with the game. Can you tell us about the friendly Dream Eaters on those cards?
Nomura: The game package will contain one card that unlocks one of the following partner Dream Eaters at random: King Wondernyan, Circus Panda, and Nekuish. These 3 Dream Eaters are rare; however unlocking them through an AR card is not the only way to obtain them, you can partner with them in the game too. Still, if you do a Link Portal exchange through StreetPass, you can obtain the recipes for them. If you try to StreetPass regularly, you can probably obtain all three pretty early on.

Key people of the story!

In the opener, we see a flurry of memorable scenes from the series while an orchestra version of â€œHikariâ€ plays, itâ€™s very moving!

Nomura: It was Nomatsu (Takeshi Nomatsu, the titleâ€™s cinematic movie director) who managed it, he said himself â€œthere isnâ€™t a next oneâ€, so he crammed it full of content.

Parts of the opener were used in the Special Trailer that was released publically, where the keywords â€œthose who are asleep within sadnessâ€ appeared. Does helping those people become the goal of this game?

Nomura: How will that goâ€¦ (Laughs.) Well, first off Sora and company will have to make preparations for that.

In the last part of the trailer, one of the points that stands out is when Aqua and Terra appear with the black coated character with the â€œnightmareâ€ eyes.

Nomura: That black coated person is important to the storyline, but isnâ€™t necessarily a new character. The details of it are something to look forward to when you play.

As for new worlds, the image of the world from Tron Legacy is very closely adapted. The people in it are drawn quite realistically.

Nomura: Since we adapted realistic portrayals in the past with The Pirates of the Caribbean in Kingdom Hearts II, we had a bit of know-how this time around. I was a bit apprehensive at attempting to do it on a portable device, but I think the end result has a high quality to it. I supervised over the production side of the movie parts and the scenarios of the storyline reflected well into it.

Did you plan from the beginning to use Tron Legacy as a world?

Nomura: It was decided around the time the project was beginning. We had planned for Sora to visit the original Tron world and for Riku to go to the Tron Legacy world.

Ansem and Xemnas, as well as Master Xehanortâ€™s forms appear, but are they the real thing?

Nomura: Well, about thatâ€¦ Ansem and Xemnas appear often, harassing Sora and Riku.

Are Ansem and Xemnas key persons?

Nomura: If I had to say who the key persons were, Iâ€™d say they are the silver haired boy and Axel. This time at the end of the story, there will be the longest cutscene of the whole series where the true form of Ansem and Xemnas, as well as their goals and many other truths will be revealed all at once.

Raising Dream Eaters!

â€” How come this time instead of being joined by Donald and Goofy, our heroes team up with Dream Eaters?

Nomura: This time the story is about Sora and Riku taking the Mark of Mastery Exam. If Donald and Goofy participated in the exam without being Keyblade wielders, then it would be sort of weird. (Laughs.) Besides, those two are active characters in the numbering titles of the series, so I thought that it would be an interesting challenge to have an adventure outside of that.

â€” I see. So the Dream Eaters, you can create them by gathering materials to â€œbreedâ€ them. What lead you to develop this kind of system?

Nomura: The Dream Eaterâ€™s growth is directly connected to the abilities of Sora and Riku, which serves as an axis of this title. To that extent, I wanted players to feel affection for their Dream Eaters, thus you start with them from their initial creation and watch as they grow alongside you.

â€” Unlocking the abilities of the Dream Eaters and doing the Ability Link to make Sora and Riku stronger is sort of like parts of the system in Re:Coded.

Nomura: Thatâ€™s right. At first, I initially wanted to develop another form of the command board from Birth by Sleep. Then I mixed the growth systems of Re:Coded and 358/2 Days and came up with a new idea that became the Ability Link feature.

â€” The Dream Eaterâ€™s growth is one of the charms of this title, but it seems with the interacting on the touch screen, the Dream Eaterâ€™s characteristics change rapidly.

Nomura: Their attitudes are different depending on their characteristics, for instance some prefer to attack aggressively while other prefer to support your character. One type of Dream Eater has 4 characteristics; even if they are same types of Dream Eaters, they each have their own personalities. So choose among the characteristics you like and have fun.

â€” How many types of Dream Eaters are there in total?

Nomura: There are a little over 50 types of Dream Eaters you can partner with. You canâ€™t partner with the boss ones, but outside of that you can breed all the Dream Eaters.

â€” With the similar Dream Eaters like Wondernyan and King Wondernyan, are they evolutions of the same form or are they from separate recipes?

Nomura: They arenâ€™t evolutions of one another, that is not how this system works. If you have the materials, you can produce two or more of the same Dream Eaters.

â€” As far as activities with the Dream Eaters go, there is the Flick Crash feature. What was the concept behind this feature?

Nomura: As the main mini-game of this title, I wanted to produce something that has the speed aspect of a card game fused with an action game. I said it had to be something frenzied with a â€œrestless feelâ€ to it, but it was hard to actually materialize. After repeated trials, I think it finally became something fun.

â€” By the way, it seems the Dream Eaterâ€™s appearance and abilities can be customized and you can name them. Itâ€™s a fairly different taste for the series compared to the past titles.

Nomura: Every time I try to make the taste of the game relate to its title, but in this game since the player can name their Dream Eater to their liking its quite straightforward. I put a lot of consideration into naming the titles interestingly, itâ€™s fun.
Click to expand...

Credit to SQEXGAL and Famitsu.

Krowley · Mar 15, 2012

Of the entire explanation, the one thing I wanted to know, (Riku's eyes open and Sora's closed)
he says I have to find out by playing. Once again Nomura, you leave me with more questions than answers...

NemesisPrime · Mar 15, 2012

Nomura...WHY MUST YOU TEASE ME SO?!?

Maggy · Mar 16, 2012

Oh, Nomura....why are you such a tease?! SPIT IT OUT, ALREADY! Lol

I'm glad Axel gets to be important, though LOL

RoxasRox · Mar 16, 2012

As per what Nomura said about Riku's eyes are open and Sora's are closed, my speculation is that Sora is the one really dreaming and doesnt realize it and Riku is wide awake, but still has "dreams" that which is similiar to REM sleep.
... just a theory, just a theory.

On a side note: 3isodfpj opjgopjeankhtiw CANT WAIT FOR THiS OMGGGGG.

Luxord22 · Mar 16, 2012

Reading this, IÂ´m getting more and more excited, but what bothers me is the point with the image and advanced difficulty, I never liked the idea of having to play on higher difficulties to experience the whole game. IÂ´m not that skilled and I donÂ´t want any frustration either.

Daxa~ · Mar 16, 2012

Oh my goodness me.
I need to get myself tons of little Dream Eaters. And they can be my children.

Excasr · Mar 16, 2012

This game will be awesome.

Oh, Nomura, show us the game and it will lead me to the light...

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Dream Drop Distance: Famitsu Weekly Interview

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