Dream Drop Distance: Information from Famitsu

Mike · Sep 21, 2011

Hello KH-Vids! If you thought the news regarding Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance has stopped; wait until you read this update. It's been about a week from today since the Tokyo Game Show kicked off and to say the least; fans from the Kingdom Hearts series were quite impressed.

Now we have a big update on recap news and additional information from Famitu, but seriously you don't want to miss this one. Are you ready!? I know, I'm such a tease. I should be like Nomura (laughs). Also special thanks to our forum member "P" for letting me know and SQEXGAL for translating the new article from Dream Drop Distance. Special thanks to Toma_Kisaragi from Twitter.

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Introduction
The â€œWorld Submerged in Sleepâ€ is said to be connected to dreaming, it can be opened by unlocking the â€œKeyhole of Sleepâ€ that exists in that world. Instead of Heartless, in this world there exist creatures that devour dreams called Dream Eaters. There are two kinds of Dream Eaters, those that consume dreams and plant nightmares and those that eat only bad dreams. Investigating the Dream Eaters becomes the key guiding to the â€œKeyhole of Sleepâ€.

Yen Sid says to Sora and Riku, â€œWhen you unlock the Keyhole of Sleep and return once more to this place, youâ€™ll be acknowledged as Keyblade Masters.â€ It is with these words that the adventure takes off.

From the trailer, we can confirm that Sora and Riku have new outfits and that Rikuâ€™s hair is cut. The Keyblade that Riku uses is â€œWay to the Dawnâ€.

Traverse Town
Two new areas are introduced, â€œDistrict 4â€ and â€œDistrict 5â€. In the lit up streets of this place the â€œReaperâ€™s Gameâ€ is taking place.

Character: Neku Sakuraba
A 15 year old boy who grew up in Shibuya, Tokyo first introduced in The World Ends With You. He is accompanied by a cat type spirit called â€œNeko Catâ€ whose tail is like a music note. He has strayed from his partner and since Neku says that having a partner is necessary in order to win the Game, Sora helps him out, though he doesnâ€™t really understand the Game.

Dream Eaters
There are two types of Dream Eaters, your enemies called â€œNightmaresâ€ and those that fight alongside you as companions called â€œSpiritsâ€.

Spirit: Koumori Bat
It is a furry bat like Spirit. It is the first Spirit that Riku has.

Spirit: Wonder Cat
Though itâ€™s hard to see what part of it is cat like, itâ€™s a plump animal with a blue back and a white belly. Itâ€™s the first Spirit that Sora has.

Nightmare: Kuma Panda
Itâ€™s a panda with bear like claws that wears a short cloak and a slightly atrocious glare.

Nightmare: Torpedo Fish
This fish flies midair. Overall itâ€™s about as long as Sora?

Nightmare: Wonder Cat
The Nightmare version, itâ€™s slightly more sinister with red eyes and body and itâ€™s black back.

Looking at the screenshots, it seems that Nightmare and Spirit versions of each.

System
Coop Techniques
When you fill up the pink gauge, you can consume the earned points to do techniques with the Spirits and your companions. They utilize both the buttons and the touch screen. You can utilize both your Dream Eaters at the same time. For instance, Sora can ride atop Wonder Cat and attack while jumping around, and then do a technique where you can manipulate enemies like the Kuma Panda and fling it away.

Rikuâ€™s interactions with the Dream Eaters are more direct; they instead attack with the Keyblade as one.

Free Flow Action
When you face a wall or pole and press the Y button, various actions occur, during which if you press the A button you can do the strong Free Flow Attack ability. You can also do the high jump and sky slide actions from this. The Kick Dive ability is one the Free Flow Action that lets you kick off a wall, where if you face toward the ground after doing so you can unleash a strong attack. The Turn Cutter ability lets Sora hang off a pole with the Keyblade and spin, mowing down nearby enemies.

Reality Shift
When a special marker appears over enemies heads during battle and you press the A and X buttons simultaneously you can do this ability. Sora/Riku disappear from the screen, and on the bottom screen special operations can be done. Sora dives under and gathers force up to dive out at the enemies. While you are operating the bottom screen, the battle temporarily pauses.

Interview
Interview with series director Tetsuya Nomura.

About the story
Nomura drew the illustration featured at the TGS booth in a hurry. He drew the Dream Eaters that would be your companions.

Nomura drew the new outfits according to how the Osaka team wished. Theyâ€™re like their older outfits with minor changes.

They are versions between KH1 and KH2, which become the outfits for this title.

Rikuâ€™s hair grew during the time he was away to show the passage of time, now his hair is cut immediately after that.

The â€œWorld Submerged in Sleepâ€ is a complex story, but there were worlds other than those that Sora restored in KH1, some that were not submerged in darkness. Like the worlds of the princesses and Dumboâ€™s, etc. In the end of KH1 it was established that some of those worlds were restored, but not all of them. Those that were neither in light nor in darkness, but those that were submerged in sleep.
Since those worlds are essential asleep, the dreams of those worlds become the setting.

Sora and Riku will travel to those worlds to awaken them from their sleep.

When a world is awoken from itâ€™s sleep, it will be restored to itâ€™s original form.

This title involves taking an exam in order to qualify for the Mark of Mastery, so itâ€™ll also be concerned with events that took place in BBS.

All the Disney worlds appearing wil be new, and there will be new areas in existing worlds.

Temporarily taking on their KH1 forms, theyâ€™ll enter into the worlds of sleep . Additionally, Yen Sid says that in order to become a Master, the self taught way that they use the Keyblade will be reset and that it is necessary they learn how to use the Keyblade appropriately from the beginning. When they request to take the exam, Sora says he doesnâ€™t need it, but since Riku has been overwhelmed by darkness before he doesnâ€™t have the self-confidence. Also, Sora and Riku will be taking it together.

The opening of this title will be in Xehanortâ€™s point of view. Additionally, there will be a surprise unlike anything seen before in the last scene.
About Dream Eaters

The Dream Eaters do not approach anyone and consume dreams in the World of Sleep where there are no Heartless. If Sora/Riku donâ€™t use the power of the Dream Eaters, they canâ€™t go to the other worlds.
Their abilities too are related to the Dream Eaters.

The Dream Eaters were designed not to be traditionally cute, but to have charm that couldnâ€™t be disliked. Wonder Cat was drawn to share that idea.

The mark of the Dream Eaters started with a heart as the base and the image of tremors. Nightmares have that sort of bad feeling.

The mark above your own Dream Eaters shows your ownership, itâ€™s also displayed on the map. The boss fights are elaborated in a different direction, where youâ€™ll have to use the mapâ€™s characteristics to your advantage. For instance, the floor will break out from under you and the field area will expand. Using the map, youâ€™ll be able to identify your location quickly in that sort of situation.

The color scheme is new this time; itâ€™s more pastel unlike what weâ€™ve done before. However, youâ€™ll be able to change the colors of your companion Dream Eaters.

The leveling up of the Dream Eaters is directly related to the growth of Sora and Riku. So far weâ€™ve only seen 2 at a time in battle, but if you give it your all youâ€™ll be able collect all the types.

Nomura isnâ€™t quite sure off the top of his head, but there are dozens of Dream Eater types.
About Neku

Nekuâ€™s appearance in Traverse Town was by special means that have to do with his reason for being there. Heâ€™ll show up in District 1, etc.
Beginning in Traverse Town as usual youâ€™ll meet your party member, but since I wanted to put in a fresh character, we put in Neku from The World Ends With You.
This time Traverse Town is constructed around the reason that Neku and co. have come. He has been separated from his original partner Shiki.
Weâ€™ll go into more detail about Shiki and the others in a follow up report.

Concerning a sequel to The World Ends With You, there may be something going on.

Abilities and 3D Vision
The Reality Shift ability in Traverse Town has Sora sink to the bottom screen where he can aim at the enemies. Itâ€™s different in each world, and Rikuâ€™s ability is different too. In Rikuâ€™s Reality Shift you can touch the bottom screen to connect enemies and objects in a line creating chain that Riku will attack following along on the upper screen.
The way Sora and Riku interact with their companion Dream Eaters is different. Sora can ride atop the Dream Eaters and be thrown off, while they serve as power ups to Riku.
Like shown in the TGS demo, Sora can have two companions at the same time and use them both to do the Dual Link ability where the two Dream Eaters combine into one big Wonder Cat. Filling up the gauge, youâ€™ll be able to use the Reality Shift and Dual Link abilities successively.

Since the concept of the game was bold action, this title really makes use of the Free Flow Action ability. Though you have a lot of battle options, with this alone you can do many actions like spinning around and jump kicking depending on the terrain.

Since itâ€™s hard to watch even in 2D because the movements are so intense, in 3D your eyes may become tired after playing for a long time. There is depth in the 3D vision, when Sora jumps out of the screen, itâ€™s almost becomes a burden to oneâ€™s eyes. I think itâ€™s probably best to use the 3D vision during cutscenes.

There will be multiplayer functions, weâ€™ll explain more in a follow up report.

Final Notes
KH3D is set to release Spring 2012 in Japan.
Itâ€™s currently about 60% to 70% complete.
Click to expand...

Amaury · Sep 21, 2011

Wow, that's a big interview. :)

Anyway, the story of it looks like it will be pretty interesting, and the fact that it's already 60% to 70% completed, shows that they're very dedicated to it.

Thanks for the update, Mike.

Boy Wonder · Sep 21, 2011

I'm assuming that the Reality Shift mechanic has to do with doing unusual, surreal, and extraordinary things in dreams.
Good find, Mike.

Iskandar · Sep 21, 2011

big update this time. But dang, I don't want to wait till Spring for this game to come out, and then however many more months for it to come out in America. Still, some of this sounds really interesting

Stella Nox Fleuret · Sep 21, 2011

Neko Cat? Aw, no Mr. Mew for Neku. ]=

Anyway, I could not be more excited. Looking forward to those scans. ^^

Llave · Sep 21, 2011

I'm liking the Spirit allies customization and more than two... that is promising! All of this is so intense, this sure will be exciting to play when it finally comes out!

Kyubi the Keyblade Master · Sep 21, 2011

"Additionally, Yen Sid says that in order to become a Master, the self taught way that they use the Keyblade will be reset and that it is necessary they learn how to use the Keyblade appropriately from the beginning."

Aha, the Terra/Ventus/Aqua way. That explains Riku's Blade Charge.
Perhaps that's also why they regressed to a younger age? To "start anew" as far as honing their techniques? That makes sense!

Llave · Sep 21, 2011

Kyubi the Keyblade Master said: ↑

"Additionally, Yen Sid says that in order to become a Master, the self taught way that they use the Keyblade will be reset and that it is necessary they learn how to use the Keyblade appropriately from the beginning."

Aha, the Terra/Ventus/Aqua way. That explains Riku's Blade Charge.
Perhaps that's also why they regressed to a younger age? To "start anew" as far as honing their techniques? That makes sense!
Click to expand...

Ahh yes indeed! Also, that may be why Dual link is around, similar to the D-link in BBS, in order to train their sense of "telepathic connection".

This does make sense, afterall, they learned on their own, and need to be taught the traditional way in order to strengthen themselves for battle with Xehanort. (Boy, KH is sounding more like Star Wars now, Sora is Luke. Next thing we know, Xehanort is Sora's father...)

Shift · Sep 21, 2011

I don't like how all they put this kind of thing mon system in KH really, rather have Sora/Donald/Goofy + Riku/Mickey for once .-.
But oh well, at least the ones with Riku look great so far.

Stella Nox Fleuret · Sep 21, 2011

I'm actually enjoying the break from Donald and Goofy so far. Not Mickey though. We need more Mickey.

At least they're experimenting with the BBS Combat system, I felt that they just dumped it in re:Coded for the sake of it. Still like it though.

Llave · Sep 21, 2011

Equa said: ↑

I'm actually enjoying the break from Donald and Goofy so far. Not Mickey though. We need more Mickey.

At least they're experimenting with the BBS Combat system, I felt that they just dumped it in re:Coded for the sake of it. Still like it though.
Click to expand...

That's true, but maybe they realized they made a good system and stuck with it. The only question i bring up briefly on this matter is: I wonder if KHIII will be a combination of the KHII panel thing and BBS Combat Deck...

Shift · Sep 21, 2011

Llave de Espada said: ↑

That's true, but maybe they realized they made a good system and stuck with it. The only question i bring up briefly on this matter is: I wonder if KHIII will be a combination of the KHII panel thing and BBS Combat Deck...
Click to expand...

They said they'll bring back the traditional system for KH3, and that they are just taking the oportunity to experiment with it on the 'sidegames'.
When it comes back it should be tweked to hell and back though.

Llave · Sep 21, 2011

Ɍed said: ↑

They said they'll bring back the traditional system for KH3, and that they are just taking the oportunity to experiment with it on the 'sidegames'.
When it comes back it should be tweked to hell and back though.
Click to expand...

Hmm i really enjoy the BBS system... but i suppose that's why they are putting it in 3D as well, to give a "sidegame" that really new and thrilling feel to it rather than traditional.

♥♦♣♠∟uxord♥♦♣♠ · Sep 21, 2011

So there are different spirits we can get and you can change there color. Sweet. This also kinda explains why you never went to Traverse Town in KHII.

Llave · Sep 21, 2011

Ace Phoenix said: ↑

So there are different spirits we can get and you can change there color. Sweet. This also kinda explains why you never went to Traverse Town in KHII.
Click to expand...

That's true, i do hope it goes into further detail on how that happened and how Leon and the gang got to Radiant Garden...

Shift · Sep 21, 2011

Llave de Espada said: ↑

That's true, i do hope it goes into further detail on how that happened and how Leon and the gang got to Radiant Garden...
Click to expand...

Gummy Ship, Cid's Gummy Ship.
They said so in KH1.

Llave · Sep 21, 2011

Ɍed said: ↑

Gummy Ship, Cid's Gummy Ship.
They said so in KH1.
Click to expand...

Must've missed that part, but alas we do know where Traverse Town truly resides now. I was always curious why it disapeared, or did they explain that in KHII as well?

key dragon · Sep 21, 2011

Kyubi the Keyblade Master said: ↑

"Additionally, Yen Sid says that in order to become a Master, the self taught way that they use the Keyblade will be reset and that it is necessary they learn how to use the Keyblade appropriately from the beginning."

Aha, the Terra/Ventus/Aqua way. That explains Riku's Blade Charge.
Perhaps that's also why they regressed to a younger age? To "start anew" as far as honing their techniques? That makes sense!
Click to expand...

Wonder if that means we'll get to see Sora and Riku grow physically?

Shift · Sep 21, 2011

Llave de Espada said: ↑

Must've missed that part, but alas we do know where Traverse Town truly resides now. I was always curious why it disapeared, or did they explain that in KHII as well?
Click to expand...

It was made of fragments from other worlds, when those worlds returned, it was gone.
But it seems like it was just as gone as the worlds that went to the realm of darkness, and we'll get to revive it now.
*Can't wait to hear Hand in Hand again*

Orangethousand19pro · Sep 21, 2011

Ɍed said: ↑

It was made of fragments from other worlds, when those worlds returned, it was gone.
But it seems like it was just as gone as the worlds that went to the realm of darkness, and we'll get to revive it now.
*Can't wait to hear Hand in Hand again*
Click to expand...

On that basis, I wonder what the music will be like. The theme is bold action and the battles are very fast-paced, so will the music be fast and bold music?

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Dream Drop Distance: Information from Famitsu

Mike Chaser

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