Because DDD is so confusing, my plan is just to play through proud mode and enjoy it while not thinking about it too much because there seems to be things from previous games that I haven't played that affect this story, and then when I'm done with proud mode I'll play the other ds games for the fist time, (should be here soon) and then come back and play critical seriously. I say this because I just read that apparently Riku is a Spirit, which is just too much because I already don't understand the whole multiple/parallel worlds or whatever the hell it is. I can't figure out if they exist in the same place, and if other characters are affected by one characters actions (like BBS), because the story suggests that is not the case, however other things (like wargoyle falling from the sky after riku beat him down to where sora fought him) suggest that that is the case. Whatever, I'll figure it out. Then once that's all done I can finally work towards completing my goal of having a 100% journal on the hardest difficulty of every game with all characters at the highest level. I've done that for KH, KHII, and KHIIFM. I still have to do it for KHFM, Re:CoM, the Japanese Re:CoM (hate that), BBS, and when I get them CoM, Days, Re:coded, and now DDD. Then after all that I can start branching out seriously into other games. Still need to buy BBSFM, but have yet to see it somewhere that won't cost me nearly $100.
The reason I skipped them was because I didn't have a DS. I was holding off on purpose because I knew the 3DS would be coming and DDD with it, I figured I would just wait a few years so I wouldn't have to buy 2 systems.