#kingdomhearts
Publisher Square Enix has released some new screenshots and artwork for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, the upcoming action-roleplaying game that it will release for Nintendo 3DS this year. More »
#speakuponkotaku
Does playing every game in the Kingdom Hearts series qualify you as a true fan? Commenter zombie711 thinks it might be a little more involved than that in today's Speak Up on Kotaku. More »
Famitsu recently had a chance to chat with Tetsuya Nomura, the zipper-loving director of the Kingdom Hearts franchise. In the interview (translated by Andriasang), Nomura revealed that new "gameplay systems" are in the works for the next iteration of the game, Kingdom Hearts 3D for the 3DS, and that some of these mechanics may even find their way into the long-awaited (but still unannounced) Kingdom Hearts 3.
For example, both Sora and Riku will be playable characters in the upcoming game, and Nomura is promising some differences between the two characters. The reason why Sora and Riku appear as they do in the first Kingdom Hearts game hasn't been explained, with Nomura simply teasing that it is "a secret" and necessary for the story.
Perhaps the most exciting revelation from the interview is Nomura's intention to include brand new Disney worlds for the upcoming sequel. Although Traverse Town and "other original creations" will make a reappearance, it'll be interesting to see exactly what Disney worlds make it into the next game. Frankly, we're not even entirely sure what Square Enix has yet to dig up from the Disney vault.
Fans eager for a new Kingdom Hearts console game will have to wait even longer, it seems. In an interview with Famitsu, designer Tetsuya Nomura revealed that the next game in the franchise will be the 3DS game, first unveiled at E3 earlier this year. "Next is Kingdom Hearts 3D," he told the magazine. "The time frame for 3D is after Re:Coded."
According to Nomura, development is already underway on the project and will only accelerate once the Final Mix team is done working on that Japan-only PSP release. "We'd like to announce it as soon as possible," Nomura said of the 3DS game, seemingly ignoring the fact that he was technically announcing the game as he spoke.
#rip
Glenn Shadix might be more famous for his role as Otho in Beetlejuice, but we'll always remember him as Father Ripper from Heathers, who blamed a teen's death on "the MTV video games." More »
#tetsuyanomura
Square Enix is making a Kingdom Hearts game for the Nintendo 3DS. The main characters will be Sora and Riku, and players will alternate between them while playing as they make their way through the game's "mysterious" story. How...mysterious! More »
#summer
Summertime is more than beaches and barbecues. It's also when Hollywood releases some of its biggest motion pictures. Here's a look at the Hollywood's upcoming summer blockbusters, both good and bad. More »
#gallery
At this year's Tokyo Toy Show, Square Enix showed off...toys. There are loads of Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts figures and knick-knacks. More »
#japan
This month, Japanese online retailer Rakuten.com decided the language that was used internally by the company would no longer be Japanese. More »
