We’re finally really close to a release but how have things been going?

The volume is beyond comparison. When I showed it to my boss the other day, he said “There’s 4 games’ worth in there.” In fact, what you have all seen so far is the mere “tip of the iceberg” if you will. Even within the worlds that have been presented there is much more to the real thing. The challenge is to see if we have managed to make that a trend for all worlds. As well as the worlds, the battles are amazing too. Even beyond what has been revealed! My boss was also thrilled. “So you’ve made this much progress”, he said. There’s so much that can be done, even beyond your expectations. I’m just asking myself if we can reveal anymore in time.

Whilst playing even the versions in development we felt a lot of progress had been made. That is still only an appetizer. It’s really become something quite unbelievable. Even if I were to summarize it, that would be difficult.

Recently, a Tron world has been revealed.

I wanted to keep it as the last surprise world.

We were really surprised it would appear.

In fact, Tron was the first world to be chosen to appear.

What is the “must-see” aspect of it?

Sora’s story will progress within the Tron world and the feeling of the world itself is quite different from the others. Like a world of an old computer. Some sound effects are from old computers as well so the atmosphere will be really different. Something like an old computer game.

Could you explain how Tron came to be in KHII?

When I went to meet with the Disney guy he was making a Tron game on his PC. When I glanced at it I thought I could do something fun with it as well. There was a lot of material in Tron too. Though it is quite different from the rest of the Kingdom Hearts universe, I felt that if people could actually enjoy that difference it would be worth it.

One image that comes up when thinking of Tron is bike races.

I knew that. Though it might not fit exactly the image from the film, it has been made to be played with similar results.

We understand that within the world of Atlantica there will be a rhythm game but what will actually happen in that world?

The story has been laid out as a musical so even the game will be structured differently. It’s mostly a matter of timing. I didn’t want to make it only a musical but also something the player could interact with. If you do well you’ll see a proper musical scene, if you do badly you won’t.

The matter of “outcomes” raises the question whether the story will carry on even if we fail.

Yes, few will probably want to carry on if they fail too much. It’s always better to see the perfect scenes though.

Does that mean that in Atlantica there won’t be any action battles?

There won’t be any action battle but the musical will use event battles.

Does that mean there will also be scenes where we have to swim around?

There will be a little exploration. You will be swimming as part of the musical. In the previous instalment there was the view that swimming through Atlantica and fighting was difficult. That is why this time we’ve changed it into a musical world.

Timeless River will appear in black and white but was this decided from the beginning.

Yes.

Is Timeless river also a special world with no action battle?

No, there will be the usual battles and, unlike the film, voices. A part from the fact that it’s in black and white it can compare with the other worlds in terms of game play. But it’s just slightly different in the sense that it can be felt like a compact, mini-game world, even though there aren’t that many mini-games in it.

In the Pride Lands, Sora & Co. are turned into animals…

In the film Lion King there weren’t any people either so I felt it wouldn’t be good to put them in there as they were. I thought that this was a world where animals talked to each other so it would have been unlikely for a human being to walk in and talk to them, which is why I changed their shapes accordingly. Concerning Donald and Goofy, their animal motifs couldn’t correspond so I had to change them into animals that can be found in Africa.

Won’t the XIII Order appear there too?

They probably won’t. And even if they did you probably wouldn’t recognise them in an animal form.

Sora holds his Keyblade in his mouth but what about Donald and Goofy’s weapons?

Donald holds his staff with his claws. Goofy will have more or less the same weapon holding tactic as he did in the previous Atlantica world. In fact, Lion King was a world I already wanted to put in the previous instalment. Only, it was abandoned because making Sora into a 4 legged animal required a different program. This time was revenge. There came enthusiastic voices from the staff so we had a go at it.

Since we can do magic and combos it doesn’t change much from usual battles then?

Yes, the only difference might be the inability to use Drive but that’s about it.

Now, the Master Form has been revealed. What sort of abilities does it have?

It is a yellow combination of Wisdom and Valour forms. However it is a bit risky because it uses up the drive gauge faster.

Are there any other forms left?

Not that many but a few.

Are they completely different from the ones revealed to date?

Those that haven’t been revealed by now are more or less bundled in as hidden ones. Even if the name Master Form sounds quite conclusive. They are forms even better than that.

Newly we have seen Seifer, Raijin and Fujin as well as Vivi. They also seem quite different from their original designs.

They are now kids but if you think about it, they were only 17-18 years old in FFVIII as well so the change isn’t that big. It’s just that KHII makes them slightly Deformed so they might look like children. Their roles don’t change that much from FFVIII. From the Garden’s disciplinary committee to the Town’s disciplinary committee.

Please tell us why Vivi was included.

I was really reluctant as I don’t like using designs that weren’t mine to begin with because I don’t understand them properly but there were a lot of requests and so my staff convinced me to have a go. He doesn’t stand out much but though he is with Seifer he has aspirations.

Hollow Bastion is looking different from the previous instalment in the sense that a lot of the FF characters are gathering there.

It was a necessary continuation of the previous story as it is their home world.

Is it becoming a proper town?

The focus is on Leon and Cid rebuilding the place. What was once a town became what you saw in the first instalment so during the game you will still see it as rebuilding.

How many FF characters are to appear?

More than what was previously shown. Though I first talked about there being around 5 new FF characters, lately it looks as though it will be far beyond that. HB’s main characters are from FF so as the story builds, more will be introduced.

Does that mean that it will be a world we will frequently pay visits to?

HB will be to KHII what Traverse Town was to KH so yes.

Counting the new Tron world, have all the worlds been revealed now?

More or less. Twilight Town and the world from the secret movies haven’t been presented in enough depth yet so please look forward to that.

SECTION 1 – THE REASON IS WENT TO GBA [Page 1 - View Image]

At the end of the previous installment, KH, there was a secret movie that was to bring light on what the sequels could be like. When you made those sequences, did you already have in mind what CoM and KHII would be like? In a kind of vague way yes. The most precise visions I hade were those of KHII as I already had decided that it would take place a year after KH, that the atmosphere would be different in some ways. If I was to create a KHII I wanted it to begin in the most intriguing way as it would be possible. I only began thinking about “What happens in that year between” in CoM much later.

When we look at the project book (will be pictured!) we can see that KH: CoM was originally called “KH: Lost Memories”. Though for some we had to change the title you’ll notice it isn’t that much different than the orignal.. I though that “Chain of Memories” had more style and it matched the general outline of the story too (i.e. Sora relieving a sucession of memories, a chain) and I personally liked it.

What was the reason you decided to develop this installment for the GBA? Soon after the release of the previous installment, I was told that I should make a KH for GBA. But at the time I was skeptical of the idea of seeing KH in 2D and said “Can’t do it”. Then as I began to think about what I could work on next, I began to hear “Our kid wants to play KH on GBA” alot more frequently. That kind of real voice that was saying that “Kids want to play” got me seriously considering it.

So it was the voices of the children that moved you? Yes. That is when I began to elaborate a gameplay system, visuals and concept artwork as well as a storyline to fill that one year story gap on the GBA. Eventually I began to think that KH in 2D really was manageable but since it was still pretty vague I came up with some systems that could adapt the KH gameplay to the GBA and asked for feedback on many members of the staff. Then I started getting “This can be done, can’t it?” and that is when the CoM project was really set in motion.

SECTION 2 – THE FUN WITHIN THE LINEAR [Page 2 - View Image]

If we glance at the project book we can see that the backbone of KH: CoM ended up coming out of your ideas. But all of that is written in the project book is not sufficient to make a game. All I created was the very basic concept of the game. Then by borrowing the talents and strengths of all the staff those small ideas get bigger and bigger.

Where did you get the idea of making it a sort of card game? This is talking about KHII more but, if you were to begin the game with the very powerful Sora you had aquired at the end of KH, KHII would’nt stand up to much as a game. I wanted the players to know the potential in strength Sora has more or less fulfilled at the end of the previous installment yet not be able to use all those abilites right from the start. That is when I thought that if I could make a story in which Sora’s abilites and memories all get mixed up, KH: CoM would be a perfect bridge between KH and KHII. I thought that to symbolise those messed memories and abilities cards could be used soI had to create a card based system. Thats the jist of it, I think.

Normally when you’d say “KH for GBA” we’d think of a 2D action game where Sora flings his keyblade and defeats enemies. However in, KH: CoM we see this card system a new kind of fun coming out of the restrictions that impose a card based system. When I think of making a game system, I refer myself back to the one I created for FFV, In the latter, there were loads of abilites but only the possibility of equipping three at a time at most. Learning them all does not mean you are all powerful, therefore. To be efficient you need to sacrifice some things. But it isn’t that dramatic. I believe that these restrictions are closely connected to the fun you hve in a game. In the previous installment, this was in the slight delay between the input of the action and Sora’s execution of that action, which created a little risk. This time, we aimed for a close balance between the effects of the cards and the stock techniques and the penalties they impose.

Nowadays, Game Crews are divided into Scenario, Graphic, Sound and Programming departments but in your case, while being the Director, you can also draw, think of the game system, write the story plot and take on a variety of roles and we think that’s amazing. The part I enjoy the most myself is writing the project while drawing little bits of visuals and showing it to the staff. We then talk and small ideas I had become bigger and much more concrete and that is when I have the most fun when developing a game. It is almost as if I wrote the project book solely for having that kind of fun (laughs). Looking back on it, even back when I was at Primary/Elementary school, I enjoyed playing “Sugoroku” (Note by Mors: “a traditional japanese board-game comparable to Snakes and Ladders) based on my own stories and every time, the rules changed. Perhaps I was pre-disposed to enjoying creating games systems…

SECTION 3 – THE SECRET OF THE “ORGANIZATION” MEMBERS’ NAMES [Page 3 - View Image]

Looking a little more in-depth in the game: about Castle Oblivion, what world is it a part of? In the endng scene of the previous installment, Sora runs up a path that ends up in a crossroad. It is accurate to think that Castle Oblivion is at the end of one of those paths. This isn’t explained in the egame but the building’s upper floors and underground floors respectively represent the Light and Darkness of memories.

In the opening, there is a scene where Namine drawing Castle Oblivion and that image overlaps with the real thing but does that mean that the Castle was created out of Namine’s drawing? That is incorrect. Castle Oblivion is under the orders of a member of the “org”, Marluxia and Namine is taken there by them. Within the Castle, the org members are conducting a little research but the real meaning of the “Organization” will be explained fuly in KHII. For now those aspects remain obscur so it is a relativeley enigmatic group. Incidently, there are 13 members in the Organization, therefor some have yet to be introduced.

CONTINUED… [Page 4 - View Image]

About the Org. members’ names, they all seem to have an ‘x’ in them when translated into english. Although it gives them an otherworldly sound, in their case there is another trick behind the choice of their names. It’s just that, with the members that appeared this time, it is difficult to figure this out. I’m planning on making characters appear in KH2 with names that will make you go “Aaaaah. I got it.”

Speaking of not understanding, the identify of the leader of the Organization is also an enigma. “Isn’t it Ansem?” or “Isn’t it the one bandaged in red?” are just some of the theories I guess some of you have thought of. The thing is, KH2 is, even for me, unfolding in developing in such a complex way that at this stage nothing may be pronounced with certainty. Thanks to those membrs of the “Organization”, I think KH2 will be quite an interesting and fun story.

By “the one bandaged in red”, you mean DiZ? Yes. DiZ will be one of the most important characters in the story to come and holds the answer to many questions. But, what he is thinking and what he wants is unclear to his entourage. When you learn his identity, you’ll possibly be suprised.

Is there a link between the name DiZ and Disney? It was suggested that it would be his name because a few members of the staff liked it. I also put it in because of a reason but… i’ll try to remember what that was until next time (laugh).

In the newly introduced “Org.” members, which is your favorite? A: I guess that would be Axel. He is also very popular with a majority of the other members of the staff. Given that he is furter given delicious roles in KH2… Axel’s true motivations, though I cannot tell them now, are a great story. You could cry. The scene where he tells you what he really wants is one scene you simply cannot miss in KH2.

SECTION 4 – WHO IS THE KID WHO APPEARS IN THE ENDING? [Page 5 - View Image]

Why didn’t Sephiroth appear this time? Since he had been given the role in KH: Final Mix, the fans wouldn’t forgive me if the next time I used him, I didn’t give him a role more closely related to Cloud. If I am to use him, I want him to stand out and that is why he did not appear this time. However I am thinking of a little something with Cloud in KH2…

In the ending of Riku’s story, Riku chooses neither the path of Light nor Darkness, but the road in-between. How will that choice affect him as one who wields the keyblade? What Riku is thinking at that point will become clear later. He decides to follow the road in-between to achieve a certain goal. Riku’s story was about “What is my relation with the Darkness?”, but some things, such as what he is, have yet to be explained.

At that point, DiZ says “The road to twilight…”, but does that have a relation with Twilight Town? Yes, it does. This will again be talked about in KH2, but… twilight, that is the time when it is neither day nor night. That theme of being in-between light and dark is central to KH2. In the previous installment it talked more about being of either Light or Dark, but this time we’ve added being “in the middle”. That is why there now is a Twilight Town and a Riku who folows neither Light nor Dark, but both. Twilight Town is the first world to appear in KH2, too. It is very different opening from the Destiny Islands abundant with light you begin the previous installment on and people who played KH might say “What’s this?” and get confused. However, I plan to give that confusion further depth as the story goes on.

During this game, Twilight Town is presented as being: “A town built out of the memories of Sora’s otehr side.” Yes. But, let’s just say it’s not a town that is in Sora’s own memories. It’s not that Sora has any memory of that town but… hmmmm… there is a link. It is a very important part in KH2 so it’s difficult to explain.

At the end of Riku’s story we see a young kid standing in Twilight Town. Who is he? He is a new character to appear in KH2 and he holds a very important part to play, too. I will refrain from too much detail but he is to be a playable character. Besides him, many of the secret characters from the previous installment’s secret movies will appear in KH2. I plan to explain what the situations depicted in the secret movies signify.

SECTION 5 – THE WORLD OF KINGDOM HEARTS EXPANDING ON MANY FRONTS

There is a KH card game that is being released. I guess you take part in that as well? Indeed. Actually, i’ve never played a card game. I didn’t know any of the rules the card games currently released have, so I had to think of what could make the game fun myself. Then when it was decided that there would be a KH card game I wanted them to use the rules I had made up, but I realized that this was too difficult. So I decided to make it a KH card game in its own right. I was told to give up quite a few ideas while developing it. You might see that in the simplistic design the cards ended up in.

There were also some cards with designs from KH2, right? The publisher TOMY talked about making this a long term project. That is why I suggested featuring characters such as The King not only from CoM, but from KH2 as well. The lineup for quite a few future packs have already been decided. There also is quite a non-exhaustive list of the characters I want to appear and I have to design quite a few of them and it’s tiresome. It seems my commitment with card games might go as far as that with video games

CONTINUED… [Page 6 - View Image]

Are there other fronts on which you plan to develop the KH franchise? There’s those chess pieces we revealed at the Game Show. They are considerably well done. There are many femaile fans for KH which is rather different from the other goodies we release. So we’re looking into developing more female oriented products. There are plenty of ideas in that respect when it comes to KH so please look forward to it.

We have heard that in America, there is a KH being developed for the mobile phone. There are quite a few things concerning that… Officially it has nothing to do with the original KH. It’s completely different. The title is KH, Sora makes an appearance but the story has nothing to do whatsoever with KH, CoM, and KH2, we’re developing since Disney is designing it.

SECTION 6 – BEYOND KHII?

The story is carrying on to KH2, but is there a story that will continue CoM itself? This game system is very fun to use so I want to use it again the future. However, CoM doesn’t really have a story in itself but, is just a piece of a much larger story. Right now, I feel that making a CoM 2 is a very difficult thing indeed.

Within yourself, have you been thinking far in terms of the story of the world of KH? No, for now it’s been decided on how KH2 will end but I really haven’t been thinking beyond that. All the enigmas that arose in KH and CoM will be solved in KH2 so it is possible to end it all then and there. However, quite a few new mysteries are glimpsed at in KH2 so it isn’t impossible to create another story afterwards. The question now is “shall it be done?”.

But will KH2 feature secret movies that glimpse into a possible sequal again? I quite like secret movies so there might something in KH2… But first, we need to finish KH2 (laughs).

Besides Kh2 you are developing quite a few other titles. Well apart from KH2 i’m also commited to “Compilation of FF7″, with AC (Advent Children), BC (Before Crisis), CC (Crisis Core), and DC (Dirge of Cerberus). Then there’s also Samurai Legend Musashi and another, that makes six… not counting the other projects that might being to develop soon.

That’s quite a number. It’s not exactly a burden, though. I’m surrounded by a staff that makes most things possible. After I think of the concept, the rest is cooperative between all of us. After that, the staff do a lot of the work and i’m consulted and give the “go signals and set things back on track sometimes.

We heard you once went to the ER in America, but since, you’ve been working so hard, is your body’s health alright? Quite a few people are indeed worried for my health so three years ago I ended up going to the doctor’s. I was actually perfectly fine and people around me were “You’re not human.” and “you can do even more?!” (laughs).

SECTION 7 – HAVING FINISHED KH: COM

Finally, how do you feel now that you’ve finished CoM? In the days following the release, I felt similarly to the way I felt after that of the previous installment. The players were first saying “Not that we’re complaining, but it is a kind of worrying title” and similar feedback rose. This is what I call a good feeling. Indeed, similarly to the previous installment, as the feedback of more and more players came to me, the popularity increased and that makes me really happy.

The previous installment, for a contemporary game, has become quite a long running hit. Indeed. But this installment isn’t exactly the concept I originally had in mind… as well as being portable, it was designed so that you could interrupt your game at any time but with CoM, once you start, it’s hard to put down. (laugh) That is a truly happy feeling. So much data in such a small catridge which I think is for players to explore. It is all connected with KH2 so I reallly hope that fans of the previous installment will play this game

Continued… [Page 7 - View Image]

When we play CoM, we really being to feel anxious for KH2. KH2 is a lot faster than the previous installment but, still within limits. But, please look forward to it. Though I can’t really say this myself, KH2 is really looking to become a bloody great episode. It’s as if we just crammed into it all we thought of KH and CoM. The volume of it isn’t exactly many times that of the previous installment but i’m really beginning to scratch my heart as to if it’s all going to hold on a single DVD-ROM. (Note: This interview was before the one where it was stated 2 discs would be used)

We’re eager to find out what new worlds will be featured, too. We’ve already revealed Mulan’s world, but there will also be a very suprising world. As much as The Nightmare Before Christmas’ Halloween Town was in the preview installment. You’ll probally think “What is he thinking!?”. The characters of those worlds will also be very well modelized as we have worked hard on those polygons.

The more we talk about it, the more we want to playy KH2, but when exactly will it be released!? Due to a lot of factors, it is very difficult to say at this point. All I can say is that it will be released after FF7: Advent Children. (laughs)

(11.04.2004 with the cooperation of Square-Enix) Translated by Mors, credit to Seraphim for the Scans and DKGerbil for typing pages 4-7

Tetsuya Nomura- Gameography: KH, FF5,6,7,8,10,10-2, Parasite Eve, Parasite Eve 2, The Bouncer.

[A secret known by him alone] The 13 members of The Org. as well as having numbers, have powers attributed to each of them. Thus Axel was fire, Larxene was thunder, Lexaeus was earth, and Marluxia’s flower shaped scythe was representing his power over flowers

Q: Sora does the drive mode with Goofy in the demo. Are there other drive modes with different characters in the game?

Nomura: I can’t really say.

Q: Are there any other characters that aren’t Disney but help the main character?

Nomura: I can’t answer that.

Q: How often do Disney reps see the game?

Nomura: They don’t really see it in development at all.

Q: Are there problems working with Disney?

Nomura: Keeping and managing multiple worlds where the rules are rigid is one of the main problems.

Q: You were able to turn the limits of the Disney universe into the game’s strengths. Why do so few companies manage to do that?

Nomura: We don’t really want to break a world view. As far as Kingdom Hearts II is concerned, we’ve already made Kingdom Hearts I, so it wasn’t as hard — we just based it on that. The same thing goes for Chain of Memories. The game itself is based on Sora’s memories and is just a step up from Kingdom Hearts I, so it’s basically based on Kingdom Hearts I.

Q: What would you describe as the target audience for Kingdom Hearts II?

Nomura: Since the games are based on Final Fantasy, we think Final Fantasy to be the center of the target audience. For Kingdom Hearts it’s maybe a lower age audience, or a higher age audience than Final Fantasy.

Q: Since they have Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII on cell phones and a movie based on Final Fantasy VII, will Kingdom Hearts ever be on another platform or in another media? Nomura: Final Fantasy is our property so we can do whatever we want to, but Kingdom Hearts it’s half Disney, so we can’t use the property as we please.

Q: How much was reused between Kingdom Hearts I and Kingdom Hearts II? As a director, what’s exciting about melding the two game universes?

Nomura: For the first question, although there are many similar elements we actually recreated the game engine [for Kingdom Hearts II] from scratch, so we didn’t import any data from Kingdom Hearts I. It’s 100% new. Although it’s the same world, it’s completely new. As for the second question, Disney has different touches for each character, for example The Nightmare Before Christmas. The same goes for Final Fantasy. It’s a different world for every series we have. Each different world has different values. Like with Final Fantasy, there are lots of non human, sub-human races, and it was easy to fuse the two worlds together. As long as it made sense, it wasn’t that big a deal.

Q: What makes your team special enough to work on Kingdom Hearts?

Nomura: I can’t really think about comparing with other titles, but as a team, we try to put our effort on every little detail and aspect with the game. We make every level max level. We even put effort on particles and leaves in the game. The staff itself is eagerly waiting for the game to come out — they want to play it quickly, which is a bit strange amongst the games I’ve made until now.

Q: Have you considered doing a different kind of property other than Disney? And, have you considered bringing Enix characters into the game. Nomura: For the first question, there have been talks with other companies about using characters, but we’re too busy with Kingdom Hearts 2 and other titles I’m on. We’d like to do it but not now because of time constraints. As for Enix characters, we cannot talk about it [laughs].

Q: How was it working with Disney? Did you have to take anything out of the game at their request? Nomura: We don’t really put anything in the game that we though Disney wouldn’t want in the first place, so there haven’t been any big issues.

Q: Can you give us an idea of what your studio looks like?

Nomura: We have different sections within the dev team, such as modelers and motion capturers. Everyone does their own job and everyone is happy about it. No one is sad or gloomy. Everyone is pretty much enjoying themselves.

Q: Have you explored the possibility of bringing Kingdom Hearts to PSP in the future?

Nomura: The producer told me that until all my projects are done, don’t touch the PSP. [laughter]

Q: Any chance that other characters from Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts will make it to feature films from Disney?

Nomura: Actually, I’m not sure when it comes to movies, but we do have Advent Children as a movie, although I believe it’s presently more of a visual software than a movie. I can’t really tell — you’d have to ask at the upper levels of the company.

Q: Any chances of Square Enix character being in a Disney movie? Nomura: Definitely not.

Q: Looking back to the start of Kingdom Hearts, I was wondering how it happened. Was it something that started in a bar or something?

Nomura: The producer, Mr. Hashimoto, met one of the executives of Disney in the elevators — we used to work in the same building.

Q: In Kingdom Hearts I, the Nigthmare Before Christmas level was somewhat of a surprising level because it wasn’t like the other levels. Can we expect any surprising Disney choices for Kingdom Hearts II?

Nomura: We have a bigger surprise for you.

Q: Can you use the wireless adapter to exchange cards and so-forth in Chains of Memories?

Nomura: Can’t say yet.

Q: Are you using any middleware to create the game?

Nomura: We’re working with AM3, which produces software that allows the GBA to play anime movies. We use the technology to play movies in the game.

Q: Who is your favorite Disney character and what was the last Disney movie you saw?

Nomura: Simba. Because I like Lions. [laughter]

Q: What was the biggest criticism you got for the first game and how did you go about fixing it?

Nomura: We had complaints about the camera. It has been modified and it’s must better, as you’ll see at TGS.

Q: How many projects are you part of right now?

Nomura: Six, along with others that I can’t really can’t mention.

Q: Anything in Kingdom Hearts II that you did and you loved but Disney made you pull out?

Nomura: Yes. But, we can’t really talk about it or Disney will do something to me. [laughter]

Q: You mentioned that you’re currently working on six projects. How many of them are not current generation games?

Nomura: The six projects I’m working for have been announced and they’re all current platforms. Advent Children is PSP. As for the ones I can’t comment on, we don’t know what’s going to happen to them.

Q: How much work did you put into the movies for Chain of Memories to create what you wanted?

Nomura: We did have lots of things that we wanted to put in but we had to take out because the ROM itself is limited.

Q: How many minutes of movies are in the game.

Nomura: You’ll find out soon. It’s a big surprise.

Q: How long is Chain of Memories?

Nomura: It’s a secret. You’ll be able to play for dozens of hours.

Q: Have you seen the new PS2 design? What do you think of it?

Nomura: It’s very thin.

GMR: Why did you guys decide to make a Kingdom Hearts game for GBA? Why not tell this entire story within the context of Kingdom Hearts II?

Tetsuya Nomura: The story for Kingdom Hearts II already existed when we worked on the original Kingdom Hearts. At the time, the story for Chain of Memories wasn’t concrete. Kingdom Hearts II continues where we left off in the original, but a year later. Initially, we weren’t planning on telling the story of that one “blank” year, but the more we started disscussing the GBA version, the more we thought it would be to do so in Chain of Memories.

GMR: How much busier are you now that you are directing multiple games? Is it more satisfying than when you were doing mostly character designs?

TN: Extremely busy. I don’t have any time to myself. Since I get to do most of the decision making on my projects, it is definitely a different level of satisfaction compared to when I mostly did character designs.

(GMR then asked a couple of questions about the characters, Nomura mostly replied with “We’ll reveal the characters soon”)

GMR: Kingdom Hearts made Disney cool again and also shattered the notion that Disney games were only for kids. In hindsight, how do you feel about Kingdom Hearts’ massive success?

TN: “Shattered the notion that Disney games were only for kids.” That is exactly what I had set out to do, so I’m glad you saw it that way. However, I believe the sequel will really tell us if Kingdom Hearts is a success or not.

GMR: Chain of Memories is primarily a one-man show, despite appearances by nearly everyone from the first game. Why put the focus on Sora?

TN: Kingdom Hearts is Sora’s story…and especially in Chain of Memories, Sora’s memories play an important role.

GMR: Who is Axel and what is his part in Chain of Memories? He is also in the trailer for Kingdom Hearts II; He must play a significant role.

TN: As you can see in the assets we have released, he is one of the guys who belongs in the group wearing the long black cloaks. His role and purpose hold the key to Kingdom Hearts II and Chain of Memories, so I cannot discuss details at this time. However, as one of the “members” of the group, Axel’s role “links” the two games, and he appears fairly early in the game.

GMR: With the first Kingdom Hearts, two of the biggest complaints were the camera and the extreme difficulty level (for people who suck at videogames or the youngins). Are you adjusting KH2 to be more user-friendly to gamers?

TN: Of course we are…no need to worry.

GMR:Are you making adjustments to the battle engine? If so, how will this affect KH2? Will the game have the same balance of exploration and battle as the first Kingdom Hearts, or will it skew toward one or the other?

TN:We are doing without the engine from the original and built a new one for KH2. That is because we realized the limitations of the original engine, and in order to create a better game we had to come up with a new one. I believe the biggest appeal of KH is its battle elements, so I think you’ll be surprised how we’ve changed it. We’re not just focusing on battles either-we’re including quests in battle.

GMR: Are you planning to include Utada Hikaru (who provided the theme song “Simple and Clean”)in the soundtrack again? We know you’re a fan.

TN: We cannot answer this question at this time.

(GMR went on to ask questions about the possibilty of a KH movie, which in short Nomura denied the possibility, they also asked a question about FFVII:Advent Children which I will not include at the moment.)

GMR:Is Mickey the most powerful character in the Kingdom Hearts universe?

TN: I have yet to reveal the most powerful character. But I’m confident that you’ll be surprised by Mickey’s role.

GMR: Will players need to play Chain of Memories in order to keep track of key events in KH2?

TN: As I mentioned earlier, since the story for Chain of Memories did not exist when we already had one for KH2, you won’t be put in a position where you have to play Chain of Memories. However, in order to see and know everything in the world of Kingdom Hearts, I recomend you play Chain of Memories (and patiently wait for KH2!).

GMR: With the first Kingdom Hearts, you took a wait-and-see approach before starting work on a sequel. Now that the series is a success, do you plan to turn Kingdom Hearts into an ongoing, Final Fantasy-sized franchise? What is the future of Kingdom Hearts?

TN: I believe that the Final Fantasy series is one that will continue forever. On the other hand, Kingdom Hearts will come to an end at some point. Whether that end comes in the next story or in several more installments, I do not know. What I do know is that I already see that “last scene” that will put an end to Kingdom Hearts.

1UP: You’re working on so many games right now — how do you have time to work on four, five projects?

Tetsuya Nomura: Well, I’m right at my limit — I’m busy, tired, jet-lagged, and sore, but I’m going to be okay.

1UP: In what we’ve seen of Chain of Memories, you go back to a lot of the familiar Kingdom Hearts locations. Does the game also feature some new locations and levels?

Nomura: Well, first of all, yes, there will be new worlds in Chain of Memories. But you know that the main theme in Chain of Memories is Sora’s memories, so you can easily imagine what kind of new Disney worlds we’ll have in Chain of Memories, and what we won’t have.

1UP: Is there a new technology that you’re using for the cutscenes in Chain of Memories, something different in the cartridge?

Nomura: Yes — we’re using a new technology to integrate all these cinema sequences in the game. It’s not a proprietary technology, we’re collaborating with a Japanese company called AM3, they’re providing us with that technology.

1UP: Is the card system something that you had in mind before you decided to make a GBA Kingdom Hearts game, or did that come about as a response to the GBA’s interface?

Nomura: Yes, before it was time to create Kingdom Hearts for GBA, I had a lot of ideas about real card games in my mind. When we first came up with the idea of doing a sequel to Kingdom Hearts on GBA, we said, hey, why not use this card system? Kingdom Hearts 1, of course, uses a 3D environment, and has a lot of original gameplay features based on that 3D environment. We couldn’t use that on GBA, so we needed to find an alternative to those features. We decided that for the 2D environment on GBA, a card system would be a pretty nice key element for the game system. Using these cards is like using the different realtime action commands in Kingdom Hearts — we wanted the cards to replace those systems, and so far we think it’s doing pretty well. Feedback from testers has said that even on GBA, they’ve had the same gameplay feeling as Kingdom Hearts.

1UP: We saw on the video, there’s the character named Axel [editor's note: black cloak, spiky red hair] in Chain of Memories, and he also appears in the Kingdom Hearts 2 trailer. Are there some things in Chain of Memories that you’ll need to see or learn about to understand Kingdom Hearts 2?

Nomura: First of all, you know that Chain of Memories is the direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts, and Kingdom Hearts 2 is the direct sequel to Chain of Memories. So there are very tight links between each one, but at the same time, we tried to separate the storylines so someone playing Kingdom Hearts 2 doesn’t necessarily need to play Chain of Memories, and someone playing Chain of Memories doesn’t have to play Kingdom Hearts as well. We first got started on the game design of Kingdom Hearts 2 before we got started on the Chain of Memories project — we started throwing around ideas for Kingdom Hearts 2, and then we got the idea of doing a Kingdom Hearts on GBA. Kingdom Hearts 2 takes place about two years after Kingdom Hearts. When we decided to do the GBA game, we thought, well, why don’t we fill in this missing link of two years in the GBA game? Yes, of course, if you play Kingdom Hearts, Chain of Memories, and then Kingdom Hearts 2, you’ll have a much better conception of the entire Kingdom Hearts universe. But you can play each game without playing the others.

1UP: About the new characters in Kingdom Hearts 2, there are the three children we see sitting on top of the building in the preview. Are those all new characters?

Nomura: Yeah, there are a lot of new characters in Kingdom Hearts 2, and those three are among them.

1UP: Do you plan to reveal any of the new worlds, Disney theme worlds, in Kingdom Hearts 2 at the Tokyo Game Show or some time in the near future?

Nomura: Yeah, we’re willing to show some of the new worlds, but we’re not sure exactly when — maybe at TGS, though.

1UP: At what part of 2005 do you hope to be able to bring the game out in the U.S.?

Nomura: We don’t know much about the U.S. release, but we believe that as soon as Final Fantasy XII is released, we can start getting a better picture of that.

1UP: Auron is the first Square character, Final Fantasy character, that we’ve seen in Kingdom Hearts 2 — why was he the first one you picked to add to the game and show?

Nomura: Actually, since Auron was one of the most popular characters with fans, we got a lot of requests from users asking us to put him in the first Kingdom Hearts. But, finally, we didn’t put him in the storyline, because the choice of who we’d feature in Kingdom Hearts isn’t only based on popularity. We have to see if that character matches well with the storyline, the Kingdom Hearts universe, and so on. This time, you saw that the Hercules world is back again, and we use the character of Hades. We thought that there could be a link between Hades and the underworld in the Olympus world, and in Final Fantasy X, Auron is also representative of the underworld. So we thought we could do something special with the relationship between those characters.

1UP: Personally, what do you think of the new PSP and DS hardware?

Nomura: Well, I tested some of the prototypes of both PSP and DS, as far as I know, I’m very interested in how to use those two. The two platforms are very different, I found that interesting. But since I already have five titles I’m involved in, I’m so busy, my bosses have said, “If you try and take on another project for another console, you’ll die.”

TechTV: Were you surprised by the worldwide success of “Kingdom Hearts”?

Tetsuya Nomura: I knew I was going to make something that was going to be new and interesting and exciting, but to be honest I didn’t think it was going to be as big as what it has become. I’m surprised by the acceptance of “Kingdom Hearts” in the North American market. Compared to Japan, it’s actually been more well-received and a better seller in the States.

TechTV: How much freedom did you have when it came to the Disney characters and worlds?

Nomura: Overall the process was quite smooth. There weren’t any big restrictions or a set of guidelines we were given. Disney has its worlds already created, and there’s no reason for us to change that, so it wasn’t to a point where they had to lead us and take our hands. It was more us trying to bring out the best of what is already made as far as Disney characters go. The only thing we were careful of doing was staying within the characters’ established roles and what kind of dialog these characters should have. That’s something we all tried to stay within certain boundaries on.

TechTV: What type of game is “Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories”? What will the gameplay be like?

Nomura: We’re currently still in the early stages of development, so we can’t reveal all the details, but overall it will play very much like the original “Kingdom Hearts.” There is a new element, a deck of cards, that we have revealed already that will closely intertwine with the way you play the game, but outside of that it will feel like and play like what you’re used to in the original.

TechTV: When does “Chain of Memories” take place?

Nomura: The story will start immediately after what you saw at the end of the original. Sora, Donald, and Goofy go out and continue their search for the king in a vast field, and that’s where “Chain of Memories” will pick up. Take note, “Kingdom Hearts” fans. Skip “Chain of Memories” and you’ll be missing a big chunk of the story leading up to “Kingdom Hearts II.” Speaking of which…

TechTV: Since “Kingdom Hearts” featured Disney worlds, will “Kingdom Hearts II” feature Disney worlds or “Final Fantasy” worlds or both?

Nomura: What I can say is that [of the] Disney worlds introduced in the original “Kingdom Hearts,” a handful will be revisited in the sequel, and there will also be original worlds created for “Kingdom Hearts II,” much like Hollow Bastion was in the original.

TechTV: How long after “Kingdom Hearts” does “Kingdom Hearts II” take place?

Nomura: The story of “Kingdom Hearts II” begins a year after the end of “Kingdom Hearts.”

TechTV: What does the future hold for “Kingdom Hearts”? Would you like to see it become a long-running series like “Final Fantasy,” or do you have a finite vision for the series?

Nomura: In the “Final Fantasy” series each installment has had a new set of characters and a new story, which keeps it going. But in “Kingdom Hearts” Sora is the main character. So obviously, with us only playing as one main character in this series, keeping that character alive and interesting will be a challenge. For every character there must be an end, although I don’t know when or what the end of Sora’s journey will be. In the future, sometime, there might be an end, but for now I will continue to explore Sora and his story.

We had to ask about the three young characters in the “Kingdom Hearts II” trailer. Unfortunately, Nomura-san didn’t have much to say about them yet.

Nomura: They are friends.

Dengeki PlayStation magazine: When did the plans for Kingdom Hearts II come up?

Tetsuya Nomura: The plans were around since the time when Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix, wrapped production, but the specifics weren’t decided until this July or August.

DPM: Why did you decide to produce a Game Boy version of Kingdom Hearts?

TN: I heard a story that kids wanted to play Kingdom Hearts on the GBA. It also seemed that there was a similar demand overseas, so I thought that it had to be created. The plans for the GBA game were thought over while talking with Disney about Kingdom Hearts II. Actually, the vision of the game didn’t become concrete until very recently.

DPM: None of the worlds of Disney in Kingdom Hearts II have been revealed. Will it be possible to go through different worlds in Kingdom Hearts II as well?

TN: Of course. The number of worlds in Kingdom Hearts II shouldn’t be less than Kingdom Hearts, so please look forward to it. Kingdom Hearts II will have new worlds, and some worlds from Kingdom Hearts will be in the game.

DPM: Will Twilight Town hold the same kind of standpoint in the game, like Traverse Town from Kingdom Hearts?

TN: I can’t answer that question, but it is definitely a town that plays an important role and comes into the scenario.

DPM: The illustration (of Twilight Town) has a building that looks like a train station. Will it be possible to go to other worlds by riding on this train?

TN: I can’t answer that question yet, but that building has an important meaning.

DPM: Is the island that has been revealed (through a recently released photo) Destiny Island from Kingdom Hearts?

TN: Probably. (Laughs) I can’t reveal details yet, so users should try using their imagination.

DPM: Kingdom Hearts II’s main illustration shows Mickey Mouse, but will he be appearing at the beginning of the game?

TN: Mickey Mouse will be handled in a special way in Kingdom Hearts II, so I can’t answer details at the current time. Other characters from Disney will join in the player’s party, similar to Kingdom Hearts.

DPM: Will Sora’s friends, Riku and Kairi, appear in Kingdom Hearts II?

TN: A major point to Kingdom Hearts II is whether or not Sora will be able to see them again. So I can’t answer that question.

DPM: It seems that there are characters that appear in both the GBA game and KHII?

TN: There are characters that make their first appearances in the GBA game, but please wait for additional news releases for information on them.

DPM: The enemy in Kingdom Hearts II is no longer just the Heartless this time? Also, there are men wearing black jackets, but are they the same people from Kingdom Hearts?

TN: The white enemies seen in Kingdom Hearts II are third forces following the Villains [in each world] and the Heartless from Kingdom Hearts. I can’t say who’s who amongst the people in the black jackets, but a character from Kingdom Hearts is among them for sure.

DPM: Are there any major changes in the battle system?

TN: The basis (of the battle system) is still the same, but there will be a number of totally new options. With the additional options implemented to the battle system, there should be a wider range of possible strategies in Kingdom Hearts II. There are also a number of changes and additions to the magic and summons in the game. The overall concept of summoning will be different in Kingdom Hearts II, so please look forward.

DPM: What about actions and the transportation system?

TN: There were a variety of actions in Kingdom Hearts, and there will be even more in KHII. As for the gummy ship, we are thinking of something similar to it.

DPM: What about puzzles?

TN: There will probably be lots of objects on the field that the player will be able to meddle with. The story will obviously be complex and have some puzzles in it too, since it continues from points alluded to in Kingdom Hearts.

DPM: Will there be a place like the Coliseum from Kingdom Hearts and other minigames in Kingdom Hearts II?

TN: The coliseum will be incredible. There will also be a lot of minigame factors that can be looked forward to.

DPM: Will all the mysteries from Kingdom Hearts get answered?

TN: All the mysteries from Kingdom Hearts will be answered in Kingdom Hearts II–by design. (Laughs)

--Having Disney's Princesses be captured and held in the same place, and in that way having them appear in the game together, worked well, didn't it?

Nomura: To begin with, I wanted to put in a scene where all the Princesses were captured and being held at Hollow Bastion, and the various movies' Princes come to save them. That idea in itself ended up being no good, but we managed to keep the part with the Princesses in the final game.

--Did you yourself decide which Disney properties to include as worlds in the game?

Nomura: When I was working on the game by myself at the start, I did most of the choosing of worlds. At that time, there were a lot more worlds. Including original worlds, I think there were more than 20. Ultimately, talking with the design staff, we cut worlds here and there and ended up with the current number.

--What sort of criteria did you use to select worlds?

Nomura: Well, as you'd have thought, popularity was at the top of our list. We chose worlds which are reasonably well-known. We also chose those with characters who looked like they would be fun to put in motion, and who would make interesting, involving settings.

--By the way, is there a reason why Mickey Mouse, who you might call Disney's symbol character, only appears in one scene?

Nomura: Actually, due to contractual issues, we were only able to use him in one scene. So I thought hard about where to put him in.

--Oh, so you had that sort of contractual restrictions then? If so, you used him in a very effective way, didn't you.

Nomura: Disney gave us permission for a role such as waving from the back of a crowd of people in town, but if we were going to use him, I thought we should use him in a single shot to leave the greatest impression. So there was only that one place that we could use him in, really.

--Also, about Cloud, isn't the left-hand side of his design modelled on FFVII's Vincent?

Nomura: Yes, his left arm is in Vincent's image. This time, in this setting, Cloud is leaning towards the dark side, and I wanted to make him a bit more demon-like. And, since Vincent was exactly that kind of design, I just added it in. Although I would have liked to put Vincent in the game too...

--We'd also like to ask a setting-type question about Cloud. Was he originally from Hollow Bastion?

Nomura: In the Kingdom Hearts setting, at any rate, yes.

--In which case, when Cid took the others and escaped from Hollow Bastion, was Cloud left behind?

Nomura: He was just lost in the confusion, he wasn't really left behind (laughs). Because presumably Cid and co were escaping in the midst of the disarray.

--Okay then, so the person who Cloud is searching for is Aeris, right?

Nomura: Well, what do you think? If indeed it was Aeris, then the bit in the ending was the answer. You might say it was made so that you can take it that way. Cloud is a popular character, and I don't really want to decide myself, yes he is like this. Because players make strong conclusions by themselves, I want to leave room for everyone's line of thought.

--Mr. Nomura, what did you most want to portray in this project's story?

Nomura: For the story, simply put, "connections"...... I wanted to portray the idea that people are not physically connected. Well, I think that is already thoroughly incorporated in the story though. Even apart, things which are connected are still connected.

--When we heard it was a Disney game, we were expecting a much simpler story, but in fact it's really a story that allows the player to think about many different things, isn't it?

Nomura: Yeah, regarding that, we talked about concentrating on the gameplay and just making a simple story, and we also thought about Disney's target age range, and though maybe we should avoid a complex story. But at a point when we had the project set out to a certain degree, I got a talk from Mr. Sakaguchi, saying that if we didn't aim for the level that FF does, this project would be a failure. Well, I understood what he was saying. So, for the game's contents...... The gameplay was always the same sort of thing from the start, but we improved the story greatly. At the beginning, we were thinking we'd make the story extremely simple. At that time, when characters like Ansem didn't even exist, we were thinking that you'd kill Maleficent and the game would end there.

--Right then, we'd like to ask you some questions about that improved story. First, was Kairi coming to Destiny Islands fate, or was it just coincidence?

Nomura: It was both. It's not shown in this game, and it's a delicate issue whether I can call this a living setting, but anyway Kairi was sent out from Hollow Bastion by Ansem's hand. And the reason why Ansem sent her was to find the Keyblade. There was actually evidence of that in the jail at the End of the World. Ansem thought that girls who are princesses would be sure to make it to the place of the Keyblade. So Kairi coming to the place with Sora and Riku was both chance, and also fate.

--Do you mean to say that there are other "Keyblade Heroes"?

Nomura: Well, undoubtedly there are other "Keyblade Heroes", but it just so happened that this time, Kairi made it to the world where Riku and Sora were. That's all.

--About Riku being the rightful owner of the Keyblade - why is it that Sora had the Keyblade first?

Nomura: That part is also a bit vague. In the Destiny Islands when Riku is swallowed by the darkness, there's a sparkle of light, and next comes the scene where Sora first gets the Keyblade, right? In my setting, the darkness wrapping itself around those two is the darkness of Riku's heart. At the moment when Sora enters that darkness, the light you can see is the light of the heart. Sora, trying to help Riku, struggling in the darkness, touches that light and temporarily the Keyblade goes to Sora.

--Also, Kairi's grandmother tells her a story about "the world once perishing and being recreated by the light of the children." Is this "world recreated by the light of the children" in fact referring to all the worlds in the game?

Nomura: Yes, that's right. But that story wasn't history, it was a fairy tale. It doesn't mean that story equals the world's history precisely. Although, there is a certain degree of overlapping.

--When you look at the computer in the "World's Prison", there is a message with a very deep meaning. It says, "Two will seal the Door of Darkness." Who specifically is it referring to?

Nomura: Well, judging by what happens (in the game), one of them is obviously Sora. As for the other one, you could take it as either; there's both Riku and the King. And for the "two keys" after that, there are both the keys that Sora and the King have, but also there's the presence of Sora and Riku.

--At the end, it seems Kairi is left in the Destiny Islands. Doesn't she return to Hollow Bastion?

Nomura: Right. I often get asked about this part, but it's actually explained in the game. The Princesses tell Sora that everyone will be able to return to the place they were when their world was destroyed. Kairi disappeared in the Destiny Islands, so she returned there. Because she was physically sent from Hollow Bastion to the Destiny Islands, so she never actually "disappeared" from there.

--In the ending, Riku and the King are on the other side of the door. Why is that?

Nomura: As far as the King is concerned, he was on the other side from the beginning. He disappeared because he went to the world on the other side in order to find one of the two keys. There, he has his own adventure in the same way as Sora. As for Riku: his body stolen by Ansem, his heart did not remain in this world. The other side of the door is, just as it appears, darkness. So Riku's heart went to the world on the other side, that is to say just as Ansem was saying at the end, the world of darkness. Thus, when Ansem disappears and Riku returns to his original body, he is in the world of darkness.

--Well then, when Riku has returned to his own body, why doesn't he come back to the world on this side?

Nomura: That's another thing I've been asked by lots of people, but the answer is actually written in the World's Prison computer message. It is implied there that only darkness can pass through that door. Riku and the King are not creatures of darkness, so they can't come out through that door.