Dates and locations for her concert tour in Japan have also been revealed. You can view the dates and locations below.
Will you be pre-ordering "Hatsukoi"? Let us know in the comments below!
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Dates and locations for her concert tour in Japan have also been revealed. You can view the dates and locations below.
Will you be pre-ordering "Hatsukoi"? Let us know in the comments below!
With a title like “Classic Kingdom,” the trailer expertly hooks viewers in with a poignant call to gamers’ nostalgia in the form of LCD inspired minigames created through the unreal engine!
But first, the graphics!
We start off with Sora and Co. in an updated Twilight Town surrounded by Haynes, Pence, and Olette in new outfits. This is the first time the Twilight trio have been seen in the unreal engine and they look fantastic. They're rocking a new style, involving plaid similarly to Riku’s new makeover, but they are still similar enough to be recognizable as Roxas’ easygoing pals from Kingdom Hearts II.
Sora is in the middle of the group holding a device. In the next shot we see him and Donald and Goofy staring at a device he’s holding as well before we cut to the LCD goods (cue adorable soundtrack).
Next we are introduced to Sora, Mickey, and Minnie in 2D, moving in a way similar to Mr. Game-And-Watch. We are then treated to a montage sequence of four mini games.
First Sora and Mickey are introduced in the new gameplay style, traversing across unstable building beams being arranged by Pete to reach Minnie. Then the games start. Each one is based off a classic Disney cartoon with the same name.
The first game is called “The Barnyard Battle.” It is a rhythm game in which Mickey and Sora shift from left to right, bopping cows falling to the sides of them. It works similar in the vein of Dance Dance Revolution (and looks just as punishing).
The second game, “The Karnival Kid,” involves Sora working hard as a server, cooking hot dogs and piling up a specific dish upwards in the direction of a wanting customer (ranging from Goofy, Mickey, and beyond). Players will be able to tell the specifics of the order based on the speech bubble that shows up over the customer’s head.
“Giantland” is the next game shown with Sora working to avoid a giant’s tantrum through various obstacles before swinging on chandeliers above him to reach Mickey. This was the only minigame shown previously at the D23 Event 2017 in Japan. It’s nice to see its return here.
Lastly, “Musical Farmer” is the final minigame shown which has Sora shifting tubes and collecting eggs that birds drop down the tubes into baskets before delivering them to either Mickey or Minnie on the sidelines.
The trailer ends with Sora smiling at the pseudo-Switch-looking device before turning excitedly towards his friends. It's a great detailed close-up that really highlights Sora’s eyes and facial features. The graphics continue to improve with each trailer giving fans much hope for the finished product.
But if you need a break from fighting heartless, these minigames should take you back to a simpler time. It serves as a nice reprieve and great addition to the various series of minigames in the Kingdom Hearts series along with the aesthetics of the Timeless River world in Kingdom Hearts II. No matter how much time passes, it looks like there will always be room for the classics and it's great to see Square Enix pull inspiration from early Disney cartoons once again! I’m looking forward to seeing what the others have in store.
As someone who was lucky enough to experience a few of these games at the event itself, I think they are a great addition. “Karnival Kid” really had me on my toes. Cooking isn't easy folks!
What were your favorite parts of this new trailer? Who thinks they’ll become addicted to these new minigames? And how do you feel about the Twilight trio’s new look?
If there are any details I missed please let me know in the comments below! I hope you enjoyed this analysis!
You can catch the charming trailer here. Don't forget to check on our live coverage of the event here for more details on some gameplay and other exciting info on Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross]!
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Due to being one of the attendees of the Dandelion Meeting, I am able to give a written summary on the gameplay of the demo I played, as well as my personal impressions of the demo. Since attendees were lined up to play, we were directed to quickly take our seats, unfortunately giving us little to no choice as to the game each attendee was playing. The game I happened to be seated at was Musical Farmer, and I was given five minutes to play.
The Musical Farmer minigame is loosely based on the 1932 Mickey Mouse cartoon of the same name. Within the game, six hens are laying numerous eggs which fall slowly through six pipes. Several of the pipes are joined by a segment that Sora can rotate to complete a given pipe’s path, at the expense of another pipe being blocked off. At the bottom of the three ending pipes, there are three boxes which can each accept up to six eggs. Sora can then descend the ladder and pass the egg boxes to the left or right. If a box is passed to another box’s position, the two boxes swap places.
The goal of the game is to pass egg-filled boxes to Mickey and Minnie on either edge of the screen, increasing the player’s score. After a given number of eggs is reached, the round ends and a new round begins, with a higher amount of eggs needed to complete the next round. If an egg hits one of the aforementioned intersections and cannot continue through the pipe (see pipes 2 and 6 in the above image), the egg breaks and Sora loses one of three lives. The board is cleared, and the player begins again, keeping the same score and amount of eggs collected in the round. A similar situation happens if an egg hits the ground as Sora is passing a box to Mickey or Minnie, or if an egg falls onto a box that already has six eggs. Upon losing all three lives, the game is over, and the player’s score is presumably recorded. (Unfortunately, I can not confirm this last point, as neither I nor the two players adjacent to me lost all of our lives in the time allotted.)
Overall, I enjoyed Musical Farmer quite a lot! While the game is indeed simple in its mechanics, I found it genuinely addictive, and several other attendees I talked to were enamored during their play sessions, as well. The art style is both a faithful recreation of the classic Musical Farmer cartoon (complete with the Timeless River rendition of Sora), and an exact match to the Game & Watch handhelds and others like them. Unfortunately, the venue was quite loud, so I could not hear any music from the game itself, but I would not be surprised if Square Enix decided to use a chiptune version of the music from the cartoon itself, which audibly complements both of the above aspects of the visuals. Hearing something like that would absolutely complete the experience for me! I look forward to playing Musical Farmer again, along with trying the rest of the Classic Kingdom collection!
What do you think of Musical Farmer? Did you get to try one of the Classic Kingdom games at the Dandelion Meeting? Which one do you think will be your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
There are 3 different sections that you can earn points. The top 100 in each section will be chosen.
Total Logins-Players will earn points based on the total amount of login days as on April 30, 2018. Those that login more than 600 days will receive 3 points. Those that have login between 400 and 599 days will receive 2 points. Those that have login between 300 and 399 days will receive 1 point.
High Score Challenge-Players will earn points based on their ranking in the High Score Challenge. Players that rank 1st to 10th will receive 3 points. Players that rank 11th to 100th will receive 2 points. Players that rank 101st to 500th will receive 1 point.
Toon Moogle Medals-Players will earn points based on how many Toon Moogle Medals they received. [More information will be available later] Each player that has 3 copies will receive 3 points. Each player that has 2 copies will receive 2 points. Each player that has 1 copy will receive 1 point.
NOTE: You must complete the entry form during the campaign period! Entry forms must be completed by May 1st at 3:59 PM PDT (6:59 PM EDT).
What do you think of this event? Will you have a chance to get your player name in Kingdom Hearts III? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow our continuing coverage of the Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] Dandelion Meeting!
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A recorded message by co-director Tai Yasue was shown, in which he talked about Giantland and said that it was created completely with Unreal Engine 4.
In regards to LCD-type games, Kingdom Hearts III will feature over 20 different minigames! These will include elements such as carnival games, rearranging pipes, collecting eggs, and more. These games will be playable through a Game and Watch-style handheld device that Sora himself can play with; it is accessible in Twilight Town, where Sora was seen playing with it on a bench.
It's been confirmed that Giantland is the name of one of the mini-games. The mini-games are based on short films that Mickey starred in the 1930's. Two other mini-games, Barnyard Battle and Musical Farmer, were playable at the meeting.
To the delight of the audience, these minigames were made available to the attendees to play at the event! This footage was shown to those in attendance at the event and was later released on Youtube. You can view the trailer below.
Screenshots of a few of the mini-games have been released. You can view them in the gallery below.
UPDATE: News Team staff Raxaimus got a picture of one of the mini-games: The Barnyard Battle.
What do you think of the new information? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow our continuing coverage of the Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] Dandelion Meeting!
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Aptly dubbed the “Dandelion Meeting,” the event lasts from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM PDT on April 15th, 2018. The schedule in PDT is as follows:
11:30 AM: Check-in Begins 1:00 PM: Doors Open / Event Start 2:00 PM: Opening Remarks 3:00 PM: KINGDOM HEARTS Union χ[Cross] Designer Panel 6:00 PM: KINGDOM HEARTS Union χ[Cross] Developer Panel with Franchise Director Tetsuya Nomura 8:00 PM: Event Close Photography is allowed at the event; however, during panel discussions, photography and video recording are prohibited. It is currently unknown what will be showcased at the event and whether Kingdom Hearts III will make an appearance amongst the commemoration of the 2nd year anniversary of Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross].
News Team members Raxaimus and NihonScribe will be representing KH13 at the event! During this coverage, we will be keeping you up to date with info provided by attendees and all available news. Stay tuned!
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Article
Exclusive new Kingdom Hearts III video at the Dandelion Meeting reveals over 20 LCD-type minigames playable! "Make Your Mark" event coming to Union χ[Cross]; chance for your name to be included in Kingdom Hearts III! Impressions of the "Musical Farmer" minigame from the Kingdom Hearts Union χ[cross] Dandelion Meeting! KH13's "Classic Kingdom" Kingdom Hearts III trailer analysis Updates
Pre-event
Jan 29, 2018: Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] Fan Event announced for California on April 15; Tetsuya Nomura and other team members to be in attendance! Mar 9, 2018: Kingdom Hearts χ[Cross] Fan Event: Dandelion Meeting agenda update! Mar 9, 2018: Kingdom Hearts χ[Cross] Producer Hironori Okayama stopped by the Square Enix USA offices to record this greeting for the fans! Apr 10, 2018: Schedule released for the Kingdom Hearts χ[Cross]: Dandelion Meeting! Apr 13, 2018: Team Square Enix is on a quick lunch break before Sunday's Dandelion Meeting! Day 0 [Apr 12, 2018]
3:50 PM (USA PDT): News Team Staff Raxaimus sticks the landing! KH13 represent! 4:25 PM (USA PDT): Square Enix USA is starting to set everything up for the event! 4:41 PM (USA PDT): News Team Staff Raxaimus has located HMK! 5:26 PM (USA PDT): News Team Staff Raxaimus and HMK have found Churro! 8:04 PM (USA PDT): There will be a message board for the Dandelions to write on at the event tomorrow! 10:05 PM (USA PDT): A sneak peek from inside the venue as Square Enix rehearsed for tomorrow's event! Event Day
9:50 AM (USA PDT): Seems like Shinji Hashimoto will be at the #DandelionMeeting as well! Thank you @HMKilla for finding him! He said, "see you in a few"! 9:53 AM (USA PDT): Nomura is already here! 11:02 AM (USA PDT): News Team Staff NihonScribe and Raxaimus reporting at the Dandelion Meeting! 11:38 AM (USA PDT): The doors to the #DandelionMeeting should be opening NOW! Event, start! 11:44 AM (USA PDT): A Walt Disney World Resort Vacation will be awarded at 5PM! 11:51 AM (USA PDT): They are now letting everyone in! 12:00AM (USA PDT): #DandelionMeeting name tags and stamp card! 12:10 AM (USA PDT): There seems to be a lot of activities for the Dandelions at #KHUxDM! Collect stamps from Storybook 1, 2, 3, 4, Classics, Signing Wall, and a Draw Battle to redeem a special gift! 1:12 PM (USA PDT): Storybook moments showcased at #KHUxDM! 1:48 PM (USA PDT): The ticket booth sports some lovely concept art of the characters from #KHUx and Nomura's KHx[Chi] 3rd anniversary Key Art! 1:50 PM (USA PDT): If you have any pictures at Toy Story Land, be sure to share them with us! 1:57 PM (USA PDT): Stage featuring Daybreak Town present at the event! 2:00 PM (USA PDT): Disney Suits seen from the back of the stage! 2:03 PM (USA PDT): Dandelions have been playing #KHUx with special Mickey gloves and signing the message board! 2:10 PM (USA PDT): Make sure to stop by the Moogle Shop! A whole lineup of merchandise is available at the #KHUxDM! 2:15 PM (USA PDT): The concept art on display demonstrates how much work went into the making of #KHUx! 2:20PM (USA PDT): The event is also featuring Draw Battles! 2:28 PM (USA PDT): The Opening Remarks of the show is about to begin! Dandelions have been asked to take seats! 2:33 PM (USA PDT): More concept art and character stands! 2:34 PM (USA PDT): Square Enix have finally taken the stage! 2:38 PM (USA PDT): Shinji Hashimoto is on stage! 2:38 PM (USA PDT): Hashimoto-san said "My friends are my power!" and hopes we have fun at the event! 2:40 PM (USA PDT): Tetsuya Nomura is on stage! 2:44 PM (USA PDT): Giantland confirmed as mini-game for Kingdom Hearts III! 3:13 PM (USA PDT): Hayner, Pence, and Olette were reportedly shown in the exclusive KH3 video shown at the KHUxDM! 3:30 PM (USA PDT): Sora is able to play these minigames on his own handheld, accessible from Twilight Town! He was seen playing it on a bench! 3:40 PM (USA PDT): Megumi Yamamoto is going over the cutscene creation process! 3:43 PM (USA PDT): An upcoming story cutscene just played. Maleficent trapped the player in her castle, just after Prince Phillip escaped! 3:53 PM (USA PDT): There's Heartless concept art in washrooms! 3:55 PM (USA PDT): Much more information have been released during the panel! 4:00 PM (USA PDT): Producer Hironori Okayama is in Anaheim! 4:06 PM (USA PDT): The KHUx Artist Q&A is now ended! 4:25 PM (USA PDT): Attending Dandelions to receive a Chirithy giftbag! 5:03 PM (USA PDT): Hashimoto and Co. have come out to discuss Toy Story Land in Disney World and the interactive activities there! 5:10 PM (USA PDT): They are now showing a video on the development of Toy Story Land! 5:16 PM (USA PDT): There will be Toy Story Land collaboration with KHUx (North America only)! 5:20 PM (USA PDT): They have announced the winner of the Dandelions sweepstakes! Ashley wins a trip to Disney World! 5:55 PM (USA PDT): News Team Staff @RaxaimusKH13 has provided a photo of one of the mini-games: The Barnyard Battle! 6:03 PM (USA PDT): The 2nd panel has begun! Nomura is on stage 6:08 PM (USA PDT): New information concerning the Giantland minigame! Those will take the name of Classic Kingdom, and will also be available on KHUx! 6:13 PM (USA PDT): KHUx PvP Gameplay is being shown on stage! 6:22 PM (USA PDT): The demo is done, and Okiyama won against the data! New information about the PvP functioning has been released! 6:25 PM (USA PDT): Okiyama hints to a possible release of the PvP system for KHUx soon! 6:28 PM (USA PDT): Kendo is on stage now, talking about 7-star medals. All medals can be evolved! 6:30 PM (USA PDT): Okayama says "Maybe" concerning 7-star medals availability. Furthermore, PvP will include evolving materials for those medals! 6:32 PM (USA PDT): A new event has been announced. This event for your chance to appear in KH3 starts TODAY! Your name will appear in Kingdom Hearts 3! 6:38 PM (USA PDT): The event, "Make your Mark" will begin at 8:00 PM PDT! 6:45 PM (USA PDT): Nomura hints to a future Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer, where a never seen character will make an appearance! 6:50 PM (USA PDT): When asked about future collaborations, the team would love to hear suggestions on Twitter! Look out for future Twitter polls! 6:54 PM (USA PDT): The Q&A Panel with Tetsuya Nomura has now ended! KH3 – CLASSIC KINGDOM Trailer
KH3 – CLASSIC KINGDOM Gallery
Dandelions Meeting The Dandelions
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The formula was simple: orchestral reimaginings of a nostalgia-infused soundtrack paired with an unforgettable melody, blending together to reorchestrate beloved songs.
Both LIGHT and their debut album AWAKENING played with this equation. Melodies from Dearly Beloved, Roxas, and Hikari found themselves tucked into character, world, and battle themes. There wasn’t a song you couldn’t find these themes in and more hidden within. It became very akin to their musical stylings and showcased their devotion to the source material and displayed a love and understanding for the thematics that composer Yoko Shimomura and company built while composing the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack.
DARKNESS is no exception to this.
The album opens with an overture built around familiar tracks and the new themes you will find throughout DARKNESS, bringing it all together to set the stage for the new 30-track set list. Jam-packed with highlights from Kingdom Hearts II, Birth by Sleep, 358/2 Days, Union χ[Cross], and more, there is a new maturity in the music that shows a penchant for originality that Project Destati has always exhibited in their reorchestrations. Tracks such as Ventus, Future Masters, and Daybreak Town take on lives of their own, drawing in Celtic inspiration and refreshing tempos. Magical Mystery, Home of Dragons, and A Day in Agrabah elevate the world themes with clever homages to their Disney counterparts. Even the return of the piano duet with Utada Hikaru’s Passion is a fervent spectacle that is perhaps the most ethereal of the tracks, displaying the intensity and talent we’ve come to expect.
The pièce de résistance, Xion, is a near eleven minute epic and what feels like the heart and soul of the entire project. Anyone familiar with Project Destati will have noticed the #XionLives plug they’ve used leading up to DARKNESS. The motif has been hidden throughout this album in a variety of ways, yearning to be found. The highly anticipated track is wrought with emotion, embodying the tragedy of the titular character as it evolves a simple melancholic melody into a haunting symphonic ballad. Much of the arrangement feels intentional. From the dynamic texture imitating the rise and fall of the sea to the inclusion of Roxas, these grabs are both symbolic and weighty given the context of the story the music is trying to tell. Needless to say, this will be a song not easily forgotten.
If you are a fan of Kingdom Hearts and its music, I implore you give DARKNESS a listen. There is so much more to explore in each song that we’ve only just scratched the surface. The arrangements are smart, colourful, and beautifully orchestrated with attention to themes and melodies that will let you relive every moment the soundtrack provides in new and unimaginable ways.
If you want to learn more about Project Destati and their projects, check out their website here!
DARKNESS is available for purchase digitally at bandcamp, iTunes, TIDAL, and Google Play, available to stream on Amazon, Deezer, Kkbox, and Spotify, or pre-order the limited edition CD + digital album here!
The first item is from Hot Topic. It is a black hoodie with the Crown Hearts logo on the front and a circular logo of Mickey Mouse and the title of Kingdom Hearts. The hoodie also has patches on the right sleeve. It is available for the price range of $44.90 - $46.90. Price range varies on size
The second item is an exclusive Kingdom Hearts charm necklace from BoxLunch. It is gold and silver plated. It is now available for $18.90!
The next item is another BoxLunch exclusive. They are Kingdom Hearts Keyblade Crew Socks. The socks are in black and white and feature various keyblades from Kingdom Hearts II. They are available for $9.90!
Available now for pre-order is the new set of Kingdom Hearts Minimates, from Diamond Select Toys. The new set is a part of their Series 2 collection and will comprise of three 2-packs. The 2-packs will have Organization XIII Mickey with a Heartless Soldier, Master Form Sora with Pete, and Space Paranoids Goofy with Sark. They can be pre-ordered for $27.99!
Also revealed back in February 2018, Jada Toys displayed their new line of Kingdom Hearts Nano Metal Figures at the Toy Fair New York.
Jeremy Konrad from Bleeding Cool reported on the figures from Jada Toys, but stated that the Kingdom Hearts line was not allowed to be photographed at the time. We confirmed with a Gamestop representative on the phone that the figures are going to be in 20-packs and are available for pre-order in-store, for now. The price was stated to be $24.99 and will be available in October 2018!
Below is an example of Nano Metal Figures. The Kingdom Hearts line is expected to be similar in style.
Gamestop also informed us that the Kingdom Hearts II Series 1 figures from Diamond Select Toys are in clearance with 30% off both online and in-stores! The figures can be viewed below
Are you going to buy any products? What do you think of the Mickey version of Dive to the Heart on the Hot Topic hoodie? Let us know in the comments below!
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You can check out photos of the figure in the gallery below.
A description of the figure is also available. You can read it below. (Thanks to NihonScribe for the translations!)
Special thanks to @churroz and @RedMakuzawa for the tip!
Stay tuned for more information about this figure.
UPDATE: The pre-order for the Kingdom Hearts II Final Form Sora S.H. Figuarts have ended at Bandai Japan. But the figure is now available for pre-order on Amazon and has a shipping date starting from November 28th, 2018 for $64.09!
We thank the staff of Square Enix for this incredible opportunity, and we look forward to sharing more information in the future!
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You can view the complete schedule and FAQs below:
The event will feature the presence of Kingdom Hearts series director, Tetsuya Nomura, along with several other developers. Tickets for the event are already sold out.
Will you be attending the event? Don't forget to keep following KH13.com social media, to get updated on our live coverage as soon as the event starts!
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Recently, James Woods, the voice actor for Hades, also confirmed through his Twitter account that he was working on a new Kingdom Hearts game. In addition, a rumor recently surfaced which involved the Spanish voice actors of Hiro and Baymax in Big Hero 6, hinting toward the possibility of them being involved with Kingdom Hearts III.
Do you think there are soon going to be new reveals about Kingdom Hearts III voice actors? Share your opinion with us in the comment section below!
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