New evidence has surfaced to suggest that Pinocchio's world will be included in the English release of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. BradyGames have updated their website with a page for the strategy guide of the upcoming North American release of 358/2 Days, and included in the list of world's is Pinocchio. Pinocchio's world was not included in the Japanese release of the game, however, people have found that sprites for the world were included in the game's code. It is possible that the world may be included in the English release.
The September 2009 issue of Game Informer magazine has included an article on Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. This article, concerning the North American release of the game, discusses the battle system, story, and mission and multiplayer aspects of the game. Thanks to Kingdom Hearts Ultimania, who scanned the article, you can view it in our gallery.
The latest issue of V Jump magazine has included an article on Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Although no scan is available yet, FF7AC reunion have posted a summary of the article.
The article reveals that Birth by Sleep is scheduled to be released during Winter 2009, which, in Japan, is between December and February. It also includes new information on Cinderella's world, and reveals that Terra will visit a world based on Lilo & Stitch, called Deep Space. Also included is new information involving Aqua's attack system.
Square Enix have opened their European website for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. The website confirms the October 9, 2009 release date for PAL regions, including Europe and Australia, includes screenshots of the game in English, and a previously seen trailer, the E3 2009 trailer. This trailer can be seen in our trailers section for the game.
Square Enix have updated their official Japanese website for Kingdom Hearts coded. This update includes additions to the information section, as well as screenshots and renders from Episode 3 of the game. Also included is information about how these relate to Kingdom Hearts Mobile. All included images are available to view below.
>Coded, Japanese website
All images are from Square Enix's official website.
HEARTSTATION.ORG have translated the recent article appearing on Famitsu.com regarding Kingdom Hearts coded and Kingdom Hearts Mobile. Their translation of this article can be read below.
Episode 3 of Kingdom Hearts Coded releases August 5, 2009! ● Let’s go to the Avatar Kingdom this summer and assume different appearances!
The content of the ‘Kingdom Hearts Mobile’, the mobile phone portal site for the Kingdom Hearts series, has been enriched even further! Since the 23rd of July 2009, the city in which the avatars live, Avatar Kingdom, has even changed to a summery blue sky. Along with the introduction of newly added Avatar Items, let’s unveil the latest images of Kingdom Hearts Coded, scheduled for release on the 5th May 2009. Also, the concept of avatars having levels was introduced from the last update. Reach a fixed level by using points to purchase items for avatar use, and receiving experience points from winning a high place in the minigame ranking, and you’ll level up. You even receive experience points from only logging in once a day, so it’d even be good to try and pop in and see the city every day.
Items for avatar use such as Xemnas’ coat are arriving one after the other! Also, it’s also now possible to purchase the special avatar items awarded in previous minigames to people who won a place in the National Ranking. You can buy these with munny saved up from clearing minigames, it seems. Let’s earn heaps while we can!
This is a minigame scheduled for release in August 2009, ‘Rhythm Parade’, in which you hit buttons in time to music from the series. Songs include: ‘Destiny Islands’, ‘Blast Away!’, ‘Monochrome Dreams’,’ Bustin’ Up on the Beach’, ‘Sinister Sundown’, ‘Hand in Hand’, ‘One-Winged Angel’, ‘Working Together’, and ‘Shrouding Dark Cloud’.
There are two modes: Easy and Hard. Easy mode is a mode you can enjoy easily, keeping rhythm with one button. Hard mode is a more serious mode in which you use five buttons, and so it’s aimed at people with confidence in their ability. Of course, we’re keeping up with the National Ranking!
Sora: I’m Sora. And you are? Alice: Hm… it’s no good. I can’t remember a thing.
Sora: Answer me! Have you done something weird to this world? Black-coated man: This world is connected. A world in which memory and reality are connected.
Concerning the contents that are moved away from Avatar Kingdom, Episode 3 of Kingdom Hearts Coded begins distributing August 5, 2009. The next stage takes place in the world of “Alice and Wonderland”. Not only are the familiar characters there, but the figure of the man in the black coat who seems to be a key figure in this title also appears.
Famitsu.com have updated with an article concerning Kingdom Hearts coded and Kingdom Hearts Mobile. The article announces that Episode 3 of Coded will begin availability on August 5, 2009. This episode features Wonderland, and unlike the original Kingdom Hearts, Sora encounters an unknown person in an Organization cloak during his visit. The article includes many images for both Coded and Mobile, which can all be viewed at our gallery.
The 40th annual San Diego Comic Con in San Diego has passed, and at the event, the English version of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days was featured. Churro from Kingdom Hearts Ultimania attended the event, and as a result, many photos and videos of it are available. All photos are available to view in our gallery, and the videos can be seen below.
Last week, The Light in Chaos posted a summary of Episode 2 of Kingdom Hearts coded. This episode occurs in Traverse Town. HEARTSTATION.ORG have made a better translation of their impressions, and thanks to them, you can read this translation at our forum.
Amazon.fr have created a page for the eventual release of Kingdom Hearts 358/2. This page reveals that the release in France, and possibly the rest of Europe, will be on October 9, 2009, and that the game will cost EUR 39,95.
Another video of Kingdom Hearts coded has surfaced. A demo for Coded was shown at Japan Expo 2009 in Paris, and Kingdom Fantasy have uploaded footage of this demo. Thanks to them, you can view it below.
Lissar from Kingdom Hearts Insider has translated an Episode 2 summary of Kingdom Hearts coded, supplied by The Light in Chaos. This contains a complete description of the events of Coded's second episode, which was released earlier in July. You can read the translation below.
It starts with a movie summarizing the previous episode. Then there is a movie scene from the end of the last episode, and you arrive in Traverse Town. Pluto wakes up Sora by licking his face. Sora goes to find out if the island is safe while trying to solve Traverse Town’s problem.
Large Updates
You can now use the moogle synthesis shop. The moogle in front of the cafe in First District will go into a synthesis tutorial. When you talk with him he will give you two materials to synth. (First time only.) You can now sometimes get a Debug Prize from Bugs. There will be a Moogle at every save point. Also, at the Second District save point a Moogle will come and talk to you, giving you the Avatar Item “First town wallpaper.” (First time only.) The ability Huey found’s name will change into “Guard Counter.” (First time only.) You with go into Area Debug Mode in a battle with a Bug Snake. The time limit is three minutes. The amount of VP you gain will be lowered. The accessory you got from Cid when you went to look for Luey changes into “Attack Chain.” You will no longer have the Protect Chain. In Area Debug Mode with dividing Bugs, flashing Bugs will no longer appear. So you will longer take damage in this type of Area Debug Mode. You will now have normal encounters in Third District. You will chase a strange man, and when you return to First District there will be an Area Debug Mode fight. The time limit is three minutes. Depending on how quickly you are able to finish the fight you will receive certain items. (For example if you finish within one minute you will get a different item.) If you rescue Luey you will go into Area Debug Mode on the second floor. In boss stages the map telling you where you are or where you should go are gone. If you get game over in a boss stage you can only choose to start over from the same stage or go into the world map. But you can open your menu and change around your items and abilities. The ability you can get from finishing the episodes name changes to “D Thunder.”
You will get certain items by rank received after defeating the boss.
C Rank ~39999Pt - Synth Material “??? Powder +” B Rank 40000 ~ 49999 - Synth Material “??? Shard” A Rank 50000 ~ 59999 - Ability “Auto Reload” (First time only.) Item “Kupo Nut” (Second time onwards.) S Rank 60000Pt~ Avatar Item “First Town’s Carpet (L)” (First time only.) “??? Gem” (Second time onwards.)
After you’ve finished the story, a movie will play showing the Bugs disappearing from Traverse Town. It is shown that “A new power begins to awaken” in Sora. Then, at Disney Castle shadows appear. Of course thanks to King Mickey they were able to get away, but will we now know how they got locked in when they went to tell the residents...?
Lissar from Kingdom Hearts Insider has translated an interview with Tetsuya Nomura, supplied by FF7AC reunion. The interview is apparantly from Famitsu, and is the third part. Although the interview does not mention the Kingdom Hearts series, it is interesting to learn more about the series' creator. You can read it below.
-- You are both a “designer” and a “creator” now, but I believe you started out from just liking to draw, is that right? Have you been drawing since you were a kid?
Nomura: Yes. I’ve liked pictures since I was little, I was always drawing. Well, mostly it was manga I drew, though I never finished anything (laugh.) But I always drew anyway.
-- Of course. So you like drawing, and you wanted to make a career out of it, so you went to Tokyo?
Nomura: Well... that wasn’t really my goal. But I wanted to do something with drawing so I went to art school and studied a lot. I was studying things about advertisment design while thinking “This doesn’t seem quite right...” (laugh.) There was one class where we had a camera and took pictures.
-- You were learning stuff that was closer to an Editor’s job then (laugh.) Though you were doing a lot of things, you were still most interested in “drawing” right?
Nomura: Yes that’s right.
-- So what sort of job hunting did you do?
Nomura: Well there was a job at a publishing house that someone was going to help me get, but that fell through. I looked through the classifieds not knowing what I should do. There was a time like that. At the time there were advertisments for other game companies, but for some reason I got hired here (Squaresoft at the time.)
-- The turning point of your fate (laugh)
Nomura: (laugh) When I first got hired I never thought I’d be here this long. It’s so strange.
-- Sorry to ask this, but why did you stay longer than you’d planned?
Nomura: Well the job just got so fun making so many different things. The team leaders I’m working with now are the people I’ve been with since the beginning. So long as they still wanted to work together, I saw no reason to quit.
-- So you felt “complete” in your job then? By the way, what game left the strongest impression on you as a “turning point”?
Nomura: Well, I would say “before” and “after” games became 3D, how we made games really changed. Before, we decided things as we made them. There were no things decided before hand. Now, everything is decided before we start working. FFVII was the first game that started this. I designed FFVII characters how I wanted to, but after making them there were a lot of difficulties. I learned my lesson, and with FFVIII I only started designing them after everything had been decided.
-- So that’s why you achieved so much with FFVIII.
Nomura: It was pretty bad at the time though. But, I think that was the last time I did whatever I wanted on a game. I still remember everyone scrambling.
-- Finally, I’m going to change questions a bit, what sort of things do you do on your private time?
Nomura: Let’s see... mostly when I’m at home, I just don’t move (laugh.) I just watch TV.
-- So you probably get ideas from that, and you can turn it into new things at work...
Nomura: No... not really (laugh.) I’m just watching it because I want to, I’m not really thinking about work. I’m basically just lazy, lately I just sit around and don’t do much.
-- I see (laugh) I thought maybe there was some hint into the creator Tetsuya Nomura by what you do on your off days. I was hoping that there would be some tips for people who want to become a designer like you, but I didn’t think that you’d say you didn’t do anything (laugh.)
Nomura: Aha (laugh.) Well, move around while you can. No really, I think it’s important to do things while you still feel like it. Since lately the rest of the staff has been treating me like an “old man”.
-- An old man!! (laugh)
Nomura: Well lately all my joints pop and things like that (laugh.) I get angry at everything, and tell stupid jokes. Even though I was only talking about how our future plans. But everyone is nice to me, like they are nice to an old man (laugh.)
-- This is probably weird to say, but it’s a wonderful thing to be able to talk about your future plans clearly. We’ve covered a lot of topics, and I’d like to thank you for talking with us. I feel as though I’ve been able to see the true you.
The North American version of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days has received a rating from the ESRB. The rating received was E10+, for fantasy violence. The ESRB's description and justification of the rating is below. Be warned, this description could be considered to contain spoilers.
This is a role-playing game (RPG) in which players complete missions in fantastical settings, collect magic hearts, and use "melee" and magic attacks to defeat enemies. Players wield a giant key-shaped sword to slash at various creatures such as monkeys, pumpkins, lizards, robots, and dragons. Small explosions, cries of pain, and realistic slashing sounds can be heard throughout battle. During one dramatic cutscene, the central character watches a female character in pain slowly transform into glass/ice, then disintegrate into the air.
Square Enix have updated their official Japanese website for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. This update is an addition to the extra section, and contains four new videos. This includes King Mickey's Limit Break, Sora's gameplay and Limit Break, and a video of Roxas dual wielding. All videos can be viewed below, or downloaded from 358/2 Days' trailers section.
