Nintendo Enthusiast got the chance to speak with the production staff behind Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory. In addition to discussing the upcoming game, Nintendo Enthusiast inquired about the possibility of ports of previous titles and new titles in the Kingdom Hearts series coming to the Nintendo Switch. You can read the reply below.
What do you think of this information regarding the series' future on the Nintendo Switch? Let us know in the comments below!
Dualshockers has recently conducted an interview with Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory co-director Masanobu Suzui and series executive producer Ichirou Hazama!
You can the interview in full, below.
There are several aspects of this interview that are already covered in many of the other interviews that have released today but there are some new, exclusive bits of info! First of which is confirmation that no version of the game will be receiving dual-language audio. Japanese players will be receiving a Japanese dub while western players will be receiving an English dub.
Other notable tidbits of info are that the team hopes this title is replayable for fans to the same extent that other Theatrhythm have been and there will be a mix of serious and light hearted moments throughout the game's story. There will another big element to the plot that the team is avoiding spoiling. Kairi is the narrator for when you view memorable scenes. The team finds this title to be a good introduction to the Kingdom Hearts series, and lastly, they find the 'World Tour' (Story) mode to be robust.
What are your thoughts on this batch of info for Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory? Let us know in the comments below!
Famitsu has recently released an interview they conducted with series director Tetsuya Nomura, Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory co-director Masanobu Suzui, and series executive producer Ichiro Hazama!
You can read translated excerpts relevant to Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory below, thanks to our team's Ryuji!
What are your thoughts on this enlightening interview involving some of the integral development staff behind Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory? Let us know in the comments below!
PlayStation Blog Japan recently interviewed Kingdom Hearts series director Tetsuya Nomura, series producer Ichiro Hazama, and Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory co-director Masanobu Suzui on the development of Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory. You can read some excerpts from this interview below thanks to @aitaikimochi
Other interesting points from the interview include:
Hazama and Suzui had submitted a proposal to Nomura for a Kingdom Hearts Rhythm action game about five years ago
There are over 140 songs within the game, each evenly spread out throughout all games in the series, however since production was parallel to Kingdom Hearts III there are fewer songs from Kingdom Hearts III
The difficulty levels include Beginner/Standard/Proud but there is an additional "Performer Style" which seems to take the place of Critical difficulty.
It is not possible to change keyblades
A great deal of detail was dedicated to ensuring the sound effects of the game were unique to Kingdom Hearts
Kairi is referred to as a narrator in Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory
Nomura wanted the rhythm aspect of the game to connect with the story
Development is almost over and is in the final stages
Nomura says the development period was short, but the game's development period was the longest for Indie Zero
What do you think of these highlights from this interview? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for updates on translations of the full interview!
GameInformer recently conducted an interview with Kingdom Hearts series director Tetsuya Nomura, series producer Ichiro Hazama, and Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory co-director Masanobu Suzui answering questions around the game's creative process, development and what to expect.
You can read the full interview below.
What are your thoughts on this interview? Let us know in the comments below!
Nintendolife has recently conducted an interview with Kingdom Hearts series director, Tetsuya Nomura, as well as the co-director of Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory, Masanobu Suzui! This interview segment released by Nintendolife is more of a compilation of info rather than the standard fare of questions and answers being shown.
A major takeaway from this interview is how the team hopes this title will be a way for both potential fans to "dip their toes" into the vast ocean of the Kingdom Hearts series and get introduced while also acting as a celebration and overview of the series up to this point for fans who are caught up.
An unexpected snag for the development team was how they would incorporate 3D into this title since Kingdom Hearts is known for being a 3D series, while the Theatrhytm titles are all 2D. A surprising source of inspiration for how this would work came from the Kingdom Hearts 15th anniversary jukebox website which showed Sora running atop a musical score. Camera kinks were difficult to iron out and several prototypes had to be made but, this general perspective in the animation is what the team ultimately went with, for Melody of Memory.
A series of questions regarding Square Enix's working relationship with Disney was also discussed. The one constant that Nomura stated was that things were always changing. Policy changes, personnel changes and the increased recognition with Kingdom Hearts as a brand have all merged to make certain things easier to do, and other things not possible anymore.
The unusual events of 2020 were also brought up. Nomura stated that while developmental schedule changes were not drastic, they did impact voice recording most significantly, especially for overseas voice actors.
There are a total of four main parties with three characters each that Suzui confirms. Lastly, the team chose to implement mostly original Kingdom Hearts tracks rather than Disney ones in order to better represent and celebrate the Kingdom Hearts series as a whole.
Once again, you can read this interview in full, here.
What are your thoughts on these comments by Tetsuya Nomura and Masanobu Suzui? Let us know in the comments below!
IGN has recently conducted an interview with the co-director of Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory, Masanobu Suzui! This interview segment released by IGN is more of a compilation of info rather than the standard fare of questions and answers being shown.
One of the main takeaways from this interview is that Theatrhytm Dragon Quest served to act as the catalyst for the concept of Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory. Nomura was against the idea at first but eventually came around to it, with Disney themselves supporting the idea!
Versus mode is also briefly discussed with the 'Tricks' functionality being described. You can use Tricks to aid yourself and interrupt the opposing player. You can use one Trick at the start of a track, but can then use two concurrently by the track's end. Winners get two collectible cards while the losers only get one.
Once again, you can view the interview on IGN's page, here.
What are your thoughts on this brief, yet insightful interview from IGN? Let us know in the comments below!
Famitsu has recently released a brand new issue covering a variety of info concerning Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory!
One of the first new screenshots revealed shows brand new renders for Xion, Roxas and Axel as well as a new screenshot of the three them being playable.
There are three gameplay styles covered next. The first of which being 'Normal Style' which is the most basic play style using several buttons. A 'One Button Style' is described which allows players to complete rhythm sections with just one button. This mode was also revealed to be in the game by Nomura himself during a statement release regarding this title. The last gameplay style is the 'Performer Style' which is the hard mode of Melody of Memory. Inputs are more challenging and complex, requiring more skillful timing from the player.
A new screenshot revealing Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden from Kingdom Hearts II is also shown!
More new screenshots are shown, depicting menu UI and more gameplay segments.
A computer versus mode was also detailed, with it being described as being similar to standard versus play except that it includes ranks. The highest rank is Platinum.
A screenshot of the Switch exclusive 8 player mode is also shown!
The 'Double Play' Mode was also shown, revealing that you can play with your friend on the same screen with multiple controllers, with one controlling Sora while the other controls Riku. This was briefly shown in the Nintendo Switch Direct Mini trailer.
A list of playable songs is also shown with the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra ~ World Tour~ being listed, curiously enough.
You can view additional screenshots in the gallery below
What do you think of this plethora of new information regarding the upcoming Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory? Let us know in the comments below!
Aitai Kuji is accepting pre-order for a Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory bundle. The bundle includes a copy of the game as well as the Kingdom Hearts III soundtrack. The bundle will cost ¥22,000 (about $200) and will be available when Melody of Memory releases in November.
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory will launch on November 11th in Japan and November 13th worldwide for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The Kingdom Hearts III soundtrack will also release worldwide on November 11th.
Thanks to @churroz for the tip!
Will you be getting this bundle? Let us know in the comments below!
A Kingdom Hearts themed pop-up shop has been announced to appear in Tokyo Station's Ichiban Gai from Friday, September 18th to Thursday, October 1st!
The shop will be located at a plaza near the exit/entrance of Tokyo station, and fans will be able to purchase limited-time Kingdom Hearts merchandise, as well as goods exclusive to the shop itself! More details pertaining to what specific goods will be sold will be revealed in the near future.
What kind of merchandise do you foresee this pop-up shop selling later this month? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks to our team's Ryuji for translating the announcement!
UPDATE: The product page for the pop-up shop has been revealed!
All of the items and their descriptions have been translated below courtesy of our team's Ryuji! The order for the descriptions matches their location on the product page above.
Translator's Note: All items in the third row come in two variants.
Coaster (for cookies): ¥700 (NOTE: Only 2 per person can be purchased. e.g. A single person can't just buy 3.)
Glass magnet: ¥500 (NOTE: Only 2 per person can be purchased.)
Crystal paperweight: ¥1,800 (NOTE: Only 2 per person can be purchased.)
"Customers who spend ¥5000 or more at the shop get a special Keyblade pin! And customers who spend over ¥2,000 will get a special clear cloth. The cloth's design comes in 4 variations, and you get one at random.
(ONLY 1 per person.)
Bandanna: ¥1,500
Necktie: ¥6,000 (comes in 2 variants)
Keyblade Pin: ¥2,800 (limited to 1 per person, comes in two variants)
Mini glass cups: ¥800 (comes in 4 variants)
Stained glass cup: ¥2,500 (comes in 2 variants)
Mini pouch: ¥1,400
Glasses case: ¥2,100
Multi-purpose smartphone holder: ¥2,900
Open-pass case: ¥2,100
Acrylic cup: ¥1,200
YAKPAK RUCKSACK (Medium): ¥11,000
YAKPAK WAISTBAG: ¥4,500
YAKPAK MINI POCHETTE: ¥3,500
YAKPAK PASS & COIN CASE: ¥2,400
Thermal bottle: ¥1,800
Clear multi-purpose case: ¥650
Clear multi-purpose case (Small): ¥650
Clear multi-purpose case (extra-small): ¥700
Compact mirror: ¥1,300 (has 2 variants)
Eco-friendly bag: ¥800 (has 2 variants)
Pouches (3 different variations): ¥1,500
Magnet sheet set: ¥1,300
Cookie box: ¥1,800
What is your opinion on these numerous Kingdom Hearts themed goodies? Let us know in the comments below!
Spirit Halloween has revealed a Kingdom Hearts Starlight keyblade that is scheduled to ship by September 30th, 2020 for $39.99! You can pre-order it, here. View it in via our gallery below!
Additionally, this retailer has other Kingdom Hearts themed merchandise such as Way to Dawn, Oblivion and Pumpkinhead keyblades!
Do you see yourself pre-ordering this keyblade or purchasing any others? Let us know in the comments below!
Testsuya Nomura has released a brand new illustration, and message celebrating the 5th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross]! You can view the translated message below, courtesy of @KH_English!
Additionally, the brand new main story scenario update for Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] has also launched! You can view the update below, courtesy of Everglow!
What are your thoughts on these recent events? Let us know in the comments below!
UPDATE: The special message from Tetsuya Nomura has been officially translated to English. You can read it below.
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory has been confirmed to appear at Tokyo Game Show 2020's online event on September 25th, 2020! The event will be at 8:15 PM Japan time [11:15 AM GMT/7:15 AM EDT/4:15 AM PDT] and will be streaming on Square Enix Presents via Youtube and Twitch.
Additional details state that a live piano performance will be held as well as discussions with the staff behind the game, including Tetsuya Nomura and Yoko Shimomura! Also in attendance will be Melody of Memory co-director Masanobu Suzui and producer Ichiro Hazama.
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory will be launching on November 11th in Japan and November 13th worldwide for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch.
Are you excited for Melody of Memory making a showing at this year's Tokyo Game Show? Let us know in the comments below!
The Japanese Square Enix Bridge website has recently been updated with upcoming content for Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] and Kingdom Hearts Dark Road! Of these numerous updates, one particular update stands out, with it stating that a main story update is planned for September!
The last main story update for Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] in Japan was back in April, so this update was a long time coming and will hopefully feature some new story scenes that fans have been craving!
What are your expectations for this upcoming story update? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks to @KH_Damo for the find!
Every year D23, the official Disney Fanclub provides exclusive gifts to fans who partake in their Gold Membership program. This year the offerings include an exclusive patch, pin set, postcard set, bandana, and a 24x36 inch D23 Fantastic Worlds Map, designed by Disney artist Bryan Mon.
Among the 250 places, vehicles, and characters representing more than 150 film, television and theme park locations created by Disney and Pixar, Twilight Town from the Kingdom Hearts series can be seen on the map. You can take a closer look in our gallery below
Kingdom Hearts has previously been represented in an exclusive print for D23 Gold Members in 2019.
Thanks to @churroz for the tip!
