Aquaberry

Update: Utada Hikaru's official website featured Youtube links to the North American version of the latest Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue trailer. It also included links for other countries, such as the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. The links led to Youtube videos that were unavailable to view at the time. The links have since been taken down. The original article follows. A final Japanese trailer for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue has just been released, announced by series director Tetsuya Nomura on Twitter. In the tweet, he mentions that more news will be coming tomorrow at noon, Japan time, as he will have "something else more to say", as translated by goldpanner. A few hours before this announcement, he had tweeted a screenshot from Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ featuring Cinderella, alluding to the announcement of this trailer. This new trailer features new cutscenes and gameplay from the KH2.8 collection, including brand new gameplay between Aqua and King Mickey in Birth by Sleep 0.2 -A Fragmentary Passage-, and a customization feature for Aqua. The trailer also features Aqua and Mickey in Destiny Islands, possibly still within the Dark World. An interesting detail is also present in the trailer. Last month, we covered a Weekly Shonen Jump scan in which Ventus had a slightly different outfit from what was seen in previous games. However, Ventus is in both his normal outfit and this new outfit at different points in this trailer. The trailer also features "Hikari -Ray of Hope MIX-", remixed by PUNPEE, which will be available on iTunes Japan on January 11, 2017, along with other remixes of "Hikari" and "Simple and Clean". You can watch the trailer below. Thanks to Twitter user @xenosaga7, we've got translations for the Main Menu in Birth by Sleep 0.2 -A Fragmentary Passage- shown in the trailers. You can read those below. YouTube User Keytotruth has added English and Spanish subtitles to the trailer. You can watch the trailer with subs below by clicking the closed caption button. You can watch the official Japanese trailer without subs below. There are still no updates on when the English version of the trailer will be released. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue releases on the PlayStation 4 in Japan on January 12, 2017, and worldwide on January 24, 2017. What do you think of the new trailer? Let us know in the comments!

Next week's issue of Dengeki PlayStation, releasing December 15 in Japan, will include a spread on Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. The game will also be featured on the cover of the magazine next week. You can view a preview below. Thanks to bkvebvavuq for the tip! Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue releases on the PlayStation 4 in Japan on January 12, 2017, and worldwide on January 24, 2017.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX have been confirmed to appear at Jump Festa 2017, which will be taking place at December 17 and 18, 2016, in Tokyo, Japan. Both games will have trailers at the event, but neither will have a stage show or a demo on the show floor. The following screenshots were shared with the lineup: As Jump Festa approaches, we here at KH13 will be counting down daily on our social media pages, which you can check out below. OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES KH13 Facebook KH13.com Twitter KH13 Community Twitter KH13 Chi Twitter KH13 Tumblr KH13 YouTube KH13 Google Plus In addition to counting down on our social media pages, we will also be posting any news/content on there so make sure to follow us on all our social media pages, as well as staying tuned here on KH13 for any news and updates for Kingdom Hearts! Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue releases on the PlayStation 4 in Japan on January 12, 2017, and worldwide on January 24, 2017. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX releases on the PS4 in Japan on March 9, 2017, North America on March 28, 2017, and in Europe and Australia on March 31, 2017.

Square Enix Japan have started running a paid advertisement on Twitter (visible only to people in Japan and USA) for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, leading up to its Japanese release for PS4 on January 12, 2017. The ad details that the game contains three stories that lead to Kingdom Hearts III. Pre-orders are available on PlayStation Store, Amazon and other retailers. The ad uses the following promotional image: Update: Various promotional materials such as standees and a short video have been put on display in stores in Japan leading up to Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue's release! Images are provided thanks to Twitter user @bKvEBVAvUq and you can check them out below. Comment below to let us know if you plan to purchase a physical or digital copy of the game!

Following on from the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue spread featured in the previous Famitsu Weekly issue, which focused on Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A Fragmentary Passage-, this week's issue includes 3 spreads on Kingdom Hearts HD Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover. Similarly to Dengeki PlayStation, these spreads also feature new screenshots from these two stories, and the KH HD DDD world icons for Traverse Town, Country of Musketeers, La Cité des Cloches, Symphony of Sorcery, The Grid, and Prankster's Paradise. The feature also advertises the pre-order bonuses that are available for KH HD 2.8 FCP in Japan, and Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ for smartphone. You can see the spreads below. Translations for the entire spread are available thanks to Catherine Mueller ([email protected]).

The newest Dengeki PlayStation issue features a 4-page spread on Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, showcasing Sora and Riku renders and cutscene and gameplay screenshots from Kingdom Hearts HD Dream Drop Distance; some scenes and gameplay images from Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A Fragmentary Passage- that were recently released in a Famitsu Weekly feature; and recently published renders of Aqua, Mickey, the five Foretellers, and the Master of Masters. Some new screenshots from the Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover are also included in this feature. You can view screenshots of the article at the bottom of the page. Translations of the article were provided thanks to Catherine Mueller ([email protected]) and can be found underneath the cut.

A spread on Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is included in the latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. A preview, which can be seen below, depicts new renders of the five Foretellers with their Keyblades and the Master of Masters. Translations of this spread have been provided thanks to Catherine Mueller ([email protected]). You can find them below. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue will release in Japan on January 12, 2017, and around the world on January 24, 2017. What kind of news are you expecting from this issue of V Jump magazine? Let us know in the comments!

Update: As of March 21, 2017, the PlayStation Store is offering a discounted price for the digital version of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. The price is now $41.99, 30% off the original price of $59.99. The original article follows. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is now available for pre-order on PlayStation Store US for $59.99, with a file size of 28.7 GB. The game comes with a pre-order bonus of an exclusive PSN theme, which is the same theme that comes with pre-ordering the game from the PlayStation Store Japan. The game will be available on January 24, 2017, at midnight Pacific time. The PSN icon for the game can be seen below. (You may notice an editing error where Riku's arm can be seen behind Sora's left arm.) A picture of the pre-order bonus PS4 theme can be seen below. The description reads as follows: This news comes only a day after the game was made available for pre-order in the PlayStation Store Japan. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue will be the first game in the Kingdom Hearts series to be fully available digitally. Will you be pre-ordering Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue? If so, will you pre-order a digital copy or a physical copy? Let us know below!

Famitsu Weekly has just released, featuring a 2-page spread on Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, with special emphasis on Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A Fragmentary Passage-. Eight screenshots are featured in this spread, including some which were previously revealed by Weekly Shōnen Jump, the Kingdom Hearts 0.2 BbS AFP opening cinematics, and the Famitsu's Twitter account. Two new screenshots show gameplay of Aqua wandering in the Enchanted Dominion section of the Dark World, with her surroundings full of thorns. One of these screenshots features a Darkside waiting ahead. The screenshot featuring Ven shows a much clearer color difference from his original outfit. A previously revealed render of Aqua is also available, along with a new render of King Mickey Mouse holding Starseeker. The article also mentions the Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX PS4 collection. You can view pictures of the spread in high quality below. Translations have been provided thanks to Catherine Mueller ([email protected]) and can be found below.

Update 3: Square Enix Merchandise North America have just announced pre-orders for the Kingdom Hearts II Sora Static Arts Gallery figure on the Square Enix Online Store, with release in North America scheduled for end of May 2017. The product's retail price is listed as $49.99. For more details, read more here. Update 2: The Kingdom Hearts II Sora Static Arts Gallery figure is now available for pre-order on the Square Enix Japan e-store, with an official release date of March 25, 2017. The figure shows a retail price of 4,940 yen including tax. Update 1: The Kingdom Hearts II Sora Static Arts PVC figure is up for pre-order at the Japanese retailer AmiAmi with the release date listed as March 17, 2017. The figure dimensions are listed as 65mm x 85mm x 138mm, with pictures as provided below. The original article follows. The Kingdom Hearts II Sora Static Arts Gallery figure, whose prototype was previously displayed at New York Comic Con 2016, has surfaced on Amazon Japan for pre-order. The product is expected to release on March 31st, 2017, three days after the 15th anniversary of the Kingdom Hearts series. The figure is available for 5,184 yen including tax, and a preview can be viewed below. A picture of the prototype showcased at New York Comic Con 2016 can be viewed below for comparison. Another new figure, the Kingdom Hearts III Sora Play Arts Kai, was released in Japan last week, featuring an interesting text preluding the plot of Kingdom Hearts III. Do you own any official Kingdom Hearts figures? Are you planning to add this to your collection? Let us know in the comments!

Kingdom Hearts series producer and Final Fantasy series brand manager Shinji Hashimoto was in attendance at a conference at Lucca Comics & Games 2016 in Italy last month. During this conference, Hashimoto was able to discuss and answer questions relating to the upcoming Kingdom Hearts releases. The translations below have been provided by Aquaberry. Hashimoto noted that the cinematic movie Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, present in the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue collection, will fill up a missing space in the Kingdom Hearts timeline and that it will be comprehensible even to those who have not played Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ for smartphone. He commented on Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A Fragmentary Passage-, saying that its story will connect directly to the story that will be presented in Kingdom Hearts III. He also said that the duration of the game will partly depend upon the player's abilities. While it may seem a short game, it has a substantial amount of playable content. He also noted that there will be no "Kingdom Hearts 2.9" after Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue as "it will proceed directly to [Kingdom Hearts] 3." Hashimoto discussed Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX, saying that the idea for the compilation was due to fans all around the world commenting on the complexity of the plot of the Kingdom Hearts series. The PlayStation 4 release will address this issue by enabling the fans to own the entire collection on the same console. Furthermore, he indicated that the PS4 re-release will contain some differences from the PS3 releases; it will have much better graphics. Hashimoto was also asked to comment on the legitimacy of the story surrounding the conception of Kingdom Hearts in an accidental meeting in an elevator with a Disney employee who worked in the same building. Hashimoto answered that this is a matter he has been asked about many times. He clarified that while Square were working in the same building as Disney, it was the latter that approached with a proposal for a collaboration that later became the Kingdom Hearts series. As reported previously, Hashimoto confirmed that Kingdom Hearts HD Dream Drop Distance will be fully translated in Italian and Spanish; this is a novel development as Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance for Nintendo 3DS was not fully localised in these languages. The game, originally intended for two screens, will certainly be playable in one screen on the PS4. Hashimoto also reminded fans that the Sora DLC for World of Final Fantasy will be available for only a limited time only this winter. Lastly, Hashimoto reflected on his contentment towards the evolution of the Kingdom Hearts series, saying that he is happy about the success of the series reflected by fans across the world. A full video of the conference can be viewed below, thanks to GamerClick.it. What are your expectations from Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue? Are you excited to play Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX on PS4? Let us know in the comments below!

The Entertainment Software Rating Board has updated their rating summary of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, which had been previously rated as E10+ by the board for fantasy violence and mild language. Their rating summary is as follows: This ESRB rating of E10+ is similar to that of other games except for Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, which were rated E. The rating for Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance, in comparison, lacks mentions of mild language, and in contrast to Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, the rating for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue does not include "mild suggestive themes."

Yen Press will be releasing Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel Volume 1 in English on June 20, 2017 at an original retail price of $16.00 USD. Pre-orders are available now at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, and RightStuf. This is the first announcement regarding the publication of this volume outside of Japan, where it was published on April 22, 2006. The Kingdom Hearts II light novel series, written by Tomoco Kanemaki, with illustrations by Shiro Amano, and concept by Tetsuya Nomura, finished in Japan in 2007, and now it is finally being released in English as well. The Japanese Kingdom Hearts II light novel series had four volumes, but for the English series, they've decided to combine them all together to create two large volumes. Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel Volume 1 contains volumes 1 and 2 of the original Japanese series, while the upcoming Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel Volume 2 will contain volumes 3 and 4 of the original Japanese series. You can view a potential cover for Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel Volume 2 below. Yen Press has also previously localized Kingdom Hearts: The Novel and Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories: The Novel internationally in 2015 following high fan demand. Do you own any of the previous Kingdom Hearts novel series? Will you be adding Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel Volume 1 to your collection? Let us know in the comments below! UPDATE 1: The Yen Press webpage for Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel Volume 1 is now up. UPDATE 2: The overview of the novel has been updated, and can be read below: UPDATE 3: The cover for the English Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel Volume 1 has been shown off. Last year, Yen Press announced that they will be releasing the first volume to the Kingdom Hearts II light novel series by Tomoco Kanemaki, Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel Volume 1 on June 20, 2017. Thanks to Yen Press again, we now have a look at the front cover for this volume. View the cover below: UPDATE 4: A release date for Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel Volume 2 has been revealed. It will be releasing on December 12, 2017 for $16.00 USD. Pre-orders are now available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Thanks to KHInsider for the tip! UPDATE 5: The English Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel Volume 1 has released today on June 20, 2017. You can order it at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, and RightStuf. UPDATE [Nov. 20, 2017]: Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel Volume 2 seems to have been delayed to December 19th, 2017. Learn more about that in the full article here.

A new Play Arts Kai figure of Kingdom Hearts III Sora, to be released on January 30, 2017, is now available for pre-order at the North American branch of the Square Enix Store for $149.99! The figure displays Sora in his Kingdom Hearts III outfit wielding an unnamed Keyblade that was previously featured in the trailer released during E3 2015. Pictures are shown below. A description of the figure follows: What Play Arts Kai figures do you own? Will you be adding this Kingdom Hearts III Sora to your collection? Let us know in the comments! UPDATE: The official Square Enix Japan online store has been updated with the Kingdom Hearts III Sora Play Arts Kai. It is listed on the store as 15,240 yen with tax included, which converts to approximately $142 USD. The release date for the figure is November 6, 2016 , which is about 2 months earlier than the North American release. UPDATE 2: An English foretext is provided within the packaging of the Kingdom Hearts III Sora Play Arts Kai figure. It reads as follows: The text has been procured by @ArikaMiz. UPDATE 3: The figure is now available on Amazon, with a listed release date of February 22nd, 2017, and a price of $149.99!

Update 2: An Yodobashi Camera store in Japan has put finished versions of all three acrylic stands on display. Image provided thanks to Twitter user @Kazaton. Update 1: Tetsuya Nomura used the official Japanese Kingdom Hearts series Twitter to give a few details about the "AIR" acrylic stand as well as provided pictures of all three stands once they were set up. Nomura explains that the "AIR" stand actually has Sora coming from behind the clouds, which is different than the image that was previously shown (as pictured below, Sora is in front of the clouds). He also adds that he thinks assembly is relatively simple because of the size of the plugs. The new promotional images of the mini acrylic stands can be found below. The original article follows: Square Enix Japan have updated their Special/DLC page for the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue with exciting news. Fans in Japan will be able to obtain, at random, one of three mini acrylic stands drawn by series director Tetsuya Nomura if they pre-order a physical copy of the game from select retailers. These will also be available in limited stock with pre-orders from Amazon Japan. You can see pictures of the stands below. New pre-orders of the game from Amazon Japan will also be accompanied by an exclusive PS4 theme, previewed below. Furthermore, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue will be the first Kingdom Hearts game to be made available for download at the PlayStation Store, with pre-orders in Japan starting mid-November. Pre-orders will also come with a unique Kingdom Hearts PS4 theme, shown below. Interestingly, Nomura had commented on the possibility of a download release for Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep in a Dengeki PlayStation interview back in 2011, saying that it was a difficult task for reasons he could not talk about and that did not involve problems with Square Enix, Disney, or Utada Hikaru, the artist behind the Kingdom Hearts theme songs. At the time, he had said that it was a task that required time to make possible. Square Enix Japan have tweeted that they will announce the start date for pre-orders soon. Thank to Churro, aibo, and KH13.com user blue490246 for the tips. A complete translation of the Special/DLC webpage has been provided thanks to goldpanner. You can read the translations below. Are you expecting a digital version of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue to be available for download outside of Japan? Do you think Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX and Kingdom Hearts III will also have downloadable versions in the future? Let us know in the comments below!

During a presentation promoting Final Fantasy Trading Card Game at Lucca Comics & Games 2016, Kingdom Hearts series producer Shinji Hashimoto has confirmed that Kingdom Hearts HD Dream Drop Distance will be translated in Italian and Spanish for its release as part of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. This marks the first time that the game will be fully localized in these languages, as the original Italian and Spanish releases of the game only featured translated text with English dialogue. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue releases internationally on January 24th, 2017.

Yen Press has announced on Twitter that they will be releasing the final volume of the English Kingdom Hearts II manga, Kingdom Hearts Volume 4, by Shiro Amano. An image of the tweet can be viewed below: This is the first announcement regarding the publication of this volume outside of Japan, where it was published on August 22, 2015. The Kingdom Hearts II manga series finished in Japan in 2015, and now it is finally being finished in English as well. The Japanese Kingdom Hearts II manga series had ten volumes, but for the English series, they've decided to combine them all together to create four large volumes. Kingdom Hearts II Volume 4 contains volumes 8 - 10 of the original Japanese series. Are you excited to see the Kingdom Hearts II manga series conclude? Will you be purchasing this new volume when it's released? Let us know in the comments below! UPDATE 1: The Kingdom Hearts II Volume 4 manga will be released on May 23, 2017, and will cost $24 USD. You can view more information about this release here. UPDATE 2: Yen Press has updated the summary of Kingdom Hearts II: Volume 4, which can be read below: UPDATE 3: The cover for the English Kingdom Hearts II Volume 4 manga has been shown off. Last year, Yen Press announced that they will be releasing the final volume to the English Kingdom Hearts II manga series by Shiro Amano, Kingdom Hearts II Volume 4 on May 23, 2017. Thanks to Yen Press again, we now have a look at the front cover for this final volume. View the cover below: UPDATE 4: The English Kingdom Hearts II Volume 4 manga has been delayed from May 23, 2017 to May 30, 2017. Thanks to KHInsider for the tip! UPDATE 5: The English Kingdom Hearts II Volume 4 manga has released today, on May 30, 2017! You can purchase it from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and RightStuf.

The MCM Expo Group has announced a special guest appearance by Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy series executive producer Shinji Hashimoto at MCM London Comic Con at the end of this month. Hashimoto will be joining Square Enix in an exclusive signing session on Saturday, October 29th, from 11am to 12pm at the end of the signing stand 1112 close to the MCM Letters stand. Tickets to the signing event are very limited, and will be given on a first come first serve basis to 80 lucky fans who spend £10 or more on the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game, with 40 tickets available on Friday and 40 on Saturday. MCM London Comic Con is a biennial event taking place at the ExCeL, alight from Custom House DLR station. For more information about the expo and to purchase tickets, please visit the event website. Are you going to be attending the MCM London Comic Con? Are you planning to attend the signing? Let us know in the comments!

The Monaco Anime Game International Conferences (MAGIC) 2017, organized by Shibuya Productions, will be welcoming Kingdom Hearts series director Tetsuya Nomura as a guest next year. MAGIC is a series of lectures and activities based on geek culture, film, fashion, cosplay and video games. The convention will take place on February 18th next year at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco in Monaco, a month after the release of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. The event is free to attend while places last. For more information and to register, please visit their website. Will you be attending MAGIC 2017? What are you expecting from any interviews or panels with Nomura? Let us know in the comments below!