Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance - A Review

It's often button-mashy, and the storyline is absurd, but Nintendo 3DS game Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance has a lot of good things going for it.

Now that I've told you straight up some things I don't like about this game, let's talk about something I do like. I like the overall presentation in Kingdom Hearts 3D. The player controls characters Sora and Riku in a quest to unlock seven sleeping worlds to become true keyblade masters. The graphics are really excellent and some of the best on the Nintendo 3DS. And though I detest the plot, it unfolds in a better manner than in any previous entry to the series. Gone are the inconsistent text bubble segments that could have and should have been voice acted. In fact, I don't remember seeing or reading from a single story-essential text bubble in the whole game, and it's a very welcome improvement to the series.

Gameplay in Kingdom Hearts 3D also impressed me. Button mashing is still a problem, like in every other Kingdom Hearts game, but KH3D adds a few twists that do an admirable job at keeping the combat fresh and exciting. The first of those is called flowmotion. Using the "Y" button, the player can send Sora or Riku into walls, poles, and enemies to perform impressive acrobatics. Within battle, flowmotion unleashes devastating attacks against enemies. Outside battle, flowmotion can be a quick, entertaining way to get around. A second gameplay addition called reality shift lets the player interact with certain elements on the touch screen. Each of the game's worlds has a particular brand of reality shift. While some are better than others, all provide a satisfactory break in the monotony of combat.

Unfortunately, Kingdom Hearts 3D continues the series tradition of digging itself into a twisted, not-the-least-bit-captivating storyline. I stopped caring about Sora as a character a long time ago. And Xehanort, the main villain, doesn't evoke even the smallest shred of fear in me. The game attempts to create suspense, only to cause confusion. It endeavors to surprise, only to bore, because anything that can happen, does happen! There are no surprises left!

Conclusion
Though it's clear by now that I have come to dislike the Kingdom Hearts storyline, I hope you realize that that didn't stop me from really enjoying Kingdom Hearts 3D. Yes, the combat is ultimately button-mashy, but a couple of tactful gameplay twists keep it exciting. The 30+ hours it took to beat it felt well-spent. All in all, I recommend this game.    

Kingdom Hearts Story Primer (Part 2)

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance arrives in North America tomorrow, so I should probably finish up my explanations of Kingdom Hearts storyline basics! Read Part 1 here. Today we'll talk about some important characters in Kingdom Hearts:

Sora
Sora is the main character in the Kingdom Hearts series. He spends a lot of time looking for his childhood friends, Riku and Kairi. He is joined early on by Donald Duck and Goofy, who accompany him on most of his journeys. Sora is a Keyblade wielder who is very outgoing, honest, and kind.

Donald Duck and Goofy
Donald Duck is a powerful magician from Disney Castle, while Goofy is head of the castle knights. Donald can be a little sarcastic at times, but he cares about Sora and Goofy. Goofy's got a big heart and he's a great fighter, even if he's a little dim sometimes.

King Mickey
Mickey Mouse is the king of Disney Castle and a Keyblade wielder. He does whatever it takes to help out the various worlds and the individuals within them.

Riku
Sora and Riku are best friends. Though Riku's actions can be misguided, he has a strength of heart that always leads him back to the right path. Riku is also a Keyblade wielder.

Kairi
Kairi is a friend of Sora and Riku's who could be called their guiding light, inspiring them to be the best they can be. She is pure in heart and values friendship.

Roxas
Roxas is Sora's Nobody. All he wants is to be a good person, but he questions his existence when he discovers he's only part of a whole and without a heart. This leads to a lot of conflict. He can bear the Keyblade just as Sora can.

Namine
Namine is the Nobody of Kairi, with a mysterious power to manipulate Sora's memories. Like Roxas, she only wants to do good, but she is valued by those who would abuse her powers for their own benefit.

I could talk about a lot of other characters, but I'm afraid that's it for now! As always, you can leave thoughts or questions in a comment!   

Kingdom Hearts Story Primer (Part 1)

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance is about to be released in North America for the Nintendo 3DS system, so I thought I would compile a short list of essential storyline information about the series. Let's jump in:

The Beginning
The Kingdom Hearts series begins with three characters: Sora, Riku, and Kairi. These three friends live on Destiny Islands. When some kind of darkness infiltrates the peaceful world, the three are separated, but not before Sora acquires a weapon called the Keyblade.

Meanwhile, at Disney Castle, King Mickey has abruptly departed on a mysterious mission, leaving Donald Duck and Goofy with equally mysterious instructions: find the "key" and stick to it!

Thus the adventures to come are set in motion!

Important Things to Know
The Keyblade and Its Chosen Master
The Keyblade is a powerful weapon capable of releasing hearts and barring worlds against darkness. Not just anyone can wield a Keyblade: it chooses a select few who are worthy of the immense responsibility of carrying it. Sora can wield the Keyblade, as well as Riku, King Mickey, Roxas, and others.

The Heartless and the Nobodies
A Heartless is, strangely, a heart that has been removed from its body and trapped by darkness. A Nobody is what you might call an "empty shell" without a heart. When a person with a strong heart turns into a heartless (for whatever reason), an intelligent Nobody that can think and perhaps feel for itself may come into being. Roxas and Namine are examples of this.

Organization XIII and Kingdom Hearts
Organization XIII is a group of Nobodies who have one very specific goal: to regain their hearts. They believe they can achieve this goal by completing Kingdom Hearts, the place where hearts gather. When Heartless are destroyed by the Keyblade, the captive hearts are released and sent to Kingdom Hearts. Since the Keyblade is the only weapon able to release hearts, Keyblade wielders are essential to the plans of Organization XIII.

Alright, I think that's enough for today. Thoughts? Questions? Leave a comment!

Read Part 2

First Impressions: Kingdom Hearts Re:coded

In preparation for the release of Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, I have been frantically trying to catch up in the Kingdom Hearts series. A few weeks ago, I was about 10 hours into Kingdom Hearts II, but playing through it was a very slow process: I thought the combat uninspired and the storyline stale.

So I'm afraid to say I quit. I hoped that the two Kingdom Hearts entries on Nintendo DS would impress me.

Enter Kingdom Hearts Re:coded for the Nintendo DS. I'm glad to report that Re:coded is a really excellent RPG.This may seem strange if you know the game's basic story: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Jiminy Cricket are trying to repair Jiminy's journal from the first Kingdom Hearts adventure. To do so, they enlist the help of a digital Sora. The player will traverse all the same worlds that are in the first Kingdom Hearts game.

In theory, it may seem kinda lame, but rest assured Re:coded and the original Kingdom Hearts are far from the same game. Button-mashy combat that is a staple of the series is present in Re:coded, but a variety of other play styles are thrown into the mix with pleasing results. A well-designed platforming stage at the end of Traverse Town is one such example. My favorite gameplay deviation has to be the turn-based battle system in Olympus Coliseum.

Re:coded has really impressed me up to this point, so I can't help but be optimistic about Dream Drop Distance.

Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012: Kingdom Hearts 3D (Dream Drop Distance)

To watch the latest Nintendo Direct, click here.

In continuation of our discussion about the latest Nintendo Direct, today I'll be talking about Kingdom Hearts 3D (Dream Drop Distance). The game will be out for N3DS on July 31 of this year.

KH3D is set to have a few special features that I'm looking forward to. First of all, the game will have some sort of StreetPass functionality. I'm guessing "Dream Eaters" will have something to do with that, though I don't exactly know what those are. "Dream Eaters" also play a part in an AR feature that the game will have. Whatever they are, "Dream Eaters" must be useful to the gameplay somehow.

Speaking of AR, a special collector's set called the "Mark of Mastery Edition" will come with a few cards. It'll also include12 cards detailing the history of the series and a Kingdom Hearts protective 3DS case.

On top of all that, Kingdom Hearts 3D will also support the Circle Pad Pro, if that's your cup of tea.

In addition, a demo of KH3D is currently available in the eShop. After playing it, I can tell you the game shows a lot of promise. I particularly enjoyed the combat, which includes a couple of things the series hasn't seen before that give the whole system a lot of depth. But I won't spoil it for you. Download the demo and see for yourself what's in store!

What are your thoughts on Kingdom Hearts 3D? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

Other Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012 Posts

• Nintendo 3DS XL Introduced 
• Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS

Looking ahead: Nintendo's 2012

Games
When thinking about the games coming out this year for Wii, one title and one title only comes to my mind: Rhythm Heaven Fever. Out February 13 (yeah, I was quite wrong before), it's sure to assist with the Wii console's final struggle as the world makes way for Wii U. And at a mere $29.99, this is one game I won't be missing out on!

The future of the Nintendo 3DS system is another story. 2011 saw the portable gaming device gathering steam that shows no signs of stopping in 2012. RPG fans should get excited about Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance and Tales of the Abyss. Roller Coaster Tycoon 3D could prove to be a decent little port of the PC series. Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure will likely jump in from nowhere to steal gamers' hearts. Oh, and there's always the growing list of what are sure to be hard-hitters: Luigi's Mansion 2, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Animal Crossing (name not final), Paper Mario (name not final), Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, and Resident Evil: Revelations.

What I'll Be Playing
At this very moment, I have an infinitely long list of games, old and new, to play. I beat Super Mario Bros., so I would like to move on to Super Mario Bros. 3 (I'm not brave enough for number 2). I received the well-reviewed Okami (Wii remake) for Christmas, and it's simply calling out to me. I'm not sure if I'll ever manage to get away from Mario Kart 7 long enough to take the cartridge out of my 3DS. The downloadable Pushmo is a strong contender in the fight for my time. Oh, and there's those ten GameBoy Advance games I downloaded for free recently. I'm actually working on another entry into my Metroid series with Metroid II: Return of Samus...if I can find time to play it. Kirby's Adventure for the NES rounds out the formidable list. Wish me luck!

What will you be playing or looking forward to in the year 2012?

Having trouble adjusting to post-Skyward Sword life

Yes, this means a review for Skyward Sword is on the way! I just have to write it...

That's only one aspect of post-Skyward Sword life. The other, of course, has a lot to do with video games. After finishing Skyward Sword, I thought it might be a good time to pick up what will be the next time-sucker in my life: Kingdom Hearts II for PlayStation 2. So I popped the game in!

..........................................

Nintendo, I thank you. Thank you for making games with creativity and imagination.

I nearly fell asleep trying to play the first hour or so of Kingdom Hearts II. I'm sure the game will draw me in later with compelling combat, but those graphics...they try to be realistic, only to bore me to death after playing within the vibrant world of Skyward Sword all this time.

Well, I played through most of Twilight Princess before Skyward Sword arrived, so perhaps that game would satisfy my hunger for adventure! It sure did! Only...

"WHY WON'T THIS SWORD SWING THE WAY I WANT IT TO!? Oh, yeah...no more one-to-one control..."

As you can see, my life was forever changed the moment I took on the challenge of saving the world in Skyward Sword.

The Kingdom Hearts series and how Wii U could improve it

As I said on Monday, getting a PlayStation 2 in order to play a childhood favorite, Kingdom Hearts, was worth it. Don't assume for a second that Kingdom Hearts is even close to the same league as Zelda and Mario, but it's a pretty decent RPG. The player takes control of Sora, who is joined by Disney's Donald Duck and Goofy in a quest to find his lost friends. The trio explores a myriad of worlds, most of which are based upon famous Disney franchises.

There's your basic premise. The original Kingdom Hearts game debuted on PlayStation 2 and was followed by many more entries, many of them on Nintendo platforms. Kingdom Hearts II also graced the PlayStation 2 system, and the next big entry will be Kingdom Hearts III on an undecided platform. All we know is that it will happen.

So you can't very well blame me for hoping that the Wii U will be that platform of destiny. I think the system's touchscreen controller could add a ton of ease to the Kingdom Hearts battle system. There are three available options to the player as he battles: attack, magic, and item. Do you realize how hard it is to stop mid-battle in order to cast a magic spell or use an item in Kingdom Hearts? It's not fun, so it becomes quite easy to ignore magic and items throughout the game. But just imagine that Wii U touchscreen controller in your hand...magic spells and items can be assigned to slots on the touchscreen, so it's as easy as tapping the right icon on the screen. Oh joyous day! Please bring Kingdom Hearts III to Wii U, Square Enix!

Is it true?

First of all, I'd like to extend a big thanks to everyone who voted on my latest poll, which is now closed. The question was "Holly got a PlayStation 2. Believe it? Or not?" There was a total of 14 votes that were split 50/50.

Why would I ask this question? Because anyone who knows me at all knows that I'm a huge Nintendo loyalist. I hope that attitude comes through on the Nintendo Lifeline. I'm not suited for the first-person shooter-heavy Xbox library. And I'm not tech-y enough to plunk down $500 for a PlayStation 3 (the price is down to $250 at this point, though). Nintendo is where my comfort zone is. It's where Mario and Link are, and that is often all I need.

So the question is, did I get a PlayStation 2 or not? Sharp-eyed Nintendo Lifeline readers may (or may not) have noticed that a few days before the poll closed, I added PlayStation 2 to the list of video game consoles I own on the "About the Authors" page of this site. Yes, I got a PlayStation 2. But it's not because I wanted to expand my horizons: it was almost entirely for the sake of nostalgia. One of my older sisters had a PS2 when I was young, and I remember one game that seemed so cool to me at the time. That game was Kingdom Hearts, and a huge series sprouted from it that continues to this day. Since the original got pretty good reviews, I thought the $100 for a PlayStation 2 system might be worth it. Let me just say, it was worth it. But that's for a different post on a different day. Perhaps this Wednesday. Perhaps not. Anyway, have a great day!