GAF Impressions!
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Title - Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance
Genre - Action RPG
Platform - Nintendo 3DS (Circle Pad Pro supported)
Price - $39.99/~£29.99/~€39.99
Developed by Square Enix 1st Production Department (Osaka Team)
Published by Square Enix
Composers - Yoko Shimomura, Takeharu Ishimoto, Tsuyoshi Sekito
Japanese Release Date - March 29, 2012
North American Release Date - July 31, 2012
EU Release Date - July 20, 2012
AU Release Date - July 26, 2012
-English, German, French subtitles for EU version
-There is a demo available on EShop
[URL=http://imgur.com/SMqxm]
[/URL]
King Mickey and Yen Sid prepare for an impending threat by putting Sora and Riku through the Mark of Mastery exam. Sora and Riku are sent into the Sleeping Worlds, where they will face new enemies and make new friends in worlds they've never stepped foot in. If they can successfully unlock seven Sleeping Keyholes and return to their world, they will retrieve a great power and be deemed true Keyblade Masters.
Pre-Order Bonuses
Various Retailers (NA, EU, AU)
"chez certains revendeurs" (France only?)
Theatrhythm style keychains with pre-order.
Mark of Mastery Limited Edition (NA only) = $54.99
Amazon, Gamestop, Bestbuy
FAQ
Q: Where does this game fall in the timeline?
A: After Kingdom Hearts 2 and re:Coded.
Q: Do I need to have played Birth by Sleep/re:Coded/etc in order to understand this game?
A: Birth by Sleep introduces the player to several new characters. In regards to what you should know for KH3D, BBS reveals the primary antagonist of the series, who's impending return is the primary motivation behind the events of KH3D. As for re:Coded, its secret ending is the direct lead into this game.
Q: What if I haven't played Birth by Sleep/re:Coded?
A: You should probably play Birth by Sleep sometime; besides that fact that it's a great game, it elaborates on questions you may have had from KH1 and 2, and you'll want to understand
when (if) KH3 rolls around. Several have mentioned in the import thread that the game assumes that the player is familiar with ALL the other games before delving into this one, so be warned. Also, Kingdom Hearts 3D will have a recap of the story so far in the form of memoirs in the main menu. For now, you should watch the ending to re:Coded. It leads directly into this game.
Q: Is the command deck back?
A: Yes, the command deck from Birth by Sleep makes a return, but there are several new elements to the gameplay.
Q: What does the title mean?
A: Good question.
This game featues a command deck like interface similar to what is used in Birth by Sleep and re:Coded. However there seem to be some changes made to that system. Riku can form dream-eater-partnerships, he can assume a "command style" based on his dream eater partner. Sora has different combo (Limit) attacks he can do with his dream eaters.
The game's most significant new feature is the ability to hunt and collect Dream Eaters, with each individual Dream Eater companion providing Sora and Riku access to varying abilities, attacks, and co-operative actions. Many elements of the game will utilize the touch screen, such as throwing enemies or chaining various attacks. The Dream Eaters in your party will level up; this will be related to Sora's and Riku's own leveling. It is also possible to have multiple Dream Eaters in combat at the same time.
Link Portals
You'll find Link Portals here and there in the areas of play, of which adds another Dream Eater companion to your current party temporarily. There are two types: Battle Portals and Friend Portals. Battle Portals put you up against a particular Dream Eater. Defeat the Dream Eater, and you'll get the materials required for creating it as a partner Dream Eater character. In addition, the Link Portals will contain Dream Eaters of friends you encounter via Street Pass.
Mini-games
Dream Drop Distance has several mini-games you can play, including Flick Rush. The game is playable over the 3DS's local wireless connection. When you play Flick Rush, you choose three Dream Eaters which go head to head against your opponents team of Dream Eaters, using sliding cards to fight. The winner earns medals which are used to make new commands and acquire new recipes!
Drop Gauge
In addition, the Drop Gauge displayed at the lower right of the screen shows the length of time a character will continue to be active. Once it drops to 0, the character will fall into a sleep state and automatically switch out of play. As such, you will switch back and forth between Riku and Sora every few minutes, though it is also possible to manually switch out at any given time by pressing the [Start] button and pause the game, then pressing "DROP" on the bottom screen to drain the gauge immediately. Whenever you switch out, a new screen will pop up showing the points, prizes and all sorts of other miscellaneous goodies you've collected during play, allowing you gain an advantage and customize your characters before proceeding.
You can watch an overview of the various gameplay mechanics here.
Trailers
Debut English Trailer (9:36)
E3 2012 Trailer (3:57)
Flowmotion Trailer (2:02)
Dream Eaters Trailer (2:15)
New Features Trailer (1:53)
New Worlds Trailer (1:55)
EU Launch Trailer (1:11)
US Launch Trailer (1:57)
Screens
Reviews
Kotaku - YES
Independant - 10/10
Games Catalyst - A
Cubed3 - 9/10
Nintendo World Report - 9/10
G4TV - 4.5/5
KHInsider - 4.5/5
Gaming-Age - A-
RPGFan - 8.5/10
IGN - 8.5/10
GameZone - 8.5/10
GamingExaminer - 8.5/10
4Players - 8.5/10
ONMUK - 8.4/10
Game Informer - 8.25/10
GameTrailers - 8.2/10
Nintendo Power - 8/10
Eurogamer - 8/10
3DJuegos - 8/10
Games Master UK - 7.9/10
CVG/NGamer - 7.2/10
Meristation - 7.1/10
GameSpot - 7/10
NintendoLife - 7/10
GamesTM- 7/10
Joystiq - 3/5
1up - C+
Polygon - 5/10
Metro.co.uk- 4/10
Anknowledgements
Nintex for the Banners!
Kingdom Hearts wikia
Andriasang
Siliconera
RPGSite
ONM_UK
KHInsider for images and some blurbs
Wikipedia
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title - Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance
Genre - Action RPG
Platform - Nintendo 3DS (Circle Pad Pro supported)
Price - $39.99/~£29.99/~€39.99
Developed by Square Enix 1st Production Department (Osaka Team)
Published by Square Enix
Composers - Yoko Shimomura, Takeharu Ishimoto, Tsuyoshi Sekito
Japanese Release Date - March 29, 2012
North American Release Date - July 31, 2012
EU Release Date - July 20, 2012
AU Release Date - July 26, 2012
-English, German, French subtitles for EU version
-There is a demo available on EShop
[URL=http://imgur.com/SMqxm][/URL]
King Mickey and Yen Sid prepare for an impending threat by putting Sora and Riku through the Mark of Mastery exam. Sora and Riku are sent into the Sleeping Worlds, where they will face new enemies and make new friends in worlds they've never stepped foot in. If they can successfully unlock seven Sleeping Keyholes and return to their world, they will retrieve a great power and be deemed true Keyblade Masters.
Pre-Order Bonuses
Various Retailers (NA, EU, AU)
"chez certains revendeurs" (France only?)
Theatrhythm style keychains with pre-order.
Mark of Mastery Limited Edition (NA only) = $54.99
Amazon, Gamestop, Bestbuy
FAQ
Q: Where does this game fall in the timeline?
A: After Kingdom Hearts 2 and re:Coded.
Q: Do I need to have played Birth by Sleep/re:Coded/etc in order to understand this game?
A: Birth by Sleep introduces the player to several new characters. In regards to what you should know for KH3D, BBS reveals the primary antagonist of the series, who's impending return is the primary motivation behind the events of KH3D. As for re:Coded, its secret ending is the direct lead into this game.
Q: What if I haven't played Birth by Sleep/re:Coded?
A: You should probably play Birth by Sleep sometime; besides that fact that it's a great game, it elaborates on questions you may have had from KH1 and 2, and you'll want to understand
the fates of the Terra, Aqua, and Ventus
Q: Is the command deck back?
A: Yes, the command deck from Birth by Sleep makes a return, but there are several new elements to the gameplay.
Q: What does the title mean?
A: Good question.
This game featues a command deck like interface similar to what is used in Birth by Sleep and re:Coded. However there seem to be some changes made to that system. Riku can form dream-eater-partnerships, he can assume a "command style" based on his dream eater partner. Sora has different combo (Limit) attacks he can do with his dream eaters.
The game's most significant new feature is the ability to hunt and collect Dream Eaters, with each individual Dream Eater companion providing Sora and Riku access to varying abilities, attacks, and co-operative actions. Many elements of the game will utilize the touch screen, such as throwing enemies or chaining various attacks. The Dream Eaters in your party will level up; this will be related to Sora's and Riku's own leveling. It is also possible to have multiple Dream Eaters in combat at the same time.
Link Portals
You'll find Link Portals here and there in the areas of play, of which adds another Dream Eater companion to your current party temporarily. There are two types: Battle Portals and Friend Portals. Battle Portals put you up against a particular Dream Eater. Defeat the Dream Eater, and you'll get the materials required for creating it as a partner Dream Eater character. In addition, the Link Portals will contain Dream Eaters of friends you encounter via Street Pass.
Mini-games
Dream Drop Distance has several mini-games you can play, including Flick Rush. The game is playable over the 3DS's local wireless connection. When you play Flick Rush, you choose three Dream Eaters which go head to head against your opponents team of Dream Eaters, using sliding cards to fight. The winner earns medals which are used to make new commands and acquire new recipes!
Drop Gauge
In addition, the Drop Gauge displayed at the lower right of the screen shows the length of time a character will continue to be active. Once it drops to 0, the character will fall into a sleep state and automatically switch out of play. As such, you will switch back and forth between Riku and Sora every few minutes, though it is also possible to manually switch out at any given time by pressing the [Start] button and pause the game, then pressing "DROP" on the bottom screen to drain the gauge immediately. Whenever you switch out, a new screen will pop up showing the points, prizes and all sorts of other miscellaneous goodies you've collected during play, allowing you gain an advantage and customize your characters before proceeding.
You can watch an overview of the various gameplay mechanics here.
Trailers
Debut English Trailer (9:36)
E3 2012 Trailer (3:57)
Flowmotion Trailer (2:02)
Dream Eaters Trailer (2:15)
New Features Trailer (1:53)
New Worlds Trailer (1:55)
EU Launch Trailer (1:11)
US Launch Trailer (1:57)
Screens
Reviews
Kotaku - YES
Independant - 10/10
Games Catalyst - A
Cubed3 - 9/10
Nintendo World Report - 9/10
G4TV - 4.5/5
KHInsider - 4.5/5
Gaming-Age - A-
RPGFan - 8.5/10
IGN - 8.5/10
GameZone - 8.5/10
GamingExaminer - 8.5/10
4Players - 8.5/10
ONMUK - 8.4/10
Game Informer - 8.25/10
GameTrailers - 8.2/10
Nintendo Power - 8/10
Eurogamer - 8/10
3DJuegos - 8/10
Games Master UK - 7.9/10
CVG/NGamer - 7.2/10
Meristation - 7.1/10
GameSpot - 7/10
NintendoLife - 7/10
GamesTM- 7/10
Joystiq - 3/5
1up - C+
Polygon - 5/10
Metro.co.uk- 4/10
Anknowledgements
Nintex for the Banners!
Kingdom Hearts wikia
Andriasang
Siliconera
RPGSite
ONM_UK
KHInsider for images and some blurbs
Wikipedia
