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The official Kingdom Hearts soundtracks for HD 2.5 ReMIX, Birth by Sleep, 358/2 Days, Dream Drop Distance, and HD 1.5 ReMIX are now available via the Square Enix Store. Each comes as a three CD set except for HD 2.5 ReMIX, which contains four CD's.

There are four soundtracks in total, including music from across seven games in the franchise. The music is created by composers such as Tsuyoshi Sekito, Yoko Shimomura, and Takeharu Ishimoto. Each is a re-release of products that originally debuted between 2011 and 2014, while the Birth by Sleep & 358/2 Days CD set also includes some extra music from the Japanese exclusive Birth by Sleep FINAL MIX release. The soundtracks for Birth by Sleep & 358/2 Days, Dream Drop Distance, and HD 1.5 ReMIX are available for $30.99 each, while the one for HD 2.5 ReMIX costs $42.99. Each is expected to ship sometime in September 2024.

Back in July 2024, Square Enix showed off some new hair clips themed around Halloween Town from Kingdom Hearts II. More recently, the company also announced the return of 4 metallic keychains shaped like the series' signature Keyblades.

The original soundtracks for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX, Birth by Sleep, 358/2 Days, Dream Drop Distance, and HD 1.5 ReMIX are now available via the Square Enix online store. Each product is expected to release sometime in September, 2024.

The post Kingdom Hearts Game Soundtracks Come to Square Enix Store appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix is working on new Kingdom Hearts jewelry. This latest one comes in two variants and hides a secret. Two Kingdom Hearts Roxas ring versions will appear in Japan on November 11, 2023, and each one also pays tribute to Axel and Xion via hidden art. The items will cost 24,200円 (~$172) each. The Square Enix worldwide storefront doesn't offer listings for either one yet. However, it often also offers these kinds of items not long after the Japanese announcement.

Aside from the color variations, the two rings are identical. Both Kingdom Hearts rings feature a checkerboard design on the outside that is inspired by Roxas’ clothing. On the inside, a picture of Axel, Roxas, and Xion eating sea-salt ice cream as they did in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is engraved into the band. They are also each made of 925 sterling silver. You can get them in specific sizes ranging from 7-23. The difference is one is just silver, and the other features a black coating.

Here's how the standard silver one looks:
[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="965273,965274,965275,965276" link="file"]

And here's how the alternative option will look:
[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="965277,965278,965279,965280" link="file"]

It isn't unusual for Kingdom Hearts jewelry based on specific characters to appear. For example, U-Treasure released a bracelet and necklace inspired by Roxas in the past. Square Enix also made necklaces based on Kairi's keyblade in 2023.

The two versions of the Kingdom Hearts Roxas ring will appear in Japan on November 11, 2023.

The post Kingdom Hearts Roxas Ring Hides Art of Him with Axel and Xion appeared first on Siliconera.

h.a.n.d., the developer of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded appear to have made quite the name for themselves since their involvement in those two games. Since then, they’ve gone on to co-develop a number of other popular titles for a variety of publishers.

Here’s a look at some of their work since their Kingdom Hearts days:

(2011) Imaginary Range [iOS, Square Enix]

(2012) Girls RPG [3DS, Level 5]

(2012) The World Ends With You –Solo Remix- [iOS, Square Enix]

(2012) Fantasy Life [3DS, Level 5]

(2013) Toriko: Gourmega Battle [3DS, Namco Bandai]

(2013) Fantasy Life Link! [3DS, Level 5]

Not too shabby. Thankfully, h.a.n.d. appear to be doing fairly well for themselves, which is nice to see, considering that one of their earliest announced current-gen titles, Chocobo Racing 3D, may have been cancelled, seeing as how it hasn’t emerged 2010.

The post What Is The Developer Of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Up To? appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix is mashing music together from three portable Kingdom Hearts games into one Kingdom Hearts soundtrack. Songs from Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days are bundled together in the Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep & 358/2 Days official soundtrack. You can visit the official site (or replay one of those Kingdom Hearts games?) to hear samples of the soundtrack.

New music from Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Final Mix is also part of the package, which comes out on February 2 in Japan.

Speaking of Kingdom Hearts stuff only announced for Japan, here's the cover art for Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Final Mix.

The post Three Portable Kingdom Hearts Games, One Soundtrack appeared first on Siliconera.

When you think of Kingdom Hearts, you tend to think of Square Enix. Likewise, when you think of a good portable games developer, Square Enix are one of the first companies that come to mind in that regard.

The reality, though, is that Square Enix are a publisher of games. While they have sizeable internal teams devoted to inhouse videogame development, they’re also one of the largest sources of contract-based work for smaller developers in the industry. Developers that thrive on high-profile game development for which manpower can’t be allocated internally by Square themselves.

If you’re a big Nintendo DS gamer, you’re probably familiar with some of these names: Matrix Software; Think & Feel; Jupiter; Arte Piazza; and h.a.n.d.

That last one in particular has frequently been in the news of late, for their work on Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. Depending on your tastes, you might also them for Final Fantasy: Chocobo Tales, the Nintendo DS port of Flower, Sun & Rain, or for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, which is their most high-profile project to date.

But h.a.n.d. weren’t always a game developer.

“Originally, president [Teruaki] Matoba was selling Macintosh hardware and software to universities and the like, before they were widely known to Japanese people,” general manager of h.a.n.d., Satoshi Mikami, revealed to Siliconera. “When similar companies increased, we reformed our organization to develop software on our own.”

The earliest game listed on h.a.n.d.’s website is One Piece Pirates' Carnival, which was published by Namco Bandai as late as 2005, 13 years after the company was originally founded. Like many contract-based developers in the industry -- TOSE being the most famous for this sort of thing -- h.a.n.d. were put to work on numerous projects over the years for which they weren’t credited.

Nor were they allowed to reveal their involvement with these titles. The earliest game Mikami-san can talk about was Treasure Strike: Full Swing for Windows, a multiplayer battle game, published by Kid in 2004. Full Swing was a follow-up to the original Treasure Strike on the Dreamcast.

But the game that would eventually lead to the majority of contracts h.a.n.d. have landed was Final Fantasy: Chocobo Tales on the Nintendo DS. Not only did Chocobo Tales lead to more work from Square Enix, it also led other companies -- like Sony with Ape Escape for PSP and SEGA with Puyo Puyo 7 -- to take an interest in h.a.n.d.

But being a contract-based company also means that you can’t afford to be choosy. h.a.n.d. take on a variety of work, including projects like software development for museum exhibitions and a "Body Manager" app for mobile phones, for which they have a separate division named North Point Inc.

“It is a software development company,” Mikami-san elaborated when we asked about North Point. “Some staff belong to North Point Inc. because of our employment style and contract relations. However, they actually work with h.a.n.d. staff.”

A third division, S.N.S. Inc., works on social games for Facebook and Mixi. At present, h.a.n.d. aren’t self-publishing social games themselves, but Mikami-san doesn’t rule out the possibility. “Since we have cultivated the know-how by working on applications for other companies, there might be some possibilities in the future,” we were told.

So, what is the plan for the company’s future at this point? For one thing, h.a.n.d. don’t want to restrict themselves to game development.

“We will keep creating video games, but in the coming years, we want to correspond to work related to developing various kinds of entertainment and creative software aimed at the market of the future,” Mikami explained.

“Moreover, we have a feeling that we must have world-wide aspects not only with regard to the commodities we produce, but also to our system of development,” he went on. This is likely the reason North Point, while a separate team dedicated to a different line of work, collaborate with h.a.n.d.’s game division. A flexible team setup allows for people of different talents to be swapped in and out to provide solutions to a variety of problems.

But while h.a.n.d., like so many others, aspire to be a global organization, they’re willing to take their time and ensure they rack up enough experience points along the way before they reach their goal.

“With regard to becoming known world-wide as a game development company, developing portable video games might not give off much of an impression. However, there is an advantage to releasing many titles in a short term,” Mikami emphasizes. “Because of that, our staff actually gains valuable experience.”

He also believes that it’s important to keep the difference between portable and console games in mind, as we head toward a future where the line between the two starts to blur.

“Because the line between portable and console is getting thinner, we are concerned about more and more portable video games becoming overly deep experiences like console video games,” Mikami-san reveals.

He concluded: “Even if the game requires higher technology and capacity to develop, a portable videogame should have the features of a customer-friendly and casual experience, and we don't want the market to forget that.”

This is, perhaps, most evident in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, where the game is structured into missions that can take anywhere from ten to thirty minutes to complete, after which you can save your game and turn it off to be resumed at a later time. Given how surprisingly well-suited it was to the DS format, it’s clear that h.a.n.d. have their priorities worked out.

The post Company Profile: A h.a.n.d. In Game Development appeared first on Siliconera.

We've heard Square Enix president, Yoichi Wada, discuss the company's globalization plans time and time again. And yet, it's never been quite clear what Square define as "globalization" other than that they want to increase sales of their games in overseas territories.

On the fan and consumer front, some feel that globalization means westernizing the company's Japan-centric franchises. Others believe that it involves setting up shop in more territories to develop games for the local audience. However, neither of these are necessarily the case.

"Our global development is not the release of all titles in all regions, nor is it game development in a certain region for meeting any individual, regional taste," Wada said in a message to investors in the company's annual financial report.

"As we maximize the unique strengths of each title, sales performance may vary depending on regional preference. The globalization we pursue achieves an optimal balance of products across the Group through combinations of such strong titles."

So, the point isn't to westernize Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy or to "Japanify" Lara Croft -- it's to make sure Square have a healthy amount of content selling in each part of the world. Wada points to this past fiscal year as a good example of his globalization vision, where Final Fantasy XIII, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Dragon Quest IX drove sales across the globe.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Dragon Quest VI are listed as million sellers as well. Combined sales of these titles worldwide led to an increase in Square's operating profit -- earnings before taxes and interest deductions -- over the previous year by 254%.

Wada further states that in a connected world, location has little meaning these days. Rather, culture and language are larger factors that segment the market. An even more vital issue, he believes, is "segmentation by individual customer preference." Now that Square have established a globalization "skeleton" through the acquisition of Eidos, they plan to add "nerves" and "muscles" to it, going forward.

In of geographic expansion itself, China is next on Square's priority list, as Wada feels his company's profit ratios are being sured by certain major Asian game publishers.

The post What Is Square Enix’s Idea Of “Globalization”? appeared first on Siliconera.

In a fan powered Q&A, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days director Tetsuya Nomura fielded a question about the lost Pinocchio level. Nintendo Power reported about a Pinocchio level in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, which wasn’t in the final game. What was this area like?

“Set in a circus and playing off the story of Pinocchio, a puppet with a heart, and the Nobodies who possess no heart, we planned for a sad episode with Roxas and Xion looking for hope for themselves,” Nomura disclosed.

Nomura also commented on how he came up with Xion. “The name Xion and her background story was thought of and constructed during the production of this title, but we actually had the concept for a girl character like Xion drawn up since Roxas's defection from Organization XIII. Therefore during the production of this title, we just worked on expanding on the ideas we had for that girl character and wrote Xion's story around that concept.”

Edit: Whoops, forgot about Larxene. I stand corrected!

The post Nomura Discusses Cut Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Content And Xion’s Origins appeared first on Siliconera.

The week of February 15 - 21 saw the release of two fairly high-profile games. Resident Evil 5: Alternate Edition debuted at the top of the charts, knocking God Eater down to the #2 position. Meanwhile, Heavy Rain sold a somewhat respectable 26,775 units. Dante's Inferno, on the other hand, only managed a measly 4,800 (approx.) units.

While it's not on the top-ten charts, it appears Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Do Don to 2 Daime has reached approximately 290,000 units, since its release back in November. That's a fairly significant number and explains the taiko-less re-release of the first Taiko no Tatsujin.

The top-ten ranking for the week of Feb 15 - 21 is as follows. More hidden sales tidbits after the chart:

For those that are curious, Zangeki no Reginleiv is up to about 30,000 units now. In an interesting twist, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks's price drop seems to be keeping it on the charts every week -- it's up to around 528,000 units so far. That's about half of what Phantom Hourglass sold. Perhaps it's time to go back to the drawing board if Nintendo intended for the "Celda" style to appeal to the Japanese market?

Meanwhile, Dynasty Warriors Online on PS3 debuted rather abysmally, in the range of 8,000 units.

Portables appear to generate the most revenue for Square Enix as Birth by Sleep continues to consistently sell a few thousand units every week. It's up to around 775,000 units now. While it probably won't hit a million, one also needs to take into that Kingdom Hearts traditionally performs very well in the west, and the fact that it's on PSP probably means production costs were very reasonable. By comparison, 358/2 Days has sold around 522,260 units to date, according to Enterbrain data.

Given the success of 358/2 Days and Birth by Sleep, one wouldn't be surprised in the least to see more portable entries in the franchise going forward, especially in light of recent comments on spin-off games by Tetsuya Nomura.

The post This Week In Sales: Japan Invaded By Heavy Rains And Resident Evils appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix booked big numbers during the nine month period ended on December 31, 2009. Their games division’s net sales are up 97% and operating income skyrocketed to 18,084 million yen or roughly $202.6 million dollars. That figure is up 99% compared to the same period last year.

Favorable sales of Dragon Quest IX, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and Final Fantasy XIII lead the charge. Chrono Trigger, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, and The Last Remnant were some of their lead titles for the April-December period in 2008.

Key releases in their fourth fiscal quarter include: Star Ocean: The Last Hope International (worldwide), Supreme Commander 2 (NA/EU), Final Fantasy XIII, (NA/EU), Just Cause 2 (NA/EU), Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (Japan), and Dragon Quest VI (Japan).

The post Square Enix’s Sales And Profits Soar appeared first on Siliconera.

It is no secret to those who know me that my favorite characters in the series was the Organization XIII, a group of beings called Nobodies who have lost their hearts.  As such, they can feel no emotion (more on that later).  Just to put things in perspective, I had actually quit the series at Kingdom Hearts, but after I had read spoilers on the existence of Nobodies and the theory behind it, I was actually intrigued enough to finish the last quarter of Kingdom Hearts and all of Kingdom Hearts II in one fell swoop. 

And I was mildly disappointed in the lack of perspective into the Organization’s characters.  They have such a wide range of characters that were introduced, that we were given a taste of, but were never fleshed out… because Sora went and killed most of them, or they went and killed each other.  As such I was very, very excited to hear about Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.  An opportunity to put the spotlight on a group of original characters to the game (not from Disney or the Final Fantasy series)?  I’d bite.

Now, after playing Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days I’m torn between thinking of their use of the disappearance of memories as ingenious and contrived.

It was a good plus that the game fulfilled my expectations in the characterizations of the Nobodies, although not quite in the way I expected.  We do learn more of the personalities of the Nobodies and their quirks, but it also drives home how odd some of the interactions are.  While some may say that this is a one-trick pony to drive in the fact that Nobodies can’t feel emotions despite the fact that they act like they do, it does work.  When the team at Castle Oblivion was obliterated except for Axel (and even he was thought dead for a while), all Xigbar had to say was “Yeah, so?”  When you’re on a mission with Demyx, who is arguably one of the most emotional of the characters we see in Kingdom Hearts II, it’s slightly disturbing to see him skirt out of work … even when you’re facing an extremely tough boss battle.  After the fight, Demyx is just happy that he didn’t have to fight it as well.  No concern for Roxas’ well-being whatsoever.

Each member is unique and I enjoyed learning quirks like the fact that Xigbar speaks very differently from how he writes, a fact that definitely helped him in becoming the former-scientist he is.  Saix isn’t just an unthinking lapdog of Xemnas; he has his own agenda as well.  Even Xion, the newest addition to the team, was likeable.

These differences carry over to the Mission Mode as well, in which you can play as different of the Organization.  For every keyblade that Roxas has, every organization has their own weapon design and name, as well as their own variations of attacks and abilities that are derived from the weapons.  It was fun, especially for (I it) a fangirl like me, to see the fighting and not trying to kill you.  Currently, my favorite is Zexion, although Saix (although I abhor his personality) is a close second.

Despite all of this expansion into the world of Nobodies, though, the question of what precisely Nobodies are is still not explicitly answered.  As I mentioned, they are beings without hearts, but what does that mean exactly?  In the fandom, I’ve heard explanations varying from “they feel emotions because they it, not because they can actually feel them” to “they always feel a certain wrongness because they know they’re supposed to feel something but they don’t,” and there is even dispute between whether this “heart” they’re missing is physical or purely metaphysical or both.  While little snippets of information is given in the games and some things may be deduced from the visuals in the game or the dialogue, one of the main premises of a game shouldn’t be left to such vague, nebulous descriptions. 

Then again, the reason they (the Nobodies, possibly the creators of the game) don’t answer the question is that they don’t really know.

Another piece of information I’m hesitant to accept readily is this development on Replicas.  Tales of the Abyss vibes aside, it was almost as though Replicas don’t even have real bodies, but are rather some form of spirit.  During certain points in the game, there are scenes where Xion is seen with her hood up, then down, then up, and then down, ad nauseum.  I had originally thought that this was some really odd bug that Square Enix had missed, but it turned out that was happening (and we were never told this, which bothered me) was that you were seeing her from different points of view.  What does it mean when “what she is” resonates with someone in such a way that they see her as that person?

After playing this, I’m even more eager to see how the “Somebodies” come into play, seeing as they’re appearing in the game, as well as what role Venitus (Ven) plays in his dealings with the apprentices.  Heck, I’m interested in seeing the whole fall of Ansem and his apprentices, which will almost surely be covered in Birth by Sleep.

The post Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days: Making Something Out Of The Nobodies appeared first on Siliconera.

At the moment, only the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is available. That means, of course, that the game is entirely in Japanese. If you can't wait until the fall North American or European release dates, don't despair. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is completely playable if you've played a Kingdom Hearts game before.

Navigating the main menu is no problem, since it's completely in English. It offers the choice of the Story Mode or the Mission Mode. If you choose the main story, you'll be given the choice to start a new game or continue an old one. If you choose Mission Mode, you'll be able to choose an existing Story Mode save file to load (for characters) or the guest option.

There are multiple camera control options. You can use the touch screen to move the camera and show what you want. Or, you can tap the R button quickly to move the camera behind Roxas. If you've equipped a lock-on tile, pressing R twice quickly will make the camera follow the selected enemy. If you're on a platform and want to investigate an area, you can press select, then move the camera with the directional pad. There's also the option to change the control scheme so the L and R buttons control the camera. It's all very intuitive and easy to control.

The in-game menu's standard Kingdom Hearts and RPG fare. From top to bottom, it goes equipment, mission select, a section devoted to Roxas' diary and a bestiary, a tutorial section, a configuration menu, the save menu and an option that returns you to the title screen. The equipment screen is very well organized, as you can see everything all together or organize them into separate categories. Each category is represented by icons, so you can view items, armor, magic, abilities, keyblade ores, rings and key items separately if you so desire.

The menu you always see in the lower left corner is identical to the menu found in all Kingdom Hearts games. The first option is all purpose, allowing Roxas or your character to attack, investigate, open or talk to individuals. The second option is magic and the third is item. If you go into the magic or item sub menus and press L, you can add a magic or item to the shortcut menu. Press L alone allows you to instantly press X, Y, A or B to use an item or use magic.

The Mission Mode main menu is very similar to the Story Mode main menu. In order, it goes through mission select, equipment, the Moogle shop, character select screen, configuration options, the save menu and the option to return to the main menu.

For those familiar with Kingdom Hearts games, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is incredibly easy to navigate and play. There are a few menu titles in English, which helps a bit as well. If you absolutely can't wait until September, you should have no problem playing. Unfortunately, understanding the story will be incredibly difficult, as all sorts of kanji are littered throughout the game and the only voiced sections take part during videos.

The post Navigating Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days appeared first on Siliconera.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days will undoubtedly be one of 2009's biggest DS titles. It's an incredibly action RPG with bite sized missions that can be played in chunks or one after another that manages to capture the magic and appeal of the console Kingdom Hearts games in a portable form. The only thing that could possibly make this game any better is if the Mission Mode were compatible with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Roxas pretty much s Organization XIII as a blank slate. Unlike the other nobodies, he has no memories of his previous life and tends to be rather emotionless and clueless. After his first seven days with Organization XIII, he starts learning about the group's purposes and being sent out on missions. He learns that he and another recent addition to the group named Xion are special nobodies, builds a friendship with fellow Organization XIII superior Axel and cements his place in the group by taking on missions.

While most of the mission Roxas undertakes involve defeating heartless, there are other missions tossed in to add a bit of variety. For example, Roxas may have to explore the Beast's Castle to find information and heartless without being seen by Lumiere or Cogsworth. Or Roxas may have to stalk Pete in order to find a secret entrance and location. While the majority of the game will have players hacking and slashing, the other mission varieties help keep it from getting monotonous.

There also aren't missions every day. There are 93 missions in the game. Many of these missions also have badges in Story Mode that, if collected, allow them to be played in different modes. So once a mission and day has been completed, you can revisit it in either Story Mode, or perhaps Mission Mode, to fulfill additional objectives, earn experience or just kill time. Of course, this makes sense. You don't expect Organization XIII to be working every day. They need downtime as well. Players even get to see examples of what happens then.

At first I was hesitant when I began playing Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days due to the system, the way in which Roxas equips items, magic, abilities, armor and weapons. I'm glad to see now that my worries were unfounded. True, the grid does take getting some used to and you'll often have to shift items and magic around to find a comfortable medium, but I found I could pretty much rely on the same grid arrangement for every level. There were a few cases were I found myself needing to make minimal adjustments, for example adding more magic or levels, but its easy to adopt the new system as the norm.

It also feels quite comfortable to play. Again, I was worried, because I found my thumbs would start aching while playing Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time. Playing Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days feels quite similar to playing Kingdom Hearts or Kingdom Hearts II. The need to press X to select magic spells or items can break your concentration, but this is easily remedied by making good use of the shortcut menu.

I also was surprised to see that, if you're at a high enough level, the Mission Mode can often be accomplished without the help of friends. It provides an interesting opportunity to see how you would tackle objectives as another character, and a wide variety of characters are playable. It's also interesting to see how Organization XIII ' weapons change when equipped with various ores.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is also one of the best looking DS games I've seen. Square Enix and h.a.n.d. have done a fantastic job of recreating the worlds and environments of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II on a smaller scale. The movie sequences are of course stunning, but I never expected the 3D gameplay segments to also look so wonderful. Occasionally, the more detailed characters like the of Organization XIII can look a little pixilated or blocky, but the Disney characters all look fantastic and nearly identical to the PS2 counterparts. I was quite surprised.

I also think Square Enix deserves some kudos for attempting to make Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days accessible to all players. While playing Kingdom Hearts II or the original Kingdom Hearts can help increase your understanding and appreciation of the story, it isn't necessary. Players can begin the journey as a blank slate, just like Roxas, and uncover the story as he does. Perhaps it could even draw new players into the series. The ability to revisit tutorial messages at any time and look back at Roxas' diary helps reinforce instant accessibility.

My only complaint lies in the multiplayer capabilities. I wish that Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection could have been implemented. While local wireless multiplayer is wonderful, it would have been much easier to play together over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Plus, the ability to draw and communicate on the touch screen doesn't make much sense when everyone's gathered in the same area.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is simply an extraordinary game. I'm positive it will end up becoming one of the most lauded and best selling DS games. It's one of those games that is a definite system seller, and another fine addition to the growing DS RPG library.

Food for Thought:

• The Organization XIII moogle shopkeeper is the cutest thing I have ever seen. I'd love a plush keychain or toy in its likeness. (Make it so Square Enix! Make it so.)

• The missions where you have to follow or avoid being seen by enemies are incredibly frustrating.

• Even on beginner mode, I had difficulties with mission 32's boss fights.

• For people without hearts, the characters of Organization XIII are incredibly likable.

• Thanks to all the different camera control options, everyone should be able to find a control scheme that suits them.

The post Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days: Mission Roxas appeared first on Siliconera.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is about Roxas' daily life with Organization XIII, and offers over 90 missions to accomplish. Most of the initial missions are essentially tutorials, a means of educating the player about the Kingdom Hearts world and Roxas' abilities, in case they've never played a Kingdom Hearts game before.

While the game begins in the future, around Day 255, to be exact, it quickly flashes back to Roxas' first days with Organization XIII. Here's a brief, spoiler free look at what a nobody's first week is like.

• Day 7: Roxas wakes up. Learns to talk to people in the World that Never Was' Organization XIII lounge.
• Day 8: Roxas learns how to save his game. Roxas and Axel go to the underground tunnels of Twilight Town to retrieve an item.
• Day 9: Marluxia goes with Roxas to Twilight Town, where Roxas learns to destroy heartless and gather hearts.
• Day 10: Roxas and Zexion return to Twilight Town. Zexion teaches Roxas to check the mission gauge to see how long before a mission is completed, and how to check the map on the touch screen for targets. More destruction of heartless targets.
• Day 11: Twilight Town with Larxene. Roxas can now access the grid before missions to equip items, magic, levels and such. Roxas and Larxene dispatch more heartless, this time with magic. The magic and item shortcut menu can now be accessed as well.
• Day 12: Roxas is investigating Twilight Town with Vexen. He learns how to recognize and check suspicious areas.
• Day 13: Roxas heads to Twilight Town with Lexaeus. He learns how Limit Breaks can be triggered when near death, allowing him to attack enemies with unparalleled speed. A giant heartless is destroyed.
• Day 14: Roxas can now upgrade his keyblade, and revisit earlier missions to find extra treasures or completely clear them. Axel and Roxas revisit Twilight Town to exterminate more heartless. Some Twilight Town characters make their first appearance.

After Day 14, Roxas tends to receive real missions. Ones that don't begin with some kind of tutorial message before hand. Sometimes, he'll even be sent out to carry out objectives alone. Initially, he'll be tasked with working in Twilight Town, but eventually he'll find himself in places like Agrabah and Beast's Castle.

The post Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days: A Spoiler-free Look At Roxas’ First Week appeared first on Siliconera.

One of the most hyped feature of Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days is the fact that players can also take part in a single or multiplayer Mission Mode. Here, you can control any of the of Organization XIII, along with some other special, hidden characters that are unlocked through the main story mode. I decided to take a break from the main story to see what Mission Mode's all about.

I quickly realized that the character you choose in Mission Mode is going to be based largely on the way you play Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days. Some present a larger challenge than others. Some characters use brute force while others make better magic s. And then, there are some that are just plain hard to use.

Here are my initial impressions of the 13 of Organization XIII in combat. Keep in mind, these are just my personal opinions, and a character that didn't work for me might end up becoming your favorite.

1. Xemnas: He may be first on the list, but he's the last character I tried using. His stats are generally above average, compared to the other as a whole. Unfortunately, he doesn't have that same pizazz that Xigbar, Xaldin, Lexaeus and even Luxord or Vexen have. He's a great character who works well in practically every situation, but just not all that special. I thought he was good, but I didn't think he was great. Especially since his combo only lands three hits.
   
2. Xigbar: He's a strategic character, difficult to master at times. Once you learn how to properly use him, he's the most unique and fun of Org. XIII. His stats are slightly lower than the other except in of agility, but he's also got the longest range attack. I loved using him, especially since it takes so little time to reload. He can hold 16 bullets and attack in a frantic flurry all at once. He also has a combo attack unleash with Y after firing with A that you can use to help him get out a situation where he's trapped. He's definitely one of my favorite characters. Be advised! There are some aiming issues if short enemies are too close to him. The bullets will fly over their heads.
   
3. Xaldin: He's one of the first, of many, Org. XIII with average stats. He, along with Lexaeus and Xigbar, was also one of the few characters to really wow me! He's awesome, alone or in multiplayer. He has two combos, a standard one that involves mashing the A botton and hits the enemy with three devastating hits. The second is a bit tricky to pull off and requires timing, since you press A twice then Y twice to unleash a devastating four hit combo. He's strong and I have no idea where he hides all those spears. I'd recommend him to experienced players, only because he can be difficult to use.
   
4. Vexen: He's a good magic and decent attacker, but not the kind of fighter you're really use in a single player mission. Okay, you could, and you may do well. But really, I found he worked best in multiplayer missions, backing up other characters. That way, he stays out of the reach of enemies. His two hit combo attack involves him tossing the shield out in front of him at a bit of a distance, attacking an enemy and knocking it back slightly. He is good against flying enemies, because his attacks send the shield flying in an upwards arc, and his magic attacks can sometimes K.O. enemies in one hit.
   
5. Lexaeus: He's slow and bad with magic, but his HP, attack and defense are the best there is. His jumps also seem a bit smaller than other characters. But none of that matters, because he's the best attacker in the game. He's got a great reach, and two different combos. The first is a two hit combo, triggered by pressing A twice in a row, that attacks an enemy in front twice in a row. The second is a three hit combo, press A then Y twice, that hits an enemy, launches it into the air and finally smacks it back down. He's what I expected Saix to be. I love using him in missions. Beginners and veterans will have to trouble using him. You'll wipe out enemies and not even realize it.
   
6. Zexion: Though his HP is the lowest out of all the Org. XIII , he can work in Mission Mode if you know how to use him. Even though his weapon's a book, his range isn't all that bad. (Better than Demyx.) He can also perform a neat combo where, after hitting an enemy with A, pressing Y repeatedly starts a chain attack where he launches the opponent into the air, then shoots pages at it. He's also a strong magic . He's also pretty quick.
   
7. Saix: He's an incredibly strong offensive fighter. Not so great with magic, but that's okay. Nice amount of HP as well. However, I hated fighting with him. Hated. He's slow. His combo only does two attacks, and each one puts him before his weapon, so a particularly fast opponent can counter. Plus, the combo just has him deal damage twice to the area directly in front of him. He can be overwhelmed not only by multiple enemies, but single enemies as well. The attacks don't even send enemies flying that far. I'd only use him in a multiplayer mission if I had to.
   
8. Axel: He's a well rounded character with average stats. Very easy to use, much like Roxas. He has a decent combo, which ends in a wide circle slash that attacks any enemies surrounding him. He was one of my favorite characters to use, since he works well in pretty much every situation.
   
9. Demyx: As difficult to defeat as he was in Kingdom Hearts II, I expected more of him in mission mode. His stats are pretty average and well rounded, much like Roxas' and Axel's. However, his weapon range seemed abnormally short to me. It's like I had to be right on top of enemies. Personally, I found him annoying to use.
   
10. Luxord: One more character with average stats! He's a great distance fighter, and works well against large groups of enemies. Sadly, his combo is incredibly short (only two attacks). He uses cards to attack, which shoot out in an arc in front of him in the first part of the combo and sprout up surrounding him in the second part. I'd have him stand in place and just keep attacking, while the various heartless converged on him to meet their doom. He's another one of my favorites.
    
11. Marluxia: He's yet another character with average stats. He's pretty strong, and his scythe has a nice reach to it. His attack combo is fantastic though. He attacks an enemy, then launches it into the air. The enemy is the juggled briefly, then sent flying far away with a final attack. He works great in both single and multiplayer missions, and is great against single or multiple enemies. As you can tell, he's also one of my favorites.
    
12. Larxene: Her HP's almost as low as Zexion's, but she's FAST. Think limit break fast. Instead of throwing her daggers though, she holds them between her fingers and fights with her fists. Kind of disappointing, but she's just so quick that it doesn't matter, she'll be out of an enemy's range before it can strike back. I did notice she has some troubles with large groups of enemies, mainly because the last part of her attack combo has her launching ahead without warning, right into a large group. She can work solo, but I'd recommend her for multiplayer missions.
    
13. Roxas: He's absolutely average in every way. Since you're playing as him throughout Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days, you'll be completely comfortable using him in Mission Mode. If you're playing that mode for the first time, or are a KH 358/2 beginner, he's the character to use.

There are two other things to keep in mind in Mission Mode. First, you earn EXP and items that can be used in the Story Mode. Second, pausing the game doesn't pause the action. The enemies on screen will still continue to hunt your character down.

The post Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days: Not All Organization XIII Are Created Equal appeared first on Siliconera.

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days arrived a few days ago, and I was beyond excited. After all, the released screenshots have all been absolutely gorgeous, and I loved the direction Kingdom Hearts 2 took. So, I was very pleased to have the chance to play the game.

First of all, I have to say, that the boxart is stunning. I have never been so fascinated by a game box. It's pretty as it is, but when you look at it in person and hold it up to the light, you'll see tons of little holographic stars. Yes, I'm the kind of person who can be amused for about 10 minutes, starring at the holographic stars on game packaging. The image at the right doesn't do it justice. And yes, I am easily amused.

Since I've just started playing, I thought I'd share my initial impressions of my first moments playing the game.

It begins in that huge white chamber with all the chairs, and Roxas learning the purpose of Organization XIII, which we know from Kingdom Hearts 2 is (spoiler alert) become whole again. Then there's a shot of Roxas and Axel on Twilight Town's clock tower, eating the sea salt ice cream. Hikaru Utada's "ion" starts up then, and we go through all 13 of Organization XIII in order, seeing little FMV sequences for each of them.

Let me say here and now, I was amazed by the video and audio quality during the introduction. I had to pull a friend over and say, "Look at this!" She was equally amazed, especially since it's on the DS. Marluxia is a lot pinker than I ed.

Then we see the locked mansion's gates in Twilight Town, with Roxas in his Twilight Town attire in front of it. Xemnas is in front of him, and we see the name Sora transform into Roxas. I guess Square Enix wanted to remind people, in case they'd forgotten who Roxas was.

The next screen is black, and says Day 255.

Roxas and Axel are hanging out on the clock tower, enjoying themselves. They're laughing and such, but suddenly the mood turns somber as the memory of Xion comes up. Axel leans back, and Roxas looks like he's reminiscing. Bear in mind, this is all still video footage. We haven't gotten into the actual game yet.

The game then flashes back, and we see the black screen with a date again. We're now looking at Day 7.

Roxas wakes up in a dormitory in shades of gray in The World that Never Was. I'm guessing it's in the Organization's huge skyscraper. At first I thought this was the start of another video, since the graphics looked pretty good, but it marked the beginning of Roxas' adventure.

Day 7 is the first day of tutorials. First, we learn how to talk to people. Roxas is in a lounge area with the same gray/white color scheme. Larxene's lounging on a couch on the right side of the room, and Xigbar's on a couch on the left. Saix and Axel are also there, against the windowed wall. You can talk to everyone, but talking to Axel triggers another video cutscene. Roxas is very quiet and despondent.

The video shows us another meeting in that white Organization XIII room with all the chairs. The 14th member, with her cowl pulled over her head, makes her debut here. When Roxas sees her, he's visibly shocked/shaken.

Next, Day 8. Roxas is in the entryway of that lounge again. Another tutorial screen comes up, teaching the player how to save.

I'd like to interject again and say that a nice feature is that all the tutorial messages are saved, and you can access them from the main menu.

Zexion, Axel, Saix and Xion are in the lounge this time. This time, talking to Saix triggers the action. Roxas is being sent out on a mission, accompanied by Axel, to retrieve something. Axel then teleports Roxas and himself to Twilight Town. More specifically, the underground area of Twilight Town. You're in an enclosed area to learn how to move around Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days' environment.

You basically learn how to jump, move the camera, how certain areas are blocked by black lines and inaccessible and how to open treasure chests. Once you retrieve the item from the chest, you also learn how to use items. With that, the mission's done. Axel applauds, and the two return to the portal to complete the mission. Day 8 ends with Axel and Roxas going to Twilight Town's clock tower to begin the tradition of relaxing after a mission.

And that's as far as I've gotten, for now. It's a very easy to play and beautiful game so far. There's some minor loading when entering mission areas and shifting from videos to gameplay, but it only last a few seconds, tops.

Now I'm wondering, exactly how many days of Roxas' life are going to be shown in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days?

Five things I learned during my first few minutes playing Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days:

• The camera's a bit sensitive, but simple to control with the touch pad. It felt very natural to me, and it was really easy to get accustomed to it. I found that my right thumb would often quickly drag to change perspectives, without me even realizing it.
• You can save anywhere.
• There are three difficulty levels: easy, normal and hard.
• Mission Mode uses a game save to play. You can log on as a guest, if you want. You characters to use in missions as you play the game, and initially only the first 13 of Organization XIII are available. Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses, which you can see at a glance.
• Roxas is very contemplative. After each day he'll think about what he's done, and he keeps a journal you can access and read from the game menu.

There'll be a more complete playtest, another impressions piece and a menu guide soon, so be sure to stop by Siliconera for more coverage of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days!

The post Day 1 With Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days appeared first on Siliconera.