Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

I haven't quite got the fine points down, like...when, or where... It just kinda kicks in whenever it wants to.
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Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
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Developer(s)	Square Enix h.a.n.d. Inc.
Publisher(s)	Square Enix
Release date(s)	February 2009 Quarter 2 2009 (April-June)
Genre	Action role-playing game
Game modes	Single player, Multiplayer
Ratings	ESRB:Rating Pending
Platform(s)	Nintendo DS

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (キングダム ハーツ Kingudamu Hātsu : Surī Faibu Eito Deizu ōbā Tsū) (pronounced "Kingdom Hearts : Three-Five-Eight Days over Two" as read in Japanese too) is an RPG developed by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS with aid from H.a.n.d.. It is an installment in the best-selling Kingdom Hearts series. The game features the life of Roxas between the end of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and the beginning of Kingdom Hearts II. This game will explore the time from Roxas' creation until his confrontation with Riku that leads to his placement in the data-based Twilight Town in Kingdom Hearts II. It is said to be in full 3D as a single and multiplayer game. The game was announced at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show.

Square Enix revealed at Tokyo Game Show 2007 that a new unique installment to the Kingdom Hearts Series would be coming exclusively to the Nintendo DS. In 358/2 Days, Players will learn more about Roxas' time in the Organization XIII by engaging in both exciting single-player & multiplayer modes. Many unanswered questions about Roxas' life (while Sora was sleeping for one year) will be explored alongside offering Kingdom Hearts fans a whole new way to enjoy the series in a variety of Disney worlds.

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More recent gameplay in Beast's Castle with Roxas and Xaldin

Plot

358/2 Days revolves around the untold events of Roxas during his time with Organization XIII. The initial trailer showed events in Twilight Town, as did more recent trailers and scans. The clock tower is shown as Roxas, Axel and Xion's hangout. Organization XIII's headquarters will also be featured. Xaldin and Roxas have been seen running around Beast's Castle, and a trailer at the official site shows that they fight a Darkside Heartless there.

Characters

Like previous Kingdom Hearts titles, 358/2 Days will feature numerous Disney characters. Confirmed characters include Roxas, King Mickey, Riku (who seems to be an antagonist), and all the members of Organization XIII, including a previously unknown 14th member, Xion. She appears to have great significance in the story. Her role is subject to question, as she has been shown hanging out with Roxas and Axel in several scans and trailers, and in others, attacking them. The Heartless will appear as the primary antagonists, and there will be some new boss types, including a "frog Heartless" (according to Gamespot).

Chronology

This game, much like Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, takes place in between the two main games in the series. This one presumably begins directly after Roxas is created near the end of the first Kingdom Hearts, through the events of Chain Of Memories, and ending with the beginning of the second Kingdom Hearts, when Sora wakes up. If this is true, then it may contain the deaths of several Organization members, such as Marluxia and Zexion. What is certain is that players will see a full Organization XIII, one scene even showing all 13 members (hoods lowered) in the meeting chamber. If this is the case the the deaths of the said members of the organization will happen early on as the events between when sora was turned into a heartless and the events of chain of memories couldn't have taken place in more than a few days time.

Confirmed Worlds

• The World That Never Was
• Castle Oblivion
• Twilight Town/Simulated Twilight Town
• Wonderland
• Olympus Coliseum
• Agrabah
• Beast's Castle
• Hollow Bastion
• Traverse Town
• Halloween Town
• Destiny Islands
• Snow White's House

Gameplay

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An early gameplay screenshot of the beta version of 358/2 Days

The gameplay is believed to be similar to the action-RPG style of the previous games in the series. Multiplayer is to be included. Any questionings of multiplayer just being computer controlled AIs was put to rest by the several reviews of people playing the demos at the official events that demos of the game have been featured at. Multiplayer gameplay is confirmed to control Roxas and all of the members of Organization XIII, the one possible exception being Xion. The only other possible playable character people were questioning, Xemnas, has been confirmed by Nomura to be playable. In recent scans, the familiar command menu from past installments of the game has returned, this time with only three visible commands. There is also a new gauge in the status bars. Along with HP and MP, there is a yellow bar labeled LM, possibly similar to the drive bar in Kingdom Hearts 2.

They also had a control scheme in the Jump Festa 2008 Demo: L: Move camera left R: Move camera right L or R twice: Camera resets behind player L+R: Lock on(it was learned at TGS that days has an auto lock system, with no way to select a target) D-pad: Control character X: Scroll through command list (attack, magic, item) A: Perform command B: Jump, double tap for double jump, press with direction after jumping once to air slide Y: Reflect Guard, press with direction for dodge roll, after jumping press with direction to glide Start: Pause game These controls can change once the game is released as this is only a demo.

Another interesting point is the height of the chairs in Where Nothing Gathers. The chairs' heights do not actually relate to the number of members in the Organization, but rather their rank. Lower ranking members, like Vexen and Zexion have lower chairs, where as higher ranked members, like Saïx and Marluxia have higher chairs. When missions are completed in 358/2 Days, the height of the chairs change depending on how well or poor the members did.

Trivia

• Tetsuya Nomura has stated that Xion will only be seen as a screenplay role; you cannot play as her through the game, as far as we know.

• Even though the Organization has 14 members, the organization keeps the name Organization XIII. This will also be explained in the game.

• It was stated in the Jump Festa 2008 that Riku will only appear near the end of the game. This has led to speculation that he will serve as the final boss of Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days, as it would match the chronological order given. However, this has yet to be confirmed.

• It was stated that the scene from Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+, with Axel and Roxas sitting on the Clock Tower of Twilight Town, was originally meant for the opening of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. It will actually be the ending to Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

• Roxas' naming by Xemnas in front of the Old Mansion, dealt with in Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+, will be used as the opening To Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

• The title is a reference to the year that Sora was asleep. There will be the supposed 358 days playing as Roxas in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days followed by the 6 days played in Twilight Town as Roxas in Kingdom Hearts II.

Sources

1. . http://gonintendo.com/?p=32561
2. . http://gonintendo.com/?p=31966

Official Website

http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/days/