You have found your way to something created by Sorceror Nobody. This may or may not be a cause for
concern, but since you're here you might as well have a look around before fleeing this fragment of the void.
This is a guide to the Nintendo Dual Screen game Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. In the unlikely event that there is any difference between the EU and US versions of the game, please note that since I'm English, this guide is based on the former.
Feel free to correct any SPG errors, though I don't usually make many. Don't attempt to change English spellings to American.
There's a good chance that you may not have encountered my style of writing before. If so, heed these seven warnings:
- Humour: You may find my sense of humour odd or just plain unfunny. Expect frequent sarcasm
- Randomness: Non-sequiteurs are rather probable. They can occur at any time, so be prepared
- Profanity: I will almost certainly use mild profanity frequently, and strong profanity occasionally
- Sexual Refs: The intermittent occurrence of sexual references (usually mild) is entirely possible
- "Pet Hates": I will frequently make jokes at the expense of things that I don't hold in high regard
- "Pet Likes": I will occasionally make jokes at the expense of things that I do hold in high regard
- Offensive: Any offence I may cause is entirely unintentional (unless stated otherwise, but that's very rare)
How to Play 358/2 Days
Section pending...
Basic Controls
Since this game is on NDS, you'll be using the following parts of the handheld device.
| Power Switch: | Required in order to play the game, since you shouldn't be inserting or removing the game card while the DS is switched on, and it can't be played if the DS is switched off |
| Volume Control: | Not strictly required, but you'll probably be wanting to use it at some point |
| Touch Screen: | Technically optional, as the game doesn't use it as much as I expected, but you'll almost certainly use it because it makes some things, especially the panel menu, easier to use. It also controls the camera, which I think is a stroke of genius. |
| Microphone: | Should be functional, if only because a fully functioning DS is preferable to one with any defects. You don't actually need to use the microphone for this game |
| Hinge: | When you're not playing the game, it is advisable to close your DS to avoid damage to the screens. You may notice that pausing during missions is futile: enemies can still attack! If you want to pause during missions, close the DS to put it into Sleep Mode |
| A Button: | General selection in menus and interactions, used in the field to attack and to examine stuff. Apart from RTC'ing through dark corridors and opening treasure chests, you can't examine things while there are any enemies present |
| B Button: | General cancellation in menus and interactions, and speeds up text in cutscenes and suchlike. In the field, it's used for jumping; hold it down until you reach the peak of the jump to get the most height out of it. If you have Aerial Dash, pressing B in midair performs it. Aerial Recovery is also performed with this button |
| X Button: | This is very important, as it controls your action menu in the field. Pressing X cycles through the menu options, and depending on your configuration options, you can hold it down and use the D-pad to navigate the action menu as well |
| Y Button: | Outside of missions, it opens the Panel menu directly, bypassing the main menu. In missions, press it while moving to Dodge Roll, hold it while standing still to Block, and hold it while in midair to Glide. Obviously, you'll need to have those abilities equipped first. Depending on your weapon, you can also use Y to trigger an alternate combo path while performing combos. Just press it when you see the prompt |
| L Button: | Control Scheme A: In missions, use the action menu to highlight an equipped item or spell (but not Backpack items) and hold L to open the shortcut menu, then press either A, B, X or Y to assign the shortcut for the item/spell in question to that button. Now close the action menu and hold L to use your shortcuts |
| Control Scheme B: Hold it down to rotate the camera left, and press it once to cycle to the next target when locked on. Pressing it twice toggles lock-on mode. To use shortcuts in C.S.B. you have to hold L and R together | |
| R Button: | Control Scheme A: Press it once to centre the camera in the direction that Roxas is facing, and press it twice to lock onto a target. While locked on, pressing it once will cycle through targets and pressing it twice cancels lock-on mode |
| Control Scheme B: Hold it down to rotate the camera right, and press it once to cycle to the previous target when locked on. Pressing it twice toggles lock-on mode. To use shortcuts in C.S.B. you have to hold L and R together | |
| Start Button: | Outside of missions, it opens the main menu. In missions, it merely brings up the "Continue/Withdraw" options. In cutscenes, it offers the choice to skip it, and if pressed during a video sequence it skips it outright |
| Select Button: | Press it to enter close-up camera mode; this is not to be confused with the first-person view of the other games. While in this viewing mode, use the D-pad to look around, and press Select again to resume normal control |
Battle System
Like the "main" Kingdom Hearts games (i.e. KH and KHII), combat is mostly hack-and-slash, and enemies are encountered in the field. The main difference in this respect is the magic system. Instead of MP, you have a finite number of casts determined by your panel setup. Ether-type items restore a fixed number of casts when used. Furthermore, most of the spells are quite different to their previous incarnations, especially Aero, which is now an attack spell.
Growth System
Although the familiar experience point system is intact, you don't level up from it. Instead, you receive a panel every time you "level up", which can then be equipped to increase your level. There are also link panels that multiply the effect, e.g. filling all three available slots in a "Level Quadrupler" adds 12 to your level.
Using the Walkthrough
There is relatively little outside of plain text, with the odd image and a few fairly self-explanatory things like tables of treasure chests and so forth. If you find any of the actual phrases or terms used in the text confusing, you can refer to the Glossary. If you still have any problems... well, that's exactly the sort of thing that Talk Pages are useful for!
Table of Contents
