Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (キングダムハーツ スリー ファイプ エイト デイズ オーバー ツー) 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, exploring the time from Roxas' creation until his confrontation with Riku that leads to his placement in the simulated Twilight Town, a data-based Twilight Town in Kingdom Hearts II.

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. In December 2008, it has been announced that the game will come to stateside audiences as well as in Europe.

Story
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. Xigbar has also been seen battling a Dualblade Heartless with Roxas in Halloween Town. Luxord and Roxas have also been seen battling an unknown Heartless in Wonderland.

Characters
Like previous Kingdom Hearts titles, 358/2 Days will feature numerous Disney characters. Confirmed characters include Roxas, King Mickey and Riku. All Organization XIII members will be playable in multiplayer mode, but it is unknown if all the members will make significant appearances in the story mode. The trailers have also revealed a previously unknown 14th member of Organization XIII, Xion, who 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, including several new types. Also, some special Heartless will appear as normal encounters, such as the Possessor in Beast's Castle. Moogles will also appear in the game, according to Famitsu magazine, they themselves wearing Black Cloaks.It has also been shown that Pete will feature in Neverland and maybe he will also be seen in some other worlds.

Gameplay


The gameplay is believed to be similar to the action-RPG style of the previous games in the series, and takes place in a 3D environment. Non-canonical Multiplayer gameplay is also included, and confirmed to control Roxas and all of the members of Organization XIII. There originally were three status bars, HP, MP and a new one labled LM, but the LM and MP bars have been removed. In recent scans, the familiar command menu from past installments of the game has returned, this time with only three visible commands.

Nintendo Power subsequently described a control scheme that allowed players to move the camera with the touch screen, and to move, jump, and attack using the control pad and face buttons. These controls may still change before the game is released.

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 Lexaeus 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. In a recent Famitsu article, it has been stated that you can change your weapons, as seen with Axel in this picture: http://www.khinsider.com/images/fami/06.jpg Also, Demyx and Roxas have been seen with new weapons. The Kingdom Key will be able to take different forms using a new concept involving gears. The only known form so far is one called the Wind Maker.

The character selection screen for multiplayer has also been released in a Nintendo Dream article, viewable here: http://blog-imgs-29-origin.fc2.com/e/l/w/elwi/all_20090421123452.jpg

Limit
Limit has been confirmed as a new feature. When the player's HP drops and the HP gauge turns yellow, a Limit Break can be initiated by holding down the A button for a few seconds. During the Limit Break, the player's speed and attack power increases.

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. It may possibly cover the deaths of several Organization members (Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Marluxia and Larxene). Zexion has also been confirmed to appear in a cutscene, talking to Roxas on Destiny Islands, as well as Xion and Riku talking to each other.

Confirmed Worlds

 * The World That Never Was
 * Twilight Town
 * Castle Oblivion
 * Wonderland
 * Olympus Coliseum
 * Agrabah
 * Beast's Castle
 * Halloween Town
 * Destiny Islands
 * Neverland

Several of these worlds have Organization XIII members assigned to them. Xigbar was assigned to Halloween Town. Xaldin's station is obviously Beast's Castle and Demyx is seen at Olympus Coliseum, both seem to be assignments that lasted until Kingdom Hearts II. Axel and Luxord accompany Roxas in rather fitting locations: Axel in Twilight Town and Luxord in the card-themed Wonderland.

Voice acting
Since the new trailer features voice acting during cutscenes, there will be voice actors working with the game's cutscenes. So far, Vincent Corazza (Zexion), Quinton Flynn (Axel), Kirk Thornton (Saïx), Shanelle Gray (Larxene) and Robin Atkin Downes (Luxord) have been confirmed to do voice acting for the game. It is unknown whether Corey Burton or Christopher Lee will be reprising the role of DiZ. It is also not known yet whether Brittany Snow or Meaghen Jette Martin will return as Naminé.

Trivia

 * 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 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 speculated to be a reference to the year that Sora was asleep, (358 days), and Roxas's leaving the Organization. (2 days) There will be the supposed 358 days playing as Roxas in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days followed by the 7 days played in Twilight Town as Roxas in Kingdom Hearts II. Since the week in Kingdom Hearts II was dependant on Reaction Commands, its possible they will also be featured in 358.


 * It is highly speculated that battles similar to the Data Battles will appear in 358/2 Days, allowing players to fight single player against the other Organization members, just as if it were the data battles.


 * Since he'll be among Organization XIII members throughout most of the game, how involved Roxas gets with the Disney characters whose worlds he visits is unknown, but this screenshot shows that he will at least meet a few. A few of these are Genie, according to the aformentioned screenshot, Beast as he is seen in a trailer fighting heartless, as well as the White Rabbit and Phil, as confirmed characters.


 * The new trailer shows Organization XIII members casting spells outside of their normal elements in the multiplayer (such as Axel using Aero). Whether this is just to balance the characters or actually canon remains to be seen.


 * The Trailer shows Axel fighting with his chakrams and his aerial combo seems to be highly similar to Roxas' dual wielding combo, which may hint that also due to their friendship, Axel may have taught Roxas how to fight with his Keyblades.


 * There are many old bosses seen like Guard Armor in Traverse Town and Darkside in Twilight Town and Beast's Castle.


 * It has been shown in a trailer that Roxas can glide. Only Roxas is seen using this ability, so it is unknown whether or not the other members can glide. Still, it is safe to assume that the other members will be able to glide, as characters such as Xaldin are already capable of it.


 * There has been much confusion among the fans over the timeline of 358/2 Days. The game starts with Roxas being found by Xemnas in Twilight Town and goes through the events thereafter, including the rise and fall of Castle Oblivion and its inhabiting members: Marluxia, Larxene, Vexen, Zexion, and Lexaeus, the betrayal of Axel, and Roxas' ultimate abandoning of the Organization up until the time when Riku and DiZ transfer him to the alternate Twilight Town. To simplify, 358/2 Days takes place from the point where Sora turns into a Heartless in the first game, up to the point where Riku captures Roxas and DiZ places him in Virtual Twilight Town.