Full Nintendo Dream Interview with Tetsuya Nomura

Heya, folks.

Heartstation has posted a full translation of the latest interview with series director Tetsuya Nomura on Nintendo Dream. The interview draws some light on Kingdom Hearts Re:coded and the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3D.

KH RE:Coded Tetsuya Nomura / Jun Katou / Hiroyuki Itoi Interview

+ Coded was developed for use on mobile phones, but it wasn’t compatible on as many devices as they first planned. Particularly, there wasn’t a single compatible device overseas, which meant gamers outside Japan could not play.
Talks of remaking the game for the most widely used hardware, so that as many gamers as possible could play, began.
In the beginning, the plan was to port the game instead of remaking it. Howeber, h.a.n.d, the team who were asked to do it, still had knowledge from making Days and so it happened that they decided to make the game in proper 3D. Also, the way the cutscenes were presented and the growth system were changed, and as a result, it ended up being hugely remade where everything but the story was completely different.
The scedule they’d set when the plan was simply to make a port didn’t change, and so time-wise it was severe. The h.a.n.d staff were stationed permenantly, and the Osaka team who developed BbS collaborated too, so it’s like the title was made from the cooperation of the Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo teams.

+Days was made with particularly hard elements, and many people said that it was difficult. For that reason, they thought they would make this title something that felt light to play, not something that demanded technique.
The component of playing with a customisable character was left in, and for the action part, refreshing play was a point they kept in mind.
Specifically, the balance of enemies in Days was also hard, and if the player did not think cleverly about customisation and technique, the degree of difficulty got higher. However, this time they went with a cut-down design, and they also aimed to tighten the frequency of controlling with the directional pad.
The original coded had an autojump feature too. Thanks to this, the puzzle action is much easier.

+This title is the furthest of all the games so far in the timeline.
It is a sequel which establishes the contents of the letter from the King in the KHII ending.

+Rather than an adventure in which you travel near and far through the worlds, this game has an impression of making worlds to travel in.
Also, amongst the titles in the KH series, there is a regular pattern of solving past mysteries only to give rise to new mysteries. In this title, the mystery of the erasure of Jiminy’s Journal in CoM is settled.
And then, this gives rise to the setting of worlds within the data of Jiminy’s Journal.
The Sora in this title was reanimated through data, and so (in the very beginning) he is as he was before the journey of KH began. This is so he is at level 1.
Nomura: It’s very difficult, thinking of reasons for Sora to return to level 1 each time (laughs)

+They thought they’d make a side link that only the gamers who also played all three games would understand. It takes the shape of summarising everything in the end of Coded.
Coded is unique within the series. It does not have a story in which emotions fluctuate intensely, but there were people who conversely thought this was good.

+When they spoke to Tabata before making the transmitted version of coded, they began talking about how they wanted to make a Kingdom Hearts theme park, and the concept arose of an ‘attraction RPG’ in which the play varied for each world. It is for this that the battles were extended and diverging.
In this title there are several power ups, which gives a fresh feeling while playing.

+The main premise of this title centres around things that were introduced in KH (first game). From within that, they chose to put in each different battle gamplay system, and make it rich in variety.
There are also worlds that are difficult technically to complete.
The truth is, they wanted to add the gummi ship. They thought of adding it for the remake, but, time-wise there was enough strain as it was, so they didn’t bring it up.

+Olympus Coliseum appeared in full so that the plot setup came to life properly in the game, and on top of that, to make the components that were put in fit nicely.

+There are more than 800 kinds of avatar parts. All the ones that were in KHMobile were re-pixelated and edited.
If you use Mingle Mode you can receive scratch cards and system area parts from your partners, and you can also get some kind of part from the scratch card. Also, if you clear the gameplay area floor trials, the arrangement is such that you can receive one of the parts that your partner is wearing.
The contents of the scratch card also change depending on how far your partner has gotten. It might be more profitable to connect with people who have played as much as possible.
The parts you have from the beginning are also different from cartridge to cartridge. Also, because you can receive scratch cards and floors from other cartridges and from public wireless LAN waves, so they want you to try using Mingle Mode actively in many different places.

+The avatar gameplay area is 100 floors max, but:
Nomura: “I suggested that of course we absolutely had to have 100 levels for players to savour a real feeling of acheivement.”
Test playing took 2~3 days, and of course the game was corrected over the things that came to light. They think that an experienced player could complete the game in a few hours.
It may be easy to collect 100 levels, but of course if you don’t clear them you can’t receive parts or SP, so they want you by all means to try and clear them.
You receive a title for clearing 10 levels on avatar gameplay area. Raise your title, and the trials you can send partners also rise.

+After the joint controbution of many ideas, it relaxed into a feeling of stoic enjoyment. After clearing it, a difficult gameplay area appears, and they think that it should make your heart pound, wondering if you should try to progress without taking any damage or losing any SP.

+Before the gameplay area took the shape it has now, they had the idea of having the Cheat Tuner displayed on the bottom screen, and playing along while using it with the touch pen.
Katou: For example, by using a cheat that changed Sora’s height, he would go huge and fight the enemies… something like that (laughs)
It turned out to be impossible to control Sora with the directional pad and use the touch pen at the same time, so they didn’t adopt this idea.

+This title ended up having Sora as the only playable character, so they were able to cram the game with a wealth of commands.
Rare command chips and the like appear the more you convert, and so they want you to try it out.

+The status matrix is a growth system that evolved from the panel system originally used in Days.
When using Dual Processor, if you place specific ability-raising chips, you don’t only level up, you can power up even more.
If you play properly, and release your preferred boosters that increase commands and acessories, they think it will go easier. Once you are familliar with the game, they would like you to try many different ways to play, like rearranging the chips, and like using the Cheat Tuner to change the enemies strength.

+You need 20 trophies to view the secret movie, but they think that is something anyone can do if they try a little. Taking all 30 would be very difficult.

+There’s one for “clearing the world with 1 HP,” which looks hard at first glance, but if you use the Cheat Tuner cleverly it should be no problem to take.
Patience is neccesary to “collect over 50% of the avatar parts,” so they want you to try playing through carefully and having fun.

+Katou: I think I was able to express freely things such as cheats and gameplay area because this title is set in a world inside data. Carrying the elements such as item collection out to the extreme will mean you cannot fail, and so we want you to get your hands on many things, try many things.
Itou: Sora has a wealth of commands and actions, so I’d like you to look for a favourite technique. There’s no single one that can be called the strongest, so I’d like you to look for your own favourite. Personally, I reccomend ‘erruption’, which rounds up and strikes the enemies, so please try and look for that!
Nomura: Perhaps you have a strong impression of Re:Coded as a remake, but it’s a title I would like for you to actually get your hands on and play. Even within our own company I hear “I didnt think it would change so much!” enough that I want to apologise (laughs), it has become a freshly born ‘new title’.

Tetsyua Nomura Interview on KH3D (temporary title)

+In KH3D, he thinks that the atmosphere will change quite completely. The number of new worlds increases a fair amount too, and it is one turning point on the lead-up to KHIII, which should be coming.

+Hints as to what Sora must do next are hidden in the Re:Coded ending and BBS secret movie. Also, although many characters that have already come and gone such as involved Organisation members appear, as a journey it enters a new level.

+Because there are two protagonists the title is closer to CoM, but the game isn’t perfectly divided into a Sora’s Story and a Riku’s Story.
The conversation in Re:Coded’s secret movie drops a major hint.
Also, the episode concerning Castle Oblivion, which appeared in that title as the final stage, will become the key to the next title/s, so he wants you to take notice.

+He is thinking of three new components for KH3D, and they are all things that only the features of the 3DS can bring to life.

+He is thinking about several titles other than KH3D. The plots are settled, and he’s burning to start making them as soon as he has the teams set up.

That’s all for now.

Source: Heartstation, Rebirth Wings