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* JapaneseBeetleBrothers: Two of the Dream Eaters are based on the kuwagata and the kabuto: the Staggerceps and the Kab Kannon respectively.
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* JapaneseBeetleBrothers: Two of the Dream Eaters are based on the kuwagata and the kabuto: the Staggerceps and the KO Kab Kannon respectively.
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** The Tatsu Blaze's profile tells you to "prepare for [[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner burnination]]".
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* ContinuityNod: Several. The more obvious ones unlock Chronicles on the Memento menu, allowing the narrative to continue without being bogged down by exposition that would be necessary for newer players.
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moving to YMMV (whatever happened to the blurb whenever you tried editing?)
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* ContinuityLockout: Surprisingly, the developers consciously attempted to avert a lockout for new players. Whenever ContinuityLockout would otherwise rear its head, a new Chronicle summarizing a previous game is unlocked in the Mementos menu. Considering the nature of the game in terms of continuity, the complexity of the story and the many plotlines it encompasses, and the fact that it's quite the big seller, this was a very good idea.
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actually, I suppose Pinocchio would be fine...
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* AWizardDidIt: Don't worry about Sora, Pinocchio, and Jiminy walking along the ocean floor without asphyxiating or being crushed by the pressure. They're in a dream.
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* AWizardDidIt: Don't worry about Sora, Pinocchio, Sora and Jiminy walking along the ocean floor without asphyxiating or being crushed by the pressure. They're in a dream.
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* AWizardDidIt: Don't worry about Sora, Pinocchio, and Jiminy walking along the ocean floor without asphyxiating or being crushed by the pressure. They're in a dream.
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* ShoutOut: Symphony of Sorcery's Reality Shift is named "Fantasmic" in the Japanese version after the Disneyland MassiveMultiplayerCrossover show.
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* ShoutOut: ShoutOut:
** Symphony of Sorcery's Reality Shift is named "Fantasmic" in the Japanese version after the Disneyland MassiveMultiplayerCrossover show.
** Symphony of Sorcery's Reality Shift is named "Fantasmic" in the Japanese version after the Disneyland MassiveMultiplayerCrossover show.
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** ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep BBS]]'' did a kind of similar thing, where the title screen would show the cover artwork for the last character you played as.
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** The in-game Link Portals were all planted by various ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' characters.
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* ContinuityLockout: Surprisingly, the developers consciously attempted to avert a lockout for new players by adding a new feature: the game's "Memoirs" gives a quick overview of the events of the entire series up until ''3D''. Considering the nature of the game in terms of continuity, the complexity of the story and the many plotlines it encompasses, and the fact that it's quite the big seller, this was a very good idea.
to:
* ContinuityLockout: Surprisingly, the developers consciously attempted to avert a lockout for new players by adding players. Whenever ContinuityLockout would otherwise rear its head, a new feature: Chronicle summarizing a previous game is unlocked in the game's "Memoirs" gives a quick overview of the events of the entire series up until ''3D''.Mementos menu. Considering the nature of the game in terms of continuity, the complexity of the story and the many plotlines it encompasses, and the fact that it's quite the big seller, this was a very good idea.
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* WallJump: One application of Flowmotion.
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* PaletteSwap: There are two versions of each Dream Eater species--the friendly Spirits and antagonistic Nightmares.
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* PaletteSwap: PaletteSwap:
** There are two versions of each Dream Eater species--the friendly Spirits and antagonisticNightmares.Nightmares.
** Several Jestabockies masquerade as Pinocchio in Prankster's Paradise; their clothes have Nightmare Jestabocky colors as opposed to Pinocchio's color scheme.
** There are two versions of each Dream Eater species--the friendly Spirits and antagonistic
** Several Jestabockies masquerade as Pinocchio in Prankster's Paradise; their clothes have Nightmare Jestabocky colors as opposed to Pinocchio's color scheme.
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* PrecisionFStrike: [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories Another Disney-level one]]--Sam says "hell" during the first visit to the Grid.
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* GratuitousFrench: The ''[[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' world is named La Cité des Cloches (The City of Bells).
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* GettingCrapPastTheCensors: Jiminy refers to Prankster's Paradise being a place for young boys to make "jackamules" of themselves.
* GratuitousFrench: The ''[[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' world is named La Cité des Cloches (The City of Bells). However, besides that, the world is surprisingly devoid of French.
* GratuitousFrench: The ''[[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' world is named La Cité des Cloches (The City of Bells). However, besides that, the world is surprisingly devoid of French.
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* LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition: There are versions for both the Japanese and North American releases. The Japanese version includes copies of ''3D'', ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 Days]]'', a special ''[=KH3D=]''-branded [=3DS=], and other minor goodies. The North American version (or the "Mark of Mastery Edition") is a bit less nice, only having ''3D'', a ''[=KH3D=]''-branded [=3DS=] ''case'', and said minor goodies.
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* PreOrderBonus: Three Dream Eater AR cards.
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* {{Disk One Nuke}}: its a RPG with Mons so its a given. HOWEVER figuring their recipes out is a {{Guide dang it}} mitigating it somewhat. BUT even people without guides can just pour a lot of ingredients into a weaker mon getting something stronger but simply increasing a mons level but not the rank isn't worth the valuable ingredients early game.
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** The game tells you that you don't NEED the recipes to create dream eaters but they help. Anyone with a guide has no such problem and has some potential (you need specific ingredients for them so it isn't completely broken) to create a strong team at the beginning.
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** La Cité des Cloches's Reality Shift "Holy Rope" lets Sora and Riku zip between selected enemies very quickly.
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** La Cité des Cloches's Reality Shift "Holy Rope" "Faithline" lets Sora and Riku zip between selected enemies very quickly.
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if we\'re going with the tagline thing for every page...
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->''"Darkness becomes light. Light falls into darkness. Dreams are connected to each other. When you fall into a dream, you are connected through dreams to the world enclosed in sleep. And if you open the sleeping keyhole in that world...the world will be released..."''
-->--'''Yen Sid'''
-->--'''Yen Sid'''
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-->--'''Yen Sid'''
-->--'''Tagline'''
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* TheUnfought: [[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Frollo]] and [[Film/TronLegacy CLU]]. [[Disney/Pinocchio The Coachman]] is completely absent, but his KarmaHoudini status in the film makes him notable here nonetheless.
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* TheUnfought: [[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Frollo]] and [[Film/TronLegacy CLU]]. [[Disney/Pinocchio [[Disney/{{Pinocchio}} The Coachman]] is completely absent, but his KarmaHoudini status in the film makes him notable here nonetheless.
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** The trophy for getting one of every spirit is called [[Film/Ghostbusters Spirit Guide.]]
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** The trophy for getting one of every spirit is called [[Film/Ghostbusters [[Film/{{Ghostbusters}} Spirit Guide.]]
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* TheUnfought: [[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Frollo]] and [[Film/TronLegacy CLU]]. [[Disney/Pinocchio The Coachman]] is completely absent, but his KarmaHoudini status in the film makes him notable here nonetheless.
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* BaitAndSwitchBoss: Frollo in Riku's story. Frollo is standing on the balcony of Notre Dame, surrounded by an aura of darkness and swinging a sword about. Riku gets ready to fight, when the Wargoyle flies up behind Frollo, causing him to lose his balance and fall.
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** Maleficent appears in one relatively inconsequential scene demanding [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded the data on all the worlds]] which serves to give Lea a BigDamnHeroes moment and introduce him to the Disney characters.
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** The trophy for getting one of every spirit is called [[Film/Ghostbusters Spirit Guide.]]
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Not Back From The Dead—it\'s some weird reaction of Ventus\'s heart to the darkness
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** In a similar case from above, Lea, Isa, and all of Ansem the Wise's apprentices have returned in human form. While they're not seen, the other old Organization members are back too. Nomura [[WordOfGod has stated in an interview]] that the revived members are their original, complete being personas, [[CompositeCharacter while also keeping their memories of their life as Nobodies/Organization members.]].
** While it's only for a single scene, [[spoiler:Vanitas]] shows up alongside Young Xehanort.
** While it's only for a single scene, [[spoiler:Vanitas]] shows up alongside Young Xehanort.
to:
** In a similar case from above, Lea, Isa, and all of Ansem the Wise's apprentices have returned in human form. While they're not seen, the other old Organization members are back too. Nomura [[WordOfGod has stated in an interview]] that the revived members are their original, complete being personas, [[CompositeCharacter while also keeping their memories of their life as Nobodies/Organization members.]].
** While it's only for a single scene, [[spoiler:Vanitas]] shows up alongside Young Xehanort.members]].
** While it's only for a single scene, [[spoiler:Vanitas]] shows up alongside Young Xehanort.
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The first publicly released trailer from January 2011 can be seen [[http://youtu.be/M6TZHGGD_Eo here,]] whilst the TGS 2011 trailer can be seen [[http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/3d/ here]] and with English subtitles [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPND8ntVidA here.]] You can watch the Jump Festa trailer [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlex8ja2eNI here.]] A new trailer has also been released in February 2012, and is available [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BssrlR_rdFc here.]] The first English trailer has been released, and is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz3XD4X0fxY here.]] The game was released in Japan on March 29, 2012, with a European release on July 20, 2012 and a North American release on July 31st, 2012 and a European release on July 20th, 2012.
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The first publicly released trailer from January 2011 can be seen [[http://youtu.be/M6TZHGGD_Eo here,]] whilst the TGS 2011 trailer can be seen [[http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/3d/ here]] and with English subtitles [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPND8ntVidA here.]] You can watch the Jump Festa trailer [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlex8ja2eNI here.]] A new trailer has also been released in February 2012, and is available [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BssrlR_rdFc here.]] The first English trailer has been released, and is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz3XD4X0fxY here.]] The game was released in Japan on March 29, 2012, with a European release on July 20, 2012 and a North American release on July 31st, 2012 and a European release on July 20th, 31, 2012.
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The seventh (not counting remakes) entry into {{Disney}} and SquareEnix[='s=] [[{{Crossover}} crossover series]] ''KingdomHearts'', ''Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]'' is a game for the {{Nintendo 3DS}} hand-held. This is the game that serves to connect not just ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'', ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]]'', but also every single game before them to ''Kingdom Hearts III'' itself. The story initially concerns Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery test set by Yen Sid--a journey into the realm of dreams and sleep, where they are to find the seven Sleeping Keyholes and release the worlds trapped within. However, during their quest, a mysterious and malevolent young man in a black coat makes himself known, and villains from the past begin to follow suit...
Featuring all new Disney worlds alongside old worlds such as Traverse Town, the game stars both Sora and Riku as the main characters, both as their younger selves (a side effect of them traveling to worlds trapped in the past) but with entirely new attire. The game has graphics on par with ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', thanks to the higher processing power of the 3DS, and supports full 3D imagery, partial AR functions and the 3DS Slide Pad expansion. The gameplay is based on that of ''Birth By Sleep'', but with several new additions and alterations such as the ''Free Flow Action'' mechanic and the new [[SetAMookToKillAMook recruitable Dream Eater enemies]]. Gameplay switches between Sora and Riku by way of the new "Drop" gauge, which continually decreases; when the gauge completely empties, the current player character falls asleep and is replaced by the other.
The first publicly released trailer from January 2011 can be seen [[http://youtu.be/M6TZHGGD_Eo here,]] whilst the TGS 2011 trailer can be seen [[http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/3d/ here]] and with English subtitles [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPND8ntVidA here.]] You can watch the Jump Festa trailer [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlex8ja2eNI here.]] A new trailer has also been released in February 2012, and is available [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BssrlR_rdFc here.]] The first English trailer has been released, and is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz3XD4X0fxY here.]]The game was released in Japan on March 29th 2012, with a North American release on July 31st, 2012 and a European release on July 20th, 2012.
Featuring all new Disney worlds alongside old worlds such as Traverse Town, the game stars both Sora and Riku as the main characters, both as their younger selves (a side effect of them traveling to worlds trapped in the past) but with entirely new attire. The game has graphics on par with ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', thanks to the higher processing power of the 3DS, and supports full 3D imagery, partial AR functions and the 3DS Slide Pad expansion. The gameplay is based on that of ''Birth By Sleep'', but with several new additions and alterations such as the ''Free Flow Action'' mechanic and the new [[SetAMookToKillAMook recruitable Dream Eater enemies]]. Gameplay switches between Sora and Riku by way of the new "Drop" gauge, which continually decreases; when the gauge completely empties, the current player character falls asleep and is replaced by the other.
The first publicly released trailer from January 2011 can be seen [[http://youtu.be/M6TZHGGD_Eo here,]] whilst the TGS 2011 trailer can be seen [[http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/3d/ here]] and with English subtitles [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPND8ntVidA here.]] You can watch the Jump Festa trailer [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlex8ja2eNI here.]] A new trailer has also been released in February 2012, and is available [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BssrlR_rdFc here.]] The first English trailer has been released, and is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz3XD4X0fxY here.]]The game was released in Japan on March 29th 2012, with a North American release on July 31st, 2012 and a European release on July 20th, 2012.
to:
The seventh (not counting remakes) entry into {{Disney}} and SquareEnix[='s=] [[{{Crossover}} crossover series]] ''KingdomHearts'', ''Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]'' is a game for the {{Nintendo 3DS}} hand-held. This is the game that serves to connect not just ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'', ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]]'', but also every single game before them to ''Kingdom Hearts III'' itself. The story initially concerns Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery test set conducted by Yen Sid--a journey into the realm of dreams and sleep, where they are to find the seven Sleeping Keyholes and release the worlds trapped within. However, during their quest, a mysterious and malevolent young man in a black coat makes himself known, and villains from the past begin to follow suit...
Featuring all new Disney worlds alongside oldworlds originals such as Traverse Town, the game stars both Sora and Riku as the main characters, both as their younger selves (a side effect of them traveling to worlds trapped in the past) but with entirely new attire. The game has graphics on par with ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', thanks to the higher processing power of the 3DS, and supports full 3D imagery, partial AR functions and the 3DS Slide Circle Pad Pro expansion. The gameplay is based on that of ''Birth By by Sleep'', but with several new additions and alterations such as the ''Free Flow Action'' "Flowmotion" mechanic and the new [[SetAMookToKillAMook recruitable Dream Eater enemies]]. Gameplay switches between Sora and Riku by way of the new "Drop" gauge, which continually decreases; when the gauge completely empties, the current player character falls asleep and is replaced by the other.
The first publicly released trailer from January 2011 can be seen [[http://youtu.be/M6TZHGGD_Eo here,]] whilst the TGS 2011 trailer can be seen [[http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/3d/ here]] and with English subtitles [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPND8ntVidA here.]] You can watch the Jump Festa trailer [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlex8ja2eNI here.]] A new trailer has also been released in February 2012, and is available [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BssrlR_rdFc here.]] The first English trailer has been released, and is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz3XD4X0fxY here.]]The ]] The game was released in Japan on March 29th 29, 2012, with a European release on July 20, 2012 and a North American release on July 31st, 2012 and a European release on July 20th, 2012.
Featuring all new Disney worlds alongside old
The first publicly released trailer from January 2011 can be seen [[http://youtu.be/M6TZHGGD_Eo here,]] whilst the TGS 2011 trailer can be seen [[http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/3d/ here]] and with English subtitles [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPND8ntVidA here.]] You can watch the Jump Festa trailer [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlex8ja2eNI here.]] A new trailer has also been released in February 2012, and is available [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BssrlR_rdFc here.]] The first English trailer has been released, and is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz3XD4X0fxY here.
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* TrailersAlwaysSpoiler: Though in such a subtle way that it's more actual {{Foreshadowing}} -- the original teaser showed Sora confronting Xemnas in Twilight Town, then a mirror scene of Riku confront Ansem in the same manner. Guess who interacts primarily with who during the course of the game, including the inevitable boss rematches.
to:
* TrailersAlwaysSpoiler: TrailersAlwaysSpoil: Though in such a subtle way that it's more actual {{Foreshadowing}} -- the original teaser showed Sora confronting Xemnas in Twilight Town, then a mirror scene of Riku confront Ansem in the same manner. Guess who interacts primarily with who during the course of the game, including the inevitable boss rematches.
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* GuideDangIt: Getting the secret ending as always requires certain gameplay accomplishments, but also requires you to answer three particular questions during the ending with the exact right answers.
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* TrailersAlwaysSpoiler: Though in such a subtle way that it's more actual {{Foreshadowing}} -- the original teaser showed Sora confronting Xemnas in Twilight Town, then a mirror scene of Riku confront Ansem in the same manner. Guess who interacts primarily with who during the course of the game, including the inevitable boss rematches.
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* NewGamePlus: Allows you to carry over Spirits from your previous file. Although Neku and Joshua will still insist on teaching you how to create Spirits...
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The seventh (not counting remakes) entry into {{Disney}} and SquareEnix[='s=] [[{{Crossover}} crossover series]] ''KingdomHearts'', ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'' is a game for the {{Nintendo 3DS}} hand-held. This is the game that serves to connect not just ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'', ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]]'', but also every single game before them to ''Kingdom Hearts III'' itself. The story initially concerns Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery test set by Yen Sid--a journey into the realm of dreams and sleep, where they are to find the seven Sleeping Keyholes and release the worlds trapped within. However, during their quest, a mysterious and malevolent young man in a black coat makes himself known, and villains from the past begin to follow suit...
to:
The seventh (not counting remakes) entry into {{Disney}} and SquareEnix[='s=] [[{{Crossover}} crossover series]] ''KingdomHearts'', ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream 3D [Dream Drop Distance'' Distance]'' is a game for the {{Nintendo 3DS}} hand-held. This is the game that serves to connect not just ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'', ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]]'', but also every single game before them to ''Kingdom Hearts III'' itself. The story initially concerns Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery test set by Yen Sid--a journey into the realm of dreams and sleep, where they are to find the seven Sleeping Keyholes and release the worlds trapped within. However, during their quest, a mysterious and malevolent young man in a black coat makes himself known, and villains from the past begin to follow suit...
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!!''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'' provides examples of:
to:
!!''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream 3D [Dream Drop Distance'' Distance]'' provides examples of:
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Has its own AndTheFandomRejoiced page [[AndTheFandomRejoiced/KingdomHearts3D here]].
to:
Has its own AndTheFandomRejoiced SugarWiki/AndTheFandomRejoiced page [[AndTheFandomRejoiced/KingdomHearts3D here]].
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-->'''[[spoiler:Xemnas]]''': [[spoiler:"As your flesh bears the sigil, so your name shall be known as that of a recusant."]]
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moving to complete title
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dream_drop_distance_3773.jpg]]
->''"Darkness becomes light. Light falls into darkness. Dreams are connected to each other. When you fall into a dream, you are connected through dreams to the world enclosed in sleep. And if you open the sleeping keyhole in that world...the world will be released..."''
-->--'''Yen Sid'''
The seventh (not counting remakes) entry into {{Disney}} and SquareEnix[='s=] [[{{Crossover}} crossover series]] ''KingdomHearts'', ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'' is a game for the {{Nintendo 3DS}} hand-held. This is the game that serves to connect not just ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'', ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]]'', but also every single game before them to ''Kingdom Hearts III'' itself. The story initially concerns Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery test set by Yen Sid--a journey into the realm of dreams and sleep, where they are to find the seven Sleeping Keyholes and release the worlds trapped within. However, during their quest, a mysterious and malevolent young man in a black coat makes himself known, and villains from the past begin to follow suit...
Featuring all new Disney worlds alongside old worlds such as Traverse Town, the game stars both Sora and Riku as the main characters, both as their younger selves (a side effect of them traveling to worlds trapped in the past) but with entirely new attire. The game has graphics on par with ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', thanks to the higher processing power of the 3DS, and supports full 3D imagery, partial AR functions and the 3DS Slide Pad expansion. The gameplay is based on that of ''Birth By Sleep'', but with several new additions and alterations such as the ''Free Flow Action'' mechanic and the new [[SetAMookToKillAMook recruitable Dream Eater enemies]]. Gameplay switches between Sora and Riku by way of the new "Drop" gauge, which continually decreases; when the gauge completely empties, the current player character falls asleep and is replaced by the other.
The first publicly released trailer from January 2011 can be seen [[http://youtu.be/M6TZHGGD_Eo here,]] whilst the TGS 2011 trailer can be seen [[http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/3d/ here]] and with English subtitles [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPND8ntVidA here.]] You can watch the Jump Festa trailer [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlex8ja2eNI here.]] A new trailer has also been released in February 2012, and is available [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BssrlR_rdFc here.]] The first English trailer has been released, and is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz3XD4X0fxY here.]]The game was released in Japan on March 29th 2012, with a North American release on July 31st, 2012 and a European release on July 20th, 2012.
Visit the Japanese website [[http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/3d/ here]] to see more interesting updates and hear ''3D'''s new version of [[RecurringRiff "Dearly Beloved."]]
Has its own AndTheFandomRejoiced page [[AndTheFandomRejoiced/KingdomHearts3D here]].
----
!!''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'' provides examples of:
* ActingForTwo: KoukiUchiyama voices both Roxas and Neku in the Japanese version. And then there's Sora and [[spoiler: Vanitas]] in any language.
* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: The title.
* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: For the first time since ''Chain of Memories'', Riku features as a playable character with a role equal to Sora's. The Drop mechanic makes sure that you can switch at ''any'' time (emphasis on ''any'').
* AscendedMeme: [[spoiler:Braig notes Sora is still giving him that "[[KingdomHearts358Over2Days drowned goldfish]]" DeathGlare]]. Not in the English version, though.
* AugmentedReality: You can play with your befriended Dream Eaters in AR games using the 3DS camera.
* BackToBackBadasses: Ansem SOD and Xemnas in the final game scenario, where Xemnas appears to be Xehanort's lackey exclusively for Sora, whilst Ansem SOD antagonizes Riku primarily.
* BackFromTheDead:
** As flat out stated in the secret ending of ''Re:coded'', Master Xehanort has returned now that his Heartless (Ansem) and Nobody (Xemnas) have been destroyed. Not only that, but said Heartless and Nobody actually show up alongside him, BackFromTheDead as well.
** In a similar case from above, Lea, Isa, and all of Ansem the Wise's apprentices have returned in human form. While they're not seen, the other old Organization members are back too. Nomura [[WordOfGod has stated in an interview]] that the revived members are their original, complete being personas, [[CompositeCharacter while also keeping their memories of their life as Nobodies/Organization members.]].
** While it's only for a single scene, [[spoiler:Vanitas]] shows up alongside Young Xehanort.
* BackupTwin:
** [[spoiler: All of the TWEWY characters were recreated by Joshua from pieces of their memory following Shibuya's destruction by the Heartless.]]
** [[spoiler:Traverse Town itself is one, being made in the image of the original by usage of Rhyme's memories.]]
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: [[spoiler:Riku has a battle in the center of ''Sora's heart'' against Sora himself, trapped in Ventus' Nightmare-possessed armor, in order to save him from his deep sleep in the depths of darkness.]]
* BerserkButton: The Spellican gets a particularly funny one when his opponents ignore him to talk to each other.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Riku rescues Sora after his heart is fractured by Xehanort, but only Riku passes the Mark of Master exam, while Sora embarks on another journey, this time on his own, while Xehanort is still out there and succeeding in his plan. It's thankfully softened by Sora being both [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt okay by the ending of the game]], and [[AngstWhatAngst not mad at all]] despite having failed the exam he was initially so confident about passing. While Sora is journeying on his own, he won't be alone as all his Dream Eater friends are with him]].
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Lea pulls off an epic one towards the end of the game, saving Sora from becoming the final vessel for Master Xehanort.]]
* BonusBoss: [[spoiler: Julius from ''RunawayBrain'']].
* ButtMonkey: [[TheWorldEndsWithYou Shiki]] seems to have a number of funny moments happen at her expense.
* CallBack:
** Lea asks Ienzo and Aeleus why [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 he always gets stuck with the icky jobs]].
** Riku repeats his [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories "road to the dawn"]] line to Ansem SOD and [[spoiler:Young Xehanort.]]
** "You said [[KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 you'd always be there to bring]] [[spoiler:us]] back, didn't you?"
** "[[spoiler:Ooh, still staring at me like I [[KingdomHeartsThreeFiveEightDaysOverTwo drowned your goldfish]], are you?]] Some things never change."
** "We'll go together." spoken this time by [[spoiler: '''Young Xehanort.''']]
** [[spoiler: The three questions asked in [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts the original game]] are asked again near the end of the game: "What do you want in life?", "What are you afraid of?", "What is the most important thing to you?" (not in that particular order).]]
** In the boss fight with Xemnas, [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII he once again uses buildings as weapons against you.]]
* ClimaxBoss: Xemnas, Ansem [=SoD=], and [[spoiler:Young Xehanort. The last one feels more like a FinalBoss than Sora in Nightmare Armor is.]]
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Sora seems to be getting a magenta motif, while Riku is sky blue.
* CreativeClosingCredits: Nomura wasn't kidding when he said there was a surprise in the credits.
* CreditsMedley: Combines "Hand in Hand", "All for One" (Country of the Musketeers battle theme), "Prankster's Party" (Prankster's Paradise battle theme), "Dream Eaters", "La Sanctuaire" (La Cité des Cloches field theme), and "Dearly Beloved".
* CrisisCrossover: On-par for a ''KH'' game, but this one features a crossover, not with Disney, not with ''FF'', but with one of Square's other mega-hit games: ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou''.
* CyberSpace: Makes some kind of appearance with [[Film/TronLegacy The Grid]].
* ColonyDrop: One of the Dual Links.
* ContinuityLockout: Surprisingly, the developers consciously attempted to avert a lockout for new players by adding a new feature: the game's "Memoirs" gives a quick overview of the events of the entire series up until ''3D''. Considering the nature of the game in terms of continuity, the complexity of the story and the many plotlines it encompasses, and the fact that it's quite the big seller, this was a very good idea.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Some of the stuff that happens to Sora is pretty grim. [[spoiler:He nearly loses his heart forever, gets [[MindScrew mind-screwed]] on more than one occasion, has some pretty jarring nightmares [[IThoughtItMeant (no, not the monsters)]], and sees far more of Xehanort's evil than Riku]].
* DarkIsEvil: The Dream Eaters are creatures of darkness in worlds the heartless cannot reach.
** DarkIsNotEvil: The "Spirit" Dream Eaters eat bad dreams just as there are "Nightmare" ones that eat good dreams. Spirits can also be recruited by Sora, Riku, and others. [[spoiler:This trope, along with DarkIsEvil, is also the reason why Xehanort ultimately chooses Sora as a vessel, because Riku's CharacterDevelopment and revelations about the darkness led him to develop a natural resistance to its more corrupting effects, so even if Riku himself continues to use it, Xehanort's plans have no use for Riku anymore.]]
* DecoyProtagonist: [[spoiler:Similar to Terra and Ventus in ''BirthBySleep'', Sora is the decoy protagonist, while Riku's story brings the real conclusion.]]
* DemotedToDragon: Ansem [=SoD=] and Xemnas appear to have suffered this fate with [[spoiler: Master Xehanort being both of their bosses.]]
* DemotedToExtra: Donald and Goofy, obviously. Also, [[spoiler: Kairi]].
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: A running trend among the Dream Eaters, at least in terms of their Japanese names. For example: Koumori Bat ("Bat Bat"), Kuma Pandar ("Bear Panda(r)"), Neko Cat ("Cat Cat")...
* {{Deuteragonist}}: [[spoiler: Arguably Sora, but only for this game. His journey through the Dream Realm ends when he gets his heart shattered and almost falling into darkness, and he serves as the game's FinalBoss, and it's up to Riku to save the day instead.]]
* DieChairDie: In boss battle against [[spoiler: Julius]], he's capable of destroying the lampposts in the square. Subverted in that you yourself cannot do this and it only shows up in this one fight.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Riku, during the Country of the Musketeers, gets tripped, then is victim to the "tapping someone on the shoulder and dissappearing" trick. when it is revealed that the Holey Moley was the one doing it, Riku responds by killing it. More blatent when you realize that this is one of the easiest bosses in the game.
* DullSurprise:
** [[spoiler:Young!Xehanort. Quite jarring, considering how [[LargeHam hammy]] his other selves are. Frighteningly, it doesn't feel out of character for this particular Xehanort though, serving to make him seem creepier, kind of like Ansem in the original game.]]
** [[spoiler:Lea has this reaction at the end of the game after finding out he now has a Keyblade, which is in stark contrast to everyone else's BigWhat]].
* EasyAmnesia: Dreams are easily forgotten, and [[spoiler:Young!Xehanort]] attempts to manipulate Riku through this fear.
* EvilCounterpart: Riku and the [[spoiler:Anti-Black Coat, who respectively serve as a Spirit and Nightmare tailored to Sora]].
* EvilPlan: [[spoiler: Xehanort's plan to use Sora was set into action from the moment Ansem [=SoD=] met him on Destiny Islands in ''Kingdom Hearts'']].
* FightingYourFriend: There is a variation of this in the ''Film/TronLegacy'' world, considering [[spoiler: Rinzler, CLU's [[TheDragon Dragon]], is Tron. The last boss is also this, as it's Sora in Nightmare Armor and Riku is forced to fight him to free him.]]
* FinalBoss:
** [[spoiler:Sora in the Nightmare Armor]]
** [[spoiler:Xemnas in Sora's story. Also a ClimaxBoss as well, due to the revelations and the aftermath of the battle.]]
* FlashStep:
** La Cité des Cloches's Reality Shift "Holy Rope" lets Sora and Riku zip between selected enemies very quickly.
** The new dodge move has shades of this.
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: [[TyrannosaurusRex Tyranto]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Rex]], a boss in the Three Musketeers world. Also, a Triceratops Dream Eater. Both are available as Spirit Dream Eater party members. There's also a [[DemBones bony]] [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot version]] of the Tyranto Rex. Like its living version, it is recruitable.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: While Sora pulls a BigDamnHeroes moment on Neku during a visit to Traverse Town, Shiki is behind them in a pool, her legs kicking as she struggles up.
* GratuitousFrench: The ''[[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' world is named La Cité des Cloches (The City of Bells).
* HelpfulMook: As described above, the Spirit Dream Eaters can be befriended by Sora and Riku, and used as either standard teammates in battle or as Dual Links to give unique powers to either character. They can also be moved around the map using Sora's Reality Shift. With regard to the story, the Dream Eaters lead both Sora and Riku to the "Key of Sleep", which is presumably required to open to Sleeping Keyholes.
* TheHero: [[spoiler:Riku]]. He's arguably the focus character in ''Dream Drop Distance'' and when [[spoiler:Sora gets his heart shattered by Xehanort and almost fall into darkness, it's up to Riku to save the day and derail Xehanort's plans for Sora]].
* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:[[ThePollyanna Sora]] gets a few in this game thanks to the same questions [[KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 Xion]]]] was asked. To sum the questions: [[spoiler:"Am I the real thing, or a copy? Am I really myself, or just a puppet with a role to play?" Thankfully, [[DownerEnding they don't end up the same way.]]]]
--> [[spoiler:"Sora...the bits and bytes that have made up your life so far...can you say for sure they're not just copies of someone else's?"]]
* ImCryingButIDontKnowWhy: [[spoiler:Sora, when he meets Xion for the first time.]]
* [[ItsRainingMen It's Raining Soras]]: A good source of the game's MindScrew.
* JapaneseBeetleBrothers: Two of the Dream Eaters are based on the kuwagata and the kabuto: the Staggerceps and the Kab Kannon respectively.
* KudzuPlot: Probably of the highest order in the series yet, due to what it's actually attempting to achieve. The game wraps up various questions about [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts Xehanort's presence on Destiny Islands in the first game]], [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep the identity of the Mysterious Figure in]] ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth By Sleep]]'', [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 whether Nobodies really have hearts]], and so forth. Unfortunately, it also opens all new questions about [[spoiler:time travel, the 13 darknesses and 7 lights]], the nature of the Keyblade, Sora's destiny, Ansem the Wise's failsafe, and myriad other plot points.
* LateArrivalSpoiler:
** Trailers for the game have spoiled the ending of ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'', while the mere existence of the game spoils the secret ending of ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]]''.
** Trailers featuring the ''Film/TronLegacy'' world have multiple characters explicitly refer to [[spoiler:Rinzler]] as [[spoiler:Tron]].
* LetXBeTheUnknown: The letter's affiliation to [[spoiler:Xehanort]] is explained in this game. [[spoiler:It is called the "Recusant's Sigil" and was used by Xemnas, and Xehanort by extension, to mark potential vessels, and as a proof of Xehanort's ownership and influence. It also served as a way for the Organization XIII to track Sora down and guide him to The World That Never Was.]]
* MatchCut: A montage of them at the end of the February 2012 trailer.
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gAilU_6J_g&feature=related Thankfully slowed down here.]]
* MediumBlending:
** The game's opening video features a 2D, silhouetted Mickey on the bottom screen and full-motion CGI on the top screen, with the illusion given of Mickey jumping from the bottom screen to the top screen when he appears in the CGI video.
** The Country of the Musketeers features a lot of comic book-style lineart as a ShoutOut to the ending credits of [[MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers the original movie]].
* MilestoneCelebration: ''3D'' is a large part of the series' 10th anniversary celebrations; the logo for it is emblazoned in the top right corner of the games cover, and it also accompanies ''358/2 Days'' and ''Re:coded'' in a special anniversary box set. Additionally, a limited edition 3DS console with a unique ''3D''-inspired design is being released.
* MindScrew: [[http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/3d/trailer.html The very first trailer]] made it quite clear that this would be present. The plot itself is [[UpToEleven even stranger]] than the other games, complete with more KudzuPlot.
* MonsterClown:
** The Jestabocky Dream Eater species (its Japanese name, "Obake Pierrot", is more or less a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin direct translation of the trope name]]).
** A monster clown is also featured in the [[http://www.khwiki.net/images/5/5a/Prankster%27s_Paradise_Logo_KH3D.png logo for Prankster's Paradise]].
* NeverTrustATrailer: ...Well, sort of, as said by Nomura:
-->'''Nomura:''' "In the trailer Sora and Riku are on Destiny Islands, and then in Traverse Town many Soras are shown falling from the sky. Those weren't real cutscenes from the game; the trailer merely portrayed the overall feeling of the game."
** This is made perfectly clear when comparing the January trailer with the TGS trailer; the latter is very obviously showing a far more complete and polished build of the game. The January trailer, on the other hand, was almost certainly created using the engine for ''Birth by Sleep'' and existing art assets, and was probably never intended to be representative of final gameplay or aesthetic. As proof of this, digging around in ''BBS: Final Mix'''s data [[DummiedOut reveals character models and animations from the trailer]], some of which can be seen [[http://youtu.be/LCmNvYlNfBE here.]]
** On the other hand, both scenes do actually appear in the game, and the game really is like the trailer: very [[MindScrew mind-screwy]].
** Also averted in that Flomotion in the final game works almost exactly as it appears to in the very first trailer.
* NonHumanSidekick: Sora and Riku can recruit the new Dream Eater enemies to help them in battle, which are based on either fantastical versions of real animals or based on mythical animals. The only exceptions are the Obake series of Dream Eater, which include a Clown and a Ghost.
* OminousPipeOrgan: It's a series mainstay, why stop now? Pipe organ parts are featured in la Cité des Cloches' music, "Deep Drop" ([[spoiler:The World That Never Was]] battle theme), "L'Oscurità dell'Ignot" (Xemnas's battle theme), and "L'Impeto Oscuro" ([[spoiler:Young Xehanort's]] battle theme).
* OrpheanRescue: Part of the plot seems to be traveling through dream worlds to save the souls/hearts/existence of the people that make up the Composite Beings that the cast are now.
* PaletteSwap: There are two versions of each Dream Eater species--the friendly Spirits and antagonistic Nightmares.
* PublicDomainSoundtrack: A matter of course for the ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}''-based world Symphony of Sorcery.
* RRatedOpening: while the games aren't strangers to NightmareFuel, this is the first title in the series that begins on a very bleak note - [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKOYPjoEus8 namely,]] [[spoiler: Terra-Xehanort stabbing Braig (in a first-person perspective) with Master Xehanort's keyblade after having done the very same thing with Ansem The Wise's other apprentices]].
* RedEyesTakeWarning: A shared trait of Nightmare Dream Eaters, including [[spoiler:the Anti-Black Coat, which forces Sora into a sleep from which he cannot awaken without Riku's help]].
* RemixedLevel:
** Fourth and fifth districts have been added to Traverse Town.
** [[spoiler:The World That Never Was]] is the ruined version. It also [[spoiler:traps Sora in a dream and Riku in some kind of illusion. Both manage to break free in a way, but Sora's lack of resistance against the Darkness serves to immediately shatter his heart after fighting Xemnas.]]
* RuleOfCool: ''3D'' uses a new gameplay mechanic called "Flowmotion", which appears to be this trope embodied. By holding Y, the player can make Riku or Sora perform over-the-top acrobatics such as wall-jumping, rail-grinding or spinning round poles, which also allows opportunities for special high-damage attacks.
* RuleOfSymbolism:
** The Christian symbolism in the series (particularly concerning [[TheMessiah Sora]]) is already palpable. It'll be fun to see [[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Notre Dame]].
** [[VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou Joshua]] is in the game. Saying why would be a spoiler for the game he's from, but let's just say the symbolism has just [[UpToEleven skyrocketed]].
*** For extra bonus points on symbolism, [[spoiler: Joshua has white, feathered angel wings in the first visit to Traverse Town]].
** The ''Film/TronLegacy'' [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory characters]].
* SadisticChoice: [[Film/TronLegacy CLU]] foists one of these on Sora: the Keyblade in exchange for [[spoiler:turning Rinzler back into Tron]].
* SendInTheClones: [[spoiler:Xehanort's true plan for Org. XIII is to make them essentially all clones of himself.]]
* ShockAndAwe: The Electricorn Dream Eater. [[spoiler:BonusBoss [[RunawayBrain Julius]] also uses electricity to bolster his attacks.]]
* ShoutOut: Symphony of Sorcery's Reality Shift is named "Fantasmic" in the Japanese version after the Disneyland MassiveMultiplayerCrossover show.
** The Electricorn's profile asks, "[[DoAndroidsDreamOfElectricSheep Do electric unicorns dream of androids?]]"
** The title screen features the same artwork as the cover; however, since the first days of March 2011, Nomura showed an alternate artwork on Famitsu showing Sora and Riku upside-down, with a sunset-colored sky surrounding them. The way Nomura implied that alternate art would make it into the game makes this a shout out to the title screen of the GBA launch title ''MarioKart Super Circuit'', that did the exact same thing with its own title screen.
** ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep BBS]]'' did a kind of similar thing, where the title screen would show the cover artwork for the last character you played as.
* SlouchOfVillainy: [[spoiler: Master Xehanort]].
* SuperTitle64Advance: ''Kingdom Hearts '''[[Nintendo3DS 3D]]'''''. ''3D'', in this case, literally means three [=Ds=]. The three [=Ds=] stand for ''Dream Drop Distance''. Yep.
* StandardStatusEffects: While used by some enemies in previous games, it's a much bigger problem this time around, with practically every dream eater possessing at least one attack that inflicts a bad status, on top of some of them also using the same status inflicting spells you have access to (Which can be nigh impossible to avoid due to how quickly they trigger). Abilities that provide resistance to each of the different effects were added to alleviate some of the pain.
* TalkingToHimself:
** Looks like this will happen considering how Sora and [[spoiler: Vanitas]] have a cutscene together.
** Same goes for [[KoukiUchiyama Roxas, Ventus and Neku]] in the Japanese version.
* TheStinger: Following series tradition, the secret ending. [[spoiler: This time, it reveals that Kairi will be trained to use the Keyblade by Yen Sid.]]
* TimeyWimeyBall: [[spoiler: As part of Master Xehanort's latest GambitRoulette to gain control of Kingdom Hearts, Xehanort used a method to project himself into the past after becoming Ansem Seeker of Darkness, and recruited his teenage self to retrieve or create a total of 13 iterations of himself, in a bid to recreate the conditions of the keyblade war.]]
* ThirdLineSomeWaiting: Along with the alternating Sora and Riku storylines, there is a third plot thread about Mickey and company dealing with Maleficent in the real world.
* TreeBuchet: Appears in the Country of the Musketeers.
* TheUnexpected: The Dream Eaters as teammates, first hinted at in a written preview of the demo.
** The whole main cast of ''TheWorldEndsWithYou''--Neku, Joshua, Rhyme, Beat, and Shiki--appears in quite the [[{{Crossover}} reunion party]] as part of the series's first non ''Final Fantasy'', non Disney cameo.
** A world based on ''MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers''. Not even Xehanort could have seen that coming.
** [[{{Disney/Fantasia}} Chernabog]] returns in his first appearance since the first ''KingdomHearts''.
** [[Disney/TheLittleMermaid Ursula]] (or at least an illusion of her) [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere literally appears out of nowhere]] as the game's first boss.
** For the first time since Ice Titan, we have a BonusBoss from a Disney property: [[spoiler: Julius from ''RunawayBrain'']]. Also unexpected in how he, despite being a Disney character, is [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown just]] [[ThatOneBoss as]] [[SNKBoss aggressive]] as the ones designed by Tetsuya Nomura.
* UnskilledButStrong: [[spoiler: [[BonusBoss Jul]][[RunawayBrain ius]]]]
* UpToEleven: Whilst the series is no stranger to ridiculous feats of acrobatics, the Flowmotion mechanic really takes this to new levels.
** Also, if you thought the KudzuPlot of the series was [[MindScrew screwey]] ''before''.....
* VillainsNeverLie: Subverted. [[spoiler: It's implied that Xemnas lied to ''everyone'' (save perhaps Saïx after he became loyal and Xigbar) about the true nature of Nobodies so as to cover up his plan to use the bodies of Org. XIII to create clones of himself]].
* VillainTeamUp: [[spoiler:Four of Master Xehanort's incarnations ([[Videogame/KingdomHearts Ansem SoD]], [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII Xemnas]], [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Master Xehanort]], and [[KingdomHeartsDreamDropDistance Young Xehanort]]), as well as Braig and Isa, form a new Organization of sorts, with six other members remaining unidentified. Xehanort is still working at getting the thirteenth and final one.]]
* VisualPun: The district [[spoiler: Julius from ''RunawayBrain'', who bears a strong resemblance to {{Pete}} the cat,]] is [[BonusBoss fought in]] is the same one featuring the CAT graffiti from ''TheWorldEndsWithYou''.
* WackySoundEffect: In the Symphony of Sorcery world, the standard sound effects of Sora and Riku's Keyblade attacks connecting with Dream Eaters are replaced with the sounds of musical instruments. [[TheVoiceless Sora and Riku also lose their]] [[VoiceGrunting battle grunts]] [[TheVoiceless here]].
* WordSaladTitle: ''Dream Drop Distance'', though these kind of titles [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep aren't]] [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories uncommon]] in the series. Nomura has said it refers to something like the distance you drop into your dreams, and admits that the English isn't perfect; the words were chosen for how they sound, rather than English fidelity (a clearer phrasing would be something like "how deeply you fall into your dreams"). The title also refers to the game being set in a ''Dream'' world, the ''Drop'' gameplay system that facilitates switches between Sora and Riku, and the ''Distance'' separating the two protagonists' sides of the story.
* AWorldwidePunomenon:
** Neku's first line is "Talk about noise." The thing is, is he talking about [[TheHeartless the Noise]], or the overexcited racket Sora's been making?
** Xemnas's line to Sora in The Grid in the English version: [[spoiler:"Sora...''the bits and bytes'' that have made up your life so far...can you say for sure they're not just copies of someone else's?"]]
** The Dream Eaters' Dispositions have a one pun for each one and regularly straddle this and IncrediblyLamePun. It's possible to have a Komory Bat with the disposition "Wingman".
----
->''"Darkness becomes light. Light falls into darkness. Dreams are connected to each other. When you fall into a dream, you are connected through dreams to the world enclosed in sleep. And if you open the sleeping keyhole in that world...the world will be released..."''
-->--'''Yen Sid'''
The seventh (not counting remakes) entry into {{Disney}} and SquareEnix[='s=] [[{{Crossover}} crossover series]] ''KingdomHearts'', ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'' is a game for the {{Nintendo 3DS}} hand-held. This is the game that serves to connect not just ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'', ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]]'', but also every single game before them to ''Kingdom Hearts III'' itself. The story initially concerns Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery test set by Yen Sid--a journey into the realm of dreams and sleep, where they are to find the seven Sleeping Keyholes and release the worlds trapped within. However, during their quest, a mysterious and malevolent young man in a black coat makes himself known, and villains from the past begin to follow suit...
Featuring all new Disney worlds alongside old worlds such as Traverse Town, the game stars both Sora and Riku as the main characters, both as their younger selves (a side effect of them traveling to worlds trapped in the past) but with entirely new attire. The game has graphics on par with ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', thanks to the higher processing power of the 3DS, and supports full 3D imagery, partial AR functions and the 3DS Slide Pad expansion. The gameplay is based on that of ''Birth By Sleep'', but with several new additions and alterations such as the ''Free Flow Action'' mechanic and the new [[SetAMookToKillAMook recruitable Dream Eater enemies]]. Gameplay switches between Sora and Riku by way of the new "Drop" gauge, which continually decreases; when the gauge completely empties, the current player character falls asleep and is replaced by the other.
The first publicly released trailer from January 2011 can be seen [[http://youtu.be/M6TZHGGD_Eo here,]] whilst the TGS 2011 trailer can be seen [[http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/3d/ here]] and with English subtitles [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPND8ntVidA here.]] You can watch the Jump Festa trailer [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlex8ja2eNI here.]] A new trailer has also been released in February 2012, and is available [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BssrlR_rdFc here.]] The first English trailer has been released, and is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz3XD4X0fxY here.]]The game was released in Japan on March 29th 2012, with a North American release on July 31st, 2012 and a European release on July 20th, 2012.
Visit the Japanese website [[http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/3d/ here]] to see more interesting updates and hear ''3D'''s new version of [[RecurringRiff "Dearly Beloved."]]
Has its own AndTheFandomRejoiced page [[AndTheFandomRejoiced/KingdomHearts3D here]].
----
!!''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'' provides examples of:
* ActingForTwo: KoukiUchiyama voices both Roxas and Neku in the Japanese version. And then there's Sora and [[spoiler: Vanitas]] in any language.
* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: The title.
* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: For the first time since ''Chain of Memories'', Riku features as a playable character with a role equal to Sora's. The Drop mechanic makes sure that you can switch at ''any'' time (emphasis on ''any'').
* AscendedMeme: [[spoiler:Braig notes Sora is still giving him that "[[KingdomHearts358Over2Days drowned goldfish]]" DeathGlare]]. Not in the English version, though.
* AugmentedReality: You can play with your befriended Dream Eaters in AR games using the 3DS camera.
* BackToBackBadasses: Ansem SOD and Xemnas in the final game scenario, where Xemnas appears to be Xehanort's lackey exclusively for Sora, whilst Ansem SOD antagonizes Riku primarily.
* BackFromTheDead:
** As flat out stated in the secret ending of ''Re:coded'', Master Xehanort has returned now that his Heartless (Ansem) and Nobody (Xemnas) have been destroyed. Not only that, but said Heartless and Nobody actually show up alongside him, BackFromTheDead as well.
** In a similar case from above, Lea, Isa, and all of Ansem the Wise's apprentices have returned in human form. While they're not seen, the other old Organization members are back too. Nomura [[WordOfGod has stated in an interview]] that the revived members are their original, complete being personas, [[CompositeCharacter while also keeping their memories of their life as Nobodies/Organization members.]].
** While it's only for a single scene, [[spoiler:Vanitas]] shows up alongside Young Xehanort.
* BackupTwin:
** [[spoiler: All of the TWEWY characters were recreated by Joshua from pieces of their memory following Shibuya's destruction by the Heartless.]]
** [[spoiler:Traverse Town itself is one, being made in the image of the original by usage of Rhyme's memories.]]
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: [[spoiler:Riku has a battle in the center of ''Sora's heart'' against Sora himself, trapped in Ventus' Nightmare-possessed armor, in order to save him from his deep sleep in the depths of darkness.]]
* BerserkButton: The Spellican gets a particularly funny one when his opponents ignore him to talk to each other.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Riku rescues Sora after his heart is fractured by Xehanort, but only Riku passes the Mark of Master exam, while Sora embarks on another journey, this time on his own, while Xehanort is still out there and succeeding in his plan. It's thankfully softened by Sora being both [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt okay by the ending of the game]], and [[AngstWhatAngst not mad at all]] despite having failed the exam he was initially so confident about passing. While Sora is journeying on his own, he won't be alone as all his Dream Eater friends are with him]].
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Lea pulls off an epic one towards the end of the game, saving Sora from becoming the final vessel for Master Xehanort.]]
* BonusBoss: [[spoiler: Julius from ''RunawayBrain'']].
* ButtMonkey: [[TheWorldEndsWithYou Shiki]] seems to have a number of funny moments happen at her expense.
* CallBack:
** Lea asks Ienzo and Aeleus why [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 he always gets stuck with the icky jobs]].
** Riku repeats his [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories "road to the dawn"]] line to Ansem SOD and [[spoiler:Young Xehanort.]]
** "You said [[KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 you'd always be there to bring]] [[spoiler:us]] back, didn't you?"
** "[[spoiler:Ooh, still staring at me like I [[KingdomHeartsThreeFiveEightDaysOverTwo drowned your goldfish]], are you?]] Some things never change."
** "We'll go together." spoken this time by [[spoiler: '''Young Xehanort.''']]
** [[spoiler: The three questions asked in [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts the original game]] are asked again near the end of the game: "What do you want in life?", "What are you afraid of?", "What is the most important thing to you?" (not in that particular order).]]
** In the boss fight with Xemnas, [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII he once again uses buildings as weapons against you.]]
* ClimaxBoss: Xemnas, Ansem [=SoD=], and [[spoiler:Young Xehanort. The last one feels more like a FinalBoss than Sora in Nightmare Armor is.]]
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Sora seems to be getting a magenta motif, while Riku is sky blue.
* CreativeClosingCredits: Nomura wasn't kidding when he said there was a surprise in the credits.
* CreditsMedley: Combines "Hand in Hand", "All for One" (Country of the Musketeers battle theme), "Prankster's Party" (Prankster's Paradise battle theme), "Dream Eaters", "La Sanctuaire" (La Cité des Cloches field theme), and "Dearly Beloved".
* CrisisCrossover: On-par for a ''KH'' game, but this one features a crossover, not with Disney, not with ''FF'', but with one of Square's other mega-hit games: ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou''.
* CyberSpace: Makes some kind of appearance with [[Film/TronLegacy The Grid]].
* ColonyDrop: One of the Dual Links.
* ContinuityLockout: Surprisingly, the developers consciously attempted to avert a lockout for new players by adding a new feature: the game's "Memoirs" gives a quick overview of the events of the entire series up until ''3D''. Considering the nature of the game in terms of continuity, the complexity of the story and the many plotlines it encompasses, and the fact that it's quite the big seller, this was a very good idea.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Some of the stuff that happens to Sora is pretty grim. [[spoiler:He nearly loses his heart forever, gets [[MindScrew mind-screwed]] on more than one occasion, has some pretty jarring nightmares [[IThoughtItMeant (no, not the monsters)]], and sees far more of Xehanort's evil than Riku]].
* DarkIsEvil: The Dream Eaters are creatures of darkness in worlds the heartless cannot reach.
** DarkIsNotEvil: The "Spirit" Dream Eaters eat bad dreams just as there are "Nightmare" ones that eat good dreams. Spirits can also be recruited by Sora, Riku, and others. [[spoiler:This trope, along with DarkIsEvil, is also the reason why Xehanort ultimately chooses Sora as a vessel, because Riku's CharacterDevelopment and revelations about the darkness led him to develop a natural resistance to its more corrupting effects, so even if Riku himself continues to use it, Xehanort's plans have no use for Riku anymore.]]
* DecoyProtagonist: [[spoiler:Similar to Terra and Ventus in ''BirthBySleep'', Sora is the decoy protagonist, while Riku's story brings the real conclusion.]]
* DemotedToDragon: Ansem [=SoD=] and Xemnas appear to have suffered this fate with [[spoiler: Master Xehanort being both of their bosses.]]
* DemotedToExtra: Donald and Goofy, obviously. Also, [[spoiler: Kairi]].
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: A running trend among the Dream Eaters, at least in terms of their Japanese names. For example: Koumori Bat ("Bat Bat"), Kuma Pandar ("Bear Panda(r)"), Neko Cat ("Cat Cat")...
* {{Deuteragonist}}: [[spoiler: Arguably Sora, but only for this game. His journey through the Dream Realm ends when he gets his heart shattered and almost falling into darkness, and he serves as the game's FinalBoss, and it's up to Riku to save the day instead.]]
* DieChairDie: In boss battle against [[spoiler: Julius]], he's capable of destroying the lampposts in the square. Subverted in that you yourself cannot do this and it only shows up in this one fight.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Riku, during the Country of the Musketeers, gets tripped, then is victim to the "tapping someone on the shoulder and dissappearing" trick. when it is revealed that the Holey Moley was the one doing it, Riku responds by killing it. More blatent when you realize that this is one of the easiest bosses in the game.
* DullSurprise:
** [[spoiler:Young!Xehanort. Quite jarring, considering how [[LargeHam hammy]] his other selves are. Frighteningly, it doesn't feel out of character for this particular Xehanort though, serving to make him seem creepier, kind of like Ansem in the original game.]]
** [[spoiler:Lea has this reaction at the end of the game after finding out he now has a Keyblade, which is in stark contrast to everyone else's BigWhat]].
* EasyAmnesia: Dreams are easily forgotten, and [[spoiler:Young!Xehanort]] attempts to manipulate Riku through this fear.
* EvilCounterpart: Riku and the [[spoiler:Anti-Black Coat, who respectively serve as a Spirit and Nightmare tailored to Sora]].
* EvilPlan: [[spoiler: Xehanort's plan to use Sora was set into action from the moment Ansem [=SoD=] met him on Destiny Islands in ''Kingdom Hearts'']].
* FightingYourFriend: There is a variation of this in the ''Film/TronLegacy'' world, considering [[spoiler: Rinzler, CLU's [[TheDragon Dragon]], is Tron. The last boss is also this, as it's Sora in Nightmare Armor and Riku is forced to fight him to free him.]]
* FinalBoss:
** [[spoiler:Sora in the Nightmare Armor]]
** [[spoiler:Xemnas in Sora's story. Also a ClimaxBoss as well, due to the revelations and the aftermath of the battle.]]
* FlashStep:
** La Cité des Cloches's Reality Shift "Holy Rope" lets Sora and Riku zip between selected enemies very quickly.
** The new dodge move has shades of this.
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: [[TyrannosaurusRex Tyranto]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Rex]], a boss in the Three Musketeers world. Also, a Triceratops Dream Eater. Both are available as Spirit Dream Eater party members. There's also a [[DemBones bony]] [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot version]] of the Tyranto Rex. Like its living version, it is recruitable.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: While Sora pulls a BigDamnHeroes moment on Neku during a visit to Traverse Town, Shiki is behind them in a pool, her legs kicking as she struggles up.
* GratuitousFrench: The ''[[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' world is named La Cité des Cloches (The City of Bells).
* HelpfulMook: As described above, the Spirit Dream Eaters can be befriended by Sora and Riku, and used as either standard teammates in battle or as Dual Links to give unique powers to either character. They can also be moved around the map using Sora's Reality Shift. With regard to the story, the Dream Eaters lead both Sora and Riku to the "Key of Sleep", which is presumably required to open to Sleeping Keyholes.
* TheHero: [[spoiler:Riku]]. He's arguably the focus character in ''Dream Drop Distance'' and when [[spoiler:Sora gets his heart shattered by Xehanort and almost fall into darkness, it's up to Riku to save the day and derail Xehanort's plans for Sora]].
* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:[[ThePollyanna Sora]] gets a few in this game thanks to the same questions [[KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 Xion]]]] was asked. To sum the questions: [[spoiler:"Am I the real thing, or a copy? Am I really myself, or just a puppet with a role to play?" Thankfully, [[DownerEnding they don't end up the same way.]]]]
--> [[spoiler:"Sora...the bits and bytes that have made up your life so far...can you say for sure they're not just copies of someone else's?"]]
* ImCryingButIDontKnowWhy: [[spoiler:Sora, when he meets Xion for the first time.]]
* [[ItsRainingMen It's Raining Soras]]: A good source of the game's MindScrew.
* JapaneseBeetleBrothers: Two of the Dream Eaters are based on the kuwagata and the kabuto: the Staggerceps and the Kab Kannon respectively.
* KudzuPlot: Probably of the highest order in the series yet, due to what it's actually attempting to achieve. The game wraps up various questions about [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts Xehanort's presence on Destiny Islands in the first game]], [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep the identity of the Mysterious Figure in]] ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth By Sleep]]'', [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 whether Nobodies really have hearts]], and so forth. Unfortunately, it also opens all new questions about [[spoiler:time travel, the 13 darknesses and 7 lights]], the nature of the Keyblade, Sora's destiny, Ansem the Wise's failsafe, and myriad other plot points.
* LateArrivalSpoiler:
** Trailers for the game have spoiled the ending of ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'', while the mere existence of the game spoils the secret ending of ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]]''.
** Trailers featuring the ''Film/TronLegacy'' world have multiple characters explicitly refer to [[spoiler:Rinzler]] as [[spoiler:Tron]].
* LetXBeTheUnknown: The letter's affiliation to [[spoiler:Xehanort]] is explained in this game. [[spoiler:It is called the "Recusant's Sigil" and was used by Xemnas, and Xehanort by extension, to mark potential vessels, and as a proof of Xehanort's ownership and influence. It also served as a way for the Organization XIII to track Sora down and guide him to The World That Never Was.]]
* MatchCut: A montage of them at the end of the February 2012 trailer.
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gAilU_6J_g&feature=related Thankfully slowed down here.]]
* MediumBlending:
** The game's opening video features a 2D, silhouetted Mickey on the bottom screen and full-motion CGI on the top screen, with the illusion given of Mickey jumping from the bottom screen to the top screen when he appears in the CGI video.
** The Country of the Musketeers features a lot of comic book-style lineart as a ShoutOut to the ending credits of [[MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers the original movie]].
* MilestoneCelebration: ''3D'' is a large part of the series' 10th anniversary celebrations; the logo for it is emblazoned in the top right corner of the games cover, and it also accompanies ''358/2 Days'' and ''Re:coded'' in a special anniversary box set. Additionally, a limited edition 3DS console with a unique ''3D''-inspired design is being released.
* MindScrew: [[http://www.square-enix.co.jp/kingdom/3d/trailer.html The very first trailer]] made it quite clear that this would be present. The plot itself is [[UpToEleven even stranger]] than the other games, complete with more KudzuPlot.
* MonsterClown:
** The Jestabocky Dream Eater species (its Japanese name, "Obake Pierrot", is more or less a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin direct translation of the trope name]]).
** A monster clown is also featured in the [[http://www.khwiki.net/images/5/5a/Prankster%27s_Paradise_Logo_KH3D.png logo for Prankster's Paradise]].
* NeverTrustATrailer: ...Well, sort of, as said by Nomura:
-->'''Nomura:''' "In the trailer Sora and Riku are on Destiny Islands, and then in Traverse Town many Soras are shown falling from the sky. Those weren't real cutscenes from the game; the trailer merely portrayed the overall feeling of the game."
** This is made perfectly clear when comparing the January trailer with the TGS trailer; the latter is very obviously showing a far more complete and polished build of the game. The January trailer, on the other hand, was almost certainly created using the engine for ''Birth by Sleep'' and existing art assets, and was probably never intended to be representative of final gameplay or aesthetic. As proof of this, digging around in ''BBS: Final Mix'''s data [[DummiedOut reveals character models and animations from the trailer]], some of which can be seen [[http://youtu.be/LCmNvYlNfBE here.]]
** On the other hand, both scenes do actually appear in the game, and the game really is like the trailer: very [[MindScrew mind-screwy]].
** Also averted in that Flomotion in the final game works almost exactly as it appears to in the very first trailer.
* NonHumanSidekick: Sora and Riku can recruit the new Dream Eater enemies to help them in battle, which are based on either fantastical versions of real animals or based on mythical animals. The only exceptions are the Obake series of Dream Eater, which include a Clown and a Ghost.
* OminousPipeOrgan: It's a series mainstay, why stop now? Pipe organ parts are featured in la Cité des Cloches' music, "Deep Drop" ([[spoiler:The World That Never Was]] battle theme), "L'Oscurità dell'Ignot" (Xemnas's battle theme), and "L'Impeto Oscuro" ([[spoiler:Young Xehanort's]] battle theme).
* OrpheanRescue: Part of the plot seems to be traveling through dream worlds to save the souls/hearts/existence of the people that make up the Composite Beings that the cast are now.
* PaletteSwap: There are two versions of each Dream Eater species--the friendly Spirits and antagonistic Nightmares.
* PublicDomainSoundtrack: A matter of course for the ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}''-based world Symphony of Sorcery.
* RRatedOpening: while the games aren't strangers to NightmareFuel, this is the first title in the series that begins on a very bleak note - [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKOYPjoEus8 namely,]] [[spoiler: Terra-Xehanort stabbing Braig (in a first-person perspective) with Master Xehanort's keyblade after having done the very same thing with Ansem The Wise's other apprentices]].
* RedEyesTakeWarning: A shared trait of Nightmare Dream Eaters, including [[spoiler:the Anti-Black Coat, which forces Sora into a sleep from which he cannot awaken without Riku's help]].
* RemixedLevel:
** Fourth and fifth districts have been added to Traverse Town.
** [[spoiler:The World That Never Was]] is the ruined version. It also [[spoiler:traps Sora in a dream and Riku in some kind of illusion. Both manage to break free in a way, but Sora's lack of resistance against the Darkness serves to immediately shatter his heart after fighting Xemnas.]]
* RuleOfCool: ''3D'' uses a new gameplay mechanic called "Flowmotion", which appears to be this trope embodied. By holding Y, the player can make Riku or Sora perform over-the-top acrobatics such as wall-jumping, rail-grinding or spinning round poles, which also allows opportunities for special high-damage attacks.
* RuleOfSymbolism:
** The Christian symbolism in the series (particularly concerning [[TheMessiah Sora]]) is already palpable. It'll be fun to see [[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Notre Dame]].
** [[VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou Joshua]] is in the game. Saying why would be a spoiler for the game he's from, but let's just say the symbolism has just [[UpToEleven skyrocketed]].
*** For extra bonus points on symbolism, [[spoiler: Joshua has white, feathered angel wings in the first visit to Traverse Town]].
** The ''Film/TronLegacy'' [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory characters]].
* SadisticChoice: [[Film/TronLegacy CLU]] foists one of these on Sora: the Keyblade in exchange for [[spoiler:turning Rinzler back into Tron]].
* SendInTheClones: [[spoiler:Xehanort's true plan for Org. XIII is to make them essentially all clones of himself.]]
* ShockAndAwe: The Electricorn Dream Eater. [[spoiler:BonusBoss [[RunawayBrain Julius]] also uses electricity to bolster his attacks.]]
* ShoutOut: Symphony of Sorcery's Reality Shift is named "Fantasmic" in the Japanese version after the Disneyland MassiveMultiplayerCrossover show.
** The Electricorn's profile asks, "[[DoAndroidsDreamOfElectricSheep Do electric unicorns dream of androids?]]"
** The title screen features the same artwork as the cover; however, since the first days of March 2011, Nomura showed an alternate artwork on Famitsu showing Sora and Riku upside-down, with a sunset-colored sky surrounding them. The way Nomura implied that alternate art would make it into the game makes this a shout out to the title screen of the GBA launch title ''MarioKart Super Circuit'', that did the exact same thing with its own title screen.
** ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep BBS]]'' did a kind of similar thing, where the title screen would show the cover artwork for the last character you played as.
* SlouchOfVillainy: [[spoiler: Master Xehanort]].
* SuperTitle64Advance: ''Kingdom Hearts '''[[Nintendo3DS 3D]]'''''. ''3D'', in this case, literally means three [=Ds=]. The three [=Ds=] stand for ''Dream Drop Distance''. Yep.
* StandardStatusEffects: While used by some enemies in previous games, it's a much bigger problem this time around, with practically every dream eater possessing at least one attack that inflicts a bad status, on top of some of them also using the same status inflicting spells you have access to (Which can be nigh impossible to avoid due to how quickly they trigger). Abilities that provide resistance to each of the different effects were added to alleviate some of the pain.
* TalkingToHimself:
** Looks like this will happen considering how Sora and [[spoiler: Vanitas]] have a cutscene together.
** Same goes for [[KoukiUchiyama Roxas, Ventus and Neku]] in the Japanese version.
* TheStinger: Following series tradition, the secret ending. [[spoiler: This time, it reveals that Kairi will be trained to use the Keyblade by Yen Sid.]]
* TimeyWimeyBall: [[spoiler: As part of Master Xehanort's latest GambitRoulette to gain control of Kingdom Hearts, Xehanort used a method to project himself into the past after becoming Ansem Seeker of Darkness, and recruited his teenage self to retrieve or create a total of 13 iterations of himself, in a bid to recreate the conditions of the keyblade war.]]
* ThirdLineSomeWaiting: Along with the alternating Sora and Riku storylines, there is a third plot thread about Mickey and company dealing with Maleficent in the real world.
* TreeBuchet: Appears in the Country of the Musketeers.
* TheUnexpected: The Dream Eaters as teammates, first hinted at in a written preview of the demo.
** The whole main cast of ''TheWorldEndsWithYou''--Neku, Joshua, Rhyme, Beat, and Shiki--appears in quite the [[{{Crossover}} reunion party]] as part of the series's first non ''Final Fantasy'', non Disney cameo.
** A world based on ''MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers''. Not even Xehanort could have seen that coming.
** [[{{Disney/Fantasia}} Chernabog]] returns in his first appearance since the first ''KingdomHearts''.
** [[Disney/TheLittleMermaid Ursula]] (or at least an illusion of her) [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere literally appears out of nowhere]] as the game's first boss.
** For the first time since Ice Titan, we have a BonusBoss from a Disney property: [[spoiler: Julius from ''RunawayBrain'']]. Also unexpected in how he, despite being a Disney character, is [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown just]] [[ThatOneBoss as]] [[SNKBoss aggressive]] as the ones designed by Tetsuya Nomura.
* UnskilledButStrong: [[spoiler: [[BonusBoss Jul]][[RunawayBrain ius]]]]
* UpToEleven: Whilst the series is no stranger to ridiculous feats of acrobatics, the Flowmotion mechanic really takes this to new levels.
** Also, if you thought the KudzuPlot of the series was [[MindScrew screwey]] ''before''.....
* VillainsNeverLie: Subverted. [[spoiler: It's implied that Xemnas lied to ''everyone'' (save perhaps Saïx after he became loyal and Xigbar) about the true nature of Nobodies so as to cover up his plan to use the bodies of Org. XIII to create clones of himself]].
* VillainTeamUp: [[spoiler:Four of Master Xehanort's incarnations ([[Videogame/KingdomHearts Ansem SoD]], [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII Xemnas]], [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Master Xehanort]], and [[KingdomHeartsDreamDropDistance Young Xehanort]]), as well as Braig and Isa, form a new Organization of sorts, with six other members remaining unidentified. Xehanort is still working at getting the thirteenth and final one.]]
* VisualPun: The district [[spoiler: Julius from ''RunawayBrain'', who bears a strong resemblance to {{Pete}} the cat,]] is [[BonusBoss fought in]] is the same one featuring the CAT graffiti from ''TheWorldEndsWithYou''.
* WackySoundEffect: In the Symphony of Sorcery world, the standard sound effects of Sora and Riku's Keyblade attacks connecting with Dream Eaters are replaced with the sounds of musical instruments. [[TheVoiceless Sora and Riku also lose their]] [[VoiceGrunting battle grunts]] [[TheVoiceless here]].
* WordSaladTitle: ''Dream Drop Distance'', though these kind of titles [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep aren't]] [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories uncommon]] in the series. Nomura has said it refers to something like the distance you drop into your dreams, and admits that the English isn't perfect; the words were chosen for how they sound, rather than English fidelity (a clearer phrasing would be something like "how deeply you fall into your dreams"). The title also refers to the game being set in a ''Dream'' world, the ''Drop'' gameplay system that facilitates switches between Sora and Riku, and the ''Distance'' separating the two protagonists' sides of the story.
* AWorldwidePunomenon:
** Neku's first line is "Talk about noise." The thing is, is he talking about [[TheHeartless the Noise]], or the overexcited racket Sora's been making?
** Xemnas's line to Sora in The Grid in the English version: [[spoiler:"Sora...''the bits and bytes'' that have made up your life so far...can you say for sure they're not just copies of someone else's?"]]
** The Dream Eaters' Dispositions have a one pun for each one and regularly straddle this and IncrediblyLamePun. It's possible to have a Komory Bat with the disposition "Wingman".
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