Famitsu Updates with New KINGDOM HEARTS HD ReMIX Info and Images!
- Details
- Published on December 27, 2012 @ 04:23 pm
- Written by Sign
We can't let 4Gamer have all the fun, now can we? As you may have heard previously, this week's issue of Famitsu Weekly features KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX, and their website has updated with a grand plethora of images rivaling that of the other site! However, as the two do share similar images, only exclusives and higher quality versions have been retained between the two articles. Check them out below!
Edit: Thanks to the lovely goldpanner, we now have translations of the article!
-The First Adventure Told in Beautiful Graphics-
With over 18,000,000 units shipped worldwide, the Kingdom Hearts (here-on KH) series is very popular. The latest instalment is a HD remaster of the early stretch of the story. Of the three titles included in this work, we will now introduce KH Final Mix, which details the very first adventure of protagonist Sora. We will also reveal changes from the original.
UPDATING THE ORIGINAL KH FINAL MIX +On top of being made HD, some character models and textures have been updated
+The English voicing has been changed to Japanese voicing
+With trophy support there is more to do after clearing the game
+PS3 custom theme made available after clearing the game
+Addition of abilities ‘EXP Zero’, in which you cannot earn EXP, and ‘Combo Master’, in which combos continue even if an attack misses
+Camera controls have been changed to the right stick. R3 button to swing the camera behind to default position
+’Talk’ and some special abilities etc. now executed with only the △ button
+’Summon’, which used to be included in 'Magic', has been added separately to the command menuWORLDS OF ADVENTURE After his home is swallowed by the darkness, Sora sets off on a journey to the 'outside worlds' to search for his missing friends Riku and Kairi and drive back enemies known as 'Heartless', and as he does so, he travels through many Disney worlds. Now we will introduce each world and present screenshots showcasing how beautiful they look remastered in HD!
TRAVERSE TOWN (KH original world)
This is the first world Sora ends up on. Living here are Final Fantasy characters such as Leon (Squall from FFVIII).
WONDERLAND (from Alice in Wonderland)
Alice is put on trial for the crime of trying to steal the heart of the Queen of Hearts. In order to save her, evidence must be collected in this strange world.
OLYMPUS COLISEUM (from Hercules)
Sora enters a tournament, sights set on becoming a hero. However, in the background is Hades and his schemes... Visit again after for the chance to battle secret boss Sephiroth!
DEEP JUNGLE (from Tarzan)
Sora, separated from Donald and Goofy, explores the jungle with Tarzan as his guide. You must protect his loved ones from the cruel hunter Clayton.
AGRABAH (from Aladdin)
In order to rescue the imprisoned Princess Jasmine, you go with Aladdin to a trap-loaded magic cave. After clearing this world, Genie becomes your friend as a Summon.
MONSTRO (from Pinocchio)
Adventure through the insides of a giant whale, Monstro, who swallows you. While searching for the missing Pinocchio, you come across Riku, but...
ATLANTICA (from The Little Mermaid)
In this world, Sora and his friends take the shape of sea creatures like dolphins, and swim around freely under the sea. Perfect the art of swimming and challenge Ursula.
HALLOWEEN TOWN (from The Nightmare Before Christmas)
Sora and the others have special forms here too. Confront Boogie, who stole something important from Jack, but with all the trickery, it seems a tough battle is unavoidable!?
NEVERLAND (from Peter Pan)
Work alongside Peter Pan to search Captain Hook's pirate ship. In this world, you can fly the skies just like Peter. Enjoy the exhilaration of swimming through the air.
100 ACRE WOODS (from Winnie the Pooh)
100 Acre Woods is picture book world. Collect the torn pages scattered through other worlds and clear mini-games to repair the damaged parts.
OTHER WORLDS
There are many other worlds that we haven't showcased today. The works of Disney and the original story weave together as a grand tale expands.
NOTICE THE BEAUTIFIED BATTLE SCREENS AND PLENTY OF MINI-GAMESSimple controls and exhilarating flashy battle are staples of the KH series. A Disney character from each world will join you in battle alongside Donald or Goofy. You can also call friends through any Summon Magic that you gain.
DEVELOPMENT STAFF COMMENTS AND MINI INTERVIEWS!
Comments have arrived from Character Art Director Gen Kobayashi! Tohru Yamazaki, who was in charge of character textures etc and Sumio Nasu, a programmer, also answered a few questions for us. Let's get the inside scoop on this title!
COMMENTS FROM CHARACTER ART DIRECTOR GEN KOBAYASHI
In order to match the HD remastering, a great deal of the base material had to be made high resolution as well as remade entirely. The KH menu screens were originally created in high graphics but we made them even nicer. We widened the screen to 16:9, and we even gave the controls a pleasant do-over, so I am sure that even those who played the PS2 game will be able to enjoy the fresh feeling of this title. We've also prepared custom themes and many trophies, so please try and collect them all.
INTERVIEW WITH CHARACTER TEXTURE DIRECTOR TOHRU YAMAZAKI
--What sort of work did you do on the HD remaster?
Yamazaki: I worked on upping the resolution of the character textures, and replacing characters that had been remade post-KH1. Also, things like replacing the thumbnails in the character index with updated versions. With this title, I started work with the aim to bring things up to basically post-KH2 quality, which meant things with drastically increased resolution and for other parts changing the creation style to fit textures created after KH2. I took great care to make sure people who had been playing the most recent titles in the series would feel the least sense of incongruence possible.
---What would you especially like players to see?
Yamazaki: After helping Kairi out, there's a scene where she gives her charm to Sora, and I think it's very pretty now. The three princesses on the stained glass at the very beginning are also a must-see, I think it has a lot of impact. The 101 Dalmatian puppies are also quite a lot cuter. There are lots of points.
---Lastly, please tell us about anything that left you with a deep impression.
Yamazaki: When work on the HD remaster began, I was given a chance to see screens of KH resources that had been made viewable in high resolution, with the main programmers from the previous development and other people involved with development. Everyone said things like 'isn't it fine the way it is?' and 'but it's so pretty right now'. Even I couldn't believe that this was something that had been made ten years ago. Usually, when you look at games from the past the age stands out, but the screens of KH were colourful and vivid, and I got a feeling of timelessness from them. I think it was only the result of the developers back then layering trial and error onto their ways of creating textures. However, once our eyes became accustomed to it, gradually our greed came out. You want to fix here, and here, and one thing turns to another... the greed of humans is inexhaustible. All we staff did our best to upgrade it within the constraints and time limit, but we also felt we could still keep working, so it's very complex (dry laugh).
INTERVIEW WITH PROGRAMMER SUMIO NASU
---What sort of work did you do on the HD remaster?
Nasu: I analysed the PS2-era program and rewrote it for PS3 use, while mainly dealing with converting resources. I personally had never played to the end of KH1, so wherever I felt the basic controls had issues, I did my best to make them feel closer to that of KH2. You can also skip cutscenes this time.
---What would you especially like players to see?
Nasu: I want you to feel satisfied by the story on large screen, the image capacity, and the volume that is unbelievable for a ten year old title. Even if this is your first experience with the series, I'm sure you will be able to enjoy the controls without anything feeling off.
---Lastly, please tell us about anything that left you with a deep impression.
Nasu: Because it was a ten year old program, nobody remembered how to use it... We finally worked out how to get moving after a lot of trial and error. In the beginning I thought it was simply not the type of work you'd have thought for a HD remaster, and despite the unexpectedly heavy volume I was surprised. I want to make use of the knowledge I gained from this project to bring the next remastered title to life.
COMMENTS
Clayton in that screenshot makes me really uncomfortable xD
And YES! I'm not a big fan of the gummi ships (really no attention span whatsoever) but that Moogle ship is absolutely adorable!
Clayton looks more like a gorilla than the actual ones he's hunting.
I've never really mastered the art of the gummi ship. Now's my chance, and I am so making that Moogle ship.
While everyone else is obsessing over Clayton's grin, I'm over here obsessing about that HALLOWEEN TOWN SCREENSHOT!
My gosh, that looks near perfect! The shading on Zero is great! I am REALLY looking forward to exploring Halloween Town in HD.
I'm trying to remember but wasn't the HD remix suppose to have a similiar combat system to Kh2 ?
I remember seeing it on an article somewhere on here .
I'm trying to remember but wasn't the HD remix suppose to have a similiar combat system to Kh2 ?
I remember seeing it on an article somewhere on here .
Just redesigned controls. It's still the same game, but with special abilities like "Talk", "Ragnarok", etc. mapped to Triangle, Summons given the fourth slot rather than being under Magic, and the camera mapped to the right analog stick rather than L2 + R2; all of the things we saw in games after KH1.
I honestly would have liked it if they kept the camera L2 and R2. For some reason I preferred it over the analog stick.
I honestly would have liked it if they kept the camera L2 and R2. For some reason I preferred it over the analog stick.
Maybe there will be the option to alter controls.
Hmm? What's that for an ability in the Olympus Coliseum-screenshot? KH's version of Reflect? o_0
So while adding new abilities and camera controls, they couldn't update the enemies HP bar thing to the likeness of KH2? What a bummer. :(
Hmm? What's that for an ability in the Olympus Coliseum-screenshot? KH's version of Reflect? o_0
Because of the stars, I think it might just be the effect from Sora smacking Heartless with his Keyblade. It does look a bit grand to be just that though, so who knows, it might be a new ability.
So while adding new abilities and camera controls, they couldn't update the enemies HP bar thing to the likeness of KH2? What a bummer. :(
I honestly don't see why that is such a big issue, there are certainly more important things to care about when vamping up things, and the colored HP bars where somewhat of a staple of the first KH (as was the invisible HP bar Sephiroth had which made it look like as if your hits wouldn't do any damage at first).
Because of the stars, I think it might just be the effect from Sora smacking Heartless with his Keyblade. It does look a bit grand to be just that though, so who knows, it might be a new ability.
That's why I pointed it out. It might be a Final Mix exclusive thing because I don't remember it from my own KH 1-experience.
And I doubt they would include totally new combat abilities into a remaster.
EXP Zero and Combo Master aren't really combat abilities but support abilities (and I'm honestly on a loss what exactly the benefits of Combo Master are anyways).
Hmm? What's that for an ability in the Olympus Coliseum-screenshot? KH's version of Reflect? o_0
It looks to me like "Ripple Drive" a combo finisher from KHIFM.
It could also be "Stun Impact" but I am 98% certain that it is "Ripple Drive".
So while adding new abilities and camera controls, they couldn't update the enemies HP bar thing to the likeness of KH2? What a bummer. :(
Donald and Goofy's HUD is already taking place in the right upper corner so I think leaving it alone was more suitable.
I can't believe there's a Moogle ship!
Riku looks really good in that first screen~
"Kairi...Kairi's inside me?"
*shot*
Though in all seriousness I love Sora's expression here.
Ruran no..............
Clayton looks like a serial killer here. It's perfect.
FLOTSAM. AND JETSAM.
LOYAL DARLINGS, STRONG AS THE TIDE
SWEETEST POOKIES HASTEN TO MY SIDE
RIGHT NOW
MUMMY NEEDS YOU
CRUSH THOSE STUPID FOOLS.
MAKE THEM DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE.
Ariel wants the D(onald)
i'm so dang excited! is english version (if there is one) gonna have the voices redone too?
i'm so dang excited! is english version (if there is one) gonna have the voices redone too?
The voices aren't being redone in Japanese. They are voicing additional lines for Days, and I believe the Cloud vs Sephiroth scene still applies. I doubt they will redo any English besides voicing additional stuff.
Am I the only one who's missed KH1 Atlantica? I haven't played that level in 10 years. Literally.
I see some fish-face is still there lol, but the game looks fantastic!
I think I'll wait after it comes out, though; I only replayed KH1 in January... But then there's the fact it has FM stuff...
It looks to me like "Ripple Drive" a combo finisher from KHIFM.
It could also be "Stun Impact" but I am 98% certain that it is "Ripple Drive".
Ah, thanks. I suspected it being some Final Mix-exclusive stuff. ;)
I see some fish-face is still there lol, but the game looks fantastic!
I think I'll wait after it comes out, though; I only replayed KH1 in January... But then there's the fact it has FM stuff...
Haha, yeah but the team did say they had forgotten how to use the program for KH1 since it was ten years old xD
Am I the only one who's missed KH1 Atlantica? I haven't played that level in 10 years. Literally.
Nope! I liked Atlantica in KH1. Great world and I liked the connection it had to the story as a whole with Triton's concerns over outsiders and the Keyblade.
Nope! I liked Atlantica in KH1. Great world and I liked the connection it had to the story as a whole with Triton's concerns over outsiders and the Keyblade.
Too bad they didn't follow up on that one with Triton in Birth by Sleep, but I guess they didn't want to bother with designing Merman-forms for Terra, Aqua and Ventus and revise the clunky control-scheme for the PSP. <__<
Too bad they didn't follow up on that one with Triton in Birth by Sleep, but I guess they didn't want to bother with designing Merman-forms for Terra, Aqua and Ventus and revise the clunky control-scheme for the PSP. <__<
Yeah, sadly. Not enough buttons :c
(this is why BBSv2 should happen 8D )
(this is why BBSv2 should happen 8D )
Also because Aqua as a mermaid is just...necessary lmao
Also, is it sad that I was most amazed by Ariel's character portrait out of the all things in the new images O___O Look at her character portrait, so much shading on the hair it is stunning!!!
Too bad they didn't follow up on that one with Triton in Birth by Sleep, but I guess they didn't want to bother with designing Merman-forms for Terra, Aqua and Ventus and revise the clunky control-scheme for the PSP. <__<
Although they could just had them in their armor form the whole time... oh well.
But I think that we can at least say that Triton knows about the Keyblade War much like Xehanort does, so perhaps that could be what he was referring to in KH1.
Also, is it sad that I was most amazed by Ariel's character portrait out of the all things in the new images O___O Look at her character portrait, so much shading on the hair it is stunning!!!
I can agree with you as far as the body goes. I think the hair texture could've been done better, at least when comparing it to how much they improved with the texture of Riku's hair.
I did translate that article btw! Credit to famitsu, kh13 and/or me~
-The First Adventure Told in Beautiful Graphics-
With over 18,000,000 units shipped worldwide, the Kingdom Hearts (here-on KH) series is very popular. The latest instalment is a HD remaster of the early stretch of the story. Of the three titles included in this work, we will now introduce KH Final Mix, which details the very first adventure of protagonist Sora. We will also reveal changes from the original.
UPDATING THE ORIGINAL KH FINAL MIX
+On top of being made HD, some character models and textures have been updated
+The English voicing has been changed to Japanese voicing
+With trophy support there is more to do after clearing the game
+PS3 custom theme made available after clearing the game
+Addition of abilities ‘EXP Zero’, in which you cannot earn EXP, and ‘Combo Master’, in which combos continue even if an attack misses
+Camera controls have been changed to the right stick. R3 button to swing the camera behind to default position
+’Talk’ and some special abilities etc. now executed with only the △ button
+’Summon’, which used to be included in 'Magic', has been added separately to the command menu
WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
After his home is swallowed by the darkness, Sora sets off on a journey to the 'outside worlds' to search for his missing friends Riku and Kairi and drive back enemies known as 'Heartless', and as he does so, he travels through many Disney worlds. Now we will introduce each world and present screenshots showcasing how beautiful they look remastered in HD!
TRAVERSE TOWN (KH original world)
This is the first world Sora ends up on. Living here are Final Fantasy characters such as Leon (Squall from FFVIII).
WONDERLAND (from Alice in Wonderland)
Alice is put on trial for the crime of trying to steal the heart of the Queen of Hearts. In order to save her, evidence must be collected in this strange world.
OLYMPUS COLISEUM (from Hercules)
Sora enters a tournament, sights set on becoming a hero. However, in the background is Hades and his schemes... Visit again after for the chance to battle secret boss Sephiroth!
DEEP JUNGLE (from Tarzan)
Sora, separated from Donald and Goofy, explores the jungle with Tarzan as his guide. You must protect his loved ones from the cruel hunter Clayton.
AGRABAH (from Aladdin)
In order to rescue the imprisoned Princess Jasmine, you go with Aladdin to a trap-loaded magic cave. After clearing this world, Genie becomes your friend as a Summon.
MONSTRO (from Pinocchio)
Adventure through the insides of a giant whale, Monstro, who swallows you. While searching for the missing Pinocchio, you come across Riku, but...
ATLANTICA (from The Little Mermaid)
In this world, Sora and his friends take the shape of sea creatures like dolphins, and swim around freely under the sea. Perfect the art of swimming and challenge Ursula.
HALLOWEEN TOWN (from The Nightmare Before Christmas)
Sora and the others have special forms here too. Confront Boogie, who stole something important from Jack, but with all the trickery, it seems a tough battle is unavoidable!?
NEVERLAND (from Peter Pan)
Work alongside Peter Pan to search Captain Hook's pirate ship. In this world, you can fly the skies just like Peter. Enjoy the exhilaration of swimming through the air.
100 ACRE WOODS (from Winnie the Pooh)
100 Acre Woods is picture book world. Collect the torn pages scattered through other worlds and clear mini-games to repair the damaged parts.
OTHER WORLDS
There are many other worlds that we haven't showcased today. The works of Disney and the original story weave together as a grand tale expands.
NOTICE THE BEAUTIFIED BATTLE SCREENS AND PLENTY OF MINI-GAMES
Simple controls and exhilarating flashy battle are staples of the KH series. A Disney character from each world will join you in battle alongside Donald or Goofy. You can also call friends through any Summon Magic that you gain.
DEVELOPMENT STAFF COMMENTS AND MINI INTERVIEWS!
Comments have arrived from Character Art Director Gen Kobayashi! Tohru Yamazaki, who was in charge of character textures etc and Sumio Nasu, a programmer, also answered a few questions for us. Let's get the inside scoop on this title!
COMMENTS FROM CHARACTER ART DIRECTOR GEN KOBAYASHI
In order to match the HD remastering, a great deal of the base material had to be made high resolution as well as remade entirely. The KH menu screens were originally created in high graphics but we made them even nicer. We widened the screen to 16:9, and we even gave the controls a pleasant do-over, so I am sure that even those who played the PS2 game will be able to enjoy the fresh feeling of this title. We've also prepared custom themes and many trophies, so please try and collect them all.
INTERVIEW WITH CHARACTER TEXTURE DIRECTOR TOHRU YAMAZAKI
--What sort of work did you do on the HD remaster?
Yamazaki: I worked on upping the resolution of the character textures, and replacing characters that had been remade post-KH1. Also, things like replacing the thumbnails in the character index with updated versions. With this title, I started work with the aim to bring things up to basically post-KH2 quality, which meant things with drastically increased resolution and for other parts changing the creation style to fit textures created after KH2. I took great care to make sure people who had been playing the most recent titles in the series would feel the least sense of incongruence possible.
---What would you especially like players to see?
Yamazaki: After helping Kairi out, there's a scene where she gives her charm to Sora, and I think it's very pretty now. The three princesses on the stained glass at the very beginning are also a must-see, I think it has a lot of impact. The 101 Dalmatian puppies are also quite a lot cuter. There are lots of points.
---Lastly, please tell us about anything that left you with a deep impression.
Yamazaki: When work on the HD remaster began, I was given a chance to see screens of KH resources that had been made viewable in high resolution, with the main programmers from the previous development and other people involved with development. Everyone said things like 'isn't it fine the way it is?' and 'but it's so pretty right now'. Even I couldn't believe that this was something that had been made ten years ago. Usually, when you look at games from the past the age stands out, but the screens of KH were colourful and vivid, and I got a feeling of timelessness from them. I think it was only the result of the developers back then layering trial and error onto their ways of creating textures. However, once our eyes became accustomed to it, gradually our greed came out. You want to fix here, and here, and one thing turns to another... the greed of humans is inexhaustible. All we staff did our best to upgrade it within the constraints and time limit, but we also felt we could still keep working, so it's very complex (dry laugh).
INTERVIEW WITH PROGRAMMER SUMIO NASU
---What sort of work did you do on the HD remaster?
Nasu: I analysed the PS2-era program and rewrote it for PS3 use, while mainly dealing with converting resources. I personally had never played to the end of KH1, so wherever I felt the basic controls had issues, I did my best to make them feel closer to that of KH2. You can also skip cutscenes this time.
---What would you especially like players to see?
Nasu: I want you to feel satisfied by the story on large screen, the image capacity, and the volume that is unbelievable for a ten year old title. Even if this is your first experience with the series, I'm sure you will be able to enjoy the controls without anything feeling off.
---Lastly, please tell us about anything that left you with a deep impression.
Nasu: Because it was a ten year old program, nobody remembered how to use it... We finally worked out how to get moving after a lot of trial and error. In the beginning I thought it was simply not the type of work you'd have thought for a HD remaster, and despite the unexpectedly heavy volume I was surprised. I want to make use of the knowledge I gained from this project to bring the next remastered title to life.
^^^^^
lovely read
I'm actually looking forward to seeing how pretty these games are gonna be, i miss my old kh experience hopefully I get it back ten-fold with all this
Definitely gonna be looking forward to seeing those stained glass platforms in HD this time around.
Nasu: Because it was a ten year old program, nobody remembered how to use it... We finally worked out how to get moving after a lot of trial and error. In the beginning I thought it was simply not the type of work you'd have thought for a HD remaster, and despite the unexpectedly heavy volume I was surprised. I want to make use of the knowledge I gained from this project to bring the next remastered title to life.
You know, statements like these really make me feel that the Osaka Team might as well be the permanent KH team at this point. They worked on a lot more KH games than the original team and now they even have experience with trying to work out the code from the original game from 10 years ago.
Wow Clayton XD
And now I am going to make sure to pay extra attention to the stained glass.
It's so weird seeing everything in HD, like it's hard to believe it's a real game
The voices aren't being redone in Japanese. They are voicing additional lines for Days, and I believe the Cloud vs Sephiroth scene still applies. I doubt they will redo any English besides voicing additional stuff.
yeah, what's the latest on the Cloud v Sehphiroth scene? are you saying that they're still voicing that?
Nothing yet.
Definitely gonna be looking forward to seeing those stained glass platforms in HD this time around.
You know, statements like these really make me feel that the Osaka Team might as well be the permanent KH team at this point. They worked on a lot more KH games than the original team and now they even have experience with trying to work out the code from the original game from 10 years ago.
Agreed. The original team gets called over whenever Motomu Toriyama makes a new game. The Osaka team stays on their own projects.
OathkeeperRoxas XIII
December 27, 2012 @ 04:53 pmOffline