Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

by Square Enix

• Finally experience the "Kingdom Hearts" storyline missing chapter.
• Familiar action-packed "Kingdom Hearts" gameplay that has captivated fans worldwide.
• Panel System, a brand new system that allows you to customize Roxas arsenal by placing abilities, items, and weapon parts into allotted slots.
• A series-first multiplayer mode, allowing up to 4 players to control any Organization XIII member.
• Get to know the members of Organization XIII, including the mysterious fourteenth member and learn about the origins of the "Organization XIII" name.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001TD6SK8
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: September 29, 2009
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (156 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,334 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #2 in Video Games > Nintendo DS > Games > Action > Fighting

Product Description

Amazon.com

Chronologically set between the events of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (pronounced "Kingdom Hearts Three-Five-Eight Days Over Two") is the newest installment on the Nintendo DS of the wildly popular role-playing game series. Featuring supporting details of Kingdom Hearts II character Roxas, as well as single and multiplayer modes and the new "Panel System" game mechanic, it is destined to be find a cherished place of its own in the beloved RPG franchise. All your favorite characters. View larger. 2-4 multiplayer support. View larger. New "Panel System" gameplay mechanic. View larger. Story In Kingdom Hearts, Sora turned the Keyblade on himself in order to release Kairi’s heart, but his heart was also released in the process. This brought about the creation of Roxas, Sora’s "Nobody." Yet Roxas has no recollection of his previous life, which is unusual for a Nobody. He joins Organization XIII and slowly begins to discover the truth behind his existence and the Organization itself. As time passes he meets and befriends the fourteenth member of the Organization, who also has no recollection of her past. It is a strange coincidence. What will Roxas see during his time in the Organization? What is the connection between him, Sora, and the fourteenth member? And what becomes of them? Dive into the heart of the Kingdom Hearts storyline’s biggest secrets. Panel System Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days contains a new gameplay mechanic referred to as the "Panel System." These panels serve as a means to equip and customize character's levels, items, magic, weapons, abilities, armor and accessories. But more than just a means of access, panels also facilitate progression through the game in that certain items, spells, etc. necessary for progression cannot be used, or at least used to their full potential, until their panels are equipped. Once done though, not only can these be used, in many cases through the use of "Link Panels", which can be used in conjunction with other panels, thus allowing for special item and ability creation. Multiplayer Not only does Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days allow for team-based gameplay utilizing the franchises standard AI partners functionality, it also contains exciting cooperative and competitive multiplayer options. In both these options players can join together with additional players in DS multi-card play over a DS Wi-Fi connection. The cooperative mode is the real showcase option though, allowing players to team up with up to three friends and engage in mission play that is distinct from the story driven mode of the single player campaign. During these battles players choose from one of the fourteen members of Organization XIII, each wielding different weapons, skills, and stats. The multiplayer campaign also features hidden characters including favorite characters from the Kingdom Hearts and Disney universe including Sora, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey and Riku. In addition, although dialog between characters and player in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 is limited to text, within multiplayer modes players will have access to a chat system for communication which displays responses on a single screen, allowing for complete exchanges and conversations between players in context. Key Features Familiar action-packed Kingdom Hearts gameplay that has captivated fans worldwide. The brand new "Panel System" that allows you to customize Roxas’ arsenal by placing abilities, items, and weapon parts into allotted slots. Learn about the origins of the "Organization XIII" name. A series-first multiplayer mode, allowing up to 4 players to control any Organization XIII member. Additional unlockable characters in multiplayer modes, including: Sora, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey and Riku. Get to know the members of Organization XIII, including the mysterious fourteenth member. Finally experience the Kingdom Hearts storyline’s missing chapter.

Product Description

In KINGDOM HEARTS, Sora turned the Keyblade on himself in order to release Kairi's heart, but his heart was also released in the process. This brought about the creation of Roxas, Sora's Nobody. Roxas has no recollection of his previous life, which is unusual for a Nobody. He joins Organization XIII and slowly begins to discover the truth behind his existence and the Organization itself. He meets and befriends the fourteenth member of the Organization, who also has no recollection of her past. What will Roxas see during his time in the Organization? What is the connection between him, Sora, and the fourteenth member? And what becomes of them? Dive into the heart of the KINGDOM HEARTS story lines biggest secrets.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 52 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Addition to the Kingdom Hearts Series October 6, 2009

By P. Beckermann

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

First of all, let me start by saying that this is my favorite game in the Kingdom Hearts saga. It was definitely worth the wait. Being a hard core KH fan myself, I made sure to by the game the day it came out and I wasn't disappointed. I played everyday after school, unable to put the game down for longer than I had to.

Length: I completed the game in 30 hours on Standard Mode, which is a pretty average completion time for a Square title game. And as Square does with most of their games, they made sure to leave plenty of extras after the game is over to tackle if you want more. I'm currently working on unlocking the Hidden Reports.

Graphics/Sound: I have to say I'm impressed. While the majority of the game's story is spent reading (which is to be expected from a DS game), the high graphic cutscenes are absolutely stunning, easily matching those of a PS2 game. No small achievement for a DS game. The lower quality cutscenes are a bit pixely, but aren't all DS games? As far as sound goes, this will make for another unforgettable soundtrack by Square. Also the voice acting is wonderful. My only disappointment was that it was limited to the high quality cutscenes and simple `hahas', `hmms' and other similar sounds before text.

Gameplay: A tiny step down from KH II, it was still fun and the KH style carried surprisingly well over to the DS. I'll admit I was a bit worried that, being on another hand-held system, it might end up being a bit too much like KH CoM, which, while fun, I didn't care for the Card System. But my concern quickly faded as I got past the initial tutorial in the game.

The idea of the panel system looked a bit confusing at first, but I quickly caught on. Similar to KH II, it allows you to make shortcuts during battle to different spells and items. I've heard some complaint over the fact that you only get limited slots, but personally, I think it adds a nice challenge to the game, and it's not like the slot setup you choose is permanent; you get the opportunity to rearrange your slots before every mission.

Which brings me to the Missions. This is perfectly believable for the story the game follows. While some missions are a bit repetitive, you usually have the option to skip over them and take on the missions that are different. I'd say about 60% of missions are optional. Also, I'm sure veteran KH fans will enjoy embarking on missions with their favorite Organization XIII members. The only missions I really didn't care for were recon missions, which consisted of working your way through each world and clicking on different locations to gather info on the area.

Mission Mode: This allows you to replay previous missions that you've played in the game using any character you'd like. You start off having only the members of Organization XIII to choose as your player, but you can unlock more as you get farther into the game's story.

Story: This is the reason Days is my favorite KH game. Yes, even though the game comes with a booklet that explains what happened in previous games, and the majority of the game requires no previous KH knowledge, I think new KH players might be a bit lost. But then, it is a sequel. I'm sure anyone who jumped into the middle of the Harry Potter series would be confused as well. I, however, having played all the other KH games, followed the story easily.

There are plenty of moments where I found myself laughing out loud, but there were more moments where I found myself fighting back tears. Days is, in my opinion, the most heart wrenching addition in the KH series. Also, being a fan of Organization XIII, I had endless delight at seeing my favorite characters going about their daily routines. The story takes place shortly before, during, and after the events of Chain of Memories.

So, to quickly summarize, I'm sure previous KH fans will enjoy this newest installment to the KH story, and new KH players - though they may get a bit lost at times - will enjoy the game as well. I highly recommend this delightful game.

78 of 91 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great October 2, 2009

By Matthew Erwin VINE™ VOICE

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

Here is a game that could have been so much better than it is. Even so, it makes an entertaining, if lesser chapter into the Kingdom Hearts Series.

First the good. The game controls great. Clever use of shortcuts makes magic casting a breeze and the action for better or worse in primarily controlled by mashing on the A button, occasionally using B and Y to jump and block/roll respectively. The fighting is good for what it is, but mostly it is a bit simplistic.

Sadly the whole game is a bit simplistic. It is clear the developers wanted to focus on graphics and story. What they wound up with is a game that looks almost as good as its PS2 counterparts. The story on the other hand is a bit muddled and what starts out as a cute bromance turns into a constant irritation. My god, I don't care about them eating icecream for the 85th day in a row.

Also missing from the game is any bit of exploration. The worlds are depressingly simple and small, generally consisting of a few large rooms or spaces with few more caves/rooms opening up later in your missions. That brings me to the other big problem with the game which is the mission structure. Simply put, it is not nearly as fun as just a regular Kingdom Hearts game. 85% of the missions boil down to either kill a bunch of Heartless or kill one specific Heartless. It begins to drag with a flustering amount of sameness. Every once in a while you will come across an exploration mission which generally involves running around until a question mark pops up over Roxas's hear and you press A. There are also a few missions that you have to follow a character, which are about as dumb as they sound.

The characters from Disney and other Square series are pushed to the backburner here as well, it is mostly about Organization XIII and run parallel to the events of Chain of Memories.

The final problem with the game, as alluded to by other reviewers is the panel system, which seems to be an odd combination of a card game, the materia system from Final Fantasy VII and Diablo's loot system. You can place different panels into your inventory to do basically anything including learn moves and magic. The most irritating panel could be the level up panel. This is certainly the first game where you have to equip a level up. You get to make irritating decisions such as "Do I level up or take 'cure' into the battle" Do I want more casts of fire or to have the ability to block. It seems some things, such as new tactics and level ups should be automatic. I guess it adds in a new strategy to the game, but mostly I find it irritating.

That all being said, if you can look past the irritants, there is a lot of fun to be had here, especially for those who are already fans (for those that haven't played KH before, good luck following the story). This one is for the fans only.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a hard to put down game... October 18, 2009

By AnonymousNJ

Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

If you're a big KH fan, who wants to know the back-story of Roxas' time in the Organization and who the 14th member is, then you might want to check this out. If you're a newbie KH player, you might survive understanding this without playing any of the other KH games. Several people's testaments say they haven't had much of a problem. It is recommended though, if you want to completely understand everything, you play the PS2 games first. But, it's not bad for stand-alone players either. I got my younger cousins hooked right away with it. (And for those who haven't touched this game but reviewed it anyways, like the one below me, I can only say that you intentionally want to lower the ratings...)

Pros:

+ Vibrant colorful transition from its PS2 predecessors. It's like you're staring at a PS2 game inside a DS. Not bad for pushing the system to its limits.

+ The difficulty level is just right, because the Panel system affects it greatly. You can be 10 hours into the game and still be level 6.

+ Platforming is back compared to KH2. You'll be doing a lot more pushing columns and jumping around.

+ Beautiful FMVs (even though, they're just a few)

+ Dodge roll is back!

+ Some new orchestrations by Yoko Shimomura. Don't expect majority of the game to have new ones because you're going back to the same worlds from the PS2 games.

+ New parts of the PS2 worlds created. Meaning, even though we go to the same worlds as before, a lot of them have new environments made for them. So, we're not always completely in the same familiar area i.e. Agrabah's marketplace area and outside Cave of Wonders.

+ This is a long DS game. At least 25 hours and up, depending on what you do. (Not including multi-player so just consider that extra.)

+ The new Panel system, which you can customize how many things you want. It also limits what you have in your inventory. You gain a new panel piece for every mission you beat. It gives you the strategy on how you want to do your battling. Picture the Chain of Memories cards but not in a card deck. Also, you'll be using potion a lot more at the beginning of the game so it'll go quickly. You have to constantly add to the Panel deck and alter it several times.

+ New Secret Reports are added for this game. I've yet to come across them so I can't wait to read them.

+ Roxas' diary entries are interesting to read.

+ The game's script is witty and good. Good enough that it makes me dislike Larxene 10 times more now.

Neutral

o The tutorial is long but it's not as long as KH2's.

o In the Panel system, they give you level-up panels, which allow you to obviously, as the name says, level up. You have to keep collecting them to increase your level but sometimes, you won't have any place to put them.

o The story will start off very slow but it gets better as you go along. Everyone recommends the 250th day and up to 300th for the story to really pick up. For me, I don't really care. It's already good as it is. I'm less than 80 days in at this point. Unfortunately, I'm playing this game already spoiled so I know what happens. Plus, the secret behind the 14th member...

o You'll only be using the stylus to control the camera to look left, right, and up. Which, I don't have too many qualms about.

o You have customizable options on your camera control and other things.

o Yes, you might find some parts of the worlds/scenes repetitive, but the ice cream eating has a somber meaning behind it.

o There is a meaning behind the title! If you still don't understand what it means, go look it up! :P

Cons

- The camera can get a bit shaky at some times when you're up against something.
- The D-pad will hurt your thumb at the beginning so please, take a break in-between playing it!
- When locking onto an enemy, I wish they allowed you to switch from one enemy to another like in the PS2 games.

That's all I really have to say about it for now. Be prepared for a slow moving story but a well-worth reward ending. :D