LCD handheld-style minigames are on their way to Kingdom Hearts III as part of the "Classic Kingdom", according to a trailer recently released on the game's official YouTube channel.
The trailer shows series protagonists Sora, Goofy and Donald Duck, along with Kingdom Hearts II characters Hayner, Pence, and Olette in Twilight Town, crowding round an old Tiger Electronics-style LCD handheld. A series of retro-inspired minigames, with visuals inspired by Nintendo's Game & Watch LCD series and other LCD electronics handhelds, can be seen in the trailer. Also worth noting are a few changes to Twilight Town, including a sign which looks suspiciously like a gummi ship parts shop, and new outfits for Hayner, Pence, and Olette.
The games featured in the trailer all seem to be inspired by classic Disney cartoons of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Here's a rundown of the games:
- Unnamed Donkey Kong-esque game: Sora and Mickey must navigate a dangerous building site in order to rescue Minnie Mouse from longtime villain Pete
- "The Barnyard Battle": waves of enemies rush Sora and Mickey, who must defeat them using mallets
- "TheKarnivalKid": Sora must supply classic Disney characters with food and drink according to what they want
- "Giantland": a giant battles Sora and Mickey as they duck and weave around him
- "Musical Farmer": Sora must collect chicken eggs in three boxes as they fall through pipes, then give them to Mickey and Minnie for points
It's not yet clear whether these are all of the games which will be available to play in Classic Kingdom, or whether more are yet to be announced. Expect more news in the coming weeks. This trailer might be good news for those hoping for a 2018 release for Kingdom Hearts III, as it seems work is well underway on the long-awaited action RPG.
Kingdom Hearts III is currently slated for release for PS4 and Xbox One sometime in 2018. This will mark the first time the series has been playable on Microsoft consoles. Since the game's E3 2013 announcement, many new features to the series have been announced. These include "Attraction Flow" attacks which incorporate Disney theme park attractions, new and improved combat and Gummi Ship exploration mechanics, and environment traversal features such as wall-running and jumping. The game will also include new worlds based on Tangled, Toy Story, Monsters Inc and Big Hero 6 among others.