Kingdom Hearts as a series came about from the most unlikely of alliances, and it continues to head in unexpected directions to this day. I have to admit that I had serious doubts about the series moving to the DS–Chain of Memories on the GBA set out to be something different from the very beginning, and ended up being a very satisfying experience for those willing to try something new. Would Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days be able to carry over the joy of keyblade-swinging to a portable platform? I am here to tell you that the answer is a resounding yes.

First of all, the screenshots out on the web don’t do the game justice. When everything is in motion, it is readily apparent that they have expertly scaled the gameplay to the dual screens. The same effects are in place–stars shooting off from attacks, various magic attacks sparking all over the screen–and all of this within settings fans of the series have become familiar with over the last few games in the series.

For the most part, the game plays out the same. Keyblade combos, the Fire/Blizzard/Thunder elements we’ve seen since the first Final Fantasy decades ago, and action RPG goodness at its best. What remains to be seen is how the game contributes to the overall Kingdom Hearts storyline. With each game in the series up until now, they’ve shown that Kingdom Hearts isn’t only about hopping between Disney worlds racking up frequent gummi miles. A core mythology has been emerging as well. The biggest potential contributor we’ve seen to this from 358/2 Days is the character Xion. With 14 powerful Nobodies, why Organization XIII? Is it just me, or does her face (black hair aside) look strikingly similar to Kairi? Watching Roxas’ transition from the Organization’s Key of Destiny to his later adventures in Kingdom Hearts 2 is something we can all look forward to. Out September 29, 2009 in the US and Fall 2009 in Europe, it looks like you’ll be getting your fix of black-robed cast members soon enough.