Kingdom Hearts 3 Will Include Classic LCD-Style Mini-Games

Based on recent trailers, Kingdom Hearts III has some rather lovely visuals for players to take in while whacking the Heartless with key-shaped swords. For those who prefer a more classic feel, though, it looks like Sora's latest adventure will also boast mini-games inspired by classic Disney cartoons and old-school LCD handheld games.

The above trailer was originally revealed during the most Square Enix-sounding event to date, the Kingdom Hearts Union X Dandelion Meeting. At that event, the publisher pulled back the curtain on some minigames that will be available in the upcoming Kingdom Hearts III.

In previous Kingdom Hearts games, players got to distract themselves from the main action by building spaceships or taking on menial tasks in order to clear job board listings. In Kingdom Hearts III, Sora will be in possession of a handheld gaming device that lets him play a whole bunch of LCD games. These games are based on some classic cartoons with simple mechanics that look easy to pick up and play. We're not sure if you'll need to beat these games for progression or if they're just there to pass the time, but it certainly seems like a nice little distraction.

In the trailer we see Sora, along with Donald and Goofy, hanging out with some neighborhood kids. Sora appears really excited by a handheld gaming console, which plays a whole bunch of games that feel like they were ripped out of the '80s and '90s. Nintendo's Game & Watch library falls into this category, as does a metric ton of Tiger games that featured everything from the Ninja Turtles and Ducktails to simplified versions of Double Dragon or Top Gun.

The first game we see includes LCD versions of Mickey and Sora dodging obstacles and operating lifts in order to reach Minnie. Other games include "The Barnyard Battle," which sees Sora whacking monkeys with a mallet, "The Karnival Kid," which is basically Diner Dash, and "Musical Farer," which has Sora collecting eggs and scoring them as they fall down various tubes. The trailer ends with Sora being very excited about his classic games, and we tend to feel the same way.

In big RPGs, it's always nice to have some extra activities available to help break up the usual grind, such as fishing in Final Fantasy XV or playing horseshoes and cards in Red Dead Redemption. These LCD games seem like a nice little way to pass the time and, as an added bonus for Square Enix, they probably didn't take all that long to make. We imagine you'll have to perform certain in-game tasks to earn new LCD titles within Kingdom Hearts III, which certainly seems like an unlock worth pursuing.

Ryan Winslett

Staff Writer for CinemaBlend.