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Previous "Kingdom Hearts" games were released before smartphones were even a thing. "Kingdom Hearts" debuted on the PlayStation 2 in 2002, and the sequel "Kingdom Hearts 2" released in 2005. The smartphone era didn't properly kick off for another two years, when Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in January 2007.
More than a decade later, "Kingdom Hearts 3" picks up from the events from the last game. But one of the biggest differences is a new tool at your disposal: a smartphone, called the "Gummiphone," which lets you do smartphone-y things in this bizarre video game mash-up of Disney and Final Fantasy.
Take a look at the Gummiphone, and what it can do:
The Gummiphone was invented by Chip and Dale, the iconic chipmunk duo.
It's unclear how two chipmunks make a phone in the first place, though. Did Chip design, while Dale manufactured? How did they get their hands on these materials?
As Jiminy Cricket explains, the Gummiphone was designed to help Sora — your character, and the protagonist of the "Kingdom Hearts" series — communicate with other characters across different worlds.
It's unclear how many Gummiphones are in circulation, but Chip and Dale appeared to have made a few phones: one for Sora, one for themselves ...
... and one Gummiphone was made for this spiky-haired guy. As a newcomer to the series, I have no idea who he is, but he seems like someone who was once evil but is now good.
See? Some guys with evil-sounding names can't control him anymore. That sounds pretty good, right?
Aside from phone calls, the Gummiphone is great for taking pictures.
We've counted at least two lenses on the Gummiphone — one on the front for selfies, and one on the back — but it's unclear how many megapixels each camera has, or if Chip and Dale added optical-image stabilization at all.
You can take photos with your Gummiphone at any time — and the game even gives you photo missions, to give you rewards for capturing specific photos.
The Gummiphone camera software looks pretty good, and it's easy to use. You have controls to zoom in and out, flip between the rear and selfie cameras, and even a button to share your "Kingdom Hearts" photos with social media.
"Kingdom Hearts 3" has its own form of social media, which looks like a clone of Instagram. You'll see these sorts of Instagram-style posts from "Kingdom Hearts" characters during the game's loading screens.
Of course, there are plenty of Instagram-style food posts, thanks to the presence of Pixar's "Ratatouille" in the game.
Like in real life, you can also check your Gummiphone constantly. You can see the photos you've snapped, learn more about characters you've met, catch up on the story, and much more.
Unfortunately, the style of the Gummiphone itself leaves much to be desired. Just look at the tiny screen on the otherwise large phone. And those bezels! So thick! At least the colors and Mickey logo on the home button help the phone stand out.
Here's one character's take on the Gummiphone:
That's pretty much it! The Gummiphone is great for calling, taking pictures, and checking on your in-game status. Still, we have no idea how much thing costs, or if it will be released to the public anytime soon, or ever. Here's hoping!
We've reached out to Chip and Dale for the full specs sheet, as we still don't know details like the battery capacity, display quality, or even what operating system this is running. We also don't know what chipsets power the phone, whether or not it's water-resistant, or if it can support wireless or fast charging. At the very least, here's hoping it has a headphone jack.
