In late 2006: In a Weekly Shonen Jump (Japanese manga magazine) interview with Nomura, the Kingdom Hearts creator expressed interest in a possible international version of Kingdom Hearts II, although there were no definite plans. He said that should a “Final Mix” version arise, he has a “trump card” in mind, with such features as the Mushroom Heartless found in the first Kingdom Hearts. In September 2006, Square Enix announced they would develop Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ for Japan, featuring new scenes and gameplay elements.
In early 2007: Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ was said to be a 2-disc set. The first disc contains Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, which added content including extra cutscenes and optional bosses to Kingdom Hearts II. The second disc contains a 3D PS2 version remake of the GameBoy Advance game Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories with Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts’ graphics, extra scenes, and voiceover for particular scenes. The battle system continues the card gameplay, with the addition of using Reaction Commands. The game will be released in Japan on March 29th, 2007.
Right now: Several independent sources have stated that an English release of Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ in North America will occur in Fall 2007, with no confirmation from Square Enix. To quote 1up: “And for the Square Enix fans, look forward to Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix, previously thought to be a Japan-only upgrade, to arrive here in the fall, complete with the Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories 3D remake. That’s one hell of an extra.”
The first half of this ‘story video’ is in Japanese, but the second half of the 8 minute video is spoken in English.
“Don’t you want to know the truth, about who you really are?”
Update July 31, 2008: A new rumor has popped up that claims America is getting the 3D PS2-version of Chains Of Memories as a standalone or packed with Kingdom Hearts 2 in Final Mix+. Apparently Square or Disney have been auditioning tons of people for the last few weeks to get the voices of the Organization XIII members (Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Marluxia, and Larxene) saying the game is Chains of Memories.