'Kingdom Hearts 3' release date, news, rumors: Upcoming game to feature mini-games inspired by 'Game and Watch'

A screenshot from the official trailer of "Kingdom Hearts 3" featuring "Monsters Inc."YouTube/Kingdom Hearts

Square Enix has shared a few tidbits of information over the past months regarding "Kingdom Hearts 3," although the gameplay details are not yet official. However, the studio recently updated the public with the upcoming title's mini-games section, which is said to be inspired by the classic "Game and Watch" handheld games.

As reported by Polygon, "Kingdom Hearts 3" will offer a great dose of nostalgia to the players, aside from the fact that the game will re-introduce some of the biggest Disney titles in the previous years. This is because the mini-games to be included in "Kingdom Hearts 3" will be based on Game and Watch, a series of handheld Nintendo video games that gained popularity in the late 80's to early 90's. Back in the day, Game and Watch is played on an LCD screen, which also includes a clock and an alarm. 

So far, it was reported that the mini-games section of "Kingdom Hearts 3" will be known as Classic Kingdom. Staying true to the "Kingdom Hearts" tradition, the mini-games are inspired by some of the most iconic Micket Mouse cartoon shows such as "Giantland," "The Karnival Kid," "Musical Farmer" and "The Barnyard Battle." It has yet to be seen how Square Enix will introduce the Game and Watch gaming style to these games, although the fans expect that it will be something worth their time.

It is expected that the "Kingdom Hearts 3" mini-games will also become available in "Kingdom Hearts: Union x Cross," which is a mobile role-playing game (RPG) spin-off title that was first released in 2015. Sora, the main protagonist of the "Kingdom Hearts" series, will be present in each part of the Classic Kingdom mini-games.

In other news, it is rumored that Square Enix will be present at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018 this June to reveal something big about "Kingdom Hearts 3." The studio is likely to disclose the final release date of the game, which could be set in late 2018 or early 2019, depending on the status of the title's development. So far, Square Enix has been claiming that "Kingdom Hearts 3" is now on its last stage of development, which makes an E3 2018 reveal possible.