Aside from the few bits and pieces shared via a Twitter report here and a short interview there, the new 3DS "Kingdom Hearts 3D" title has been shrouded in mystery. And that's not going change much after you read this.

But Famitsu.com did mange to get an exclusive interview with Tetsuya Nomura right on the E3 show floor. The site asked the producer a number of questions about the new game, and Nomura fed them a few vague details.

Kingdom Hearts 3D's development started with Square Enix hearing the general details of the 3DS system from Nintendo. They wanted to make a quick demo. Nomura already had a general framework for some gameplay systems and a story that he felt would match the 3DS's visual expression. Thus began the Kingdom Hearts 3D project.

While the name "Kingdom Hearts 3D" isn't a final name, it does have something to do with the final name. The "3D" in this placeholder title does not stand for "3 Dimension," said Nomura, but is an abbreviation for the game's subtitle.

Famitsu noted that while the game's E3 demo shows Sora and Riku as they appear in the first Kingdom Hearts game, they're presented in some situations that would be impossible for the first game. Replied Nomura to this, "This is because it's not a remake, but a completely original game. This time, Sora and Riku are the two main characters. We're currently in the process of selecting new worlds."

"'KH3D' will be a title that enters a new step to follow the three games whose production was announced simultaneously, '358/2 Days, Birth by Sleep, and Coded," said Nomura.

The site pressed Nomura for some story details, but he would not open up. And good luck guessing the story! Nomura said it would be something unexpected, something that to a certain extent breaks the developments that have taken place according to fan expectation.

However, he did say that Re: Coded, the upcoming DS remake of Coded, released to Japan as a series of cell phone titles, would have some hints, so interested parties may want to check that out.

On the gameplay side of things, he said they're currently thinking up three new systems.

KH3D is being developed by Square Enix's Osaka team, which worked on Birth by Sleep. Based off Nomura's wording in the Famitsu interview, it appears to be one of the games Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto was referring to in his pre-E3 Tweets about a visit to Osaka.

During that Osaka trip, Nomura showed Birth by Sleep co-director Yasushi Yasue the KH3D design document. Yasue was apparently quite pleased with what he was shown.

The Osaka also seems to be having a hand in Re: Coded's development, as Yasue is serving as battle planner on the game. With the overseas version of Birth By Sleep, and now KH3D, the Osaka team is very busy, Nomura said. They made the Kingdom Hearts 3D E3 demo in a short time, though, so he believes they'll be able to work hard on KH3D.

Closing off the interview, Nomura decided to comment on separate Kingdom Hearts games. In past interviews, he made comments indicating that there are two Kingdom Hearts games on the way. While some may think that Re:Coded and KH3D are those two games, this isn't the case. "It's like one game has been added," said Nomura. "My purpose in coming to E3 wasn't just for the announcement but for a meeting as well. I'm scheduled to come to next year's E3 too. There are still surprise titles, but first enjoy Re: Coded, whose release date we're set to announce shortly."

GameSpot: How was KH: Birth by Sleep received in Japan?
Tetsuya Nomura: After its release, Birth by Sleep was praised as the best KH title on the PSP. I think the reason for this is because it was developed in an environment similar to the original Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, and thus the gameplay reminded players of the feel and sensation of those games. Of course, some players regretted that Sora was not featured as the main character, but that's the way we wanted to do the game.

GameSpot: What are the differences between console development and handheld development?
Nomura: The touch and feel of the PSP is similar to that of the PS2 so in that sense, developing for the PSP wasn't all that different. In fact, that's what we intended. The focus with this title is good, solid gameplay.

GameSpot: How did the stories for the Kingdom Hearts games evolve? Were they planned from the beginning, or did they evolve alongside Sora as a character?
Nomura: My typical approach is not to develop a unique story right from the beginning. When I wrote the story for Kingdom Hearts, I was already planning a story for the sequel, and so on. I try and think ahead and then elaborate on my ideas when writing the story for the next game in the series.

GameSpot: Handhelds are evolving rapidly. Do you find that you are no longer constrained by what a handheld can do? Do some things simply work better on handhelds than consoles?
Nomura: The difference between consoles and handhelds is data capacity. Kingdom Hearts is the kind of title that requires a lot of data since all the games feature big environments and lots of CG movies. So in that sense we are constrained on handhelds.

GameSpot: One of the biggest complaints of previous Kingdom Hearts games was that they controlled poorly and had a bad camera which restricted gameplay. What have you done to improve this?
Nomura: I don't have complaints in mind when I design games. Can you give me an example where you thought the controls and camera were bad? We're always working on improving the game, but this depends on the limitations of the platforms.

GameSpot: Can you give us an overview of the rehauled battle system in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep?
Nomura: Yes. Players will find two major differences. The first is the addition of a shooting lock-on system, which we found was the only element in previous KH titles that hadn't yet been upgraded. The new lock-on system will be used when characters perform special attacks, and I find it's a lot better to play. The second change is something called command style, which will see characters leveling up and receiving new sets of attack moves each time they fulfill certain gameplay requirements.

GameSpot: It's been a while since we've seen a new generation of Kingdom Hearts titles. There have been a lot of handheld and mobile version, but no console versions since the PlayStation 2. Are you thinking about making a next generation Kingdom Hearts? Or do you prefer working on handhelds?
Nomura: All I can say is that if there were to be a Kingdom Hearts III then it would be on consoles. I have a desire to create this game, but it's just not the right time. I'm under pressure from KH fans, Disney and Square Enix, and they all want Kingdom Hearts III. I know this, and I don't hide my desire to make this game. The biggest problem we're facing is our main developer on the franchise is busy with Final Fantasy, and the Birth by Sleep team is busy making Kingdom Hearts for the Nintendo 3DS. But we'll do it when the right time comes.