Kingdom Hearts 3D is definitely not one of the best of the Kingdom Hearts series within itself, but for a handheld game, it actually is surprisingly fantastic. Many of the aspects you would find in the console versions of the games are in this one, unlike many of the others. The only other handheld Kingdom Hearts game that could compare to this one would be Birth by Sleep. There are many FMV's with amazing graphics especially for a handheld game. It literally looks just like a handheld version of one of the PS2 KH's. If you've read any of my other reviews for Kingdom Hearts, you understand that Kingdom Hearts is my favorite series of all time, next to Zelda and Metroid. (Reviews for those to come later when I have finished writing the ones for KH) Now, for my in depth ratings:

Graphics: 9
For a handheld game, these graphics are fantastic. I love how they implemented so many FMV's into this game. They are absolutely wonderful and have spectacular detail. Now, before you go judging me on my use of big words all the time, check out this game first, then come talk to me. It is an excellently made handheld game in this category. To me personally, this is the best handheld KH game made yet, cutting it pretty close with Birth by Sleep. The only real difference is the fact that Square went with Nintendo for this game vs Sony for BbS. Many fans of Sony and the PSP would probably vote for BbS instead but I have my opinions, and well, you have yours. I think it has some really good graphics for a Nintendo DS. The only real problem with KH is that it looks REALLY cartoony, but that's kind of the point. It was made to attract the younger age group, but I still like it and I'm 20. So, a 9 for this one.

Sound: 9
This is another great aspect of the game especially for a Nintendo DS. The music is awesome. I love some of the music and can really dig the sound effects that come with it. I have a guilty pleasure with game music and actually have tracks from KH1 (the original PS2 version) downloaded onto my phone. I would do the same with some of these tracks if I could. I'll have to look sometime. But nonetheless, this game has excellent sound quality as well. I love it. Then again, being a fan of the series, I pretty much love everything about these games. A 9 for sound.

Addictiveness: 7
This one isn't really one you can get addicted to, unless you're 8 or really determined to play this game over and over again. Yes I love the series, and have played this game twice, but its not something you would see me playing every single day for months on end. I'd much rather play one of the other KH's than this one. There's not really much to get hooked on except the story. If I was to say I was going to play this game again, it would be to better understand the story. The KH story has been muffed up for quite some time with lots of loopholes and mysteries to figure out, and this one is no exception, that you almost have to play the game a second or even third time just to get the story straight. When I play any KH game a second time, or and subsequent time after the first, I'm always looking for something, anything, that I might have missed to better understand the story and answer some questions. Other than that, not really much to get hooked on. A 7 for this one.

Story: 8
I gave the story an 8 for this game because it doesn't really get good until the end of the game. Most of the time you're just trying to figure out what's going on in the first place, meanwhile, trying to follow the storylines for each of the worlds. But once you get near the end, it really starts to get interesting. No spoilers here, so if you're looking for some ending sequences here, go to youtube and check it out there. Or, you know, you could always actually play the game too. It can be difficult to follow, like I said in the previous category, so if you do play the game for the storyline you may need to play it twice to get the full story. I think it is an excellent story, just difficult to follow. An 8 here.
Depth: 7
There's really not much to do here. As I said in Addictiveness, unless you're 8 or really desperate to complete EVERYTHING, there's not really much to do. For those who do want to do some of the extras, there is an arena for your dream eaters where you can challenge your dream eaters in tournaments and gain prizes. I haven't done this all the way through, but I wasn't a fan of it. Unless I am forgetting something, there aren't any sidequests to do or anything extra besides gaining all of the different dream eaters, finding all the different combos depending on dream eaters, and finding portals that offer various challenges. So if you're desperate to gain all the trophies, you could always do that. Good luck to you I'll say. A 7 for depth.

Difficulty: 7
This isn't a too difficult game for those who understand KH. For those new to KH, this may cause you some problems. I have no idea what you were thinking when you decided to start KH here either. If you're going to play KH, take your butt back to the beginning. Go back, play KH1 and the others, then come back. You are going to be SO lost if you try to start here........... Still here? Okay then, suit yourself. This game has a lot of old aspects of the games we've seen often enough before. Once again, just like in BbS and Re:Coded, the command reel is back. Equip spells and abilities and use them by pressing X while selecting the corresponding Ability/Spell selected in the reel. Not one of my favorite parts of the KH series, but its handy. I much preferred having MP and using whatever spell I wanted. Makes things difficult at times. The only real handy part of having the command reel is you can equip multiple healing spells in case of an emergency. There are some points in the game where an enemy is really fast and can take your HP in mere seconds, so having a second Curaga, or whatever you use, handy is nice. Overall, its not an extremely difficult game. So I give this one a 7.

Gameplay
I'm adding in this category because I believe this should be mentioned, specifically for this game if I may. I have already talked about the command reel and its positives and negatives, but more important for this game is the use of Flowmotion. While Sora and Riku are in their dream worlds, they have access to abilities they wouldn't otherwise. Specifically Flowmotion. It is a handy tool that can literally get you wherever you want. You can fly across a map with speed and style, climb any building or wall, and even attack enemies with Flowmotion. Its extremely handy and is critical in emergency situations where you need a quick getaway. All you have to do is dodge roll or air slide into a wall or other interactable object in which Sora/Riku will shine purple and do all kinds of different tricks. Its extremely handy especially when it comes to trying to access places you couldn't otherwise. Other KH games had areas you couldn't reach without an ability learned later in the game. With Flowmotion, that threat is almost completely gone. Some may say it takes the fun out of the games, but it makes things easier. Its handy in other areas of the game besides reaching inaccessible areas. I just figured this should be added in here being such an important part of the game.

So overall, I gave this game an 8.3. It really is a great game for a handheld console, but doesn't quite compare to the PS2 versions of the game. I REALLY liked those better. But, if all you have is a 3DS, I would highly recommend this game. Great story, awesome graphics, and really just a well made game overall.