Kingdom Hearts
Platforms: PS2
First Released: September 16, 2002
Kingdom Hearts was a different kind of RPG than most out there, especially one that had to do with Final Fantasy. Rather than having a turn-based style system, Kingdom Hearts is more of an action game with RPG elements such as magic and summons. The controls were somewhat complex, but once the player got the hang of it, the game was very easy to play and extremely fun. The boss battles and exploration are fun and Kingdom Hearts revolutionized RPGs.
Sound:
Most of the music in the game were either re-done or remixed Disney tracks that fit with the respective worlds in which they appeared. While not entirely original, Disney is known for having some amazing music, which made for a great soundtrack. In addition, the game's theme song "Simple & Clean" has become iconic in the gaming community, and still screams nostalgia whenever someone hears it. The voice acting was also very well done, as most of the Disney characters saw reprisals from their original voice actors with new characters being voiced by recognizable actors such as Haley Joel Osment from Sixth Sense.
Characters:
Since Kingdom Hearts is a crossover between Disney and Final Fantasy, many of the characters in the game are derived from Disney and Final Fantasy properties. Characters like Squall from Final Fantasy VIII and Aerith from Final Fantasy VII appear while characters like Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas and Aladdin also appear. The game has a wide variety of commonly loved characters, but the new characters also stack up. Sora, Riku and Kairi are all lovable protagonists and fit both the Final Fantasy and Disney settings. The villain, Ansem, provides a dark, Final Fantasy vibe to the generally cartoony and innocent Disney worlds, which results in a great clash.
Story:
The story of Kingdom Hearts is much like a Disney movie. While it can be cheesy and predictable at times, and sometimes downright kiddy, it is easy to adore and enjoy because it is so well executed. In addition to the main story, Sora also gets to relive the stories of each Disney world he visits, with some minor changes to tie the stories into the general story. The story of Kingdom Hearts is especially memorable because it begins with all of the Disney villains teaming up to capture all the Princesses, something that I'm sure Disney fans have always wanted to see. Of course, there is more to it than just that, but you'd have to play the game to find out exactly what.
Level Design:
Kingdom Hearts has a wide-variety of worlds based on Disney movies. Some of the best ones are found in this game, such as Agrabah, Neverland and Halloween Town. It is like any kid's dream to explore the worlds found within the movies of their childhood, and Kingdom Hearts provides that opportunity for them, with tons to do and find within each world.
Charm:
The charm of this game definitely comes from reliving Disney movies from your past and seeing familiar characters from your childhood. Being able to live a Disney movie is something that no other game could ever replicate. The themes of innocence, friendship and never giving up really make the player feel like they are a kid again, and could make anyone enjoy this game.
Kingdom Hearts II
Platforms: PS2
First Released: March 28, 2006
Gameplay:
Kingdom Hearts II improves on every aspect of gameplay that the first game introduced. The game becomes more actiony than ever with the addition of the Reaction Command, a button that allows for special combos and attacks to be performed. In addition, Drive Forms make for a great new way to take on powerful foes. The overall game itself just seems to flow much better than the first and the controls feel fresher and more refined.
Sound:
Much like Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II's main score derives from the many Disney properties within the game, although there are more original tracks in this game than in the first. The new theme song, "Sanctuary," did not fail to live up to "Simple and Clean," also becoming somewhat iconic to the series. Once again, most voice actors reprise their roles as their respective Disney characters, such as James Woods as Hades, and also other famous actors take on roles of original characters such as Christopher Lee as Ansem the Wise and Jesse McCartney as Roxas.
Characters:
Unlike the first game, Kingdom Hearts II introduces a large variety of original characters, many of which are praised among fans. Roxas, the character the player controls during the intro of the game, received so much positive feedback in his short amount of time onscreen, that an entire game was later devoted to him. Another character named Axel was planned to be killed off during the intro of the game, but developers fell so in love with his character, that they convinced the director to allow them to keep his character alive. The new villains, Organization XIII, are filled with a variety of dark and diverse villains, ranging from the lazy and lightheaded Demyx to the serious and mysterious Xemnas.
Story:
While the first game felt more like a Disney movie, the second game feels more like a Final Fantasy game, but with Disney moments to break it up. Disney characters like Mickey, Donald and Goofy show new sides that were never found in any previous versions of themselves as their worlds start to be encompassed by darkness. The story seems much grander than the first, with much more despair and inner battles to overcome, which leads to a deeper journey within Sora and the player.
Level Design:
The Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts II use some of the most beloved Disney franchises of all time. In the addition to returning worlds like Olympus, Agrabah and Halloween Town, Kingdom Hearts II introduces a world based on Lion King, Mulan, and even Pirates of the Caribbean. There is even one world known as Timeless River which is based on the original Mickey Mouse cartoons, and has the characters turn into their retro, black-and-white versions. In addition to the fantastic Disney worlds, the addition of the original worlds Twilight Town and The World That Never Was were met with great reception, and named two of the greatest levels in the game's history, despite being completely original.
Charm:
The charm of the game once again focuses on the Disney movies the player relives. This particular game had the player go back to each world twice, once to relive the movie and again to see the aftermath of it, which was a welcome and amazing addition. Players could see what happened to Simba after he took back Pride Rock or what happened to Mulan after she saved China, which ultimately makes for a great idea.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
Platforms: PSP
First Released: September 7, 2010
Gameplay:
The gameplay of Birth By Sleep was very similar to Kingdom Hearts II with a few new features. The biggest feature was the removal of mana points and the addition of the command list, which made for a tougher, yet satisfying experience. Summons also worked different in the game, and saw the player actually "link" with the character they were summoning and using their powers. The game also removed party members, and saw the player set out on a quest using one character. Finally, this was the first main Kingdom Hearts title to have multiple playable characters, each with their own unique abilities and play-styles.
Sound:
As with previous games, the majority of tracks in the game were made up of re-made or remixed Disney songs to go with the worlds in the game. Unlike Kingdom Hearts II, this game did not have many original tracks and did not have its own theme song, simply reusing both "Simple and Clean" and "Sanctuary." The voice-acting, however, saw two big-name actors take on roles, with Leonard Nimoy voicing the game's antagonist Master Xehanort and Mark Hamill voicing the game's mentor Master Eraqus.
Characters:
The game introduced several new Disney characters into the series, such as characters from Lilo and Stitch and characters from Cinderella. The game also had three entirely new protagonists, Terra, Aqua and Ventus, all of which were just as likeable as the previous protagonists of the series. The game also showed the origins of many characters such as Axel, Saix, and Xigbar, showing us what they were like before they became the villainous members of Organization XIII. Overall, the game focused more on Kingdom Hearts original characters than ever before, which greatly made this game a standalone and unique adventure.
Story:
The story of the game serves as a prequel to the series, explaining and expanding upon many plot points. The story of this game is so important to the series, that without playing it, players would be completely lost. As said above, this game focuses less on Disney properties and more on developing the characters and story of Kingdom Hearts, which ended up being a risky, but successful decision as one of the most epic and tragic stories in the series was created.
Level Design:
The worlds in the game all fit one general theme, but unfortunately, they were not as amazing as previous games. Most of the previous worlds did not return aside from Olympus Coliseum and Neverland, and the new worlds were mostly based on Princess movies such as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella. Despite this, the worlds were still very well-designed and had a ton of places to explore as each of the three characters is able to explore different areas in each of the worlds.
Charm:
The charm of this game is more directed at fans of the series than at new players. As an origin story, the game satisfies and builds up an epic Kingdom Hearts plotline, leading fans of the series into flurries of speculation. Unfortunately, because there are so few Disney properties in the game aside from the Princess worlds, it does not have as much of the same charm as the other games, and it almost feels to serious to be a "Disney movie" like the other games, which is not a bad thing, but an unfamiliar thing to fans who are looking for the feel of Disney in this title.
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Platforms: 3DS
First Released: July 31, 2012
Gameplay:
Dream Drop Distance plays like a mix between Kingdom Hearts II and Birth By Sleep, with some new additions that provide for a fun, yet somewhat unchallenging experience. The addition of Flowmotion creates endless fun for the player, but also results in the game losing some difficulty. The game also brings back party members, but in the form of Dream Eaters, which can be cared for by petting them with the touch screen or playing games with them. Summons are also removed in favor of Dream Links, powerful attacks that can be performed by your Dream Eaters after a certain amount of time. The biggest new feature was the Drop System. The game has the player control both Riku and Sora in two simultaneous stories. When the player begins playing as one character, a "drop gauge" or timer appears, and once it hits zero, no matter where you are, it switches you to the other character and you start from where you last left off with that character. This allows for both character's stories to be played simultaneously to help better the progression of the story.
Sound:
Like Birth By Sleep, the game reuses and remixes tracks from Disney movies and previous Kingdom Hearts games, resulting in there being a minimal amount of new tracks, although the score is still extremely well-done since most Disney and Kingdom Hearts songs are amazing anyway.
Characters:
Very few new characters are introduced in this game, Disney and Kingdom Hearts alike. The only new Disney characters that are introduced are from Hunchback of Notre Dame or Tron Legacy, while the new Kingdom Hearts characters are just different versions of already established characters. The main additions character-wise are the additions of The World Ends With You characters, another Square-Enix IP. Despite the lack of new characters, almost all of the original characters from previous games make an appearance somewhere in this game.
Story:
The story of this game has one purpose: to set up Kingdom Hearts III. The game basically ties together every other Kingdom Hearts game in preparation for what is to be an epic conclusion in Kingdom Hearts III. The game does introduce some complicated time-travel plotlines, but nothing too hard to follow. Much like Birth By Sleep, this game feels further away from being a Disney story, with darker plots and more focus on Kingdom Hearts characters.
Level Design:
The Disney worlds in this game are probably the worst selection in the series until later on in the game. The main three Disney worlds, based off Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tron Legacy and Pinnochio are very dull and very linear, which can make the beginning of the game feel tedious. Thankfully, the later levels include a world based on Fantasia and the return of fan-favorite world The World That Never Was. These two levels alone make for some of the best level design in the series and save the game from only using boring Disney properties.
Charm:
The charm of this game goes even deeper into what I stated about Birth By Sleep. Without playing another Kingdom Hearts title, the charm of this game is non-existent. It solely relies on the player to have an adoration for the Kingdom Hearts characters as opposed to the Disney ones, as it uses very dull Disney properties and focuses more on the journey of Riku and Sora than on Disney properties.
The Verdict
Best Gameplay: Kingdom Hearts II
Best Sound: Kingdom Hearts II
Best Characters: Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
Best Story: Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
Best Level Design: Kingdom Hearts II
Best Charm: Kingdom Hearts
The Definitive Kingdom Hearts Game is...
KINGDOM HEARTS II
Article By:
Giuliano V.
Hi I came across your blog recently and I think it is great! I was wondering if you guys have any articles planned for the next smash bros.
ReplyDeleteYep! If you check out some of our earlier articles, we have character predictions.
DeleteWe are also going to be covering reactions to announcements regarding the game whenever big announcements are made.
Finally, in a few weeks we are going to be doing "Nintendo Character Battles" in anticipation for the game. Those will likely be videos rather than articles.