9-17-2004		3-28-2002
	10-15-2002		10-22-2002

I've been having these wierd thoughts lately...
Like is any of this for real...or not...?

Kingdom Hearts, released in 2002, was a gamble between the gaming giant Squaresoft, and the Walt Disney Co. When it was first heard about, it was immediately given a children's label. This most likely due to the connection with Disney, and its mark of being family friendly. The critics, who scoffed it before seeing it, are surely not doing so now. The magic of the Walt Disney Co., and the gaming genius of Square brought a game that has been one of the most popular titles in history.
The story is about a character named Sora. He has been chosen by the Keyblade, to defend the worlds from the invasion of the Heartless. He and his friends Riku and Kairi are taken from their world, and separated. When Sora meets with Donald and Goofy who are seeking the wielder of the Keyblade, they join together to find Sora's friends and the King. You travel to different worlds from Disney's film cannon, meeting characters loved the world over. You must find the keyhole for each world, and lock it with the Keyblade.

The game play in Kingdom Hearts is similar to that of Final Fantasy XII, in that you do not shift into a battle screen. You fight your enemies, while exploring the environment. Unlike XII, however, your enemies are not visible, until you hit certain spots. Battles also seem a bit easier to handle in this title, as you are instantly targeted to the nearest enemy, and have the option of a "Lock On" feature to keep track of the enemy you are fighting.
As you gain experience, you will garner abilities that will enhance your fighting. Abilities such as Ars Arcanum, and Strike Raid give you many different options on how to fight.
Magic is found in Kingdom Hearts as well, for the gamers who love to work with spells. And in grand tradition of Squaresoft, there is the ability to summon characters into battle. This time we are not given our familiar summons of Shiva, Ifrit, and Bahamut. Kingdom Hearts introduces Disney summons. Characters such as Simba, Dumbo, Bambi, and Mushu aid you in your quest, each possessing a unique ability or attack.

The story of Kingdom Hearts is fantastically told, and is not stepped away from too much. The new characters created in Kingdom Hearts are given as much care in creation of personality and background as any other Square character has. Each new character from Sora, to Ansem are done to the point of believability. Like a great film, you are sucked into the story, and find yourself rooting for the heroes, and wanting to see Sora reunite with his friends.
There is little in the way of CGI scenes, outside of the intro. But in my opinion that is actually a good thing. The graphics and story of the game were at such a high level, that to add cut scenes would have taken away from the experience of the game too much. That said the intro to Kingdom Hearts was beautifully done. Within that first few minutes, you are given the feeling of the confusion and chaos that is plaguing the characters on their journey.
The music found in Kingdom Hearts is put together well. Each world has its own themes, with a little of the film's underscoring hidden within. This not only was well done, but it made the different Disney worlds connect with those familiar with their film counterparts even more. At the same time, the new renderings of these scores gave it a fresh new feeling.
Since its release, Kingdom Hearts has become one of the most popular series in the world, as well as one of Squaresoft's great franchises. In a few short years, it has become regarded with the same renown as their world known Final fantasy series. There have been two games released after Kingdom Hearts, continuing the story. In 2007, Square unveiled the next three titles in the series for the hand held systems and mobile phones. There is no sign of slowing down for this series. And the popularity keeps climbing higher. With the vast amount of worlds from Walt Disney, there is no shortage of places to visit, nor any shortage of characters to work with from Disney or Squaresoft.