Kingdom Hearts (video game)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kingdom Hearts
Single-player

Kingdom Hearts

Windows in March 2021, and Nintendo Switch
in February 2022.

The game combines characters and settings from

Disney animated features with those from Square's Final Fantasy series, in addition to original characters and worlds created for the game. It follows the adventures of Sora, a cheerful teenager who fights against the forces of darkness alongside his allies, including Donald Duck, Goofy and other Disney characters. The game was a departure from Square's standard role-playing games, introducing a substantial action and hack and slash element to the gameplay. The score was composed by Yoko Shimomura. Kingdom Hearts has an all-star voice cast and includes many of the Disney characters' official voice actors.[2] It was longtime Square character designer Tetsuya Nomura's first time in a directorial position.[3]

Kingdom Hearts received critical and commercial success and was praised for its unusual combination of action and role-playing elements, its unexpectedly harmonious mix of Square and Disney elements, and Shimomura's music.

Sony "Greatest Hits" status.[5] The game's success spawned a franchise and numerous sequels, with the Kingdom Hearts series going on to ship over 36 million copies worldwide and becoming one of Square's most popular franchises. Kingdom Hearts is the tenth best-selling PlayStation 2 game of all time, and is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time.[6]

Gameplay

heads-up display
consists of a command menu at the bottom left of the screen, and the character health and magic meters on the right side.

Kingdom Hearts is influenced by its parent franchise, Final Fantasy,[7] and carries gameplay elements over into its own action-based, hack and slash system. The main battle party consists of three characters: Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy.[8] Sora is directly controlled by the player from a third-person camera angle.[9] All other party members are computer-controlled,[10] though the player can customize their behavior to an extent through the pause menu.[11] Donald and Goofy comprise the party in most areas, but nearly every level features a character who may replace them. For instance, Jack Skellington can join Sora's party in Halloween Town, but can't accompany the player elsewhere. In some worlds, the party changes its appearance, has abilities unique to that world or both; the characters can fly in Neverland, acquire aquatic forms in Atlantica which enable them to survive underwater and gain Halloween costumes in Halloween Town to blend in with the locals.

Like traditional role-playing games, Kingdom Hearts features an

abilities.[12] Unlike other games of its genre, Kingdom Hearts allows a degree of character development customization through a short tutorial found at the beginning of the game. The tutorial allows the player to select from one of three main attributes―strength, defense, or magic―for Sora to excel in and one to lack in.[13] By choosing certain options, the player may manipulate how Sora learns abilities, grows statistically, and gains levels.[13] Donald, Goofy, and additional party members are assigned specific areas of strength from the outset. Donald excels in magic, while Goofy excels in defense and special attacks.[14]

The game progresses linearly from one story event to the next, usually presented in

side quests available that provide benefits to the characters.[11] Players may also choose the order in which they tackle some areas. Most of the gameplay occurs on interconnected field maps where battles take place. Combat in Kingdom Hearts occurs in real time and involves pressing buttons to initiate attacks by the on-screen character.[15] An action menu, similar to those found in Final Fantasy games, found at the bottom left of the screen provides other combat options such as using magic and items, although players can also assign selected magic spells that can be instantly used whilst holding the shoulder button. As players progress through the game, they can receive certain Disney characters as summons, such as Dumbo and Tinker Bell, each with their own unique abilities. There is also a context-sensitive option at the bottom of the menu, usually used for interacting with the environment or performing special attacks. This menu is manipulated by using the right analog stick or digital pad, while movement is controlled by the left analog stick, allowing the player to navigate the menu while avoiding or approaching enemies.[12]

Sora, along with his allies, possesses a Hit Point (HP) meter and a Magic Point (MP) meter, which increase as they gain experience and level up. The MP meter is divided into various segments that are used up whenever that character performs magic, with more powerful magic consuming more MP. MP can be replenished by performing melee attacks or using items. The HP meter determines the character's health and reducing whenever they take damage, although it can be replenished by using healing items or spells. If one of Sora's allies runs out of health, they will be knocked out temporarily until healed. However, if Sora loses all of his health, the game ends and the player must resume play from the beginning of an area or boss. Defeating enemies causes various orbs to fall: green orbs which replenish health, blue orbs which restore MP, and yellow orbs which represent Munny, the game's currency, and can be used to purchase new items.

Gummi Ship

The Gummi Ship is the mode of travel between the various worlds in the game. The gameplay for piloting the vessel is different from the rest of the game, as it switches to a

rail shooter format in which the player controls the Gummi Ship from a rear third-person perspective as it travels in an outer space setting. While traveling, the player must avoid obstacles and defend against enemy ships that attempt to destroy the vessel by firing missiles or ramming it. Surviving the route allows access to the next world. Once the player's Gummi Ship is destroyed, it will have the option to either return to the world selection menu or retry the level. At the beginning of the game, there are few options available to customize the vessel, but as the game progresses, new weapons, engines, and armor become available. Different pre-designed blueprints can be found throughout the game that can be used to quickly construct Gummi Ships.[13]
Geppetto also gives the player different Gummi Ship designs based on the number of Heartless defeated. From the start, the player can travel between worlds by using "Normal Drive", which initiates the rail shooter-like minigame. Later in the game, Sora can acquire a "Warp Drive", which allows instant travel between previously visited worlds without having to play the minigame. However, worlds that have not been visited cannot be accessed with Warp Drive and must be discovered normally first.

Plot

Setting

The universe of Kingdom Hearts is a collection of various

Disney animated features canon
, and the other four were created by Square specifically for the game.

The graphics and characters of each world were designed to resemble the artwork and style of the Disney film they are based on. Each Disney world is inhabited by characters from the film: including

Philoctetes in Olympus Coliseum, and Aladdin, Jasmine and Jafar in Agrabah. Each world is disconnected from the others and exists separately, and with few exceptions, most characters in the world are unaware of other ones. Players travel from one world to another via the Gummi Ship.[12]

The worlds created specifically for the game mirror the overall appearance of the other worlds and feature either new characters or ones from several Final Fantasy games. The new worlds include: the Destiny Islands, where the story opens;[17] Traverse Town, which serves as a launching point for most of the game; Hollow Bastion, which many of the Final Fantasy characters call home; and the End of the World, a large, dark world created from the remnants of various worlds consumed by the Heartless.[18] The main characters travel from world to world to seal each "Keyhole", which protects the world from the Heartless and from destruction. They also try to minimize their interaction with characters of other worlds to maintain a balance of separation.[19] This sometimes requires Sora, Donald and Goofy to blend in with the world inhabitants by changing their physical appearance.[20]

Characters

The collaboration between Disney and Square resulted in a mixture of familiar Disney and Square characters, as well as several new characters created and designed by Tetsuya Nomura.

Heartless, which are hearts corrupted by darkness[24] that act as enemies and come in various forms. Maleficent, from the 1959 film Sleeping Beauty, leads a group of Disney villains
that seeks to use the Heartless for their own gain.

As a game meant to explore the fictional universes of various Disney films, over one hundred Disney characters are featured in various capacities.

Peter Pan, and Simba from The Lion King, among others.[13]

Square also incorporated several characters from the Final Fantasy series into the game, though they were slightly altered to fit the game's back-story. On the Destiny Islands, the player meets younger versions of

Moogles, who mediate item synthesis.[12]

Story

Sora, Riku, and Kairi build a raft with the intent to leave their home world of Destiny Islands to explore new worlds.

Princesses of Heart to unlock the final keyhole that leads to Kingdom Hearts, a repository of knowledge and power and the source of all hearts.[9] Maleficent also finds Riku and recruits him into her services, manipulating him into believing that Sora abandoned him.[29]

Sora and his friends eventually arrive at Hollow Bastion, Maleficent's headquarters, where Riku takes the Keyblade from Sora and reveals himself to be its intended wielder, with Sora only receiving it in his absence; Donald and Goofy reluctantly leave Sora as per their orders.[30][31] Sora later challenges Riku, stating that his heart derives strength from his friends, inspiring Donald and Goofy to return to him and allowing him to regain control of the Keyblade. After the three defeat Maleficent, Sora finds Kairi's comatose body and confronts Riku, who has been possessed by Ansem, a figure who manipulated Maleficent to open the way to Kingdom Hearts.[32] Ansem reveals Kairi as the seventh Princess of Heart, her heart having transferred into Sora's body when the Destiny Islands were destroyed.[33][34] After defeating the possessed Riku, Sora impales himself with Ansem's Keyblade, which is designed to unlock hearts, and releases both his and Kairi's hearts. Kairi's heart returns to her body, in turn completing the final Keyhole, while Sora becomes a Heartless. However, Kairi recognizes Sora's Heartless, and the light in her heart restores him to human form.

Sora and his group venture to the End of the World, the remnants of the worlds destroyed by the Heartless, to confront Ansem as he reaches the door to Kingdom Hearts, believing it to be the ultimate reservoir of darkness. After a battle, Ansem calls upon Kingdom Hearts to aid him, but is destroyed when the door opens to reveal light. Also beyond the door are Mickey and Riku, who help Sora and his friends close the door before Sora and Mickey lock it with their Keyblades from both sides. The worlds lost to the Heartless reconstruct themselves; as the Destiny Islands reform, Kairi returns there while Sora is forced to part with her. Sora, Donald, and Goofy resolve to find Riku and Mickey.[35]

Development

The initial idea for Kingdom Hearts began with a discussion between

Disney Theme Parks, particularly Animal Kingdom, which had recently opened when development on the game began. However, Nomura could not secure the IP as just Kingdom. Later on, when the development team began to think about "hearts" as a core part of the story, it was decided to combine the two to form the title Kingdom Hearts.[43][44] Outside contractors Telecom Animation Film Company, and Kazuhide Tomonaga
helped animate the game by being the animation supervisors.

Additional content was added to the North American release that was absent in the initial Japanese release:[25] new optional bosses, one of which, Kurt Zisa, was named after the winner of the official website's "Name-In-Game" sweepstakes,[25] an extra difficulty level,[45] and a teaser of Kingdom Hearts II accessible by meeting certain criteria.[42] Nomura included the teaser in order to gauge fan reaction to the possibility of a sequel; he felt that if the idea was unpopular, then it would be best to leave certain events in the game unexplained.[46] The new content was later added to the Japanese re-release Kingdom Hearts Final Mix. Final Mix included further additional content such as new items, cutscenes, and enemies, such as a new secret boss that sets up the sequel. The new content further hinted at plotlines that would be explained in sequels. Some content omitted from Kingdom Hearts was later added into Kingdom Hearts II. A world based on The Lion King, for instance, was unfeasible because an additional program was required to process movement on four legs—a necessity since Sora would become a lion in that world.[47] Due to time constraints, the developers left out an optional boss battle, similar to the Sephiroth battle, against Tifa Lockhart. She was later included in Kingdom Hearts II as a more developed character.[48]

Audio

Music

Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack Complete, which was released in Japan on March 28, 2007.[53] Music from Kingdom Hearts was also included in Shimomura's best works compilation album Drammatica.[54]

Voice cast

Kingdom Hearts featured well-known voice actors for both the Japanese and English versions. The Japanese version featured

Kōichi Yamadera, Hideo Ishikawa, and Maaya Sakamoto.[55] A special effort was made to preserve the official voice actors of characters from the Disney movies used in Kingdom Hearts. Some of the voice actors from the related television series or direct-to-video sequels were chosen over the original voice actors from films, where applicable (e.g. Dan Castellaneta as Genie, rather than Robin Williams). The English version featured Haley Joel Osment as Sora, David Gallagher as Riku, and Hayden Panettiere as Kairi.[56][57] Other voice actors included Billy Zane as Ansem, Christy Carlson Romano as Yuffie, David Boreanaz as Leon, James Woods as Hades, and Mandy Moore as Aerith.[56][58]

Promotion

Kingdom Hearts was announced at the

Re-releases

Multiple versions of Kingdom Hearts have been released. The first was the original Japanese release, followed by the North American and PAL releases, which includes additional content. The game was later re-released in Japan as Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, which features the content of the North American/PAL release, as well as more new content.

Final Mix

Originally released only in Japan on December 26, 2002, Kingdom Hearts Final Mix has several events and a number of gameplay tweaks that are not in previous releases. Spoken dialogue is in English, with Japanese subtitles.

Unknown Man
," in an attempt to raise interest for the sequel.

In another attempt at foreshadowing, a video titled "Another Side, Another Story 【 deep dive 】" plays at the ending if the player accomplishes certain tasks.[64] New music tracks incorporated were "Disappeared" and "Another Side." The "Night on Bald Mountain" and "One-Winged Angel" tracks from the English version were included as well. Other changes include new abilities, new weapons, new items, additional and recolored enemies,[65] and gameplay tweaks to make the game easier for the player, along with two new levels of difficulty.[64][66] When first released, Final Mix included either a deck of Kingdom Hearts cards or special music CD. A limited "Platinum Edition" version of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix was later released with an action figure of Sora, a sticker set, and sketches of some of the main characters.[63]

It was released for the first time in North America, Europe and Australia as part of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix.[67][68][69]

HD 1.5 Remix

During August 2011, Nomura expressed desire to release a high definition rerelease of the game though he had yet to confirm such plans.

Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories in HD and trophy support. The character models from Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance were used as a base for the game's characters. The gameplay of the original Kingdom Hearts was modified to play more like Kingdom Hearts II.[72] Additionally, the collection includes HD cinematic scenes from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. It was released in Japan on March 14, 2013,[73] in North America on September 10, 2013,[67] on September 12, 2013, for Australia,[68] and September 13, 2013, for Europe.[69]

In June 2013, Nomura stated that the original game assets for Kingdom Hearts had been lost some time ago. He explained, "[The game data] was lost, so we had to research, and we had to dig out from the actual game what was available and recreate everything for HD. We had to recreate all the graphics and it was actually not that easy."[44][74]

In October 2016, Square Enix announced a single-disc compilation release of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix for the PlayStation 4. It was released on March 9, 2017, in Japan, and was released on March 28, 2017, in North America, and March 31, 2017, in Europe.[75] A piece of free downloadable content for the PS4 version released in June 2017 added a Theater mode for Kingdom Hearts Final Mix; this was included by default in later ports of the compilation.[76]

On November 14, 2019, Square Enix announced that both Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix were coming to Xbox One, marking the Xbox debut of the first two Kingdom Hearts games and spinoffs.[77] The two games are combined into a collection titled Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix, and released on February 18, 2020.[78]

Related media

Both Square and Disney also released numerous types of merchandise before and after the release of the game. Merchandise ranged from toys and figurines

manga series based on the game was released in Japan and the United States. A novel series also based on the game was released in Japan. It was authored by Tomoco Kanemaki and illustrated by Shiro Amano. The novel series consists of two volumes and was released in North America on March 25, 2008.[80][81]

The game was adapted into a manga by Shiro Amano. The story follows the events that took place in the game with a few minor differences to account for the loss of interactivity a video game provides.[82] Some events that took place in the Final Mix version were also included. The manga was originally serialized in Japan by Enterbrain's Famitsū PS2, but has since been released worldwide in four volumes. The volumes have been published in English in the United States by Tokyopop. The first volume was released on October 11, 2005,[83] and the fourth volume was released on July 10, 2006.[84] The entire series was later released in a boxed set on October 10, 2006.[85] The manga series has had moderate success. The first volume was ranked 95th in USA Today's "Top 150 best sellers" during the week of its release.[86] IGN praised Amano's artwork and commented on wanting to replay the game after reading. They criticized the lack of new content and stated the transition from game to print lost most of the story's appeal.[82] The series was followed by others based on the game's sequels: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II.[87][88]

Reception

Kingdom Hearts sold very well. During the first two months of its North American release it was one of the top three highest-selling video games

NPD Group listed it as "one of the top ten best-selling PlayStation 2 titles of all time in North America."[92] By July 2006, Kingdom Hearts had sold through 2.6 million copies and earned $100 million in the United States alone. Next Generation ranked it as the seventh highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country.[93] As of December 2006, Kingdom Hearts had shipped over 5.6 million copies worldwide with 1.1 million in PAL regions, 1.5 million in Japan, and 3.0 million in North America.[94] As of 2006, the original game and the Final Mix version had sold 6 million copies on PS2.[95] As of March 2022, the Kingdom Hearts series has shipped more than 36 million copies worldwide.[96]

Critical response

The game received critical acclaim among reviewers. In IGN's Best of 2002 awards, it was nominated for "PS2's Best Game of 2002 Editor's Choice Award" and was a runner up for "PS2's Best Game of 2002 Reader's Choice Award."[107] In 2007, the website listed Kingdom Hearts as the 22nd best PlayStation 2 game of all time.[108] Critics commended the visuals and hybrid action-adventure and role-playing feel to the game. IGN named it "Best Art Style/Direction," runner-up for "Best CG Graphics," and honorable mention for "Best Animation" in IGN's 2003 list of "Best Looking Games on PS2."[109] GameSpy listed Kingdom Hearts twice in its "Top 25 Video Game Cinematic Moments."[110][111] GamePro stated that the graphics were "gorgeous," giving them high marks.[16] The audio was also praised, particularly the quality of the voice-overs and musical score.[10][11] GamePro had positive comments on the overall audio and gave that aspect a perfect score.[16]

Criticism about the gameplay was mixed. Many reviews complained that the camera was at times frustrating and the Gummi Ship portions were out of place. GameSpot cited "tedious" gameplay and Gummi Ship sections as "pale imitations of the

Star Fox series," but stated that the combat was fun, particularly the boss fights.[11] Dengeki Online commented on the camera controls, saying that the camera would often run into objects while being rotated by the player.[112] GamePro compared the battle system to "old N64 Zelda games" and had positive comments about Donald and Goofy's artificial intelligence.[16]

The mix of Square and Disney elements also attracted acclaim. GameSpot commented that the concept of mixing the serious elements of Final Fantasy with the lighter elements of Disney seemed impossible, but was pulled off quite well. Because of that they awarded Kingdom Hearts "Best Crossover Since

CESA Game Awards [ja] for 2001–2002.[118] In the making of the 2004 video game Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel the developers, Racjin, looked at other titles for inspiration, particularly Kingdom Hearts when making the game.[119]

During the 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Kingdom Hearts for "Console Role-Playing Game of the Year" and outstanding achievements in "Animation", "Art Direction", and "Character or Story Development".[120]

Sequels

Dark Seeker Saga

Kingdom Hearts was followed by several sequels, becoming the first game in the Kingdom Hearts series. It was followed by a direct sequel,

Kingdom Hearts coded was released for mobile phones in Japan, the game takes place after the events of Kingdom Hearts II. A followup, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, was developed for the Nintendo DS and released in Japan on May 30, 2009, and in North America on September 29, 2009. A prequel was released in Japan on January 9, 2010, entitled Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, for the PlayStation Portable, which takes place 10 years before the events of Kingdom Hearts.[126] The following title in the series was Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance for the Nintendo 3DS, released in 2012.[127] At E3 2013, Kingdom Hearts III was announced to be in development for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, before being released in January 2019, followed by a downloadable content expansion titled Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind in early 2020.[128][129] The following title, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory
, set after the Re Mind scenario, was then released in Japan on November 11, 2020, and worldwide two days later.

During Square Enix's 20th anniversary event for the franchise in April 2022, a mobile title, Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, was announced for iOS and Android devices, with a closed beta arriving in August, while the next mainline installment, Kingdom Hearts IV, was also revealed to be in development.[130]

Notes

  1. ^ Japanese: キングダムハーツ, Hepburn: Kingudamu Hātsu

References

  1. ^ "PlayStation 2 – Kingdom Hearts". PlayStation Underground. Archived from the original on May 28, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2007.
  2. ^ a b IGN Staff (May 14, 2002). "Kingdom Hearts Voice Cast". IGN. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  3. ^ Edge (June 25, 2007). "Interview: Tetsuya Nomura". Next-gen.biz. Next Generation. Archived from the original on July 7, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002". GameSpot. 2002. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  5. ^ a b GamePro Staff (April 30, 2003). "Kingdom Hearts sold how many?!". GamePro. Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
  6. Vox Media, Inc. Archived
    from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  7. Future Publishing
    . July 2007. pp. 80–81.
  8. ^ "Official International Kingdom Hearts Website". Square. Archived from the original on January 5, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2007.
  9. ^ a b "Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2 (2002)". MobyGames. Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  10. ^ a b c d e Turner, Benjamin (September 3, 2002). "Kingdom Hearts Review (PS2)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2007.
  11. ^ a b c d e Kasavin, Greg (September 9, 2002). "Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2 Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 2, 2007. Retrieved May 13, 2007.
  12. ^ a b c d e Square Co. (2002). Kingdom Hearts Instruction Booklet. Square Co., Limited.
  13. ^ .
  14. ^ Varanini, Giancarlo (April 3, 2002). "Kingdom Hearts Preview". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
  15. ^ a b c d "Kingdom Hearts Company Line". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 19, 2006. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  16. ^ a b c d e Fox, Fennec (September 30, 2002). "Review: Kingdom Hearts for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
  17. ^ a b "IGN: Kingdom Hearts". IGN. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2007.
  18. ^ Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Goofy: Gawrsh, is that all that's left of the worlds taken by the Heartless?
  19. ^ Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Goofy: Oh, right... I gotcha. While we're in the other worlds, we can't let on where we're from. We've gotta protect the world border. / Donald: "Order."
  20. ^ Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Goofy: This sure is a spooky place. I'll bet the people here are scary-lookin' too. / Donald: Don't worry. We look spooky, too. If they scare us, we'll scare them right back!
  21. ^ a b c Gerstmann, Jeff (May 17, 2001). "E3 2001: Square announces Disney RPG for PS2". GameSpot. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2007.
  22. ^ "Official Kingdom Hearts Website: Characters". Square Enix. Archived from the original (Select "Characters" tab) on January 5, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  23. ^ a b Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. King Mickey's Note: Donald, Sorry to rush off without sayin' goodbye, but there's big trouble brewin'. Not sure why, but the stars have been blinkin' out, one by one. And that means disaster can't be far behind. I hate to leave you all but I've gotta go check into it. There's someone with a "key"—the key to our survival. So I need you and Goofy to find him, and stick with him. Got it? We need that key or we're doomed! So go to Traverse Town and find Leon. He'll point you in the right direction. P.S. Would ya apologize to Minnie for me? Thanks, pal.
  24. ^ Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Sora: The Heartless? / Yuffie: The ones who attacked you, you remember? / Leon: Those without hearts. / Yuffie: The darkness in people's hearts—that's what attracts them. / Leon: And there is darkness within every heart.
  25. ^ a b c d "Official Kingdom Hearts Website: News". Square Enix. Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2007.
  26. ^ Square. "Early Kingdom Hearts Concept Art". Kingdom Hearts Ultimania.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2007.
  27. ^ Boulette, Bryan (November 27, 2005). "Nomura Divulges Kingdom Hearts II Details". RPGamer. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  28. ^ Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Leon: The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade. That's why they'll keep coming after you no matter what.
  29. ^ Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Maleficent: You see? It's just as I told you. While you toiled away trying to find your dear friend, he quite simply replaced you with some new companions. Evidently, now he values them far more than he does you. You're better off without that wretched boy. Now, think no more of him, and come with me. I'll help you find what you're searching for...
  30. ^ Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Sora: But that's impossible. How did this happen? I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade! / Riku: You were just the delivery boy. Sorry, your part's over now.
  31. ^ Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Donald Duck: Goofy, let's go. We need to remember our mission. / Goofy: Oh! Well, I know the king told us to follow the key and all. But... / Donald Duck: Sora, sorry.
  32. ^ Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Sora: What? You... You're not Riku. / ... / Sora: Tell me. Who are you? / Ansem: It is I, Ansem, the seeker of darkness.
  33. ^ Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Ansem: The Keyhole cannot be completed so long as the last princess of heart still sleeps. / Sora: The princess...? Kairi's a princess? / Ansem: Yes, and without her power, the Keyhole will remain incomplete.
  34. ^ Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Ansem: Don't you see yet? The princess's heart is responding. It has been there all along. Kairi's heart rests within you! / Sora: Kairi... Kairi's inside me?
  35. ^ Square (November 15, 2002). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Donald: Well, now what do we do? / Sora: We've gotta find Riku and King Mickey.
  36. ^ a b c d Iwata, Satoru (April 2012). "Volume 12 : KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance]". Nintendo of America Inc. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  37. ^ Final Fantasy Retrospective Part XI (GameTrailers.com feature). GameTrailers. October 10, 2007. Retrieved November 20, 2007.
  38. ^ Anoop Gantayat (September 23, 2004). "TGS 2004: Tetsuya Nomura Q&A". IGN. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2007.
  39. ^ "Kingdom Hearts キングダム ハーツ" (in Japanese). Final Fantasy 2000. Archived from the original on January 5, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2007.
  40. ^ a b c "KHU Interview w/Tetsuya Nomura". Kingdom Hearts Insider. Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  41. ^ "Playstation.com Europe – E3 Interview". Kingdom Hearts Ultimania. Archived from the original on April 18, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2007.
  42. ^
    G4TV. Archived from the original
    on December 3, 2006. Retrieved June 15, 2007.
  43. ^ Splechta, Mike (June 26, 2013). "Tetsuya Nomura discusses Kingdom Hearts 1.5, Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy 15". Gamezone. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  44. ^ a b Square Enix (June 25, 2013). Square Enix Presents E3 2013 – Day1 [#03] – KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX Interview. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2013 – via YouTube.
  45. ^ Fox, Fennec (April 30, 2003). "Square Confirms Kingdom Hearts Date". GamePro. Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
  46. ^ "Kingdom Hearts II Ultimania – Tetsuya Nomura Interview". Kingdom Hearts Ultimania. Archived from the original on July 10, 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
  47. ^ "Nomura Dengeki Interview #3". Kingdom Hearts Ultimania. Archived from the original on June 11, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2007.
  48. ^ "Kingdom Hearts II Tetsuya Nomura interview". Video Game Blogger. August 11, 2006. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
  49. ^
    Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack
    CD insert. Toshiba-Emi Limited. 2002.
  50. ^ IGN Staff (January 10, 2002). "Hikaru Utada Sings Kingdom Hearts Theme". IGN. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2007.
  51. ^ a b Coleman, Stephen (August 22, 2002). "Square, Disney and Japanese Pop Star Utada Hikaru Collaborate on Kingdom Hearts". IGN. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  52. ^ "RELEASE – Single 光" (in Japanese). EMI Music Japan. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
  53. ^ "Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack Complete" (in Japanese). EMI Music Japan. Archived from the original on February 24, 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  54. ^ "Drammatica -The Very Best Of Yoko Shimomura" (in Japanese). HMV Japan. Archived from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  55. IMDB. Archived
    from the original on May 21, 2007. Retrieved July 5, 2007.
  56. ^ a b Fox, Fennec (April 30, 2003). "Kingdom Hearts Voice Talent Announced". GamePro. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
  57. ^ Sains, Alex. "Kingdom Hearts voice actors". Final Fantasy Net. Archived from the original on August 4, 2006. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  58. ^ "Kingdom Hearts (credits)". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  59. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (October 12, 2001). "TGS 2001 FallKingdom Hearts hands-on". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
  60. ^ IGN Staff (May 14, 2002). "Square Opens Kingdom Hearts Page". IGN. Archived from the original on April 4, 2008. Retrieved May 13, 2007.
  61. ^ Bryant, Paul (August 8, 2002). "Kingdom Hearts auction now live". Gaming Age. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved September 25, 2007.
  62. ^ Klepek, Patrick (August 13, 2002). "Kingdom Hearts Consumer Demo Day". Gaming Age. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved September 25, 2007.
  63. ^ a b c "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix". IGN. Archived from the original on December 16, 2011. Retrieved May 13, 2007.
  64. ^ a b "Kingdom Hearts Insider – Final Mix". Kingdom Hearts Insider. Archived from the original on May 9, 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2007.
  65. .
  66. ^ "Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix (Import)". Neoseeker. Archived from the original on June 26, 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2007.
  67. ^ a b Peeler, Robert (February 26, 2013). "Announcing KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX". Square Enix. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  68. ^ a b "KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX, releasing exclusively for PS3". PS3 News. February 26, 2013. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  69. ^ a b "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX coming to Europe!". Square Enix. February 25, 2013. Archived from the original on February 27, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  70. ^ "Nomura talks KH3D and possible KH HD remake". Andriasang. August 9, 2011. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  71. ISSN 1067-6392
    .
  72. ^ "Nomura Teases Kingdom Hearts II HD And Other Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix Tidbits". Siliconera. October 2, 2012. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  73. ^ Romano, Sal (December 20, 2012). "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix Japanese release date set". Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  74. ^ Karmali, Luke (June 27, 2013). "Original Kingdom Hearts' Assets Lost". IGN. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  75. ^ Nunneley, Stephany (October 27, 2016). "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix announced for March release on PlayStation 4". VG 24/7. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  76. ^ Gilyadov, Alex (June 12, 2017). "E3 2017: KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 + 2.5 REMIX FREE DLC ADDS THEATER MODE, NEW SCENE". IGN. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  77. ^ "Full Kingdom Hearts collection coming to Xbox One in 2020". Windows Central. November 14, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  78. ^ McWhertor, Michael (February 18, 2020). "Classic Kingdom Hearts games come to Xbox One in two big collections". Polygon. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  79. Brady Games. Archived from the original
    on November 19, 2004. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
  80. ^ "Kingdom Hearts the First Door". Indigo Books and Music. Archived from the original on May 21, 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
  81. ^ "Kingdom Hearts Darkness Within". Indigo Books and Music. Archived from the original on May 25, 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
  82. ^ a b Goldstein, Hilary (September 12, 2002). "Kingdom Hearts Vol. 1 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
  83. .
  84. .
  85. .
  86. ^ "USA Today Best-Selling Books Database – Top 150 best sellers". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2007.
  87. ^ "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Volume 1". Tokyopop. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  88. .
  89. ^ Calvert, Justin (November 18, 2002). "October video game sales". GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2007.
  90. ^ Coleman, Stephen (November 13, 2002). "UBSW Top 10 Games For the week ending Nov. 11". IGN. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  91. ^ GameSpot Staff (March 17, 2004). "Kingdom Hearts tips scales at 4 million". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 23, 2011. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
  92. ^ Coleman, Stephen (February 8, 2006). "Kingdom Hearts II Gets All-Star Cast". IGN. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  93. ^ Campbell, Colin; Keiser, Joe (July 29, 2006). "The Top 100 Games of the 21st Century". Next Generation. Archived from the original on October 28, 2007.
  94. ^ Square (February 5, 2007). "Kingdom Hearts Series Ships over 10 Million Worldwide". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  95. ^ "ULTIMATE HITS | SQUARE ENIX". Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  96. ^ "Annual Reports|Investor Relations | SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS CO., LTD". www.hd.square-enix.com. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  97. ^ "Kingdom Hearts (PS2) Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 21, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2007.
  98. 1UP.com. Archived from the original
    on June 29, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2007.
  99. ^ Mugwum (December 11, 2002). "Kingdom Hearts Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 10, 2005. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
  100. ^ プレイステーション2 – キングダム ハーツ. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.75. June 30, 2006.
  101. ^ "Kingdom Hearts (PS2)". Famitsu.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  102. ^ Reiner, Andrew. "Kingdom Hearts Review". Game Informer. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved June 22, 2007.
  103. ^ Keighley, Geoff (September 20, 2002). "Kingdom Hearts Review". Entertainment Weekly. No. 673. p. 109. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
  104. ^ a b IGN Staff (July 31, 2003). "G-Phoria Report". IGN. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2007.
  105. ^ "IGDA Names Metroid Game of the Year". IGN. March 7, 2003. Archived from the original on December 16, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  106. ^ Perry, Douglass C. (March 20, 2003). "IGN: The Best Looking Games on PS2". IGN. Archived from the original on December 22, 2011. Retrieved May 13, 2007.
  107. ^ IGNPS2 Staff (January 17, 2003). "Best of 2002: Best Game of the Year". IGN. Archived from the original on December 21, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  108. ^ IGN PlayStation Team (March 16, 2007). "The Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time". IGN. Archived from the original on June 5, 2007. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
  109. ^ Perry, Douglass C. (March 20, 2003). "The Best Looking Games on PS2". IGN. Archived from the original on December 22, 2011. Retrieved May 13, 2007.
  110. ^ "GameSpy's Top 25 Video Game Cinematic Moments". GameSpy. April 16, 2007. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  111. ^ "GameSpy's Top 25 Video Game Cinematic Moments". GameSpy. April 16, 2007. p. 4. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  112. ^ 電撃オンライン編集部がオススメするソフトを個性的なレビュアーがアツく語る! (in Japanese). Dengeki Online. Archived from the original on June 9, 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2007.
  113. Gamasutra. March 3, 2006. Archived
    from the original on June 24, 2008. Retrieved May 29, 2007.
  114. ^ "Fall 2005: 10-Year Anniversary Contest – The 10 Best Games Ever". GameFAQs. 2005. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2007.
  115. ^ IGN Site Staff (2006). "Readers' Picks Top 100 Games: 91–100". IGN. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2007.
  116. ^ IGN Site Staff (2006). "Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time". IGN. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  117. ^ Antista, Chris (September 21, 2009). "The Top 7... Kickass Disney Games". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  118. ^ "最優秀賞は「FF10」!! 「第6回 CESA GAME AWARDS」授賞式". GPARA.COM. Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  119. ^ Alfonso, Andrew (May 13, 2004). "E3 2004: Fullmetal Alchemist – Interview". IGN. pp. 1–3. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved May 27, 2008.
  120. ^ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Kingdom Hearts". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  121. ^ "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories". IGN. Archived from the original on December 29, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  122. ^ "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Info". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2007.
  123. ^ "Kingdom Hearts II". IGN. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  124. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (September 13, 2006). "Kingdom Hearts II Update For PS2". IGN. Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2007.
  125. ^ "Kingdom Hearts". IGN. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2007.
  126. ^ Onyett, Charles (September 19, 2007). "Three New Kingdom Hearts Titles". IGN. Archived from the original on January 10, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2007.
  127. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (June 18, 2010). "Tetsuya Nomura on Kingdom Hearts 3D". Andriasang. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  128. ^ Alexa Ray Corriea (June 10, 2013). "Kingdom Hearts 3 coming to PS4". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 4, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  129. ^ "E3 2013: Kingdom Hearts III Heading to Xbox One". IGN. June 11, 2013. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  130. ^ Villei, Matt (April 10, 2022). "'Kingdom Hearts' 20th Anniversary Trailer Reveals 'Kingdom Hearts IV' and 'Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link'". Collider. Retrieved April 11, 2022.

External links