Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts (キングダムハーツ, Kingudamu Hātsu) is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix Co., Ltd. (formerly Square Co., Ltd.), for the Sony PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Game Boy Advance. It is the result of a collaboration between Square and Disney Interactive Studios. The series is under the direction of Tetsuya Nomura, a longtime Square character designer.
Kingdom Hearts is a crossover of "alternate" Disney universes set in a universe made specifically for the series. Alternate versions of characters from the Final Fantasy series also appear in the series, interacting with the player and Disney characters. Each game in the series has been critically and commercially successful, though each installment has seen different levels of success. As of December of 2006, the Kingdom Hearts series has shipped over 5.6 million copies in North America and 10 million copies worldwide.[1][2]
Design
Though the series features some original locations unique to the Kingdom Hearts franchise, worlds from Disney films are heavily explored. Sora must visit these worlds and interact with popular Disney characters to protect them from enemies. Often, Sora's actions in these worlds follow closely to the storylines featured in their accompanying Disney films. In dialogue, Donald tells Sora not to interfere with the worlds too much, since it would cause problems.[3][4]
Common gameplay elements
The Kingdom Hearts series games contain elements from both action games and role-playing games. The games are driven by a linear progression to the next story event, usually told in the form of a cut scene, though there are numerous side quests available that provide bonus benefits to the characters. The player is primarily in control of the main protagonist, Sora. Sora is usually accompanied by Donald Duck and Goofy, who are non-playable characters (NPCs) that aid Sora in battle. In the first and third game, their behavior could be altered to fit the player's needs. The games feature real-time combat that incorporates physical attacks, magic, and summonings.
Gummi Ships are another common theme in the series, though they are only featured in the first and third installment. The Gummi Ships serve as the main mode of transportation between worlds in the games. The gameplay for the Gummi Ships sections are more akin to a rail shooter. Because it received negative criticism in the first game, it was redone in the third installment.
RPG elements
The games are influenced by their parent franchise, Final Fantasy, and carries gameplay elements over into its own action-based, hack-and-slash system. Like many traditional role-playing games, Kingdom Hearts features an experience point system which determines character development. As enemies are defeated, the player gains experience which culminate in a "level-up", where the characters grow stronger and gain access to new abilities.[5] The amount of experience is shared with all party members and each character grows stronger as experience is gained.
Games
The main games in the series were released in chronological order, with each new installment following the events of the previous installment. The one exception is the V CAST mobile game, which was developed independently of Square Enix's games.
Kingdom Hearts
The first game in the series is Kingdom Hearts, released in Japan on March 28, 2002 for Sony PlayStation 2. Kingdom Hearts introduced most of main characters for the series and set up the plot framework involving hearts and Heartless. It also established the presence of previous Disney fiction, with character cameos from the Final Fantasy series, and the style of gameplay, a fusion of RPG elements and action games, where the player chooses an action from a menu, while being able to move around the environment. Kingdom Hearts was released in North America in September 17, 2002, having three optional bosses that were not in the original Japanese version. Released exclusively in Japan on December 26, 2002 was Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, which included the bosses not in the original Japanese version; another boss; and additional enemies, cutscenes, and weapons.[6] Various added elements foreshadowed later plot elements in the series. As of September 2006, the combined sales of all versions of Kingdom Hearts number 5,500,000 copies.[2]
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
The second mainstream game in the series is Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, released in Japan on November 11, 2004 for Game Boy Advance, and was touted as a bridge between the two PlayStation 2 installments, introducing and previewing plot elements that would be played out in the next game.[7] The gameplay was based on a card system; player composed decks of cards, each card allowing the player to perform an action in battle, such as attacking or using magic. This card system used numbered cards to determine whether the player or the enemy's actions had higher priority; the higher the number on the card, the more likely that the card's action would be performed. As of September 2006, the combined sales of all versions of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories number 1,500,000 copies.[2]
Kingdom Hearts (V CAST)
A Kingdom Hearts game was developed exclusively for V CAST, Verizon Wireless's broadband service, and was released on February 4,2005. The game, developed by Superscape and published by Disney Mobile, with no involvement from Square, features the original Kingdom Hearts''s gameplay, modifed to the input method of mobile phones.[8]
The first Mission pack begins with the protagonist of the original Kingdom Hearts, Sora, shipwrecked on a seemingly uninhabited island his friends, Goofy and Donald missing. Sora must now find a way to escape the island, as well as reunite with Donald and Goofy. Reception towards the first playable mission pack are mixed. The game was criticized for its awkward controls and availability. The visual appeal was praised, being described as "on par with a first- or second-generation game for the original Sony PlayStation" by GameSpot.
Kingdom Hearts II
The third game, despite the name, is Kingdom Hearts II, released in Japan on December 22, 2005 for Sony PlayStation 2. It furthered the "heart" concept by involving the Nobodies and "bodies". The gameplay is based on Kingdom Hearts's, with the addition of more options to attack enemies and the Reaction Command, utilizing the triangle button to perform preset actions in battle and mundane tasks such as speaking to non-player characters. As of September 2006, the combined sales of all versions of Kingdom Hearts: II number 3,200,000 copies.[2]
Kingdom Hearts II was revised into Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, containing more material than the original release, such as additional cutscenes and bosses. Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix was released with Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, a remake of Chain of Memories for the PlayStation 2, containing polygon graphics instead of the sprites used in the original Game Boy Advance game. This collection is titled Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ and was released in Japan on March 29, 2007.[9]
Future installments
Tetsuya Nomura stated he has ideas for another installment; a secret clip that appears to be a teaser trailer for the next installment is shown at the end of Kingdom Hearts II if certain completion goals are met. However, Nomura did not state exactly what he would like to do with a new installment.[10] The Kingdom Hearts team is postponing Kingdom Hearts projects to be able to work on Final Fantasy Versus XIII, but a new Kingdom Hearts project will be revealed in summer 2007.[11] In Famitsu, Nomura stated that there are multiple Kingdom Hearts projects in the works, although what those projects consist of is not known.[12]
With the release of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+, a new teaser has further hinted at the potential plot of the next installment in the series. According to Nomura, it will be a whole new series and stated, "The next title won't just be Kingdom Hearts III. If it were III, we wouldn't call it a new series." [13] The new series is set to be announced at this year's Tokyo Game Show. [14]
Development
The peculiar origins of Kingdom Hearts came about when the producer, Shinji Hashimoto, met a Disney executive in an elevator.[15] Square and the Japanese wing of Disney worked out of the same Tokyo office.
Audio
Musical score
The music of the video game series was primarily composed by Yoko Shimomura. Kaoru Wada works as the arranger for orchestral music in the Kingdom Hearts series, including orchestral renditions of the main vocal themes and the ending themes. All of the orchestral music was performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. While some Disney-based world themes are taken directly from their Disney film counterparts, many are given entirely original musical scores. In addition to each world having unique background music, each is given its own battle theme rather than a common music piece to cover all fights, which enhances each world's particular environment. Boss battle themes are limited and most are reused among the worlds. However, several of the Disney villains get themes based on the film they originated in, and the final boss of each game has several themes played in the various phases of those fights. The fights with Sephiroth also use Nobuo Uematsu's One-Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII as a battle theme.
The main theme music for the Kingdom Hearts games were composed and performed by Utada Hikaru. The two main themes are Hikari, from Kingdom Hearts and Chain of Memories, and Passion, from Kingdom Hearts II. Each song had an English counterpart, Simple and Clean and Sanctuary respectively, for the North American releases. Both theme songs reached notable popularity in Japan. On weekly Oricon charts, Hikari hit #1 in 2002[citation needed] and Passion hit #4 in 2005.[citation needed] Both games feature orchestral arrangements of their respective themes. Another notable song is "Dearly Beloved", a piano arrangement played on the games' main menus. It is also featured as the background music of the official websites.
Voice acting
The Kingdom Hearts games featured an all-star voice cast which included many of the Disney characters' original voice actors.
Reception
Originally, news of such an odd pairing for a video game met with mixed reaction. Square was already well-established in the video gaming market with the Final Fantasy series (which had reached a landmark of ten installments by the time Kingdom Hearts was announced). Disney is best known throughout the world as an American feature film company with a reputation of making popular family films (notably in animation). Because many Final Fantasy games feature an emphasis on epic, sometimes mature and melodramatic storytelling (let alone a noticeable amount of violence), gamers were unsure whether or not the crossover would be successful. Numerous fans of the series were immediately displeased with the idea of a Square game that seemed to be aimed at children. Other gamers, however, who were fans of the Disney franchise, waited for the game in anticipation.
Upon release of the original Kingdom Hearts, many video game fans still deemed the series too childish, while the game was praised by critics for its simple gameplay, novel idea and unique story. As the series has gained popularity, the notion that it is too "kiddie" has been less common among many gamers, and it is now a well recognized franchise of its own. As of September 2006, the Kingdom Hearts series has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.[1][2]
Literary adaptations
Manga
A manga based on the Kingdom Hearts storyline has been released in Japan and the United States. The story and art are done by Shiro Amano, who is also known for his manga adaptation of the Legend of Mana video game. The story follows the events that took place in the video games with differences to account for the loss of interactivity a video game provides. The manga was originally serialized in Japan by Square's Monthly Shonen Gangan and eventually released in tankōbons. The first tankōbon was released in Japan in October of 2003.[16] The manga was released in the US by Tokyopop two years later in October of 2005.[17] It was divided up into three manga series based on Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts II. The first series, Kingdom Hearts, was broken up into four volumes, while the second series, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, was broken up into two volumes. The third series, Kingdom Hearts II, is currently still being serialized. The first volume was released in Japan in December of 2006[18] and is scheduled to be released in the US on July 10, 2007.[19]
Novels
References
- ^ a b SquareSoft (2007-02-05). "Kingdom Hearts Series Ships over 10 Million Worldwide". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
- ^ a b c d e "スクウェア・エニックス、イベントなど追加「KINGDOM HEARTS II FINAL MIX+」「キングダム ハーツ」 シリーズ累計出荷本数1,000万本達成" (in Japanese). Game Watch.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Donald: But we can’t. If we take him to another world, we would be... / Goofy: Muh... Mudd-- / Donald: Meddling! Square Co., Limited. Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Co., Limited.
- ^ Kingdom Hearts manga, Volume 1. Page 99. Tokyopop.
- ^ Square Co. (2002). Kingdom Hearts Instruction Booklet. Square Co., Limited.
- ^ Kingdom Hearts Final Mix Images "ign.com". URL Accessed March 11, 2007
- ^ Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories - Square-Enix continues its Disney-based adventure on the GBA. New screens and details. "ign.com". URL Accessed March 11, 2007
- ^ Kingdom Hearts - Disney Mobile presents the future of wireless gaming. "ign.com". URL Accessed March 11, 2007
- ^ Kingdom Hearts II Update For PS2 "ign.com". URL Accessed March 11, 2007
- ^ Nomura Discusses Kingdom Hearts and Future Titles "ign.com". URL Accessed March 11, 2007
- ^ Tetsuya Nomura on FF Versus XIII - More background story details, plus mention of the next Kingdom Hearts. "ign.com". URL Accessed March 11, 2007
- ^ More Kingdom Hearts in 2007 "Joystiq". URL Accessed March 11, 2007
- ^ http://ps2.ign.com/articles/777/777832p1.html Nomura Talks Kingdom Hearts Sequel: Square Enix Planning an All New Series
- ^ http://ps3.ign.com/articles/787/787960p1.html Square Enix Party 2007 announces when next Kingdom Hearts game will be anounced
- ^ Anoop Gantayat (2004-09-23). "TGS 2004: Tetsuya Nomura Q&A". IGN.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "キングダムハーツ (1) (コミック)" (in Japanese). Amazon.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Kingdom Hearts Volume 1 Product Info". Tokyopop.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "キングダムハーツ2 1 (1) (コミック)" (in Japanese). Amazon.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Kingdom Hearts II Volume 1 Product Info". Tokyopop.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)
External links
| Media |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characters | |||||||
| People | |||||||
| Related | |||||||
