Kingdom Hearts

Kingdom Hearts

The Kingdom Hearts II logo. The other games all use a similar logo.
developer	Square Enix
Publisher	Square Enix, Disney
First title	Kingdom Hearts (2002)
Last title	Kingdom Hearts III (2019)
Platform (s)	PS2 , PS3 , PS4 , PSP , GBA , NDS , 3DS , mobile phone, Android , iOS , V-Cast , Xbox One
Genre (s)	Action RPG

Kingdom Hearts ( Japanese キングダムハーツ Kingudamu Hātsu ; acronym : KH) is an action role-playing game series that was developed under the direction of Tetsuya Nomura from a collaboration between the game developer Square (now Square Enix ) and Disney Interactive Studios . Kingdom Hearts combines locations and characters from the various Disney films in a parallel world specially designed for the series . Characters from the later Final Fantasy games and from The World Ends with You also appear and interact with the player and the Disney characters. The game series is about the protagonist Sora, who goes in search of his friends and has to save more than just one world from the impending darkness.

The series currently (as of January 2019) includes eight main games, three HD remakes and two other games that have appeared on multiple game consoles , while more parts are planned. Most of the games in the series have received critical acclaim and have been very successful commercially. By March 2011, over 17 million units of the series had been sold worldwide. A variety of related merchandise items were released with the games, including soundtracks , characters, walkthroughs , novels, and a manga series.

title

Main series

Kingdom Hearts: The first part of the series was released in Japan on March 28, 2002 for the PlayStation 2 . It was released in the United States and Europe with additional content on September 17 and November 15, 2002. The game introduces the main characters from the series and provides the framework for the storyline, including the dark beings known as the Heartless . It also shows the roles of the Disney characters in the series, as well as the final fantasy characters that have cameo . On December 26, 2002, an expanded version of the game was released in Japan under the title Kingdom Hearts Final Mix . Final Mix also contains the content from the North American version and additional enemies, cutscenes , and weapons. In Europe and the United States, the final mix version first appeared as part of the first HD remake.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories: The second part of the series is a direct sequel to the first game and was released in Japan on November 11, 2004 for the Game Boy Advance . In the United States and Europe, the game was released on December 7, 2004 and May 6, 2005. Chain of Memories serves as the link between the two PlayStation 2 games and introduces story elements that are resolved in the next game. The battle system has changed a lot since the first game, so a real-time card game is used as the battle system. The player builds a deck from different cards that generate different actions in combat, such as attacks or the use of magic. It was re-released as a PlayStation 2 game under the title Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories and uses polygon graphics instead of the original game's sprites . The remake was released in Japan as a two-CD package along with Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix on March 29, 2007 and in the United States as a single game on December 2, 2008. It first appeared in Europe as part of the first HD remake.

Kingdom Hearts II: The third part of the series takes place a year after the end of Chain of Memories and was released in Japan on December 22, 2005 for the PlayStation 2. The release in the United States and Europe followed with additional content on March 28 and September 29, 2006 The gameplay is similar to the first game, with the addition of action commands, special attacks carried out by specific keys. In addition to the heartless, a new type of enemy, the nobody , was introduced. Similar to the first game, a remake of Kingdom Hearts II was also released with the additional content from the North American version, such as additional cutscenes and enemies. Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix was released in Japan together with Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories as a two-CD package on March 29, 2007. In Europe and the United States, the final mix version was released for the first time as part of the second HD remake .

Kingdom Hearts coded: The fourth part of the series begins right after the end of Kingdom Hearts II and was released in Japan for mobile phones by NTT DoCoMo . First, a pre-installation was made available on November 18, 2008, before the actual game, split into eight parts, was released between June 3, 2009 and January 28, 2010. The game was not released in the United States and Europe. The gameplay includes a puzzle game mixed with action elements. The action takes place almost exclusively in a data world, based on the entries in Jiminy Grille's diary. Because of this environment, the main opponents in this game are computer bugs. Under the title Kingdom Hearts Re: coded , a Nintendo DS remake of the game was released in Japan on October 7, 2010 , and was also released in the USA and Europe on January 11 and 14, 2011.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days: The fifth part of the series plays mainly between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II and was released on May 30, 2009 in Japan for the Nintendo DS. The release in the United States and Europe took place on September 29th and October 9th, 2009. Unlike its previous games, the main character is not Sora, but Roxas. The game shows Roxas' time in Organization XIII while completing tasks for it and his motives for ultimately leaving the Organization. Gameplay has changed too, with a board system for skills, magic and weapons. The game also features a cooperative multiplayer mode first .

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep: The sixth installment in the series is a prequel set ten years before Kingdom Hearts and was released in Japan on January 9, 2010 for the PlayStation Portable . In the United States and Europe the game was released with additional content on September 7 and 10, 2010. Similar to 358/2 Days , the protagonist is not Sora, but Terra, Aqua and Ventus, a trio of close friends. A special feature are the four playable scenarios of the game, three of which focus on one of the three protagonists, while the fourth is unlocked by completing the first three. In addition to the action commands known from Kingdom Hearts II, Birth by Sleep uses a command menu that can be equipped with special attacks and magic. The game also introduces a new type of opponent, the unsophisticated. Under the title Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix , a remake was published in Japan on January 20, 2011 with the additional content from the North American version, as well as new content, such as an additional fifth scenario. In Europe and the United States, the final mix version first appeared as part of the second HD remake.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance: The seventh part of the series is based on Kingdom Hearts II and coded and was released in Japan on March 29, 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS . It was released in Europe and the United States on July 20 and 31, 2012. The game is about Sora's and Riku's trial to become Keyblade Masters, awaiting the return of Xehanort and their subsequent conflict with opponents from their past. In addition to a similar combat system as in Birth by Sleep , so-called dream catchers appear in the game, which can serve both as opponents and as allies. For the first time, Sora and Riku can be controlled and characters from games other than Final Fantasy appear. This is how the player interacts with the protagonists from The World Ends with You .

Kingdom Hearts III: Kingdom Hearts III was mentioned by Nomura as early as 2010, but he only devoted himself to the development of Final Fantasy Versus XIII . At E3 2013, Versus XIII , now known as Final Fantasy XV , was announced along with Kingdom Hearts III for the PlayStation 4. KH III was also released for the Xbox One . It was released on January 25 in Japan and January 29, 2019 in the United States and Europe.

HD remakes

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 HD ReMIX: With Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX , an HD collection of the Kingdom Hearts series for the PlayStation 3 was released in Japan on March 14, 2013 . The collection contains HD versions of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and Re: Chain of Memories as well as the video sequences from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days in high definition. In addition to the visual upgrade, minor changes have also been made. In particular, the camera work of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix has been revised. The game was released on September 10th in the United States and September 13th in Europe.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 HD ReMIX: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 HD ReMIX for PlayStation 3 contains the HD versions of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix as well as the video sequences from Kingdom Hearts Re: coded in high definition. The collection was released on October 2 in Japan, December 2 in the United States, and December 5 in Europe.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue

More games

In addition to the main series, two other Kingdom Hearts games have appeared, but apart from the characters that appear, they have no direct reference to the actual series.

A Kingdom Hearts game was developed exclusively for V Cast , Verizon Wireless ' broadband service, and was released on October 1, 2004 in Japan and on February 4, 2005 in the United States. It was one of the first games for the V Cast. The game, developed by Superscape and distributed by Disney Mobile without the involvement of Square Enix, offers gameplay similar to the first Kingdom Hearts ' game, but slightly modified for the input method on cell phones. The story of the game is about Sora fighting his way out of a nightmare caused by Maleficent's magic.

Kingdom Hearts Mobile is a social network game in which players can play mini-games together . Unlike the Kingdom Hearts game for the V Cast and Kingdom Hearts coded , this game has no plot, instead it focuses more on socialization among the players. The service works in conjunction with Kingdom Hearts coded , so the player receives a new character after he has finished an episode of Kingdom Hearts coded . Kingdom Hearts -related items such as wallpapers, ringtones, graphics and other items can be purchased and downloaded through the Mobile Phone Service.

action

The first game, Kingdom Hearts , shows how Sora becomes separated from his friends Riku and Kairi when their world, the Islands of Destiny, is attacked by shadowy beings known as the Heartless . During the attack, Sora is given a weapon called the Keyblade, which he can use to fight the Heartless. Soon after, he finds himself in another world, the city of Traverse, where he meets Donald Duck and Goofy , two emissaries from Disney Castle who were sent by King Mickey to search for the bearer of the keyblade. The three team up and travel to different Disney worlds, locking the hearts of the worlds and preventing further invasions of the Heartless. On their way they encounter a group of Disney villains led by Maleficent. This group controls the Heartless to track down seven virgins better known as the Princesses of Hearts ( Alice , Snow White , Jasmine , Belle , Cinderella , Aurora and Kairi) and use their power to open the door to Kingdom Hearts to rule over all worlds to become. Although they eventually defeat Maleficent, the three learn that a man named Ansem has taken advantage of Maleficent and wants to achieve eternal darkness by opening Kingdom Hearts himself. Sora, Donald and Goofy defeat Ansem at World's End and lock the door to Kingdom Hearts with the help of Riku and King Micky, both of whom stay on the other side of the door.

In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories , Sora, Donald and Goofy go in search of Riku and King Mickey. They arrive at a fortress called Castle Oblivion, where they encounter members of a mysterious group called Organization XIII, made up of non-existent beings called Nobody. During their stay in the castle, the memories of the three are manipulated by a girl named Naminé, who is forced to do so by the organization. After defeating the organization members who watched over the castle, Naminé puts the three of them to sleep for a year so that they can regain their memories, even if they lose their memories of the experiences in the Castle of Oblivion. Meanwhile, Riku appears in the basement of the castle and begins to get to the first floor with the help of King Mickey. Riku fights against the members of Organization XIII as well as against his own darkness in his heart and has to learn to accept his double nature between light and darkness. Allied with DiZ, Riku helps him protect Sora and Naminé until Sora wakes up. However, in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days , a hook in the plan forces Riku to capture Roxas, the thirteenth member of the organization, and Sora's Nobody, after he had previously defeated Xion, the artificial replica of Sora. Finally, through the reunion of Roxas and Sora, Sora's awakening occurs.

In Kingdom Hearts II , Sora, Donald and Goofy wake up from their slumber and go back in search of Riku and King Mickey. Through Yen Sid they learn of another danger, the Nobody , and get to know Organization XIII again. So Sora again embarks on a journey through many Disney worlds, eliminating the problems caused by the Heartless and Nobody as well as Karlo, Maleficent's accomplice. They finally meet King Mickey, who explains to them that the "Ansem" who defeated Sora in Kingdom Hearts was actually the heartless of a young man named Xehanort - a student of the real Ansem. You will also learn that Xehanorts Nobody Xemnas is the leader of Organization XIII. The plan of the organization also becomes known: They request the power of Kingdom Hearts, the sum of all hearts that Sora sets free by destroying the Heartless with his Keyblade in order to regain their lost hearts with him. With the help of Axel, a former member of the organization and Roxas' friend, the three reach the world that never was (the headquarters of Organization XIII) and join forces with their friends Riku, Kairi and King Micky. Ansem the Wise, also known as DiZ, is trying to use a device to transform Kingdom Hearts into data. However, overloading the system causes the device to destroy itself and pull Ansem into the realm of darkness. On the way to the top of the castle, Sora and his friends defeat the remaining members of the organization before facing the leader Xemnas at the top. This draws its power from the rest of Kingdom Hearts and must be fought in various forms. After Sora and Riku have finally defeated Xemnas, the two enter the realm of darkness. There, a letter from Kairi opens a door to the light, whereby the two of them return to their friends at home.

Another year later, Sora, Riku, and Kairi received a message from King Micky in which Mickey detailed how they became Keyblade Bearers , that Naminé knew about from recomposing Sora's memories, and how King Micky was coded in Kingdom Hearts by Naminé's entry in Jiminy Grille's diary found out about it. The news also tells Sora, Riku and Kairi of the fates of the three Keyblade Bearers, Ventus, Terra and Aqua, who were introduced during the events of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep . The three opposed Master Xehanort's plan (the real Xehanort and an old Keyblade Master) to reforge the legendary χ-blade. Terra's body became a new vessel of Xehanort, whose heart later became "Ansem" and whose body became Xemnas through his own experiments. Ventus, whose heart was damaged after defeating his evil doppelganger Vanitas and has since lingered within Sora's heart while his body is in a coma hidden in the Castle Oblivion. Aqua, who has just been named a Keyblade Master, sacrificed herself to save Terra and has been in the realm of darkness ever since. King Mickey also notes that the destruction of "Ansem" and Xemnas leads to the inevitable resurrection of Master Xehanort. In order to fight the new threats to Xehanort, Sora and Riku take an exam at Yen Sid to receive the certificate of mastery, which enables them to become Keyblade Masters themselves.

During the trial in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance , Sora and Riku enter the realm of sleep, where they encounter a young version of Xehanort with the ability to travel through time. During these encounters, Sora and Riku learn the real plan of Xehanort: He wanted to make thirteen copies of himself and each share a small piece of his own heart among them. Thereby his dark heart would take control of the thirteen "shells" and lead them against the seven hearts of light in a final battle to recreate the χ-blade. Although Organization XIII was defeated, Xehanort awaited it and gave his younger self the ability to travel through time. With this ability, the young Xehanort brought "Ansem", Xemnas, Xigbar, Saix and the other versions of Xehanort together to form the true Organization XIII, the Thirteen Seekers of Darkness. Although Sora is almost on the verge of becoming Xehanort's thirteenth “shell”, Lea, Axel's somebody, unexpectedly comes to the rescue and saves him. Since Sora is still trapped in a nightmare from Xehanort, Riku invades his dream, where he meets Roxas, Ventus and Xion. Also in Sora's dream, a digital copy of Ansem appears, revealing the data he hid in Sora and how Riku will be able to rescue those who are lost as well as those who believed to be lost forever . At the end of the exam, only Riku is named Keyblade Master, while Sora continues to train. Meanwhile, fears that the seven Princesses of Hearts would be drawn into the conflict left no choice but to form the seven Guardians of Light from any available Keyblade Bearer to battle the thirteen Seekers of Darkness in the coming final battle.

Typical elements of the series

Gameplay

The player controls the character Sora through three-dimensionally constructed levels , in which occasional jump-'n'-run passages have to be overcome. In fights, its companions are taken over by the game and can only be given a general style, which, for example, specifies the use of fighting resources. Fights themselves are not conducted turn-based as in Final Fantasy , nor are the targets marked with a cursor for attack. Instead, your own character is also freely controllable in fights and strikes with the sword at the push of a button or works attack or regeneration spells via a menu - some of these spells also conjure up Disney characters such as Dumbo or Bambi , which then influence a fight Have an effect. The player can fix the picture on an opponent closest to his figure. This focus automatically changes to the next opponent. In each section of the game, after defeating all opponents (of which several waves attack one after the other), a special reward appears, such as a new combat skill, or new equipment for members of your own troops, which can increase certain fighting attributes of the wearer.

Like most role-playing games, Kingdom Hearts also has a level system : Sora and his companions receive so-called experience points for each defeated opponent , which increase the level of a character when milestones are set. For the game, this effectively means that the corresponding game character deals stronger attacks and is less weakened by inserted attacks.

When one has solved the tasks of a world, one comes back into the "universe" in which all worlds are recorded. There you can choose one of the worlds and travel to it. To travel between the individual Disney worlds, Sora and his companions use an airship equipped with firearms, which playfully results in a three-dimensional shoot-'em-up section similar to the Star Fox games.

Worlds

In the Kingdom Hearts universe, traveling between worlds is usually not possible. The worlds are protected from extraterrestrial interference by an invisible shell. When the heart of a world is open, the shell breaks apart in what appears to be a meteor shower. Fragments of the hull, known as "rubber stones", can be used to build spaceships, also known as "rubber ships" or "rubber jets", which serve as the main way of traveling between worlds. Rubber ships can be molded into any structure, and the origin of the material allows rubber ships to travel to other worlds. The rubber stones can be used for various functions, from navigation to offensive and defensive. Another way to travel between the worlds is through the "Corridors of Darkness" - interdimensional paths in which the hearts of travelers are ultimately eroded with darkness through frequent travel. These paths are usually used by the Heartless and Nobody however, also used by other characters, including Riku and King Micky.

Those traveling between worlds are advised to keep their interactions with the inhabitants of alien worlds to a minimum in order to maintain world order. For this reason, the appearance of the main characters changes in certain worlds in order not to attract too much attention. In the worlds based on Ariel, the Mermaid and Nightmare Before Christmas , Sora, Donald and Goofy are automatically transformed into underwater creatures and Halloween monsters. For the world based on The Lion King , the three become animals (or, in the case of Donald and Goofy, less human forms), as Nomura feels that it seems strange to see Sora and the others in their human Shapes would interact even though there are actually no people in this film.

Disney worlds

The majority of the worlds that appear in the games are based on Disney films . Most of these worlds, such as Wonderland, the Land of Dragons and the Deep Jungle, follow an abridged version of the respective film plot. Agrabah specifically includes the first two Aladdin films in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II , while Atlantica and Halloween Town only reflect the films in the second game, with an independent storyline in the first game. On the other hand, is worlds like Monstro and Neverland focus heavily on the main plot of the game, the latter on the pirate ship of Captain Hook is limited where Riku Sora reveals that Kairi has lost her heart. Beauty and the Beast is an interesting case, as the Beast appears in the first Kingdom Hearts game to support Sora when he loses his keyblade for a while. After the Beast's Castle is restored at the end of the game, the Beast becomes a pawn in Organization XIII's plan in Kingdom Hearts II .

During the development of Kingdom Hearts II , Nomura had more creative freedom due to advances in technology. Port Royal, Space Paranoids and the Consecrated Land have particularly benefited from these advances. For Port Royal and Space Paranoids, the figure models were created using a new program of live-action images. Already in the first Kingdom Hearts game, Nomura wanted a world based on the movie The Lion King , but was unable to realize this because the engine could not create real four-legged figure models, a property that has been fixed for Kingdom Hearts II has been. An in-between world of Disney Castle is the river of nostalgia, it should show the " past " of the castle shortly before it was built. The world is completely black and white ; Nomura had planned it that way from the start of development. It also uses poor sound quality on purpose to mimic the old cartoons. Sora's design has been simplified in the style of the early cartoons, while Donald and Goofy revert to their original shapes from the Disney cartoons. In Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance , the land of the musketeers serves as the basis for the film, Micky, Donald, Goofy - The Three Musketeers . It is noteworthy that it is the first world in the Kingdom Hearts series that is descended from a direct-to-video production instead of a full-length cartoon from the Walt Disney studios .

In addition to the Gumi-Jet mini-games, certain worlds also have mini-games . The Hundred Acre Forest consists exclusively of mini-games in all three games, based on the classic Pooh Bear stories, with Sora taking on the role of Christopher Robins. The arena of Olympus serves for the most part as an optional combat world in which tournaments are held throughout the entire game series. Because of Hades' popularity, the Underworld was added to Kingdom Hearts II , where Hades hosts his own tournaments. Likewise, the Mirage Arena from Birth by Sleep is a mixture of the Hundred Acre Forest and the Arena of Olympus with many optional mini-games. While Atlantica in Kingdom Hearts is a world like the others, albeit with a special "underwater" control system, in Kingdom Hearts II it consists of an interactive rhythm game and completely independent of the entire story of the game. Finally, Space Paranoids has a Lichtrenner mini-game that differs greatly from the one in the original film . In Birth by Sleep and Dream Drop Distance , more new Disney worlds have been added to the game series, including the Palace of Dreams, the Enchanted Realm, the Dwarf Forest, Deep Space, La Cité des Cloches, the bad boys’s paradise, the Simsalabim Symphony and the grid.

Original worlds

The worlds that were specially developed for the game series usually inhabit original and final fantasy characters and they also serve as important main locations in the overarching storyline of the Kingdom Hearts series. The first world in each game serves as a tutorial introducing new gameplay elements and taking up the game's storyline. The Islands of Destiny, the home world of the three main characters Sora, Riku and Kairi, serves in this role at the beginning of the first game and Kingdom Hearts Re: coded . The next available world serves as a hub where the player returns several times during the game to continue the main story. Traverse Town, a world created from the remains of the worlds destroyed by the Heartless, fulfills this role in Kingdom Hearts , but becomes the introductory world in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories . The penultimate world in each game ends many storylines in preparation for the final world. Hollow Bastion takes this place in Kingdom Hearts , in Kingdom Hearts II it is the hub. Twilight Town is both the introductory world and the penultimate world in Kingdom Hearts II , with a secret passage to the game's final world. The final world culminates in a fight with the main opponent of the game. The end of the world, created from the worlds that lost their hearts to the heartless, and the world that never was are the last worlds of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II . Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is slightly different in this concept, however. In their case, the land of departure serves as the introductory world, hub and where the storylines end. The final world in the game is the Keyblade Cemetery, where each of the three main characters fights their final battle.

Hollow Bastion plays a central role in the backstory of the game series, it is the home world of the majority of the final fantasy characters that appear in Kingdom Hearts , as well as the original home of Ansem the Wise, but then still known as the Radiant Garden, and Kairi, who was sent to the Isles of Destiny through an experiment by Ansem's apprentice, Xehanort. Ansem and six of his apprentices, including Xehanort, studied the darkness in people's hearts. His apprentices continued this dangerous research without his permission, which plunged the world into darkness. The abandoned castle was later used by Malefiz as its headquarters. The Castle of Oblivion, another hiding place for villains and the main location of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories , consists of several floors that lead to reconstructions of other worlds with the help of special maps . After all, Organization XIII is headquartered in the world that never was, a world between light and darkness that is also home to Kingdom Hearts.

opponent

So far there are five different types of opponents in the Kingdom Hearts game series, which in turn can be divided into numerous subspecies. In the game itself, these opponents are listed in detail in the diary. So far, new subspecies or completely new types of opponents have been added to each game.

Heartless and Nobody

The Heartless ( Japanese ハートレス Hātoresu ; English Heartless ) are beings from darkness, without body and soul. The name "Heartless" comes from their callous behavior. Originally they were all "pure heartless" (also called "pure bloods"), black creatures that were born out of pure darkness and usually only exist in the realm of darkness. However, through the experiments of Ansem the Wise and his apprentice, even apparently heartless people unintentionally entered the realm of light.

While exploring these pure Heartless, Xehanort and Ansem's other trainees devised the means to create the artificial "Heartless Emblem" by transforming living hearts. Unlike the pure Heartless, who dissolve into black smoke when defeated, Emblem set Heartless Hearts free. Until the Keyblade was used to defeat the Heartless, the stolen hearts would disappear into the realm of darkness, where they became the new Heartless. Usually the heartless react mindlessly and instinctively, but obey those with a strong will. But the closer one is to the realm of darkness, the stronger and uncontrollable the heartless become. The heartless use corridors of darkness on their way from world to world, unpredictable paths that connect the many worlds with one another.

When heartless are born, the body and soul of people with a strong heart can become a different kind of being, the Nobody (Japanese ノーバディ Nōbadi ; English Nobody). They have no hearts and wander between light and darkness. They are, so to speak, “nothing”, but still exist within the Kingdom Hearts universe. Unlike the Heartless, Nobody is able to attack with certain planning. The members of Organization XIII, a group of Nobody, retained their human form because as humans they had strong hearts and thus remembered their original existence. However, when they lack memories, as in the case of weaker people for example, they take on deformed, inhuman forms. Most of the members of the organization can control some sort of nobody who uses a fighting style similar to theirs.

Similar to the Heartless Emblem, Organization XIII and the Nobody have a badge - an upside-down incomplete heart - designed to look like a splintered heart to complement the Heartless Badge. But in the event of defeat, a nobody disappears into "nothing" until his heartless counterpart is destroyed with the trapped heart, so that the two parts become the original being again. But although many Nobody are born as emotionless beings, they can eventually develop a heart over time and thus become complete beings again.

The Heartless Emblem appears to be based on the keyblade pendant on the χ blade, while the Nobody's emblem is based on the testimony of mastery (the emblem worn by Eraqus, Terra, Aqua and Ventus).

Bugs

The bugs are the main antagonists in Kingdom Hearts coded and Re: coded . These bugs appear after the contents of Jiminy Grille's diary have been digitized. They corrupted the data as an unintended side effect of Naminé's message in the diary for Sora and his friends. They primarily take the form of block bugs (Japanese バグブロックスBagu Burokkusu , English Bug Blox), cubes that the protagonist, a virtual replica of Sora called Data-Sora, can destroy or use as platforms. There are different types of block bugs, the most common fragile type being the black and red blocks. Other bugs take on the appearance of the Heartless Sora defeated in Kingdom Hearts .

The original bug, responsible for corrupting the diary data, takes the form of Sora's Heartless and shows sentience as it tries to erase all of the data in the diary. Although its simplest form is the weak "shadow" type of the Heartless, it becomes stronger and stronger to the point where it takes the form of a completely black Sora with yellow eyes. The bugs disappear after Daten-Sora destroys the original bug, setting the entire data landscape as it was originally.

Inexperienced

The Unversed (Japanese アンヴァース Anvāsu , English Unversed) are beings that appear in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep , similar to the Heartless and Nobody in the previous games. Born out of vanitas and feeding on people's negative emotions, the unskilled are used by Master Xehanort as the basis of his master plan to attain the ultimate power of darkness. After Vanitas reunites with Ventus, the unskilled rest and are then destroyed within Ventus' subconscious.

Dream catcher

The dream catchers (Japanese ドリームイーター Dorīmu Ītā , English Dream Eaters) are the main opponents in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance . Just like the heartless, they are beings from darkness and are obliged to search for the keyholes of the worlds. However, in contrast to the heartless, the dream catchers come from the darkness of the worlds, which are in a state of "deep sleep" and are separated from the other worlds. Although the dream catchers usually manifest as "nightmares" - creatures that devour good dreams and create bad ones - there are also "ghosts" who do the opposite and destroy nightmares and function as Sora's and Riku's partners. The dream catchers take the form of animals or flowers, with the intelligence of a cat, dog, or other domestic animal.

Nightmares can also take control of people and other items, like Ventus' anti-blackcoat nightmare when he was trying to protect Sora, and use skills or weapons that the possessed are possessed by. Normally they can only exist in worlds that are trapped in the realm of dreams, but they can also let a keyblade open their access to the realm of light and thus leave their home realm.

Audio

music

The music for the games comes from Yoko Shimomura. In addition, Hikaru Utada sings the theme song for the previously published Kingdom Hearts games. She recorded the song for the opening credits and a modified version for the credits in both Japanese and English.

The songs are Hikari (光) and Passion in the original Japanese versions and Simple and Clean and Sanctuary in the western versions.

synchronization

The synchronization of the Japanese and English Kingdom Hearts games incorporate known actor and voice actor . In the Japanese version, Sora is spoken by Miyu Irino , Kairi by Risa Uchida and Riku by Mamoru Miyano . For the later games Iku Nakahara took over the part of Naminé, Genzō Wakayama that of DiZ, Kōki Uchiyama that of Roxas and Ventus, Megumi Toyoguchi of Aqua and Ryōtarō Okiayu of Terra. Other notable voice actors are Hideo Ishikawa , Maaya Sakamoto , Takahiro Sakurai , Akio Ōtsuka , Takashi Aoyagi , Yū Shimaka and Shin'ichirō Miki .

The English version of the Kingdom Hearts games features a star cast , with many of the Disney characters voiced by their original speakers. Wayne Allwine , replaced by Bret Iwan after his death , Tony Anselmo and Bill Farmer spoke Mickey Mouse , Donald Duck and Goofy . Sora was voiced by Haley Joel Osment , Kairi by Hayden Panettiere, and Riku by David Gallagher . In the later games Brittany Snow took over the role of Naminé, Christopher Lee that of DiZ, Jesse McCartney the part of Roxas and Ventus, Willa Holland that of Aqua and Jason Dohring that of Terra. Other notable voice actors include Steve Burton , Mandy Moore , David Boreanaz , James Woods , Leonard Nimoy and Mark Hamill .

In the German games, only the two main parts Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II were dubbed German for the PlayStation 2. All other parts, including the three HD collections, only have English dubbing and German subtitles . The third main part, Kingdom Hearts III , does not have a German voice output either, since the developers had planned a simultaneous global release of the game and this would not have been possible in view of the time required for additional voice recordings. Sora was spoken by Constantin von Jascheroff , Kairi by Adak Azdasht , Riku by Wanja Gerick , Micky by Mario von Jascheroff , Donald by Peter Krause and Goofy by Walter Alich . In the later parts, Anne Helm took over the role of Naminé, Hans-Werner Bussinger that of DiZ and Nico Sablik that of Roxas. The three protagonists from Birth by Sleep have no German voice actors.

reception

The game was generally rated positively. It was particularly praised for the successful takeover of the atmosphere of the Disney films; which was achieved through careful animation and authentic music. The visual presentation is also generally good. The camera work, which was hectic during fights, and the misplaced shoot-'em-up sequences were primarily negative. Critics also found the fights sometimes monotonous and lengthy.

The version of the game distributed in Europe was also criticized due to inadequate PAL adaptations; so the picture has unfilled, black stripes at the top and bottom of the picture and looks compressed.

Web links

Official website for Kingdom Hearts
Official website for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Official website for Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Kingdom Hearts series at MobyGames (English)

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c Kingdom Hearts Info . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ Kingdom Hearts Final Mix Images . In: IGN.com . September 11, 2002. Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ ^a ^b Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Info . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ Craig Harris: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories - Square-Enix continues its Disney-based adventure on the GBA. New screens and details . In: IGN.com . October 3, 2003. Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories Info . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ ^a ^b Kingdom Hearts II Info . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ Anoop Gantayat: Kingdom Hearts II Update For PS2 . In: IGN.com . September 13, 2006. Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ Kingdom Hearts coded . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ Kingdom Hearts Re: coded . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ ^a ^b Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved April 26, 2012.

↑ Scott Siegel: TGS07: New Kingdom Hearts games coming to DS, PSP, mobile . In: Joystiq.com . September 20, 2007. Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ ^a ^b Charles Onyett: TGS 2007: Three New Kingdom Hearts Titles . In: IGN.com . September 19, 2007. Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ ^a ^b Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved April 16, 2012.

↑ ^a ^b Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ Anoop Gantayat: Tetsuya Nomura on Kingdom Hearts 3D . In: Andriasang.com . June 18, 2010. Archived from the original on January 31, 2012. Retrieved on October 7, 2012.

↑ Jim Sterling: Kingdom Hearts 3 confirmed, More KH games coming . In: Destructoid.com . March 25, 2010. Retrieved October 5, 2012.

↑ Alexa Ray Corriea: Kingdom Hearts 3 coming to PS4 . In: Polygon.com . June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.

↑ Alexa Ray Corriea: Kingdom Hearts 3 launching on Xbox One . In: Polygon.com . June 11, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.

↑ Kingdom Hearts III Info . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved December 11, 2018.

↑ ^a ^b Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved May 12, 2013.

↑ Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMIX: What's New at a Glance . In: jpgames.de . December 23, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2013.

↑ Mat Kishimoto: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX Coming to PS3 in 2014 . In: PlayStation.com . October 14, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.

↑ Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved June 19, 2014.

↑ Luke Karmali: TGS 2015: Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Announced . In: Ign.com . September 15, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2015.

↑ Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 12, 2016.

↑ Kingdom Hearts . In: IGN.com . Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 7, 2012. @1@ 2

^ Levi Buchanan: V CAST Launches . In: IGN.com . February 2, 2005. Archived from the original on July 1, 2007. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 7, 2012. @1@ 2

^ Levi Buchanan: Kingdom Hearts - Disney Mobile presents the future of wireless gaming . In: IGN.com . October 20, 2004. Archived from the original on March 30, 2007. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 7, 2012. @1@ 2

^ Benjamin Turner: Kingdom Hearts Review . In: GameSpy.com . September 3, 2002. Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ King Mickey: "Donald, sorry for leaving without saying a word, but great adversity is brewing. I don't know why, but the stars went out one by one. That means great disaster. I hate to leave you guys, but I have to investigate. There is someone with a "key" - the key to our survival. You and Goofy have to find him and stay with him. Roger that? Without the key we are lost! Go to the town of Traverse and find Leon. He will show you the right way. ” Kingdom Hearts . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ Giancarlo Varanini: Kingdom Hearts Preview . In: GameSpot.com . April 3, 2002. Retrieved April 19, 2012.

↑ Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation2 . In: MobyGames.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ Donald: “So, what do we do now?”; Sora: "We have to find Riku and King Mickey." Kingdom Hearts . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ Elizabeth Hollinger: Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories Official Strategy Guide . BradyGames Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-7440-0473-X .

↑ Marluxia: “That is probably obvious. When you entered the castle, you forgot every spell and ability. But forgetting is not just limited to that. Here to find means to lose and to find to lose. This is the divide here in the Castle of Oblivion. “ Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

↑ Donald: "Do we have to sleep in here to get our memories back?"; Naminé: “You can do it. It may take a while, but I'll take care of you. ”; Goofy: "But when we wake up we don't remember you ..." Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories . Retrieved March 26, 2014.

↑ Riku: "Uhhh ... Where ... where am I." [...] Riku: "The King! Where is he? Together we closed the door to darkness and then ... “ Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories . Retrieved March 26, 2014.

↑ Ansem: “You are weak. You need the darkness. Submit to the darkness and bow to me! ”; Riku: “Out of the question.”; Ansem: "Only the darkness can help you now."; Micky: "You're wrong!" Riku: "That voice ...! Your Majesty, is it you? ”; Micky: "Of course! Riku, you are not alone. Listen to me now, Riku. The light will never give up on you. You will always find it, even in the deepest darkness. ” Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories . Retrieved March 26, 2014.

↑ Xion: “Look at me, Roxas. Who do you see? If you see a different face, a boy's, it means I'm almost ready. This puppet has to fulfill its role. Roxas ... that's him. This is Sora. You're next, Roxas. You have to become a part of me too. Do not you understand? That's why I was created. ” Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days . Retrieved March 26, 2014.

↑ Roxas: "Sora ... I envy you. My summer vacation is probably ... over. " Kingdom Hearts II . Retrieved March 26, 2014.

↑ Jiminy Grille: "What an afternoon nap!"; Sora: “You mean we slept?”; Jiminy Grille: "Obviously, otherwise we wouldn't be so sleepy now." Kingdom Hearts II . Retrieved March 26, 2014.

↑ Karlo: “And with all the heartless under her command, the witch Maleficent can subjugate everything and everyone! And since I owe something to the good Maleficent, I travel all sorts of worlds and assemble an arm of the Heartless especially for them. " Kingdom Hearts II . Retrieved March 26, 2014.

↑ GameCritics.com ( Memento of the original from March 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : Game review (English, accessed on February 18, 2008) @1@ 2

↑ Game review (English, accessed on February 18, 2008) ( Memento from February 1, 2003 in the Internet Archive )

↑ IGN.com game review (English, accessed on February 18, 2008)

↑ Game review (English, accessed on February 18, 2008) ( Memento from June 14, 2007 in the Internet Archive )

↑ metacritic.com : Average rating from English-language reviews and references to it (English, accessed on February 18, 2008)

↑ looki.de : Spielkritik, p. 3 (accessed on February 18, 2008)

↑ Gamezone.de : Spielkritik (accessed on February 18, 2008)

↑ videogameszone.de : Spielkritik (accessed on February 18, 2008)

[GameFAQS_(KH)-1] Kingdom Hearts Info . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

[finalmix-2] Kingdom Hearts Final Mix Images . In: IGN.com . September 11, 2002. Retrieved October 7, 2012.

[GameFAQs_(KH:_COM)-3] Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Info . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

[4] Craig Harris: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories - Square-Enix continues its Disney-based adventure on the GBA. New screens and details . In: IGN.com . October 3, 2003. Retrieved October 7, 2012.

[5] Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories Info . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

[GameFAQs_(KH_II)-6] Kingdom Hearts II Info . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

[7] Anoop Gantayat: Kingdom Hearts II Update For PS2 . In: IGN.com . September 13, 2006. Retrieved October 7, 2012.

[8] Kingdom Hearts coded . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

[9] Kingdom Hearts Re: coded . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

[GameFAQs_(KH_358/2_Days)-10] Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved April 26, 2012.

[11] Scott Siegel: TGS07: New Kingdom Hearts games coming to DS, PSP, mobile . In: Joystiq.com . September 20, 2007. Retrieved October 7, 2012.

[TGS_2007-12] Charles Onyett: TGS 2007: Three New Kingdom Hearts Titles . In: IGN.com . September 19, 2007. Retrieved October 7, 2012.

[GameFAQs_(KH_BBS)-13] Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved April 16, 2012.

[GameFAQs_(KH_3D)-14] Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 7, 2012.

[15] Anoop Gantayat: Tetsuya Nomura on Kingdom Hearts 3D . In: Andriasang.com . June 18, 2010. Archived from the original on January 31, 2012. Retrieved on October 7, 2012.

[16] Jim Sterling: Kingdom Hearts 3 confirmed, More KH games coming . In: Destructoid.com . March 25, 2010. Retrieved October 5, 2012.

[17] Alexa Ray Corriea: Kingdom Hearts 3 coming to PS4 . In: Polygon.com . June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.

[18] Alexa Ray Corriea: Kingdom Hearts 3 launching on Xbox One . In: Polygon.com . June 11, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.

[19] Kingdom Hearts III Info . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved December 11, 2018.

[GameFAQs_(KH_HD_1.5)-20] Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved May 12, 2013.

[21] Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMIX: What's New at a Glance . In: jpgames.de . December 23, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2013.

[22] Mat Kishimoto: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX Coming to PS3 in 2014 . In: PlayStation.com . October 14, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.

[23] Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved June 19, 2014.

[24] Luke Karmali: TGS 2015: Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Announced . In: Ign.com . September 15, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2015.

[25] Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue . In: GameFAQs.com . Retrieved October 12, 2016.