Universe of Kingdom Hearts: Difference between revisions
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{{nihongo|'''Traverse Town'''|トラヴァースタウン|Toravāsu Taun}} is an original world featured in ''Kingdom Hearts'', acting as a Headquarters of sorts for Sora during his journey. Its architecture is reminiscent of the High Victorian [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] style popular in England during the 19th century. Shrouded in perpetual nighttime, Traverse Town was created from fragments of the worlds destroyed by the Heartless. It serves as a home for people who manage to escape the destruction of their own worlds by unknowingly drifting through "corridors of darkness". |
{{nihongo|'''Traverse Town'''|トラヴァースタウン|Toravāsu Taun}} is an original world featured in ''Kingdom Hearts'', acting as a Headquarters of sorts for Sora during his journey. Its architecture is reminiscent of the High Victorian [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] style popular in England during the 19th century. Shrouded in perpetual nighttime, Traverse Town was created from fragments of the worlds destroyed by the Heartless. It serves as a home for people who manage to escape the destruction of their own worlds by unknowingly drifting through "corridors of darkness". |
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Traverse Town is separated into three major districts. The First District is generally devoid of Heartless and houses the synthesis and accessory shops, as well as a gummi item shop. There is also a coffeehouse area and mailbox. The world exit is located here. The Second District contains the bell tower, a gizmo shop and a small hotel. The world's keyhole is located in the fountain in this district. It also has the entrance to the Dalmatians' house. The Third District is a plaza that has been overrun with Heartless. This district leads to a guarded alcove where [[List of characters in the Kingdom Hearts series#Merlin|Merlin]] lives. It also is where Leon and his allies have their secret hideout. Aside from these areas, Traverse Town also has a sewer system where Leon practices his swordplay and a back alley behind the hotel. |
Traverse Town is separated into three major districts. The First District is generally devoid of Heartless and houses the synthesis and accessory shops, as well as a gummi item shop. There is also a coffeehouse area and mailbox. The world exit is located here. The Second District contains the bell tower, a gizmo shop and a small hotel. The world's keyhole is located in the fountain in this district. It also has the entrance to the Dalmatians' house. The Heartless that appear here aren't very strong, but there is a lot of them. The Third District is a plaza that has been overrun with Heartless. This district leads to a guarded alcove where [[List of characters in the Kingdom Hearts series#Merlin|Merlin]] lives. It also is where Leon and his allies have their secret hideout. This area contains the more strong Heartless. Aside from these areas, Traverse Town also has a sewer system where Leon practices his swordplay and a back alley behind the hotel. |
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==Wonderland== |
==Wonderland== |
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[[Image:Queencastle.jpg|thumb|left|The Queen's Castle in Wonderland]] |
[[Image:Queencastle.jpg|thumb|left|The Queen's Castle in Wonderland]] |
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Revision as of 00:52, 6 May 2007
Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series features an outer space-like world map with numerous self-contained worlds to explore over the course of play. Many of these worlds are based on animated Disney movies though Kingdom Hearts II introduced some worlds based on live action Disney films. Sora's first journey takes him through each world to lock their keyholes and prevent the Heartless from destroying them. On his trip through Castle Oblivion, he revisits memory based versions of many of these worlds. In Kingdom Hearts II, Sora helps the residents of these worlds again in search of his friend Riku. These worlds are visited via Gummi Ship save the 100 Acre Wood, Castle Oblivion, Timeless River and Space Paranoids.
Destiny Islands
The Destiny Islands (デスティニーアイランド, Desutinī Airando) are featured in all three games, though unplayable in Kingdom Hearts II. They form an original world created for the Kingdom Hearts series. This is where Sora, Riku, Kairi, and their friends Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie grew up.
The islands are an archipelago that consists of several land masses, the smallest of which is the island where the children go to play. Close enough to the main islands to be reached by small boats, this is an idyllic haven for Sora and his friends to get away from adults and enjoy the island sunshine. The keyhole of the islands is located here in a small cave which Riku discovered as a boy. The main island is a regular town with a school. A superstition of the island is the power of the paopu fruit which is said to bind together the destinies of any two people who share one.
The world is enveloped by the darkness in the beginning of Kingdom Hearts, but is resorted after the sealing of the door to Kingdom Hearts at the end.
Disney Castle
Disney Castle (ディズニーキャッスル, Dizunī Kyassuru) is the home to many classic Disney characters including Mickey, Donald and Goofy. It is based on various castles created throughout Disney's history, particularly the ones found in Disney's logo and Sleeping Beauty Castle. Disney Castle was originally meant to be playable in Kingdom Hearts and its icon appears on the world map but the area was removed due to time constraints. It was added as a playable world in Kingdom Hearts II.
Disney Castle is a peaceful kingdom ruled by King Mickey, a wise and kind ruler, and his queen, Minnie Mouse. Many different people reside in this realm, but all are kept happy and safe by the benevolent monarchy. Unfortunately for the kingdom, Mickey has been absent for more than a year, having left without warning at the outset of the first wave of the Heartless. Life continues under the guidance of Queen Minnie and her lady-in-waiting, Daisy Duck, who watch over the land in the king's absence. The world is protected by the Cornerstone of Light, a magical artifact, from darkness, but in the Kingdom Hearts 2, it is threatened by darkness, which allows the Heartless to invade it.
Timeless River
Based on Steamboat Willie and other early Disney cartoons of that era, Timeless River (タイムレス・リバー, Taimuresu Ribā) is the "past" of Disney Castle, shortly before it was built. This world is accessed via the door Merlin created in the Hall of the Cornerstone chamber in Kingdom Hearts II.
The world has many throwback effects including intentionally poor sound quality to imitate old cartoons. In this grayscale world, Sora's character model is simplified to the sstyle of early cartoons, while Goofy and Donald Duck revert to their original designs from when they first appeared in Disney cartoons. Past versions of many Disney characters also appear including Pete and King Mickey, who Pete refers to as the "boat-boy king", a reference to his previous employment on Pete's steamboat. Timeless River also contains reenactments of some popular Mickey Mouse cartoons with locations such as Lilliput and Scene of the Fire.
Traverse Town
Traverse Town (トラヴァースタウン, Toravāsu Taun) is an original world featured in Kingdom Hearts, acting as a Headquarters of sorts for Sora during his journey. Its architecture is reminiscent of the High Victorian Gothic style popular in England during the 19th century. Shrouded in perpetual nighttime, Traverse Town was created from fragments of the worlds destroyed by the Heartless. It serves as a home for people who manage to escape the destruction of their own worlds by unknowingly drifting through "corridors of darkness".
Traverse Town is separated into three major districts. The First District is generally devoid of Heartless and houses the synthesis and accessory shops, as well as a gummi item shop. There is also a coffeehouse area and mailbox. The world exit is located here. The Second District contains the bell tower, a gizmo shop and a small hotel. The world's keyhole is located in the fountain in this district. It also has the entrance to the Dalmatians' house. The Heartless that appear here aren't very strong, but there is a lot of them. The Third District is a plaza that has been overrun with Heartless. This district leads to a guarded alcove where Merlin lives. It also is where Leon and his allies have their secret hideout. This area contains the more strong Heartless. Aside from these areas, Traverse Town also has a sewer system where Leon practices his swordplay and a back alley behind the hotel.
Wonderland
Wonderland (ワンダーランド, Wandārando), based on Disney's thirteenth animated feature, Alice in Wonderland, is featured in Kingdom Hearts as one of the first worlds visited on Sora's journey. It is a whimsical world of unreliable physics and irrefutable illogic. Its colorful inhabitants seem to speak in riddles and code. Wonderland is ruled by the despotic Queen of Hearts.
The most dominant feature of Wonderland's entrance is the Bizarre Room. Many of the items here can be pushed flat into the walls and strange potions here can change Sora's size. The next area is the Queen's Castle where most of her courtly functions are carried out. A verdant hedgemaze surrounds this area. Connected to the courtyard is the Lotus Forest, where flowers talk and trees move for inexplicable reasons. Near the rear of the forest is the Tea Party Garden where an extravagant feast is laid out for seemingly no one. Throughout the world are hidden entrances to the Bizarre Room which have irrational effects on the direction of its gravity.
Olympus Coliseum
Olympus Coliseum (オリンポスコロシアム, Orinposu Koroshiamu) is featured in Kingdom Hearts and returns in Kingdom Hearts II. It is based on Disney's thirty-fifth animated feature, Hercules. The Coliseum is protected by the might of Hercules and antagonized by the wily Hades. Sora trains here and can compete in various tournaments.
Olympus Coliseum is rather sparse in Kingdom Hearts, consisting of only the main entrance, a lobby and the coliseum itself. In Kingdom Hearts II, Hades opens a portal to the Underworld near the exit of the Coliseum. The Underworld consists of its own "lobby" which is one boat ride across the river Styx to the Underdrome, the Underworld's equivalent to the Coliseum, the Lost Road to the Lock and the Cave of the Dead which leads to Hades' Chamber. All of these Underworld areas are infested with Heartless, as well as mysterious white puffs of smoke.
Deep Jungle
Deep Jungle (ディープジャングル, Dīpu Janguru) is based on Disney's thirty-seventh animated feature, Tarzan, and is featured in Kingdom Hearts. It is a lush tropical forest of diverse animals and exotic plants. The primary inhabitants of this world are gorillas, who live in the secretive corners of the jungle and resist intrusion. An exploratory party has arrived to study them but its guide, Clayton, has other plans. The jungle is also home to hippos and other jungle creatures, including the Heartless' mimicry of the local animals. Travelling in this world is done by climbing up trees and jumping onto vines.
Much of the world is covered with dense jungle but some areas have signs of civilized inhabitance. There is an abandoned treehouse near the canopy that contains the remains of a previous visitor to the world. Also, the camp set up by Clayton contains many conveniences including stoves and slide projectors. The Bamboo Thicket near the camp ultimately leads to the beautiful Waterfall Cave, a secluded place that hides the world's keyhole.
Agrabah
Agrabah (アグラバー, Agurabā) is an arid desert city featured in Kingdom Hearts and revisited in Kingdom Hearts II. It is based on the fictional city of Disney's thirty-first animated feature, Aladdin. Agrabah's hot climate disguises a world of intrigue, both magical and political, as an evil sorcerer schemes to usurp the throne from the sultan of the realm. Little is as it seems in this world as it gets turned upside down through the antics of a certain genie.
The city of Agrabah is primarily made of humble adobe buildings though the magnificent palace appears to be carved from marble. It seems that the regular hustle and bustle of the city has been driven off by the Heartless' appearance, leaving the streets eerily empty. Just outside the city walls are the infinite sands of the desert. The desert itself hides many secrets including the Cave of Wonders and the ruins of an ancient civilization, as well as the occasional mechanical relic of said civilization.
Monstro
Monstro (モンストロ, Monsutoro) is an enormous whale from Disney's second animated feature, Pinocchio and is featured in Kingdom Hearts. Monstro is not a world unto himself and thus has no keyhole. Rather, his belly is large enough to serve as a substitute world, filled with luminescent acid and blubber and with Heartless. Monstro is a hazard to interworld travelers; he swims through the dimensional drift between worlds as if it were water, attacking and swallowing any vessel that passes his way.
Monstro escaped from the world of Geppetto and Pinocchio just before it was destroyed by the Heartless. Geppetto finds himself inside Monstro's belly while searching for his "son," Pinocchio. Monstro's anatomically disoriented insides consist of two major parts. His enormous mouth contains many of the ships he has swallowed over the years, including Geppetto's. His throat leads to his Heartless-filled intestines, which are a sickly purple color with vessels and valves separating the body cavities.
100 Acre Wood
The 100 Acre Wood (100エーカーの森, Hyaku Ēkā no Mori) is an optional world based on the fictional locale of author A. A. Milne and Disney's twenty-second animated feature, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The world takes the form of a magical book located in Merlin's house. As Sora collects Torn Pages, new areas of the 100 Acre Wood become available as the story is retold.
When Sora "enters the book", he lands on a version of the flat map of the 100 Acre Wood featured in many Pooh books. Classic locations such as Pooh's and Piglet's House appear as well as the Muddy Path and Spooky Cave. In each location is usually a minigame with nominally worthwhile prizes which help Sora on his journey.
The book is first given to Sora by Cid near the beginning of Kingdom Hearts and he collects Torn Pages throughout the game until he finds and seals the 100 Acre Wood's keyhole. Along the way, he makes friends with each of the Wood's inhabitants, particularly Winnie the Pooh, with whom he plays a Christopher Robin-like role. In Kingdom Hearts II Merlin moves to Hollow Bastion and takes the book with him. When Sora returns, he excitedly enters the book to check up on his friends. While he is greeting Pooh, he is suddenly ejected from the book as the Heartless try to steal it. During the battle to recover the book, it is damaged. Upon return, Sora finds Pooh with severe amnesia, unable to remember him. Sora then continues to find Torn Pages which slowly restore Pooh's memory. Shortly after fully repairing the book, Sora admits that he has to leave again but reassures Pooh that they will always be in each other's hearts.
Atlantica
Atlantica (アトランティカ, Atorantika), based on Disney's twenty-eighth animated feature, The Little Mermaid, is an underwater kingdom introduced in Kingdom Hearts and revisited in Kingdom Hearts II. Ruled by King Triton and his powerful magic trident, its inhabitants are mermaids and sea creatures. While here, Sora's legs become a dolphin's tail, Donald's legs become octopus tentacles and Goofy's body becomes that of a sea turtle. In Kingdom Hearts II there is no battling in Atlantica, it only serves as a musical world.
The main city of Atlantica is the only "constructed" area, made of what appears to be coral and other underwater vegetation. King Triton's chamber can be found here. Outside the city is the Undersea Gorge, which is a sort of hub to other areas. Here can be found Ariel's Grotto, a secret place where Princess Ariel stores her human artifacts. Also, a path from here leads to a rotting sunken ship that has become the home to many sea creatures. A more sinister area of the sea can be accessed from here: the Den of Tides and the sea witch Ursula's lair.
Halloween Town
Halloween Town (ハロウィンタウン, Harowin Taun) is an eternally dark village featured in Kingdom Hearts and returns in Kingdom Hearts II. It is based on Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, a stop motion animated film released by Touchstone Pictures. The residents of Halloween Town are obsessed with their eponymous holiday and each year, they seek to outdo the last year's celebration. Though it has a mayor, the de facto leader of Halloween Town is the Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington. Using Donald's magic, Sora, Donald and Goofy disguise themselves as spooky characters to blend in with the Halloween Town folk.
Halloween Town's nexus is Guillotine Square, which has entrances to Dr. Finklestein's lab, Jack Skellington's house and the Graveyard. The Graveyard has been overrun by Halloween-themed Heartless and leads to Moonlight Hill. A secret switch in Moonlight Hill allows access to Oogie Boogie's Manor. The back of the Graveyard also houses a forest called the Hinterlands. Here, several trees with strange symbols lead to other holiday-themed towns. The most prominent is Christmas Town, where Santa Claus lives and has his workshop.
In the Final Mix version of Kingdom Hearts II, Sora's Halloween outfit is replaced by a Christmas outfit. It is a mixture of both Christmas and Halloween themes. Sora wears a black Santa suit with red ribbons wrapped around his legs, while still supporting his dark Halloween makeup. Donald and Goofy also receive new Christmas outfits with Donald having the appearance of a snowman, whilst Goofy has the appearance of a reindeer.
Neverland
Neverland (ネバーランド, Nebārando) is a world featured in Kingdom Hearts, based on locations from Disney's fourteenth animated feature, Peter Pan and author J. M. Barrie's fictional island. Anything is possible in Neverland, as long as there is enough belief to make it true. Peter Pan sneaks aboard Captain Hook's ship in order to save his friend, Wendy, whom Captain Hook had captured, believing her to be a Princess of Heart.
Although the world is officially called "Neverland", there are no signs of the timeless island where people do not age. Instead, it primarily consists of Captain Hook's ship, the cabins and decks therein. Also accessible is a large clock tower which Wendy refers to as "Big Ben".
Hollow Bastion
Hollow Bastion (ホロウバスティオン, Horō Basution) is an original world created for the Kingdom Hearts series which serves as the home to many Final Fantasy characters who appear in the series. It is also one of the most important worlds to the storyline because its scope is not limited by a Disney movie. In addition to its role in Kingdom Hearts as the location of the "final Keyhole", it serves as the hub world of Kingdom Hearts II.
Hollow Bastion is dominated by a castle which, now derelict, once was the world's seat of power. The castle gate is accessed through a moving platform in the Rising Falls. Underneath the entrance are the Waterways which provide plumbing throughout the castle. The Entrance Hall of the castle is directly through its imposing marble doors. A library is here, containing knowledge collected by its former scientists. Also accessible from the Entrance Hall is the Lift Stop, a complex series of elevators which provide transportation to different parts of the castle. Its peculiar construction forces travelers to exit to an exterior portion of the castle called the Great Crest in order to reach the Castle Chapel. The chapel segues to the Grand Hall, the location of the final Keyhole which can only be completed with the help of the seven Princesses of Heart.
Aside from the castle itself, there is a town at its foot which is the base of operations for the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee in Kingdom Hearts II. This town contains a marketplace and borough which lead to the castle bailey. Merlin also relocates here after departing from Traverse Town. Branching from the bailey are two paths. One takes the Ravine Trail through a valley to a bluff with a vista of the Hollow Bastion castle. The other goes through the Reconstruction Site to the Postern at the base of the castle. A previously unknown entrance here leads to Ansem's Study and his computer room.
Hollow Bastion was once a peaceful kingdom called the Radiant Garden (レイディアントガーデン, Reidianto Gāden), ruled by Ansem the Wise. In his thirst for knowledge, he began studying the darkness in people's hearts, with six apprentices, including Xehanort. Ansem grew wary of the experiments and stopped them. Unknown to him, his apprentices continued his work, producing the Heartless from hearts that were overwhelmed by darkness. A chain of events led to Ansem the Wise being banished, Xehanort splitting into two beings, and the world overwhelmed by darkness. Empty, the castle was later adopted by Maleficent as a headquarters.
In Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, a new area has been created called Cavern of Remembrance. The most notable part of this new area is a pit with thirteen gates, each with a silhouette of the weapons of all Organization XIII members, leading to a data-based rematch against those members.
Space Paranoids
Space Paranoids (スペース・パラノイド, Supēsu Paranoido) is a world inspired by the 1982 live-action science fiction cult film, Tron. Sora & Co. get immersed into a computer world to find clues regarding the past of Hollow Bastion and a caption they found behind Xehanort's portrait in Ansem's Study saying Door To Darkness a.k.a. D.T.D, fighting alongside Tron to defeat the evil MCP and its equally villainous commander, Sark. There is also a Light Cycle mini-game which strongly deviates from the original game. The term Space Paranoids comes from one of the games Kevin Flynn created in Tron. Tron can join Sora, Donald and Goofy when they enter into the system.
Space Paranoids is only playable in Kingdom Hearts II, and is the most important Disney world story-wise. Tron at one point mentions that Space Paranoids was copied from an existing world designed by ENCOM, the company from the original film. It can be assumed that the Space Paranoids in Kingdom Hearts II exists alongside the original (though Tron said that the original was deleted).
End of the World
End of the World (エンド・オブ・ザ・ワールド, Endo obu za Wārudo) is the final world in Kingdom Hearts. This world is made out of the worlds that lost their hearts to the Heartless. It is also the home of Chernabog, the huge winged demon from the Fantasia segment "Night on Bald Mountain". Tetsuya Nomura referenced it as the "Nobody" of worlds. This is supported by the fact that Heartless only want the heart of a world, so once they take the heart and the citizens travel through the corridors of darkness, the physical world itself is destroyed and sent to End of the World, thus the name "End of the World", as it signifies that a world has ended.
The World Terminus is also located here, which gives the Heartless access to the corridors of darkness leading to other worlds.
Castle Oblivion
Castle Oblivion (忘却の城, Bōkyaku no Shiro) is a mysterious fortress featured in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. The castle itself is thirteen floors high and twelve basements deep. The lord of the castle is Marluxia, a newer member of Organization XIII. The castle is decorated with a rose motif because Marluxia is a master of the flower element.
Castle Oblivion is dominated by the use of cards. When entering the castle, one's memories and abilities are quantified into cards. Because of peculiar construction, Castle Oblivion's floors can be transmuted into different forms and layouts through the use of "world cards" derived from one's memories, as well as "map cards" which determine the properties of individual rooms.
World cards based on Agrabah, Olympus Coliseum, Wonderland, Monstro, Atlantica, Halloween Town, Neverland, 100 Acre Wood, Traverse Town, Hollow Bastion, Destiny Islands and Twilight Town have been created from Sora's and Riku's memories.
Twilight Town
Twilight Town (トワイライトタウン, Towairaito Taun) was briefly introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, in which Sora explored the memories of the other side of his heart. By Kingdom Hearts II, it is a major part in the story where Hayner, Pence, and Olette reside.[1] DiZ created a simulation of the town and its people to keep Roxas in a false sense of security and away from Organization XIII until Sora's restoration was complete. Roxas is playable only in this world.
Twilight Town is split into two parts, the shopping district and the residential district, with a train that connects the two. There is also a huge clock tower in the middle of the town that is part of a train station. This gigantic station is on top of a hill that overlooks the shopping district. The trains from here head to the ocean as well as the Sunset residential district. The clock tower is seen as the symbol of Twilight Town and is loved by its citizens. Toward the end of summer vacation, the station sets up a campaign of free use of the trains, so the station becomes filled with children.
Following on, in Twilight Town the player is introduced to the second playable character of Kingdom Hearts II, Roxas. He hangs out with the rest of his friends in a little place near the shopping district. At this place we can see sunlight coming in from the cracks. Originally, it seems to have been a passageway, but is now a hideout for Hayner and his friends, Olette and Pence. They've brought a lot of stuff into this place. From the cracks in the ceiling, you can see part of the train tracks, and sometimes you can hear the train as it passes by.
In the middle of the shopping district, there is a large Tram Plaza. There are plenty of stores here, including an accessory shop, as well as lots of houses lined up. The tram that travels through the plaza is a very important vehicle, and the citizens use it often. Around the suburbs of the town is Sunset Residential District. This place overlooks the ocean. Streetlamps line a small river that passes through the middle of the district, and not too many people are seen walking around. This area has Sunset Station, where the train from Central Station takes you, and Sunset Hill, where you can seen the most beautiful sunset in town. The monument on top of the hill is a tribute to the building of the clock tower.
Within the world of Twilight Town is also the Tower, the residence of Yen Sid and Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. The Tower is located on something of an island in space, and is only reachable through a special train, colored blue with golden stars and adorned with a large wizard's hat. Yen Sid explains the Heartless, Nobodies and Organization XIII in detail to Sora, Donald and Goofy here. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, also create Sora's new outfit, granting him the power of Drive. Maleficent is revived here, and Pete is also met for the first time.
Roxas and Hayner later enter a mid-summer tournament at the Sandlot of Twilight Town called "the Struggle" in which he must face off against several others. The battles are one-on-one, and the basic premise is to pick up little orbs that the opponent drops. The popularity of the event is enormous. Other competitors taking part include Seifer Almasy, who is with Raijin and Fujin from Final Fantasy VIII, Setzer Gabbiani from Final Fantasy VI and Vivi Orunitia from Final Fantasy IX. Also lurking around at the time of the competition is Axel, who briefly fights with Roxas.
On the outskirts of the town is a mysterious large mansion. Going from the Tram Plaza, the player has to pass through a forest to get here. The gate is locked, and it seems impossible to enter or leave, but there are rumors of 2 shadows being seen in the second floor windows. DiZ transported Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy who were in the process of restoring the memory lost before the events of Castle Oblivion to the basement of the mansion to speed up the process for his revenge against Organization XIII. It is revealed later in the game that the portal to the final world of the game, the World That Never Was, was actually hidden under the basement of this mansion in the Twllight Town simulation.
Twilight Town has plenty of jobs to offer Roxas, including mini-games that feature delivering letters on a skateboard, in addition to placing posters.
Beast's Castle
Beast's Castle (ビーストキャッスル, Bīsuto Kyassuru) is an ornate chateau based on the castle of Disney's thirtieth animated feature, Beauty and the Beast. It is featured in Kingdom Hearts II as one of the first worlds visited on Sora's journey. Despite its large size, the castle is inhabited only by the Beast himself, along with his servants who have been turned into objects suited to their jobs and personalities by an enchantress' spell.
The Land of Dragons
The Land of Dragons (ザ・ランド・オブ・ドラゴン, Za Rando obu Doragon) is an imperial kingdom featured in Kingdom Hearts II and based on Disney's thirty-sixth animated feature, Mulan. After a border skirmish heralds the impending invasion by the Huns, the country rapidly prepares for war, conscripting young men from every family. Unfortunately, the dark heart of the leader of the Huns, Shan-Yu, has allowed him to take control of the Heartless and lead them in his invasion.
The Land of Dragons has an oriental atmosphere, characterized by harmony with nature. The Bamboo Grove provides a serene environment which is only disturbed by the impending war. The Encampment is the center of military activity in the area. The Checkpoint leads to both the Imperial City and a mountain village. The summit of the snow-capped mountain is the entryway for invading armies.
Pride Land
Pride Land (プライド・ランド, Puraido Rando) is a savanna world based on Disney's thirty-second animated feature, The Lion King. It was originally considered for inclusion in Kingdom Hearts but the game's engine could not correctly handle a quadripedal animal as the player, so it was moved to Kingdom Hearts II. After the death of the previous king, Mufasa, his deceitful brother Scar took the throne. Since then, the Pride Land has seen a steady decline in living conditions, due to his poor rule. While in Pride Land, Sora is transformed into a lion cub, Donald becomes a hornbill bird and Goofy takes the body of a tortoise.
Pride Land is dominated by a large central savannah area which branches off in three directions. To the north is Pride Rock, home of the lions and the seat of the world's political power. The area southwest of the savannah is where outcasts from Pride Rock, such as the hyenas, live. The skeletons of several large elephants earns this area its nickname, the Elephant Graveyard. Southeast of the savannah are the Wastelands, an arid desert of little life. Beyond the Wastelands, however, is a lush oasis.
Port Royal
Port Royal (ポートロイヤル, Pōto Roiyaru) is a port with surrounding waters, based on Disney's live action film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and featured in Kingdom Hearts II. A local legend tells of a fearsome pirate ship called the Black Pearl with a crew of undead pirates led by Captain Barbossa. Another legend is of a grand Aztec treasure hoard of eight-hundred and eighty-two pieces which curses those who disturb it with eternal un-life.
Port Royal, named after the eponymous town in real life, is a well-defended port city in a mysterious sea called the Caribbean. The town is mostly deserted because of the appearance of the Heartless but the ramparts are still well-equipped to fight off any pirate threats. The mystical island of Aztec treasure, Isla de Muerta, cannot be found except by those who already know its location. The Ship Graveyard is the last major feature of the sea. The waters around this area are especially treacherous, rightfully earning its name.
The World That Never Was
The World That Never Was (存在しなかった世界, Sonzaishinakatta Sekai), introduced in Kingdom Hearts II, is home to Organization XIII, and is situated next to the realm of darkness.
The most distinct feature of this world is that is appears to be in a state of eternal night and a large moon shaped like a heart, Kingdom Hearts, continually shines in the sky. It also houses the headquarters to Organization XIII, the Castle That Never Was, which is portrayed as a huge white castle decorated with the emblem of the Nobodies.
References
- ^ Kingdom Hearts II; Piggyback Interactive Limited. September 2006, ISBN 978-1-903511-89-3.
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