Kingdom Hearts

Kingdom Hearts Logo

Kingdom Hearts Logo

Kingdom Hearts (キングダムハーツ, Kingudamu Hātsu) is a series of role-playing games made by Square Enix and Buena Vista Games, for the Sony PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Game Boy Advance.

It is a crossover of "alternate" Disney universes set in a multiverse made specifically for the series. A number of Final Fantasy characters make an appearance in the series, as well. The three games have been directed by Tetsuya Nomura, who also made all the conceptual artwork for them.

Tetsuya Nomura has recently confirmed that there series will be worked on a great deal in 2007, suggesting further announcements would be made in the middle of the year. It has been speculated that "Kingdom Hearts III" may be announced, as well as possibly a movie or anime series.

History

The peculiar origins of Kingdom Hearts came about when the producer, Shinji Hashimoto, met a Disney executive in an elevator. Square and the Japanese wing of Disney worked out of the same Tokyo office. When A Bug's Life was released, SquareSoft's President saw the movie and thought that after many years of watching Disney movies, he could make them more adult-friendly. He met with Roy E. Disney and they had many ideas to release a game involving a new Square-designed character and some classic Disney characters such as Donald, Goofy, and Mickey. They agreed that Buena Vista and Square would make a short demo and if the company gave a good reaction, they would start production on an actual game. The demo was met with a great impression, as if it was a new installment of the Final Fantasy series. At a second meeting, the two parties agreed to include some SquareSoft characters in the game. Two years later, the first playable demo was revealed at E3 and then released the following year.

Reaction

Originally, news of such an odd pairing for a video game met mixed reaction. Squaresoft 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 Final Fantasy game 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 older 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 (including older audiences and Final Fantasy fans), and it is now a well recognized franchise of its own. Because of this, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II were aimed at an older audience. In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and in Kingdom Hearts II, there were more intense scenes and the dialogue in the games seemed more mature as well.

Games

The series currently includes three games:

• Kingdom Hearts, originally released in Japan in 2002 for Sony PlayStation 2.
• Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, originally released in Japan in 2004 for Game Boy Advance.
• Kingdom Hearts II, originally released in Japan in 2005 for Sony PlayStation 2.

The first game in the series is Kingdom Hearts, for Sony PlayStation 2. Kingdom Hearts introduced the majority of main characters for the series and set up the plot framework involving hearts and Heartless. Released exclusively in Japan is the Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix which included a whole host of extras not included in its original release including a new fight scene between Cloud & Sephiroth (see the Kingdom Hearts section for more detail). The second game in the series is Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories 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. The third game, despite the name, is Kingdom Hearts II for Sony PlayStation 2. It furthered the "heart" concept by involving the Nobodies and "bodies". Also, a gaiden Kingdom Hearts game developed exclusively for mobile phones was released without as much hype as the main games.

It is unknown if there will be a next installment, however Tetsuya Nomura has stated he already has ideas for another installment ; a secret clip that appears to be a teaser trailer (called "Sunset Horizons") for the next adventure 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 this newest installment. Nomura did state that the Kingdom Hearts team would be taking a break from Kingdom Hearts for a while and work on Final Fantasy Versus XIII so it is unknown when news for this new installment will arise. He emphasized that the game will not be a numbered sequel (so what would supposedly be called "Kingdom Hearts III" will have a different title), nor will it be an "in-between game" like Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. It is possible that it will be a prequel. During Jump Festa '06, a trailer for Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ was shown and at the end the text " New Project starts in 2007" which was followed by a short video of the knight from the Sunset Horizons clip. This hints that production on the next installment may start in 2007, or that Nomura plans to release a preview of the game as early as that time.

In a 2006 issue of Disney Adventures, Nomura has stated that he is very interested in experimenting with the PSP's technology. He also considers a game of Kingdom Hearts on the PSP.

In the recent Tokyo Game Show it was confirmed that Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ is in the making. Final Mix+ will have an updated version of Kingdom Hearts II, just like the original Final Mix, but it will also include a bonus disc with a PlayStation 2 remake of Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts re:Chain of Memories, completely in 3D and with new voice acting.

In a recent Famitsu magazine issue, Nomura stated that there are multiple Kingdom Hearts projects in the works, though the platforms of said titles are currently unknown. He has stated that details about these projects would be revealed around Mid-2007, possibly during E3 in May.

Recurring Themes

Opening Sequence

The opening sequence to a Kingdom Hearts game is usually an FMV sequence. The scene is usually a dreamlike occurrence, oftentimes nonlinear in its storytelling and usually symbolizes or foreshadows events that will occur during the course of the game's storyline. In the original Kingdom Hearts, it is used to introduced the main three characters. The sequence in Chain of Memories depicts Sora and his encounted with a cloaked figure (later revealed to be Marluxia) and his discovery of and entrance into the enigmatic Castle Oblivion. Kingdom Hearts II's opening sequence was used to retell the events of Kingdom Hearts and Chain of Memories, displaying crucial moments from the game's prequels, as well as showing a few of the characters in their present stages. A noteworthy feature of the opening sequence is that it has no spoken dialogue between the characters, though they can be seen interacting with one another, their voices are unheard. In Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, the opening is accompanied by an original song by Japanese pop star Utada Hikaru. Simple and Clean (Hikari in the Japanese version) was used for Kingdom Hearts, while Sanctuary (Passion in the Japanese version) was used in Kingdom Hearts II. They are practically the same songs that are heard in the ending sequence, though they are far more upbeat than their counterparts.

Ending Sequence

Similar to the aformentioned openings, the ending sequences are usually FMV's, though they are used to depict the games' endings rather than their prologues. The ending sequences are far more linear in their storytelling than the opening sequences and feature spoken dialogue by the characters who are seen in them. In the Kingdom Hearts ending sequence, Sora and Kairi bid farewell to each other as Kairi finds herself unwillingly going back home to the Destiny Islands while Sora goes off to search for Riku. It also depicts the rebirth of the worlds that were annihilated by the Heartless; Chain of Memories ending sequence features a conversation between Sora and Naminé as the former prepares to enter his year-long slumber to regain his lost memories; the ending sequence of Kingdom Hearts II reveals Sora, Riku, and Kairi's long-awaited reunion on the Destiny Islands. More emotional sequences than the openings, the ending sequences implement the same songs as the opening sequences, though they are more slowly paced and down-beat to match the emotional tone of the scenes.

Gameplay and design

Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II are touted as "action RPGs", that is, they contain elements from both action games and role-playing games. The player is usually in control of a character named Sora who can walk, run and jump freely in an interactive 3D environment, as well as attack enemies and cast magic (among other abilities) in full real-time as opposed to the turn-based combat generally used in the RPG genre. Sora is usually accompanied by Donald Duck and Goofy, who are non-playable characters (NPCs) who aid Sora in battle. Their behavior can be altered to fit the player's needs. Defeating enemies results in gaining items, currency and "experience". The amount of experience is shared with all party members and each character grows stronger with the amount of experience gained.

Many role-playing game aspects are very familiar to fans of the Final Fantasy series. Various items, magic spells and characters, as well as the grand and dramatic story, are well recognized to fans. Major Disney influences are also present, such as the detailed character models and animations. A major draw of the Kingdom Hearts series is also the numerous appearances of Disney worlds and characters.

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 the manga, Donald tells Sora not to interfere with the worlds too much, since it would cause problems.

For the most part, Disney characters from one film never interact with Disney characters from another (with the exception of Mickey, Donald, Goofy, various villains and the summons). For instance, Tarzan can interact with Jane (as they both inhabit the world from Disney's Tarzan), but he cannot interact with Aladdin, who is from a different "world" (with the notable exceptions of the Princesses of Heart, Beast, Maleficent and Pete). This was one of the limitations Disney originally made clear to Square. Donald also reinforces this limitation by telling Sora that they can't reveal the existence of other worlds. More often in Kingdom Hearts II, however, certain Disney characters acknowledge other ones (Merlin is aware of Winnie the Pooh, etc.). Also in Kingdom Hearts II, a large number of the worlds now know there are more worlds out there besides their own (it is actually mentioned in some of the dialogue). Final Fantasy characters from different Final Fantasy games often interact with each other and Disney characters.

Final Fantasy in Kingdom Hearts

Compared to the Disney characters featured in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Final Fantasy characters are the least like their original counterparts. Many of the Final Fantasy characters featured have altered appearances and histories, a few even being much younger or older than their original counterparts. Tidus, Wakka and Selphie appear younger and Squall appears to be slightly older, for example.

Other changes to the Final Fantasy characters include the appearance of Yuna, Rikku, and Paine from Final Fantasy X-2 as small pixie-like creatures with wings, Auron's loss of sunglasses, and Cloud's and Sephiroth's wings.

Music

Background music was composed by Yoko Shimomura, of Street Fighter II, Parasite Eve, Super Mario RPG, and Legend of Mana fame. 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.

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.

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 main vocal themes (Hikari/Simple and Clean for KH and CoM and Passion/Sanctuary for KH2) are composed and performed by Utada Hikaru. Both theme songs reached notable popularity in Japan (on weekly Oricon charts, Hikari hit #1 in 2002, Passion hit #4 in 2005). Both games feature orchestral arrangements of their respective themes.

Versions of One-Winged Angel are also present in both KH and KH2. The KH version is almost a direct rip of the Ehrgeiz version, whereas the KH2 version is completely original. They play during the battles with Sephiroth in both games.

Manga Adaptations

A manga based on the Kingdom Hearts storyline written by Shiro Amano has been released by Tokyopop in the United States in 2005. There are manga series based on Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts II (still being serialized).

References

• KINGDOM HEARTS, PLAYSTATION2 2002 - SQUARE ENIX
• KINGDOM HEARTS CHAIN OF MEMORIES, GAMEBOY ADVANCE 2004 - SQUARE ENIX, JUPITER
• KINGDOM HEARTS II, PLAYSTATION2 2005 - SQUARE ENIX

External links

• Official website