To be honest, I have received a lot of flak for loving Kingdom Hearts games, especially when I lived with roommates. No one could understand how I took the game seriously with characters like Donald and Goofy talking with their silly voices all the time. I don't really understand how I do it either! I just can't help but love these games!
It was over three years ago that I played through Kingdom Hearts II the first time, so it's hard for me to remember exactly what I thought about the events in the game during that first play through. I do know that I didn't care for Roxas and all I knew about Axel came from Chain of Memories, so I knew him as a cool badass. Learning in Kingdom Hearts II that Axel and Roxas were best friends just sounded weird. At that point in the series Axel had never presented himself as a "best friends" type of guy. It didn't help that Axel loses his temper all too easily with a best friend who has clearly been brainwashed and has no memory of him, making it even harder for me embrace the idea of the two being best friends. So, the first time I played the game I had absolutely no qualms with Roxas beating up Axel. Needless to say, it was different this time. I felt guilty and sad about how their story together had to end.
Playing as Roxas was a completely different experience as well. This time I knew Roxas was doomed. The "good guys" needed him to bring back Sora which would result in his nonexistence, and the only people who wanted him alive were the "bad guys." I felt an enourmous amount of guilt playing through Roxas' last days of life knowing that if he just went with Organization XIII he would be allowed to live! His last few days weren't even happy, they were full of confusion and strange occurrences.
As was expected, the first couple of hours of Kingdom Hearts II were reminiscent of events in 358/2 Days. You progressed through a series of days, just like in 358/2 Days; Roxas and his friends sat on top of the clock tower, ate sea salt ice cream together, and talked about going to the beach but never managed to make it there; and the idea of never being separated as long as you're in each other's hearts came up. There were countless other small details that tied to the prequel as well. It seems as though DiZ based this imaginary world off of Roxas' own memories, something that no one would have been able to identify when playing the game before the release of 358/2 Days.
So the last day came and Sora woke from his sleep. The last time I played through this part of the game, I rejoiced! It was bitter sweet this time around. Poor Roxas. It's almost like 358/2 Days was made just to upset everybody! Or maybe just me. It's kind of absurd how attached I have become to the protagonist of a game I didn't even truly enjoy until the last couple of hours!
The first Kingdom Hearts is one of my favorite games, despite the issues with the camera. I was very skeptical at first. I love Final Fantasy and the Disney characters, but at the time, I wasn't to sure what the mix would bring. To be honest, most of my friends, family, and wife thought the whole thing would be silly.
ReplyDeleteMuch to my pleasant surprise, I enjoyed it all, even finding every dalmatian so I could see the special ending.
Word came out about a sequel, and I couldn't wait. I pretty much avoided all of the spoilers and previews as to not spoil the experience. I played the first one, mostly oblivious to what had been put on line.
As luck would have it, I had a rare evening to myself when I picked up my copy of Kingdom Hearts 2. In went the disc, and my first reaction was "Who is this Roxas person, where is Sora, and what on earth is going on?" Some of those questions got answered during the game, though on several occasions, I nearly quit playing altogether. What pulled me in was having Mickey as a playable character this time.I really wanted to know what he had been up to.
Gradually, the game settled down, and felt more like Kingdom Hearts. The camera angle was improved over the first game (still not perfect). I was a little disappointed that the Final Fantasy characters took more of a back seat this time around, but I liked the new worlds and the return of some old favorites. The Gummi Ship mini games were actually fun this time around. Overall, I concluded that it was a decent experience, but I still like the first one better.
Yet something was missing. There was just something missing to the story being told in KH 2. And I did not understand the secret ending.
Other RPGs that needed playing came along (FF12, Oblivion, Persona 3 and 4, etc), so the world of Kingdom Hearts fell off my radar. Late last year, someone pointed me to your box art work video, and I've been reading your Kingdom Hearts posts, so that feeling of missing something makes sense now.
Will I go back and play Chain of Memories and 358/2 Days? I'm not crazy about handhelds. The first has been long ported to the PS2, and is easy to find. My son has essentially dropped playing his DS in favor of NHL on the 360 and Sidney Crosby this and Sid the Kid that.
Yet, I will probably pass on playing both games for now (Well, nothing new gets started until I finish Dragon Age). So keep up the blogging. Your retrospective blog was a good read.
Hi there! I just found your website about a week ago and have checked out a good portion of it. you now have another fan :P
ReplyDeleteI unfortunately have not gotten around to play 358/2 Days yet. I do have it on my DS Flash Card though. >_> <_< I hope to play it one of these days soon. I heard some negative stuff about it, but it's KH. Can't be that bad.
I know how you feel with your friends bashing these games. Whenever I tried to convince buddies to play it, all I got from them was "Lol Donald & Goofy" or something equally obnoxious! They are really fun games. All they see is the Disney characters, and it is rather unfortunate. I never finished the first KH, but got to the very end. I much preferred the 2nd game even though the story was pretty convoluted. For all their flaws they are some fun games. That is what games are all about anyhow!
Anyways... I just wanted to pop in and say "Hi!" and keep up the great work. I look forward to you new videos and blog entries! Cheers!~
I've been wanting to replay KH2 for the longest, but I don't have a PS2, Rinry! It makes me...saaad. ;__;
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I also get mocked for taking the series somewhat seriously. That said, I think the Disney portions of the games are the reason I love the series. Such a nice contrast to all the sorrow and agony. The bland and empty worlds in 358/2 Days is the reason I never bothered to play the game. Looks....ugh.
I really wish I got into Kingdom Hearts just like all my friends did. I was one of the few people who never had a PS2. Never really cared for the controller. (Oddly enough, I liked the Gamecube controller though.) I use to have an original PlayStation, but I always prefered my N64.
ReplyDeleteI think it's safe to say It will be a while before I decide to play a Kingdom Hearts game, though I really do want to.
How badly am I missing out?
I felt bad for Roxas in my second KH II Playtrough, even though I never played 358/2.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of Kingdom Hearts as well...A lot of my friends bash the game and bash how seriously I take the story line, But I felt bad for Roxas during my first playthrough of KHII.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think Square does well is just to have a crap tonne of likeable characters, and you really end up getting attached to them...you care whats going to happen.
I admit the first time I played KH I was skeptical, but a friend of mine convinced me that purchasing the game was the way to go, I've never looked back.
It's also a good mix of Shojo and Shonen...which makes me happy inside.
I am agree with you. KHII is a great game especially the part with Roxas, more interesting for me.
ReplyDeleteWhen i have payed with Sora, i felt a different atmosphere...
PS : I have discovered your blog and i like it. And i write this from France!! ^^
Continue. ;)
I had a hard time feeling sorry for Roxas the first time I played it. I'm positive that this is tied to the fact that I had just finished playing CoM and was incredibly impatient to find out what was going to happen to Sora. So, I rushed through the first couple of hours, confused and unhappy about the lack of insight the game was giving me! Had I played through the game again without playing 358/2 Days, I'm sure I would have had more compassion for Roxas anyway. Poor guy!
ReplyDelete@cybercylon
I was never a fan of handlhelds either, up until a year or so ago. Once I got my first DS Lite, I became hooked!
@Antman
Aww... no PS2? I'm actually on my third, they just keep dying!
@TimesHero
I would say you're missing out :p The games have really fun and exciting combat, visiting the Disney worlds is cool, and Sora is a a bright, happy protagonist, which is a refreshing change from all the gloomy heroes of late.
Wait. How do your PS2s keep dying?! Send me your current one before it meets the same fate! Quickly!!!
ReplyDeleteHahah :) I'm NICE to my PS2's... I don't get it! I guess if think about it, I've gone through three PS2's in ten years, so that's really not all that bad. The biggest problem I've had is with the first player controller port, they've stopped working on me multiple times. Sometimes it was repairable, sometimes it wasn't!
ReplyDeleteI've gotta say I was exactly in the same boat as you during my first play through of these games. My roommate game me unmitigated flak for running around with Donald and Goofy and hanging out with Jasmin.
ReplyDeleteRegardless the Kingdom Hearts series will sit very high on my list for years to come.
Now I need to go pick up 358/2 days....
At least PS2's don't die like PS1's did for me. I think I had 2 PS2's over 8 years. I had gone through ELEVEN PS1's! I would just swap them out as faulty returns though! This was before they started doing all the tracking of serial numbers :(
ReplyDeleteLet's not get into xbox 360's. I think I'm on my 4th :<
Rinry, I don't know why, but when you said you're nice to your PS2s, I imagined you petting one and it spontaneously exploding.
ReplyDeleteWas there any chance that one of your dead PS2 models was a Slim PS2? I ask, because I recently bought a Slim PS2, and I would become extremely paranoid if I knew that it could fail on me.
ReplyDeleteI only recently got a Slim PS2, all the others that failed were big fatties :)
ReplyDeleteI'm actually playing the original Kingdom Hearts for the first time. Initially I felt it was terribly rigid, tough to control, and lame (best word I can think of... I am pretty embarassed to turn it on at my age)- and I couldn't tell what to do or where to go, so I was always running around aimlessly fighting the same heartless to no end. I later figured out that this was exactly what I was supposed to do. The magic mechanics are confusing, and I always seem to die right as I'm throwing that potion up into the air.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm diligent and I've stuck it out through all the frustration because I know a lot of people really think a lot of this franchise, and its certainly growing on me the more I play. It's aligned with the type of games I like- variety, environmental puzzles, and strategic combat. I think as far as action RPG's go, KH executes the best I've seen.
However, I play in the middle of the night when there is no one around to watch. I can't help but be ashamed every time Donald talks.
I'm not sure if I'll pick up KHII or KH358/2
@rinry
ReplyDeleteI've lucked out as the PS2 I play on is the same one I got at it's launch. It still even reads bluebacks.
Can't say the same for 360 reliability.
Oh, I see. Perhaps I can rest a bit easier now.
ReplyDeleteRinry...I have a ps2 fat and I have had that one for almost 10 years now...But I guess some people just have bad luck I suppose.
ReplyDeleteHow do you like your slim though? And do you think it would be more worth it to hunt down a ps3 with decent backwards compatibility?
@youllbejustfine
ReplyDeleteAww.. I wish you were having a better time with the game! Are you using shortcut keys for your magic and potions?? If not, they do make using them a lot easier. I perfectly understand about playing the game in the middle of the night though ;) I think I actually played a lot of the second game with headphones on!
@OmegaDragonX
I'm loving the Slim. I am still always marveling at how small it is!! It hasn't given me any problems, and I love how you can eject a disc without turning it on.
I don't know how hard it is to track down a PS3 with backwards compatibility, but I've heard that there are some small problems with the backwards compatibility. I don't mind switching between the two systems at all, and PS2's are REALLY cheap now and easy to find used.
@OmegaDragonX
ReplyDeleteRegarding the backwards compatibility of the PS3, check out this page: http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/CompatibleStatus
Input the game you are interested in and it will show you whether it's playable or not on both the hardware and the software backwards compatibility. The 20 and 60 GB models are the hardware compatibility, while the 80 GB models are the software compatibility. Take note that the 20/60 GB models were not released on Europe, so your only option there is the 80 GB model.
But, damn, those non-slim Playstation 3 models are huge! I think it would take less space if you actually put a Slim PS2 and a Slim PS3 together than this Dinosaur. Plus, it could always end up less expensive. Maybe.