an explosive mix
The spirit that beats under the Kingdom Hearts it is practically a winning bet, despite the fact that its trajectory can be called irregular. After a meteoric start with two absolutely colossal installments in just three years, and which were sales successes on PS2, the Japanese quickly relaxed and had us for quite a few years surviving only on the basis of portable versions and remakes of those developments for major consoles. , but without providing more value than the purely argumentative.
And it is that since the second installment arrived in 2005, until 2019 (14 years later!) we could only enjoy minor adaptations (except for the PSP one), HD versions and a half updates of the originals for Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS or Nintendo 3DS without squeezing the most out of the hardware of machines such as PS3, Xbox 360, PC and even PS4 and Xbox One for which Kingdom Hearts III, for example, he arrived when the reign of his generation was practically over.
That is why now, once it has just been announced Kingdom Hearts IV, from Square-Enix they want to make up for lost time, give a new impetus to the franchise and erase at a stroke the criticism that a third installment took that left many fans disconnected from what had been one of their favorite role-playing titles for millions of gamers. After all, we can’t think of such a winning formula as mixing Tesuya Nomura’s very personal narrative with extraordinary turn-based battles throughout. final-fantasy and, of course, mixing everything with characters from universes such as Mickey Mouse, Donald or Goofy.
In any case, if you want to review with us all the games that have appeared so far, This is your chance to jump on the bandwagon Kingdom Hearts.
All Kingdom Hearts games
These are all the titles available.
Kingdom Hearts (2002)
This title for PS2 marked a before and after for the role-playing genre, especially those games inspired by those that Squaresoft (Square-Enix now) had developed at the end of the 90s for PSX within its superb final-fantasy. The story of these heroes in their fight against the Heartless marks the beginning of a collaboration that has lasted for more than two decades with Disney.
This title gave rise to later remakes and improved versions as well as editions inspired by its success, such as VCAST (broadband service) or mobile for phones of the time that, in the latter case, only contained socialization functions, not games per se.
Kingdom Hearts Final Mix it came to Japan as a way to launch the US and European versions of the original game, adding certain extras and unreleased content and it wasn’t until 2013 when Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX will be released for PS3, which allowed the players of the next generation to enjoy one of the most emblematic titles of the previous decade. One that mixed with enviable mastery the Disney universes with those already established by Square-Enix itself.
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories (2004)
Two years after the success of the first game came Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories for Game Boy Advance that we could consider it as a continuation although in reality it was conceived as a kind of link between the two official PS2 games. That is continues the story of the battle against the heartless. This time Sora, Goofy and Donald have the mission to find King Mickey and Riku, on a path full of dangers where we will have an always friendly Pluto as an ally. In this cartridge we will meet the so-called Organization XIII and its development is inspired by card games where the hand we draw decides our future within the adventure.
Due to the success of this title, there was a version in 2007 for PS2 call Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories which was released in Japan as a second disc that was bundled with Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. However, in the US, for example, this remake arrived independently a year later, in 2008, without having to also buy the second installment of the franchise. In it, those 2D graphics of the Game Boy Advance title were modified by polygonal 3D environments.
Kingdom Hearts II (2005)
Kingdom Hearts II It is the second of the official ones for desktop consoles but the third of the saga. It went on sale at the end of 2005 in Japan and practically a year later in Europe marking a path similar to that of the first installment, but delving into new dangers and threats. They are born thus Incorporeal, whom we will have to eliminate with better attack options and a new reaction control that delighted the fans. This game had a version with more content and an English voice track two years later… in 2007, thanks to Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (2009)
With the Nintendo DS taking the world by storm, Square-Enix decided to expand its franchise in 2009 thanks to a cartouche that places its plot between the end of Kingdom Hearts Y Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories with the principle of Kingdom Hearts II, so it reveals important facts that have to do with the history of Sora and company. In this cartridge we will meet Roxas and Organization XIII and the reasons that led him to desert. Another great game in the series.
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (2010)
The fifth title in the saga came to the wonderful PSP in early 2010 and its plot takes us a decade before the start of the first Kingdom Hearts, so we can discover some relevant facts that explain what we saw in 2002 with the first PS2 title. East Birth by Sleep It takes us to three different scenarios that focus on each of the main protagonists: Aqua, Ventus and Terra, who are apprentices of Master Eraqus at this point in the story.
In this UMD (so the PSP game format was called) we will have to go in search of Master Xehanort in three independent initiation trips that will intersect throughout the adventure. It goes without saying that if you are a fan of the lore of these titles, what is told here is essential to better understand what happened in the first PS2 title. By the way, there was a Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix which went on sale in 2011.
Kingdom Hearts Coded (2011)
This game has its history because it is not a release as such, but the cartridge of Nintendo DS was limited to collecting a series of puzzle games published for mobile in episodic format. That version that was marketed far from Japan could be bought under the name of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded in both the US and Europe starting in 2011 and, chronologically, the events he tells us about occur after Kingdom Hearts II and you will remember him for that strange message that appeared in Jiminy Cricket’s diary and that read like this: “we must go back and rid them of their pain.” From there, together with King Mickey, they will create a digital copy of Sora so that he can immerse himself in the adventure.
Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance (2012)
The penultimate (so far) franchise title appeared for the superb Nintendo 3DS in March 2012 to narrate the events that took place just after Kingdom Hearts Coded and Sora’s famous adventure inside Jiminy Cricket’s diary, which Riku will join to travel to the world of dreams and learn what happened before the first Kingdom Hearts. It is the first to include by Square-Enix characters that not only belong to the final-fantasybut also to another Tetsuya Nomura creation for Nintendo DS: The World Ends With You.
Kingdom Hearts III (2019)
The eighth title of the franchise is the last so far and he was not received as expected after 14 years since his last official arrival to a desktop console. This time PS4 and Xbox One will have a plot continuation of the Nintendo 3DS game and it has become the final chapter of what has been called The Seeker of Darkness Saga. Sora returns again to join Riku, Donald Duck, Goofy and King Mickey in their search for the seven Guardians of Light and the famous “Key to Return Hearts”. As a great novelty, we will finally see the arrival in the universe of these games of the most iconic characters and settings from Pixar movies.
The title received a lot of criticism at its launch and accused it of not being even as extensive and varied as the previous two for home consoles. The story did not attract too much either, with negative reviews for its simplicity and lack of relevance until the last hours of the game, which in many cases led to scores and ratings far removed from those used to be seen in the franchise. Didn’t you like it either?
