It seems incredible but 20 years have passed since Square-Enix gave the chime by launching its first Kingdom Hearts . A title that originally came for PS2 and that swept sales, boosted by several factors that were determining factors: first of all, the good track record that the Japanese had with their role-playing games and a saga in a state of grace like Final Fantasy , although it also helped much that a good number of characters from the Disney factory appeared prominently.
an explosive mix
The spirit that beats under the Kingdom Hearts 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 half updates of the originals for Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS or Nintendo 3DS without making the most of the hardware of machines such as PS3, Xbox 360, PC and even PS4 and Xbox One for which Kingdom Hearts III, for example, arrived when the reign of its generation was practically over.
That is why now, once Kingdom Hearts IV has just been announced , from Square-Enix they want to make up for lost time , give the franchise a new impetus and erase with a stroke of the pen the criticism that a third installment 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 Final Fantasy -style turn-based battles and, of course, mixing everything with characters from universes like Mickey Mouse’s , Donald or Goofy.
Anyway, if you want to review with us all the games that have appeared so far, this is your chance to jump on the Kingdom Hearts bandwagon .
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 in the late 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 the VCAST (broadband service) or the mobile ones for the telephones of the time that, in the latter case, only contained functions of socialization, not of game itself.
Kingdom Hearts Final Mix came to Japan as a way to launch the US and European versions of the original game, adding some extras and unreleased content and it wasn’t until 2013 that Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX was released for PS3, allowing next generation gamers 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, which we could consider as a continuation, although in reality it was conceived as a kind of link between the two PS2 officials. That is, it 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 2007 PS2 version called Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories which was released in Japan as a second disc 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 is the second of the official ones for desktop consoles but the third in 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. Thus, the Incorporeal are born, 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 Nintendo DS triumphing all over the world, Square-Enix decided to expand its franchise in 2009 thanks to a cartridge that places its argument between the end of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories with the beginning 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 of the saga arrived on the wonderful PSP in early 2010 and its plot takes us a decade before the first Kingdom Hearts begins , so we can discover some relevant facts that explain what we saw in 2002 with the first title for PS2. This Birth by Sleep takes us to three different scenarios that focus on each of the main characters: Aqua, Ventus and Terra, who are apprentices of Master Eraqus at this point in the story.
In this UMD (that’s what the PSP game format was called) we’ll have to go in search of Master Xehanort in three independent journeys of initiation 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 that came out in 2011.
Kingdom Hearts Coded (2011)
This game has its history because it is not a release as such, but rather the Nintendo DS cartridge 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 purchased under the name of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded both in the US and in Europe from 2011 and, chronologically, the events that it tells us take place 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 (until now) title of the franchise appeared on 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 he will join Riku to travel to the world of dreams and learn what happened before the first Kingdom Hearts . It is the first by Square-Enix to include characters that belong not only to Final Fantasy , but also to another Tetsuya Nomura creation for the Nintendo DS: The World Ends With You .
Kingdom Hearts III (2019)
The eighth title of the franchise is the last so far and was not received as expected after 14 years since its last official arrival on 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 was accused 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?