How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

Taylor · Nov 16, 2012

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We all have magical stories of how we encountered the Kingdom Hearts series. Mine occured some eight or nine years ago in a quaint little Best Buy. My father had taken me there to buy a new wireless controller for my Playstation 2. He'd seen it in a commercial and he was itching to try it out (not that he ever played my PS2, but hey, no questions asked if a free controller is involved). So we took the journey to the store and on the way I began my cunning plan of how to wrangle a game out of the trip. Enter Kingdom Hearts.
Eyeballing the rows of shiny games, I contemplated what game would become my new eternal play monkey, so to speak: I had sucked every bit of life out of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3…there was no going back to that. It was in serious need of a break. But then, what could fill the shoes? At the time, I was pretty ignorant about gaming. I mean, I played them, but I wasn’t as into them as I am now (I’m NOT a neckbeard…yet). So it was completely by chance when my eyes wandered to the Kingdom Hearts box sitting in the top right corner of the shelf. Was that Goofy? With a Mickey shield? Looking dark and edgy??? Oh my god, finally a game where Goofy got the recognition he deserved. Clearly he would be the main character, and that excited my mind beyond belief (I was a big Goofy fan as a child). Aww yeah, DISNEY.
So I grabbed it. My dad wasn’t planning on picking it up with the already-expensive controller, but I still knew no shame when I was ten, so I proceeded to throw a tantrum. Classy. But it worked. Ten minutes later, I was home with that sucker in my PlayStation 2. Goofy wasn’t the main character (though he probably should be), but what followed was a challenging, story-driven, and fun experience that helped to spawn the love for gaming that I now hold dear.
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Let me clarify: I didn’t initially enjoy Kingdom Hearts. I thought Destiny Islands was boring and Traverse Town didn’t strike me as much better. I liked the gameplay, at least. I mean, it was pretty mindless, but the enemies and bosses could actually provide some challenge every now and then. Still, something was missing (aside from Goofy as the protag). And then the real game started. Suddenly, I was thrust into the worlds of Hercules, Tarzan, and Alice in Wonderland…and I loved it. Here I was taking part in the stories of some of my favorite childhood movies, actively influencing the direction the characters took. It was almost like I was actually there, and when you get to experience something like that, your childlike wonder kicks into overdrive, no matter what age you are.
I think that’s the real magic of Kingdom Hearts: the Disney aspect is nostalgic, but also dynamic enough for me not to feel like some 25 year-old manchild (or neckbeard) reliving his favorite cartoons. I mean...I'm not 25 yet so I don't know why the game would make me feel that way anyway, but the point is that it doesn't! There’s a level of childhood wonder present in Kingdom Hearts that most other games can’t hope to present. And yet, as the game went on, I felt more and more of an appreciation for the KH-exclusive characters as well. Sora was an underdog who just wanted to save his friends. The Keyblade didn’t want him, but he made an active choice. And ironically, he was actually fighting against one of the very friends he wanted to save. It was easy to empathize and get caught up in the overarching story because it wasn't too convoluted for me to folllow.
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But then again, that’s the brilliance of KH1. There’s just enough of a balance between Disney stories and the main story to keep one entertained without ever being flooded by one over the other. Yes, Sora is rescuing Kairi, but we also learn that the other Disney Princesses are in jeopardy. There’s a unique blend of both worlds that keeps me interested enough to maintain a connection to both halves of this oddly-combined universe without ever making me feel alienated from either half, and from a story-telling point of view, that's just absolutely brilliant.
So I beat Kingdom Hearts (between fits of rage at the final Riku fight) and was left thirsting for more of this series. Still, like I said before, I was incredibly ignorant to gaming. Why Google to see if there’s a sequel when you can use your reliable wit, right? Right. And so months passed before my friend Mark came over to my house with his GBA and asked if I’d ever played Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. Um, Kingdom Hearts on the Game Boy? You can’t do that. You’re silly. Don’t be silly, Mark.
But there it was! And so the next day I rushed back to Best Buy and picked up Chain of Memories. And soon my same feelings of admiration for the first game were rejuvenated as I once again played as Sora throughout many Disney worlds. And hey, I could even play as Riku. Ignorant, little me didn’t focus much on the actual story (thank God), but he lived for the gameplay. Constantly adjusting decks to find the perfect combination, repeatedly restarting the device so that I could beat Riku Replica (I finally beat him while I was on the toilet...no shame), and rushing through Riku’s story as I pretended to cheer Mark on while sitting in the sidelines at his swim meets. Gamers don’t swim…stop being silly, Mark.
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And so I managed to beat Chain of Memories…probably four times. It was my new eternal play monkey (sorry Budokai 3). And by that time, I was far less ignorant than I had been. Months before Kingdom Hearts II was released, I was already following it, debating on who this “BHK” was and how great the battle against 10,000 Heartless was going to be. Kingdom Hearts II released just about a week after my twelfth birthday, and I remember waiting in line on release day at Gamestop to pick up the game. I also convinced my mom to grab the Prima Strategy Guide (which was thoroughly abused over the next two years). I went home and played through all of Roxas’s introduction in one sitting, chewing on popcorn and receiving numerous papercuts from the rapid flipping of pages from my Prima. Roxas had two keyblades. That made him better (still not better than Goofy).
And over the next two months, my friend David and I (Mark was long lost to the world of competitive swimming) would spend every weekend together playing Kingdom Hearts II from 5 pm to 5 am. We would switch off every few hours, each reverting back to our own game file, watching the game take place twice in a row. And we didn’t complain. We spent hours freaking out at learning you could play as Mickey or creating the Ultima Keyblade. We replayed that game time and time again and I can definitely say that it is the reason for many fond memories throughout my middle school years.
The story was more convoluted and the gameplay seemed simpler with the new addition of the quick-time triangle events, but you could play in the world of Steamboat Willy. Your argument is invalid. The charm that was prevalent in earlier entries of the series was still readily apparent. I still cared about Sora as much as I cared about being a part of the Disney worlds. I liked the characters that were introduced (at the time), and I loved how much there was to do in the game, from the Underworld Tournament Cups to the discovery of every treasure chest. The charm of Kingdom Hearts II was that it was Kingdom Hearts except, at a first glance, much better in design. And I loved that. Also, STEAMBOAT WILLY.
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 I still remember seeing the hidden movie that later showed up again in Birth by Sleep. At the time, nobody knew what it was or who these characters would turn out to be, but everyone was excited. Heck, even Mickey was showing up again. By this point, I had joined Kingdom Hearts Insider and I was posting around the forums under the old username "Laxtory" (not my best idea). I theorized with the community and I was every bit as excited as I was when Kingdom Hearts II was being released. And then somewhere on down the line, it all seemed to fall apart.
In the time it took for Birth by Sleep to be released, I grew up. I played a lot of games and I learned what it took to make a good one. I still loved the nostalgic feeling of playing around in Disney worlds, but after constantly visiting the world of Hercules time and time again, the magic started to fade. By the time Birth by Sleep came out, I had abandoned Kingdom Hearts. I had tried Days briefly (David actually bought it), but there was nothing that kept me interested. I started realizing that what had made me adore Kingdom Hearts was not as powerful as I had always believed. Or maybe it was but over time it had just faded. When you're so exposed to the same thing over and over again, it starts to get worn for you. So as time went on, I learned to stop loving Kingdom Hearts.
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 This editorial is just the introduction to a three-part series in which I’ll explain what happened to turn a fan like me into a harsh critic of a series he once adored. The reasons are plentiful, and although I’ve never put them on paper, my mind has often gone back to the days of the late night gameplay of Kingdom Hearts II or the battles against Riku Replica on the toilet, and wondered what happened to my admiration. I don’t know if there’s any one reason that caused the estrangement between the two of us, but Kingdom Hearts and I will always have a history that will make me smile, even as I grimace whenever I pick up a game in the series.
What about you? How'd you fall in love with the series, and what led you here? Are you still an adamant fan or, like me, has your dedication wavered? Share your story with us![/parsehtml]

Gexus · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

Great article. I had similar views on the games like you (initially not liking KH1 as much as everyone else for example), but the main difference would be my fascination of the story. This is what's kept me going, following each and every KH title like a mad-man. The action-RPG gameplay also helps, since I feel so at ease playing these games (though playing with the hand-held games wasn't as comfortable for my hands).

iLeen · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

I'm easily pleased so I enjoyed KH when I first laid my eyes on it and still love it now.

I was first introduced on a Christmas day watching my cousin play KH. He was in the world of Nightmare Before Christmas, and what do I see? Simba! Simba in Nightmare Before Christmas! Now I had to buy a game that had Disney crossover.

It was my first RPG I played so I was fascinated just swimming around and jumping on trees. Imagine my joy being able to knock Heartless and people around with a giant key alongside Donald and Goofy. I was just as excited as you when I got to explore all the other Disney worlds (avid Disney fan here, so no surprise).

I'm actually the opposite when it came to BBS. At first, I was disappointed that Sora wasn't the main character, since I was so use to playing him as the KH protagonist, but then I came to love all the BBS characters and clarity BBS brings to the KH story. I didn't mind revisiting the same worlds over and over again (didn't LOVE it either), probably because I'm more enamored more by the storyline (pretty much what Gexus said) than actual gameplay (but I do love gameplay as well) or any other aspects of games.

JustSnilloc · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

Very nice article! Personally I've always been fond of Kingdom Hearts's story, so with each new game I've always been excited. Though there was a period when I wasn't well informed about certain new games and I began calling them "spinoffs", lol. But as I got to know each game, I came to understand the stories within and as a result fell back in love. Nowadays I'm probably more in love with KH than I've ever been, there are just so many things left to the imaginations of the player that it's fun to think about

Wehrmacht · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

I joined around the time the news of KH2FM came to light.

I WAS a pretty adamant fan back then, but I noticed that as time passed by I visited the KH sections less and less, and my interest in the series just kept waning. People grow and their preferences in games change, I guess. I can definitely say that while I liked KH a lot at one point, the direction the series has been taking is I think a little questionable.

Nutari · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

In all honesty I feel quite the same. Although, I would totally play KH2 again, one last time, if my ex girlfriend didn't still have it, and my copy of Shadow of the Colossus. I'm not getting them back ;(

For me, I was separated from KH when my love for it was at its prime. I moved, and so did my access to a PS2, my copy of KH1 was stolen and I never actually owned KH2. I finally borrowed a copy of KH1 beat it much quicker than I had expected, and decided I had had enough of KH. Until I heard about 1.5. I want the final installment so that way, I don't feel like I wasted hundreds of hours playing KH~ Between KH1, CoM, KH2, Days, BBS, and Coded. Hell, I have played every game to its climax. No wonder I am burned out.

WaveK89 · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

For me, it started with the commercial. Excited, but Disney, in other words, I thought it was a children's game. My bro picked up the game, and I was hooked since. I probably would have been more excited in the beginning if I had played any FF games before then. Still, I was so immersed into the main story and sub stories.

It wasn't until a Disney commerical, Disney 411 or whatever, did a review on CoM that I realized there was so much more to it. I played the crap out of that game, and soon I was lead to the internet to see theories and images for KHII. Much like Celtis in finding out who was the BHK. People trying to figure out who was a keyblade wielder and hoping that everyone wasn't getting one.

I'll have to admit, the my experience high for the series dropped after KHII. However, I was lead into the world of music and YouTube. Yes, I became a fan of watching music videos of Kingdom Hearts. (Even made some of my own though deleted them) I actually wasn't much for any music at the time, but watching those videos just changed my perspective in life. Of course, even the videos died down as the wait continued on. At least there was Re:CoM! Then there was Days, BBS, and Re:Coded. I liked each game, but the magic wasn't what it used to be.

At least, until KH3D came around and sparked some of that magic back. I do believe that browsing these forums has probably gave me more negative insight on the series than the positive, and I don't blame the community at all.

The feeling I have about the series is as if I was shown how the magic tricks were done at a stellar magic show. I still think the show was great, but I lose the sense of wonder.

SquarePhoenix · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

Well, I had just turned ten years old and it was almost Christmas (2002). Around that time, Digimon Tamer was being played every Saturday morning. And that's when I started seeing ads for this 'Kingdom Hearts'. And somehow seeing that same ad over and over again, really drew me in.

Christmas Eve, Me, my Dad and my Brother go to Games Wizard to buy a new PS2 and my brother and I could choose a game each. My brother chose a Ridge Racer game and it's obvious what I chose.

So the next morning we open our presents (and I remember wining a bet or something with my brother) and Kingdom Hearts christened our new PS2. And having grown up with mostly Crash Bandicoot games, you can just imagine how mind-blowing the graphics were to me.
It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen!

Considering I had never played and RPG before, the experience was quite daunting.
I took nearly two years to complete KH1.

I don't know how many years ago this was, but I was on holiday in Japan and happened to spot Chain of Memories of the shelf. Shortly afterwards my brother bought a new GBA (Somewhere between 9000-10,000 Yen) and I bought CoM the next day. (5000 Yen)

At that time, I couldn’t read as much Japanese as I can now, which made me stop playing it.

-------------

Early 2004, I went to watch The Incredibles (first time) and while wandering a BigW, I spotted CoM and asked my Dad to buy it. I can still remember the price ($64, *gulp*) and now I kinda feel bad for him. Now I have 2 copies of CoM!

Even now I still can’t beat Replica in Reverse/Rebirth. D:

Two years of waiting (and a painful mouth ulcer) and KH2 is finally released.
It was a Thursday (Almost the school holidays) and I gave my brother the money to buy it for me.
Silly me gave him enough money for the American price, not the Australian price.

So my brother got my money back from my deposit and found a place that sold it cheaper than EB Games.

Over the years, Kingdom Hearts made me a Final Fantasy fan, I got better at RPG’s and the Coke Cola FF figurines my cousin gave us, finally had some meaning to me.

Something about KH2, I can’t explain why, but I really emotionally connected with Roxas and Co., and I felt I was apart of every moment with them. (I even did enough jobs, for the train ride, dammit!!!) And I still remember how sad I felt, leaving Roxas behind and playing again as Sora.

-------------

When Days was released, it was the first time I felt restricted in what “I” wanted to do.
As for BBS, this is one I anticipated for most and prior to it’s release, I spent months watching Disney movies relevant to this game, that even yelled at the PSP, “SAY YOU HAVE THE OTHER SLIPPER!!!”
Re: Coded, I had a lot of fun with it, even though it’s basically feels like KH1, although that’s probably the nostalgia talking.

Unfortunately, I can’t comment on 3D, as I don’t have the DS for it.

And lastly (if you’re still reading), despite how complex the story and lore of this universe is.
It’s very rare that I’m this engaged and in the end, all I can hope is that everything will make sense like a completed jigsaw puzzle. Thanks for reading my ramblings!

Jesus · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

I can see why your love for the series has faded, I I'll admit that KH is not the best series, and that the original game was probably the best one.

But I don't know, I'm always coming back to the game, always scouring the news for info. He'll I even joined a website dedicated to it. I feel like the main reason I keep playing though is because it's the first real game I've ever beaten not named Pokemon.

I'll probably still be liking KH even past my neckbeard years

iDrops · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

I first became interested in the series about ten years ago. My Dad used to own a video game shop, every now and again he'd bring home games for me and my sister to try and KH was one of them. I LOVED the game, even though I had no clue what FF was and I wasn't an avid fan of Disney. I didn't get really far into the game either, I was young and terrible at games, I couldn't find that GOD DAMN cloth on Destiny Islands... I was a bit stupid... C: Ever since then I've been hooked on the series, even when I forgot the series existed I still loved it~

Like every fan though, I did lose hope in the series. Last year I started to become one of those fans that thinks every non numbered game is a spin-off and I really wanted KH3. I thought that KH was loosing its direction. So I stopped playing the games because I was waiting for KH3... Then when 3D was released in Japan, I watched the ending and I fell in love with the series again. I really felt that game was almost as good as KH1. After that, I went back and finished all the KH games that I was too lazy to finish before, with the exception of Coded of course, I'm tooooo lazy to finish that.

Nutari · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

iDrops said:
I first became interested in the series about ten years ago. My Dad used to own a video game shop, every now and again he'd bring home games for me and my sister to try and KH was one of them. I LOVED the game, even though I had no clue what FF was and I wasn't an avid fan of Disney. I didn't get really far into the game either, I was young and terrible at games, I couldn't find that GOD DAMN cloth on Destiny Islands... I was a bit stupid... C: Ever since then I've been hooked on the series, even when I forgot the series existed I still loved it~

Like every fan though, I did lose hope in the series. Last year I started to become one of those fans that thinks every non numbered game is a spin-off and I really wanted KH3. I thought that KH was loosing its direction. So I stopped playing the games because I was waiting for KH3... Then when 3D was released in Japan, I watched the ending and I fell in love with the series again. I really felt that game was almost as good as KH1. After that, I went back and finished all the KH games that I was too lazy to finish before, with the exception of Coded of course, I'm tooooo lazy to finish that.

I can assure you, Coded is not worth beating. It was decently fun but that's about it x)

Sorarocks93 · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

My KH story began one day in 2003 in a friends house. He had just bought his PS2 along with Kingdom Hearts. The moment I saw this game, I fell in love with it. Not to mention that seeing Squall (Leon) in Traverse Town helped because I was still playing my PS1 those days and my favorite game was FFVIII even thought I beat the game like a couple years ago for the first time. (Disc was scratched and my gaming life was ruined.)

Anyway a year later I bought a PS2 along with Sly 2. Everyday was like a Christmass even thought I had to go to school

Some months later I wanted to buy a new game. I really wanted to try Jack and Daxter 3. So off we go to the shop with my mom and while looking for Jak 3 my eyes fell upon 2 games which were side by side, like it was meant for them to be bought by me, and at half price too! So instead of getting 1 game, I got 2, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy X.

I remember playing both games everyday after that, although Kingdom Hearts was superior to X atleast in my opinion. Since I didn't knew what the internet was, I had never before seen the opening cinematic of KH (yes not even in my friend's house) and when I saw it, it was the best gaming day of my life.

A year later I saw in a magazine a picture of Sora in a tube, and the writing "Chain of Memories" below. I had no idea what that was so I basically thought it was Kingdom Hearts II.
2 Years later I saw Kingdom Hearts II in a store and that was the second best gaming day in my life. To this day, KHII is the only game that I have played without even looking at a trailer or even looking at someone else play. I was completely spoiler free when I got my hands on it.

Next thing I know my PS2 broke, and I bought a PC and found about the internet. That's when the world of KH opened up to me.
BBS? Days? Coded? Chain of Memories? What were those things? I knew I would never be able to buy all those different handhelds so I started watching walkthrough videos on Youtube. I watched them all along with DDD earlier this year. I know more about the story of KH than I know about the history of my country even though I only have watched the gameplay vids on Youtube.

Anyway around 2008 I completely lost faith in console gaming and I abondoned KH. That was ofcourse until 2011 when I bought my PS3 and regained all lost faith. Not to mention KH I.5 is coming out and the day it was announced was the third best gaming day in my life

Onwards now to the future of gaming with KH leading the way!

KH news are the best news!

DivineRose269 · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

Back in, what was it, 2007 or something, it was summer, I was in some gamestore in a town in the west of Sweden. My parents had promised me I could have a new game, wich one? I saw it there on a shelf, the game that combined famous Disney characters and Final Fantasy characters (not that I actually knew what FF was back then...) Kingdom Hearts. I remember reading an article in some magasine about KH2, my sense of logic told me to play the first game before the sequel.

When I got home, I was like ten back then so I was really happy everytime I got a new game. I started playing almost before I even opened the door. I remember loving running around on the beach on Destiny Islands, fighting Riku (losing 25 times), I also remember hating not being able to skip annoying cutscenes (my opinions back then... -.-) But when I tried to save, my memory card had broke!
I replayed from the beginning to Guard Armor and maybe another world at least 20 times before I got a new one. That night, I went to bed not knowing wich the next world was (Can you imagine the excitement?!) The rest of the game was among my best experiences ever.
I finally got to Hollow Bastion, I almost cried when Riku took the Kingdom Key, I got to the second Riku boss fight, was stuck there for almost a year, got really sick of that cutscene before the boss fight; "that girl has lost her heart, she cannot wake up".

Completing the first game is actually quite the blur for me, seriously, I can't remember anything about it. I remember beating it several times after that and feeling rather sad about it being over, but the first time, nope.

In 2009, I spoke to my friends about our favorite characters in Kingdom Hearts, someone said "mine is Roxas", I had to ask him who Roxas was, he said "he's in Kingdom Hearts 2", that idiot had gone and bought KH2 without playing the other two games because someone told him it was better. I started asking him about the game, the one detail I cared about was that I could skip cutscenes and only play the game. I bought it, that's exactly what I did, so my first time playing KH2 (without playing CoM), I wasn't all that confused about the story, I didn't care about the story.
I remember being stuck at Demyx for a long time enough to give up on me ever completing the game.
I started a new save file when I felt like replaying it,(and I watched the cutscenes) when I got to Demyx again I beat him without ever understanding why I couldn't beat him before. I continued, Goofy dies, 1,000 heartless battle, 2nd set of stories for the Disney worlds, TWTNW, epic final battle! Dafuc had I missed when I gave up on the game before?! I still couldn't understand exactly what was happening, I needed to replay it a couple of times more. But no matter how many times I replayed it, the beginning still didn't make any sense to me, but that wasn't really one of my main concerns at the time.
When I checked back on my old save file some time later, I saw why I couldn't beat Demyx before, I had like 30 unused AP boosts in stock -.- silly me...

Last year, I started searching for information regarding KH3, I wanted a sequel so bad, I found the DDD trailer, I didn't understand anything so I went into KingdomHeartsWikia.com to clear some things up, I discovered all the handheld games. I thought it was about time to play them if I was planning on playing KH3. I emulated CoM on my phone, emulated Re:coded and days on my computer. Watched walkthroughs of BBS and, when it was out, DDD on youtube. (Don't worry, I'm going to play all of them in the HD collection when I can afford a ps3 ;D)

Oracle Spockanort · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

Aldrain said:
I can assure you, Coded is not worth beating. It was decently fun but that's about it x)

Maaaaan, Re:coded is my favorite KH game. Well, my guilty pleasure KH game that I love to pieces. I think it depends on how you connected to the story. Because I really enjoy how Data Sora and Journal Riku's friendship was portrayed in The game and the overall lighthearted story, I found a lot of joy while playing.

So yeah, I think it depends honestly. You might not have gotten a lot out of it but somebody else might.

Maddok3D · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

I can't remember how old I was when I first saw the commercial for the first Kingdom Hearts game on TV, I couldn't have been older than 8 or 9 years old, and I didn't think much of it at the time besides that Simple and Clean song sounded pretty cool.
I didn't have a PS2 so it's not like I was ever gonna get it anyway, I've always been a Nintendo kid. I had my Gamecube, I still love my Gamecube (though it belongs to my girlfriend now).
A few years later in 2005, my sister decides she wants a PS2 for Chrismas. Say what?! That doesn't have Mario OR Zelda on it!
She received her PS2 that Christmas, I was interested to see what sort of games this unfamiliar non-nintendo world involved. The game she got with it was Jak 3. She opens the case, the disc art... There was no disc art. It looked like a blank CD. Uh, sure, maybe PS2 games don't have disc art.
She puts the disc into her brand new PS2 and starts up the system.
This was a sealed Jak 3 case brand new from Walmart,
it contained a CD with 2 Avril Lavigne songs on it.

The next morning my mom took my sister to Walmart so that they could return the game, she came back with two games, neither of which were Jak 3. They were Final Fantasy X and Kingdom Hearts.
My older sister didn't play her new games right away though, (I don't understand how she can resist it either) she was on the computer for a few hours first, talking to her friends online.
Of course, she's my teenage sister and I'm her little brother, and there's no way she'll just let me play HER new games before she does. After about an hour of begging she finally gives in, she tells me I can play Kingdom Hearts, but not Final Fantasy X she wants to play that one first.
Darn, I really wanted to play that one, I'd never played a Final Fantasy game before but I knew it was a big name series. I had watched funny flash parodies of it on good ol' Newgrounds. (Youtube wouldn't be around for few years)
Well whatever, I'll try this Kingdom Hearts game. Might have been a nice surprise though if I'd recognized those Tidus and Wakka guys on Destiny Island though the first time through.

I've always been drawn to JRPGs, maybe it's because I grew up watching so much anime, but the over the top characters and unbelievable stories have always been very endearing to me. They always have these dull, slow turn based battle systems though!
Not Kingdom Hearts, this is an ACTION RPG, full of platforming elements. Let me tell you, being a Nintendo kid I loved platforming.
I was pretty amazed, meeting all these Disney characters while playing as a spiky haired JRPG protagonist and I didn't have to stop and wait for my enemy to attack before I could take my turn. This game had its place quick-dry cemented among my favorites.

I remember renting Chain of Memories and not being able to put it down, and then finally owning a Kingdom Hearts game for myself when Kingdom Hearts 2 came out a week before my birthday. I loved them.
But going back to them with as much experience with games as I have now, they haven't stood the test of time brilliantly. I still enjoy them, maybe not so much the button-mashing festival that is KH2, but KH1 will always have a special place in my heart.
I still get excited every time a new Kingdom Hearts game comes out, and while the novelty of a portable Kingdom Hearts game thrilled me at the time, I really can't recommend 358/2 Days to anyone. It's by far one of the most dull games I've ever played. And Coded? A frustrating rehash of Kingdom Hearts 1 with these stupid blocks scattered all over the place, then it rehashes itself by making you go to the same areas again and again but with more stupid blocks all over the god damn place.
Birth By Sleep was a good game, I enjoyed the story and the battle system, but overall the experience seemed a little soulless to me.

Then Kingdom Hearts 3D was announced. Even though the last few games didn't leave a good lasting impression on me, I was excited for this one. This one looked like something fresh and new. Sora and Riku are back, the story is moving forward again, and they're pulling off all these crazy stunts, jumping off walls, grinding on rails, swinging around lamp posts! The World Ends With You characters?! You bet I'll be buying this on day one. This was the first game I ever pre ordered.
I wasn't disappointed with this one. Flowmotion may not have been as dynamic as I had hoped (jumping off walls, grinding on rails, swinging around lamp posts... and that was the very limited extent of it), but it was still a blast to play. I enjoyed the story and writing from start to finish. It was just as charming to me as the original was and the gameplay was a thousand times more fun. Because of Dream Drop Distance I can continue to anticipate each new Kingdom Hearts game with unwavering excitement.

Oh, and in the end I bought Jak 3 for myself, that's another one of my favorite games. :biggrin:

DivineRose269 · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

Master Spockanort said:
Maaaaan, Re:coded is my favorite KH game. Well, my guilty pleasure KH game that I love to pieces. I think it depends on how you connected to the story. Because I really enjoy how Data Sora and Journal Riku's friendship was portrayed in The game and the overall lighthearted story, I found a lot of joy while playing.

So yeah, I think it depends honestly. You might not have gotten a lot out of it but somebody else might.

I actually agree with you on that point, coded may not be so important to the overall plot, but contrary to what some people make it seem like, it's actually really fun

(it may have something to do with the command deck, it's one of three games with that system, I haven't played the other two, I might just be in love with the system)

limit · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

Kingdom Hearts was actually the first game I've ever played, and it brought me into the world of gaming. I was 6 and at my cousin's house, and I see KH1 sitting on the table, so my cousin lets me try it out. From that moment I became a fan of KH.

A year later I'm freaking out when a friend asks if I've played KH2, so after beating it at my cousin's house I'm just learning there was a GBA version. I never payed attention to story that much as a kid, so the fact that the trio in KHII were sleeping in pods didn't bother me at all.

After a while though, I just stopped caring about KH for some reason, I guess it just grew off me because I didn't hear about any of the other games (Oh, ignorant me...). I got back into the series in 2011 when another friend of mine told me about KH3D, and then I've been a fan again since.

Wow, 10 years of a great series, congratulations Kingdom Hearts!

Japanlover · Nov 16, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

I first saw Kingdom Hearts 4 years ago on Disney channel but I never payed much attention to it because I was in my Harry Potter fangirl phase. Then a year later I was on a youtube channel and looked at the person's favorites. I saw Kingdom Hearts 2 walkthrough videos and I was curious about the boy with spiky hair and Goofy standing next to him. I decided to watch Kingdom Hearts 1 walkthrough vids and skipped chain of memories and went to KH2. Bad Idea! I was so confused! So then after I was done watching the walkthroughs of KH2, I watched COM and it made sense to me.

But then I really wanted to play KH. Of course I didn't have a PS2 so I couldn't play it and I only had the xbox, you know the old one, and played HP and the POA game on it wishing for it to be KH. But then Christmas came and I received a PS2 with a copy of KH2. I was so happy and managed to finish it in a month. I then got KH1 for my b-day and wasn't able to get COM sadly. Heck I still don't have it! So I then got a DS two years ago and bought 358/2 days and a year later coded. I enjoyed both games. I then watch BBS on youtube because I didn't have a PSP. The gameplay was nice and loved the story. Then I saved up my money and got a 3DS in March this year and got KHDDD on the day it released. And I have to admit DDD was awesome!

I love KH. The plot, gameplay, and ALL the characters. This game also brought me and my friends together so I glad.

One Sky, One Destiny, One Fandom

Aurablade77 · Nov 17, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

It was a looooooooooooooooooooooong time ago when I was in Florida visiting cousins. At a hotel where my family was staying, I went to a nearby Blockbuster(Yes, Blockbuster stores were still around, that is how long ago this was) to pick up some snacks and drinks. On the way to checkout, I figured I would pick up a magazine to read for my flight back home after the visit in Florida. Low and behold, I picked up the current issue of PlayStation The Official Magazine at that time. Inside, they had a feature on upcoming JRPGs. Kingdom Hearts had it's own page, and it had the first couple screenshots of the game and character renders of Sora, Riku, and Kairi. I immediately took notice of the game, and I read the article. The concept of Final Fantasy combined with Disney immediately striked my interest! I thought it was something that would NEVER happen. Ironically, I was in Florida, and I believe my family and my cousins also had a visit to Disney World in Orlando. Since that moment, I always itched for more info on Kingdom Hearts until it's release on September 17, 2002. I still have that issue of PlayStation Magazine, and every time I go to visit Florida I bring that magazine with me just for the nostalgia(Weird, right)?

Xbladewielder · Nov 17, 2012

Re: How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

Kingdom hearts rules!don't really have a favorite, all are good

How I Fell in Love with Kingdom Hearts (Even Though Goofy Wasn't the Main Character)

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