Kingdom Hearts (video game): Difference between revisions

Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
	North American cover art featuring the main characters, from top: Sora, Riku, Goofy, Kairi, and Donald
Developer(s)	Square
Publisher(s)	WW: Square; PAL: Sony Computer Entertainment;
Director(s)	Tetsuya Nomura
Producer(s)	Shinji Hashimoto; Yoshinori Kitase
Programmer(s)	Hiroshi Harata; Kentarou Yasui
Artist(s)	Takayuki Odachi
Writer(s)	Jun Akiyama; Daisuke Watanabe; Kazushige Nojima
Composer(s)	Yoko Shimomura
Series	Kingdom Hearts
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release	JP: March 28, 2002; NA: September 17, 2002; EU: November 15, 2002; AU: November 22, 2002; JP: December 26, 2002 (Final Mix);
Genre(s)	Action role-playing
Mode(s)	Single-player

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Kingdom Hearts (Japanese: キングダムハーツ, Hepburn: Kingudamu Hātsu) is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation 2 video game console.^[1] It's the first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, and is the result of a collaboration between Square and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney animated features with those from Square's Final Fantasy series. It follows Sora, who fights against the forces of darkness. He is joined by Donald Duck, Goofy, and other classic Disney characters who help him on his quest.

The game was a departure from Square's standard role-playing games, introducing a substantial action-adventure element to the gameplay. Kingdom Hearts has an all-star voice cast and includes many of the Disney characters' official voice actors.^[2] It was longtime Square character designer Tetsuya Nomura's first time in a directorial position.^[3]

Kingdom Hearts was praised for its unusual combination of action and role-playing, as well as its unexpectedly harmonious mix of Square and Disney elements.^[4] It was a large presence in the 2002 holiday season, receiving numerous year-end game awards, and went on to achieve Sony "Greatest Hits" status.^[5] Since its release, the Kingdom Hearts series has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, and the first game prompted numerous sequels.^[6] Kingdom Hearts is the tenth best-selling PlayStation 2 game of all time, the most commercially successful entry in the series to date, and is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time.

Gameplay

Kingdom Hearts is influenced by its parent franchise, Final Fantasy,^[7] and carries gameplay elements over into its own action-based, hack and slash system. The main battle party consists of three characters: Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy.^[8] Sora is directly controlled by the player from a third person camera angle.^[9] All other party members are computer-controlled,^[10] though the player can customize their behavior to an extent through the pause menu.^[11] Donald and Goofy comprise the party in most areas but nearly every level features a character who may replace them. For instance, Jack Skellington can join Sora's party in Halloween Town, but cannot accompany the player elsewhere. In some worlds, the party changes its appearance, has abilities unique to that world or both, the party can fly in Neverland, acquire aquatic forms in Atlantica which enable them to survive underwater, and gain Halloween costumes in Halloween Town to blend in with the locals.

Like traditional role-playing games, Kingdom Hearts features an experience point system that determines character development. As enemies are defeated, the player characters gain experience and grow stronger, gaining access to new abilities.^[12] Unlike other games of its type, Kingdom Hearts allows a degree of character development customization through a short tutorial found at the beginning of the game. The tutorial allows the player to select from one of three main attributes―strength, defense, or magic―for Sora to excel in and one to lack in.^[13] By choosing certain options, the player may manipulate how Sora learns abilities, grows statistically, and gains levels.^[13] Donald, Goofy, and any other additional party members are assigned specific areas of strength from the outset. Donald excels in magic, while Goofy excels in defense and special attacks.^[14]

The game progresses linearly from one story event to the next, usually presented as a cutscene, though there are numerous side quests available that provide benefits to the characters.^[11] Players may also choose the order in which they tackle some areas. Most of the gameplay occurs on interconnected field maps where battles take place. Combat in Kingdom Hearts occurs in real time and involves pressing buttons to initiate attacks by the on-screen character.^[15] An action menu, similar to those found in Final Fantasy games, found at the bottom left of the screen provides other combat options such as using magic and items, although players can also assign selected magic spells that can be instantly used whilst holding the shoulder button. As players progress through the game, they can receive certain Disney characters as summons, such as Dumbo and Tinkerbell, each with their own unique abilities. There is also a context-sensitive option at the bottom of the menu, usually used for interacting with the environment or performing special attacks. This menu is manipulated by using the right analog stick or digital pad, while movement is controlled by the left analog stick, allowing the player to navigate the menu while avoiding or approaching enemies.^[12]

Sora, along with his allies, both possess a HP meter and an MP meter, which increases as they gain experience and level up. The MP meter is divided into various sections that are used up whenever that character performs magic, with more powerful magic using more MP. MP can be replenished by performing melee attacks or using items such as ether. The HP meter determines the character's health, reducing whenever a character takes damage, although it can be replenished by using potions or healing spells. If one of Sora's allies run out of health, they will be knocked out for a while until someone heals them. However, if Sora loses all of his health, the game ends and the player must resume play from the beginning of an area or boss. Defeating enemies causes various orbs to fall; green orbs which replenish health, blue orbs which restore MP and yellow orbs which represent Munny, the game's currency, which can be used to purchase new items.

Gummi Ship

The Gummi Ship is the mode of travel between the various worlds in the game. The gameplay for piloting the vessel is very different from the rest of the game as it switches to a rail shooter format. The player controls the Gummi Ship from a rear third-person perspective as it travels in an outer space setting. While traveling, the player must avoid obstacles and defend against enemy ships that attempt to destroy the player's vessel by firing missiles or ramming it. Surviving the route allows access to the next world. At the beginning of the game, there are few options available to customize the vessel, but as the game progresses, new weapons, engines, and armor become available. Different pre-designed blueprints can be found throughout the game that can be used to quickly construct Gummi Ships.^[13] Geppetto also gives the player different Gummi Ship designs based on the number of Heartless defeated. From the start, the player can travel between worlds by using "Normal Drive", which initiates the rail shooter-like minigame. Later in the game, Sora can acquire a "Warp Drive", which allows instant travel between previously-visited worlds without having to play the minigame. However, worlds that have not been visited cannot be accessed with Warp Drive, and must be discovered first normally.

Plot

Setting

The universe of Kingdom Hearts is a collection of various levels, referred to as "worlds", through which the player must progress. Thirteen can be accessed in the game and one, Disney Castle, is shown in cutscenes. Additional worlds are mentioned by various characters, but are inaccessible because they have been destroyed by the Heartless. Ten Disney worlds are based on fiction,^[16] primarily from the Disney animated features canon, and the other four were created by Square specifically for the game.

The graphics and characters of each worlds were designed to resemble the artwork style of each Disney films. Each Disney world is inhabited by characters from the film: including Hercules and Philoctetes in Olympus Coliseum, and Aladdin, Princess Jasmine and Jafar in Agrabah. Each world is disconnected from the others and exists separately. Most characters in the worlds are unaware of other ones, with few exceptions. Players travel from one world to another via Gummi Ship.^[12]

The worlds created specifically for the game mirror the overall appearance of the other worlds and feature either new characters or ones from several Final Fantasy games. The new worlds include: Destiny Islands, where the story opens;^[17] Traverse Town, which serves as a launching point for most of the game; Hollow Bastion, which many of the Final Fantasy characters call home; and End of the World, a large, dark world created from the remnants of various worlds consumed by the Heartless.^[18] The main characters travel from world to world to seal each "Keyhole"; this protects the world from the Heartless and ultimately from destruction. They also try to minimize their interaction with characters of other worlds to maintain a balance of separation.^[19] This sometimes requires Sora, Donald and Goofy to blend in with the world inhabitants by changing their physical appearance.^[20]

Characters

The collaboration between Disney and Square resulted in a mixture of familiar Disney and Square characters, as well as several new characters created and designed by Tetsuya Nomura.^[21] The primary protagonist of the game is Sora, a 14-year-old boy chosen to wield the Keyblade, a large weapon which is a cross between a key and a sword for battling darkness. The game also features two friends from his home world, Riku and Kairi. For most of the game, Sora is joined by Donald Duck and Goofy. Donald, the court wizard, and Goofy, captain of the royal guard,^[22] were sent from Disney Castle to find the Keyblade.^[23] The three join forces to search for King Mickey Mouse, Kairi, and Riku. The primary antagonist is Ansem, who seeks power and knowledge by using dark beings called the Heartless. The Heartless, hearts corrupted by darkness,^[24] serve as most of the enemies encountered in the game and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

As a game meant to explore the fictional universes of various Disney films, over one hundred Disney characters are featured in various capacities.^[25] While many serve as major characters in the story, others appear in cameo roles, such as the One Hundred and One Dalmatians playing a part in a side-quest. Most worlds also feature a Disney villain whom the player must defeat. The player can summon various Disney characters to fight alongside Sora in battle, causing Donald and Goofy to withdraw from the battlefield for the duration of the summon. Available summoned characters include the Genie from Aladdin, Tinkerbell from Peter Pan, and Simba from The Lion King, among others.^[13]

Square also incorporated several characters from the Final Fantasy series into the game, though the characters were slightly altered to fit the game's back-story. On Destiny Islands, the player meets younger versions of Tidus and Wakka from Final Fantasy X and Selphie from Final Fantasy VIII. In Traverse Town, the player encounters Squall Leonhart (also known as "Leon") from Final Fantasy VIII, as well as Aerith, Cid and Yuffie from Final Fantasy VII.^[13] Rikku from Final Fantasy X was originally set to appear, but was replaced by Yuffie.^[26] Cloud and Sephiroth, both from Final Fantasy VII, make appearances in Olympus Coliseum, where the player can fight them in tournaments.^[13] The emphasis on characters from later Final Fantasy installments stems from Nomura's hesitation to use characters he did not design.^[27] The game also uses other Final Fantasy icons such as the Moogles who mediate item synthesis.^[12]

Story

Sora, Riku and Kairi plan to use a raft to leave Destiny Islands and explore new worlds.^[12] One night, the islands are attacked by the Heartless,^[10] and Riku and Kairi disappear. At the same time, Sora obtains the Keyblade, a weapon effective against the Heartless.^[28] However, the islands are destroyed and Sora drifts into space. Meanwhile, King Mickey has left his own world to deal with the increasing number of Heartless, and leaving instructions for Donald and Goofy to find the "key" that will protect the worlds from the encroaching darkness.^[23]

Donald and Goofy use the Gummi Ship to reach Traverse Town, where Sora has drifted. After Sora meets Donald and Goofy, the three decide to travel together—Donald and Goofy to find King Mickey, and Sora to find Kairi and Riku. The three go to various Disney-inspired worlds, finding that the Keyblade also locks "Keyholes" in the worlds that, when sealed, prevent the "heart" of those worlds from being consumed by the Heartless. Meanwhile, a group of Disney villains led by Maleficent seeks out the seven Princesses of Heart to unlock the final keyhole that leads to "Kingdom Hearts",^[9] a repository of knowledge and power and the source of all hearts. This group includes Riku, whom Maleficent convinces has been abandoned by Sora for new friends and the Keyblade, and promises that she will help him find Kairi in exchange for his support.^[29] An increasingly antagonistic Riku finds Kairi's body, but cannot find her heart.

Sora and his friends eventually arrive at Maleficent's headquarters in Hollow Bastion. Riku takes the Keyblade from Sora, claiming to be the Keyblade's intended wielder, and that Sora only received it in his absence.^[30] Donald and Goofy, having been explicitly ordered to follow the "key", reluctantly leave Sora for Riku.^[31] Sora challenges Riku, stating that his heart derives strength from his friends; his friends return to him, as does the Keyblade. After the three defeat Maleficent, Sora finds Kairi's body and confronts Riku, who is possessed by Ansem, a figure who has been manipulating Maleficent and the Heartless from the beginning.^[32] Ansem explains that Kairi is the Princess of Heart, and that it has been hiding within Sora's body since Destiny Islands was destroyed.^[33]^[34] After defeating the possessed Riku, Sora impales himself with Ansem's Keyblade, which is designed to unlock hearts, releasing both his and Kairi's heart. Kairi's heart returns to her body, in turn completing the final Keyhole, while Sora becomes a Heartless. Kairi recognizes Sora's Heartless and the light in her heart restores him to human form.

Sora, Donald and Goofy battle Ansem outside the door to Kingdom Hearts, which Ansem believes to be the ultimate reservoir of darkness. Upon opening the door, however, it reveals its light, overwhelming and destroying Ansem. Beyond the door are King Mickey and Riku, and they help Sora and the others close the door, as there are many Heartless beyond it. Mickey and Sora use their Keyblades to lock the door. The worlds lost to the Heartless reconstruct themselves; as the Destiny Islands reform, Kairi returns there while Sora is forced to part with her. The game concludes as Sora, Donald and Goofy resolve to find Riku and Mickey.^[35]

Development

The initial idea for Kingdom Hearts began with a discussion between Shinji Hashimoto and Hironobu Sakaguchi about Super Mario 64.^[36] They were planning to make a game with freedom of movement in three dimensions like Super Mario 64 but lamented that only characters as popular as Disney's could rival a Mario game. Tetsuya Nomura, overhearing their conversation, volunteered to lead the project and the two producers agreed to let him direct.^[36] A chance meeting between Hashimoto and a Disney executive in an elevator—Square and Disney had previously worked in the same building in Japan—allowed Hashimoto to pitch the idea directly to Disney.^[37]^[38] Nomura struck down a number of proposals from Disney in order to pursue his own concept featuring an original character not based on a Disney property.^[36] The production team consisted of over one hundred members from both Square and Disney Interactive.^[15] The game began development in February 2000^[39] and originally focused more on the gameplay with a simple story to appeal to Disney's target age range.^[40] After executive producer Hironobu Sakaguchi told director Tetsuya Nomura the game would be a failure if it did not aim for the same level as the Final Fantasy series, Nomura began to develop the story further.^[40] When choosing the Disney worlds to include in the game, Nomura and his team tried to pick worlds that had distinctively different looks.^[41] They also tried to take into account worlds with Disney characters that would be interesting.^[40] Thanks to support from Disney's then-president and current chairman and chief executive Bob Iger, the team had few restrictions on which worlds they could use from the Disney franchises. However, they tried to remain within each character's boundaries set by their respective Disney films.^[36]^[42] In June 2013, Nomura stated the name of the game came from him thinking about Disney Theme Parks, especially Animal Kingdom. However, Nomura could not get the IP with just Kingdom, so the development team began to think about "heart" as a core part of the story, so they decided to combine the two to form Kingdom Hearts.^[43]^[44]

Additional content was added to the North American release that was absent in the initial Japanese release:^[25] new optional bosses, one of which was named after the winner of the official website's "Name-In-Game" sweepstakes,^[25] an extra difficulty level,^[45] and a teaser of Kingdom Hearts II accessible by meeting certain criteria.^[42] Nomura included the teaser in order to gauge fan reaction to the possibility of a sequel; he felt that if the idea was unpopular, then it would be best to leave certain events in the game unexplained.^[46] The new content was later added to the Japanese re-release titled Kingdom Hearts Final Mix. Final Mix also included additional content such as new items, cut scenes, and enemies, such as a new secret boss that sets up the sequel. The new content further hinted at plotlines that would be explained in sequels. Some content omitted from Kingdom Hearts was later added into Kingdom Hearts II. A world based on The Lion King, for instance, was unfeasible because an additional program was required to process movement on four legs—a necessity since Sora would become a lion in that world.^[47] Due to time constraints, the developers left out an optional boss battle, similar to the Sephiroth battle, against Tifa Lockhart. She was later included in Kingdom Hearts II as a more developed character.^[48]

Audio

Music

Yoko Shimomura composed and produced the music of Kingdom Hearts.^[49] While there are arranged melodies derived from previous Disney films, most of the soundtrack consists of original themes written specifically for the game by Shimomura. The opening orchestration and ending credits theme were arranged and orchestrated by Kaoru Wada and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra.^[49] The main vocal theme for the original Japanese release is titled "Hikari" (光). The English version of "Hikari", "Simple and Clean", was used in the Western releases and the Japanese re-release, Final Mix. Both versions were composed and performed by Hikaru Utada. Her involvement, along with the Japanese song title, was announced in January 2002.^[50] Utada was the only singer Nomura had in mind for the Kingdom Hearts theme song.^[51] This marked the first time Utada had produced a song for a video game. The single, "Hikari", was released in Japan on March 20, 2002^[52] and proved to be very popular; by August 2002, it had sold over 860,000 copies in Japan.^[51] The Kingdom Hearts soundtrack was released on a two CD set on March 27, 2002 in Japan and a year later in the United States. The soundtrack was later included in the Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack Complete, which was released in Japan on March 28, 2007.^[53] Music from Kingdom Hearts was also included in Shimomura's best works compilation album Drammatica.^[54]

Voice cast

Kingdom Hearts featured well-known voice actors for both the Japanese and English versions. The Japanese version featured Miyu Irino as Sora, Risa Uchida as Kairi, and Mamoru Miyano as Riku. Other notable voice actors included Kōichi Yamadera, Hideo Ishikawa, and Maaya Sakamoto.^[55] A special effort was made to preserve the official voice actors of characters from the Disney movies used in Kingdom Hearts. Some of the voice actors from the related television series or direct-to-video sequels were chosen over the original voice actors from films, where applicable (e.g. Dan Castellaneta as Genie, rather than Robin Williams). The English version featured Haley Joel Osment as Sora, David Gallagher as Riku, and Hayden Panettiere as Kairi.^[56]^[57] Other notable voice actors included Billy Zane, Christy Carlson Romano, David Boreanaz, James Woods, and Mandy Moore.^[56]^[58]

Promotion

Kingdom Hearts was announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in May 2001.^[21] Initial details were that it would be a collaboration between Square and Disney Interactive and would feature worlds developed by both companies and Disney characters. New characters were designed by Nomura and included Sora, Riku, Kairi, and the Heartless.^[15]^[21] A playable demo was available at the Tokyo Game Show in 2001. The gameplay of the demo showcased many action role-playing game elements that would be included in the final product.^[59] To help market the English release of the game, Square launched the official website in April 2002, which featured trailers, a "Name-In-Game" sweepstakes, and other Internet content.^[60] On May 14, 2002, a press release announced a list of the English voice actors. The list included Haley Joel Osment, David Gallagher, and Hayden Panettiere as the three new characters introduced in the game. It also announced that many of the Disney characters would be voiced by the official voice actors from their respective Disney films.^[2]^[15] Other marketing efforts included auctions of the game and related items before the North American release^[61] and a Consumer Demo Day in San Francisco, California.^[62]

Reception

Kingdom Hearts received positive reviews and sales figures. During the first two months of its North American release it was one of the top three highest-selling video games^[63] and was among the top selling titles during the 2002 Christmas and holiday season. In November 2002, UBS Warburg listed it as the 6th highest console game in terms of sales during the week of November 5.^[64] At the end of April 2003, Square announced that Kingdom Hearts had sold its millionth copy in the United States, which made it eligible for PlayStation's "Greatest Hits" status, and over 3.0 million worldwide.^[5] Sales reached 1.2 million in Japan in the first quarter of 2004, and broke 4.0 million worldwide.^[65] In December 2005, the NPD Group listed it as "one of the top ten best-selling PlayStation 2 titles of all time in North America".^[66] As of December 2006, Kingdom Hearts had shipped over 5.6 million copies worldwide with 1.1 million in PAL regions, 1.5 million in Japan, and 3.0 million in North America.^[67] By October 2013, the series had sold more than 20 million units worldwide.^[6]

Critical response

Reception

Aggregate score
Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	85/100^[68]

Review scores
Publication	Score
1Up.com	A-^[69]
Eurogamer	8/10^[70]
Famitsu	36/40^[71]^[72]
Game Informer	9.5/10^[73]
GamePro	^[16]
GameSpot	8.2/10^[11]
GameSpy	^[10]
IGN	9/10^[17]
Entertainment Weekly	B+^[74]

Awards
Publication	Award
GameSpot	Best Crossover Since Capcom vs. SNK^[4]
G4TV	Best Story^[75]
International Game Developers Association	Excellence in Visual Arts^[76]
IGN	Best Art Style/Direction^[77]

The game received critical acclaim among reviewers. In IGN's Best of 2002 awards, it was nominated for "PS2's Best Game of 2002 Editor's Choice Award" and was a runner up for "PS2's Best Game of 2002 Reader's Choice Award".^[78] In 2007, the website listed Kingdom Hearts as the 22nd best PlayStation 2 game of all time.^[79] Critics commended the visuals, orchestral score, voice acting, and hybrid action-adventure and role-playing feel to the game. IGN named it "Best Art Style/Direction", runner-up for "Best CG Graphics", and honorable mention for "Best Animation" in IGN's 2003 list of "Best Looking Games on PS2".^[80] GameSpy listed Kingdom Hearts twice in its "Top 25 Video Game Cinematic Moments".^[81]^[82] GamePro stated that the graphics were "gorgeous", giving them high marks.^[16] The audio was also praised, particularly the quality of the voice-overs and musical score.^[10]^[11] GamePro had positive comments on the overall audio and gave that aspect a perfect score.^[16]

Criticism about the gameplay was mixed. Many reviews complained that the camera was at times frustrating and the Gummi Ship portions were out of place. GameSpot cited "tedious" gameplay and Gummi Ship sections as "pale imitations of the Star Fox series", but stated that the combat was fun, particularly the boss fights.^[11] Dengeki Online commented on the camera controls, saying that the camera would often run into objects while being rotated by the player.^[83] GamePro compared the battle system to "old N64 Zelda games" and had positive comments about Donald and Goofy's artificial intelligence.^[16]

GameSpot commented that the concept of mixing the serious elements of Final Fantasy with the lighter elements of Disney seemed impossible, but was pulled off quite well. Because of that they awarded Kingdom Hearts "Best Crossover Since Capcom vs. SNK" in their 2002 Best and Worst of the Year awards.^[4] GameSpy noted that the periodic departure from the main plot into the Disney side stories was disappointing, and when the original plot builds to a climax, "the story fails to gel thanks to a confusing mish-mash of vague terms and symbolism that probably made more sense in the director's head than in this final product." Aside from the plot, they stated that the overall package was worth playing through to the end.^[10] G4TV awarded it "Best Story" at their 2003 G-Phoria awards show.^[75] Fan response was also positive; Kingdom Hearts was voted as the 19th best game of all-time by readers of the Japanese magazine Famitsu,^[84] 16th by the users of website GameFAQs,^[85] and 92nd by IGN users.^[86] Kingdom Hearts ranked ninth on IGN's most recent "Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time" list.^[87] It was also a nominee for the Best Game Award from the CESA Game Awards for 2001-2002.^[88] In the making of the 2004 video game Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel the developers, Racjin, looked at other titles for inspiration, particularly Kingdom Hearts when making the game.^[89]

Versions and merchandise

Multiple versions of Kingdom Hearts have been released. The first was the original Japanese release, followed by the North American and PAL releases, which includes additional content. The game was later re-released in Japan as Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, which features the content of the North American/PAL release, as well as more new content.

Both Square and Disney also released numerous types of merchandise before and after the release of the game. Merchandise ranged from toys and figurines^[25] to clothing items and books. Like the Final Fantasy games, Square released an Ultimania book on Kingdom Hearts in Japan following the release of the game and a revised edition following the release of Final Mix. In North America, a strategy guide was released by Brady Games. It featured a comprehensive walkthrough and a sticker activity journal.^[13]^[90] A manga series based on the game was released in Japan and the United States. A novel series also based on the game was released in Japan. It was authored by Tomoco Kanemaki and illustrated by Shiro Amano. The novel series consists of two volumes and was released in North America on March 25, 2008.^[91]^[92]

Final Mix

Originally released only in Japan, Kingdom Hearts Final Mix has several events and a number of gameplay tweaks that are not in previous releases. Spoken dialogue is in English, with Japanese subtitles.^[93] New scenes, clarifying certain plot points, such as Riku's journey and foreshadowing of Kingdom Hearts II, were included, but no new dialogue was recorded. A gameplay option allows the player to skip cut scenes after seeing them once.^[93] The optional bosses first included in the English version were introduced to Japanese players for the first time, along with a new fight against "Unknown Man", in an attempt to raise interest for the sequel.

In another attempt at foreshadowing, a video titled "Another Side, Another Story 【 deep dive 】" plays at the ending if the player accomplishes certain tasks.^[94] New music tracks incorporated were "Disappeared" and "Another Side". The "Night on Bald Mountain" and "One-Winged Angel" tracks from the English version were included as well. Other changes include new abilities, new weapons, new items, additional and recolored enemies,^[95] and gameplay tweaks to make the game easier for the player, along with two new levels of difficulty.^[94]^[96] When first released, Final Mix included either a deck of Kingdom Hearts cards or special music CD. A limited "Platinum Edition" version of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix was later released with an action figure of Sora, a sticker set, and sketches of some of the main characters.^[93]

It was released for the first time in North America, Europe and Australia as part of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix.^[97]^[98]^[99]

Manga

The game was adapted into a manga by Shiro Amano. The story follows the events that took place in the game with a few minor differences to account for the loss of interactivity a video game provides.^[100] Some events that took place in the Final Mix version were also included. The manga was originally serialized in Japan by Enterbrain's Famitsū PS2, but has since been released worldwide in four volumes. The volumes have been published in English in the United States by Tokyopop. The first volume was released on October 11, 2005,^[101] and the fourth volume was released on July 10, 2006.^[102] The entire series was later released in a boxed set on October 10, 2006.^[103]

The manga series has had moderate success. The first volume was ranked 95th in USA Today's "Top 150 best sellers" during the week of its release.^[104] IGN praised Amano's artwork and commented on wanting to replay the game after reading. They criticized the lack of new content and stated the transition from game to print lost most of the story's appeal.^[100] The series was followed by others based on the game's sequels: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II.^[105]^[106]

HD 1.5 Remix

During August 2011, Nomura expressed desire to release a high definition rerelease of the game though he had yet to confirm such plans.^[107]^[108] In September 2012, Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, a compilation for the PlayStation 3, that includes both Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories in HD and trophy support. The character models from Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance are being used as a base for the game's characters. The gameplay of the original Kingdom Hearts was modified to play more like Kingdom Hearts II.^[109] Additionally, the collection includes HD cinematic scenes from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. It was released in Japan on March 14, 2013,^[110] in North America on September 10, 2013,^[97] on September 12, 2013 for Australia,^[98] and September 13, 2013 for Europe.^[99]

In June 2013, Nomura stated that the original game assets for Kingdom Hearts had been lost some time ago. He explained, "[The game data] was lost, so we had to research, and we had to dig out from the actual game what was available and recreate everything for HD. We had to recreate all the graphics and it was actually not that easy."^[44]^[111]

Sequels

Kingdom Hearts was followed by several sequels, becoming the first game in the Kingdom Hearts series. It was followed by a direct sequel, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, on the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, which was released in Japan on November 11, 2004.^[112]^[113] Kingdom Hearts II is the third game in the series, set one year after Chain of Memories, and was released in Japan on December 22, 2005 for Sony PlayStation 2.^[114] Like the first game it was re-released as Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix alongside a PS2 remake of Chain of Memories.^[115] A Kingdom Hearts game was developed exclusively for V CAST, Verizon Wireless's broadband service, and was released on October 1, 2004 in Japan and on February 4, 2005 in the United States.^[116] In November 2008, Kingdom Hearts coded was released for mobile phones in Japan, the game takes place after the events of Kingdom Hearts II. A followup, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, was developed for the Nintendo DS and released in Japan on May 30, 2009 and in North America on September 29, 2009. A prequel was released in Japan on January 9, 2010, entitled Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, for the PlayStation Portable, which takes place 10 years before the events of Kingdom Hearts.^[117] The following title in the series was Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance for the Nintendo 3DS, released in 2012.^[118] At E3 2013, Kingdom Hearts III was announced to be in development for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.^[119]^[120]

References

^ "PlayStation 2 - Kingdom Hearts". PlayStation Underground. Archived from the original on 2007-05-28. Retrieved 2007-05-15. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ ^a ^b IGN Staff (2002-05-14). "Kingdom Hearts Voice Cast". IGN. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
^ Edge (2007-06-25). "Interview: Tetsuya Nomura". Next-gen.biz. Next Generation. Archived from the original on 2007-07-07. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
^ ^a ^b ^c "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002". GameSpot. 2002. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2014-04-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ ^a ^b GamePro Staff (2003-04-30). "Kingdom Hearts sold how many?!". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2011-12-01. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
^ ^a ^b Kishimoto, Mat (2013-10-14). "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX Coming to PS3 in 2014". PlayStation Blog. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
^ "Tetsuya Nomura Interview". Edge (177). Future Publishing: 80–81. July 2007.
^ "Official International Kingdom Hearts Website". Square. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
^ ^a ^b "Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2 (2002)". MobyGames. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Turner, Benjamin (2002-09-03). "Kingdom Hearts Review (PS2)". GameSpy. Retrieved 2007-07-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Kasavin, Greg (2002-09-09). "Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2 Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2007-05-02. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Square Co. (2002). Kingdom Hearts Instruction Booklet. Square Co., Limited.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Birlew, Dan (2003). Kingdom Hearts Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames Publishing. ISBN 0-7440-0198-6.
^ Varanini, Giancarlo (2002-04-03). "Kingdom Hearts Preview". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2016-05-27. Retrieved 2007-05-18.
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^ Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Goofy: Gawrsh, is that all that's left of the worlds taken by the Heartless?
^ Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Goofy: Oh, right... I gotcha. While we're in the other worlds, we can't let on where we're from. We've gotta protect the world border. / Donald: "Order."
^ Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Goofy: This sure is a spooky place. I'll bet the people here are scary-lookin' too. / Donald: Don't worry. We look spooky, too. If they scare us, we'll scare them right back!
^ ^a ^b ^c Gerstmann, Jeff (2001-05-17). "E3 2001: Square announces Disney RPG for PS2". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
^ "Official Kingdom Hearts Website: Characters" (Select "Characters" tab). Square Enix. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
^ ^a ^b Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. King Mickey's Note: Donald, Sorry to rush off without sayin' goodbye, but there's big trouble brewin'. Not sure why, but the stars have been blinkin' out, one by one. And that means disaster can't be far behind. I hate to leave you all but I've gotta go check into it. There's someone with a "key"—the key to our survival. So I need you and Goofy to find him, and stick with him. Got it? We need that key or we're doomed! So go to Traverse Town and find Leon. He'll point you in the right direction. P.S. Would ya apologize to Minnie for me? Thanks, pal.
^ Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Sora: The Heartless? / Yuffie: The ones who attacked you, you remember? / Leon: Those without hearts. / Yuffie: The darkness in people's hearts—that's what attracts them. / Leon: And there is darkness within every heart.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Official Kingdom Hearts Website: News". Square Enix. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
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^ Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Leon: The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade. That's why they'll keep coming after you no matter what.
^ Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Maleficent: You see? It's just as I told you. While you toiled away trying to find your dear friend, he quite simply replaced you with some new companions. Evidently, now he values them far more than he does you. You're better off without that wretched boy. Now, think no more of him, and come with me. I'll help you find what you're searching for...
^ Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Sora: But that's impossible. How did this happen? I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade! / Riku: You were just the delivery boy. Sorry, your part's over now.
^ Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Donald Duck: Goofy, let's go. We need to remember our mission. / Goofy: Oh! Well, I know the king told use to follow the key and all. But... / Donald Duck: Sora, sorry.
^ Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Sora: What? You... You're not Riku. / ... / Sora: Tell me. Who are you? / Ansem: It is I, Ansem, the seeker of darkness.
^ Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Ansem: The Keyhole cannot be completed so long as the last princess of heart still sleeps. / Sora: The princess...? Kairi's a princess? / Ansem: Yes, and without her power, the Keyhole will remain incomplete.
^ Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Ansem: Don't you see yet? The princess's heart is responding. It has been there all along. Kairi's heart rests within you! / Sora: Kairi... Kairi's inside me?
^ Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Donald: Well, now what do we do? / Sora: We've gotta find Riku and King Mickey.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Iwata, Satoru (April 2012). "Volume 12 : KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance]". Nintendo of America Inc. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
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External links

[KH-PSUnderground-1] "PlayStation 2 - Kingdom Hearts". PlayStation Underground. Archived from the original on 2007-05-28. Retrieved 2007-05-15. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[IGN_Voice_cast-2] IGN Staff (2002-05-14). "Kingdom Hearts Voice Cast". IGN. Retrieved 2007-05-21.

[debut-3] Edge (2007-06-25). "Interview: Tetsuya Nomura". Next-gen.biz. Next Generation. Archived from the original on 2007-07-07. Retrieved 2014-04-28.

[BWGS-4] "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002". GameSpot. 2002. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2014-04-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[greatesthits-5] GamePro Staff (2003-04-30). "Kingdom Hearts sold how many?!". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2011-12-01. Retrieved 2008-09-19.

[20mil-6] Kishimoto, Mat (2013-10-14). "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX Coming to PS3 in 2014". PlayStation Blog. Retrieved 2013-10-14.

[7] "Tetsuya Nomura Interview". Edge (177). Future Publishing: 80–81. July 2007.

[K-H.com-8] "Official International Kingdom Hearts Website". Square. Retrieved 2007-05-14.

[KH-MobyGames-9] "Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2 (2002)". MobyGames. Retrieved 2012-10-18.

[KHgamespy-10] Turner, Benjamin (2002-09-03). "Kingdom Hearts Review (PS2)". GameSpy. Retrieved 2007-07-05.

[KHgamespot-11] Kasavin, Greg (2002-09-09). "Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2 Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2007-05-02. Retrieved 2007-05-13.

[Instructions-12] Square Co. (2002). Kingdom Hearts Instruction Booklet. Square Co., Limited.

[KH-StrategyGuide-13] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Birlew, Dan (2003). Kingdom Hearts Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames Publishing. ISBN 0-7440-0198-6.

[14] Varanini, Giancarlo (2002-04-03). "Kingdom Hearts Preview". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2016-05-27. Retrieved 2007-05-18.

[GS-CompanyLine-15] "Kingdom Hearts Company Line". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2006-10-19. Retrieved 2014-04-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[GP-KH-16] Fox, Fennec (2002-09-30). "Review: Kingdom Hearts for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2008-09-19.

[IGN-KH-17] "IGN: Kingdom Hearts". IGN. Retrieved 2007-05-12.

[Goofy-EndOfWorld-18] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Goofy: Gawrsh, is that all that's left of the worlds taken by the Heartless?

[separate-19] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Goofy: Oh, right... I gotcha. While we're in the other worlds, we can't let on where we're from. We've gotta protect the world border. / Donald: "Order."

[20] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Goofy: This sure is a spooky place. I'll bet the people here are scary-lookin' too. / Donald: Don't worry. We look spooky, too. If they scare us, we'll scare them right back!

[GS-E3-2001-21] Gerstmann, Jeff (2001-05-17). "E3 2001: Square announces Disney RPG for PS2". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-05-13.

[KH-OfficialWebsiteInfo-22] "Official Kingdom Hearts Website: Characters" (Select "Characters" tab). Square Enix. Retrieved 2007-05-21.

[MickeyNote-23] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. King Mickey's Note: Donald, Sorry to rush off without sayin' goodbye, but there's big trouble brewin'. Not sure why, but the stars have been blinkin' out, one by one. And that means disaster can't be far behind. I hate to leave you all but I've gotta go check into it. There's someone with a "key"—the key to our survival. So I need you and Goofy to find him, and stick with him. Got it? We need that key or we're doomed! So go to Traverse Town and find Leon. He'll point you in the right direction. P.S. Would ya apologize to Minnie for me? Thanks, pal.

[24] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Sora: The Heartless? / Yuffie: The ones who attacked you, you remember? / Leon: Those without hearts. / Yuffie: The darkness in people's hearts—that's what attracts them. / Leon: And there is darkness within every heart.

[Square-KHsite-25] "Official Kingdom Hearts Website: News". Square Enix. Retrieved 2007-05-14.

[26] Square. "Early Kingdom Hearts Concept Art". Kingdom Hearts Ultimania.com. Retrieved 2007-05-24.

[27] Boulette, Bryan (2005-11-27). "Nomura Divulges Kingdom Hearts II Details". RPGamer. Retrieved 2007-05-21.

[28] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Leon: The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade. That's why they'll keep coming after you no matter what.

[29] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Maleficent: You see? It's just as I told you. While you toiled away trying to find your dear friend, he quite simply replaced you with some new companions. Evidently, now he values them far more than he does you. You're better off without that wretched boy. Now, think no more of him, and come with me. I'll help you find what you're searching for...

[30] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Sora: But that's impossible. How did this happen? I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade! / Riku: You were just the delivery boy. Sorry, your part's over now.

[31] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Donald Duck: Goofy, let's go. We need to remember our mission. / Goofy: Oh! Well, I know the king told use to follow the key and all. But... / Donald Duck: Sora, sorry.

[32] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Sora: What? You... You're not Riku. / ... / Sora: Tell me. Who are you? / Ansem: It is I, Ansem, the seeker of darkness.

[33] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Ansem: The Keyhole cannot be completed so long as the last princess of heart still sleeps. / Sora: The princess...? Kairi's a princess? / Ansem: Yes, and without her power, the Keyhole will remain incomplete.

[34] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Ansem: Don't you see yet? The princess's heart is responding. It has been there all along. Kairi's heart rests within you! / Sora: Kairi... Kairi's inside me?

[35] Square (2002-11-15). Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2). Square Electronic Arts. Donald: Well, now what do we do? / Sora: We've gotta find Riku and King Mickey.

[KH3DIwata-36] Iwata, Satoru (April 2012). "Volume 12 : KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance]". Nintendo of America Inc. Retrieved May 4, 2014.

[37] Final Fantasy Retrospective Part XI (GameTrailers.com feature). GameTrailers. 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2007-11-20.

[IGN-TGS04-NI-38] Anoop Gantayat (2004-09-23). "TGS 2004: Tetsuya Nomura Q&A". IGN. Retrieved 2007-06-12.

[39] "Kingdom Hearts キングダム　ハーツ" (in Japanese). Final Fantasy 2000. Retrieved 2007-05-30.

[Insider-KHU-NI-40] "KHU Interview w/Tetsuya Nomura". Kingdom Hearts Insider. Archived from the original on 2012-04-23. Retrieved 2014-04-28.

[KH-NI-PSE-41] "Playstation.com Europe - E3 Interview". Kingdom Hearts Ultimania. Archived from the original on 2007-04-18. Retrieved 2007-06-15. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[G4TV-NI-42] "Tetsuya Nomura on the Kingdom Hearts Sequels". G4TV. Archived from the original on 2006-12-03. Retrieved 2007-06-15.

[43] Splechta, Mike (2013-06-26). "Tetsuya Nomura discusses Kingdom Hearts 1.5, Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy 15". Gamezone. Retrieved 2013-06-28.

[Square_Enix-44] Square Enix (2013-06-25). Square Enix Presents E3 2013 - Day1 [#03] - KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX Interview. Youtube. Retrieved 2013-06-28.

[45] Fox, Fennec (2003-04-30). "Square Confirms Kingdom Hearts Date". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2011-12-01. Retrieved 2008-09-19.

[KH-NI-KHIIU-46] "Kingdom Hearts II Ultimania - Tetsuya Nomura Interview". Kingdom Hearts Ultimania. Archived from the original on 2007-07-10. Retrieved 2007-08-10. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[KH-NI-Dengeki3-47] "Nomura Dengeki Interview #3". Kingdom Hearts Ultimania. Archived from the original on 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2007-06-15. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[KHII-TN-interview-48] "Kingdom Hearts II Tetsuya Nomura interview". Video Game Blogger. Retrieved 2007-06-19.

[KH-OST-49] Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack CD insert. Toshiba-Emi Limited. 2002.

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 The game was a departure from Square's standard role-playing games, introducing a substantial [[action-adventure game|action-adventure]] element to the gameplay. ''Kingdom Hearts'' has an [[all-star]] [[voice acting|voice cast]] and includes many of the Disney characters' official voice actors.<ref name="IGN Voice cast">{{cite web| author = IGN Staff | url = http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/05/14/kingdom-hearts-voice-cast | publisher = IGN | title = Kingdom Hearts Voice Cast | accessdate=2007-05-21 | date=2002-05-14}}</ref> It was longtime Square character designer [[Tetsuya Nomura]]'s first time in a directorial position.<ref name=debut>{{cite web | last=Edge | title=Interview: Tetsuya Nomura | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6127&Itemid=2 | work=Next-gen.biz | publisher=Next Generation | accessdate=2014-04-28 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070707005545/http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6127&Itemid=2 | archivedate=2007-07-07|date=2007-06-25}}</ref>
-''Kingdom Hearts'' was praised for its unusual combination of action and role-playing, as well as its unexpectedly harmonious mix of Square and Disney elements.<ref name="BWGS">{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/general13.html| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| title = GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002| accessdate=2014-04-28| year=2002| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/64xJW5FXG| archivedate=2012-01-25}}</ref> It was a large presence in the 2002 [[Christmas and holiday season|holiday season]], receiving numerous year-end game awards, and went on to achieve [[List of Sony Greatest Hits games|Sony "Greatest Hits"]] status.<ref name="greatesthits">{{cite web| author = GamePro Staff| url = http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/27584/kingdom-hearts-sold-how-many/| publisher = [[GamePro]]| title = Kingdom Hearts sold how many?!| accessdate=2008-09-19 | date=2003-04-30|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/27584/kingdom-hearts-sold-how-many/&date=2011-11-30+19:08:56|archivedate=2011-12-01}}</ref> Since its release, the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, and the first game prompted numerous sequels.<ref name="20mil">{{cite web|url=http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/10/14/kingdom-hearts-hd-2-5-remix-coming-to-ps3-in-2014/|title=Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX Coming to PS3 in 2014|last=Kishimoto|first=Mat|publisher=PlayStation Blog|date=2013-10-14|accessdate=2013-10-14}}</ref> ''Kingdom Hearts'' is the [[List of best-selling PlayStation 2 video games|tenth best-selling PlayStation 2 game of all time]], the most commercially successful entry in the series to date, and is considered to be [[List of video games considered the best|one of the greatest video games of all time]].
+''Kingdom Hearts'' was praised for its unusual combination of action and role-playing, as well as its unexpectedly harmonious mix of Square and Disney elements.<ref name="BWGS">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/general13.html |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |title=GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002 |accessdate=2014-04-28 |year=2002 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/64xJW5FXG?url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/general13.html |archivedate=2012-01-25 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> It was a large presence in the 2002 [[Christmas and holiday season|holiday season]], receiving numerous year-end game awards, and went on to achieve [[List of Sony Greatest Hits games|Sony "Greatest Hits"]] status.<ref name="greatesthits">{{cite web| author = GamePro Staff| url = http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/27584/kingdom-hearts-sold-how-many/| publisher = [[GamePro]]| title = Kingdom Hearts sold how many?!| accessdate=2008-09-19 | date=2003-04-30|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/27584/kingdom-hearts-sold-how-many/&date=2011-11-30+19:08:56|archivedate=2011-12-01}}</ref> Since its release, the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, and the first game prompted numerous sequels.<ref name="20mil">{{cite web|url=http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/10/14/kingdom-hearts-hd-2-5-remix-coming-to-ps3-in-2014/|title=Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX Coming to PS3 in 2014|last=Kishimoto|first=Mat|publisher=PlayStation Blog|date=2013-10-14|accessdate=2013-10-14}}</ref> ''Kingdom Hearts'' is the [[List of best-selling PlayStation 2 video games|tenth best-selling PlayStation 2 game of all time]], the most commercially successful entry in the series to date, and is considered to be [[List of video games considered the best|one of the greatest video games of all time]].
 ==Gameplay==
@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 Like traditional role-playing games, ''Kingdom Hearts'' features an [[experience point]] system that determines character development. As enemies are defeated, the [[player character]]s gain experience and grow stronger, gaining access to new [[Statistic (role-playing games)#Skills|abilities]].<ref name="Instructions">{{cite book| author = [[Square Co.]]| year = 2002| title = Kingdom Hearts Instruction Booklet| publisher = Square Co., Limited}}</ref> Unlike other games of its type, ''Kingdom Hearts'' allows a degree of character development customization through a short tutorial found at the beginning of the game. The tutorial allows the player to select from one of three main attributes―strength, defense, or magic―for Sora to excel in and one to lack in.<ref name="KH-StrategyGuide">{{cite book| last= Birlew| first= Dan| year = 2003| title = Kingdom Hearts Official Strategy Guide| publisher = [[BradyGames]] Publishing| isbn= 0-7440-0198-6}}</ref> By choosing certain options, the player may manipulate how Sora learns abilities, [[Attribute (role-playing games)|grows statistically]], and gains levels.<ref name="KH-StrategyGuide"/> Donald, Goofy, and any other additional party members are assigned specific areas of strength from the outset. Donald excels in magic, while Goofy excels in defense and special attacks.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/articles/kingdom-hearts-preview/1100-2859681/| title = Kingdom Hearts Preview | author = Varanini, Giancarlo |publisher = [[GameSpot]]| accessdate=2007-05-18| date = 2002-04-03|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527035305/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/kingdom-hearts-preview/1100-2859681/|archivedate=2016-05-27}}</ref>
-The game progresses linearly from one story event to the next, usually presented as a [[cutscene]], though there are numerous [[Quest (gaming)|side quests]] available that provide benefits to the characters.<ref name="KHgamespot"/> Players may also choose the order in which they tackle some areas. Most of the gameplay occurs on interconnected field maps where battles take place. Combat in ''Kingdom Hearts'' occurs in real time and involves pressing buttons to initiate attacks by the on-screen character.<ref name="GS-CompanyLine">{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/kingdomhearts/news.html?sid=6089696| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| title = Kingdom Hearts Company Line| accessdate=2014-04-28| archiveurl=http://archive.<!--remove to access archive-->is/brIJn| archivedate=2006-10-19}}</ref> An action menu, similar to those found in ''Final Fantasy'' games, found at the bottom left of the screen provides other combat options such as using magic and items, although players can also assign selected magic spells that can be instantly used whilst holding the shoulder button. As players progress through the game, they can receive certain Disney characters as summons, such as [[Dumbo]] and [[Tinkerbell]], each with their own unique abilities. There is also a context-sensitive option at the bottom of the menu, usually used for interacting with the environment or performing special attacks. This menu is manipulated by using the right analog stick or digital pad, while movement is controlled by the left analog stick, allowing the player to navigate the menu while avoiding or approaching enemies.<ref name="Instructions"/>
+The game progresses linearly from one story event to the next, usually presented as a [[cutscene]], though there are numerous [[Quest (gaming)|side quests]] available that provide benefits to the characters.<ref name="KHgamespot"/> Players may also choose the order in which they tackle some areas. Most of the gameplay occurs on interconnected field maps where battles take place. Combat in ''Kingdom Hearts'' occurs in real time and involves pressing buttons to initiate attacks by the on-screen character.<ref name="GS-CompanyLine">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/kingdomhearts/news.html?sid=6089696 |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |title=Kingdom Hearts Company Line |accessdate=2014-04-28 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061019011504/http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/kingdomhearts/news.html?sid=6089696 |archivedate=2006-10-19 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> An action menu, similar to those found in ''Final Fantasy'' games, found at the bottom left of the screen provides other combat options such as using magic and items, although players can also assign selected magic spells that can be instantly used whilst holding the shoulder button. As players progress through the game, they can receive certain Disney characters as summons, such as [[Dumbo]] and [[Tinkerbell]], each with their own unique abilities. There is also a context-sensitive option at the bottom of the menu, usually used for interacting with the environment or performing special attacks. This menu is manipulated by using the right analog stick or digital pad, while movement is controlled by the left analog stick, allowing the player to navigate the menu while avoiding or approaching enemies.<ref name="Instructions"/>
 Sora, along with his allies, both possess a HP meter and an MP meter, which increases as they gain experience and level up. The MP meter is divided into various sections that are used up whenever that character performs magic, with more powerful magic using more MP. MP can be replenished by performing melee attacks or using items such as ether. The HP meter determines the character's health, reducing whenever a character takes damage, although it can be replenished by using potions or healing spells. If one of Sora's allies run out of health, they will be knocked out for a while until someone heals them. However, if Sora loses all of his health, the game ends and the player must resume play from the beginning of an area or boss. Defeating enemies causes various orbs to fall; green orbs which replenish health, blue orbs which restore MP and yellow orbs which represent Munny, the game's currency, which can be used to purchase new items.
@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 ==Development==
-The initial idea for ''Kingdom Hearts'' began with a discussion between [[Shinji Hashimoto]] and [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]] about ''[[Super Mario 64]]''.<ref name="KH3DIwata">{{cite web|url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/creators/11/0|last=Iwata|first=Satoru|title=Volume 12 : KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance]|publisher=Nintendo of America Inc.|date=April 2012|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> They were planning to make a game with freedom of movement in three dimensions like ''Super Mario 64'' but lamented that only characters as popular as Disney's could rival a Mario game. [[Tetsuya Nomura]], overhearing their conversation, volunteered to lead the project and the two producers agreed to let him direct.<ref name="KH3DIwata"/> A chance meeting between Hashimoto and a Disney executive in an elevator—Square and Disney had previously worked in the same building in Japan—allowed Hashimoto to pitch the idea directly to Disney.<ref>{{cite video| date=2007-10-10| url=http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/view/gt-retrospectives/100442-Final-Fantasy-Retrospective-Part-XI| title=Final Fantasy Retrospective Part XI| medium=GameTrailers.com feature| publisher=[[GameTrailers]]| accessdate=2007-11-20}}</ref><ref name="IGN-TGS04-NI">{{cite web| publisher = IGN| title = TGS 2004: Tetsuya Nomura Q&A| url = http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/23/tgs-2004-tetsuya-nomura-qa| author = Anoop Gantayat| date = 2004-09-23| accessdate = 2007-06-12}}</ref> Nomura struck down a number of proposals from Disney in order to pursue his own concept featuring an original character not based on a Disney property.<ref name="KH3DIwata"/> The production team consisted of over one hundred members from both Square and [[Disney Interactive]].<ref name="GS-CompanyLine"/> The game began development in February 2000<ref>{{cite web| url = http://ffx.sakura.ne.jp/kh.htm| title = Kingdom Hearts キングダム　ハーツ| publisher = Final Fantasy 2000| language = Japanese| accessdate=2007-05-30}}</ref> and originally focused more on the gameplay with a simple story to appeal to Disney's target age range.<ref name="Insider-KHU-NI">{{cite web| url = http://www.khinsider.com/content/view/42/41/| title = KHU Interview w/Tetsuya Nomura| publisher = Kingdom Hearts Insider| accessdate = 2014-04-28| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423023054/http://www.khinsider.com/content/view/42/41| archivedate=2012-04-23}}</ref> After executive producer [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]] told director Tetsuya Nomura the game would be a failure if it did not aim for the same level as the ''Final Fantasy'' series, Nomura began to develop the story further.<ref name="Insider-KHU-NI"/> When choosing the Disney worlds to include in the game, Nomura and his team tried to pick worlds that had distinctively different looks.<ref name="KH-NI-PSE">{{cite web| url = http://www.kh2.co.uk/?page=NI/Playstation| title = Playstation.com Europe - E3 Interview| publisher = Kingdom Hearts Ultimania| accessdate=2007-06-15| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070418212412/http://www.kh2.co.uk/?page=NI/Playstation| archivedate = 2007-04-18}}</ref> They also tried to take into account worlds with Disney characters that would be interesting.<ref name="Insider-KHU-NI"/> Thanks to support from Disney's then-president and current chairman and chief executive [[Bob Iger]], the team had few restrictions on which worlds they could use from the Disney franchises. However, they tried to remain within each character's boundaries set by their respective Disney films.<ref name="KH3DIwata"/><ref name="G4TV-NI">{{cite web| url = http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/45555/Tetsuya_Nomura_on_the_Kingdom_Hearts_Sequels.html| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20061203020540/http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/45555/Tetsuya_Nomura_on_the_Kingdom_Hearts_Sequels.html| archivedate=2006-12-03| publisher = [[G4 (U.S. TV channel)|G4TV]]| title = Tetsuya Nomura on the Kingdom Hearts Sequels| accessdate=2007-06-15}}</ref> In June 2013, Nomura stated the name of the game came from him thinking about [[Walt Disney Parks and Resorts|Disney Theme Parks]], especially [[Disney's Animal Kingdom|Animal Kingdom]]. However, Nomura could not get the [[Intellectual property|IP]] with just ''Kingdom'', so the development team began to think about "heart" as a core part of the story, so they decided to combine the two to form ''Kingdom Hearts''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamezone.com/news/tetsuya-nomura-discusses-kingdom-hearts-1-5-kingdom-hearts-3-and-final-fantasy-15|title=Tetsuya Nomura discusses Kingdom Hearts 1.5, Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy 15|last=Splechta|first=Mike|publisher=Gamezone|date=2013-06-26|accessdate=2013-06-28}}</ref><ref name="Square Enix">{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpzjiMPhNBU|title=Square Enix Presents E3 2013 - Day1 [#03] - KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX Interview|author=Square Enix|publisher=Youtube|date=2013-06-25|accessdate=2013-06-28}}</ref>
+The initial idea for ''Kingdom Hearts'' began with a discussion between [[Shinji Hashimoto]] and [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]] about ''[[Super Mario 64]]''.<ref name="KH3DIwata">{{cite web|url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/creators/11/0|last=Iwata|first=Satoru|title=Volume 12 : KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance]|publisher=Nintendo of America Inc.|date=April 2012|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> They were planning to make a game with freedom of movement in three dimensions like ''Super Mario 64'' but lamented that only characters as popular as Disney's could rival a Mario game. [[Tetsuya Nomura]], overhearing their conversation, volunteered to lead the project and the two producers agreed to let him direct.<ref name="KH3DIwata"/> A chance meeting between Hashimoto and a Disney executive in an elevator—Square and Disney had previously worked in the same building in Japan—allowed Hashimoto to pitch the idea directly to Disney.<ref>{{cite video| date=2007-10-10| url=http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/view/gt-retrospectives/100442-Final-Fantasy-Retrospective-Part-XI| title=Final Fantasy Retrospective Part XI| medium=GameTrailers.com feature| publisher=[[GameTrailers]]| accessdate=2007-11-20}}</ref><ref name="IGN-TGS04-NI">{{cite web| publisher = IGN| title = TGS 2004: Tetsuya Nomura Q&A| url = http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/23/tgs-2004-tetsuya-nomura-qa| author = Anoop Gantayat| date = 2004-09-23| accessdate = 2007-06-12}}</ref> Nomura struck down a number of proposals from Disney in order to pursue his own concept featuring an original character not based on a Disney property.<ref name="KH3DIwata"/> The production team consisted of over one hundred members from both Square and [[Disney Interactive]].<ref name="GS-CompanyLine"/> The game began development in February 2000<ref>{{cite web| url = http://ffx.sakura.ne.jp/kh.htm| title = Kingdom Hearts キングダム　ハーツ| publisher = Final Fantasy 2000| language = Japanese| accessdate=2007-05-30}}</ref> and originally focused more on the gameplay with a simple story to appeal to Disney's target age range.<ref name="Insider-KHU-NI">{{cite web| url = http://www.khinsider.com/content/view/42/41/| title = KHU Interview w/Tetsuya Nomura| publisher = Kingdom Hearts Insider| accessdate = 2014-04-28| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423023054/http://www.khinsider.com/content/view/42/41| archivedate=2012-04-23}}</ref> After executive producer [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]] told director Tetsuya Nomura the game would be a failure if it did not aim for the same level as the ''Final Fantasy'' series, Nomura began to develop the story further.<ref name="Insider-KHU-NI"/> When choosing the Disney worlds to include in the game, Nomura and his team tried to pick worlds that had distinctively different looks.<ref name="KH-NI-PSE">{{cite web|url=http://www.kh2.co.uk/?page=NI/Playstation |title=Playstation.com Europe - E3 Interview |publisher=Kingdom Hearts Ultimania |accessdate=2007-06-15 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070418212412/http://www.kh2.co.uk/?page=NI%2FPlaystation |archivedate=2007-04-18 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> They also tried to take into account worlds with Disney characters that would be interesting.<ref name="Insider-KHU-NI"/> Thanks to support from Disney's then-president and current chairman and chief executive [[Bob Iger]], the team had few restrictions on which worlds they could use from the Disney franchises. However, they tried to remain within each character's boundaries set by their respective Disney films.<ref name="KH3DIwata"/><ref name="G4TV-NI">{{cite web| url = http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/45555/Tetsuya_Nomura_on_the_Kingdom_Hearts_Sequels.html| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20061203020540/http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/45555/Tetsuya_Nomura_on_the_Kingdom_Hearts_Sequels.html| archivedate=2006-12-03| publisher = [[G4 (U.S. TV channel)|G4TV]]| title = Tetsuya Nomura on the Kingdom Hearts Sequels| accessdate=2007-06-15}}</ref> In June 2013, Nomura stated the name of the game came from him thinking about [[Walt Disney Parks and Resorts|Disney Theme Parks]], especially [[Disney's Animal Kingdom|Animal Kingdom]]. However, Nomura could not get the [[Intellectual property|IP]] with just ''Kingdom'', so the development team began to think about "heart" as a core part of the story, so they decided to combine the two to form ''Kingdom Hearts''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamezone.com/news/tetsuya-nomura-discusses-kingdom-hearts-1-5-kingdom-hearts-3-and-final-fantasy-15|title=Tetsuya Nomura discusses Kingdom Hearts 1.5, Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy 15|last=Splechta|first=Mike|publisher=Gamezone|date=2013-06-26|accessdate=2013-06-28}}</ref><ref name="Square Enix">{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpzjiMPhNBU|title=Square Enix Presents E3 2013 - Day1 [#03] - KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX Interview|author=Square Enix|publisher=Youtube|date=2013-06-25|accessdate=2013-06-28}}</ref>
-Additional content was added to the North American release that was absent in the initial Japanese release:<ref name="Square-KHsite"/> new optional bosses, one of which was named after the winner of the official website's "Name-In-Game" sweepstakes,<ref name="Square-KHsite"/> an extra difficulty level,<ref>{{cite web| author = Fox, Fennec| date = 2003-04-30| publisher = [[GamePro]]| url = http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/25541/square-confirms-kingdom-hearts-date/| title = Square Confirms Kingdom Hearts Date| accessdate=2008-09-19|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/25541/square-confirms-kingdom-hearts-date/&date=2011-11-30+19:08:35|archivedate=2011-12-01}}</ref> and a teaser of ''Kingdom Hearts II'' accessible by meeting certain criteria.<ref name="G4TV-NI"/> Nomura included the teaser in order to gauge fan reaction to the possibility of a sequel; he felt that if the idea was unpopular, then it would be best to leave certain events in the game unexplained.<ref name="KH-NI-KHIIU">{{cite web| title = Kingdom Hearts II Ultimania - Tetsuya Nomura Interview| url = http://www.kh2.co.uk/?page=NI/KH2U| publisher = Kingdom Hearts Ultimania| accessdate = 2007-08-10 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070710094227/http://www.kh2.co.uk/?page=NI/KH2U |archivedate = 2007-07-10}}</ref> The new content was later added to the Japanese [[international version|re-release]] titled ''Kingdom Hearts Final Mix''. ''Final Mix'' also included additional content such as new items, cut scenes, and enemies, such as a new secret boss that sets up the sequel. The new content further hinted at plotlines that would be explained in sequels. Some content omitted from ''Kingdom Hearts'' was later added into ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''. A world based on ''[[The Lion King]]'', for instance, was unfeasible because an additional program was required to process movement on four legs—a necessity since Sora would become a lion in that world.<ref name="KH-NI-Dengeki3">{{cite web| title = Nomura Dengeki Interview #3| url = http://www.kh2.co.uk/?page=NI/Dengeki-3| publisher = Kingdom Hearts Ultimania| accessdate=2007-06-15 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070611213907/http://www.kh2.co.uk/?page=NI/Dengeki-3 |archivedate = 2007-06-11}}</ref> Due to time constraints, the developers left out an optional boss battle, similar to the Sephiroth battle, against [[Tifa Lockhart]]. She was later included in ''Kingdom Hearts II'' as a more developed character.<ref name="KHII-TN-interview">{{cite web| url = http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2006/08/11/kingdom-hearts-ii-tetsuya-nomura-interview.htm| title = Kingdom Hearts II Tetsuya Nomura interview| publisher = Video Game Blogger| accessdate=2007-06-19}}</ref>
+Additional content was added to the North American release that was absent in the initial Japanese release:<ref name="Square-KHsite"/> new optional bosses, one of which was named after the winner of the official website's "Name-In-Game" sweepstakes,<ref name="Square-KHsite"/> an extra difficulty level,<ref>{{cite web| author = Fox, Fennec| date = 2003-04-30| publisher = [[GamePro]]| url = http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/25541/square-confirms-kingdom-hearts-date/| title = Square Confirms Kingdom Hearts Date| accessdate=2008-09-19|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/25541/square-confirms-kingdom-hearts-date/&date=2011-11-30+19:08:35|archivedate=2011-12-01}}</ref> and a teaser of ''Kingdom Hearts II'' accessible by meeting certain criteria.<ref name="G4TV-NI"/> Nomura included the teaser in order to gauge fan reaction to the possibility of a sequel; he felt that if the idea was unpopular, then it would be best to leave certain events in the game unexplained.<ref name="KH-NI-KHIIU">{{cite web|title=Kingdom Hearts II Ultimania - Tetsuya Nomura Interview |url=http://www.kh2.co.uk/?page=NI/KH2U |publisher=Kingdom Hearts Ultimania |accessdate=2007-08-10 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710094227/http://www.kh2.co.uk/?page=NI%2FKH2U |archivedate=2007-07-10 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> The new content was later added to the Japanese [[international version|re-release]] titled ''Kingdom Hearts Final Mix''. ''Final Mix'' also included additional content such as new items, cut scenes, and enemies, such as a new secret boss that sets up the sequel. The new content further hinted at plotlines that would be explained in sequels. Some content omitted from ''Kingdom Hearts'' was later added into ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''. A world based on ''[[The Lion King]]'', for instance, was unfeasible because an additional program was required to process movement on four legs—a necessity since Sora would become a lion in that world.<ref name="KH-NI-Dengeki3">{{cite web|title=Nomura Dengeki Interview #3 |url=http://www.kh2.co.uk/?page=NI/Dengeki-3 |publisher=Kingdom Hearts Ultimania |accessdate=2007-06-15 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611213907/http://www.kh2.co.uk/?page=NI%2FDengeki-3 |archivedate=2007-06-11 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> Due to time constraints, the developers left out an optional boss battle, similar to the Sephiroth battle, against [[Tifa Lockhart]]. She was later included in ''Kingdom Hearts II'' as a more developed character.<ref name="KHII-TN-interview">{{cite web| url = http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2006/08/11/kingdom-hearts-ii-tetsuya-nomura-interview.htm| title = Kingdom Hearts II Tetsuya Nomura interview| publisher = Video Game Blogger| accessdate=2007-06-19}}</ref>
 ===Audio===
@@ Line 81: / Line 81: @@
 ====Voice cast====
-''Kingdom Hearts'' featured well-known voice actors for both the Japanese and English versions. The Japanese version featured [[Miyu Irino]] as Sora, [[Risa Uchida]] as Kairi, and [[Mamoru Miyano]] as Riku. Other notable voice actors included [[Kōichi Yamadera]], [[Hideo Ishikawa]], and [[Maaya Sakamoto]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0322968/fullcredits| title = Full cast and crew for Kingdom Hearts (2002) (VG)| publisher = [[Internet Movie Database|IMDB]]| accessdate=2007-07-05}}</ref> A special effort was made to preserve the official voice actors of characters from the Disney movies used in ''Kingdom Hearts''. Some of the voice actors from the related television series or direct-to-video sequels were chosen over the original voice actors from films, where applicable (e.g. [[Dan Castellaneta]] as Genie, rather than [[Robin Williams]]). The English version featured [[Haley Joel Osment]] as Sora, [[David Gallagher]] as Riku, and [[Hayden Panettiere]] as Kairi.<ref name="GP-VoiceCast">{{cite web| author = Fox, Fennec| url = http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/23475/kingdom-hearts-voice-talent-announced/| publisher = [[GamePro]]| title = Kingdom Hearts Voice Talent Announced| date = 2003-04-30| accessdate=2008-09-19|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113171958/http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/23475/kingdom-hearts-voice-talent-announced/|archivedate=2009-01-13}}</ref><ref name="ffnet">{{cite web | author=Sains, Alex | title=Kingdom Hearts voice actors | url=http://www.ffnet.org/square-enix/kingdom-hearts/ | work=Final Fantasy Net | accessdate=2014-04-28 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060804120445/http://www.ffnet.org/square-enix/kingdom-hearts/ | archivedate=2006-08-04}}</ref> Other notable voice actors included [[Billy Zane]], [[Christy Carlson Romano]], [[David Boreanaz]], [[James Woods]], and [[Mandy Moore]].<ref name="GP-VoiceCast"/><ref name="KH-GSTechInfo">{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/kingdomhearts/tech_info.html| title = Kingdom Hearts (credits)| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| accessdate = 2014-04-28| archiveurl=http://archive.<!--remove to access archive-->is/PFyXm| archivedate=2007-09-29}}</ref>
+''Kingdom Hearts'' featured well-known voice actors for both the Japanese and English versions. The Japanese version featured [[Miyu Irino]] as Sora, [[Risa Uchida]] as Kairi, and [[Mamoru Miyano]] as Riku. Other notable voice actors included [[Kōichi Yamadera]], [[Hideo Ishikawa]], and [[Maaya Sakamoto]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0322968/fullcredits| title = Full cast and crew for Kingdom Hearts (2002) (VG)| publisher = [[Internet Movie Database|IMDB]]| accessdate=2007-07-05}}</ref> A special effort was made to preserve the official voice actors of characters from the Disney movies used in ''Kingdom Hearts''. Some of the voice actors from the related television series or direct-to-video sequels were chosen over the original voice actors from films, where applicable (e.g. [[Dan Castellaneta]] as Genie, rather than [[Robin Williams]]). The English version featured [[Haley Joel Osment]] as Sora, [[David Gallagher]] as Riku, and [[Hayden Panettiere]] as Kairi.<ref name="GP-VoiceCast">{{cite web| author = Fox, Fennec| url = http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/23475/kingdom-hearts-voice-talent-announced/| publisher = [[GamePro]]| title = Kingdom Hearts Voice Talent Announced| date = 2003-04-30| accessdate=2008-09-19|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113171958/http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/23475/kingdom-hearts-voice-talent-announced/|archivedate=2009-01-13}}</ref><ref name="ffnet">{{cite web | author=Sains, Alex | title=Kingdom Hearts voice actors | url=http://www.ffnet.org/square-enix/kingdom-hearts/ | work=Final Fantasy Net | accessdate=2014-04-28 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060804120445/http://www.ffnet.org/square-enix/kingdom-hearts/ | archivedate=2006-08-04}}</ref> Other notable voice actors included [[Billy Zane]], [[Christy Carlson Romano]], [[David Boreanaz]], [[James Woods]], and [[Mandy Moore]].<ref name="GP-VoiceCast"/><ref name="KH-GSTechInfo">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/kingdomhearts/tech_info.html |title=Kingdom Hearts (credits) |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |accessdate=2014-04-28 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929150619/https:///ttp%3A//www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/kingdomhearts/tech_info.html |archivedate=2007-09-29 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref>
 ===Promotion===
@@ Line 87: / Line 87: @@
 ==Reception==
-''Kingdom Hearts'' received positive reviews and sales figures. During the first two months of its North American release it was one of the top three highest-selling video games<ref>{{cite web| author = Calvert, Justin| url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/kingdomhearts/news.html?sid=2897836| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| title = October video game sales|date = 2002-11-18|accessdate=2007-07-05}}</ref> and was among the top selling titles during the 2002 Christmas and holiday season. In November 2002, [[UBS AG|UBS Warburg]] listed it as the 6th highest console game in terms of sales during the week of November 5.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://games.ign.com/articles/377/377245p1.html| title = UBSW Top 10 Games For the week ending Nov. 11| author = Stephen Coleman| publisher = IGN| date = 2002-11-13| accessdate = 2014-04-28| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329130423/http://games.ign.com/articles/377/377245p1.html| archivedate=2012-03-29}}</ref> At the end of April 2003, Square announced that ''Kingdom Hearts'' had sold its millionth copy in the United States, which made it eligible for PlayStation's "Greatest Hits" status, and over 3.0&nbsp;million worldwide.<ref name="greatesthits"/> Sales reached 1.2&nbsp;million in Japan in the first quarter of 2004, and broke 4.0&nbsp; million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web| author = GameSpot Staff| url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/kingdomhearts/news.html?sid=6091627| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| title = Kingdom Hearts tips scales at 4 million| date = 2004-03-17| accessdate=2007-05-18}}</ref> In December 2005, the [[NPD Group]] listed it as "one of the top ten best-selling PlayStation&nbsp;2 titles of all time in North America".<ref>{{cite web| title = Kingdom Hearts II Gets All-Star Cast| url = http://games.ign.com/articles/686/686944p1.html| author = Coleman, Stephen | publisher = IGN| date = 2006-02-08| accessdate=2014-04-28| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314143826/http://games.ign.com/articles/686/686944p1.html| archivedate=2012-03-14}}</ref> As of December 2006, ''Kingdom Hearts'' had shipped over 5.6&nbsp;million copies worldwide with 1.1&nbsp;million in [[PAL region]]s, 1.5&nbsp;million in Japan, and 3.0&nbsp;million in North America.<ref name="10mil">{{cite web| author = Square| url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/kingdomhearts/news.html?sid=6165399| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| title = Kingdom Hearts Series Ships over 10 Million Worldwide| accessdate=2014-04-28 | date=2007-02-05| authorlink = Square (company)| archiveurl=http://archive.<!--remove to access archive-->is/HXwT| archivedate=2012-12-09}}</ref> By October 2013, the series had sold more than 20 million units worldwide.<ref name="20mil" />
+''Kingdom Hearts'' received positive reviews and sales figures. During the first two months of its North American release it was one of the top three highest-selling video games<ref>{{cite web| author = Calvert, Justin| url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/kingdomhearts/news.html?sid=2897836| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| title = October video game sales|date = 2002-11-18|accessdate=2007-07-05}}</ref> and was among the top selling titles during the 2002 Christmas and holiday season. In November 2002, [[UBS AG|UBS Warburg]] listed it as the 6th highest console game in terms of sales during the week of November 5.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://games.ign.com/articles/377/377245p1.html| title = UBSW Top 10 Games For the week ending Nov. 11| author = Stephen Coleman| publisher = IGN| date = 2002-11-13| accessdate = 2014-04-28| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329130423/http://games.ign.com/articles/377/377245p1.html| archivedate=2012-03-29}}</ref> At the end of April 2003, Square announced that ''Kingdom Hearts'' had sold its millionth copy in the United States, which made it eligible for PlayStation's "Greatest Hits" status, and over 3.0&nbsp;million worldwide.<ref name="greatesthits"/> Sales reached 1.2&nbsp;million in Japan in the first quarter of 2004, and broke 4.0&nbsp; million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web| author = GameSpot Staff| url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/kingdomhearts/news.html?sid=6091627| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| title = Kingdom Hearts tips scales at 4 million| date = 2004-03-17| accessdate=2007-05-18}}</ref> In December 2005, the [[NPD Group]] listed it as "one of the top ten best-selling PlayStation&nbsp;2 titles of all time in North America".<ref>{{cite web| title = Kingdom Hearts II Gets All-Star Cast| url = http://games.ign.com/articles/686/686944p1.html| author = Coleman, Stephen | publisher = IGN| date = 2006-02-08| accessdate=2014-04-28| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314143826/http://games.ign.com/articles/686/686944p1.html| archivedate=2012-03-14}}</ref> As of December 2006, ''Kingdom Hearts'' had shipped over 5.6&nbsp;million copies worldwide with 1.1&nbsp;million in [[PAL region]]s, 1.5&nbsp;million in Japan, and 3.0&nbsp;million in North America.<ref name="10mil">{{cite web|author=Square |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/kingdomhearts/news.html?sid=6165399 |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |title=Kingdom Hearts Series Ships over 10 Million Worldwide |accessdate=2014-04-28 |date=2007-02-05 |authorlink=Square (company) |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20121209072142/http://www.gamespot.com/news/kingdom-hearts-series-ships-over-10-million-worldwide-6165399 |archivedate=2012-12-09 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> By October 2013, the series had sold more than 20 million units worldwide.<ref name="20mil" />
 ===Critical response===
@@ Line 115: / Line 115: @@
 Criticism about the gameplay was mixed. Many reviews complained that the camera was at times frustrating and the Gummi Ship portions were out of place. GameSpot cited "tedious" gameplay and Gummi Ship sections as "pale imitations of the [[Star Fox (series)|''Star Fox'' series]]", but stated that the combat was fun, particularly the boss fights.<ref name="KHgamespot"/> [[MediaWorks (publisher)|Dengeki Online]] commented on the camera controls, saying that the camera would often run into objects while being rotated by the player.<ref>{{cite web| publisher = Dengeki Online| url = http://www.dengekionline.com/soft/review/rev_kingdomhearts.htm| script-title=ja:電撃オンライン編集部がオススメするソフトを個性的なレビュアーがアツく語る!| accessdate = 2007-07-08 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070609222651/http://www.dengekionline.com/soft/review/rev_kingdomhearts.htm| archivedate = 2007-06-09| language = Japanese}}</ref> ''GamePro'' compared the battle system to "old [[Nintendo 64|N64]] [[The Legend of Zelda|''Zelda'' games]]" and had positive comments about Donald and Goofy's [[artificial intelligence]].<ref name="GP-KH"/>
-GameSpot commented that the concept of mixing the serious elements of ''Final Fantasy'' with the lighter elements of Disney seemed impossible, but was pulled off quite well. Because of that they awarded ''Kingdom Hearts'' "Best Crossover Since ''[[SNK vs. Capcom (series)|Capcom vs. SNK]]''" in their 2002 Best and Worst of the Year awards.<ref name="BWGS"/> GameSpy noted that the periodic departure from the main plot into the Disney side stories was disappointing, and when the original plot builds to a climax, "the story fails to gel thanks to a confusing mish-mash of vague terms and symbolism that probably made more sense in the director's head than in this final product." Aside from the plot, they stated that the overall package was worth playing through to the end.<ref name="KHgamespy"/> [[G4 (U.S. TV channel)|G4TV]] awarded it "Best Story" at their 2003 [[G-Phoria]] awards show.<ref name="beststory">{{cite web| url = http://cube.ign.com/articles/431/431546p1.html| title = G-Phoria Report| author = IGN Staff| date = 2003-07-31| publisher = IGN| accessdate = 2007-08-07}}</ref> Fan response was also positive; ''Kingdom Hearts'' was voted as the 19th best game of all-time by readers of the Japanese magazine ''[[Famitsu]]'',<ref name="Famitsu">{{cite web| title=Famitsu Reveals Top 100 Reader-Voted Games Of All-Time| url = http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=8378| publisher = [[Gamasutra]]| date = 2006-03-03| accessdate=2007-05-29}}</ref> 16th by the users of website [[GameFAQs]],<ref>{{cite web | year=2005| url = http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/top10| title=Fall 2005: 10-Year Anniversary Contest - The 10 Best Games Ever| publisher = [[GameFAQs]]| accessdate=2007-07-05}}</ref> and 92nd by IGN users.<ref>{{cite web| author = IGN Site Staff | year = 2006 | title = Readers' Picks Top 100 Games: 91-100 | url = http://top100.ign.com/2006/091-100.html | publisher = IGN | accessdate=2007-05-29}}</ref> ''Kingdom Hearts'' ranked ninth on IGN's most recent "Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time" list.<ref>{{cite web| author = IGN Site Staff | year = 2006 | title =Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time| url = http://ps2.ign.com/articles/772/772296p4.html| publisher = IGN | accessdate=2010-08-24}}</ref> It was also a nominee for the Best Game Award from the [[:ja:日本ゲーム大賞|CESA Game Awards]] for 2001-2002.<ref>{{cite web | title=最優秀賞は「FF10」!! 「第6回 CESA GAME AWARDS」授賞式 | url=http://www.gpara.com/news/02/10/news200210280717.htm | publisher=GPARA.COM | accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> In the making of the 2004 video game ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel]]'' the developers, [[Racjin]], looked at other titles for inspiration, particularly ''Kingdom Hearts'' when making the game.<ref name="IGN interview">{{cite web |url=http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/515/515365p1.html |title=E3 2004: Fullmetal Alchemist - Interview |accessdate=2008-05-27 |author=Alfonso, Andrew |date=2004-05-13 |publisher=[[IGN]]| pages=1–3}}</ref>
+GameSpot commented that the concept of mixing the serious elements of ''Final Fantasy'' with the lighter elements of Disney seemed impossible, but was pulled off quite well. Because of that they awarded ''Kingdom Hearts'' "Best Crossover Since ''[[SNK vs. Capcom (series)|Capcom vs. SNK]]''" in their 2002 Best and Worst of the Year awards.<ref name="BWGS"/> GameSpy noted that the periodic departure from the main plot into the Disney side stories was disappointing, and when the original plot builds to a climax, "the story fails to gel thanks to a confusing mish-mash of vague terms and symbolism that probably made more sense in the director's head than in this final product." Aside from the plot, they stated that the overall package was worth playing through to the end.<ref name="KHgamespy"/> [[G4 (U.S. TV channel)|G4TV]] awarded it "Best Story" at their 2003 [[G-Phoria]] awards show.<ref name="beststory">{{cite web| url = http://cube.ign.com/articles/431/431546p1.html| title = G-Phoria Report| author = IGN Staff| date = 2003-07-31| publisher = IGN| accessdate = 2007-08-07}}</ref> Fan response was also positive; ''Kingdom Hearts'' was voted as the 19th best game of all-time by readers of the Japanese magazine ''[[Famitsu]]'',<ref name="Famitsu">{{cite web| title=Famitsu Reveals Top 100 Reader-Voted Games Of All-Time| url = http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=8378| publisher = [[Gamasutra]]| date = 2006-03-03| accessdate=2007-05-29}}</ref> 16th by the users of website [[GameFAQs]],<ref>{{cite web|year=2005 |url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/top10 |title=Fall 2005: 10-Year Anniversary Contest - The 10 Best Games Ever |publisher=[[GameFAQs]] |accessdate=2007-07-05 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716111618/http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/top10 |archivedate=2015-07-16 |df= }}</ref> and 92nd by IGN users.<ref>{{cite web| author = IGN Site Staff | year = 2006 | title = Readers' Picks Top 100 Games: 91-100 | url = http://top100.ign.com/2006/091-100.html | publisher = IGN | accessdate=2007-05-29}}</ref> ''Kingdom Hearts'' ranked ninth on IGN's most recent "Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time" list.<ref>{{cite web|author=IGN Site Staff |year=2006 |title=Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time |url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/772/772296p4.html |publisher=IGN |accessdate=2010-08-24 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629122948/http://ps2.ign.com/articles/772/772296p4.html |archivedate=2011-06-29 |df= }}</ref> It was also a nominee for the Best Game Award from the [[:ja:日本ゲーム大賞|CESA Game Awards]] for 2001-2002.<ref>{{cite web|title=最優秀賞は「FF10」!! 「第6回 CESA GAME AWARDS」授賞式 |url=http://www.gpara.com/news/02/10/news200210280717.htm |publisher=GPARA.COM |accessdate=2009-05-28 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826011503/http://www.gpara.com/news/02/10/news200210280717.htm |archivedate=2011-08-26 |df= }}</ref> In the making of the 2004 video game ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel]]'' the developers, [[Racjin]], looked at other titles for inspiration, particularly ''Kingdom Hearts'' when making the game.<ref name="IGN interview">{{cite web |url=http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/515/515365p1.html |title=E3 2004: Fullmetal Alchemist - Interview |accessdate=2008-05-27 |author=Alfonso, Andrew |date=2004-05-13 |publisher=[[IGN]]| pages=1–3}}</ref>
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