Kingdom Hearts (キングダムハーツ Kingudamu Hātsu?) is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (formerly Square). It is the result of a collaboration between Square and Disney Interactive Studios and is under the direction of Tetsuya Nomura, a longtime Square character designer. Kingdom Hearts is a crossover of various Disney settings based in a universe made specifically for the series. In addition, it has an all-star voice cast which includes many of the Disney characters' official voice actors. Characters from Square Enix's Final Fantasy series make appearances and interact with the player and Disney characters. The series centers around the main character Sora's search for his friends and his encounters with Disney and Final Fantasy characters on their worlds.
The Kingdom Hearts series currently consists of four games across different video game platforms, and future titles are planned. Most of the games in the series have been both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, though each installment has seen varying levels of success. As of September 2008, the Kingdom Hearts series has shipped over 12.0 million copies worldwide, with 2.0 million copies in PAL regions, 3.0 million copies in Japan, and 5.6 million copies in North America.[1][2][3][4] There have been several types of merchandise released along with the games, such as soundtracks, figurines, and companion books. In addition, the series has been adapted into a manga series and novels.
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The Kingdom Hearts series games contain elements from both action and role-playing games. The games are driven by a linear progression from one story event to the next, usually shown in the form of a cut scene, though there are numerous side quests available that provide bonus benefits to the characters. The player primarily controls of the principal protagonist of the series, Sora. Sora is usually accompanied by Donald Duck and Goofy, who are non-playable characters that aid Sora in battle. In the first and third game, their behavior could be altered to suit different combat objectives. The games feature real-time combat that incorporates physical attacks, magic, and summonings; though each game handled battles differently.
Gummi Ships are another common theme in the series, though they are only featured in the first and third installment. The Gummi Ships serve as the main mode of transportation between worlds in the games. The gameplay for the Gummi Ships sections is more akin to a rail shooter. Because it received negative criticism in the first game, it was improved in the third installment.[5] All three games also feature a journal which is accessible from the main menu. The journal keeps track of information regarding the story, characters, enemies, and locations. In the game, the journal is kept by Jiminy Cricket, who was appointed by Queen Minnie as the royal chronicler.[6]
The games are influenced by their parent franchise, Final Fantasy,[7] and carry its gameplay elements over into their own action-based, hack-and-slash system. Like many traditional role-playing games, Kingdom Hearts features an experience point system which determines character development. As enemies are defeated, the player gains experience which culminate in a "level-up", where the characters grow stronger and gain access to new abilities.[8] The amount of experience is shared with all party members and each character grows stronger as experience is gained.[9]
Kingdom Hearts features a mixture of familiar Disney and Final Fantasy characters, as well as several new characters designed and created by Nomura.[10] Though the series features locations unique to the Kingdom Hearts franchise, worlds from Disney films are heavily explored. Sora must visit these worlds and interact with popular Disney characters to protect them from enemies. Often, Sora's actions in these worlds follow closely to the storylines featured in their accompanying Disney films. The main characters try not to interfere with the affairs of other worlds, as it could negatively affect the universe's order.[11][12] Moogles, small creatures from Final Fantasy, are another common element in the games. They provide the player with a synthesis shop in order to create items for use in the game.
The three main games in the Kingdom Hearts series focus on the adventures of Sora and his search for his friends, Kairi and Riku. The first game shows how Sora is separated from his friends when their world is invaded by an army of corrupted hearts known as the Heartless. During the invasion, he obtains a special weapon known as a Keyblade. Soon after, Sora meets Donald Duck, the Disney Castle court magician, and Goofy, the Disney Castle captain of the royal guard.[13] Donald and Goofy are searching for the "key" per instructions from King Mickey.[14] The three band together and travel to different Disney themed worlds, sealing the hearts of the worlds to prevent more Heartless invasions. Along the way they encounter a group of Disney villains, led by Maleficent, that are controlling the Heartless.[15][16] Though they eventually defeat Maleficent, the three discover that a man named Ansem is the true antagonist. Ansem's plan is to open the door to Kingdom Hearts in the hopes of attaining eternal darkness. Sora, Donald, and Goofy defeat Ansem, and seal the door with the help of Riku and King Mickey on the other side of the door.
After sealing the door to Kingdom Hearts, the three begin searching for Riku and King Mickey.[17] They encounter a mysterious fortress called Castle Oblivion.[18] Upon entering the fortress, they begin to lose their memories.[19] The three encounter a group of dark hooded villains referred to as the Organization XIII. After defeating the Organization members in the castle, Sora learns his memories have been manipulated by a girl named Naminé who is controlled by the Organization. To allow them to regain their memories, Naminé puts Sora, Donald, and Goofy to sleep for a year.[20] While the three are ascending to the top floor of the castle, Riku and King Mickey arrive in the basement and began traveling to the top as well. Riku fights the darkness in his heart and learns to accept his dual nature between light and dark.[21]
A year later, Sora, Donald, and Goofy awaken with no memory of anything that had transpired in Castle Oblivion and continue their search for Riku and King Mickey. They learn of the Nobodies and are re-familiarized with their leaders, Organization XIII. Afterwards, Maleficent is resurrected and joins with Pete, another Disney villain, to continue her quest for power. Sora once again travels to many Disney-themed worlds and resolves the troubles caused by Organization XIII, the Heartless, Maleficent and Pete, and local villains. Meanwhile, Kairi is kidnapped by the Organization. They meet King Mickey, who reveals the true nature of Ansem, the antagonist of Kingdom Hearts. The Ansem who Sora defeated was actually the Heartless of Xehanort, a student of Ansem the Wise. Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII, reveals himself to be the Nobody of Xehanort.[22][23] The three arrive at the headquarters of Organization XIII, with Kingdom Hearts looming overhead. Ansem the Wise uses a device that dissipates some of Kingdom Hearts' power, but a system overload causes the machine to explode and kill Ansem.[24] At the top of the castle, Sora and his friends battle Xemnas, who uses the remnants of Kingdom Hearts to fight them.[25] After Xemnas' defeat, Sora and Riku are reunited with their friends at Destiny Islands, their home.[26]
The series consists of four games; three main games developed by Square Enix and a V CAST mobile game developed by Superscape. The three main games were released in chronological order, with each new installment following the events of the previous installment, while the V CAST game was developed independently from the main series. Three more titles developed by Square Enix are planned for release.
Kingdom Hearts is the first game in the series, and was released in Japan on March 28, 2002 for the PlayStation 2.[27][28] This was Nomura's first time in a directorial position. Kingdom Hearts introduced most of the main characters for the series and established the plot's framework involving hearts and the Heartless. It also established the presence of previous Disney fiction, with character cameos from the Final Fantasy series. Kingdom Hearts was released in North America on September 17, 2002,[27][28] and featured additional content that was not in the original Japanese version. The game was later rereleased exclusively in Japan as Kingdom Hearts Final Mix on December 26, 2002.[27][28] Final Mix included the content from the North America version and additional enemies, cut scenes, and weapons.[29]
The second game in the series is Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. It was released on the Game Boy Advance in Japan on November 11, 2004 and in North America on December 7, 2004.[30][31] Chain of Memories was touted as a bridge between the two PlayStation 2 installments, introducing and previewing plot elements that would be played out in the next game.[32] The gameplay was based on a card system; player-composed decks of cards, with each card allowing the player to perform an action in battle, such as attacking or using magic. It was remade into a PlayStation 2 game titled Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, which was released in Japan as a second disc packaged with Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix on March 29, 2007. The remake will be released as a standalone in North America on December 2, 2008.[1]
Kingdom Hearts II is the third game in the series, set one year after Chain of Memories. It was released in Japan on December 22, 2005 for the PlayStation 2.[33][34] The game furthered the "heart" concept by involving the Nobodies and "bodies". The gameplay is based on the first Kingdom Hearts's, with the addition of more options to attack enemies and the Reaction Command, which utilized the triangle button to perform preset actions in battle and interaction with characters and the surroundings. Kingdom Hearts II was revised into Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, which contained more material than the original release, such as additional cut scenes and bosses. Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix was released with Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, a remake of Chain of Memories for the PlayStation 2, containing polygon graphics instead of the sprites used in the original Game Boy Advance game. This collection is titled Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ and was released in Japan on March 29, 2007.[35]
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.[36] It was one of the launch games for the V CAST services.[37] The game, developed by Superscape and published by Disney Mobile with no involvement from Square Enix, features the original Kingdom Hearts's gameplay, modified for the input method of mobile phones.[38]
The first section begins with the protagonist of the original Kingdom Hearts, Sora, shipwrecked on a seemingly uninhabited island, his friends Goofy and Donald missing. Sora must find a way to escape the island, as well as reuniting with Donald and Goofy. Reception of the first mission pack was mixed. The game was criticized for its awkward controls and limited availability. The visual appeal was praised; GameSpot stated Sora "is very detailed and well animated" and complimented the 3D environments.[39]
At the 2007 Tokyo Game Show, three new installments in the series were announced. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, focusing on Roxas, will be released for the Nintendo DS, while Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, focusing on new characters Terra, Ven, and Aqua, will be released on the PlayStation Portable. Another game, Kingdom Hearts coded, will be released to mobile phones.[40] Currently the titles are only confirmed for a Japanese release, though Square Enix has plans for releases in other territories.[41] Nomura has stated that the three new titles are not the final titles in the series and they will have a connection to a future game.[42]
The first Kingdom Hearts began development in February 2000.[43] It was directed by Tetsuya Nomura and produced by Shinji Hashimoto, who had conceived the idea when he met with a Disney executive in an elevator;[44] Square and Disney had previously worked in the same building in Japan.[45] While Nomura had done previous work in the Final Fantasy series as monster designer and graphic director, he did not gain widespread recognition until he was the lead character designer for Final Fantasy VII. Kingdom Hearts marked his transition into a directional position, though he also served as the game's character designer. Scenarios were provided by Kazushige Nojima who was a scenario writer for Square from Final Fantasy VII until he left Square Enix in 2003. Originally the development focused on the gameplay with a simple story to appeal to Disney's target age range. After Kingdom Hearts executive producer Hironobu Sakaguchi told Nomura the game would be a failure if it did not aim for the same level as the Final Fantasy series, he began to develop the story further.[46]
Nomura placed an secret trailer in Kingdom Hearts in hopes that fans would want a sequel. He was unsure if fans would want a sequel and felt that if they did not, then it would be best to leave certain events in the first game unexplained.[47] After Kingdom Hearts Final Mix was completed, plans for Kingdom Hearts II began.[48] There were several obstacles to clear before development could begin on a sequel. One was the development team's desire to showcase Mickey Mouse more;[47] Mickey's inclusion in the first game was restricted to a very small role.[46] Nomura had planned for the sequel to take place a year after the first and originally intended for the events of that year to be left unexplained. To bridge the gap between the two games, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories was developed.[49] Nomura was hesitant about releasing a game on the Game Boy Advance because he felt the 3D graphics of the original game would not translate well into 2D. He changed his position after hearing that children wanted to play Kingdom Hearts on the Game Boy Advance.[50]
Though Disney gave Nomura freedom in the characters and worlds used for the games, he and his staff tried to stay within the established roles of characters and boundaries of the worlds.[51] Nomura has stated that though many of the Disney characters are not normally dark and serious, there were not many challenges making them so for the story, and despite this, their personalities shine because they maintain their own characteristics.[52] He also felt managing and keeping multiple worlds was problematic.[53] When deciding which worlds to include in the game, the development staff tried to take into account worlds with Disney characters that would be interesting and made an effort to minimize any overlap in the overall look and feel of each world.[54][46]
The inclusion of specific Final Fantasy characters was based on the opinions of both fans and staff.[55] Another criteria for inclusion was whether the staff felt the characters would fit into the storyline and in the Kingdom Hearts universe.[56] Initially, Nomura was hesitant to use characters he did not design, because he was unfamiliar with the background work of such characters.[57] For Kingdom Hearts II, he changed his mind after receiving pressure from his staff.[55] Throughout the development of the games, Nomura has often left certain events and connections between characters unexplained until the release of future games. Nomura does this because he feels that games should have room for fans to speculate and use their imagination. He has stated that with speculation, even though a game gets old, people can still be happy with it.[47]
The first Kingdom Hearts was announced at E3 in May 2001.[10] 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 include Sora, Riku, Kairi, and the Heartless.[10][58] 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 was also announced that many of the Disney characters would be voiced by their official voice actors from their respective Disney films.[10][59]
An secret trailer in the first Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts Final Mix hinted at the possibility of a sequel. Rumors for a sequel on the PlayStation 2 were spurred in Japan when a Japanese video game site, Quiter, stated that "an internal (and anonymous source) at Square Japan" confirmed that development of Kingdom Hearts II had begun.[60] It was not until Kingdom Hearts II was announced, along with Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2003 that rumors were confirmed.[61] Initial details were that it would take place some time after Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, which takes place directly after the first game. Other details included the return of Sora, Donald, and Goofy, as well as new costumes. At the 2004 Square Enix E3 Press conference, the producer, Shinji Hashimoto, stated that many mysteries of the first game would be answered.[62]
To help market the games, websites were set up for each game and demos were on display at gaming events. Each game in the main series were also rereleased in Japan with additional content and served as canonical updates to the series.[63][64] The additional content foreshadowed later plot elements in the series. The rereleases of the main series games had the term "Final Mix" added after the title, while Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories was rereleased as Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories and released on the PlayStation 2 with 3D graphics, voice overs during some cutscenes, and new game content.[65][66]
The music for the video game series was primarily composed by Yoko Shimomura. Kaoru Wada works as the arranger for orchestral music in the Kingdom Hearts series, including orchestral renditions of the main vocal themes and the ending themes.[67][68] The orchestral music was performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.[68][67] Soundtracks were released for the first and third installments following the release of their respective games. A compilation soundtrack was later released that included soundtracks for the entire series, including reworked tracks for the re-released Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories.[69][70]
While the themes for some of the Disney-based worlds are taken directly from their Disney film counterparts,[68] most of them are given entirely original musical scores. In addition to each world having unique background music, each is given its own battle theme rather than having a common theme to cover all fights. Several of the Disney villains get themes based on the film from which they originated, and the final boss of each game has several themes played in the various phases of those fights. The fights with Sephiroth feature Nobuo Uematsu's "One-Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII.[70]
The main theme songs for the Kingdom Hearts games were written and performed by Japanese pop star, Utada Hikaru. The two main themes are "Hikari", from Kingdom Hearts and Chain of Memories,[71][72] and "Passion", from Kingdom Hearts II.[73] Each song has an English counterpart, Simple and Clean and Sanctuary respectively, for the North American and European releases. Utada was the only singer Tetsuya Nomura had in mind for the first Kingdom Hearts theme song.[74] This marked the first time Utada had produced a song for a video game. Both theme songs reached notable popularity in Japan. On weekly Oricon charts, "Hikari" reached #1 in 2002 and "Passion" reached #4 in 2005.[75][76]
The Kingdom Hearts games featured well-known voice actors for the Japanese and English versions. The Japanese version featured Miyu Irino as Sora, Risa Uchida as Kairi, and Mamoru Miyano as Riku.[77][78] The third game introduced Kōki Uchiyama as Roxas, Iku Nakahara as Naminé, and Genzō Wakayama as DiZ.[79] Other notable voice actors included Kōichi Yamadera, Hideo Ishikawa, Maaya Sakamoto, Takashi Aoyagi, Yū Shimaka and Shinichirō Miki.[77][78]
The English release of the Kingdom Hearts games featured an all-star voice cast which included many of the Disney characters' official voice actors. Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo, and Bill Farmer voiced Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy.[80][78] Several high profile actors provided the voice acting of the main characters. The first game featured Haley Joel Osment as Sora, David Gallagher as Riku, and Hayden Panettiere as Kairi.[81] The third game, Kingdom Hearts II, saw the return of the main character voice actors and added Jesse McCartney as Roxas, Brittany Snow as Naminé, and Christopher Lee as DiZ.[82] Other notable actors included, Sean Astin, Steve Burton, Billy Zane, Will Friedle, Ming-Na, and James Woods.[80][78]
There are multiple versions of each of the main Kingdom Hearts games. They each had a release in Japan, North America, and the PAL region. The were also rereleased in Japan with new content. Both Square and Disney released numerous types of merchandise before and after the release of the games. Merchandise ranged from toys and figurines to clothing items and jewelry.[83][84] Two of the games, Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, had a soundtrack released to coincide with the video games.[85][86] These were followed by a nine CD complete set which featured both soundtracks and unreleased tracks.[69] Kingdom Hearts has been published as a trading card game by the Tomy corporation of Japan.[87] An English version of the game was released in November 2007 by Fantasy Flight Games.[88] The video games have also been adapted into a manga and novel series.
Like the Final Fantasy games, a series of Ultimania books were also released in Japan for the three main games. There are six books which include game walkthroughs, interviews, and extra information from the developers. Released along with Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ was Kingdom Hearts -Another Report-, a hardback book which includes game information, visuals by Shiro Amano, and a director interview.[89] In North America, Brady Games released strategy guides for each game. For Kingdom Hearts II, they released two versions, a standard version and a limited edition version. The limited edition was available in four different covers and included a copy of Jiminy's Journal along with 400 stickers.[90]
A manga based on the Kingdom Hearts storyline has been released in Japan and the United States. The story and art are done by Shiro Amano, who is also known for his manga adaptation of the Legend of Mana video game. The story follows the events that took place in the video games with differences to account for the loss of interactivity a video game provides. The manga was originally serialized in Japan by Square Enix's Monthly Shonen Gangan and eventually released in tankōbons. The first tankōbon was released in Japan in October 2003.[91] The manga was released in the USA by Tokyopop two years later in October 2005.[92] It was divided into three manga series based on Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts II. The first series, Kingdom Hearts, was further diveded into four volumes, while the second series, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, was divided into two volumes. The third series, Kingdom Hearts II, is currently being serialized. The first volume was released in Japan in December 2006 and was released in the USA on July 3, 2007.[93][94]
A novel series has also been released. It is written by Tomoco Kanemaki and illustrated by Shiro Amano. Like the manga series, it is divided into separate series based on the games. Kingdom Hearts is divided into two volumes; "The First Door"[95] and "Darkness Within".[96] They were released in North America in 2008. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is divided into three volumes. Kingdom Hearts II is divided into four volumes; "Roxas - Seven Days",[97] "The Destruction of Hollow Bastion",[98] "Tears of Nobody",[99] and "Anthem-Meet Again/Axel Last Stand".[100]
| Game | Metacritic | Game Rankings |
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| Kingdom Hearts |
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| Kingdom Hearts (V CAST) |
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| Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories |
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| Kingdom Hearts II |
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The Kingdom Hearts series has been critically and commercially successful, though each installment has seen different levels of success. By December 2005, the Kingdom Hearts series had shipped more than 8.5 million copies worldwide.[108] As of September 2008, the series has shipped over twelve million copies worldwide, with 2.0 million copies in PAL regions, 3.0 million copies in Japan, and 5.6 million copies in North America.[1][2][3][4] The three main games in the series all met with positive sales at the time of their releases. During the first two months of Kingdom Hearts's North American release, it was one of the top three highest-selling video games.[109] Chain of Memories sold 104,000 units in 48 hours in Japan, a record for a Game Boy Advance title at the time.[110] Its positive debut sales placed it in the top spot of sales charts in Japan.[111] In the first month of its North American release, it was ranked 1st on GameSpot's ChartSpot for portable systems and 6th for all consoles.[112] Within a week of Kingdom Hearts II's Japanese release, it shipped 1 million copies,[113][108] selling almost 730,000 copies.[114] By the end of March 2006, the NPD Group reported that Kingdom Hearts II was the highest-selling console game in North America, with 614,000 copies.[115] In the month after its release in North America, Kingdom Hearts II sold an estimated 1 million copies.[116]
The games have also received high ratings and positive comments from reviewers. The three main games have scored a 36 out of 40 or higher from the Japanese game magazine Famitsu, known for its extremely harsh grading.[117][118][119] All four games have been praised for their visuals. The games have also won several awards. 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.[120] IGN named Kingdom Hearts "Best Art Style/Direction" in their 2003 list of "Best Looking Games on PS2".[121] G4 awarded it "Best Story" at their 2003 G-Phoria awards show.[122] Electronic Gaming Monthly awarded Kingdom Hearts II "Best Sequel" of 2006.[123] It tied with Resident Evil 4 as Famitsu's Game of the Year 2005.[124] The manga series has also been well received. Several of the manga volumes were listed on USA Today's "Top 150 best sellers".[125][126][127] The highest ranked volume was Kingdom Hearts volume 4 at #73.[126] Every volume listed stayed on the list for at least two weeks; Kingdom Hearts volume 4 stayed the longest at four weeks.
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